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Sample records for leverage observations bad

  1. Detecting outliers and/or leverage points: a robust two-stage procedure with bootstrap cut-off points

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ettore Marubini

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a robust two-stage procedure for identification of outlying observations in regression analysis. The exploratory stage identifies leverage points and vertical outliers through a robust distance estimator based on Minimum Covariance Determinant (MCD. After deletion of these points, the confirmatory stage carries out an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS analysis on the remaining subset of data and investigates the effect of adding back in the previously deleted observations. Cut-off points pertinent to different diagnostics are generated by bootstrapping and the cases are definitely labelled as good-leverage, bad-leverage, vertical outliers and typical cases. The procedure is applied to four examples.

  2. On the Performance of the Measure for Diagnosing Multiple High Leverage Collinearity-Reducing Observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arezoo Bagheri

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available There is strong evidence indicating that the existing measures which are designed to detect a single high leverage collinearity-reducing observation are not effective in the presence of multiple high leverage collinearity-reducing observations. In this paper, we propose a cutoff point for a newly developed high leverage collinearity-influential measure and two existing measures ( and to identify high leverage collinearity-reducing observations, the high leverage points which hide multicollinearity in a data set. It is important to detect these observations as they are responsible for the misleading inferences about the fitting of the regression model. The merit of our proposed measure and cutoff point in detecting high leverage collinearity-reducing observations is investigated by using engineering data and Monte Carlo simulations.

  3. Good news is bad news: Leverage cycles and sudden stops

    OpenAIRE

    Akinci, Ozge; Chahrour, Ryan

    2015-01-01

    We show that a model with imperfectly forecastable changes in future productivity and an occasionally binding collateral constraint can match a set of stylized facts about “sudden stop” events. “Good” news about future productivity raises leverage during times of expansion, increasing the probability that the constraint binds, and a sudden stop occurs, in future periods. The economy exhibits a boom period in the run-up to the sudden stop, with output, consumption, and investment all above tre...

  4. Toward a More Responsive Consumable Materiel Supply Chain: Leveraging New Metrics to Identify and Classify Items of Concern

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    MATERIEL SUPPLY CHAIN: LEVERAGING NEW METRICS TO IDENTIFY AND CLASSIFY ITEMS OF CONCERN by Andrew R. Haley June 2016 Thesis Advisor: Robert...IDENTIFY AND CLASSIFY ITEMS OF CONCERN 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Andrew R. Haley 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval...Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), logistics, inventory, consumable, NSNs at Risk, Bad Actors, Bad Actors with Trend, items of concern , customer time

  5. Social worker assessment of bad news delivery by emergency medicine residents: a novel direct-observation milestone assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, Alice Ann; Spear-Ellinwood, Karen; Berman, Melissa; Nisson, Peyton; Rhodes, Suzanne Michelle

    2016-09-01

    The skill of delivering bad news is difficult to teach and evaluate. Residents may practice in simulated settings; however, this may not translate to confidence or competence during real experiences. We investigated the acceptability and feasibility of social workers as evaluators of residents' delivery of bad news during patient encounters, and assessed the attitudes of both groups regarding this process. From August 2013 to June 2014, emergency medicine residents completed self-assessments after delivering bad news. Social workers completed evaluations after observing these conversations. The Assessment tools were designed by modifying the global Breaking Bad News Assessment Scale. Residents and social workers completed post-study surveys. 37 evaluations were received, 20 completed by social workers and 17 resident self-evaluations. Social workers reported discussing plans with residents prior to conversations 90 % of the time (18/20, 95 % CI 64.5, 97.8). Social workers who had previously observed the resident delivering bad news reported that the resident was more skilled on subsequent encounters 90 % of the time (95 % CI 42.2, 99). Both social workers and residents felt that prior training or experience was important. First-year residents valued advice from social workers less than advice from attending physicians, whereas more experienced residents perceived advice from social workers to be equivalent with that of attending physicians (40 versus 2.9 %, p = 0.002). Social worker assessment of residents' abilities to deliver bad news is feasible and acceptable to both groups. This formalized self-assessment and evaluation process highlights the importance of social workers' involvement in delivery of bad news, and the teaching of this skill. This method may also be used as direct-observation for resident milestone assessment.

  6. THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL LEVERAGE ON RETURN AND RISK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    HAKAN SARITAŞ

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Financing with debt and preferred stock to increase the potential return to the residual common shareholders’ equity is referred to as financial leverage. A firm’s return on equity (ROE is a key determinant of the growth rate of its earnings. Return on equity is affected profoundly by the firm’s degree of financial leverage. Increased debt will make a positive contribution to a firm’s ROE only if the firm’s return on assets (ROA exceeds the interest rate on the debt. In spite of the fact that financial leverage increases the rate of return on common stock equity, the grater the proportion of debt in the capital structure, however, the greater the risk the common shareholders bear. Introduction of financial leverage increases the average profitability of the firm as well as its risk. In good economic years, the impact of financial leverage will most likely be positive; however, the leverage effect may be negative in relatively bad years. Traditionally, studies treated short-term debt and long-term debt as perfect substitutes for each other. There is, however, risk-sharing by long-term debtholders which makes short-term debt financing riskier to shareholders than long-term debt financing. The significant affect associated with the total debt usage is largely attributable to short-term debt financing, since the impact of short-term debt financing on the expected returns is shown to be greater than that of long-term debt financing.

  7. Monitoring Leverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Geanakoplos, John; Heje Pedersen, Lasse

    2014-01-01

    measure of systemic risk. Indeed, systemic crises tend to erupt when highly leveraged economic agents are forced to deleverage, sending the economy into recession. We emphasize the importance of measuring both the average leverage on old loans (which captures the economy's vulnerability) and the leverage...... offered on new loans (which captures current credit conditions) since the economy enters a crisis when leverage on new loans is low and leverage on old loans is high. While leverage plays an important role in several economic models, the data on leverage is model-free and simply needs to be collected...

  8. Embedded Leverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frazzini, Andrea; Heje Pedersen, Lasse

    find that asset classes with embedded leverage offer low risk-adjusted returns and, in the cross-section, higher embedded leverage is associated with lower returns. A portfolio which is long low-embedded-leverage securities and short high-embedded-leverage securities earns large abnormal returns...

  9. Comparative analysis of general characteristics of ischemic stroke of BAD and non-BAD CISS subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mei, Bin; Liu, Guang-zhi; Yang, Yang; Liu, Yu-min; Cao, Jiang-hui; Zhang, Jun-jian

    2015-12-01

    Based on the recently proposed Chinese ischemic stroke subclassification (CISS) system, intracranial branch atheromatous disease (BAD) is divided into large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and penetrating artery disease (PAD). In the current retrospective analysis, we compared the general characteristics of BAD-LAA with BAD-PAD, BAD-LAA with non-BAD-LAA and BAD-PAD with non-BAD-PAD. The study included a total of 80 cases, including 45 cases of BAD and 35 cases of non-BAD. Subjects were classified using CISS system: BAD-LAA, BAD-PAD, non-BAD-LAA and non-BAD-PAD. In addition to analysis of general characteristics, the correlation between the factors and the two subtypes of BAD was evaluated. The number of cases included in the analysis was: 32 cases of BAD-LAA, 13 cases of BAD-PAD, 21 cases of non-BAD-LAA, and 14 cases of non-BAD-PAD. Diabetes mellitus affected more non-BAD-LAA patients than BAD-LAA patients (P=0.035). In comparison with non-BAD-PAD, patients with BAD-PAD were younger (P=0.040), had higher initial NIHSS score (PBAD, the PAD subtype was associated with smoking (OR=0.043; P=0.011), higher low-density lipoprotein (OR=5.339; P=0.029), ischemic heart disease (OR=9.383; P=0.047) and diabetes mellitus (OR=12.59; P=0.020). It was concluded that large artery atherosclerosis was the primary mechanism of BAD. The general characteristics showed no significant differences between the CISS subtypes of LAA and PAD within BAD, as well as between the BAD and non-BAD within LAA subtype. Several differences between PAD subtypes of BAD and non-BAD were revealed.

  10. Feeling bad and seeing bad

    OpenAIRE

    Brady, Michael S.

    2015-01-01

    The emotions of guilt, shame, disappointment and grief, and the bodily states of pain and suffering, have something in common, at least phenomenologically: they are all unpleasant, they feel bad. But how might we explain what it is for some state to feel bad or unpleasant? What, in other words, is the nature of negative affect? In this paper I want to consider the prospects for evaluativist theories, which seek to explain unpleasantness by appeal to negative evaluations or appraisals. In part...

  11. Leverage bubble

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Wanfeng; Woodard, Ryan; Sornette, Didier

    2012-01-01

    Leverage is strongly related to liquidity in a market and lack of liquidity is considered a cause and/or consequence of the recent financial crisis. A repurchase agreement is a financial instrument where a security is sold simultaneously with an agreement to buy it back at a later date. Repurchase agreement (repo) market size is a very important element in calculating the overall leverage in a financial market. Therefore, studying the behavior of repo market size can help to understand a process that can contribute to the birth of a financial crisis. We hypothesize that herding behavior among large investors led to massive over-leveraging through the use of repos, resulting in a bubble (built up over the previous years) and subsequent crash in this market in early 2008. We use the Johansen-Ledoit-Sornette (JLS) model of rational expectation bubbles and behavioral finance to study the dynamics of the repo market that led to the crash. The JLS model qualifies a bubble by the presence of characteristic patterns in the price dynamics, called log-periodic power law (LPPL) behavior. We show that there was significant LPPL behavior in the market before that crash and that the predicted range of times predicted by the model for the end of the bubble is consistent with the observations.

  12. Bad Breath

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... cabbage. And of course smoking causes its own bad smell. Some diseases and medicines can cause a specific breath odor. Having good dental habits, like brushing and flossing regularly, help fight bad ...

  13. Bad is stronger than good

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Baumeister, R.F.; Bratslavsky, E.; Finkenauer, C.; Vohs, K.D.

    2001-01-01

    The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events (e.g., trauma), close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones, and bad

  14. Estimation of the Continuous and Discontinuous Leverage Effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aït-Sahalia, Yacine; Fan, Jianqing; Laeven, Roger J A; Wang, Christina Dan; Yang, Xiye

    2017-01-01

    This paper examines the leverage effect, or the generally negative covariation between asset returns and their changes in volatility, under a general setup that allows the log-price and volatility processes to be Itô semimartingales. We decompose the leverage effect into continuous and discontinuous parts and develop statistical methods to estimate them. We establish the asymptotic properties of these estimators. We also extend our methods and results (for the continuous leverage) to the situation where there is market microstructure noise in the observed returns. We show in Monte Carlo simulations that our estimators have good finite sample performance. When applying our methods to real data, our empirical results provide convincing evidence of the presence of the two leverage effects, especially the discontinuous one.

  15. What Causes Bad Breath?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Videos for Educators Search English Español What Causes Bad Breath? KidsHealth / For Teens / What Causes Bad Breath? Print en español ¿Qué es lo que provoca el mal aliento? Bad breath, or halitosis , can be a major problem, ...

  16. Diophantine approximation and badly approximable sets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, S.; Thorn, R.; Velani, S.

    2006-01-01

    . The classical set Bad of `badly approximable' numbers in the theory of Diophantine approximation falls within our framework as do the sets Bad(i,j) of simultaneously badly approximable numbers. Under various natural conditions we prove that the badly approximable subsets of Omega have full Hausdorff dimension...

  17. Internet Bad Neighborhoods temporal behavior

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira Moura, Giovane; Sadre, R.; Pras, Aiko

    2014-01-01

    Malicious hosts tend to be concentrated in certain areas of the IP addressing space, forming the so-called Bad Neighborhoods. Knowledge about this concentration is valuable in predicting attacks from unseen IP addresses. This observation has been employed in previous works to filter out spam. In

  18. Internet Bad Neighborhoods Temporal Behavior

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira Moura, G.C.; Sadre, R.; Pras, A.

    2014-01-01

    Malicious hosts tend to be concentrated in certain areas of the IP addressing space, forming the so-called Bad Neighborhoods. Knowledge about this concentration is valuable in predicting attacks from unseen IP addresses. This observation has been employed in previous works to filter out spam. In

  19. Fitting Data to Model: Structural Equation Modeling Diagnosis Using Two Scatter Plots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Ke-Hai; Hayashi, Kentaro

    2010-01-01

    This article introduces two simple scatter plots for model diagnosis in structural equation modeling. One plot contrasts a residual-based M-distance of the structural model with the M-distance for the factor score. It contains information on outliers, good leverage observations, bad leverage observations, and normal cases. The other plot contrasts…

  20. Asymmetric News Effects on Volatility: Good vs. Bad News in Good vs. Bad Times

    OpenAIRE

    Laakkonen, Helinä; Lanne, Markku

    2008-01-01

    We study the impact of positive and negative macroeconomic US and European news announcements in different phases of the business cycle on the highfrequency volatility of the EUR/USD exchange rate. The results suggest that in general bad news increases volatility more than good news. The news effects also depend on the state of the economy: bad news increases volatility more in good times than in bad times, while there is no difference between the volatility effects of good news in bad and go...

  1. Concept of 'bad death'

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marija Vučković

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Following previous research on the linguistic concept of а 'bad death' which lexical expression is the word family of the verb ginuti, I focus my attention in this paper on the relationship between language conceptualization of а 'bad death' and the representation of а 'bad death' in traditional and contemporary culture. Diachronically based language corpus makes possible to trace the changes of referential frame and use of verb ginuti and its derivatives. In the traditional culture а 'bad death' is marked in action code by irregular way of burial and beliefs in demons stemming from the 'impure dead'. In the paper I explore the degree of synonymy of the symbols of all three codes: verbal code, action code and code of beliefs. In the contemporary culture the lack of individual control and choice is considered to be the key element of the concept of a 'bad death'. This change of conceptual content manifests itself in the use of its lexical expressions.

  2. Stochastic volatility and stochastic leverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Veraart, Almut; Veraart, Luitgard A. M.

    This paper proposes the new concept of stochastic leverage in stochastic volatility models. Stochastic leverage refers to a stochastic process which replaces the classical constant correlation parameter between the asset return and the stochastic volatility process. We provide a systematic...... treatment of stochastic leverage and propose to model the stochastic leverage effect explicitly, e.g. by means of a linear transformation of a Jacobi process. Such models are both analytically tractable and allow for a direct economic interpretation. In particular, we propose two new stochastic volatility...... models which allow for a stochastic leverage effect: the generalised Heston model and the generalised Barndorff-Nielsen & Shephard model. We investigate the impact of a stochastic leverage effect in the risk neutral world by focusing on implied volatilities generated by option prices derived from our new...

  3. LDL: The "Bad" Cholesterol

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol: LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. It is called the "bad" cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to ...

  4. The Leverage Ratchet Effect

    OpenAIRE

    Anat R. Admati; Peter M. DeMarzo; Martin F. Hellwig; Paul Pfleiderer

    2013-01-01

    Shareholder-creditor conflicts can create leverage ratchet effects, resulting in inefficient capital structures. Once debt is in place, shareholders may inefficiently increase leverage but avoid reducing it no matter how beneficial leverage reduction might be to total firm value. We present conditions for an irrelevance result under which shareholders view asset sales, pure recapitalization and asset expansion with new equity as equally undesirable. We then analyze how seniority, asset hetero...

  5. Bad Drawing

    OpenAIRE

    Burgoyne, Greig

    2016-01-01

    "Only when we move do we see the chains" - Rosa Luxemburg Bad drawing / paper cell is a site-specific drawing performance commissioned for The Prison Drawing Project, Scarborough jail, Yorkshire, presented as a film grafted onto the space that is the cell. It takes the notion of drawing as an act of covering and form of measurement, in an immersive act of attempted liberation. Measuring using rolls of paper, the film chronicles what could be seen as a bad day wallpapering a space, no ass...

  6. A simple analytical model for dynamics of time-varying target leverage ratios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, C. F.; Hui, C. H.

    2012-03-01

    In this paper we have formulated a simple theoretical model for the dynamics of the time-varying target leverage ratio of a firm under some assumptions based upon empirical observations. In our theoretical model the time evolution of the target leverage ratio of a firm can be derived self-consistently from a set of coupled Ito's stochastic differential equations governing the leverage ratios of an ensemble of firms by the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation approach. The theoretically derived time paths of the target leverage ratio bear great resemblance to those used in the time-dependent stationary-leverage (TDSL) model [Hui et al., Int. Rev. Financ. Analy. 15, 220 (2006)]. Thus, our simple model is able to provide a theoretical foundation for the selected time paths of the target leverage ratio in the TDSL model. We also examine how the pace of the adjustment of a firm's target ratio, the volatility of the leverage ratio and the current leverage ratio affect the dynamics of the time-varying target leverage ratio. Hence, with the proposed dynamics of the time-dependent target leverage ratio, the TDSL model can be readily applied to generate the default probabilities of individual firms and to assess the default risk of the firms.

  7. Association of Pro-apoptotic Bad Gene Expression Changes with Benign Thyroid Nodules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gül, Nurdan; Temel, Berna; Ustek, Duran; Sirma-Ekmekçi, Sema; Kapran, Yersu; Tunca, Fatih; Giles-Şenyürek, Yasemin; Özbek, Uğur; Alagöl, Faruk

    2018-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the role of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in benign thyroid nodules. Paired samples of nodular and normal tissues were collected from 26 patients with nodular goiters undergoing thyroidectomy. Variable expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Bad genes were evaluated by quantitative PCR. Expression level of Bad gene in nodules was found to be significantly decreased compared to normal tissues (p=0.049). A positive correlation was observed between nodule size and Bad expression levels (correlation coefficient=0.563, p=0.004); and this correlation was stronger in hot nodules (n=18, correlation coefficient=0.689, p=0.003). No significant difference was observed between nodular and normal tissue expressions of Bax and Bcl-2. These results suggest that Bad expression correlates with the size of benign thyroid nodules and also its relatively lower expression in nodules, warrant further investigation. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  8. Breaking bad news: doctors' skills in communicating with patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira da Silveira, Francisco José; Botelho, Camila Carvalho; Valadão, Carolina Cirino

    2017-01-01

    Breaking bad news is one of doctors' duties and it requires them to have some skills, given that this situation is difficult and distressful for patients and their families. Moreover, it is also an uncomfortable condition for doctors. The aim of this study was to evaluate doctors' capacity to break bad news, ascertain which specialties are best prepared for doing this and assess the importance of including this topic within undergraduate courses. Observational cross-sectional quantitative study conducted at a university hospital in Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil. This study used a questionnaire based on the SPIKES protocol, which was answered by 121 doctors at this university hospital. This questionnaire investigated their attitudes, posture, behavior and fears relating to breaking bad news. The majority of the doctors did not have problems regarding the concept of bad news. Nevertheless, their abilities diverged depending on the stage of the protocol and on their specialty and length of time since graduation. Generally, doctors who had graduated more than ten years before this survey felt more comfortable and confident, and thus transmitted the bad news in a better conducted manner. Much needs to be improved regarding this technique. Therefore, inclusion of this topic in undergraduate courses is necessary and proposals should be put forward and verified.

  9. Displaying fairness while delivering bad news: Testing the effectiveness of organizational bad news training in the layoff context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Manuela; König, Cornelius J; Koppermann, Christopher; Schilling, Michael

    2016-06-01

    Although giving bad news at work is a stressful experience, managers are often underprepared for this challenging task. As a solution, we introduce organizational bad news training that integrates (a) principles of delivering bad news from the context of health care (i.e., bad news delivery component), and (b) principles of organizational justice theory (i.e., fairness component). We argue that both the formal and fair delivery of bad news at work can be enhanced with the help of training to mitigate distress both for the messenger and the recipient. We tested the effectiveness of training for the delivery of a layoff as a typical bad news event at work. In 2 studies, we compared the performance of a training group (receiving both components of training) with that of a control group (Study 1, Study 2) and a basics group (receiving the bad news delivery component only; Study 2) during a simulated dismissal notification meeting. In general, the results supported our hypotheses: Training improved the formal delivery of bad news and predicted indicators of procedural fairness during the conversation in both studies. In Study 2, we also considered layoff victims' negativity after the layoff and found that training significantly reduced negative responses. This relationship was fully mediated by layoff victims' fairness perceptions. Despite preparation, however, giving bad news remained a challenging task in both studies. In summary, we recommend that organizations provide managers with organizational bad news training in order to promote professional and fair bad news conversations at work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. The Badness of Discrimination

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lippert-Rasmussen, Kasper

    2006-01-01

    . In this paper I address these issues. First, I offer a taxonomy of discrimination. I then argue that discrimination is bad, when it is, because it harms people. Finally, I criticize a rival, disrespect-based account according to which discrimination is bad regardless of whether it causes harm....

  11. Internet Bad Neighborhoods Aggregation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira Moura, Giovane; Sadre, R.; Sperotto, Anna; Pras, Aiko; Paschoal Gaspary, L.; De Turk, Filip

    Internet Bad Neighborhoods have proven to be an innovative approach for fighting spam. They have also helped to understand how spammers are distributed on the Internet. In our previous works, the size of each bad neighborhood was fixed to a /24 subnetwork. In this paper, however, we investigate if

  12. 26 CFR 1.166-1 - Bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bad debts. 1.166-1 Section 1.166-1 Internal... TAXES (CONTINUED) Itemized Deductions for Individuals and Corporations § 1.166-1 Bad debts. (a... shall be allowed in respect of bad debts owed to the taxpayer. For this purpose, bad debts shall...

  13. Breaking bad news: doctors’ skills in communicating with patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco José Ferreira da Silveira

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Breaking bad news is one of doctors’ duties and it requires them to have some skills, given that this situation is difficult and distressful for patients and their families. Moreover, it is also an uncomfortable condition for doctors. The aim of this study was to evaluate doctors’ capacity to break bad news, ascertain which specialties are best prepared for doing this and assess the importance of including this topic within undergraduate courses. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cross-sectional quantitative study conducted at a university hospital in Belo Horizonte (MG, Brazil. METHODS: This study used a questionnaire based on the SPIKES protocol, which was answered by 121 doctors at this university hospital. This questionnaire investigated their attitudes, posture, behavior and fears relating to breaking bad news. RESULTS: The majority of the doctors did not have problems regarding the concept of bad news. Nevertheless, their abilities diverged depending on the stage of the protocol and on their specialty and length of time since graduation. Generally, doctors who had graduated more than ten years before this survey felt more comfortable and confident, and thus transmitted the bad news in a better conducted manner. CONCLUSION: Much needs to be improved regarding this technique. Therefore, inclusion of this topic in undergraduate courses is necessary and proposals should be put forward and verified.

  14. Risks of Leveraged Products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A. Di Cesare (Antonio)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractLeveraged investments have become a fundamental feature of modern economies. The new financial products allow people to take greater-than-usual exposures to risk factors. This thesis analyzes several different aspects of the risks involved by some frequently used leveraged products:

  15. Breaking bad news in cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konstantis, Apostolos; Exiara, Triada

    2015-01-01

    In a regional hospital, many patients are newly diagnosed with cancer. Breaking the bad news in these patients and their relatives is a tough task. Many doctors are not experienced in talking to patients about death or death-related diseases. In recent years, there have been great efforts to change the current situation. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience and education of medical personnel in breaking bad news in a secondary hospital. 59 doctors from General Hospital of Komotini, Greece were included in the study. All the doctors were in clinical specialties that treated cancer patients. A brief questionnaire was developed based on current guidelines such as Baile/SPIKES framework and the ABCDE mnemonic. Residents are involved in delivering bad news less frequently than specialists. Only 21 doctors (35.59%) had specific training on breaking bad news. 20 doctors (33.90%) were aware of the available techniques and protocols on breaking bad news. 47 doctors (79.66%) had a consistent plan for breaking bad news. 57 (96.61%) delivered bad news in a quiet place, 53 (89.83%) ensured no interruptions and enough time, 53 (89.83%) used simple words and 54 (91.53%) checked for understanding and did not rush through the news. 46 doctors (77.97%) allowed relatives to determine patient's knowledge about the disease. There were low rates of specific training in breaking bad news. However, the selected location, the physician's speech and their plan were according to current guidelines.

  16. Leverage, monetary policy, and firm investment

    OpenAIRE

    Charles X. Hu

    1999-01-01

    In this paper, I investigate whether the effects of monetary policy on firm investment can be transmitted through leverage. I find that monetary contractions reduce the growth of investment more for highly leveraged firms than for less leveraged firms. The results suggest that the board credit channel for monetary policy exists, and that it can operate through leverage, as adverse monetary shocks aggravate real debt burdens and raise the effective costs of investment.

  17. Bad and Bid - potential background players in preneoplastic to neoplastic shift in human endometrium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Driak, D; Dvorska, M; Bolehovska, P; Svandova, I; Novotny, J; Halaska, M

    2014-01-01

    The most common malignancies of the female genital tract are endometrial carcinomas, whose are generally proceeded by hyperplasia. The maintenance of tissue homeostasis is to great extent governed by apoptosis, whose defects can lead to the preneoplastic and/or cancerous changes. Endometrial apoptosis involves among others three groups of proteins of the Bcl-2 family. First group contains anti-apoptotic proteins (e. g. Bcl-2, Bcl-xL). The other two groups belong to the pro-apoptotic proteins with three (e. g. Bax, Bak) or one (e. g. Bad, Bid) so-called BH domains. Bad and Bid trigger the oligomerization of Bak and Bax protein, which permeabilize the outer mitochondrial wall. Unlike Bid, Bad cannot directly trigger apoptosis. Instead, Bad lowers the threshold at which apoptosis is induced, by binding anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. However, their mutual counterbalance or synergism in the human endometrium has not been reported yet.In this study, the levels of Bid and Bad were measured using SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with specific antibodies, with the aim to analyse expression of Bid and Bad proteins in normal (NE), hyperplastic (HE) and cancerous (CE) endometrium. We demonstrated that Bid expression in CE reached only 47% and 50% of this observed in NE and HE. Conversely, Bad expression in HE reached only 40% and 36% of this observed in NE and CE, respectively. We detected no significant changes of Bid expression between HE and NE, and levels of Bad protein were not different between CE and NE.Trend of Bid and Bad protein expression is clearly opposite in HE and CE. We hypothesise that disrupted apoptotic program in CE seems to be reduced further by lowering levels of direct apoptotic trigger protein Bid. We suggest that the adenocarcinoma tissue of human endometrium thus tries to strengthen its apoptotic effort by lowering the apoptotic threshold via higher Bad levels.

  18. 42 CFR 413.178 - Bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bad debts. 413.178 Section 413.178 Public Health...) Services and Organ Procurement Costs § 413.178 Bad debts. Link to an amendment published at 75 FR 49199, Aug. 12, 2010. (a) CMS will reimburse each facility its allowable Medicare bad debts, as defined in...

  19. Breaking bad news in cancer patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Apostolos Konstantis

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: In a regional hospital, many patients are newly diagnosed with cancer. Breaking the bad news in these patients and their relatives is a tough task. Many doctors are not experienced in talking to patients about death or death-related diseases. In recent years, there have been great efforts to change the current situation. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience and education of medical personnel in breaking bad news in a secondary hospital. Materials and Methods: 59 doctors from General Hospital of Komotini, Greece were included in the study. All the doctors were in clinical specialties that treated cancer patients. A brief questionnaire was developed based on current guidelines such as Baile/SPIKES framework and the ABCDE mnemonic. Results: Residents are involved in delivering bad news less frequently than specialists. Only 21 doctors (35.59% had specific training on breaking bad news. 20 doctors (33.90% were aware of the available techniques and protocols on breaking bad news. 47 doctors (79.66% had a consistent plan for breaking bad news. 57 (96.61% delivered bad news in a quiet place, 53 (89.83% ensured no interruptions and enough time, 53 (89.83% used simple words and 54 (91.53% checked for understanding and did not rush through the news. 46 doctors (77.97% allowed relatives to determine patient′s knowledge about the disease. Conclusions: There were low rates of specific training in breaking bad news. However, the selected location, the physician′s speech and their plan were according to current guidelines.

  20. Autophagy postpones apoptotic cell death in PRRSV infection through Bad-Beclin1 interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ao; Li, Shuaifeng; Khan, Faheem Ahmed; Zhang, Shujun

    2016-01-01

    Autophagy and apoptosis play significant roles in PRRSV infection and replication. However, the interaction between these 2 processes in PRRSV replication is still far from been completely understood. In our studies, the exposure of MARC-145 cells to PRRSV confirmed the activation of autophagy and subsequent induction of apoptosis. The inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) caused a significant increase in PRRSV-induced apoptosis, showing a potential connection between both mechanisms. Moreover, we observed an increase in Bad expression (a pro-apoptotic protein) and Beclin1 (an autophagy regulator) in virus-infected cells up to 36h. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed the formation of Bad and Beclin1 complex in PRRSV infected cells. Accordingly, Bad co-localized with Beclin1 in MARC-145 infected cells. Knockdown of Beclin1 significantly decreased PRRSV replication and PRRSV-induced autophagy, while Bad silencing resulted in increased autophagy and enhanced viral replication. Furthermore, PRRSV infection phosphorylated Bad (Ser112) to promote cellular survival. These results demonstrate that autophagy can favor PRRSV replication by postponing apoptosis through the formation of a Bad-Beclin1 complex.

  1. Leverage Aversion and Risk Parity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Asness, Clifford; Frazzini, Andrea; Heje Pedersen, Lasse

    2012-01-01

    The authors show that leverage aversion changes the predictions of modern portfolio theory: Safer assets must offer higher risk-adjusted returns than riskier assets. Consuming the high risk-adjusted returns of safer assets requires leverage, creating an opportunity for investors with the ability...... to apply leverage. Risk parity portfolios exploit this opportunity by equalizing the risk allocation across asset classes, thus overweighting safer assets relative to their weight in the market portfolio....

  2. Leveraging Disturbance Observer Based Torque Control for Improved Impedance Rendering with Series Elastic Actuators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehling, Joshua S.; Holley, James; O'Malley, Marcia K.

    2015-01-01

    The fidelity with which series elastic actuators (SEAs) render desired impedances is important. Numerous approaches to SEA impedance control have been developed under the premise that high-precision actuator torque control is a prerequisite. Indeed, the design of an inner torque compensator has a significant impact on actuator impedance rendering. The disturbance observer (DOB) based torque control implemented in NASA's Valkyrie robot is considered here and a mathematical model of this torque control, cascaded with an outer impedance compensator, is constructed. While previous work has examined the impact a disturbance observer has on torque control performance, little has been done regarding DOBs and impedance rendering accuracy. Both simulation and a series of experiments are used to demonstrate the significant improvements possible in an SEA's ability to render desired dynamic behaviors when utilizing a DOB. Actuator transparency at low impedances is improved, closed loop hysteresis is reduced, and the actuator's dynamic response to both commands and interaction torques more faithfully matches that of the desired model. All of this is achieved by leveraging DOB based control rather than increasing compensator gains, thus making improved SEA impedance control easier to achieve in practice.

  3. 17 CFR 31.6 - Registration of leverage commodities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... taking delivery to buy or sell the leverage commodity; (2) Explain the effect of such changes upon the... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Registration of leverage... LEVERAGE TRANSACTIONS § 31.6 Registration of leverage commodities. (a) Registration of leverage commodities...

  4. Leverage, Investment, and Firm Growth

    OpenAIRE

    Larry Lang; Eli Ofek; Rene M. Stulz

    1995-01-01

    We show that there is a negative relation between leverage and future growth at the firm level and, for diversified firms, at the segment level. Further, this negative relation between leverage and growth holds for firms with low Tobin's q, but not for high-q firms or firms in high-q industries. Therefore, leverage does not reduce growth for firms known to have good investment opportunities, but is negatively related to growth for firms whose growth opportunities are either not recognized by ...

  5. 48 CFR 31.205-3 - Bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bad debts. 31.205-3... REQUIREMENTS CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES Contracts With Commercial Organizations 31.205-3 Bad debts. Bad debts, including actual or estimated losses arising from uncollectible accounts receivable due...

  6. Giving bad news: a qualitative research exploration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aein, Fereshteh; Delaram, Masoumeh

    2014-06-01

    The manner in which healthcare professionals deliver bad news affects the way it is received, interpreted, understood, and dealt with. Despite the fact that clinicians are responsible for breaking bad news, it has been shown that they lack skills necessary to perform this task. The purpose of this study was to explore Iranian mothers' experiences to receive bad news about their children cancer and to summarize suggestions for improving delivering bad news by healthcare providers. A qualitative approach using content analysis was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 mothers from two pediatric hospitals in Iran. Five major categories emerged from the data analysis, including dumping information, shock and upset, emotional work, burden of delivering bad news to the family members, and a room for multidisciplinary approach. Effective communication of healthcare team with mothers is required during breaking bad news. Using multidisciplinary approaches to prevent harmful reactions and providing appropriate support are recommended.

  7. Breaking bad news: issues relating to nursing practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnock, Clare

    2014-07-15

    The breaking of bad news was traditionally regarded to be the time when a doctor and nurse sat down with a patient and family members to provide information about, for example, a life-limiting diagnosis or a poor prognosis. However, breaking bad news is now generally accepted as a process, not a one-off event, and is considered to refer to any bad, sad or difficult information that alters patients' perceptions of their present and future. Nurses have an important role in the process of providing information and helping patients prepare for, receive, understand and cope with the bad news they have been given. This article aims to help nurses understand the process of breaking bad news and discuss the challenges and difficulties that nurses can face when they are involved with patients who have been given bad news. It also provides guidance with regard to preparing for breaking bad news, giving difficult information, responding to possible reactions, and supporting patients and their relatives after they have received bad news.

  8. 17 CFR 31.15 - Reporting to leverage customers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... customers. 31.15 Section 31.15 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION LEVERAGE TRANSACTIONS § 31.15 Reporting to leverage customers. Each leverage transaction merchant shall furnish in writing directly to each leverage customer: (a) Promptly upon the repurchase, resale...

  9. Bad Breath

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... garlic, onions, cheese, orange juice, and soda poor dental hygiene (say: HI-jeen), meaning not brushing and flossing regularly smoking and other tobacco use Poor oral hygiene leads to bad breath because when food particles ...

  10. 'BREAKS' Protocol for Breaking Bad News.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Vijayakumar; Bista, Bibek; Koshy, Cheriyan

    2010-05-01

    Information that drastically alters the life world of the patient is termed as bad news. Conveying bad news is a skilled communication, and not at all easy. The amount of truth to be disclosed is subjective. A properly structured and well-orchestrated communication has a positive therapeutic effect. This is a process of negotiation between patient and physician, but physicians often find it difficult due to many reasons. They feel incompetent and are afraid of unleashing a negative reaction from the patient or their relatives. The physician is reminded of his or her own vulnerability to terminal illness, and find themselves powerless over emotional distress. Lack of sufficient training in breaking bad news is a handicap to most physicians and health care workers. Adherence to the principles of client-centered counseling is helpful in attaining this skill. Fundamental insight of the patient is exploited and the bad news is delivered in a structured manner, because the patient is the one who knows what is hurting him most and he is the one who knows how to move forward. Six-step SPIKES protocol is widely used for breaking bad news. In this paper, we put forward another six-step protocol, the BREAKS protocol as a systematic and easy communication strategy for breaking bad news. Development of competence in dealing with difficult situations has positive therapeutic outcome and is a professionally satisfying one.

  11. Breaking bad news-what patients want and what they get: evaluating the SPIKES protocol in Germany.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifart, C; Hofmann, M; Bär, T; Riera Knorrenschild, J; Seifart, U; Rief, W

    2014-03-01

    Evaluation of the SPIKES protocol, a recommended guideline for breaking bad news, is sparse, and information about patients' preferences for bad-news delivery in Germany is lacking. Being the first actual-theoretical comparison of a 'breaking bad news' guideline, the present study evaluates the recommended steps of the SPIKES protocol. Moreover, emotional consequences and quality of bad-news delivery are investigated. A total of 350 cancer patients answered the MABBAN (Marburg Breaking Bad News Scale), a questionnaire representing the six SPIKES subscales, asking for the procedure, perception and satisfaction of the first cancer disclosure and patient's assign to these items. Only 46.2% of the asked cancer patients are completely satisfied with how bad news had been broken to them. The overall quality is significantly related to the emotional state after receiving bad news (r = -0.261, P bad news were delivered, and the resulting rang list of patients' preferences indicates that the SPIKES protocol do not fully meet the priorities of cancer patients in Germany. It could be postulated that the low satisfaction of patients observed in this study reflects the highly significant difference between patients' preferences and bad-news delivery. Therefore, some adjunctions to the SPIKES protocol should be considered, including a frequent reassurance of listeners' understanding, the perpetual possibility to ask question, respect for prearrangement needs and the conception of bad-news delivery in a two-step procedure.

  12. Breaking Bad Habits | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... of this page please turn Javascript on. Feature: Bad Habits Breaking Bad Habits: Why It's So Hard to Change Past Issues / ... News in Health ( http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/ ) Break Bad Habits Avoid temptations. If you always stop for a ...

  13. Bad habits and bad genes: early 20th-century eugenic attempts to eliminate syphilis and associated "defects" from the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Philip K

    2003-01-01

    American eugenists in the early 20th century distinguished "degenerates," including syphilitics, prostitutes, alcoholics and criminals, from the "normal" population by their particular bad habits. From eugenists' viewpoint, these bad habits were derived from bad character, a flaw that stemmed from an individual's bad genes. This essay explores how eugenists during this period characterized syphilitics and those with associated character "defects" in terms of heredity. Additionally, it examines the methods eugenists most frequently advocated to rectify these bad habits. These methods included marriage restriction, immigration control and reproductive sterilization. Overall, eugenists directed their efforts not so much at the "degenerate" as at his or her germ line.

  14. Antisocial features and "faking bad": A critical note.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niesten, Isabella J M; Nentjes, Lieke; Merckelbach, Harald; Bernstein, David P

    2015-01-01

    We critically review the literature on antisocial personality features and symptom fabrication (i.e., faking bad; e.g., malingering). A widespread assumption is that these constructs are intimately related. Some studies have, indeed, found that antisocial individuals score higher on instruments detecting faking bad, but others have been unable to replicate this pattern. In addition, studies exploring whether antisocial individuals are especially talented in faking bad have generally come up with null results. The notion of an intrinsic link between antisocial features and faking bad is difficult to test and research in this domain is sensitive to selection bias. We argue that research on faking bad would profit from further theoretical articulation. One topic that deserves scrutiny is how antisocial features affect the cognitive dissonance typically induced by faking bad. We illustrate our points with preliminary data and discuss their implications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Bad phosphorylation as a target of inhibition in oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bui, Ngoc-Linh-Chi; Pandey, Vijay; Zhu, Tao; Ma, Lan; Basappa; Lobie, Peter E

    2018-02-28

    Bcl-2 agonist of cell death (BAD) is a BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family which possesses important regulatory function in apoptosis. BAD has also been shown to possess many non-apoptotic functions closely linked to cancer including regulation of glycolysis, autophagy, cell cycle progression and immune system development. Interestingly, BAD can be either pro-apoptotic or pro-survival depending on the phosphorylation state of three specific serine residues (human S75, S99 and S118). Expression of BAD and BAD phosphorylation patterns have been shown to influence tumor initiation and progression and play a predictive role in disease prognosis, drug response and chemosensitivity in various cancers. This review aims to summarize the current evidence on the functional role of BAD phosphorylation in human cancer and evaluate the potential utility of modulating BAD phosphorylation in cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Financing drug discovery via dynamic leverage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montazerhodjat, Vahid; Frishkopf, John J; Lo, Andrew W

    2016-03-01

    We extend the megafund concept for funding drug discovery to enable dynamic leverage in which the portfolio of candidate therapeutic assets is predominantly financed initially by equity, and debt is introduced gradually as assets mature and begin generating cash flows. Leverage is adjusted so as to maintain an approximately constant level of default risk throughout the life of the fund. Numerical simulations show that applying dynamic leverage to a small portfolio of orphan drug candidates can boost the return on equity almost twofold compared with securitization with a static capital structure. Dynamic leverage can also add significant value to comparable all-equity-financed portfolios, enhancing the return on equity without jeopardizing debt performance or increasing risk to equity investors. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Breaking bad news issues: A survey among radiation oncologists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milind Kumar

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Discussion of bad news and resuscitation in terminal cancer is an important but difficult and often neglected issue in day-to-day oncology practice. Materials and Methods: We interviewed 35 radiation oncologists using an indigenous 15-item questionnaire on their beliefs about breaking bad news and resuscitation to terminal cancer patients. Results: Most responders had an oncology experience of three to seven years (20/35.Thirty-two were comfortable discussing cancer diagnosis, prognosis and life expectancy-related issues. A similar number believed all cancer-related information should be disclosed, while only four believed in imparting all information in one visit. All agreed that disclosing sensitive information did not affect survival. When requested by relatives to withhold truth from patients, 11 said they would not comply, 22 agreed to tell the truth only if asked and two agreed to avoid difficult questions. Twenty responders denied having been adequately trained in breaking bad news and were keen on dedicated classes or sessions in this area of practice. Most (33/35 believed that Indian patients were keen on knowing their diagnosis and prognosis. Although all agreed to the importance of discussing resuscitation, only 17 believed patients should be involved. Majority (20/35 agreed that the issue needs to be discussed while the patient was conscious. Patients with unsalvageable disease were deemed unsuitable for aggressive resuscitation by 30 responders while the rest believed it should be offered to all. Most (21/35 admitted to feeling depressed after breaking bad news though only seven felt disclosure was more stressful than untruthful statements. Only four knew of a law regarding resuscitation in cancer. Conclusion: Observing the widely varied beliefs and practices for disclosing bad news, it is recommended that such training be a regular part of medicine curriculum, especially in the Oncology setting.

  18. Hedge Ratios for short and leveraged ETFs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leo Schubert

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs exist for stock-, bond- and commodity markets. In most cases the underlying of an ETF is an index. Fund management today uses the active and passive way to construct a portfolio. ETFs can be used for passive portfolio management. Then ETFs with positive leverage factors are preferred. In the frame of active portfolio also the ETFs with negative leverage factors can be applied for the hedge or cross hedge of a portfolio. These hedging possibilities will be analyzed in this paper. Short ETFs exist with different leverage factors. In Europe, the leverage factors 1 (e.g. ShortDAX ETF and 2 (e.g. DJ STOXX 600 Double Short are offered while in the financial markets of the United States factors from 1 to 4 can be found. To investigate the effect of the different leverage factors and other parameters Monte Carlo Simulation was used. The results show e.g. that higher leverage factors achieve higher profits as well as losses. In the case, that a bearish market is supposed, minimizing the variance of the hedge seem not to be until to get better hedging results, due to a very skewed return distribution of the hedge. The risk measure target-shortfall-probability confirms the use of the standard hedge weightings which depend only on the leverage factor. This characteristic remains, when a portfolio has to be hedged instead of the underlying index of the short ETF. For portfolios which have a low correlation with the index return should not be used high leverage factors for hedging, due to the higher volatility and target-shortfall-probability.

  19. Bad-breath: Perceptions and misconceptions of Nigerian adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwhator, S O; Isiekwe, G I; Soroye, M O; Agbaje, M O

    2015-01-01

    To provide baseline data about bad-breath perception and misconceptions among Nigerian adults. Multi-center cross-sectional study of individuals aged 18-64 years using examiner-administered questionnaires. Age comparisons were based on the model of emerging adults versus full adults. Data were recoded for statistical analyses and univariate and secondary log-linear statistics applied. Participants had lopsided perceptions about bad-breath. While 730 (90.8%) identified the dentist as the expert on halitosis and 719 (89.4%) knew that bad-breath is not contagious, only 4.4% and 2.5% associated bad-breath with tooth decay and gum disease respectively. There were no significant sex differences but the older adults showed better knowledge in a few instances. Most respondents (747, 92.9%) would tell a spouse about their bad-breath and 683 (85%) would tell a friend. Participants had lop-sided knowledge and perceptions about bad-breath. Most Nigerian adults are their "brothers' keepers" who would tell a spouse or friend about their halitosis so they could seek treatment.

  20. [Significance of bad habits in orthodontics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarján, Ildikó

    2002-08-01

    The author is concerned with the etiological role of bad habits in the development. Disturbances caused by pacifier habits, finger sucking, various forms of swallowing habits and their therapeutical possibilities are discussed. The role of mouth breathing, nail biting, bruxism and self-mutilation in development of anomalies and their therapy are also mentioned. The attention is called to the fact that dentists have responsibility and task to diagnose as early as can be the oral bad habits and that the adequate therapy in time in co-operation with other specialists helping the child get out of bad habits, preventing the development of severe anomaly.

  1. Delivering bad news in emergency care medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maynard, Douglas W

    2017-01-01

    Forecasting is a strategy for delivering bad news and is compared to two other strategies, stalling and being blunt. Forecasting provides some warning that bad news is forthcoming without keeping the recipient in a state of indefinite suspense (stalling) or conveying the news abruptly (being blunt). Forecasting appears to be more effective than stalling or being blunt in helping a recipient to "realize" the bad news because it involves the deliverer and recipient in a particular social relation. The deliverer of bad news initiates the telling by giving an advance indication of the bad news to come; this allows the recipient to calculate the news in advance of its final presentation, when the deliverer confirms what the recipient has been led to anticipate. Thus, realization of bad news emerges from intimate collaboration, whereas stalling and being blunt require recipients to apprehend the news in a social vacuum. Exacerbating disruption to recipients' everyday world, stalling and being blunt increase the probability of misapprehension (denying, blaming, taking the situation as a joke, etc.) and thereby inhibit rather than facilitate realization. Particular attention is paid to the "perspective display sequence", a particular forecasting strategy that enables both confirming the recipient's perspective and using that perspective to affirm the clinical news. An example from acute or emergency medicine is examined at the close of the paper.

  2. The Disciplining Role of Leverage in Dutch Firms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, A.

    2001-01-01

    In this study we investigate the role of leverage in disciplining overinvestment problems.We measure the relationships between leverage, Tobin s q and corporate governance characteristics for Dutch listed firms.Besides, our empirical analysis tests for determinants of leverage from tax and

  3. Groundwater/surface-water interactions in the Bad River Watershed, Wisconsin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leaf, Andrew T.; Fienen, Michael N.; Hunt, Randall J.; Buchwald, Cheryl A.

    2015-11-23

    A groundwater-flow model was developed for the Bad River Watershed and surrounding area by using the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) finite-difference code MODFLOW-NWT. The model simulates steady-state groundwater-flow and base flow in streams by using the streamflow routing (SFR) package. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop an improved understanding of the groundwater-flow system in the Bad River Watershed at the regional scale, including the sources of water to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation (Reservation) and groundwater/surface-water interactions; (2) provide a quantitative platform for evaluating future impacts to the watershed, which can be used as a starting point for more detailed investigations at the local scale; and (3) identify areas where more data are needed. This report describes the construction and calibration of the groundwater-flow model that was subsequently used for analyzing potential locations for the collection of additional field data, including new observations of water-table elevation for refining the conceptualization and corresponding numerical model of the hydrogeologic system.

  4. Determinants of Leverage and Agency problems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Jong, A.; Dijk, R.

    1998-01-01

    In this paper we empirically investigate the determinants of leverage and agency problems and we examine the relationships between leverage and agency problems. As in Titman and Wessels (1988) we use structural equations modeling with latent variables. In contrast to Titman and Wessels (1988), who

  5. Breaking bad news among cancer physicians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sami Ayed Alshammary

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Breaking bad news to patients with cancer diagnosis is not an easy task for physicians. The diagnosis must be explicitly stated and understood, and prognosis must be well-discussed in the most gentle and comfortable manner. It is important that the disclosure is performed in a way that patients will not lose all hope and get very depressed, leading them to undergo an abrupt change of their outlook in life. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the physicians' perceptions and perspectives of breaking bad news to cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of all comprehensive cancer centre physicians currently working in a university teaching hospital in the Middle East was conducted from August to September 2016. Results: Sixty-eight percent responded to the survey. Eighty-four percent were comfortable with breaking bad news, and 70% had training in breaking bad news. Eighty-six percent of responders stated that patients should be told about their cancer. Almost 30% of the respondents stated that they would still disclose the diagnosis to patients even if it would be against the preference of the relatives. Nearly 61% said that they would only tell the details to the patients if asked while 67% of them disagreed that patients should be told about the diagnoses only if the relatives consent. About 51% of physicians wanted to discuss the bad news with the family members and patient together, whereas 24% stated that the patient alone should be involved in the discussion. Conclusion: Physicians face a dilemma when families do not wish the patient to know the cancer diagnosis and this highlights the necessity of taking into consideration the social circumstances in healthcare. When taking these into considerations, curriculum in the medical school must, therefore, be updated and must integrate the acquisition of skills in breaking bad news early in training.

  6. ′BREAKS′ protocol for breaking bad news

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijayakumar Narayanan

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Information that drastically alters the life world of the patient is termed as bad news. Conveying bad news is a skilled communication, and not at all easy. The amount of truth to be disclosed is subjective. A properly structured and well-orchestrated communication has a positive therapeutic effect. This is a process of negotiation between patient and physician, but physicians often find it difficult due to many reasons. They feel incompetent and are afraid of unleashing a negative reaction from the patient or their relatives. The physician is reminded of his or her own vulnerability to terminal illness, and find themselves powerless over emotional distress. Lack of sufficient training in breaking bad news is a handicap to most physicians and health care workers. Adherence to the principles of client-centered counseling is helpful in attaining this skill. Fundamental insight of the patient is exploited and the bad news is delivered in a structured manner, because the patient is the one who knows what is hurting him most and he is the one who knows how to move forward. Six-step SPIKES protocol is widely used for breaking bad news. In this paper, we put forward another six-step protocol, the BREAKS protocol as a systematic and easy communication strategy for breaking bad news. Development of competence in dealing with difficult situations has positive therapeutic outcome and is a professionally satisfying one.

  7. ‘BREAKS’ Protocol for Breaking Bad News

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narayanan, Vijayakumar; Bista, Bibek; Koshy, Cheriyan

    2010-01-01

    Information that drastically alters the life world of the patient is termed as bad news. Conveying bad news is a skilled communication, and not at all easy. The amount of truth to be disclosed is subjective. A properly structured and well-orchestrated communication has a positive therapeutic effect. This is a process of negotiation between patient and physician, but physicians often find it difficult due to many reasons. They feel incompetent and are afraid of unleashing a negative reaction from the patient or their relatives. The physician is reminded of his or her own vulnerability to terminal illness, and find themselves powerless over emotional distress. Lack of sufficient training in breaking bad news is a handicap to most physicians and health care workers. Adherence to the principles of client-centered counseling is helpful in attaining this skill. Fundamental insight of the patient is exploited and the bad news is delivered in a structured manner, because the patient is the one who knows what is hurting him most and he is the one who knows how to move forward. Six-step SPIKES protocol is widely used for breaking bad news. In this paper, we put forward another six-step protocol, the BREAKS protocol as a systematic and easy communication strategy for breaking bad news. Development of competence in dealing with difficult situations has positive therapeutic outcome and is a professionally satisfying one. PMID:21811349

  8. Bad Breath

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... floss correctly. Flossing can remove tiny bits of food that can rot and smell bad. Replace your toothbrush every three to four months. Visit your dentist twice a year. He or she will help keep your teeth and your mouth healthy. Eat smart. Avoid foods and drinks that can leave behind strong smells, ...

  9. 25 CFR 11.421 - Bad checks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bad checks. 11.421 Section 11.421 Indians BUREAU OF... Criminal Offenses § 11.421 Bad checks. (a) A person who issues or passes a check or similar sight order for..., and the issuer failed to make good within 10 days after receiving notice of that refusal. ...

  10. 27 CFR 70.101 - Bad checks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bad checks. 70.101 Section....101 Bad checks. If any check or money order in payment of any amount receivable under Title 26 of the... appropriate TTB officer that such check was tendered in good faith and that such person had reasonable cause...

  11. BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway is associated with human cancer development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stickles, Xiaomang B; Marchion, Douglas C; Bicaku, Elona; Al Sawah, Entidhar; Abbasi, Forough; Xiong, Yin; Bou Zgheib, Nadim; Boac, Bernadette M; Orr, Brian C; Judson, Patricia L; Berry, Amy; Hakam, Ardeshir; Wenham, Robert M; Apte, Sachin M; Berglund, Anders E; Lancaster, Johnathan M

    2015-04-01

    The malignant transformation of normal cells is caused in part by aberrant gene expression disrupting the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, senescence and DNA repair. Evidence suggests that the Bcl-2 antagonist of cell death (BAD)-mediated apoptotic pathway influences cancer chemoresistance. In the present study, we explored the role of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway in the development and progression of cancer. Using principal component analysis to derive a numeric score representing pathway expression, we evaluated clinico-genomic datasets (n=427) from corresponding normal, pre-invasive and invasive cancers of different types, such as ovarian, endometrial, breast and colon cancers in order to determine the associations between the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway and cancer development. Immunofluorescence was used to compare the expression levels of phosphorylated BAD [pBAD (serine-112, -136 and -155)] in immortalized normal and invasive ovarian, colon and breast cancer cells. The expression of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway phosphatase, PP2C, was evaluated by RT-qPCR in the normal and ovarian cancer tissue samples. The growth-promoting effects of pBAD protein levels in the immortalized normal and cancer cells were assessed using siRNA depletion experiments with MTS assays. The expression of the BAD-mediated apoptotic pathway was associated with the development and/or progression of ovarian (n=106, pBAD-mediated apoptotic pathway is thus associated with the development of human cancers likely influenced by the protein levels of pBAD.

  12. BAD overexpression inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis via mitochondrial-dependent pathway in non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Li; Luo, Man; Liu, Dan; Chen, Bojiang; Zhang, Wen; Mai, Lin; Zeng, Jing; Huang, Na; Huang, Yi; Mo, Xianming; Li, Weimin

    2013-06-01

    The pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein BAD initiated apoptosis in human cells and has been identified as a prognostic marker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we aimed to explore the functions of BAD in NSCLC. Overexpression of BAD was performed by transfecting different NSCLC cell lines with wild-type BAD. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and invasion were characterized in vitro. Tumorigenicity was analyzed in vivo. Western blot was performed to determine the effects of BAD overexpression on the Bcl-2 family proteins and apoptosis-related proteins. Overexpression of BAD significantly inhibited cell proliferation in H1299, H292, and SPC-A1 but not in SK-MES-1 and H460 cell lines in vitro. BAD overexpression also reduced the tumorigenicity of H1299/SPC-A1 cell in vivo. However, no appreciable effects on cell cycle distribution and invasion were observed in all these cell lines. BAD overexpression also induced apoptosis in all cell types, in which process expression of mitochondrial cytochrom c (cyto-c) and caspase 3 were increased, whereas Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 8 expressions did not changed. These findings indicated that a mitochondrial pathway, in which process cyto-c was released from mitochondrial to activate caspase 3, was involved in BAD overexpression-mediated apoptosis. Our data suggested that increased expression of BAD enhance apoptosis and has negative influence on cell proliferation and tumor growth in NSCLC. Bad is a new potential target for tumor interventions.

  13. [Breaking bad news in oncology: the Belgian experience].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delevallez, F; Lienard, A; Gibon, A-S; Razavi, D

    2014-10-01

    Breaking bad news is a complex and frequent clinical task for physicians working in oncology. It can have a negative impact on patients and their relatives who are often present during breaking bad news consultations. Many factors influence how the delivery of bad news will be experienced especially the communication skills used by physicians. A three-phase process (post-delivery phase, delivery phase, pre-delivery phase) has been developed to help physician to handle this task more effectively. Communication skills and specific breaking bad news training programs are both necessary and effective. A recent study conducted in Belgium has shown their impact on the time allocated to each of the three phases of this process, on the communication skills used, on the inclusion of the relative in the consultation and on physicians' physiological arousal. These results underscore the importance of promoting intensive communication skills and breaking bad news training programs for health care professionals.

  14. Influenza virus induces apoptosis via BAD-mediated mitochondrial dysregulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Anh T; Cortens, John P; Du, Qiujiang; Wilkins, John A; Coombs, Kevin M

    2013-01-01

    Influenza virus infection results in host cell death and major tissue damage. Specific components of the apoptotic pathway, a signaling cascade that ultimately leads to cell death, are implicated in promoting influenza virus replication. BAD is a cell death regulator that constitutes a critical control point in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which occurs through the dysregulation of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and the subsequent activation of downstream apoptogenic factors. Here we report a novel proviral role for the proapoptotic protein BAD in influenza virus replication. We show that influenza virus-induced cytopathology and cell death are considerably inhibited in BAD knockdown cells and that both virus replication and viral protein production are dramatically reduced, which suggests that virus-induced apoptosis is BAD dependent. Our data showed that influenza viruses induced phosphorylation of BAD at residues S112 and S136 in a temporal manner. Viral infection also induced BAD cleavage, late in the viral life cycle, to a truncated form that is reportedly a more potent inducer of apoptosis. We further demonstrate that knockdown of BAD resulted in reduced cytochrome c release and suppression of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway during influenza virus replication, as seen by an inhibition of caspases-3, caspase-7, and procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP) cleavage. Our data indicate that influenza viruses carefully modulate the activation of the apoptotic pathway that is dependent on the regulatory function of BAD and that failure of apoptosis activation resulted in unproductive viral replication.

  15. On the irrelevance of the leverage effect

    OpenAIRE

    Nippel, Peter

    2001-01-01

    Financial leverage increases the expected return on equity. We show that this leverage effect is not only irrelevant for shareholders' present wealth but also for the return on their investments. This result is straightforward if we do not only look at the return on equity but at the return on shareholders' total wealth. Any relevance leverage may have is definitely due to market imperfections. These may simply cause differences in market access for firms and individuals or lead to agency pro...

  16. Bad Luck or Bad Decisions: College Students' Perceptions of the Reasons for and Consequences of Their Alcohol Overdose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reis, Janet

    2007-01-01

    Reasons for and immediate consequences of an alcohol overdose were explored for 217 undergraduate students requiring a medical emergency transport because of excessive alcohol consumption. The sample was categorized into 26 students attributing their overdose solely to bad luck and 191 students citing bad decision making as an explanation. A…

  17. 48 CFR 2131.205-3 - Bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Bad debts. 2131.205-3 Section 2131.205-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, FEDERAL... PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES Contracts With Commercial Organizations 2131.205-3 Bad debts. Erroneous benefit...

  18. 26 CFR 1.166-4 - Reserve for bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... the bad debts reserves of certain mutual savings banks, domestic building and loan associations, and... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Reserve for bad debts. 1.166-4 Section 1.166-4...) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Itemized Deductions for Individuals and Corporations § 1.166-4 Reserve for bad...

  19. Distress risk and leverage puzzles: Evidence from Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kung-Cheng Ho

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Financial distress has been invoked in the asset pricing literature to explain the anomalous patterns in the cross-section of stock returns. The risk of financial distress can be measured using indexes. George and Hwang (2010 suggest that leverage can explain the distress risk puzzle and that firms with high costs choose low leverage to reduce distress intensities and earn high returns. This study investigates whether this relationship exists in the Taiwan market. When examined separately, distress intensity is found to be negatively related to stock returns, but leverage is found to not be significantly related to stock returns. The results are the same when distress intensity and leverage are examined simultaneously. After assessing the robustness by using O-scores, distress risk puzzle is found to exist in the Taiwan market, but the leverage puzzle is not

  20. [Pediatrician's experience in announcing bad news].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosnier-Schoedel, C; Trocmé, N; Carbajal, R; Leverger, G

    2018-02-01

    Few studies are available on pediatricians' experience with announcing bad news. Announcing bad news is an important component of medical practice and is even more complex in pediatrics because parents must be associated. We had 20 hospital pediatricians complete a questionnaire containing 30 questions about their own experience announcing bad news to a child or a teenager. In spite of their experience and the time they have spent practicing medicine, there are many limitations stemming from different factors concerning children, teenagers, their families, and themselves. The difficulties encountered by pediatricians are mainly related to the timing of the announcement, the location, the choice of the words used, and the poor understanding of children and families, due to intellectual, cultural, or psychological limitations. Pediatricians question their own capacity to make such an announcement, wondering if the information has actually been well understood. They indicate that they are themselves affected. Most of them develop and implement strategies to refute the emotional instability caused by the announcement of bad news. Yet many of them feel weak, even talking about a deep sense of loneliness and guilt. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  1. Dual role of proapoptotic BAD in insulin secretion and beta cell survival.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danial, Nika N; Walensky, Loren D; Zhang, Chen-Yu; Choi, Cheol Soo; Fisher, Jill K; Molina, Anthony J A; Datta, Sandeep Robert; Pitter, Kenneth L; Bird, Gregory H; Wikstrom, Jakob D; Deeney, Jude T; Robertson, Kirsten; Morash, Joel; Kulkarni, Ameya; Neschen, Susanne; Kim, Sheene; Greenberg, Michael E; Corkey, Barbara E; Shirihai, Orian S; Shulman, Gerald I; Lowell, Bradford B; Korsmeyer, Stanley J

    2008-02-01

    The proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BAD resides in a glucokinase-containing complex that regulates glucose-driven mitochondrial respiration. Here, we present genetic evidence of a physiologic role for BAD in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by beta cells. This novel function of BAD is specifically dependent upon the phosphorylation of its BH3 sequence, previously defined as an essential death domain. We highlight the pharmacologic relevance of phosphorylated BAD BH3 by using cell-permeable, hydrocarbon-stapled BAD BH3 helices that target glucokinase, restore glucose-driven mitochondrial respiration and correct the insulin secretory response in Bad-deficient islets. Our studies uncover an alternative target and function for the BAD BH3 domain and emphasize the therapeutic potential of phosphorylated BAD BH3 mimetics in selectively restoring beta cell function. Furthermore, we show that BAD regulates the physiologic adaptation of beta cell mass during high-fat feeding. Our findings provide genetic proof of the bifunctional activities of BAD in both beta cell survival and insulin secretion.

  2. Immunohistochemical expression study of proapoptotic BH3-only protein bad in canine nonneoplastic tissues and canine lymphomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettwiler, M; Croci, M; Vaughan, L; Guscetti, F

    2013-09-01

    The BH3-only protein Bad is a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member that acts as a sensitizer in intrinsic apoptosis by inactivating antiapoptotic members through heterodimer formation. Bad has been shown to contribute to tumorigenesis, including lymphoma formation in humans and mice, through alteration in expression or functional status. Here, its immunohistochemical expression was analyzed in canine nonneoplastic and lymphoma tissues using tissue microarrays. Bad was expressed in the cytoplasm of a wide range of nonneoplastic tissues, especially epithelial cells. Nonneoplastic lymph nodes displayed weak immunostaining in the follicular germinal centers only. Immunoblotting supported these observations but also revealed presence of nonspecific labeling in some organs. Of 81 lymphomas, 29 (35.8%) displayed moderate to strong immunohistochemical Bad labeling, and a significant expression increase was found in lymphomas (especially B cell and double negative) compared to nonneoplastic lymph nodes. These findings warrant further investigations of the functional status, the involvement of partner proteins, and a possible impact of Bad on prognosis in canine lymphoma.

  3. The Profits–Leverage Puzzle Revisited

    OpenAIRE

    Murray Z. Frank; Vidhan K. Goyal

    2015-01-01

    The inverse relation between leverage and profitability is widely regarded as a serious defect of the trade-off theory. We show that the defect is not with the theory but with the use of a leverage ratio in which profitability affects both the numerator and the denominator. Profitability directly increases the value of equity. Firms do take the predicted offsetting actions. They issue debt and repurchase equity when profitability rises, and retire debt and issue equity when profitability fall...

  4. Stochastic volatility and leverage effect

    OpenAIRE

    Josep Perello; Jaume Masoliver

    2002-01-01

    We prove that Brownian market models with random diffusion coefficients provide an exact measure of the leverage effect [J-P. Bouchaud et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 228701 (2001)]. This empirical fact asserts that past returns are anticorrelated with future diffusion coefficient. Several models with random diffusion have been suggested but without a quantitative study of the leverage effect. Our analysis lets us to fully estimate all parameters involved and allows a deeper study of correlated ...

  5. Leverage points for sustainability transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abson, David J; Fischer, Joern; Leventon, Julia; Newig, Jens; Schomerus, Thomas; Vilsmaier, Ulli; von Wehrden, Henrik; Abernethy, Paivi; Ives, Christopher D; Jager, Nicolas W; Lang, Daniel J

    2017-02-01

    Despite substantial focus on sustainability issues in both science and politics, humanity remains on largely unsustainable development trajectories. Partly, this is due to the failure of sustainability science to engage with the root causes of unsustainability. Drawing on ideas by Donella Meadows, we argue that many sustainability interventions target highly tangible, but essentially weak, leverage points (i.e. using interventions that are easy, but have limited potential for transformational change). Thus, there is an urgent need to focus on less obvious but potentially far more powerful areas of intervention. We propose a research agenda inspired by systems thinking that focuses on transformational 'sustainability interventions', centred on three realms of leverage: reconnecting people to nature, restructuring institutions and rethinking how knowledge is created and used in pursuit of sustainability. The notion of leverage points has the potential to act as a boundary object for genuinely transformational sustainability science.

  6. Reactionary responses to the Bad Lot Objection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dellsén, Finnur

    2017-02-01

    As it is standardly conceived, Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE) is a form of ampliative inference in which one infers a hypothesis because it provides a better potential explanation of one's evidence than any other available, competing explanatory hypothesis. Bas van Fraassen famously objected to IBE thus formulated that we may have no reason to think that any of the available, competing explanatory hypotheses are true. While revisionary responses to the Bad Lot Objection concede that IBE needs to be reformulated in light of this problem, reactionary responses argue that the Bad Lot Objection is fallacious, incoherent, or misguided. This paper shows that the most influential reactionary responses to the Bad Lot Objection do nothing to undermine the original objection. This strongly suggests that proponents of IBE should focus their efforts on revisionary responses, i.e. on finding a more sophisticated characterization of IBE for which the Bad Lot Objection loses its bite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Managing Bad Loans of Domestic Banks under Modern Economic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bolhar Tetyana M.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The article considers main methods of management of bad bank loans under modern economic conditions, conducts analysis of internal and external banking methods used by Ukrainian banks, and specifies and identifies their advantages and shortcomings. In the result of the study the article analyses in detail the use of the methods of rehabilitation and liquidation of bad loans. It considers organisation of internal and external banking methods of liquidation of bad loans, considers mechanism of their conduct and identifies advantages and shortcomings of their application both for a bank and a borrower. Prospect of further studies in this direction is improvement of methods of assessment of bad loans, in particular, development of methodological approaches to identification of assessment of profitability of bad loans as an important element of the system of management of bad loans of a bank.

  8. The good news about giving bad news to patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farber, Neil J; Urban, Susan Y; Collier, Virginia U; Weiner, Joan; Polite, Ronald G; Davis, Elizabeth B; Boyer, E Gil

    2002-12-01

    There are few data available on how physicians inform patients about bad news. We surveyed internists about how they convey this information. We surveyed internists about their activities in giving bad news to patients. One set of questions was about activities for the emotional support of the patient (11 items), and the other was about activities for creating a supportive environment for delivering bad news (9 items). The impact of demographic factors on the performance of emotionally supportive items, environmentally supportive items, and on the number of minutes reportedly spent delivering news was analyzed by analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis. More than half of the internists reported that they always or frequently performed 10 of the 11 emotionally supportive items and 6 of the 9 environmentally supportive items while giving bad news to patients. The average time reportedly spent in giving bad news was 27 minutes. Although training in giving bad news had a significant impact on the number of emotionally supportive items reported (P woman, unmarried, and having a history of major illness were also associated with reporting a greater number of emotionally supportive activities. Internists report that they inform patients of bad news appropriately. Some deficiencies exist, specifically in discussing prognosis and referral of patients to support groups. Physician educational efforts should include discussion of prognosis with patients as well as the availability of support groups.

  9. Business Communication Students Learn to Hear a Bad Speech Habit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Reginald L.; Liang-Bell, Lei Paula; Deselle, Bettye

    2006-01-01

    Students were trained to perceive filled pauses (FP) as a bad speech habit. In a series of classroom sensitivity training activities, followed by students being rewarded to observe twenty minutes of live television from the public media, no differences between male and female Business Communication students was revealed. The practice of teaching…

  10. The “Bad Labor” Footprint: Quantifying the Social Impacts of Globalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moana S. Simas

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The extent to what bad labor conditions across the globe are associated with international trade is unknown. Here, we quantify the bad labor conditions associated with consumption in seven world regions, the “bad labor” footprint. In particular, we analyze how much occupational health damage, vulnerable employment, gender inequality, share of unskilled workers, child labor, and forced labor is associated with the production of internationally traded goods. Our results show that (i as expected, there is a net flow of bad labor conditions from developing to developed regions; (ii the production of exported goods in lower income regions contributes to more than half of the bad labor footprints caused by the wealthy lifestyles of affluent regions; (iii exports from Asia constitute the largest global trade flow measured in the amount bad labor, while exports from Africa carry the largest burden of bad labor conditions per unit value traded and per unit of total labor required; and (IV the trade of food products stands out in both volume and intensity of bad labor conditions.

  11. The Views Of Cancer Patients On Receiving Bad News

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hatice Bostanoglu Fesci

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available AIM: This study was performed in a descriptive matter to determine the views of inpatients at an oncology state hospital on receiving bad news. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 237 inpatients (155 females, 82 males at an oncology state hospital between October and November 2008 who were determined using the random sampling method and accepted participating in the study. The data collection tool used was a survey form that consisted of 24 questions related to the sociodemographic features and views on receiving bad news. RESULTS: The mean age of the study subjects was 53.1±13.9 (min.=18, max.=83. The patients were undergoing the treatment process in 84% and the diagnostic process in 16%. The bad news had been given by the physician in 87.8% and while in the physician's room in 74.8%. The patients had been told while receiving the bad news that 'there is a mass/problem/lesion/tumor and you will undergo surgery' in 47.7% while 24.9% had been told that they had cancer directly. The patients stated that they froze, fainted, were shocked, felt their life was shattered and experienced emotions such as sadness, fear, hopelessness, sorrow, disappointment, desperation, etc. at a rate of 93.7%. We found that 58.2% of the patients had not been given an opportunity to express their emotions when they received the bad news, 67.4% preferred to have a relative with them at the time, 40.9% felt that the bad news should be given in a special environment, 30% wanted the bad news to be given as soon as the diagnosis was known while 36.7% preferred being told everything about the disease when receiving the bad news CONCLUSION: Taking into account the information content, family participation, and the individual preferences of the patients regarding time and place when giving bad news and encouraging them to ask questions and express themselves may make it easier for the patients to cope with bad news. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(3.000: 319-326

  12. Corporate Leverage and Product Differentiation Strategy

    OpenAIRE

    Arping, Stefan; Lóránth, Gyöngyi

    2002-01-01

    This article develops a model of the interplay between corporate leverage and product differentiation strategy. Leverage improves managerial discipline, but it can also raise customer concerns about a vendor's long-term viability. We argue that customer concerns about firm viability will be particularly pronounced when products are highly differentiated from competitors' products. In this context, optimal product differentiation strategies solve a trade-off between softening price competition...

  13. 26 CFR 301.6657-1 - Bad checks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bad checks. 301.6657-1 Section 301.6657-1... Additions to the Tax and Additional Amounts § 301.6657-1 Bad checks. (a) In general. Except as provided in... district director that it was tendered in good faith with reasonable cause to believe that it would be duly...

  14. [Bad habits and dysgnathia: epidemiological study].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordasco, G; Lo Giudice, G; Dolci, E; Romeo, U; Lafronte, G

    1989-01-01

    The authors refer about an epidemiological survey in 651 children in the school-age. The aim of study is to investigate about the frequency of the bad habits and the pathogenetic relations between these and the development of the dento-maxillo-facial deformities. They point out an incidence of these bad habits in the 35,48% with a predominance of mouth breathers (45,45%). After they discuss the necessity of an early detection of anomalous neuromuscular attitudes.

  15. [Breaking bad news in clinical practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrera, Andrea; Ríos, Matías; Manríquez, José Manuel; Rojas, Gonzalo

    2014-10-01

    Breaking bad news is a complex task that requires multiple communication skills from health professionals. Clinical practice demands to communicate all type of bad news, from a diagnosis of cancer to adverse effects of a treatment. On the other hand, since the beginning of the health reform in 2003, the need to improve the quality of services was proposed, among which the concern about the rights and duties of patients stands out. Therefore, the health care provider-patient relationship becomes again the subject of discussion and study, and a topic of great importance for clinical work. We revise the consequences of breaking bad news for the patient and for the health care provider, as well as the current protocols available for this purpose. The importance of developing communication skills both for future health professionals as for those who currently work in the area is emphasized.

  16. Preferences and attitudes of the Saudi population toward receiving medical bad news: A primary study from Riyadh city.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alrukban, Mohammed O; Albadr, Badr O; Almansour, Mohammed; Sami, Waqas; Alshuil, Mussab; Aldebaib, Abulrahman; Algannam, Tamim; Alhafaf, Faisal; Almohanna, Abdulaziz; Alfifi, Tariq; Alshehri, Abdullah; Alshahrani, Muhannad

    2014-05-01

    Breaking bad news is one of the most stressful and difficult things a physician has to do. Good communication skills are required in order to ensure that bad news is delivered in a humane but effective way. This study was designed to explore the preferences and attitude of the Saudi population toward receiving bad news. Second, it was to identify the associations between preferences, attitudes, and sociodemographic characteristics. This was a cross-sectional study conducted during the month of April 2009 in Riyadh. Data were collected from 1013 adult Saudis. Stratified random sampling technique was used through a self-administered questionnaire. In this study, 474 (46.8%) were males and 539 (53.2%) were females. Almost two-third of the participants preferred to be the first to receive the bad news. A majority of the participants 695 (68.6%) preferred to be told the bad news at a private place, whereas, 441 (43.5%) preferred to be told by the head of the medical team. Moreover, almost half of the participants would like the one who breaks the bad news to remain with them to give them some more information about the disease. Significant associations were observed between participants' perception and attitude with age, marital status, gender, and education (P bad news is received. Understanding what is important in the process of breaking bad news may help in determining how best to perform this challenging task.

  17. Preferences and attitudes of the Saudi population toward receiving medical bad news: A primary study from Riyadh city

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alrukban, Mohammed O.; Albadr, Badr O.; Almansour, Mohammed; Sami, Waqas; Alshuil, Mussab; Aldebaib, Abulrahman; Algannam, Tamim; Alhafaf, Faisal; Almohanna, Abdulaziz; Alfifi, Tariq; Alshehri, Abdullah; Alshahrani, Muhannad

    2014-01-01

    Background: Breaking bad news is one of the most stressful and difficult things a physician has to do. Good communication skills are required in order to ensure that bad news is delivered in a humane but effective way. Objectives: This study was designed to explore the preferences and attitude of the Saudi population toward receiving bad news. Second, it was to identify the associations between preferences, attitudes, and sociodemographic characteristics. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted during the month of April 2009 in Riyadh. Data were collected from 1013 adult Saudis. Stratified random sampling technique was used through a self-administered questionnaire. Results: In this study, 474 (46.8%) were males and 539 (53.2%) were females. Almost two-third of the participants preferred to be the first to receive the bad news. A majority of the participants 695 (68.6%) preferred to be told the bad news at a private place, whereas, 441 (43.5%) preferred to be told by the head of the medical team. Moreover, almost half of the participants would like the one who breaks the bad news to remain with them to give them some more information about the disease. Significant associations were observed between participants' perception and attitude with age, marital status, gender, and education (P bad news is received. Understanding what is important in the process of breaking bad news may help in determining how best to perform this challenging task. PMID:24987276

  18. Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Shigeru

    2010-01-01

    Humans have the unique ability to create art, but non-human animals may be able to discriminate "good" art from "bad" art. In this study, I investigated whether pigeons could be trained to discriminate between paintings that had been judged by humans as either "bad" or "good". To do this, adult human observers first classified several children's paintings as either "good" (beautiful) or "bad" (ugly). Using operant conditioning procedures, pigeons were then reinforced for pecking at "good" paintings. After the pigeons learned the discrimination task, they were presented with novel pictures of both "good" and "bad" children's paintings to test whether they had successfully learned to discriminate between these two stimulus categories. The results showed that pigeons could discriminate novel "good" and "bad" paintings. Then, to determine which cues the subjects used for the discrimination, I conducted tests of the stimuli when the paintings were of reduced size or grayscale. In addition, I tested their ability to discriminate when the painting stimuli were mosaic and partial occluded. The pigeons maintained discrimination performance when the paintings were reduced in size. However, discrimination performance decreased when stimuli were presented as grayscale images or when a mosaic effect was applied to the original stimuli in order to disrupt spatial frequency. Thus, the pigeons used both color and pattern cues for their discrimination. The partial occlusion did not disrupt the discriminative behavior suggesting that the pigeons did not attend to particular parts, namely upper, lower, left or right half, of the paintings. These results suggest that the pigeons are capable of learning the concept of a stimulus class that humans name "good" pictures. The second experiment showed that pigeons learned to discriminate watercolor paintings from pastel paintings. The subjects showed generalization to novel paintings. Then, as the first experiment, size reduction test

  19. Thematic and content analysis of idiopathic nightmares and bad dreams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, Geneviève; Zadra, Antonio

    2014-02-01

    To conduct a comprehensive and comparative study of prospectively collected bad dream and nightmare reports using a broad range of dream content variables. Correlational and descriptive. Participants' homes. Three hundred thirty-one adult volunteers (55 men, 275 women, 1 not specified; mean age = 32.4 ± 14.8 y). N/A. Five hundred seventy-two participants kept a written record of all of their remembered dreams in a log for 2 to 5 consecutive weeks. A total of 9,796 dream reports were collected and the content of 253 nightmares and 431 bad dreams reported by 331 participants was investigated. Physical aggression was the most frequently reported theme in nightmares, whereas interpersonal conflicts predominated in bad dreams. Nightmares were rated by participants as being substantially more emotionally intense than were bad dreams. Thirty-five percent of nightmares and 55% of bad dreams contained primary emotions other than fear. When compared to bad dreams, nightmares were more bizarre and contained substantially more aggressions, failures, and unfortunate endings. The results have important implications on how nightmares are conceptualized and defined and support the view that when compared to bad dreams, nightmares represent a somewhat rarer-and more severe-expression of the same basic phenomenon.

  20. 42 CFR 413.89 - Bad debts, charity, and courtesy allowances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bad debts, charity, and courtesy allowances. 413.89... Categories of Costs § 413.89 Bad debts, charity, and courtesy allowances. Link to an amendment published at 75 FR 49198, Aug. 12, 2010. (a) Principle. Bad debts, charity, and courtesy allowances are deductions...

  1. Loss of Bad expression confers poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yi; Liu, Dan; Chen, Bojiang; Zeng, Jing; Wang, Lei; Zhang, Shangfu; Mo, Xianming; Li, Weimin

    2012-09-01

    Proapoptotic BH-3-only protein Bad (Bcl-Xl/Bcl-2-associated death promoter homolog, Bad) initiates apoptosis in human cells, and contributes to tumorigenesis and chemotherapy resistant in malignancies. This study explored association between the Bad expression level and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In our study, a cohort of 88 resected primary NSCLC cases were collected and analyzed. Bad expression level was determined via immunohistochemical staining assay. The prognostic significances of Bad expression were evaluated with univariate and multivariate survival analysis. The results showed that compared with normal lung tissues, Bad expression level significantly decreased in NSCLC (P Bad expression was associated with adjuvant therapy status. Loss of Bad independently predicted poor prognosis in whole NSCLC cohort and early stage subjects (T1 + T2 and N0 + N1) (all P Bad negative phenotype in NSCLC patients with smoking history, especially lung squamous cell carcinoma (all P Bad is an independent and powerful predictor of adverse prognosis in NSCLC. Bad protein could be a new biomarker for selecting individual therapy strategies and predicting therapeutic response in subjects with NSCLC.

  2. BAD and KATP channels regulate neuron excitability and epileptiform activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-François, Juan Ramón; Fernández-Agüera, María Carmen; Nathwani, Nidhi; Lahmann, Carolina; Burnham, Veronica L; Danial, Nika N; Yellen, Gary

    2018-01-25

    Brain metabolism can profoundly influence neuronal excitability. Mice with genetic deletion or alteration of Bad ( B CL-2 a gonist of cell d eath) exhibit altered brain-cell fuel metabolism, accompanied by resistance to acutely induced epileptic seizures; this seizure protection is mediated by ATP-sensitive potassium (K ATP ) channels. Here we investigated the effect of BAD manipulation on K ATP channel activity and excitability in acute brain slices. We found that BAD's influence on neuronal K ATP channels was cell-autonomous and directly affected dentate granule neuron (DGN) excitability. To investigate the role of neuronal K ATP channels in the anticonvulsant effects of BAD, we imaged calcium during picrotoxin-induced epileptiform activity in entorhinal-hippocampal slices. BAD knockout reduced epileptiform activity, and this effect was lost upon knockout or pharmacological inhibition of K ATP channels. Targeted BAD knockout in DGNs alone was sufficient for the antiseizure effect in slices, consistent with a 'dentate gate' function that is reinforced by increased K ATP channel activity. © 2018, Martínez-François et al.

  3. 48 CFR 1631.205-71 - FEHBP bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true FEHBP bad debts. 1631.205-71 Section 1631.205-71 Federal Acquisition Regulations System OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT FEDERAL... AND PROCEDURES Contracts With Commercial Organizations 1631.205-71 FEHBP bad debts. Erroneous benefit...

  4. HOW TO MANAGE DATA BADLY (PART 1 & 2)

    Science.gov (United States)

    In a landmark article in The American Statistician, Howard Wainer (1994) presented ideas for (a) "How to Display Data Badly," wherein good data are ruined by bad graphics. Wainer presumed too much. In this essay, I extend his concept by presenting ideas and examples of how scient...

  5. Positive Organizational Behavior: A Buffer for Bad News

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Sandra L.; Holden, Tracey Quigley

    2012-01-01

    Most communication research on bad news messages focuses on crisis communication, where attention is often limited to image repair strategies. The authors argue that a key indicator of an organization's effectiveness in communicating "bad news" messages is its organizational culture. Developing an organizational culture that values positive…

  6. ANALISIS FINANCIAL LEVERAGE PADA PT. RAJAWALI JAYA SAKTI CONTRINDO DI MAKASSAR.

    OpenAIRE

    ANWAR, H. MUH.

    2013-01-01

    2013 H.Muh.ANWAR, A financial leverage analysis at PT.Rajawali Jaya Sakti Contrindo of Makassar (Supervised by HJ.Siti Haerani and Kasman Damang). The problem statement of this research is whether financial leverage can increase company???s profit. The objectives of this research is to find out the calculation of financial leverage applied by company and to analyse the impact of financial leverage toward profit gained by company. The result of the research on leverage ratio of PT.Raja...

  7. Cash Holdings and Leverage of German Listed Firms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rapp, Marc Steffen; Killi, Andreas Maximilian

    2016-01-01

    We examine cash holdings and leverage levels of German listed (non-financial and non-utility) firms. We document a secular increase in cash ratios over the last twenty years (1992–2011), reducing the net debt book leverage ratio for the average sample firm close to zero. Using prediction models...... firms are associated with measures of uncertainty faced by firms. Our results suggest that German firms have increased (reduced) their cash (net debt leverage) levels over time in order to adopt more precautionary financial policies....

  8. Leveraging Web Services in Providing Efficient Discovery, Retrieval, and Integration of NASA-Sponsored Observations and Predictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bambacus, M.; Alameh, N.; Cole, M.

    2006-12-01

    The Applied Sciences Program at NASA focuses on extending the results of NASA's Earth-Sun system science research beyond the science and research communities to contribute to national priority applications with societal benefits. By employing a systems engineering approach, supporting interoperable data discovery and access, and developing partnerships with federal agencies and national organizations, the Applied Sciences Program facilitates the transition from research to operations in national applications. In particular, the Applied Sciences Program identifies twelve national applications, listed at http://science.hq.nasa.gov/earth-sun/applications/, which can be best served by the results of NASA aerospace research and development of science and technologies. The ability to use and integrate NASA data and science results into these national applications results in enhanced decision support and significant socio-economic benefits for each of the applications. This paper focuses on leveraging the power of interoperability and specifically open standard interfaces in providing efficient discovery, retrieval, and integration of NASA's science research results. Interoperability (the ability to access multiple, heterogeneous geoprocessing environments, either local or remote by means of open and standard software interfaces) can significantly increase the value of NASA-related data by increasing the opportunities to discover, access and integrate that data in the twelve identified national applications (particularly in non-traditional settings). Furthermore, access to data, observations, and analytical models from diverse sources can facilitate interdisciplinary and exploratory research and analysis. To streamline this process, the NASA GeoSciences Interoperability Office (GIO) is developing the NASA Earth-Sun System Gateway (ESG) to enable access to remote geospatial data, imagery, models, and visualizations through open, standard web protocols. The gateway (online

  9. Forecasting volatility in the presence of Leverage Effect

    OpenAIRE

    Jean-Christophe Domenge; Rémi Rhodes; Vincent Vargas

    2010-01-01

    We define a simple and tractable method for adding the Leverage effect in general volatility predictions. As an application, we compare volatility predictions with and without Leverage on the SP500 Index during the period 2002-2010.

  10. Analysis of debt leveraging in private power projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kahn, E.P.; Meal, M.; Doerrer, S.; Morse, S.

    1992-08-01

    As private power (non-utility generation) has grown to become a significant part of the electricity system, increasing concern about its financial implications has arisen. In many cases, the source of this concern has been the substantial reliance of these projects on debt financing. This study examines debt leveraging in private power projects. The policy debate on these issues has typically been conducted at a high level of generality. Critics of the private power industry assert that high debt leveraging confers an unfair competitive advantage by lowering the cost of capital, and that this leveraging is only possible because risks are shifted to the utility. Further, debt leveraging is claimed to be a threat to reliability. On the opposite side, it is argued that debt leveraging imposes costs and obligations not home by utilities, and so there is no financial advantage. The private producers also argue that on balance more risk is shifted away from utilities than to them, and that incentives for reliability are strong. In this study we examine the project finance mechanisms used in private power lending in detail, relying on a sample of actual loan documents. This review and its findings should be relevant to the further evolution of this debate. State regulatory commissions are likely to be interested in it, and Federal legislation to amend the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) could require states to consider the implications of debt leveraging in relation to their oversight of utility power purchase programs

  11. Analysis of debt leveraging in private power projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kahn, E.P. (Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)); Meal, M.; Doerrer, S.; Morse, S. (Morse, Richard, Weisenmiller Associates, Inc., Oakland, CA (United States))

    1992-08-01

    As private power has grown to become a significant part of the electricity system, increasing concern about its financial implications has arisen. In many cases, the source of this concern has been the substantial reliance of these projects on debt financing. This study examines debt leveraging in private power projects. The policy debate on these issues has typically been conducted at a high level of generality. Critics of the private power industry assert that high debt leveraging confers an unfair competitive advantage by lowering the cost of capital. This leveraging is only possible because risks are shifted to the utility. Further, debt leveraging is claimed to be a threat to reliability. On the opposite side, it is argued that debt leveraging imposes costs and obligations not borne by utilities, and so there is no financial advantage. The private producers also argue that on balance more risk is shifted away from utilities than to them, and that incentives for reliability are strong. In this study we examine the project finance mechanisms used in private power lending in detail, relying on a sample of actual loan documents. This review and its findings should be relevant to the further evolution of this debate. State regulatory commissions are likely to be interested in it, and Federal legislation to amend the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) could require states to consider the implications of debt leveraging in relation to their oversight of utility power purchase programs.

  12. How to Break Bad News: Physicians’ and Nurses’ Attitudes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available "nObjective: Bad news disclosure is one of the most complex tasks of physicians. Recent evidences indicate that patients' and physicians' attitude toward breaking bad news has been changed since few years ago. The evidence of breaking bad news is different across cultures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the attitude of medical staff toward breaking bad news to provide a clinical guideline in Iran."nMethods: A descriptive study was conducted during 2008-2009 on a sample of 100 medical staff (50 physicians and 50 nurses at Cancer Institute of Imam Khomeini hospital. The subjects' demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward the manner of revealing the diagnosis were registered in a questionnaire."nResults: The majority of the physicians (86%, n=43 and nurses (74%, n=37 , mostly the older and more experienced, tended to reveal the diagnosis to patients . Only a few physicians (8%, n=4 had been trained how to disclose bad news, which discloused diagnosis more than non trained ones."nPhysicians and nurses preferred to inform the patients about the diagnosis when either the patients were alone or in the presence of their spouse respectively .Only a few physicians (14% and nurses (24% agreed to explain life expectancy to patients."nConclusion: Compared to past, physicians and nurses are more willing to share cancer diagnosis with patients. However, lack of adequate communication skills in caregivers, and their concerns about managing patients' emotional reactions reduce their tendency to disclose bad news to the patients. Therefore, training physicians and nurses to expose bad news to the patients seems to be necessary.

  13. The prevalence of bad headaches including migraine in a multiethnic community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomson, A N; White, G E; West, R

    1993-11-10

    Overall and ethnic specific prevalences of bad headache including migraine, for the New Zealand population, are unknown. A study was carried out in South Auckland to estimate prevalence and to explore ethnic differences in doctor attendance for the diagnosis and management of bad headaches. Telephone interviews were administered to respondents selected by random digit dialing of households. 40.6% of the respondents suffered from bad headaches. 54.5% of these had the characteristics of bad headache with features symptomatic of migraine. Trends in the prevalence of bad headache with features symptomatic of common migraine, peaked between the ages of 30-49 years in both men and women. A difference was seen in the prevalence of bad headache with aura, with or without common migraine features, when ethnic groups and gender were examined. The difference in prevalence of aura was particularly noticeable between Pacific Island men and women. Although there was no difference between ethnic groups in doctor attendance, headaches were more likely to be labelled as migraine in Europeans than in the Polynesian groups. Ways in which people perceive and report their bad headaches have a bearing on management by general practitioners. Although no overall ethnic predominance was seen, there was a gender difference amongst Pacific Island people in reporting bad headaches with aura. The labelling process, and thus the management by general practitioners does demonstrate likely ethnic differences.

  14. 17 CFR 31.13 - Financial reports of leverage transaction merchants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Financial reports of leverage... COMMISSION LEVERAGE TRANSACTIONS § 31.13 Financial reports of leverage transaction merchants. (a) Each... person must include with such financial report a statement describing the source of his current assets...

  15. The impact of financial crises on the risk-return tradeoff and the leverage effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Bent Jesper; Nielsen, Morten Ørregaard; Zhu, Jie

    50% in magnitude during …financial crises. No such changes are observed during NBER recessions, so in this sense …financial crises are special. Applications to a number of major developed and emerging international stock markets confirm the increase in the leverage effect, whereas the international......We investigate the impact of financial crises on two fundamental features of stock returns, namely, the risk-return tradeoff and the leverage effect. We apply the fractionally integrated exponential GARCH-in-mean (FIEGARCH-M) model for daily stock return data, which includes both features...... and allows the co-existence of long memory in volatility and short memory in returns. We extend this model to allow the financial parameters governing the volatility-in-mean effect and the leverage effect to change during financial crises. An application to the daily U.S. stock index return series from 1926...

  16. The impact of financial crises on the risk-return tradeoff and the leverage effect

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Bent Jesper; Nielsen, Morten Ørregaard; Zhu, Jie

    2015-01-01

    % in magnitude during financial crises. No such changes are observed during NBER recessions, so in this sense financial crises are special. Applications to a number of major developed and emerging international stock markets confirm the increase in the leverage effect, whereas the international evidence......We investigate the impact of financial crises on two fundamental features of stock returns, namely, the risk-return tradeoff and the leverage effect. We apply the fractionally integrated exponential GARCH-in-mean (FIEGARCH-M) model for daily stock return data, which includes both features...... and allows the co-existence of long memory in volatility and short memory in returns. We extend this model to allow the financial parameters governing the volatility-in-mean effect and the leverage effect to change during financial crises. An application to the daily U.S. stock index return series from 1926...

  17. Flood of July 2016 in northern Wisconsin and the Bad River Reservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Dantoin, Eric D.; Tillison, Naomi; Watson, Kara M.; Waschbusch, Robert J.; Blount, James D.

    2017-06-06

    Heavy rain fell across northern Wisconsin and the Bad River Reservation on July 11, 2016, as a result of several rounds of thunderstorms. The storms caused major flooding in the Bad River Basin and nearby tributaries along the south shore of Lake Superior. Rainfall totals were 8–10 inches or more and most of the rain fell in an 8-hour period. A streamgage on the Bad River near Odanah, Wisconsin, rose from 300 cubic feet per second to a record peak streamflow of 40,000 cubic feet per second in only 15 hours. Following the storms and through September 2016, personnel from the U.S. Geological Survey and Bad River Tribe Natural Resources Department recovered and documented 108 high-water marks near the Bad River Reservation. Many of these high-water marks were used to create three flood-inundation maps for the Bad River, Beartrap Creek, and Denomie Creek for the Bad River Reservation in the vicinity of the community of Odanah.

  18. Mentoring Graduate Students: The Good, Bad, and Gray

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballantine, Jeanne H.; Jolly-Ballantine, John-Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Good mentoring of graduate students influences their perseverance and success to completion, whereas bad mentoring can result in negative outcomes, including delayed degree completion or non-completion. What the authors refer to as the gray zone is that which falls between good and bad mentoring. Examples are partial mentoring or changes in…

  19. Experimental geothermal well at Bad Schinznach. First results; Geothermiebohrung Bad Schinznach. Erste Resultate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haering, M O [Haering Geo-Project, Steinmaur (Switzerland)

    1997-12-01

    The spa of Bad Schinznach (Canton Argovia, Switzerland) endeavours to cover its heating requirements with geothermal energy. A recently drilled well to a depth of 890 meters encountered the regional acquifer of thermal water (Oberer Muschelkalk, Triassic) in three levels. Preliminary results indicate a productive aquifer in the uppermost level with a wellhead temperature of 42 C. An additional exploitation of the bottomhole formation temperature of 63 C is envisaged. (orig.) [Deutsch] Das Bad Schinznach (Kanton Aargau, Schweiz) moechte im Rahmen der wirtschaftlichen Moeglichkeiten seinen Waermebedarf mit der Nutzung des Thermalwassers aus dem Oberen Muschelkalk (Trias) decken. Eine neulich abgeteufte Bohrung bis auf 890 Meter Tiefe hat die Formation auf drei Niveaus angetroffen. Erste Resultate deuten auf ein nutzbares Vorkommen im obersten Horizont mit einer Austrittstemperatur von 42 C. Eine zusaetzliche Nutzung der hohen Formationstemperatur von 63 C auf Endtiefe wird erwogen. (orig.)

  20. Delivering Bad News: Attitudes, Feelings, and Practice Characteristics Among Speech-Language Pathologists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gold, Rinat; Gold, Azgad

    2018-02-06

    The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes, feelings, and practice characteristics of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Israel regarding the subject of delivering bad news. One hundred and seventy-three Israeli SLPs answered an online survey. Respondents represented SLPs in Israel in all stages of vocational experience, with varying academic degrees, from a variety of employment settings. The survey addressed emotions involved in the process of delivering bad news, training on this subject, and background information of the respondents. Frequency distributions of the responses of the participants were determined, and Pearson correlations were computed to determine the relation between years of occupational experience and the following variables: frequency of delivering bad news, opinions regarding training, and emotions experienced during the process of bad news delivery. Our survey showed that bad news delivery is a task that most participants are confronted with from the very beginning of their careers. Participants regarded training in the subject of delivering bad news as important but, at the same time, reported receiving relatively little training on this subject. In addition, our survey showed that negative emotions are involved in the process of delivering bad news. Training SLPs on specific techniques is required for successfully delivering bad news. The emotional burden associated with breaking bad news in the field of speech-language pathology should be noticed and addressed.

  1. Patients' Attitude toward Breaking Bad News; a Brief Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aminiahidashti, Hamed; Mousavi, Seyed Jaber; Darzi, Mohammad Mehdi

    2016-01-01

    Delivering bad news is a stressful moment for both physicians and patients. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the patients' preferences and attitudes toward being informed about the bad news. This cross-sectional study was done on patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Iran, from September 2014 to February 2015. Patient attitude regarding breaking bad news was evaluated using a reliable and valid questionnaire. 130 patients were evaluated (61.5% male, mean age = 46.21 ± 12.1 years). 118 (90.76%) participants believed that the patient himself/herself should be informed about the disease's condition. 120 (92.30%) preferred to hear the news from a skillful physician and 105 (80.76%) believed that emergency department is not a proper place for breaking bad news. Based on the results of the present study, most participants believed that the most experienced and skillful physician should inform them completely regarding their medical condition. At the same time they declared that, it is best to hear bad news in a calm and suitable place and time rather than emergency department or hospital corridors during teaching rounds.

  2. Biochemical and biophysical investigations of the interaction between human glucokinase and pro-apoptotic BAD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rexford, Alix; Zorio, Diego A R; Miller, Brian G

    2017-01-01

    The glycolytic enzyme glucokinase (GCK) and the pro-apoptotic protein BAD reportedly reside within a five-membered complex that localizes to the mitochondria of mammalian hepatocytes and pancreatic β-cells. Photochemical crosslinking studies using a synthetic analog of BAD's BH3 domain and in vitro transcription/translation experiments support a direct interaction between BAD and GCK. To investigate the biochemical and biophysical consequences of the BAD:GCK interaction, we developed a method for the production of recombinant human BAD. Consistent with published reports, recombinant BAD displays high affinity for Bcl-xL (KD = 7 nM), and phosphorylation of BAD at S118, within the BH3 domain, abolishes this interaction. Unexpectedly, we do not detect association of recombinant, full-length BAD with recombinant human pancreatic GCK over a range of protein concentrations using various biochemical methods including size-exclusion chromatography, chemical cross-linking, analytical ultracentrifugation, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Furthermore, fluorescence polarization assays and isothermal titration calorimetry detect no direct interaction between GCK and BAD BH3 peptides. Kinetic characterization of GCK in the presence of high concentrations of recombinant BAD show modest (BAD BH3 peptides. These results raise questions as to the mechanism of action of stapled peptide analogs modeled after the BAD BH3 domain, which reportedly enhance the Vmax value of GCK and stimulate insulin release in BAD-deficient islets. Based on our results, we postulate that the BAD:GCK interaction, and any resultant regulatory effect(s) upon GCK activity, requires the participation of additional members of the mitochondrial complex.

  3. Transactivation of bad by vorinostat-induced acetylated p53 enhances doxorubicin-induced cytotoxicity in cervical cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sook-Jeong; Hwang, Sung-Ook; Noh, Eun Joo; Kim, Dong-Uk; Nam, Miyoung; Kim, Jong Hyeok; Nam, Joo Hyun; Hoe, Kwang-Lae

    2014-02-14

    Vorinostat (VOR) has been reported to enhance the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin (DOX) with fewer side effects because of the lower DOX dosage in breast cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the novel mechanism underlying the synergistic cytotoxic effects of VOR and DOX co-treatment in cervical cancer cells HeLa, CaSki and SiHa cells. Co-treatment with VOR and DOX at marginal doses led to the induction of apoptosis through caspase-3 activation, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and DNA micronuclei. Notably, the synergistic growth inhibition induced by the co-treatment was attributed to the upregulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bad, as the silencing of Bad expression using small interfering RNA (siRNA) abolished the phenomenon. As siRNA against p53 did not result in an increase in acetylated p53 and the consequent upregulation of Bad, the observed Bad upregulation was mediated by acetylated p53. Moreover, a chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that the co-treatment of HeLa cells with VOR and DOX increased the recruitment of acetylated p53 to the bad promoter, with consequent bad transactivation. Conversely, C33A cervical cancer cells containing mutant p53 co-treated with VOR and DOX did not exhibit Bad upregulation, acetylated p53 induction or consequent synergistic growth inhibition. Together, the synergistic growth inhibition of cervical cancer cell lines induced by co-treatment with VOR and DOX can be attributed to the upregulation of Bad, which is induced by acetylated p53. These results show for the first time that the acetylation of p53, rather than histones, is a mechanism for the synergistic growth inhibition induced by VOR and DOX co-treatments.

  4. Educating the delivery of bad news in medicine: Preceptorship versus simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacques, Andrew P; Adkins, Eric J; Knepel, Sheri; Boulger, Creagh; Miller, Jessica; Bahner, David P

    2011-07-01

    Simulation experiences have begun to replace traditional education models of teaching the skill of bad news delivery in medical education. The tiered apprenticeship model of medical education emphasizes experiential learning. Studies have described a lack of support in bad news delivery and inadequacy of training in this important clinical skill as well as poor familial comprehension and dissatisfaction on the part of physicians in training regarding the resident delivery of bad news. Many residency training programs lacked a formalized training curriculum in the delivery of bad news. Simulation teaching experiences may address these noted clinical deficits in the delivery of bad news to patients and their families. Unique experiences can be role-played with this educational technique to simulate perceived learner deficits. A variety of scenarios can be constructed within the framework of the simulation training method to address specific cultural and religious responses to bad news in the medical setting. Even potentially explosive and violent scenarios can be role-played in order to prepare physicians for these rare and difficult situations. While simulation experiences cannot supplant the model of positive, real-life clinical teaching in the delivery of bad news, simulation of clinical scenarios with scripting, self-reflection, and peer-to-peer feedback can be powerful educational tools. Simulation training can help to develop the skills needed to effectively and empathetically deliver bad news to patients and families in medical practice.

  5. Firm Leverage and the Financial Crisis

    OpenAIRE

    Fatih Altunok; Arif Oduncu

    2014-01-01

    The firm growth dynamics is an important topic since the growth performance of firms is the main source of the economic growth in countries. Generally, crises produce a sharp decline in firms’ growth and this leads to a decline in both the level of employment and the income of households. This paper focuses on the role of firm leverage on the growth performance of the firm during the global financial crisis. We investigate whether the firms that experienced a large leverage increase before th...

  6. Size, Leverage, Concentration, and R&D Investment in Generating Growth Opportunities

    OpenAIRE

    Yew Kee Ho; Mira Tjahjapranata; Chee Meng Yap

    2006-01-01

    We show that a firm's ability to reap growth opportunities from R&D investments depends on its size, leverage, and the industry concentration. While the direct effects of these factors are significant, the size-leverage interaction reveals further important insights. Large firms' advantages over small firms disappear as their leverage increases. Specifically, small firms with high leverage reap the greatest growth opportunities. Our results provide explanations for inconsistent findings obser...

  7. 17 CFR 31.8 - Cover of leverage contracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... receipt for two business days: Provided, however, That the amount of physical commodities subject to such... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cover of leverage contracts. 31.8 Section 31.8 Commodity and Securities Exchanges COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION LEVERAGE...

  8. The badness of death and priorities in health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solberg, Carl Tollef; Gamlund, Espen

    2016-04-14

    The state of the world is one with scarce medical resources where longevity is not equally distributed. Given such facts, setting priorities in health entails making difficult yet unavoidable decisions about which lives to save. The business of saving lives works on the assumption that longevity is valuable and that an early death is worse than a late death. There is a vast literature on health priorities and badness of death, separately. Surprisingly, there has been little cross-fertilisation between the academic fields of priority setting and badness of death. Our aim is to connect philosophical discussions on the badness of death to contemporary debates in health priorities. Two questions regarding death are especially relevant to health priorities. The first question is why death is bad. Death is clearly bad for others, such as family, friends and society. Many philosophers also argue that death can be bad for those who die. This distinction is important for health priorities, because it concerns our fundamental reasons for saving lives. The second question is, 'When is the worst time to die?' A premature death is commonly considered worse than a late death. Thus, the number of good life years lost seems to matter to the badness of death. Concerning young individuals, some think the death of infants is worse than the death of adolescents, while others have contrary intuitions. Our claim is that to prioritise between age groups, we must consider the question of when it is worst to die. Deprivationism provides a more plausible approach to health priorities than Epicureanism. If Deprivationism is accepted, we will have a firmer basis for claiming that individuals, in addition to having a health loss caused by morbidity, will have a loss of good life years due to mortality. Additionally, Deprivationism highlights the importance of age and values for health priorities. Regarding age, both variants of Deprivationism imply that stillbirths are included in the Global

  9. The effect of leverage increases on real earnings management

    OpenAIRE

    Zagers-Mamedova, Irina

    2009-01-01

    textabstractMain subject of this paper is to understand whether there could be an incentive for managers to manipulate cash flow from operating activities (CFO) through the use of real earnings management (REM), in situations with increasing leverage. Based upon a study of Jelinek (2007) who researched the correlation between increasing levels of leverage and accrual earnings management, I developed my main hypothesis with respect to the effect of leverage increases on REM to influence CFO. R...

  10. Numerical investigation for one bad-behaved flow in a Pelton turbine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, X Z; Yang, K; Wang, H J; Gong, R Z; Li, D Y

    2015-01-01

    The gas-liquid two-phase flow in pelton turbines is very complicated, there are many kinds of bad-behaved flow in pelton turbines. In this paper, CFD numerical simulation for the pelton turbine was conducted using VOF two-phase model. One kind of bad-behaved flow caused by the two jets was captured, and the bad-behaved flow was analysed by torque on buckets. It can be concluded that the angle between the two jets and the value of ratio of runner diameter and jet diameter are important parameters for the bad-behaved flow. Furthermore, the reason why the efficiency of some multi-jet type turbines is very low can be well explained by the analysis of bad-behaved flow. Finally, some suggestions for improvement were also provided in present paper

  11. Numerical investigation for one bad-behaved flow in a Pelton turbine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, X. Z.; Yang, K.; Wang, H. J.; Gong, R. Z.; Li, D. Y.

    2015-01-01

    The gas-liquid two-phase flow in pelton turbines is very complicated, there are many kinds of bad-behaved flow in pelton turbines. In this paper, CFD numerical simulation for the pelton turbine was conducted using VOF two-phase model. One kind of bad-behaved flow caused by the two jets was captured, and the bad-behaved flow was analysed by torque on buckets. It can be concluded that the angle between the two jets and the value of ratio of runner diameter and jet diameter are important parameters for the bad-behaved flow. Furthermore, the reason why the efficiency of some multi-jet type turbines is very low can be well explained by the analysis of bad-behaved flow. Finally, some suggestions for improvement were also provided in present paper.

  12. Managing Bad Loans of Domestic Banks under Modern Economic Conditions

    OpenAIRE

    Bolhar Tetyana M.

    2014-01-01

    The article considers main methods of management of bad bank loans under modern economic conditions, conducts analysis of internal and external banking methods used by Ukrainian banks, and specifies and identifies their advantages and shortcomings. In the result of the study the article analyses in detail the use of the methods of rehabilitation and liquidation of bad loans. It considers organisation of internal and external banking methods of liquidation of bad loans, considers mechanism of ...

  13. Factors associated with patient preferences for communication of bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujimori, Maiko; Akechi, Tatsuo; Uchitomi, Yosuke

    2017-06-01

    Communication based on patient preferences can alleviate their psychological distress and is an important part of patient-centered care for physicians who have the task of conveying bad news to cancer patients. The present study aimed to explore the demographic, medical, and psychological factors associated with patient preferences with regard to communication of bad news. Outpatients with a variety of cancers were consecutively invited to participate in our study after their follow-up medical visit. A questionnaire assessed their preferences regarding the communication of bad news, covering four factors-(1) how bad news is delivered, (2) reassurance and emotional support, (3) additional information, and (4) setting-as well as on demographic, medical, and psychosocial factors. A total of 529 outpatients with a variety of cancers completed the questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses indicated that patients who were younger, female, had greater faith in their physician, and were more highly educated placed more importance on "how bad news is delivered" than patients who were older, male, had less faith in their physician, and a lower level of education. Female patients and patients without an occupation placed more importance on "reassurance and emotional support." Younger, female, and more highly educated patients placed more importance on "additional information." Younger, female, and more highly educated patients, along with patients who weren't undergoing active treatment placed more importance on "setting." Patient preferences with regard to communication of bad news are associated with factors related to patient background. Physicians should consider these characteristics when delivering bad news and use an appropriate communication style tailored to each patient.

  14. Instorting ijshal Bad Reichenhall

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herwijnen, van F.

    2008-01-01

    De dakconstructie van ijshal Bad Reichenhall (D) was met zijn 2,87 m hoge hoofdliggers, uitgevoerd als houten kokerliggers, een bijzondere houtconstructie. Op deze schaal niet eerder uitgevoerd. Een serie fouten, defecten en beschadigingen werd de constructie echter fataal. Op 2 januari 2006 bezweek

  15. Dual role of proapoptotic BAD in insulin secretion and beta cell survival

    OpenAIRE

    Danial, Nika N.; Walensky, Loren D.; Zhang, Chen-Yu; Choi, Cheol Soo; Fisher, Jill K.; Molina, Anthony J. A.; Datta, Sandeep Robert; Pitter, Kenneth L.; Bird, Gregory H.; Wikstrom, Jakob D.; Deeney, Jude T.; Robertson, Kirsten; Morash, Joel; Kulkarni, Ameya; Neschen, Susanne

    2008-01-01

    The proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BAD resides in a glucokinase-containing complex that regulates glucose-driven mitochondrial respiration. Here, we present genetic evidence of a physiologic role for BAD in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by beta cells. This novel function of BAD is specifically dependent upon the phosphorylation of its BH3 sequence, previously defined as an essential death domain. We highlight the pharmacologic relevance of phosphorylated BAD BH3 by using cell-permeab...

  16. Good and bad practices in pv plants

    OpenAIRE

    Martinez Moreno, Francisco; Helleputte, F.; Tyutyundzhiev, N.; Rabal Echeverria, Daniel; Conlon, Michael; Fartaria, Tomás; Oteiza, David

    2013-01-01

    The PVCROPS project (PhotoVolta ic Cost r€duction, Reliability, Operational performance, Prediction and Simulation), cofinanced by European Commission in the frame of Seventh Framework Programme, has compiled in the “Good and bad practices: Manual to improve the quality and reduce the cost of PV systems” a collection of good and bad practices in actual PV plants . All the situations it collects represent the state-of-the-art of existing PV installations all around Europe. They show how ...

  17. 26 CFR 1.593-5 - Addition to reserves for bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Addition to reserves for bad debts. 1.593-5... bad debts. (a) Amount of addition. As an alternative to a deduction from gross income under section... a deduction under section 166(c) for a reasonable addition to a reserve for bad debts. In the case...

  18. 13 CFR 107.1130 - Leverage fees and additional charges payable by Licensee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... you issue a Debenture or Participating Security to repay or redeem existing Leverage, you must pay the leverage fee before SBA will guarantee or purchase the new Leverage security. (2) If you issue a Debenture... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Leverage fees and additional...

  19. 26 CFR 1.593-7 - Establishment and treatment of reserves for bad debts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ....593-10. (2) Bad debt losses. Any bad debt in respect of a nonqualifying loan shall be charged against the reserve for losses on nonqualifying loans, and any bad debt in respect of a qualifying real... option of the taxpayer, however, any bad debt in respect of either class of loans may be charged in whole...

  20. BCL-2 family protein, BAD is down-regulated in breast cancer and inhibits cell invasion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cekanova, Maria, E-mail: mcekanov@utk.edu [Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Fernando, Romaine I. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Medical Center, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Siriwardhana, Nalin [Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Sukhthankar, Mugdha [Department of Biomedical and Diagnostics Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Parra, Columba de la [Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR (United States); Woraratphoka, Jirayus [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Medical Center, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Malone, Christine [Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Ström, Anders [Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX (United States); Baek, Seung J. [Department of Biomedical and Diagnostics Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Wade, Paul A. [Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Saxton, Arnold M. [Department of Animal Science, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Donnell, Robert M. [Department of Biomedical and Diagnostics Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Pestell, Richard G. [Department of Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (United States); and others

    2015-02-01

    We have previously demonstrated that the anti-apoptotic protein BAD is expressed in normal human breast tissue and shown that BAD inhibits expression of cyclin D1 to delay cell-cycle progression in breast cancer cells. Herein, expression of proteins in breast tissues was studied by immunohistochemistry and results were analyzed statistically to obtain semi-quantitative data. Biochemical and functional changes in BAD-overexpressing MCF7 breast cancer cells were evaluated using PCR, reporter assays, western blotting, ELISA and extracellular matrix invasion assays. Compared to normal tissues, Grade II breast cancers expressed low total/phosphorylated forms of BAD in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. BAD overexpression decreased the expression of β-catenin, Sp1, and phosphorylation of STATs. BAD inhibited Ras/MEK/ERK and JNK signaling pathways, without affecting the p38 signaling pathway. Expression of the metastasis-related proteins, MMP10, VEGF, SNAIL, CXCR4, E-cadherin and TlMP2 was regulated by BAD with concomitant inhibition of extracellular matrix invasion. Inhibition of BAD by siRNA increased invasion and Akt/p-Akt levels. Clinical data and the results herein suggest that in addition to the effect on apoptosis, BAD conveys anti-metastatic effects and is a valuable prognostic marker in breast cancer. - Highlights: • BAD and p-BAD expressions are decreased in breast cancer compared with normal breast tissue. • BAD impedes breast cancer invasion and migration. • BAD inhibits the EMT and transcription factors that promote cancer cell migration. • Invasion and migration functions of BAD are distinct from the BAD's role in apoptosis.

  1. BCL-2 family protein, BAD is down-regulated in breast cancer and inhibits cell invasion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cekanova, Maria; Fernando, Romaine I.; Siriwardhana, Nalin; Sukhthankar, Mugdha; Parra, Columba de la; Woraratphoka, Jirayus; Malone, Christine; Ström, Anders; Baek, Seung J.; Wade, Paul A.; Saxton, Arnold M.; Donnell, Robert M.; Pestell, Richard G.

    2015-01-01

    We have previously demonstrated that the anti-apoptotic protein BAD is expressed in normal human breast tissue and shown that BAD inhibits expression of cyclin D1 to delay cell-cycle progression in breast cancer cells. Herein, expression of proteins in breast tissues was studied by immunohistochemistry and results were analyzed statistically to obtain semi-quantitative data. Biochemical and functional changes in BAD-overexpressing MCF7 breast cancer cells were evaluated using PCR, reporter assays, western blotting, ELISA and extracellular matrix invasion assays. Compared to normal tissues, Grade II breast cancers expressed low total/phosphorylated forms of BAD in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. BAD overexpression decreased the expression of β-catenin, Sp1, and phosphorylation of STATs. BAD inhibited Ras/MEK/ERK and JNK signaling pathways, without affecting the p38 signaling pathway. Expression of the metastasis-related proteins, MMP10, VEGF, SNAIL, CXCR4, E-cadherin and TlMP2 was regulated by BAD with concomitant inhibition of extracellular matrix invasion. Inhibition of BAD by siRNA increased invasion and Akt/p-Akt levels. Clinical data and the results herein suggest that in addition to the effect on apoptosis, BAD conveys anti-metastatic effects and is a valuable prognostic marker in breast cancer. - Highlights: • BAD and p-BAD expressions are decreased in breast cancer compared with normal breast tissue. • BAD impedes breast cancer invasion and migration. • BAD inhibits the EMT and transcription factors that promote cancer cell migration. • Invasion and migration functions of BAD are distinct from the BAD's role in apoptosis

  2. Leveraging Open Standard Interfaces in Providing Efficient Discovery, Retrieval, and Information of NASA-Sponsored Observations and Predictions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, M.; Alameh, N.; Bambacus, M.

    2006-05-01

    The Applied Sciences Program at NASA focuses on extending the results of NASA's Earth-Sun system science research beyond the science and research communities to contribute to national priority applications with societal benefits. By employing a systems engineering approach, supporting interoperable data discovery and access, and developing partnerships with federal agencies and national organizations, the Applied Sciences Program facilitates the transition from research to operations in national applications. In particular, the Applied Sciences Program identifies twelve national applications, listed at http://science.hq.nasa.gov/earth-sun/applications/, which can be best served by the results of NASA aerospace research and development of science and technologies. The ability to use and integrate NASA data and science results into these national applications results in enhanced decision support and significant socio-economic benefits for each of the applications. This paper focuses on leveraging the power of interoperability and specifically open standard interfaces in providing efficient discovery, retrieval, and integration of NASA's science research results. Interoperability (the ability to access multiple, heterogeneous geoprocessing environments, either local or remote by means of open and standard software interfaces) can significantly increase the value of NASA-related data by increasing the opportunities to discover, access and integrate that data in the twelve identified national applications (particularly in non-traditional settings). Furthermore, access to data, observations, and analytical models from diverse sources can facilitate interdisciplinary and exploratory research and analysis. To streamline this process, the NASA GeoSciences Interoperability Office (GIO) is developing the NASA Earth-Sun System Gateway (ESG) to enable access to remote geospatial data, imagery, models, and visualizations through open, standard web protocols. The gateway (online

  3. Cinema and the communication of bad news

    OpenAIRE

    Ana Isabel GÓMEZ CORDOBA; Haroldo ESTRADA

    2016-01-01

    Breaking Bad News requires medical professionals possess a range of skills to ensure that the patient has the information required for decision?making, this process occurs without further damage and even has a therapeutic effect, and another, that the doctor is not exposed to legal risk or stress associated with the inability to cope with the feelings of the patient, their families or themselves. This article discusses the aspects of communication of bad news in the field of doctor?patient re...

  4. Walking Wounded or Living Dead? Making Banks Foreclose Bad Loans

    OpenAIRE

    Max Bruche; Gerard Llobet

    2011-01-01

    Due to limited liability, banks that are essentially insolvent may have incentives to roll over bad loans as a gamble for resurrection, even though it is socially inefficient to do so. This paper considers the problem of making such banks remove and/or foreclose bad loans, when the proportion of loans on a bank’s balance sheet that has gone bad is private information. The private information implies that many plausible schemes are likely to generate windfall gains for bank equity holders, whi...

  5. Female entrepreneurs in trouble: do their bad loans last longer?

    OpenAIRE

    Juri Marcucci; Paolo Emilio Mistrulli

    2013-01-01

    We investigate the duration of bad loans for a unique data set of sole proprietorships in Italy, finding that bad loans for female firms last longer. However, this result is mainly due to the fact that loans granted to female firms are less frequently written off than those to male ones, suggesting that for banks female firms might be more creditworthy than male firms. These findings are robust to censoring, alternative specifications of the distribution of bad loan duration and other bank-sp...

  6. Leverage and growth: effect of stock options

    OpenAIRE

    Francis, Bill; Hasan , Iftekhar; Sharma, Zenu

    2011-01-01

    This paper investigates the potential effects of stock options on managers’ investment decisions and therefore on a firm’s growth or, alternatively, on its leverage-growth relationship. To structure the analysis addressing this issue, the paper utilizes a framework establishing a negative relationship between leverage and the firm’s growth. However, in contrast to some of the existing results, the empirical analysis of manufacturing firms in this paper shows that the negative relationship bet...

  7. A short guide to giving bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Jeffrey T

    2008-01-01

    Approaching an individual or a family with bad news, but without an appropriate plan to present the information in a structured manner, is almost a guarantee of greater emotional pain and disruption for the recipients of the news. Crisis interveners must develop a strategic plan for the announcement of bad news. That plan should entail a lead-up phase, a transmission phase, and a followup phase. The lead-up phase encompasses the gathering of accurate, verifiable information and the clear identification of the targets of the information. The transmission phase includes immediate preparation for the presentation of the information, the actual announcement, and the presentation of additional details as questions arise. The follow-up phase includes a range of supportive interventions to assist people in the immediate crisis reaction. It also includes a system of referrals for people who might benefit from additional professional care. This article provides practical guidelines for providing bad news to the loved ones of injured, ill, or deceased people.

  8. "I'm afraid I have bad news for you…" Estimating the impact of different health impairments on subjective well-being.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Binder, Martin; Coad, Alex

    2013-06-01

    Bad health decreases individuals' happiness, but few studies measure the impact of specific illnesses. We apply matching estimators to examine how changes in different (objective) conditions of bad health affect subjective well-being for a sample of 100,265 observations from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) database (1996-2006). The strongest effect is for alcohol and drug abuse, followed by anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses, stroke and cancer. Adaptation to health impairments varies across health impairments. There is also a puzzling asymmetry: strong adverse reactions to deteriorations in health appear alongside weak increases in well-being after health improvements. In conclusion, our analysis offers a more detailed account of how bad health influences happiness than accounts focusing on how bad self-assessed health affects individual well-being. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Evaluating Third-Party Bad Neighborhood Blacklists for Spam Detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira Moura, Giovane; Sperotto, Anna; Sadre, R.; Pras, Aiko; Seon Hong, C.; Diao, Y.; De Turk, F.

    The distribution of malicious hosts over the IP address space is far from being uniform. In fact, malicious hosts tend to be concentrate in certain portions of the IP address space, forming the so-called Bad Neighborhoods. This phenomenon has been previously exploited to filter Spam by means of Bad

  10. Water data: bad TPC pads, 3.6 µs and 100 ns problems

    CERN Document Server

    Dydak, F; Nefedov, Y; Wotschack, J; Zhemchugov, A

    2004-01-01

    Out of the 3972 pads of the HARP TPC, about 9% are 'bad' and not useful for the correct reconstruction of clusters. Bad pads comprise dead pads, noisy pads, and pads with low or undefined amplification. Pads may be bad at one time, but not at another. This memo discusses the sources of information which were used to declare a pad 'bad', and gives the list of bad pads for the water data (runs 19146 to 19301). Also, the 3.6 µs and 100 ns problems of the TPC readout are discussed, including the corrective measures which have been taken.

  11. 17 CFR 31.23 - Limited right to rescind first leverage contract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Limited right to rescind first... COMMISSION LEVERAGE TRANSACTIONS § 31.23 Limited right to rescind first leverage contract. (a) A leverage... pursuant to the following provisions: (1) Such customer may be assessed actual price losses accruing to the...

  12. Macroeconomic Dynamics of Assets, Leverage and Trust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rozendaal, Jeroen C.; Malevergne, Yannick; Sornette, Didier

    A macroeconomic model based on the economic variables (i) assets, (ii) leverage (defined as debt over asset) and (iii) trust (defined as the maximum sustainable leverage) is proposed to investigate the role of credit in the dynamics of economic growth, and how credit may be associated with both economic performance and confidence. Our first notable finding is the mechanism of reward/penalty associated with patience, as quantified by the return on assets. In regular economies where the EBITA/Assets ratio is larger than the cost of debt, starting with a trust higher than leverage results in the highest long-term return on assets (which can be seen as a proxy for economic growth). Therefore, patient economies that first build trust and then increase leverage are positively rewarded. Our second main finding concerns a recommendation for the reaction of a central bank to an external shock that affects negatively the economic growth. We find that late policy intervention in the model economy results in the highest long-term return on assets. However, this comes at the cost of suffering longer from the crisis until the intervention occurs. The phenomenon that late intervention is most effective to attain a high long-term return on assets can be ascribed to the fact that postponing intervention allows trust to increase first, and it is most effective to intervene when trust is high. These results are derived from two fundamental assumptions underlying our model: (a) trust tends to increase when it is above leverage; (b) economic agents learn optimally to adjust debt for a given level of trust and amount of assets. Using a Markov Switching Model for the EBITA/Assets ratio, we have successfully calibrated our model to the empirical data of the return on equity of the EURO STOXX 50 for the time period 2000-2013. We find that dynamics of leverage and trust can be highly nonmonotonous with curved trajectories, as a result of the nonlinear coupling between the variables. This

  13. Interdependence of Bad and Puma during ionizing-radiation-induced apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toruno, Cristhian; Carbonneau, Seth; Stewart, Rodney A; Jette, Cicely

    2014-01-01

    Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA double-strand breaks trigger an extensive cellular signaling response that involves the coordination of hundreds of proteins to regulate DNA repair, cell cycle arrest and apoptotic pathways. The cellular outcome often depends on the level of DNA damage as well as the particular cell type. Proliferating zebrafish embryonic neurons are highly sensitive to IR-induced apoptosis, and both p53 and its transcriptional target puma are essential mediators of the response. The BH3-only protein Puma has previously been reported to activate mitochondrial apoptosis through direct interaction with the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax and Bak, thus constituting the role of an "activator" BH3-only protein. This distinguishes it from BH3-only proteins like Bad that are thought to indirectly promote apoptosis through binding to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, thereby preventing the sequestration of activator BH3-only proteins and allowing them to directly interact with and activate Bax and Bak. We have shown previously that overexpression of the BH3-only protein Bad in zebrafish embryos supports normal embryonic development but greatly sensitizes developing neurons to IR-induced apoptosis. While Bad has previously been shown to play only a minor role in promoting IR-induced apoptosis of T cells in mice, we demonstrate that Bad is essential for robust IR-induced apoptosis in zebrafish embryonic neural tissue. Moreover, we found that both p53 and Puma are required for Bad-mediated radiosensitization in vivo. Our findings show the existence of a hierarchical interdependence between Bad and Puma whereby Bad functions as an essential sensitizer and Puma as an essential activator of IR-induced mitochondrial apoptosis specifically in embryonic neural tissue.

  14. PENGGUNAAN LEVERAGE PADA PERUSAHAAN: PERBEDAAN ANTARA CEO PRIA DAN WANITA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farida Titik Kritanti

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available AbstractVarious studies show that women are more risk averse in making decisions and better long-term oriented. Women would rather risk averse than men, making it less likely they will use debt in their capital structure, since by increasing debt increases the risk of the company's financial means. This study want to test whether gender became a significant factor in financial leverage, to see whether there are differences in policy between the company's leverage, led by men and women. Financial leverage is used as a measure of corporate risk because these variables can be changed by the CEO. Data from companies listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange as sample. The results showed that there were differences in leverage between firms that have a men CEO with the women CEO of a company. Men CEO use more debt than the women CEO. But for the performance measured by ROI, obtained different results for the type of industry studied. For the consumer goods industry, there are performance differences between the men CEO and the women. But for the internet service industry and enamel kitchen showed no performance difference between women CEO with men CEO.Key words: leverage, woman CEO, man CEO, performanceAbstrakBerbagai penelitian menunjukkan bahwa wanita lebih risk averse dalam mengambil keputusan dan lebih berorientasi jangka panjang. Wanita lebih suka menolak risiko dibandingkan pria, sehingga kecil kemungkinan mereka akan menggunakan hutang dalam struktur modalnya, karena dengan menambah hutang berarti memperbesar risiko keuangan perusahaan. Penelitian ini ingin menguji apakah jender menjadi faktor yang cukup signifikan dalam financial leverage, dengan melihat apakah ada perbedaan dalam kebijakan leverage antara perusahaan yang dipimpin oleh pria dan wanita. Financial leverage dipakai sebagai ukuran risiko perusahaan karena variabel ini bisa diubah oleh CEO. Sampel menggunakan data dari perusahaan yang listed di Jakarta Stock Exchange. Hasil penelitian

  15. ["Truth at the bedside"--continuing medical education and breaking bad news].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schildmann, Jan; Herrmann, Eva; Klambeck, Amelie; Ortwein, Heiderose; Schwarz, Carsten; Vollmann, Jochen

    2005-01-01

    Discussions with seriously-ill patients are part of the physicians' tasks. These discussions demand good communication skills. In this paper we present the concept of a postgraduate course for physicians on ethics and breaking bad news, as well as the results of the course evaluation. Questionnaire distributed before and immediately after the course using closed-ended questions and Likert scales. 37 physicians (response rate: 84.1%) from seven specialties completed the questionnaires. Twenty-eight respondents (75.6%) had been involved in breaking bad news more than 5 times per month. Approximately half of the respondents (N = 18; 48.6%) rated the discussions on the limits of curative treatment as particularly difficult communication situations. With one exception, all physicians denied the existence of guidelines on breaking bad news in their institutions. Compared with the beginning of the course, the respondents rated their communication skills to be improved at the end of the course. Positive evaluations were obtained for practice relevance, teaching methods, and organisation of the course. The interest in this optional postgraduate course and the feedback of the participants indicate the necessity of professional training on difficult communication situations. The self-rating of improved communication skills may be interpreted as a positive effect of the course. Observational studies are required to confirm the effects of the training.

  16. Superconductivity in bad metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emery, V.J.; Kivelson, S.A.

    1995-01-01

    It is argued that many synthetic metals, including high temperature superconductors are ''bad metals'' with such a poor conductivity that the usual mean-field theory of superconductivity breaks down because of anomalously large classical and quantum fluctuations of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. Some consequences for high temperature superconductors are described

  17. Breaking Bad News: An Evidence-Based Review of Communication Models for Oncology Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bumb, Meridith; Keefe, Joanna; Miller, Lindsay; Overcash, Janine

    2017-10-01

    A diagnosis of cancer is a stressful, difficult, and life-altering event. Breaking bad news is distressing to patients and families and is often uncomfortable for the nurse delivering it. Evidence-based communication models have been developed and adapted for use in clinical practice to assist nurses with breaking bad news.

. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview on breaking bad news and to review the utility of the SPIKES and PEWTER evidence-based communication models for oncology nurses.
. Perceptions of breaking bad news from the nurse and patient perspectives, as well as barriers and consequences to effective communication, will be presented. Clinical examples of possible situations of breaking bad news will demonstrate how to use the SPIKES and PEWTER models of communication when disclosing bad news to patients and their families.
. By using the evidence-based communication strategies depicted in this article, oncology nurses can support the delivery of bad news and maintain communication with their patients and their patients' families in an effective and productive manner.

  18. KEPEMILIKAN MANAJERIAL DAN LEVERAGE SEBAGAI PREDIKTOR PROFITABILITAS DAN PENGUNGKAPAN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Putu Agus Dwipayadnya

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Managerial Ownership and Leverage as Profitability Predictor and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure. This study aimed to determine the effect of managerial ownership composition and leverage on profitability and disclosure of CSR. The population in this study are manufacturing companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange. Sampling was conducted research with purposive sampling method so that the sample of this study as many as 24 companies. The research data is secondary data obtained from the website of the Indonesia Stock Exchange and the Indonesian Capital Market Directory from 2009 until 2013. Testing research hypotheses using path analysis technique (path analysis. The results showed that: (1 managerial ownership and leverage impact positivelly on profitability. (2 managerial ownership effect negativelly on leverage. (3 managerial ownership and leverage do not affect the disclosure of CSR. (4 profitability impact positively on the disclosure of CSR. (5 profitability is able to mediate the relationship managerial ownership and leverage on CSR disclosure.   Keywords: Managerial Ownership, Leverage, Profitability and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure

  19. Bad Data Detection and Identification for State Estimation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khazraj, Hesam; Silva, Filipe Miguel Faria da; Bak, Claus Leth

    2017-01-01

    state estimations. To achieve this object largest normalized residual test (rNmax) is applied to detect and analysis bad data in phasor measurements, power flow and power injections of buses used for the novel PMU-based state estimation. The main advantage of new PMU-based static state estimation......Bad data analysis is an important part of both dynamic and static state estimations. This paper present novel algorithm of phase measurement unit (PMU)-based static state estimation to detect and identify multiple bad data in critical measurements, which is not possible with traditional static...... is that phasor measurements can be added separately into the proposed state estimation. This paper proposes an ideal method to combine the phasor measurements into the conventional state estimator in a systematic way, so that no significant modification is necessary to the existing algorithm. The main advantage...

  20. Collaborative Practice Model: Improving the Delivery of Bad News.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowman, Pamela N; Slusser, Kim; Allen, Deborah

    2018-02-01

    Ideal bad news delivery requires skilled communication and team support. The literature has primarily focused on patient preferences, impact on care decisions, healthcare roles, and communication styles, without addressing systematic implementation. This article describes how an interdisciplinary team, led by advanced practice nurses, developed and implemented a collaborative practice model to deliver bad news on a unit that had struggled with inconsistencies. Using evidence-based practices, the authors explored current processes, role perceptions and expectations, and perceived barriers to developing the model, which is now the standard of care and an example of interprofessional team collaboration across the healthcare system. This model for delivering bad news can be easily adapted to meet the needs of other clinical units.
.

  1. A scoping research literature review to assess the state of existing evidence on the "bad" death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Donna M; Hewitt, Jessica A

    2018-02-01

    A scoping research literature review on "bad death" was undertaken to assess the overall state of the science on this topic and to determine what evidence exists on how often bad deaths occur, what contributes to or causes a bad death, and what the outcomes and consequences of bad deaths are. A search for English-language research articles was conducted in late 2016, with 25 articles identified and all retained for examination, as is expected with scoping reviews. Only 3 of the 25 articles provided incidence information, specifying that 7.8 to 23% of deaths were bad and that bad deaths were more likely to occur in hospitals than in community-care settings. Many different factors were associated with bad deaths, with unrelieved pain being the most commonly identified. Half of the studies provided information on the possible consequences or outcomes of bad deaths, such as palliative care not being initiated, interpersonal and team conflict, and long-lasting negative community effects. This review identified a relatively small number of research articles that focused in whole or in part on bad deaths. Although the reasons why people consider a death to be bad may be highly individualized and yet also socioculturally based, unrelieved pain is a commonly held reason for bad deaths. Although bad and good deaths may have some opposing causative factors, this literature review revealed some salient bad death attributes, ones that could be avoided to prevent bad deaths from occurring. A routine assessment to allow planning so as to avoid bad deaths and enhance the probability of good deaths is suggested.

  2. The contribution of bank regulation and fair value accounting to procyclical leverage

    OpenAIRE

    Amel-Zadeh; Barth, ME; Landsman, WR

    2017-01-01

    Our analytical description of how banks’ responses to asset price changes can result in procyclical leverage reveals that for banks with a binding regulatory leverage constraint, absent differences in regulatory risk weights across assets, procyclical leverage does not occur. For banks without a binding constraint, fair value and bank regulation both can contribute to procyclical leverage. Empirical findings based on a large sample of US commercial banks reveal that bank regulation explains p...

  3. Have we lost the ability to listen to bad news?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Oorschot, Kim.E.; van Wassenhove, Luk; Sengupta, Kishore; Akkermans, Henk

    2016-01-01

    Research shows that project managers continuously prioritised good vibes (positive, but subjective signals) over bad news (negative, but objective signals), which resulted in decisions of poor quality. Without understanding the root causes that generate the bad news and the good vibes, managers

  4. Leveraged exchange-traded funds price dynamics and options valuation

    CERN Document Server

    Leung, Tim

    2016-01-01

    This book provides an analysis, under both discrete-time and continuous-time frameworks, on the price dynamics of leveraged exchange-traded funds (LETFs), with emphasis on the roles of leverage ratio, realized volatility, investment horizon, and tracking errors. This study provides new insights on the risks associated with LETFs. It also leads to the discussion of new risk management concepts, such as admissible leverage ratios and admissible risk horizon, as well as the mathematical and empirical analyses of several trading strategies, including static portfolios, pairs trading, and stop-loss strategies involving ETFs and LETFs. The final part of the book addresses the pricing of options written on LETFs. Since different LETFs are designed to track the same reference index, these funds and their associated options share very similar sources of randomness. The authors provide a no-arbitrage pricing approach that consistently value options on LETFs with different leverage ratios with stochastic volatility and ...

  5. [Construction of BAD Lentivirus Vector and Its Effect on Proliferation in A549 Cell Lines].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Na; He, Yan-qi; Zhu, Jing; Li, Wei-min

    2015-05-01

    To construct the recombinant lentivirus expressing vector BAD (Bcl-2-associated death protein) gene and to study its effect on A549 cell proliferation. The BAD gene was amplified from plasmid pAV-MCMV-BAD-GFP by PCR. The purified BAD gene fragment was inserted into a lentivirus vector (pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen 1), and the insertion was identified by PCR, restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA sequencing. A549 cells were then transfected with the packaged recombinant lentivirus, and resistant cell clones were selected with flow cytometry. The expression of BAD in A549 cell lines stably transduction with a lentivirus was examined using Western blot. The effect of BAD overexpression on proliferation of A549 cells was evaluated by using CCK-8 kit. Restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing showed that the full-length BAD gene (507 bp) had been successfully subcloned into the lentiviral vector to result in the recombinant vector pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen 1. Monoclonal cell lines BAD-A549 was produced after transfection with the recombinant lentivirus and selected with flow cytometry. Stable expression of BAD protein was verified by Western blot. In vitro, the OD value in BAD group was significantly lower than that of control groups from 120-144 h (PBAD gene had been successfully generated. In vitro, BAD overexpression significantly inhibited A549 cells proliferation.

  6. Payeeship, financial leverage, and the client-provider relationship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angell, Beth; Martinez, Noriko I; Mahoney, Colleen A; Corrigan, Patrick W

    2007-03-01

    Although representative payeeship provided within clinical settings is believed to have therapeutic benefits, its potential negative impact on the therapeutic alliance or client-provider relationship is of concern. This study examined the effects of payeeship and perceived financial leverage on positive and negative dimensions of the client-provider relationship. The sample consisted of 205 adults ages 18 to 65 with axis I disorders who were receiving mental health services from a large urban community mental health clinic. Information about money management characteristics and ratings of the client-provider relationship were collected via face-to-face interview. Fifty-three percent of the sample had a payee or money manager, and 79% of this group had a clinician payee. Respondents with co-occurring psychotic and substance use disorders, lower functioning, and lower insight about their illness were more likely to have a clinician payee. Forty percent of those with a clinician payee reported perceived financial leverage. Having a clinician payee was also associated with perceived financial leverage and with higher levels of conflict in the case management relationship. When examined in combination, financial leverage was found to mediate the effects of payeeship on conflict in the case management relationship (mean+/-SE=2.37+/-1.33, 95% confidence interval=16-5.52, pconflict in the therapeutic alliance when used as a source of treatment leverage. Although payeeship provides important support and may enhance functional outcomes for the patient, decisions about using the mechanism for promoting treatment adherence should take into account the potential disruption to the client-provider relationship.

  7. Targeting proapoptotic protein BAD inhibits survival and self-renewal of cancer stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sastry, K S R; Al-Muftah, M A; Li, Pu; Al-Kowari, M K; Wang, E; Ismail Chouchane, A; Kizhakayil, D; Kulik, G; Marincola, F M; Haoudi, A; Chouchane, L

    2014-12-01

    Emerging evidence suggests that the resistance of cancer stem cells (CSC) to many conventional therapies is one of the major limiting factors of cancer therapy efficacy. Identification of mechanisms responsible for survival and self-renewal of CSC will help design new therapeutic strategies that target and eliminate both differentiated cancer cells and CSC. Here we demonstrated the potential role of proapoptotic protein BAD in the biology of CSC in melanoma, prostate and breast cancers. We enriched CD44(+)/CD24(-) cells (CSC) by tumorosphere formation and purified this population by FACS. Both spheres and CSC exhibited increased potential for proliferation, migration, invasion, sphere formation, anchorage-independent growth, as well as upregulation of several stem cell-associated markers. We showed that the phosphorylation of BAD is essential for the survival of CSC. Conversely, ectopic expression of a phosphorylation-deficient mutant BAD induced apoptosis in CSC. This effect was enhanced by treatment with a BH3-mimetic, ABT-737. Both pharmacological agents that inhibit survival kinases and growth factors that are involved in drug resistance delivered their respective cytotoxic and protective effects by modulating the BAD phosphorylation in CSC. Furthermore, the frequency and self-renewal capacity of CSC was significantly reduced by knocking down the BAD expression. Consistent with our in vitro results, significant phosphorylation of BAD was found in CD44(+) CSC of 83% breast tumor specimens. In addition, we also identified a positive correlation between BAD expression and disease stage in prostate cancer, suggesting a role of BAD in tumor advancement. Our studies unveil the role of BAD in the survival and self-renewal of CSC and propose BAD not only as an attractive target for cancer therapy but also as a marker of tumor progression.

  8. Leveraging the geospatial advantage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Butler; Andrew Bailey

    2013-01-01

    The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) web-based application leverages geospatial data to inform strategic decisions on wildland fires. A specialized data team, working within the Wildland Fire Management Research Development and Application group (WFM RD&A), assembles authoritative national-level data sets defining values to be protected. The use of...

  9. [Effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on Pim-3 and Bad proteins in human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jian, Jie; Hu, Zhi-Fang; Huang, Yuan

    2009-05-01

    Ginsenoside Rg3 is a traditional Chinese medicine monomer which possesses anticancer effects. This study was to investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg3 on Pim-3 and phosphorylated Bad (pBad) proteins, pBad (Ser112) and pBad (Ser136) in human pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1. PANC-1 cells were exposed to 10, 20, 40 and 80 micromol/L ginsenoside Rg3 for 24 h. A short hairpin RNA (shRNA) of Pim-3 was cloned and inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector pSilencer 3.1-H1 Neo to construct pSilencer 3.1-H1 Neo-Pim-3. pSilencer 3.1-H1 Neo-Pim-3 was then transfected into PANC-1 cells. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay; cell apoptosis was observed under an invert microscope and measured by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI staining; protein expressions of Pim-3, Bad, pBad (Ser112) and pBad (Ser136) were measured by Western blot. The inhibitory rates of 10, 20, 40 and 80 micromol/L ginsenoside Rg3 on PANC-1 cells were 20.2%, 33.4%, 52.8% and 65.3%, respectively. Typical morphological changes in apoptosis were induced by ginsenoside Rg3. The apoptotic rate of PANC-1 cells was significantly higher in the ginsenoside Rg3 treatment group (80 micromol/L) than in the control group (12.2% vs. 3.3%, PPANC-1 cells. Compared with the control group, the percentages of early and total apoptotic cells were significantly increased in PANC-1 cells transfected with pim-3-shRNA [(11.5+/-3.7)% vs. (5.8+/-2.2)%,P<0.01;(20.8+/-2.6)% vs.(13.0+/-4.1)%,P<0.05], while the expressions of pim-3 and pBad (Ser112) were both decreased. The anti-tumor effect of ginsenoside Rg3 may be associated with the decrease of Pim-3 and pBad (Ser112).

  10. On risk, leverage and banks: do highly leveraged banks take on excessive risk?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koudstaal, M.; van Wijnbergen, S.

    2012-01-01

    This paper deals with the relation between excessive risk taking and capital structure in banks. Examining a quarterly dataset of U.S. banks between 1993 and 2010, we find that equity is valued higher when more risky portfolios are chosen when leverage is high, and that more risk taking has a

  11. Collective bads: The case of low-level radioactive waste compacts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McGinnis, M.V.

    1994-01-01

    In low-level radioactive waste (LLW) compact development, policy gridlock and intergovernmental conflict between states has been the norm. In addition to the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon, LLW compacts must content with myriad political and ethical dilemmas endemic to a particular collective bad. This paper characterizes the epistemology of collective bads, and reviews how LLW compacts deal with such bads. In addition, using data from survey questionnaires and interviews, this paper assesses the cooperative nature of LLW compacts in terms of their levels of regional autonomy, regional efficacy, allocation of costs and benefits, and their technocentric orientation

  12. The News Delivery Sequence: Bad News and Good News in Conversational Interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maynard, Douglas W.

    1997-01-01

    Explores the conditional nature of good and bad news while focusing on three topics: (1) the status of information as news according the participants in a conversation; (2) the valence of this information with regard to its perception as good or bad; and (3) the effect of news on individuals. Notes that good news is privileged over bad news in…

  13. DOWNWARD SLOPING DEMAND CURVES FOR STOCK AND LEVERAGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liem Pei Fun

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This research attempts to investigate the effect of downward sloping demand curves for stock on firms' financing decisions. For the same size of equity issuance, firms with steeper slope of demand curves for their stocks experience a larger price drop in their share price compare to their counterparts. As a consequence, firms with a steeper slope of demand curves are less likely to issue equity and hence they have higher leverage ratios. This research finds that the steeper the slope of demand curve for firm's stock, the higher the actual leverage of the firm. Furthermore, firms with a steeper slope of demand curves have higher target leverage ratios, signifying that these firms prefer debt to equity financing in order to avoid the adverse price impact of equity issuance on their share price.

  14. PENGARUH PROFITABILITAS, LEVERAGE DAN LIKUIDITAS TERHADAP KINERJA LINGKUNGAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agus Widarsono

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to test and obtain empirical evidence of factors that affect the environmental performance partially and simultaneously. Factors studied in this research are profitability, leverage and liquidity. The research method used is descriptive method verifikatif. With verificative testing using multiple regression, partial test (t test and simultaneous test (F test. The data used are secondary data that is the company's annual report and PROPER report of Ministry of Environment as sample in the research. The sample of research is 11 State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN Year 2009-2013 taken by using purposive sampling method. The results of this study indicate that profitability, leverage and liquidity have no significant effect on environmental performance partially. And profitability, leverage, and profitability have no significant effect on environmental performance simultaneously.

  15. Systemic risk and heterogeneous leverage in banking networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzubaş, Tolga Umut; Saltoğlu, Burak; Sever, Can

    2016-11-01

    This study probes systemic risk implications of leverage heterogeneity in banking networks. We show that the presence of heterogeneous leverages drastically changes the systemic effects of defaults and the nature of the contagion in interbank markets. Using financial leverage data from the US banking system, through simulations, we analyze the systemic significance of different types of borrowers, the evolution of the network, the consequences of interbank market size and the impact of market segmentation. Our study is related to the recent Basel III regulations on systemic risk and the treatment of the Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs). We also assess the extent to which the recent capital surcharges on GSIBs may curb financial fragility. We show the effectiveness of surcharge policy for the most-levered banks vis-a-vis uniform capital injection.

  16. 76 FR 58784 - Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC, Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-22

    ... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. 11-C0011] Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC... 1118.20(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Bad Boy Enterprises..., Bad Boy Enterprises, LLC (``Bad Boy'') and staff (``Staff'') of the United States Consumer Product...

  17. Creation and Assessment of a Bad News Delivery Simulation Curriculum for Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chumpitazi, Corrie E; Rees, Chris A; Chumpitazi, Bruno P; Hsu, Deborah C; Doughty, Cara B; Lorin, Martin I

    2016-05-01

    improved significantly (p=0.034 and p=0.046, respectively). Conclusions Pediatric emergency medicine fellows frequently deliver bad news. A course using SPs was well received by trainees and resulted in improvement in self-assessed skills and comfort. This curriculum provides the opportunity for fellows to receive patient/parent feedback of their communication skills and observations from skilled instructors. This methodology should be considered when creating training curricula for bad news delivery skills.

  18. The effect of financial leverage on profitability of manufacturing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The effect of financial leverage on profitability of manufacturing companies listed on the Ghana stock exchange. ... Journal of Business Research ... For many years many studies have focused on the effect of financial leverage on firm performance and yet there has been no specific result that can be generalized regarding ...

  19. Pim kinases phosphorylate multiple sites on Bad and promote 14-3-3 binding and dissociation from Bcl-XL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hastie C James

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pim-1, 2 and 3 are a group of enzymes related to the calcium calmodulin family of protein kinases. Over-expression of Pim-1 and Pim-2 in mice promotes the development of lymphomas, and up-regulation of Pim expression has been observed in several human cancers. Results Here we show that the pim kinases are constitutively active when expressed in HEK-293 cells and are able to phosphorylate the Bcl-2 family member Bad on three residues, Ser112, Ser136 and Ser155 in vitro and in cells. In vitro mapping showed that Pim-2 predominantly phosphorylated Ser112, while Pim-1 phosphorylated Ser112, but also Ser136 and Ser155 at a reduced rate compared to Ser112. Pim-3 was found to be the least specific for Ser112, and the most effective at phosphorylating Ser136 and Ser155. Pim-3 was also able to phosphorylate other sites in Bad in vitro, including Ser170, another potential in vivo site. Mutation of Ser136 to alanine prevented the phosphorylation of Ser112 and Ser155 by Pim kinases in HEK-293 cells, suggesting that this site must be phosphorylated first in order to make the other sites accessible. Pim phosphorylation of Bad was also found to promote the 14-3-3 binding of Bad and block its association with Bcl-XL. Conclusion All three Pim kinase family members predominantly phosphorylate Bad on Ser112 and in addition are capable of phosphorylating Bad on multiple sites associated with the inhibition of the pro-apoptotic function of Bad in HEK-293 cells. This would be consistent with the proposed function of Pim kinases in promoting cell proliferation and preventing cell death.

  20. Cancer: Bad Luck or Punishment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lichtenstein, A V

    2017-01-01

    Contrasting opinions on the role of extrinsic and intrinsic factors in cancer etiology (Tomasetti, C., and Vogelstein, B. (2015) Science, 347, 78-81; Wu, S., et al. (2016) Nature, 529, 43-47) variously define priorities in the war on cancer. The correlation between the lifetime risk of several types of cancer and the total number of divisions of normal self-renewing cells revealed by the authors has given them grounds to put forward the "bad luck" hypothesis. It assumes that ~70% of cancer variability is attributed to random errors arising during DNA replication in normal, noncancerous stem cells, i.e. to internal factors, which is impossible either to expect or to prevent. This assumption caused many critical responses that emphasize, on the contrary, the defining role of extrinsic factors in cancer etiology. The analysis of epidemiological and genetic data presented in this work testifies in favor of the "bad luck" hypothesis.

  1. The impact of bad fit product line extensions on brand personality

    OpenAIRE

    Lima, Pedro

    2017-01-01

    This work project intended to study the impact of a bad fit product line extension on brand personality. To do that, the focus of the study was narrowed down to one dimension of the brand personality, ruggedness, and another one as a comparative dimension, sophistication. The test consisted in the introduction of a bad fit extension by two brands: Harley-Davidson and Jaguar. The findings show us that a bad fit extension has more impact in the sophistication dimension (increased the dimension ...

  2. [Breaking bad news in the emergency room: Suggestions and future challenges].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landa-Ramírez, Edgar; López-Gómez, Antonio; Jiménez-Escobar, Irma; Sánchez-Sosa, Juan José

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to describe educational programs that reportedly teach how to break bad news in the emergency department. We also suggest some recommendations on how to communicate bad news based on the research of evidence available in the field. The examined evidence points toward six major components with which physicians should familiarize when communicating bad news: 1) doctor-patient empathic communication, 2) establishing a proper space to give the news, 3) identifying characteristics of the person who receives the news, 4) essential aspects for communicating the news; 5) emotional support, and 6) medical and administrative aspects of the encounter. Finally, we point out several limitations in the studies in the field and future challenges identified in the communication of bad news in emergency room facilities.

  3. A Model Suggestion to Predict Leverage Ratio for Construction Projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özlem Tüz

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Due to the nature, construction is an industry with high uncertainty and risk. Construction industry carries high leverage ratios. Firms with low equities work in big projects through progress payment system, but in this case, even a small negative in the planned cash flows constitute a major risk for the company.The use of leverage, with a small investment to achieve profit targets large-scale, high-profit, but also brings a high risk with it. Investors may lose all or the portion of the money. In this study, monitoring and measuring of the leverage ratio because of the displacement in cash inflows of construction projects which uses high leverage and low cash to do business in the sector is targeted. Cash need because of drifting the cash inflows may be seen due to the model. Work should be done in the early stages of the project with little capital but in the later stages, rapidly growing capital need arises.The values obtained from the model may be used to supply the capital held in the right time by anticipating the risks because of the delay in cashflow of construction projects which uses high leverage ratio.

  4.  Basic assumptions and definitions in the analysis of financial leverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Berent

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The financial leverage literature has been in a state of terminological chaos for decades as evidenced, for example, by the Nobel Prize Lecture mistake on the one hand, and the global financial crisis on the other. A meaningful analysis of the leverage phenomenon calls for the formulation of a coherent set of assumptions and basic definitions. The objective of the paper is to answer this call. The paper defines leverage as a value neutral concept useful in explaining the magnification effect exerted by financial activity upon the whole spectrum of financial results. By adopting constructivism as a methodological approach, we are able to introduce various types of leverage such as capital and income, base and non-base, accounting and market value, for levels and for distances (absolute and relative, costs and simple etc. The new definitions formulated here are subsequently adopted in the analysis of the content of leverage statements used by the leading finance textbook.

  5. Bad Public Leadership in South Africa: The Jackie Selebi Case ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article scrutinises the literature on bad public leadership and then presents an analysis of a South African case of bad public leadership. Leadership is analysed in terms of contextual as well as conceptual perspectives. The article emphasises that both context as well as conceptual and theoretical factors should be ...

  6. INTERDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF LEVERAGE, DIVIDEND, AND MANAGERIAL OWNERSHIP POLICIES: Agencies Perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wibisono Hardjopranoto

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper attempts to investigate interdependent mechanism among leverage, dividend, and managerial ownership policies. This paper considers firm size and economic conditions to control their effect on the relationship among the three policies. The interrelationship between leverage, dividend, and managerial ownership policies will be tested using two-stage least squares. Five exogenous variables are employed in simultaneous equation: current assets and structure of assets as leverage determinants, book to market and return on investment as dividend determinants, and relative return to risk as managerial ownership determinant. The research employs year 1994-2004 data, with 1717 firm years. The research findings can be summarised as follows. First, there is a negative relationship between managerial ownership and leverage policies as suggested by agency theory. Second, there is a relationship between managerial ownership and dividend policies, but the relationship between leverage and dividend is insignificant. Third, the relationship between leverage and dividend is insensitive to economic condition and firm size. Fourth, all exogenous variables have significant effect on endogenous variables, except relative return. Fifth, the effects of exogenous variables are not sensitive to control variables. Sixth, we find that managers show self-interest behaviours by reducing managerial ownership when the economic condition worsens.

  7. Bad Neighborhoods on the Internet

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira Moura, G.C.; Sadre, R.; Pras, A.

    2014-01-01

    Analogous to the real world, sources of malicious activities on the Internet tend to be concentrated in certain networks instead of being evenly distributed. In this article, we formally define and frame such areas as Internet Bad Neighborhoods. By extending the reputation of malicious IP addresses

  8. 26 CFR 1.585-5 - Denial of bad debt reserves for large banks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Denial of bad debt reserves for large banks. 1...) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Banking Institutions § 1.585-5 Denial of bad debt... other section for an addition to a reserve for bad debts. However, for these years, except as provided...

  9. Effects of "Good News" and "Bad News" on Newscast Image and Community Image.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galician, Mary-Lou; Vestre, Norris D.

    1987-01-01

    Investigates whether the relative amount of bad, neutral, and good news on television has corresponding effects on viewers' image of the community depicted and of the carrying newscast. Concludes that bad news creates a bad image for the community but that good news does not produce a more favorable image than neutral news. (MM)

  10. The Golden Target: Analyzing the Tracking Performance of Leveraged Gold ETFs

    OpenAIRE

    Tim Leung; Brian Ward

    2015-01-01

    This paper studies the empirical tracking performance of leveraged ETFs on gold, and their price relationships with gold spot and futures. For tracking the gold spot, we find that our optimized portfolios with short-term gold futures are highly effective in replicating prices. The market-traded gold ETF (GLD) also exhibits a similar tracking performance. However, we show that leveraged gold ETFs tend to underperform their corresponding leveraged benchmark. Moreover, the underperformance worse...

  11. BCL-2 family protein, BAD is down-regulated in breast cancer and inhibits cell invasion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cekanova, Maria; Fernando, Romaine I; Siriwardhana, Nalin; Sukhthankar, Mugdha; De la Parra, Columba; Woraratphoka, Jirayus; Malone, Christine; Ström, Anders; Baek, Seung J; Wade, Paul A; Saxton, Arnold M; Donnell, Robert M; Pestell, Richard G; Dharmawardhane, Suranganie; Wimalasena, Jay

    2015-02-01

    We have previously demonstrated that the anti-apoptotic protein BAD is expressed in normal human breast tissue and shown that BAD inhibits expression of cyclin D1 to delay cell-cycle progression in breast cancer cells. Herein, expression of proteins in breast tissues was studied by immunohistochemistry and results were analyzed statistically to obtain semi-quantitative data. Biochemical and functional changes in BAD-overexpressing MCF7 breast cancer cells were evaluated using PCR, reporter assays, western blotting, ELISA and extracellular matrix invasion assays. Compared to normal tissues, Grade II breast cancers expressed low total/phosphorylated forms of BAD in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. BAD overexpression decreased the expression of β-catenin, Sp1, and phosphorylation of STATs. BAD inhibited Ras/MEK/ERK and JNK signaling pathways, without affecting the p38 signaling pathway. Expression of the metastasis-related proteins, MMP10, VEGF, SNAIL, CXCR4, E-cadherin and TlMP2 was regulated by BAD with concomitant inhibition of extracellular matrix invasion. Inhibition of BAD by siRNA increased invasion and Akt/p-Akt levels. Clinical data and the results herein suggest that in addition to the effect on apoptosis, BAD conveys anti-metastatic effects and is a valuable prognostic marker in breast cancer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Expression and prognostic relevance of MET and phospho-BAD in non-small cell lung cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wenze; Ai, Ting; Gao, Ying; Zhang, Yingbing; Cui, Jie; Song, Liping

    2013-01-01

    MET is involved in the progression of several types of human cancers, while phospho-BAD(Ser-136) is a key molecule in apoptosis and might be regulated by MET. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between altered expression of MET and phospho-BAD in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their association with clinicopathologic parameters and overall survival. MET and phospho-BAD(Ser-136) proteins were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis in 183 paraffin-embedded specimens and were also assessed by Western blotting analysis in 12 frozen tumor tissue samples, which were representative examples of immunohistochemical staining. Positive expression of MET and phospho-BAD(Ser-136) occurred in 67.2% and 49.2% of the 183 cases of NSCLC, respectively. However, neither MET expression nor phospho-BAD(Ser-136) expression was associated with any clinicopathologic parameter. A significant correlation was found between MET and phospho-BAD(Ser-136) expression levels evaluated by immunohistochemistry (r = 0.268, P BAD(Ser-136)+ phenotype had a poorer prognosis than others (P BAD(Ser-136) expression, and may be an adverse predictor for NSCLC. Activation of the MET/phospho-BAD(Ser-136) signaling pathway might play a role in the development and progression of NSCLC.

  13. Modeling Financial Time Series Based on a Market Microstructure Model with Leverage Effect

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhui Xi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The basic market microstructure model specifies that the price/return innovation and the volatility innovation are independent Gaussian white noise processes. However, the financial leverage effect has been found to be statistically significant in many financial time series. In this paper, a novel market microstructure model with leverage effects is proposed. The model specification assumed a negative correlation in the errors between the price/return innovation and the volatility innovation. With the new representations, a theoretical explanation of leverage effect is provided. Simulated data and daily stock market indices (Shanghai composite index, Shenzhen component index, and Standard and Poor’s 500 Composite index via Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC method are used to estimate the leverage market microstructure model. The results verify the effectiveness of the model and its estimation approach proposed in the paper and also indicate that the stock markets have strong leverage effects. Compared with the classical leverage stochastic volatility (SV model in terms of DIC (Deviance Information Criterion, the leverage market microstructure model fits the data better.

  14. Gender inequality: Bad for men's health

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-03-02

    Mar 2, 2013 ... have attributed this risk to men's poorer health-seeking behaviour, which may prevent them from accessing ART, being ... Gender inequality: Bad for men's health ..... New York: United Nations Development Programme, 2005.

  15. On badly approximable complex numbers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esdahl-Schou, Rune; Kristensen, S.

    We show that the set of complex numbers which are badly approximable by ratios of elements of , where has maximal Hausdorff dimension. In addition, the intersection of these sets is shown to have maximal dimension. The results remain true when the sets in question are intersected with a suitably...

  16. Study on the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS performance in healthy individuals, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease: A preliminary study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristiane Garcia da Costa Armentano

    Full Text Available Abstract Executive deficits as well as deficits in episodic memory characterize the initial phases of Alzheimer Disease (AD and are clinically correlated to neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional loss. Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment present more problems as to inhibitory response control, switching and cognitive flexibility. Objective: To compare performance on the BADS with performance on other executive functional tests among patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI to performance of control individuals and to examine discriminative capacity of BADS among these groups. Methods: The BADS was performed by 35 healthy controls, 13 patients with aMCI, and 16 mild probable AD patients. Besides performing the BADS, subjects underwent neuropsychological evaluation which comprised: the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS, verbal fluency by phonemic categories (F.A.S and Concentrated Attention Test (CA. Results: There were no differences among groups by educational level, but performance differed for age (p<0.01. No difference between healthy controls and aMCI patients was found on total scores or subitems of the BADS. A significant difference was observed between aMCI and AD patients (p<0.05 and between controls and AD patients (p<0.05 on total and standard scores. Conclusions: Performance on the BADS differed between healthy individuals and mild AD patients. The BADS proved to be a sensitive method for discriminating AD from aMCI.

  17. Breaking bad news: A communication competency for ophthalmology training programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilkert, Sarah M; Cebulla, Colleen M; Jain, Shelly Gupta; Pfeil, Sheryl A; Benes, Susan C; Robbins, Shira L

    As the ophthalmology accreditation system undergoes major changes, training programs must evaluate residents in the 6 core competencies, including appropriately communicating bad news. Although the literature is replete with recommendations for breaking bad news across various non-ophthalmology specialties, no formal training programs exist for ophthalmology. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from our colleagues regarding this important skill. We examine the historic basis for breaking bad news, explore current recommendations among other specialties, and then evaluate a pilot study in breaking bad news for ophthalmology residents. The results of this study are limited by a small number of residents at a single academic center. Future studies from multiple training programs should be conducted to further evaluate the need and efficacy of formal communication skills training in this area, as well as the generalizability of our pilot training program. If validated, this work could serve as a template for future ophthalmology resident training and evaluation in this core competency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Learn good from bad: Effects of good and bad neighbors in spatial prisoners' dilemma games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Peng

    2015-10-01

    Cooperation is vital for the human society and this study focuses on how to promote cooperation. In our stratification model, there exist three classes: two minorities are elites who are prone to cooperate and scoundrels who are born to defect; one majority is the class of common people. Agents of these three classes interact with each other on a square lattice. Commons' cooperation and its factors are investigated. Contradicting our common sense, it indicates that elites play a negative role while scoundrels play a positive one in promoting commons' cooperation. Besides, effects of good and bad neighbors vary with temptation. When the temptation is smaller the positive effect is able to overcome the negative effect, but the later prevails when the temptation is larger. It concludes that common people are more prone to cooperate in harsh environment with bad neighbors, and a better environment with good neighbors merely leads to laziness and free riding of commons.

  19. Asimetri Informasi, Leverage, dan Ukuran Perusahaan pada Manajemen Laba

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiya Mahawyahrti

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This study aims at finding the empirical evidence of the effect of asymmetry information, leverage, and firm size on earning management. This research uses agency theory and positive accounting theory to explain the effect of asymmetry information, leverage, and firm size on earning management. This study was conducted on companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period of 2009-2013. The samples were selected by purposive sampling method. The number of selected samples were 39 companies. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Based on the data analysis, the study proves that the asymmetry information has positive effects on earning management, leverage has positive effects on earning management and firm size has negative effects on earning management.

  20. The Media, Intelligence, and Information Proliferation: Managing and Leveraging the Chaos

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Steetin, Robert

    1999-01-01

    ... the chaos and leverage that coverage and flow of information. Leveraging the coverage only refers to improving and maintaining the leadership's situational awareness in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world...

  1. Leveraging Social Capital of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities through Participation on Facebook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shpigelman, Carmit-Noa

    2018-01-01

    Participation in social networking sites has considerable potential to leverage the individual's social capital, including persons with intellectual disabilities, whose real-world social networks are fairly limited. This study aimed to understand how individuals with intellectual disabilities use Facebook to access social capital benefits, if at all. Qualitative interviews and observations were conducted with 20 adult Facebook users with intellectual disabilities. The online participation enhanced their bonding social capital as well as contributed to their psychological well-being through increasing their online visibility, popularity and sense of belonging. At the same time, they experienced stress and frustration due to usage difficulties, which prevented them from enhancing their bridging social capital. Participation in social networking sites may also leverage bridging social capital of persons with intellectual disabilities, but they need a more accessible platform and ongoing support to ensure safe and fruitful participation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Bad splits in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy: systematic review of fracture patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steenen, S A; Becking, A G

    2016-07-01

    An unfavourable and unanticipated pattern of the mandibular sagittal split osteotomy is generally referred to as a 'bad split'. Few restorative techniques to manage the situation have been described. In this article, a classification of reported bad split pattern types is proposed and appropriate salvage procedures to manage the different types of undesired fracture are presented. A systematic review was undertaken, yielding a total of 33 studies published between 1971 and 2015. These reported a total of 458 cases of bad splits among 19,527 sagittal ramus osteotomies in 10,271 patients. The total reported incidence of bad split was 2.3% of sagittal splits. The most frequently encountered were buccal plate fractures of the proximal segment (types 1A-F) and lingual fractures of the distal segment (types 2A and 2B). Coronoid fractures (type 3) and condylar neck fractures (type 4) have seldom been reported. The various types of bad split may require different salvage approaches. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The Effects of Logistics Leverage in Marketing Systems

    OpenAIRE

    G.N. Okeudo

    2012-01-01

    An effective logistics system when incorporated into marketing can strengthen its operations and further give the firm a competitive edge. To design a marketing system which must maintain its market share, a firm must consider the effects of logistics and how its integration into marketing can produce several points of leverage. It is the purpose of this paper to highlight the leverage points available in any logistics units and to further analyze how marketing managers can work in sync with ...

  4. Legal Drugs Are Good Drugs And Illegal Drugs Are Bad Drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dina Indrati

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT : Labelling drugs are important issue nowadays in a modern society. Although it is generally believed that legal drugs are good drugs and illegal drugs are bad drugs, it is evident that some people do not aware about the side effects of drugs used. Therefore, a key contention of this philosophical essay is that explores harms minimisation policy, discuss whether legal drugs are good drugs and illegal drugs are bad drugs and explores relation of drugs misuse in a psychiatric nursing setting and dual diagnosis.Key words: Legal, good drugs, illegal, bad drugs.

  5. PROGRAMMED CORRECTIVE EXERCISES IN PCYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES AND LORDOTIC BAD BODY POSITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Bogdanović

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The subject matter of the research was the influence of specially program medphysical education instruction with specific complexes of exercises of corrective gymnastics at the 5th grade pupils at those with lordotic bad body position established by measuring. The aims were to define the number of children with lordotic bad body position and to eliminate or alleviate the existing disturbance until the end of the experimental programme. The experimental programme was carried out among the 5th grade pupils. Total number of pupils included in this experiment was 434. The methods that were used for the estimation of lordotic bad body position are somatoscopy and somatometry. The plumb, ruler and dermograph were necessary instruments. For the estimation of the states of bad body position, the average value of mild criterion is applied. It can be concluded that during experimental programme even 85.93% of the subjects successfully corrected their bad body position; more exactly completely corrected lordotic bad body position. That percentage is certificate of justification and necessity of application of experimental programme of corrective gymnastics with all his organizational characteristics (the setting, the scope of work, load intensity, directing and controlling the experiment. Muscular-bone system of boys shows the high level of adaptation on the applied experimental factor of corrective gymnastics.

  6. [The relationship study on the relationship between procrastination behaviors and bad personality disposition].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Yuan

    2006-01-01

    To explore the relationship between procrastinate behavior of college students and bad personality disposition. 566 college students were selected and followed through adopting the measurement on the procrastination scale of college students and Personality Disorders Questionnaire (PDQ-4). Results showed that male and female college students did not have remarkable difference in terms of procrastination. High level procrastinators had a higher level of scores on bad personality disposition. In addition, College students' procrastination had close relationship with bad personality disposition (r = 0.341, P College students' procrastination had close relationship with bad personality disposition which did not match the findings from McCown's results on american college students.

  7. Public good provision and public bad prevention: The effect of framing.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sonnemans, J.; Schram, A.; Offermans, T.

    1998-01-01

    An experimental analysis of voluntary, binary contributions for step-level public goods/bads is presented. Alternatively, the situation is presented as the provision of a public good or the prevention of a public bad. From a strategic point of view, these presentations are equivalent. In early

  8. 19 CFR 125.34 - Countersigning of documents and notation of bad order or discrepancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Countersigning of documents and notation of bad... and Receipt § 125.34 Countersigning of documents and notation of bad order or discrepancy. When a... and shall note thereon any bad order or discrepancy. When available, the importing carrier's tally...

  9. Does emotional intelligence predict breaking bad news skills in pediatric interns? A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reed, Suzanne; Kassis, Karyn; Nagel, Rollin; Verbeck, Nicole; Mahan, John D; Shell, Richard

    2015-01-01

    While both patients and physicians identify communication of bad news as an area of great challenge, the factors underlying this often complex task remain largely unknown. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been positively correlated with good general communication skills and successful leadership, but there is no literature relating EI to the delivery of bad news. Our objectives were to determine: 1) performance of first-year pediatric residents in the delivery of bad news in a standardized patient (SP) setting; and 2) the role of EI in these assessments. Our hypothesis was that pediatric trainees with higher EI would demonstrate more advanced skills in this communication task. Forty first-year residents participated. Skill in bad news delivery was assessed via SP encounters using a previously published assessment tool (GRIEV_ING Death Notification Protocol). Residents completed the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) as a measure of EI. Residents scored poorly on bad news delivery skills but scored well on EI. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated moderate to substantial inter-rater reliability among raters using the delivering bad news assessment tool. However, no correlation was found between bad news delivery performance and EI. We concluded that first-year pediatric residents have inadequate skills in the delivery of bad news. In addition, our data suggest that higher EI alone is not sufficient to effectively deliver death news and more robust skill training is necessary for residents to gain competence and acquire mastery in this important communication domain.

  10. Struktur Kepemilikan, Kebijakan Dividen, dan Leverage sebagai Determinan atas Nilai Perusahaan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Indah Eva Ambarwati

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to make research and prove the exis­tence of empirical evidence about the effect of Ownership Structure, Dividend Policy and Leverage partially and simultaneously by using multiple linear regression method. The results of the analysis in this study shows that the Ownership Structure, Dividend Policy and Leverage simultaneous effect on firm value. Partially, the variables that affect the value of the company is Leverage (Debt to Equity Ratio, Debt to Capital Asset Ratio, and Long Term Debt Ratio.

  11. BAD-LAMP defines a subset of early endocytic organelles in subpopulations of cortical projection neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, Alexandre; Tiveron, Marie-Catherine; Defays, Axel; Beclin, Christophe; Camosseto, Voahirana; Gatti, Evelina; Cremer, Harold; Pierre, Philippe

    2007-01-15

    The brain-associated LAMP-like molecule (BAD-LAMP) is a new member of the family of lysosome associated membrane proteins (LAMPs). In contrast to other LAMPs, which show a widespread expression, BAD-LAMP expression in mice is confined to the postnatal brain and therein to neuronal subpopulations in layers II/III and V of the neocortex. Onset of expression strictly parallels cortical synaptogenesis. In cortical neurons, the protein is found in defined clustered vesicles, which accumulate along neurites where it localizes with phosphorylated epitopes of neurofilament H. In primary neurons, BAD-LAMP is endocytosed, but is not found in classical lysosomal/endosomal compartments. Modification of BAD-LAMP by addition of GFP revealed a cryptic lysosomal retention motif, suggesting that the cytoplasmic tail of BAD-LAMP is actively interacting with, or modified by, molecules that promote its sorting away from lysosomes. Analysis of BAD-LAMP endocytosis in transfected HeLa cells provided evidence that the protein recycles to the plasma membrane through a dynamin/AP2-dependent mechanism. Thus, BAD-LAMP is an unconventional LAMP-like molecule and defines a new endocytic compartment in specific subtypes of cortical projection neurons. The striking correlation between the appearance of BAD-LAMP and cortical synatogenesis points towards a physiological role of this vesicular determinant for neuronal function.

  12. The impact of delivery style on doctors' experience of stress during simulated bad news consultations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Joanne; Brown, Rhonda; Dunn, Stewart

    2015-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between doctors' bad news delivery style and their experience of physiological stress during simulated bad news consultations. 31 doctors participated in two simulated breaking bad news (BBN) consultations. Delivery style was categorized as either blunt, forecasting or stalling (i.e. avoidant), based on the time to deliver the bad news and qualitative analysis of the interaction content and doctor's language style. Doctors' heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) were recorded in consecutive 30s epochs. Doctors experienced a significant decrease in HR (F(1,36)=44.9, p.05) or SC (F(2,48)=.66, p>.05). Doctors experience heightened stress in the pre-news delivery phase of breaking bad news interactions. Delaying the delivery of bad news exposes doctors to a longer period of increased stress.This suggests that medical students and doctors should be taught to deliver bad news without delay, to help mitigate their response to this stressful encounter. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  13. Delivering and Receiving Bad News: What School Psychologists Need to Know

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frost, Megan; Rogers, Margaret R.; O'Bryon, Elisabeth C.; Perry, Kimberly Hill

    2010-01-01

    Delivering bad news to students, teachers, and parents is not an uncommon occurrence for school psychologists. Skillfully communicating bad news requires sensitivity, thoughtful wording, and an awareness of the potential effect on the recipients. Despite the importance of this skill, school psychology has devoted little attention to what is…

  14. The leverage effect on wealth distribution in a controllable laboratory stock market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Chenge; Yang, Guang; An, Kenan; Huang, Jiping

    2014-01-01

    Wealth distribution has always been an important issue in our economic and social life, since it affects the harmony and stabilization of the society. Under the background of widely used financial tools to raise leverage these years, we studied the leverage effect on wealth distribution of a population in a controllable laboratory market in which we have conducted several human experiments, and drawn the conclusion that higher leverage leads to a higher Gini coefficient in the market. A higher Gini coefficient means the wealth distribution among a population becomes more unequal. This is a result of the ascending risk with growing leverage level in the market plus the diversified trading abilities and risk preference of the participants. This work sheds light on the effects of leverage and its related regulations, especially its impact on wealth distribution. It also shows the capability of the method of controllable laboratory markets which could be helpful in several fields of study such as economics, econophysics and sociology.

  15. Breaking bad news in prenatal medicine: a literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luz, Rita; George, Astrid; Spitz, Elisabeth; Vieux, Rachel

    2017-02-01

    The diagnosis of a fetal anomaly in perinatal medicine forces expectant parents and healthcare providers to face the difficult process of breaking bad news. This exploratory literature review was aimed at providing a medical and psychological view of the psychological experience in expectant parents and physicians in the context of prenatal diagnosis of a fetal anomaly. An exploratory search of PubMed and PsycINFO/PsycARTICLES databases performed by an interdisciplinary team composed of a physician and psychologists. Search terms were: prenatal diagnosis AND bad news; prenatal diagnosis AND psychological consequences; prenatal diagnosis AND psychological sequelae; prenatal diagnosis AND fetal abnormality. The processing of selected articles followed a standardised five-step procedure. A total of 860 articles were screened of which 32 were retained for analysis. Four main themes emerged from the explanatory content analysis: (1) parents' subjective experience; (2) physicians' subjective experience; (3) encounters between expectant parents and professionals; and (4) ethical challenges in breaking bad news in prenatal medicine. Expectant parents go through a complex and multidimensional experience when the diagnosis of a fetal anomaly is disclosed. Simultaneously, physicians consider breaking bad news as a very stressful event and are poorly prepared in this regard. A better knowledge of factors underlying psychological adjustment of the parental dyad and on the subjective experience of physicians delivering these diagnoses could enable better adaptation for both patients and professionals.

  16. Leverage effect in financial markets: the retarded volatility model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bouchaud, J P; Matacz, A; Potters, M

    2001-11-26

    We investigate quantitatively the so-called "leverage effect," which corresponds to a negative correlation between past returns and future volatility. For individual stocks this correlation is moderate and decays over 50 days, while for stock indices it is much stronger but decays faster. For individual stocks the magnitude of this correlation has a universal value that can be rationalized in terms of a new "retarded" model which interpolates between a purely additive and a purely multiplicative stochastic process. For stock indices a specific amplification phenomenon seems to be necessary to account for the observed amplitude of the effect.

  17. Pengaruh Rasio Aktivitas Dan Rasio Leverage Terhadap Tingkat Profitabilitas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tri Noormuliyaningsih

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research to analyze the influence of activity ratio (inventory turnover, fixed assets turnover, and total assets turnover and leverage ratio (debt ratio and debt to equity ratio to profitability level (return on assets and return on equity on food and beverage companies that listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX.  Sample on this research consist of 14 (fourteen food and beverage companies that listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX. The observation periods  are 3 (three years that start from 2012 until 2014. Multiple linear regression is a method that used to analyze data, and for testing the raised hypothesis with t test. The result of research conclude that debt ratio significantly affect the company’s profitability level (return on assets and return on equity with value of negative coefficient. Other variables such as inventory turnover, fixed assets turnover, and total assets turnover are not affect to profitability level (return on assets and return on equity. Influence of debt to equity ratio an profitability level can not be concluded in this research. Keywords: Activity Ratio, Inventory Turnover, Fixed Assets Turnover, Total Assets Turnover, Leverage Ratio, Debt Ratio, Debt to Equity Ratio, Profitability Level, Return On Assets, Return On Equity.

  18. The Effects of Bad News and Good News on a Newspaper's Image.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haskins, Jack B.; Miller, M. Mark

    1984-01-01

    Concludes that whether a newspaper carries mostly good news or mostly bad news affects the image of the paper, with bad news having negative effects and good news having positive effects on readers' perceptions of the newspaper. (FL)

  19. Random diffusion and leverage effect in financial markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perelló, Josep; Masoliver, Jaume

    2003-03-01

    We prove that Brownian market models with random diffusion coefficients provide an exact measure of the leverage effect [J-P. Bouchaud et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 228701 (2001)]. This empirical fact asserts that past returns are anticorrelated with future diffusion coefficient. Several models with random diffusion have been suggested but without a quantitative study of the leverage effect. Our analysis lets us to fully estimate all parameters involved and allows a deeper study of correlated random diffusion models that may have practical implications for many aspects of financial markets.

  20. Does emotional intelligence predict breaking bad news skills in pediatric interns? A pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzanne Reed

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: While both patients and physicians identify communication of bad news as an area of great challenge, the factors underlying this often complex task remain largely unknown. Emotional intelligence (EI has been positively correlated with good general communication skills and successful leadership, but there is no literature relating EI to the delivery of bad news. Purpose: Our objectives were to determine: 1 performance of first-year pediatric residents in the delivery of bad news in a standardized patient (SP setting; and 2 the role of EI in these assessments. Our hypothesis was that pediatric trainees with higher EI would demonstrate more advanced skills in this communication task. Methods: Forty first- year residents participated. Skill in bad news delivery was assessed via SP encounters using a previously published assessment tool (GRIEV_ING Death Notification Protocol. Residents completed the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI as a measure of EI. Results: Residents scored poorly on bad news delivery skills but scored well on EI. Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated moderate to substantial inter-rater reliability among raters using the delivering bad news assessment tool. However, no correlation was found between bad news delivery performance and EI. Conclusions: We concluded that first-year pediatric residents have inadequate skills in the delivery of bad news. In addition, our data suggest that higher EI alone is not sufficient to effectively deliver death news and more robust skill training is necessary for residents to gain competence and acquire mastery in this important communication domain.

  1. How to Tell Bad News

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Nicholas J.

    2012-01-01

    Therapists, physicians, police officers, and emergency staff often are the messengers of bad news. They have to tell a patient, a parent, or a loved one about a death, an accident, a school shooting, a life-threatening diagnosis, a terrorist attack, or a suicide. Usually the messenger bears a heavy responsibility but has little training and seeks…

  2. Reducing patients' anxiety and uncertainty, and improving recall in bad news consultations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Osch, M. van; Sep, M.; Vliet, L.M. van; Dulmen, S. van; Bensing, J.M.

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Patients' recall of provided information during bad news consultations is poor. According to the attentional narrowing hypothesis, the emotional arousal caused by the bad news might be responsible for this hampered information processing. Because affective communication has proven to be

  3. 13 CFR 107.1000 - Licensees without Leverage-exceptions to the regulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Licensees without Leverage-exceptions to the regulations. 107.1000 Section 107.1000 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT COMPANIES Non-leveraged Licensees-Exceptions to Regulations § 107.1000...

  4. Factors associated with a bad functional prognosis in early inflammatory back pain: results from the DESIR cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukas, C; Dougados, M; Combe, B

    2016-01-01

    Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a heterogeneous disease with hardly predictable potential courses. We aimed at determining prognostic factors of bad functional outcome at 2 years in patients with early inflammatory back pain (IBP). Data from patients included in the French multicentre devenir des spondylarthropathies indifférenciées récentes (DESIR) cohort, that is, suffering from IBP starting before 50 years of age and lasting for 3-36 months, were used. A bad functional outcome at 24 months was defined as an increase in bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), or BASFI at 2 years higher than the 75th centile in the cohort. Demographic, clinical, biological and radiological data collected at inclusion were compared in patients with bad functional outcome versus others, by χ(2) test, then by a multivariate logistic regression model with stepwise selection of relevant factors. 513 patients (54.4% females, 72.2% fulfilling ASAS criteria) were assessed. Of those, 130 (25.3%) fulfilled the aforementioned criteria of a bad functional outcome (BASFI increase ≥4 units or ≥36 at 2 years). Multivariate analysis revealed that not fulfilling ASAS criteria, female sex, age >33 years, lower educational level, active smoking status and high disease activity according to bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) at baseline were independently associated with a bad functional outcome at 24 months. Sensitivity analyses restricted to patients fulfilling ASAS criteria for SpA resulted in similar results. We observed, in a large prospective cohort of patients with early IBP, formerly described bad prognostic factors, especially a low educational level, an older age and a high disease activity at onset, and revealed that active smoking status and female sex were also independently associated with a poor outcome. Fulfilment of ASAS criteria, on the other hand, was predictive of a better outcome, most likely due to the more consensual

  5. Leverage, debt maturity and firm investment: An empirical analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Dang, Viet A.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we examine the potential interactions of corporate financing and investment decisions in the presence of incentive problems. We develop a system-based approach to investigate the effects of growth opportunities on leverage and debt maturity as well as the effects of these financing decisions on firm investment. Using a panel of UK firms between 1996 and 2003, we find that high-growth firms control underinvestment incentives by reducing leverage but not by shortening debt maturi...

  6. A New Efficient Algorithm for the All Sorting Reversals Problem with No Bad Components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Biing-Feng

    2016-01-01

    The problem of finding all reversals that take a permutation one step closer to a target permutation is called the all sorting reversals problem (the ASR problem). For this problem, Siepel had an O(n (3))-time algorithm. Most complications of his algorithm stem from some peculiar structures called bad components. Since bad components are very rare in both real and simulated data, it is practical to study the ASR problem with no bad components. For the ASR problem with no bad components, Swenson et al. gave an O (n(2))-time algorithm. Very recently, Swenson found that their algorithm does not always work. In this paper, a new algorithm is presented for the ASR problem with no bad components. The time complexity is O(n(2)) in the worst case and is linear in the size of input and output in practice.

  7. Breaking bad news: Effects of forecasting diagnosis and framing prognosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porensky, Emily K; Carpenter, Brian D

    2016-01-01

    Research to support guidelines for breaking bad news is lacking. This study used an experimental paradigm to test two communication strategies, forecasting bad news and framing prognosis, in the context of cancer. In a 2×2 design, 128 participants received bad news in a hypothetical consultation. A videotaped physician presented diagnostic and prognostic information, varying warning (warning shot vs. no warning), and framing (positive vs. negative). Effects on psychological distress, recall accuracy, and subjective interpretations of the news were assessed. Warning was not associated with lower psychological distress or improved recall. Individuals who heard a positively-framed prognosis had significantly less psychological distress, rated their prognosis better, and were more hopeful than those who heard a negatively-framed prognosis. However, they also showed a trend toward reduced accuracy in recalling prognostic statistics. Results contribute to a growing body of literature exploring optimal approaches for communicating bad news in health care. Although research in clinical settings is needed to bolster results, findings suggest that when providers use positive framing to reduce distress about prognosis, they should also consider ways to overcome potential reductions in recall accuracy, such as repeating statistical information or supplementing with written information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Combating bad weather part I rain removal from video

    CERN Document Server

    Mukhopadhyay, Sudipta

    2015-01-01

    Current vision systems are designed to perform in normal weather condition. However, no one can escape from severe weather conditions. Bad weather reduces scene contrast and visibility, which results in degradation in the performance of various computer vision algorithms such as object tracking, segmentation and recognition. Thus, current vision systems must include some mechanisms that enable them to perform up to the mark in bad weather conditions such as rain and fog. Rain causes the spatial and temporal intensity variations in images or video frames. These intensity changes are due to the

  9. Leveraging Social Media for Pro-Am Collaborations: Support for C/2012 S1 (ISON) Observing Campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

    2013-12-01

    The interactions of amateur astronomers with professional astronomers have changed significantly in the digital era, from an occasional interaction of exchanging individual images to a sustained collaboration to coordinated global networks of amateur astronomers. Today, amateur astronomers, with sophisticated equipment and software, provide several valuable resources to the professional observers/astronomers: a large source of manpower, or extension of the professional astronomer's group; a vast collection of data that provides both legacy and temporal information and finally, as ambassadors of science, help build bridges between the scientific and public communities. From the professional astronomer/scientist's perspective, given the vast amounts of data acquired through various projects, the natural progression to interactive collaborations between these two communities is tremendously beneficial. The inclusion of the public in this exciting format of interactions between the professional and amateur community is the third component of synergistic science. The concept of Citizen Science, of allowing the public to perform simple visual examination of vast data sets according to a set of guidelines, is now becoming multi-dimensional, corresponding to the experience level of participants in the project. I will highlight a current project that leverages the collaboration between professional and amateur astronomers; and the use of social media to include various components of the public: Comet ISON Observing Campaign (CIOC). From the initial discovery of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) by Russian amateur astronomers in September 2012, to the present day, amateur astronomers provide valuable resources of global coverage, data, and legacy knowledge to the professional community. The Comet ISON Observing Campaign (CIOC) goals (http://www.isoncampaign.org) are: (i) a detailed characterization of a subset of comets (sun grazers) that are usually difficult to identify and study in

  10. Involvement of the Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Learning Others' Bad Reputations and Indelible Distrust.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Atsunobu; Ito, Yuichi; Kiyama, Sachiko; Kunimi, Mitsunobu; Ohira, Hideki; Kawaguchi, Jun; Tanabe, Hiroki C; Nakai, Toshiharu

    2016-01-01

    A bad reputation can persistently affect judgments of an individual even when it turns out to be invalid and ought to be disregarded. Such indelible distrust may reflect that the negative evaluation elicited by a bad reputation transfers to a person. Consequently, the person him/herself may come to activate this negative evaluation irrespective of the accuracy of the reputation. If this theoretical model is correct, an evaluation-related brain region will be activated when witnessing a person whose bad reputation one has learned about, regardless of whether the reputation is deemed valid or not. Here, we tested this neural hypothesis with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants memorized faces paired with either a good or a bad reputation. Next, they viewed the faces alone and inferred whether each person was likely to cooperate, first while retrieving the reputations, and then while trying to disregard them as false. A region of the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC), which may be involved in negative evaluation, was activated by faces previously paired with bad reputations, irrespective of whether participants attempted to retrieve or disregard these reputations. Furthermore, participants showing greater activity of the left ventrolateral prefrontal region in response to the faces with bad reputations were more likely to infer that these individuals would not cooperate. Thus, once associated with a bad reputation, a person may elicit evaluation-related brain responses on their own, thereby evoking distrust independently of their reputation.

  11. Leveraging Chaos in Continuous Thrust Trajectory Design

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A trajectory design tool is sought to leverage chaos and nonlinear dynamics present in multi-body gravitational fields to design ultra-low energy transfer...

  12. Nurses' perspectives on breaking bad news to patients and their families: a qualitative content analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Ehsani, Seyyedeh Roghayeh; Begjani, Jamal; Kaji, Mohammad Akbari; Dopolani, Fatemeh Nemati; Nejati, Amir; Mohammadnejad, Esmaeil

    2014-01-01

    Breaking bad news is quite often not done in an effective manner in clinical settings due to the medical staff lacking the skills necessary for speaking to patients and their families. Bad news is faced with similar reactions on the part of the news receiver in all cultures and nations. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of Iranian nurses on breaking bad news to patients and their families. In this research, a qualitative approach was adopted. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 nurses who had at least one year work experience in the ward, and content analysis was performed to analyze the data. Five major categories emerged from data analysis, including effective communication with patients and their families, preparing the ground for delivering bad news, minimizing the negativity associated with the disease, passing the duty to physicians, and helping patients and their families make logical treatment decisions. The results of this study show that according to the participants, it is the physicians' duty to give bad news, but nurses play an important role in delivering bad news to patients and their companions and should therefore be trained in clinical and communicative skills to be able to give bad news in an appropriate and effective manner.

  13. Good days and bad days in dementia: a qualitative chart review of variable symptom expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rockwood, Kenneth; Fay, Sherri; Hamilton, Laura; Ross, Elyse; Moorhouse, Paige

    2014-08-01

    Despite its importance in the lived experience of dementia, symptom fluctuation has been little studied outside Lewy body dementia. We aimed to characterize symptom fluctuation in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mixed dementia. A qualitative analysis of health records that included notations on good days and bad days yielded 52 community-dwelling patients (women, n = 30; aged 39-91 years; mild dementia, n = 26, chiefly AD, n = 36). Good days/bad days were most often described as changes in the same core set of symptoms (e.g. less/more verbal repetition). In other cases, only good or only bad days were described (e.g., no bad days, better sense of humor on good days). Good days were typically associated with improved global cognition, function, interest, and initiation. Bad days were associated with frequent verbal repetition, poor memory, increased agitation and other disruptive behaviors. Clinically important variability in symptoms appears common in AD and mixed dementia. Even so, what makes a day "good" is not simply more (or less) of what makes a day "bad". Further investigation of the factors that facilitate or encourage good days and mitigate bad days may help improve quality of life for patients and caregivers.

  14. Cue-responding in a simulated bad news situation: exploring a stress hypothesis.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Valck, C. de; Bruynooghe, R.; Bensing, J.; Kerssens, J.J.; Hulsman, R.L.

    2001-01-01

    The stress-coping paradigm of Folkman and Lazarus (1984) was applied to investigate if the communicative reactions of the physician in a bad news transaction are related to the stressfulness of the situation. A standardized video bad news consultation was presented to 88 medical students. To examine

  15. Cue-responding in a Simulated Bad News Situation: Exploring a Stress Hypothesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Valck, C.; Bruynooghe, R.; Bensing, J. M.; Kerssens, J. J.; Hulsman, R. L.

    2001-01-01

    The stress-coping paradigm of Folkman and Lazarus (1984) was applied to investigate if the communicative reactions of the physician in a bad news transaction are related to the stressfulness of the situation. A standardized video bad news consultation was presented to 88 medical students. To examine

  16. LEVERAGE IMPACTS ON AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COMPANY INVESTMENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nugroho A.C.

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Agro-industry has an important role in Indonesian economic growth. One of the crucial constraints in agro-industry investments in developing country is due to limited access to investment fund. This research was aimed to analyze the impacts of leverage on the agro-industrial company investments. The research used financial report data of the manufacturing industries on agro-industrial bases registered in Indonesian Stock-Exchange from 2007 to 2016. The data were analyzed using panel data regression analysis. The results of the research showed that the leverage influenced negatively on the agro-industrial companies. Cash flow has a negative impact on the company investments, which shows the existence of financial constraints when the company decide to invest.

  17. Leveraging Relational Technology through Industry Partnerships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brush, Leonard M.; Schaller, Anthony J.

    1988-01-01

    Carnegie Mellon University has leveraged its technological expertise with database management systems (DBMS) into joint technological and developmental partnerships with DBMS and application software vendors. Carnegie's relational database strategy, the strategy of partnerships and how they were formed, and how the partnerships are doing are…

  18. Evaluation of Mandibular Anatomy Associated With Bad Splits in Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy of Mandible.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tongyue; Han, Jeong Joon; Oh, Hee-Kyun; Park, Hong-Ju; Jung, Seunggon; Park, Yeong-Joon; Kook, Min-Suk

    2016-07-01

    This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with bad splits during sagittal split ramus osteotomy by using three-dimensional computed tomography. This study included 8 bad splits and 47 normal patients without bad splits. Mandibular anatomic parameters related to osteotomy line were measured. These included anteroposterior width of the ramus at level of lingula, distance between external oblique ridge and lingula, distance between sigmoid notch and inferior border of mandible, mandibular angle, distance between inferior outer surface of mandibular canal and inferior border of mandible under distal root of second molar (MCEM), buccolingual thickness of the ramus at level of lingula, and buccolingual thickness of the area just distal to first molar (BTM1) and second molar (BTM2). The incidence of bad splits in 625 sagittal split osteotomies was 1.28%. Compared with normal group, bad split group exhibited significantly thinner BTM2 and shorter sigmoid notch and inferior border of mandible (P bad splits. These anatomic data may help surgeons to choose the safest surgical techniques and best osteotomy sites.

  19. Bad Apples, Bad Barrel: Exploring Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy in Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jodi Death

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper considers constructions of institutional culture and power in the cover-up of child sexual abuse (CSA by clergy in the Roman Catholic Church of Australia. The issue of cover-up has previously been considered in international inquiries as an institutional failing that has caused significant harm to victims of CSA by Catholic Clergy. Evidence given by select representatives of the Catholic Church in two government inquiries into institutional abuse carried out in Australia is considered here. This evidence suggests that, where cover-up has occurred, it has been reliant on the abuse of institutional power and resulted in direct emotional, psychological and spiritual harm to victims of abuse. Despite international recognition of cover-up as institutional abuse, evidence presented by Roman Catholic Representatives to the Victorian Inquiry denied there was an institutionalised cover-up. Responding to this evidence, this paper queries whether the primary foundation of cover-up conforms to the ‘bad apple theory’ in that it relates only to a few individuals, or the ‘bad barrel theory’ of institutional structure and culture.

  20. Financial Leverage and Corporate Performance: Does Financial Crisis Owe an Explanation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of financial leverage on corporate financial performance of Pakistan’s textile sector from 1999-2012 using panel data. The leverage-performance relationship is examined with a special focus on the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008. Both accounting-based (Return on Assets - ROA and market-based (Tobin’s Q measures of corporate financial performance are used. Regression analysis is performed with and without inclusion of financial crisis dummy. Total Debt to Total Assets (TDTA, Long Term Debt to Total Assets (LDTA, Short Term Debt to Total Assets (SDTA and Debt to Equity (DE ratios are used as proxies for financial leverage whereas firm’s size and firm’s efficiency are used as control variables. The results indicate that financial leverage has a negative impact on corporate performance when measured with ROA. Whereas in case of Tobin’s Q, SDTA coefficient is positive. It can be concluded that since cost of borrowing is high in Pakistan and debt capital markets are less developed, firms are forced to resort to banks as their source of debt finance and thus have to repay huge amount of principal and interest which has a heavy toll on their financial health. In addition to this, financial crisis was found to have a negative impact on corporate performance and also affect the leverage-performance relationship.

  1. [Construction and expression of recombinant lentiviral vectors of AKT2,PDK1 and BAD].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Jing; Chen, Bo-Jiang; Huang, Na; Li, Wei-Min

    2014-03-01

    To construct human protein kinase B (ATK2), phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) and bcl-2-associated death protein (BAD) lentiviral expression vector, and to determine their expressions in 293T cells. Total RNA was extracted from lung cancer tissues. The full-length coding regions of human ATK2, BAD and PDK1 cDNA were amplified via RT-PCR using specific primers, subcloned into PGEM-Teasy and then sequenced for confirmation. The full-length coding sequence was cut out with a specific restriction enzyme digest and subclone into pCDF1-MCS2-EF1-copGFP. The plasmids were transfected into 293T cells using the calcium phosphate method. The over expression of AKT2, BAD and PDK1 were detected by Western blot. AKT2, PDK1 and BAD were subcloned into pCDF1-MCS2-EF1-copGFP, with an efficiency of transfection of 100%, 95%, and 90% respectively. The virus titers were 6.7 x 10(6) PFU/mL in the supernatant. After infection, the proteins of AKT2, PDK1 and BAD were detected by Western blot. The lentivial vector pCDF1-MCS2-EF1-copGFP containing AKT2, BAD and PDK1 were successfully constructed and expressed in 293T cells.

  2. Role, perspective and knowledge of Iranian critical care nurses about breaking bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imanipour, Masoomeh; Karim, Zahra; Bahrani, Naser

    2016-05-01

    Given the issue of caring critically ill patients, nurses are involved in the process of breaking bad news in critical care units, while little research has been conducted on this challenging issue. The purpose of this study was to determine the role, perspective and knowledge of Iranian critical care nurses regarding breaking bad news. This descriptive study was conducted on a sample of 160 nurses working in critical care units of hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Stratified and quota sampling methods were used. The data collection tool was a four-part questionnaire with validity and reliability confirmed via content validity and test-retest, respectively. The study showed that most critical care nurses were involved in breaking bad news, with different roles. The majority of participants (91.2%) had a positive attitude towards involvement of nurses in breaking bad news. In this study, 78.8% of nurses had moderate knowledge about how to break bad news, and only a few had good level of knowledge (16.2%). According to the findings, while critical care nurses took different roles in the process of breaking bad news and they had positive attitude towards participation in this process, yet their knowledge about this process was inadequate. Thus, designing educational programmes to enhance critical care nurses' knowledge and skills in this area seems necessary. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Chronic sleep restriction induces changes in the mandibular condylar cartilage of rats: roles of Akt, Bad and Caspase-3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Yong; Wu, Gaoyi; Zhu, Guoxiong; Ma, Chuan; Zhao, Huaqiang

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to observe changes in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of rats that had been subjected to chronic sleep restriction and to investigate whether Akt, Bad and Caspase3 play a role in the mechanism underlying the changes. One hundred and eighty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 60 in each): cage control group, large-platform control group, and sleep restriction group. Each group was divided into three subgroups (n = 20 in each) of three different time points (7, 14 and 21 days), respectively. The modified multiple platform method was used to induce chronic sleep restriction. The TMJ tissue histology was studied by staining with haematoxylin and eosin. The expression of Akt, p-Aktser473, Bad, p-Badser136 and Caspase3 proteins was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The expression of Akt, Bad and Caspase3 mRNAs was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Compared with the large-platform and cage control groups, condylar cartilage pathological alterations were found in the sleep restriction group. There were significantly decreased expression levels of Akt, p-Aktser473 and p-Badser136 and significantly increased expression levels of Bad and Caspase3 after sleep restriction. These data suggest that sleep restriction may induce pathological alterations in the condylar cartilage of rats. Alterations in Akt, Bad and Caspase3 may be associated with the potential mechanism by which chronic sleep restriction influences the condylar cartilage.

  4. The value of tax shields with a fixed book-value leverage ratio

    OpenAIRE

    Fernandez, Pablo

    2005-01-01

    The value of tax shields depends only on the nature of the stochastic process of the net increases of debt. The value of tax shields in a world with no leverage cost is the tax rate times the current debt plus the present value of the net increases of debt. We develop valuation formulae for a company that maintains a fixed book-value leverage ratio and show that it is more realistic than to assume, as Miles-Ezzell (1980) do, a fixed market-value leverage ratio. We also show that Miles-Ezzell ...

  5. Leveraging liquid dielectrophoresis for microfluidic applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chugh, Dipankar; Kaler, Karan V I S

    2008-01-01

    Miniaturized fluidic systems have been developed in recent years and offer new and novel means of leveraging the domain of microfluidics for the development of micro-total analysis systems (μTAS). Initially, such systems employed closed microchannels in order to facilitate chip-based biochemical assays, requiring very small quantities of sample and/or reagents and furthermore providing rapid and low-cost analysis on a compact footprint. More recently, advancements in the domain of surface microfluidics have suggested that similar low volume sample handling and manipulation capabilities for bioassays can be attained by leveraging the phenomena of liquid dielectrophoresis and droplet dielectrophoresis (DEP), without the need for separate pumps or valves. Some of the key aspects of this surface microfluidic technology and its capabilities are discussed and highlighted in this paper. We, furthermore, examine the integration and utility of liquid DEP and droplet DEP in providing rapid and automated sample handling and manipulation capabilities on a compact chip-based platform

  6. Hollywood Science: Good for Hollywood, Bad for Science?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkowitz, Sidney

    2009-03-01

    Like it or not, most science depicted in feature films is in the form of science fiction. This isn't likely to change any time soon, if only because science fiction films are huge moneymakers for Hollywood. But beyond that, these films are a powerful cultural force. They reach millions as they depict scientific ideas from DNA and cloning to space science, whether correctly or incorrectly; reflect contemporary issues of science and society like climate change, nuclear power and biowarfare; inspire young people to become scientists; and provide defining images -- or stereotypes -- of scientists for the majority of people who've never met a real one. Certainly, most scientists feel that screen depictions of science and scientists are badly distorted. Many are, but not always. In this talk, based on my book Hollywood Science [1], I'll show examples of good and bad screen treatments of science, scientists, and their impact on society. I'll also discuss efforts to improve how science is treated in film and ways to use even bad movie science to convey real science. [4pt] [1] Sidney Perkowitz, Hollywood Science: Movies, Science, and the End of the World (Columbia University Press, New York, 2007). ISBN: 978-0231142809

  7. Automatic bad channel detection in intracranial electroencephalographic recordings using ensemble machine learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuyisenge, Viateur; Trebaul, Lena; Bhattacharjee, Manik; Chanteloup-Forêt, Blandine; Saubat-Guigui, Carole; Mîndruţă, Ioana; Rheims, Sylvain; Maillard, Louis; Kahane, Philippe; Taussig, Delphine; David, Olivier

    2018-03-01

    Intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings contain "bad channels", which show non-neuronal signals. Here, we developed a new method that automatically detects iEEG bad channels using machine learning of seven signal features. The features quantified signals' variance, spatial-temporal correlation and nonlinear properties. Because the number of bad channels is usually much lower than the number of good channels, we implemented an ensemble bagging classifier known to be optimal in terms of stability and predictive accuracy for datasets with imbalanced class distributions. This method was applied on stereo-electroencephalographic (SEEG) signals recording during low frequency stimulations performed in 206 patients from 5 clinical centers. We found that the classification accuracy was extremely good: It increased with the number of subjects used to train the classifier and reached a plateau at 99.77% for 110 subjects. The classification performance was thus not impacted by the multicentric nature of data. The proposed method to automatically detect bad channels demonstrated convincing results and can be envisaged to be used on larger datasets for automatic quality control of iEEG data. This is the first method proposed to classify bad channels in iEEG and should allow to improve the data selection when reviewing iEEG signals. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Domingo Badía (Alí Bey), en Marruecos.

    OpenAIRE

    Michael Mac Gaha

    1996-01-01

    Es sorprendente el hecho de que no se hayan aclarado hasta ahora las actividades de Domingo Badía y Leblich (1767-1818) como agente español en Marruecos entre los años 1803 y 1805, sobre todo porque esas actividades están muy bien documentadas. El diplomático español Eduard Toda y Güell (1855-1941) comenzó a interesarse por Badía durante sus años de estudiante de derecho en Madrid cuando trabó amistad con Víctor Balaguer, quien había escrito dos versiones novelescas de la vi...

  9. Indirect Reciprocity under Incomplete Observation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Masuda, Naoki

    2011-01-01

    Indirect reciprocity, in which individuals help others with a good reputation but not those with a bad reputation, is a mechanism for cooperation in social dilemma situations when individuals do not repeatedly interact with the same partners. In a relatively large society where indirect reciprocity is relevant, individuals may not know each other's reputation even indirectly. Previous studies investigated the situations where individuals playing the game have to determine the action possibly without knowing others' reputations. Nevertheless, the possibility that observers of the game, who generate the reputation of the interacting players, assign reputations without complete information about them has been neglected. Because an individual acts as an interacting player and as an observer on different occasions if indirect reciprocity is endogenously sustained in a society, the incompleteness of information may affect either role. We examine the game of indirect reciprocity when the reputations of players are not necessarily known to observers and to interacting players. We find that the trustful discriminator, which cooperates with good and unknown players and defects against bad players, realizes cooperative societies under seven social norms. Among the seven social norms, three of the four suspicious norms under which cooperation (defection) to unknown players leads to a good (bad) reputation enable cooperation down to a relatively small observation probability. In contrast, the three trustful norms under which both cooperation and defection to unknown players lead to a good reputation are relatively efficient. PMID:21829335

  10. Implementation of Strategies to Leverage Public and Private Resources for National Security Workforce Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2009-04-01

    This report documents implementation strategies to leverage public and private resources for the development of an adequate national security workforce as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), being performed under a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) grant. There are numerous efforts across the United States to develop a properly skilled and trained national security workforce. Some of these efforts are the result of the leveraging of public and private dollars. As budget dollars decrease and the demand for a properly skilled and trained national security workforce increases, it will become even more important to leverage every education and training dollar. This report details some of the efforts that have been implemented to leverage public and private resources, as well as implementation strategies to further leverage public and private resources.

  11. Topics in Finance Part III--Leverage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laux, Judy

    2010-01-01

    This article investigates operating and financial leverage from the perspective of the financial manager, accenting the relationships to stockholder wealth maximization (SWM), risk and return, and potential agency problems. It also covers some of the pertinent literature related specifically to the implications of operating and financial risk and…

  12. Payer leverage and hospital compliance with a benchmark: a population-based observational study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DeMonner Sonya

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 1976, Medicare has linked reimbursement for hospitals performing organ transplants to the attainment of certain benchmarks, including transplant volume. While Medicare is a stakeholder in all transplant services, its role in renal transplantation is likely greater, given its coverage of end-stage renal disease. Thus, Medicare's transplant experience allows us to examine the role of payer leverage in motivating hospital benchmark compliance. Methods Nationally representative discharge data for kidney (n = 29,272, liver (n = 7,988, heart (n = 3,530, and lung (n = 1,880 transplants from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1993 – 2003 were employed. Logistic regression techniques with robust variance estimators were used to examine the relationship between hospital volume compliance and Medicare market share; generalized estimating equations were used to explore the association between patient-level operative mortality and hospital volume compliance. Results Medicare's transplant market share varied by organ [57%, 28%, 27%, and 18% for kidney, lung, heart, and liver transplants, respectively (P P Conclusion These data highlight the influence of payer leverage–an important contextual factor in value-based purchasing initiatives. For uncommon diagnoses, these data suggest that at least 30% of a provider's patients might need to be "at risk" for an incentive to motivate compliance.

  13. Leveraging the wisdom of the crowd in software testing

    CERN Document Server

    Sharma, Mukesh

    2015-01-01

    Its scale, flexibility, cost effectiveness, and fast turnaround are just a few reasons why crowdsourced testing has received so much attention lately. While there are a few online resources that explain what crowdsourced testing is all about, there's been a need for a book that covers best practices, case studies, and the future of this technique.Filling this need, Leveraging the Wisdom of the Crowd in Software Testing shows you how to leverage the wisdom of the crowd in your software testing process. Its comprehensive coverage includes the history of crowdsourcing and crowdsourced testing, im

  14. From Stove-pipe to Network Centric Leveraging Technology to Present a Unified View

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Abuhantash, Medhat A; Shoultz, Matthew V

    2004-01-01

    .... The paper will also demonstrate how the application of current technology can be leveraged to present a unified view of data from disparate data sources, and how our organization is leveraging...

  15. Eggs: good or bad?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griffin, Bruce A

    2016-08-01

    Eggs have one of the lowest energy to nutrient density ratios of any food, and contain a quality of protein that is superior to beef steak and similar to dairy. From a nutritional perspective, this must qualify eggs as 'good'. The greater burden of proof has been to establish that eggs are not 'bad', by increasing awareness of the difference between dietary and blood cholesterol, and accumulating sufficient evidence to exonerate eggs from their associations with CVD and diabetes. After 60 years of research, a general consensus has now been reached that dietary cholesterol, chiefly from eggs, exerts a relatively small effect on serum LDL-cholesterol and CVD risk, in comparison with other diet and lifestyle factors. While dietary guidelines have been revised worldwide to reflect this view, associations between egg intake and the incidence of diabetes, and increased CVD risk in diabetes, prevail. These associations may be explained, in part, by residual confounding produced by other dietary components. The strength of evidence that links egg intake to increased CVD risk in diabetes is also complicated by variation in the response of serum LDL-cholesterol to eggs and dietary cholesterol in types 1 and 2 diabetes. On balance, the answer to the question as to whether eggs are 'bad', is probably 'no', but we do need to gain a better understanding of the effects of dietary cholesterol and its association with CVD risk in diabetes.

  16. The Role of Target Leverage in Security Issues and Repurchases

    OpenAIRE

    Armen Hovakimian

    2004-01-01

    The paper examines whether security issues and repurchases adjust the capital structure toward the target. The time-series patterns of debt ratios imply that only debt reductions are initiated to offset the accumulated deviation from target leverage. The importance of target leverage in earlier debt-equity choice studies is driven by the subsample of equity issues accompanied by debt reductions. Unlike debt issues and reductions, equity issues and repurchases have no significant lasting effec...

  17. Equity Mispricing and Leverage Adjustment Costs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Warr, R.S.; Elliott, W.B.; Koeter-Kant, J.; Oztekin, O.

    2012-01-01

    We find that equity mispricing impacts the speed at which firms adjust to their target leverage (TL) and does so in predictable ways depending on whether the firm is over- or underlevered. For example, firms that are above their TL and should therefore issue equity (or retire debt) adjust more

  18. MACROECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF BAD LOANS IN BALTIC COUNTRIES AND ROMANIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana DONATH

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The 2008–09 global crisis raised debates concerning the determinants of financial vulnerability. Among these, bad loans have been identified as significantly influencing financial imbalances. After a decade in which borrowing has constantly grown mainly because of the deregulation of financial markets, the crisis highlighted the importance of an effective credit risk management. The purpose of the paper is to study the evolution of bad loans ratio in relation with selected macroeconomic indicators in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Romania.

  19. Breaking Bad Habits: Teaching Effective PowerPoint Use to Working Graduate Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vik, Gretchen N.

    2004-01-01

    One interesting aspect of teaching students to use PowerPoint and similar graphics packages effectively is that graduate students who are already in the workforce often have bad presentation habits that they need to break. In this article, the author discusses ways of breaking these bad habits. Using storyboards is one way to keep students from…

  20. How bad is bile acid diarrhoea: an online survey of patient-reported symptoms and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bannaga, Ayman; Kelman, Lawrence; O'Connor, Michelle; Pitchford, Claire; Walters, Julian R F; Arasaradnam, Ramesh P

    2017-01-01

    Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) is an underdiagnosed condition producing diarrhoea, urgency and fear of faecal incontinence. How patients experience these symptoms has not previously been studied. Bile Acid Malabsorption (BAM) Support UK was established in 2015 as a national charity with objectives including to provide details regarding how BAD affects patients, to improve earlier recognition and clinical management. A questionnaire was collected anonymously by BAM Support UK and the Bile Salt Malabsorption Facebook group over 4 weeks at the end of 2015. It comprised 56 questions and aimed to inform patients and clinicians about how BAD affects the respondents. The first 100 responses were analysed. 91% of the respondents reported a diagnosis of BAD. 58% of total respondents diagnosed following a Selenium-homocholic acid taurine scan, 69% were diagnosed by a gastroenterologist, with type 2 and 3 BAD comprising 38% and 37%, respectively, of total respondents. Symptoms had been experienced for more than 5 years before diagnosis in 44% of respondents. Following treatment, usually with bile acid sequestrants, 60% of participants reported improvement of diarrhoea and most reported their mental health has been positively impacted. Just over half of the cohort felt as though their symptoms had been dismissed during clinical consultations and 28% felt their GPs were unaware of BAD. BAD requires more recognition by clinicians to address the current delays in diagnosis. Treatment improves physical and mental symptoms in the majority of participants.

  1. Leveraging Facebook to Brand Radiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tso, Hilda H; Parikh, Jay R

    2018-03-30

    In the current health care climate, radiologists should consider developing their brand. Facebook is the market leader for social media networking in the United States. The authors describe how radiologists can leverage Facebook to develop and market organizational, group, and individual brands. The authors then address concerns related to the use of social media by radiologists. Copyright © 2018 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Leverage effect in energy futures

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krištoufek, Ladislav

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 45, č. 1 (2014), s. 1-9 ISSN 0140-9883 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP14-11402P Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GAP402/11/0948 Program:GA Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : energy commodities * leverage effect * volatility * long-term memory Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 2.708, year: 2014 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/E/kristoufek-0433531.pdf

  3. Leveraging the Development of Inclusive and Sustainable ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Nevertheless, the most vulnerable actors in the value chain still lack the capacity to ... They will identify and prioritize leverage points for ICT interventions that are ... IDRC is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity aimed at fostering ...

  4. Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Eye Health A-Z Symptoms Glasses & Contacts Tips & Prevention News Ask an Ophthalmologist Patient Stories Español Eye Health / Tips & Prevention Sections Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your ...

  5. A synthesis of the literature on breaking bad news or truth telling: potential for research in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martis, Lawrence; Westhues, Anne

    2013-01-01

    The high incidence of fatal diseases, inequitable access to health care, and socioeconomic disparities in India generate plentiful clinical bad news including diagnosis of a life-limiting disease, poor prognosis, treatment failure, and impending death. These contexts compel health care professionals to become the messengers of bad news to patients and their families. In global literature on breaking bad news, there is very little about such complex clinical interactions occurring in India or guiding health care providers to do it well. The purpose of this article is to identify the issues for future research that would contribute to the volume, comprehensiveness, and quality of empirical literature on breaking bad news in clinical settings across India. Towards this end, we have synthesized the studies done across the globe on breaking bad news, under four themes: (a) deciding the amount of bad news to deliver; (b) attending to cultural and ethical issues; (c) managing psychological distress; and (d) producing competent messengers of bad news. We believe that robust research is inevitable to build an indigenous knowledge base, enhance communicative competence among health care professionals, and thereby to improve the quality of clinical interactions in India.

  6. A synthesis of the literature on breaking bad news or truth telling: Potential for research in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lawrence Martis

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The high incidence of fatal diseases, inequitable access to health care, and socioeconomic disparities in India generate plentiful clinical bad news including diagnosis of a life-limiting disease, poor prognosis, treatment failure, and impending death. These contexts compel health care professionals to become the messengers of bad news to patients and their families. In global literature on breaking bad news, there is very little about such complex clinical interactions occurring in India or guiding health care providers to do it well. The purpose of this article is to identify the issues for future research that would contribute to the volume, comprehensiveness, and quality of empirical literature on breaking bad news in clinical settings across India. Towards this end, we have synthesized the studies done across the globe on breaking bad news, under four themes: (a deciding the amount of bad news to deliver; (b attending to cultural and ethical issues; (c managing psychological distress; and (d producing competent messengers of bad news. We believe that robust research is inevitable to build an indigenous knowledge base, enhance communicative competence among health care professionals, and thereby to improve the quality of clinical interactions in India.

  7. Makification: Towards a Framework for Leveraging the Maker Movement in Formal Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cohen, Jonathan; Jones, W. Monty; Smith, Shaunna; Calandra, Brendan

    2017-01-01

    Maker culture is part of a burgeoning movement in which individuals leverage modern digital technologies to produce and share physical artifacts with a broader community. Certain components of the maker movement, if properly leveraged, hold promise for transforming formal education in a variety of contexts. The authors here work towards a…

  8. BAD-Dependent Regulation of Fuel Metabolism and KATP Channel Activity Confers Resistance to Epileptic Seizures

    OpenAIRE

    Giménez-Cassina, Alfredo; Martínez-François, Juan Ramón; Fisher, Jill K.; Szlyk, Benjamin; Polak, Klaudia; Wiwczar, Jessica; Tanner, Geoffrey R.; Lutas, Andrew; Yellen, Gary; Danial, Nika N.

    2012-01-01

    Neuronal excitation can be substantially modulated by alterations in metabolism, as evident from the anticonvulsant effect of diets that reduce glucose utilization and promote ketone body metabolism. We provide genetic evidence that BAD, a protein with dual functions in apoptosis and glucose metabolism, imparts reciprocal effects on metabolism of glucose and ketone bodies in brain cells. These effects involve phospho-regulation of BAD and are independent of its apoptotic function. BAD modific...

  9. How many bad apples does it take to spoil the whole barrel? Social exclusion and toleration for bad apples

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerr, N.L.; Rumble, A.C.; Ouwerkerk, J.W.; Parks, C.D.; Gallucci, M.; van Lange, P.A.M.

    2009-01-01

    In social dilemmas, where personal welfare is in conflict with collective welfare, there are inherent incentives to act non-cooperatively. Moreover, there is evidence that the example of a few uncooperative group members ("bad apples") is more influential than the example of comparable numbers of

  10. Good and Bad Objects : Cardinality-Based Rules

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dimitrov, D.A.; Borm, P.E.M.; Hendrickx, R.L.P.

    2003-01-01

    We consider the problem of ranking sets of objects, the members of which are mutually compatible.Assuming that each object is either good or bad, we axiomatically characterize three cardinality-based rules which arise naturally in this dichotomous setting.They are what we call the symmetric

  11. Recommendations for how to communicate bad news

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beatriz Villa López

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available The communication, along with the control of the symptoms and the emotional support are the basic instruments that are used in the daily development of our profession. To be little capable at the time of notifying bad news can generate an added suffering unnecessary in the person who receives the new and a deterioration in the relation professional-patient.In many occasions, at the time of approaching these situations, the professional of the health usually feels anguish, fear and restlessness, this is because during is scared and restlessness this happens because during his stage of studies in the faculty the student has received a formation based on the binomial health-disease from a totally biological perspective forgetting the abilities communication.Supported in different bibliographical sources, this article tries to analyze the factors that influence when communicating the bad news and, to suggest some preventatives ideas on how giving them trying to prevent the burnout syndrome.

  12. BAD-LAMP controls TLR9 trafficking and signalling in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Combes, Alexis; Camosseto, Voahirana; N'Guessan, Prudence; Argüello, Rafael J; Mussard, Julie; Caux, Christophe; Bendriss-Vermare, Nathalie; Pierre, Philippe; Gatti, Evelina

    2017-10-13

    Toll-like receptors (TLR) are essential components of the innate immune system. Several accessory proteins, such as UNC93B1, are required for transport and activation of nucleic acid sensing Toll-like receptors in endosomes. Here, we show that BAD-LAMP (LAMP5) controls TLR9 trafficking to LAMP1 + late endosomes in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC), leading to NF-κB activation and TNF production upon DNA detection. An inducible VAMP3 +/ LAMP2 +/ LAMP1 - endolysosome compartment exists in pDCs from which TLR9 activation triggers type I interferon expression. BAD-LAMP-silencing enhances TLR9 retention in this compartment and consequent downstream signalling events. Conversely, sustained BAD-LAMP expression in pDCs contributes to their lack of type I interferon production after exposure to a TGF-β-positive microenvironment or isolation from human breast tumours. Hence, BAD-LAMP limits interferon expression in pDCs indirectly, by promoting TLR9 sorting to late endosome compartments at steady state and in response to immunomodulatory cues.TLR9 is highly expressed by plasmacytoid dendritic cells and detects nucleic acids, but to discriminate between host and microbial nucleic acids TLR9 is sorted into different endosomal compartments. Here the authors show that BAD-LAMP limits type 1 interferon responses by sorting TLR9 to late endosomal compartments.

  13. Bad split during bilateral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandible with separators: a retrospective study of 427 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mensink, Gertjan; Verweij, Jop P; Frank, Michael D; Eelco Bergsma, J; Richard van Merkesteyn, J P

    2013-09-01

    An unfavourable fracture, known as a bad split, is a common operative complication in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO). The reported incidence ranges from 0.5 to 5.5%/site. Since 1994 we have used sagittal splitters and separators instead of chisels for BSSO in our clinic in an attempt to prevent postoperative hypoaesthesia. Theoretically an increased percentage of bad splits could be expected with this technique. In this retrospective study we aimed to find out the incidence of bad splits associated with BSSO done with splitters and separators. We also assessed the risk factors for bad splits. The study group comprised 427 consecutive patients among whom the incidence of bad splits was 2.0%/site, which is well within the reported range. The only predictive factor for a bad split was the removal of third molars at the same time as BSSO. There was no significant association between bad splits and age, sex, class of occlusion, or the experience of the surgeon. We think that doing a BSSO with splitters and separators instead of chisels does not increase the risk of a bad split, and is therefore safe with predictable results. Copyright © 2012 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. [Breaking Bad News to Cancer Patients: Content, Communication Preferences and Psychological Distress].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gebhardt, Claudia; Gorba, Claudia; Oechsle, Karin; Vehling, Sigrun; Koch, Uwe; Mehnert, Anja

    2017-07-01

    Objectives Breaking bad news can be a very distressing situation for both patients and physicians. Physician communication behavior should therefore match patients' communication preferences. The aim of this study was to characterize the content of bad news from the patients' perspective. Patients' preferences for communication of bad news as well as the fit to communication behavior displayed by physicians were also investigated. Finally, consequences of a mismatch between patients' preferences and physician communication were investigated in relation to psychological distress in patients. Methods The sample consisted of N=270 cancer patients (mean age=56.8 years, 48% female) with various cancer entities and different stages of disease (n=115 patients with early stage of cancer, n=155 patients with advanced cancer). The content of bad news was assessed with a specifically developed list of questions. The Measure of Patients' Preferences Scale (MPP) was used to assess patients' preferences for communication of bad news. Patients further completed the NCCN Distress Thermometer (cancer specific distress), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS- anxiety and depression) and the Demoralization Scale (DS-Scale) to gain information about psychological distress. Results Patients with early stage breast cancer received bad news M=1.6 times (SD=1.1, range: 1-5), patients with advanced cancers M=2.1 times (SD=1.6, range: 1-12). For 77% of early stage cancer patients and 70% of advanced cancer patients, the subjectively worst consultation was receiving the diagnosis and discussing treatment options. Patients' most important communication preferences were physicians' clinical competence and patient-centered communication, clear and direct communication and asking about patients information preferences. Patients in advanced stages report significantly more (29%) unmet communication needs than patients' in early stages (20%; pbad news without considering patients

  15. A Model Suggestion to Predict Leverage Ratio for Construction Projects

    OpenAIRE

    Özlem Tüz; Şafak Ebesek

    2013-01-01

    Due to the nature, construction is an industry with high uncertainty and risk. Construction industry carries high leverage ratios. Firms with low equities work in big projects through progress payment system, but in this case, even a small negative in the planned cash flows constitute a major risk for the company.The use of leverage, with a small investment to achieve profit targets large-scale, high-profit, but also brings a high risk with it. Investors may lose all or the portion of th...

  16. Enterprise Cloud Adoption: Leveraging on the Business and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Enterprise Cloud Adoption: Leveraging on the Business and Security Benefits. ... on security, privacy and forensic issues associated with this new computing platform for ... Keywords: Cloud Computing, Cloud Security, Cloud Forensic, Security ...

  17. The Complexity of Leveraging University Program Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crow, Gary M.; Arnold, Noelle Witherspoon; Reed, Cynthia J.; Shoho, Alan R.

    2012-01-01

    This article identifies four elements of complexity that influence how university educational leadership programs can leverage program change: faculty reward systems, faculty governance, institutional resources, and state-level influence on leadership preparation. Following the discussion of the elements of complexity, the article provides a…

  18. Legal Drugs Are Good Drugs and Illegal Drugs Are Bad Drugs

    OpenAIRE

    Indrati, Dina; Prasetyo, Herry

    2011-01-01

    ABSTRACT : Labelling drugs are important issue nowadays in a modern society. Although it is generally believed that legal drugs are good drugs and illegal drugs are bad drugs, it is evident that some people do not aware about the side effects of drugs used. Therefore, a key contention of this philosophical essay is that explores harms minimisation policy, discuss whether legal drugs are good drugs and illegal drugs are bad drugs and explores relation of drugs misuse in a psychiatric nursing s...

  19. GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS AND GARCH EFFECTS IN STOCK RETURN DATA

    OpenAIRE

    Craig A. Depken II

    2001-01-01

    It is shown that the volume of trade can be decomposed into proportional proxies for stochastic flows of good news and bad news into the market. Positive (good) information flows are assumed to increase the price of a financial vehicle while negative (bad) information flows decrease the price. For the majority of a sample of ten split-stocks it is shown that the proposed decomposition explains more GARCH than volume itself. Using the proposed decomposition, the variance of returns for younger...

  20. A mapping of people's positions regarding the breaking of bad news to patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Igier, Valérie; Muñoz Sastre, María Teresa; Sorum, Paul Clay; Mullet, Etienne

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to map people's positions regarding the breaking of bad news to patients. One hundred forty adults who had in the past received bad medical news or whose elderly relatives had in the past received bad news, 25 nurses, and 28 nurse's aides indicated the acceptability of physicians' conduct in 72 vignettes of giving bad news to elderly patients. Vignettes were all combinations of five factors: (a) the severity of the disease (severe but not lethal, extremely severe and possibly lethal, or incurable), (b) the patient's wishes (insists on knowing the full truth vs. does not insist), (c) the level of social support during hospitalization, (d) the patient's psychological robustness, and (e) the physician's decision about communicating bad news (tell the patient that the illness is not severe and minimize the severity of the illness when talking to the patient's relatives, tell the full truth to her relatives, or tell the full truth to both the elderly patient and her relatives). Four qualitatively different positions were found. Twenty-eight percent of participants preferred the full truth to be told; 36% preferred the truth to be told but understood that the physician would inform the family first; 13% did not think that telling the full truth is best for patients; and 23% understood that the full truth would be told in some cases and not in others, depending on the physician's perception of the situation. The present mapping could be used to detect the position held by each patient and act accordingly. This would be made easier if breaking bad news was conceived as a communication process involving a range of health care professionals, rather than as a single occurrence in time.

  1. Use of interactive theater and role play to develop medical students' skills in breaking bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skye, Eric P; Wagenschutz, Heather; Steiger, Jeffrey A; Kumagai, Arno K

    2014-12-01

    Creative arts have been increasingly implemented in medical education. This study investigated the use of interactive theater and role play with professional actors in teaching breaking bad news to medical students. The objectives were to explore the contexts, approaches, experiences, and reactions in giving and receiving bad news. Second-year medical students participated in a required educational session that utilized interactive theater which helps students learn about the issues of breaking bad news to a patient with cancer. Following the interactive theater piece, professional actors provided students role play experiences in small groups with breaking bad news. Anonymous evaluation surveys were given out to all second-year medical students at the conclusion of the breaking bad news session. Surveys contained quantitative and qualitative responses. Three years of evaluations were analyzed. A total of 451 (88 %) students completed the evaluations. Comments were thematically analyzed. Ninety-four percent agreed that the theater piece prompted reflection on patient-provider communications, and 89 % agreed that it stimulated discussion on complex issues with breaking bad news. The two most common themes in student comments concerned the importance of realism in the theater piece, and the value of experiencing multiple perspectives. Use of professional actors during the role play exercises enhances the realism and pushed the students out of their own "comfort zones" in ways that may more closely approximate real life clinical situations. Interactive theater can be a potentially powerful tool to teach breaking bad news during medical school.

  2. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the rhetorical construction of "bad" scientific work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attenborough, Frederick Thomas

    2012-02-01

    How are secondary accounts of "bad" scientific practice constructed? How do they engage with the primary data produced by "bad" scientists? And what happens to those primary data as generations of secondary accounts purporting to describe them accumulate? This paper addresses such questions via a case study of Dr. Hong, a microbiologist accused of "bad" scientific practice by numerous secondary accounts of the 2003 SARS outbreak. Bringing Hong's own account of his own actions into dialogue with one of the most influential secondary accounts of his actions, the paper highlights the gross disparity between the two. Having argued that the rhetorical structuring of the secondary account is, ultimately, responsible for Hong's characterisation as a "bad" scientist, it then moves to explore how subsequent accounts developed their own characterisations. What becomes clear is that as secondary accounts began feeding off one another, references to Hong's account disappeared. Aided by the concepts of the "vanishing" and the "phantasm", the paper concludes with a consideration of how this process left Hong's work with a very peculiar form of existence.

  3. Breaking bad news revisited: the push for negotiated disclosure and changing practice implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arber, Anne; Gallagher, Ann

    2003-04-01

    This article revisits the ethical, legal, professional and emotional issues involved with disclosing bad news. The authors examine the push for disclosure that has come from a number of quarters in the UK, including ethical and legal challenges, in particular the Bristol Royal Inquiry Report, professional codes of conduct, health policy and the expectations of the public. The contribution of nurses to breaking bad news is not widely discussed in the literature. With the development of new nursing roles and evidence-based practice it is timely to consider the role of nurses in this process. The article highlights some limitations with current guidelines for breaking bad news, in particular, that these guidelines tend to be constructed from a professional standpoint and lack patient-centred evidence. The issue of emotional labour and how it relates to giving bad news is discussed with respect to professional staff and patients. The article concludes by raising some practice implications, including: the importance of context and continuity; the significance of information and support; the desirable qualities of the professional; and issues to consider in determining patient preferences.

  4. How bad were British prison hulks in the Napoleonic wars? : Evidence from captured Danish and Norwegian seamen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leunig, Tim; Lottum, van Jelle; Poulsen, Bo

    2016-01-01

    This article uses a novel data source to test whether British Napoleonic prison hulks were as bad as many claim, and whether they were perceived to be bad by seamen who risked ending up in them. We find that they were not so bad: death rates of imprisoned Danish and Norwegian seamen were low. We

  5. Breaking bad news - an interdisciplinary curricular teaching-concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmenroth-Nayda, Anne; Alt-Epping, Bernd; Gágyor, Ildikó

    2011-01-01

    The concerns of patients suffering from life-threatening disease and end-of-life care aspects have gained increasing attention in public perception. The increasing focus on palliative medicine questions can be considered to be paradigmatic for this development. Palliative medicine became a compulsory subject of the undergraduate curriculum in Germany to be implemented until 2013. The preexisting conditions and qualifications at the medical faculties vary, though. We describe the conceptual process, didactic background, and first experiences with the new interdisciplinary course "Delivering bad news" as a compulsory part of the palliative medicine curriculum. Since autumn 2009, this course has been taught at the University Medical Center Göttingen, consisting of two double lessons in the final year of medical education. Considering the curriculum-based learning goals in Göttingen, the focus of this course is to impart knowledge, attitudes and communication skills relating to "bad news". Although the seminar requires adequate staff and is time-consuming, students have accepted it and gave high marks in evaluations. In particular, the teachers' performance and commitment was evaluated positively. We describe the first experiences with a new course. Didactic structure, theoretical contents, role-plays and usage of media (film, novel) are well- suited to communicate topics such as "bad news". Additional experiences and evaluations are necessary. According to the progressive nature of learning, it might be worthwhile to repeat communication- centered questions several times during medical studies.

  6. 7 CFR 4290.1610 - Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage on a Trust Certificate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage... AGRICULTURE RURAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT COMPANY (âRBICâ) PROGRAM Financial Assistance for RBICs (Leverage) Funding Leverage by Use of Guaranteed Trust Certificates (âtcsâ) § 4290.1610 Effect of prepayment or early...

  7. Leveraging mobile computing and communication technologies in education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Annan, Nana Kofi

    education and technology have evolved in tandem over the past years, this dissertation recognises the lapse that there is, in not being able to effectively leverage technology to improve education delivery by most educators. The study appreciates the enormousness of mobile computing and communication...... technologies in contributing to the development of tertiary education delivery, and has taken keen interest to investigate how the capacities of these technologies can be leveraged and incorporated effectively into the pedagogic framework of tertiary education. The purpose is to research into how...... of the results conducted after rigorous theoretical and empirical research unveiled the following: Mobile technologies can be incorporated into tertiary education if it has a strong theoretical underpinning, which links technology and pedagogy; the technology would not work if the user’s concerns in relation...

  8. 13 CFR 107.1610 - Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage on a Trust Certificate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... (Leverage) Funding Leverage by Use of Sba-Guaranteed Trust Certificates (âtcsâ) § 107.1610 Effect of... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage on a Trust Certificate. 107.1610 Section 107.1610 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL...

  9. 13 CFR 108.1610 - Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage on a Trust Certificate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Companies (Leverage) Funding Leverage by Use of Sba Guaranteed Trust Certificates (âtcsâ) § 108.1610 Effect... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Effect of prepayment or early redemption of Leverage on a Trust Certificate. 108.1610 Section 108.1610 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL...

  10. Interrelations between the surface waters of Danube, karst waters and thermal springs of Bad Deutsch Altenburg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hacker, P [Bundesversuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Arsenal, Vienna (Austria)

    1987-11-15

    Full text: As part of the preliminary works for the hydropower project Hainburg on the Danube, comprehensive geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, hydrological, hydrochemical and radiohydrometrical investigations were carried out. Special attention was paid to the area of Bad Deutsch Altenburg since questions of connections between Danube water, groundwater and the sulphur-medicinal springs of Bad Deutsch Altenburg and karst waters had to be settled. Long term observations and the data from series of analysed water samples led to the following conclusions: (1) The thermal deep groundwater, the autochthonous karst water, the shallow groundwater and the Danube belong to a common system with hydraulic interactions. (2) The discharge of the thermal mineral waters in Bad Deutsch Altenburg is caused by a NW-SE striking fault zone. (3) The thermal mineral waters are overburdened by the karst waters in the area Kirchenberg and Pfaffenberg. At the contact zone mixing occurs. Owing to changing pressure conditions and to the locally different conductivity of the karst aquifer the discharges of mineral waters differ in concentration and temperature. (4) The water level of the thermal mineral waterbody is 1 to 2 m above the water level of the Danube at low flow. This difference is equalized at the Danube water level above 141.5 m a.s.l. Above the mark 142 m a.s.l. a direct influence of the observation wells situated in the Park was observed. (5) Because the Danube has eroded the karst massif (Mesozoic limestones and dolomites, Leitha limestone) down to a depth of about 132-133 m a.s.l. the level of karst water drainage was deeper than today. Currently the area is covered by highly permeable gravels. (6) It is therefore assumed that a considerable amount of thermal water drains directly into the Danube. Recharge and mixing with the shallow groundwater was proved. (7) The considerable discharge implies a catchment which extends beyond the immediate environment. (author)

  11. BAD knockout provides metabolic seizure resistance in a genetic model of epilepsy with sudden unexplained death in epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Jeannine; Burnham, Veronica; Tedoldi, Meghan; Danial, Nika N; Yellen, Gary

    2018-01-01

    Metabolic alteration, either through the ketogenic diet (KD) or by genetic alteration of the BAD protein, can produce seizure protection in acute chemoconvulsant models of epilepsy. To assess the seizure-protective role of knocking out (KO) the Bad gene in a chronic epilepsy model, we used the Kcna1 -/- model of epilepsy, which displays progressively increased seizure severity and recapitulates the early death seen in sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Beginning on postnatal day 24 (P24), we continuously video monitored Kcna1 -/- and Kcna1 -/- Bad -/- double knockout mice to assess survival and seizure severity. We found that Kcna1 -/- Bad -/- mice outlived Kcna1 -/- mice by approximately 2 weeks. Kcna1 -/- Bad -/- mice also spent significantly less time in seizure than Kcna1 -/- mice on P24 and the day of death, showing that BadKO provides seizure resistance in a genetic model of chronic epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

  12. Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Sections Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes? Leer en Español: ¿Son Malas para los Ojos ... if any, effect the technology has on your eyes. Is 3-D technology healthy for your or ...

  13. RICHMOND CROWN - FOR RESTORATION OF BADLY MUTILATED POSTERIOR TEETH : A CASE REPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yadav

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Restoration of badly broken endodontically treated teeth is a common problem in restorative dentistry. Such teeth often require additional support from the root canal by means of a post and core restoration. In cases where tooth structure is significantly lost full coverage restorations for posterior teeth are necessary to achieve proper tooth form and function. Badly broken teeth with minimal or no crown structure require added retention and support. The Richmond crown can be a good treatment alternative for restoration of such teeth. The Richmond crown was introduced in 1878 and incorporated a threaded tube in the canal with a screw retained crown. It was later modified to eliminate the threaded tube and was redesigned as a one piece dowel and crown. This case report shows restoration of badly mutilated posterior teeth with Richmond crown.

  14. Epstein-Barr virus miR-BART20-5p regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting BAD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyoji; Choi, Hoyun; Lee, Suk Kyeong

    2015-01-28

    Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BamHI A rightward transcript (BART) microRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitously expressed in EBV-associated tumors, the role of most BART miRNAs is unclear. In this study, we showed that Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) expression was significantly lower in EBV-infected AGS-EBV cells than in EBV-negative AGS cells and investigated whether BART miRNAs target BAD. Using bioinformatics analysis, five BART miRNAs showing seed match with the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of BAD were selected. Of these, only miR-BART20-5p reduced BAD expression when individually transfected into AGS cells. A luciferase assay revealed that miR-BART20-5p directly targets BAD. The expression of BAD mRNA and protein was decreased by miR-BART20-5p and increased by an inhibitor of miR-BART20-5p. PE-Annexin V staining and cell proliferation assays showed that miR-BART20-5p reduced apoptosis and enhanced cell growth. Furthermore, miR-BART20-5p increased chemoresistance to 5-fluorouracil and docetaxel. Our data suggest that miR-BART20-5p contributes to tumorigenesis of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma by directly targeting the 3'-UTR of BAD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The difficulties experienced by nurses and healthcare staff involved in the process of breaking bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnock, Clare; Buchanan, Jean; Tod, Angela Mary

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the difficulties experienced by nurses and healthcare professionals when engaging in the process of breaking bad news. The challenges faced by staff when breaking bad news have previously been researched in relation to particular settings or participants. This study involved staff from diverse settings and roles to develop broader insights into the range of difficulties experienced in clinical practice. The study used a descriptive survey design involving self-reported written accounts and framework analysis. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing a free text section that asked participants to describe a difficult experience they had encountered when involved in the process of breaking bad news. Data were collected from healthcare staff from hospital, community, hospice and care home settings attending training days on breaking bad news between April 2011 and April 2014. Multiple inter-related factors presented challenges to staff engaging in activities associated with breaking bad news. Traditional subjects such as diagnostic and treatment information were described but additional topics were identified such as the impact of illness and care at the end of life. A descriptive framework was developed that summarizes the factors that contribute to creating difficult experiences for staff when breaking bad news. The framework provides insights into the scope of the challenges faced by staff when they engage in the process of breaking bad news. This provides the foundation for developing interventions to support staff that more closely matches their experiences in clinical practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Good and Bad Sleep in Childhood: A Questionnaire Survey amongst School Children in Southern Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ficca, Gianluca; Conte, Francesca; De Padova, Vittoria; Zilli, Iole

    2011-01-01

    Despite its clinical importance, the issue of subjective sleep quality in children remains unexplored. Here we investigate, in school-aged children, the prevalence of bad sleep perception and its relationships with sleep habits and daytime functioning, to provide hints on its possible determinants. Subjective sleep perception, sleep habits, and daytime functioning were studied through a questionnaire survey in a sample of 482 children (6-12 yrs.). Being "bad sleeper" was reported by 6.9% of the sample. Compared to the "good sleepers", these subjects displayed shorter sleep duration on schooldays, longer sleep latencies, and a more pronounced evening preference, beyond more frequent insufficient sleep. Though no differences emerged in sleepiness, bad sleepers showed higher impairments in daytime functioning, indicated by more frequent depressed mood and impulsivity. These distinctive features might be very important to precociously detect those children who are possibly more vulnerable to sleep disturbances and whose sleep-wake rhythms evolution should be paid particular attention thereafter. "The good people sleep much better at night than the bad people.Of course, the bad people enjoy the waking hours much more"Woody Allen.

  17. Leverage effect, economic policy uncertainty and realized volatility with regime switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Yinying; Chen, Wang; Zeng, Qing; Liu, Zhicao

    2018-03-01

    In this study, we first investigate the impacts of leverage effect and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on future volatility in the framework of regime switching. Out-of-sample results show that the HAR-RV including the leverage effect and economic policy uncertainty with regimes can achieve higher forecast accuracy than RV-type and GARCH-class models. Our robustness results further imply that these factors in the framework of regime switching can substantially improve the HAR-RV's forecast performance.

  18. Washing away your (good or bad) luck: physical cleansing affects risk-taking behavior.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Alison Jing; Zwick, Rami; Schwarz, Norbert

    2012-02-01

    Many superstitious practices entail the belief that good or bad luck can be "washed away." Consistent with this belief, participants who recalled (Experiment 1) or experienced (Experiment 2) an episode of bad luck were more willing to take risk after having as opposed to not having washed their hands, whereas participants who recalled or experienced an episode of good luck were less willing to take risk after having as opposed to not having washed their hands. Thus, the psychological effects of physical cleansings extend beyond the domain of moral judgment and are independent of people's motivation: incidental washing not only removes undesirable traces of the past (such as bad luck) but also desirable ones (such as good luck), which people would rather preserve.

  19. 78 FR 17766 - Interagency Guidance on Leveraged Lending

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-22

    ... high-level principles related to safe-and-sound leveraged lending activities, including underwriting considerations, assessing and documenting enterprise value, risk management expectations for credits awaiting distribution, stress- testing expectations, pipeline portfolio management, and risk management expectations for...

  20. Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Tips & Prevention News Ask an Ophthalmologist Patient Stories Español Eye Health / Tips & Prevention Sections Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes? Leer en Español: ¿Son Malas para los Ojos las Películas en ...

  1. Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Español Eye Health / Tips & Prevention Sections Are 3-D Movies Bad for Your Eyes? Leer en Español: ¿ ... computer use and your eyes . Children and 3-D Technology Following the lead of Nintendo, several 3- ...

  2. Cinema and the communication of bad news

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Isabel GÓMEZ CORDOBA

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Breaking Bad News requires medical professionals possess a range of skills to ensure that the patient has the information required for decision?making, this process occurs without further damage and even has a therapeutic effect, and another, that the doctor is not exposed to legal risk or stress associated with the inability to cope with the feelings of the patient, their families or themselves. This article discusses the aspects of communication of bad news in the field of doctor?patient relationship will be presented. The SPIKES model and discussion of movie segments related to the subject was employed as a thread, such as Doctor, 50/50, The Barbarian Invasions, Wings of Life, Stepmom, Letters to God, Wit, The butterfly blue, The power of friendship, Life without me, Make me laugh, Knockin ‘on Heaven’s Door, My Life, A crazy Loose in Brooklyn, As suicide and not die in the attempt, A lesson of life, and The sacrifice of a mother, as a pedagogical strategy in medical training.

  3. arXiv The Infrared Physics of Bad Theories

    CERN Document Server

    Assel, Benjamin

    2017-09-28

    We study the complete moduli space of vacua of 3d $\\mathcal{N}=4$ $U(N)$ SQCDtheories with $N_f$ fundamentals, building on the algebraic description of theCoulomb branch, and deduce the low energy physics in any vacuum from the localgeometry of the moduli space. We confirm previous claims for good and ugly SQCDtheories, and show that bad theories flow to the same interacting fixed pointsas good theories with additional free twisted hypermultiplets. A Seiberg-likeduality proposed for bad theories with $N \\le N_f \\le 2N-2$ is ruled out: thespaces of vacua of the putative dual theories are different. However such badtheories have a distinguished vacuum, which preserves all the globalsymmetries, whose infrared physics is that of the proposed dual. We finallyexplain previous results on sphere partition functions and elucidate therelation between the UV and IR $R$-symmetry in this symmetric vacuum.

  4. HK2 Recruitment to Phospho-BAD Prevents Its Degradation, Promoting Warburg Glycolysis by Theileria-Transformed Leukocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haidar, Malak; Lombès, Anne; Bouillaud, Frédéric; Kennedy, Eileen J; Langsley, Gordon

    2017-03-10

    Theileria annulata infects bovine leukocytes, transforming them into invasive, cancer-like cells that cause the widespread disease called tropical theileriosis. We report that in Theileria-transformed leukocytes hexokinase-2 (HK2) binds to B cell lymphoma-2-associated death promoter (BAD) only when serine (S) 155 in BAD is phosphorylated. We show that HK2 recruitment to BAD is abolished by a cell-penetrating peptide that acts as a nonphosphorylatable BAD substrate that inhibits endogenous S155 phosphorylation, leading to complex dissociation and ubiquitination and degradation of HK2 by the proteasome. As HK2 is a critical enzyme involved in Warburg glycolysis, its loss forces Theileria-transformed macrophages to switch back to HK1-dependent oxidative glycolysis that down-regulates macrophage proliferation only when they are growing on glucose. When growing on galactose, degradation of HK2 has no effect on Theileria-infected leukocyte proliferation, because metabolism of this sugar is independent of hexokinases. Thus, targeted disruption of the phosphorylation-dependent HK2/BAD complex may represent a novel approach to control Theileria-transformed leukocyte proliferation.

  5. Effect of the environmental pollutant bisphenol A dimethacylate (BAD) on Ca2+ movement and viability in OC2 human oral cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Jau-Min; Chou, Chiang-Ting; Lu, Yi-Chau; Lu, Ti; Chi, Chao-Chuan; Tseng, Li-Ling; Liu, Shiuh-Inn; Cheng, Jin-Shiung; Kuo, Chun-Chi; Liang, Wei-Zhe; Jan, Chung-Ren

    2013-03-01

    The environmental pollutant bisphenol A dimethacylate (BAD) has been used as a dental composite. The effect of BAD on cytosolic Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) and viability in OC2 human oral cancer cells was explored. The Ca(2+)-sensitive fluorescent dye fura-2 was applied to measure [Ca(2+)]i. BAD induced [Ca(2+)]i rises in a concentration-dependent manner. The response was reduced by removing extracellular Ca(2+). BAD-evoked Ca(2+) entry was suppressed by nifedipine, econazole, and SK&F96365. In Ca(2+)-free medium, incubation with the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump inhibitor thapsigargin abolished BAD-induced [Ca(2+)]i rise. Inhibition of phospholipase C with U73122 did not alter BAD-induced [Ca(2+)]i rise. At 10-30μM, BAD inhibited cell viability, which was not reversed by chelating cytosolic Ca(2+). BAD (20-30μM) also induced apoptosis. Collectively, in OC2 cells, BAD induced a [Ca(2+)]i rise by evoking phospholipase C-independent Ca(2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum and Ca(2+) entry via store-operated Ca(2+) channels. BAD also caused apoptosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. RICHMOND CROWN - FOR RESTORATION OF BADLY MUTILATED POSTERIOR TEETH : A CASE REPORT

    OpenAIRE

    Yadav; Swetha

    2015-01-01

    Restoration of badly broken endodontically treated teeth is a common problem in restorative dentistry. Such teeth often require additional support from the root canal by means of a post and core restoration. In cases where tooth structure is significantly lost full coverage restorations for posterior teeth are necessary to achieve proper tooth form and function. Badly broken teeth with minimal or no crown structure require added retention and support. The Richmond crown can be a good treatmen...

  7. Bad faith trade mark applications in China : a threat to foreign investment?

    OpenAIRE

    Elftorp, Kristian

    2012-01-01

    In a report provided by the European Chamber of Commerce in China, the problem with bad faith trade mark applications was highlighted. The report concluded that the current application of the law, combined with the procedural background constitutes an incentive rather than a deterrent for bad faith trade mark applications in China. The issue originates in Chinese defrauders conducting research among foreign companies with the intent of un- lawfully registering their trade marks in China. Sinc...

  8. The bad apple effect and social value orientation in public-goods dilemmas: replication and extension of research findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Song; Sun, Jiaqing; Cai, Wei; Jin, Shenghua

    2014-06-01

    Two studies were conducted to replicate and extend previous findings on the effect of uncooperative behavior on group cooperation (the "bad apple" effect). Study 1 (56 women, 40 men; M age = 23.5 yr.) manipulated information about contributions from the bad apple, controlling for overall contributions to a group account. Study 2 (50 women, 34 men; M age = 20.4 yr.) compared the effects of a bad apple and a good apple on cooperation. The social value orientation of participants was measured to explore individual differences in the bad apple effect. The results revealed a bad apple (a) decreased cooperation among individuals with proself and prosocial orientations in Study 1, and (b) had a greater effect than a good apple on those who were proself compared to prosocial in Study 2.

  9. Bad splits in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy: systematic review and meta-analysis of reported risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steenen, S A; van Wijk, A J; Becking, A G

    2016-08-01

    An unfavourable and unanticipated pattern of the bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) is generally referred to as a 'bad split'. Patient factors predictive of a bad split reported in the literature are controversial. Suggested risk factors are reviewed in this article. A systematic review was undertaken, yielding a total of 30 studies published between 1971 and 2015 reporting the incidence of bad split and patient age, and/or surgical technique employed, and/or the presence of third molars. These included 22 retrospective cohort studies, six prospective cohort studies, one matched-pair analysis, and one case series. Spearman's rank correlation showed a statistically significant but weak correlation between increasing average age and increasing occurrence of bad splits in 18 studies (ρ=0.229; Pbad split among the different splitting techniques. A meta-analysis pooling the effect sizes of seven cohort studies showed no significant difference in the incidence of bad split between cohorts of patients with third molars present and concomitantly removed during surgery, and patients in whom third molars were removed at least 6 months preoperatively (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.85, Z=0.64, P=0.52). In summary, there is no robust evidence to date to show that any risk factor influences the incidence of bad split. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. 26 CFR 301.6511(d)-1 - Overpayment of income tax on account of bad debts, worthless securities, etc.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 18 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Overpayment of income tax on account of bad... bad debts, worthless securities, etc. (a)(1) If the claim for credit or refund relates to an... the deductibility of a bad debt under section 166 or section 832(c), or of a loss from the...

  11. See, reflect, learn more: qualitative analysis of breaking bad news reflective narratives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Palombo, Michal; Meitar, Dafna

    2018-05-01

    Breaking bad news (BBN) is a challenge that requires multiple professional competencies. BBN teaching often includes didactic and group role-playing sessions. Both are useful and important, but exclude another critical component of students' learning: day-to-day role-model observation in the clinics. Given the importance of observation and the potential benefit of reflective writing in teaching, we have incorporated reflective writing into our BBN course. The aim of this study was to enhance our understanding of the learning potential in reflective writing about BBN encounters and the ability to identify components that inhibit this learning. This was a systematic qualitative immersion/crystallization analysis of 166 randomly selected BBN narratives written by 83 senior medical students. We analysed the narratives in an iterative consensus-building process to identify the issues discussed, the lessons learned and the enhanced understanding of BBN. Having previously been unaware of, not invited to or having avoided BBN encounters, the mandatory assignment led students to search for or ask their mentors to join them in BBN encounters. Observation and reflective writing enhanced students' awareness that 'bad news' is relative and subjective, while shedding light on patients', families', physicians' and their own experiences and needs, revealing the importance of the different components of the BBN protocol. We identified diversity among the narratives and the extent of students' learning. Narrative writing provided students with an opportunity for a deliberative learning process. This led to deeper understanding of BBN encounters, of how to apply the newly taught protocol, or of the need for it. This process connected the formal and informal or hidden curricula. To maximise learning through reflective writing, students should be encouraged to write in detail about a recent observed encounter, analyse it according to the protocol, address different participants

  12. Badly approximable systems of linear forms in absolute value

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hussain, M.; Kristensen, Simon

    In this paper we show that the set of mixed type badly approximable simultaneously small linear forms is of maximal dimension. As a consequence of this theorem we settle the conjecture stated in [9]....

  13. Identification of Strategies to Leverage Public and Private Resources for National Security Workforce Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    2009-02-01

    This report documents the identification of strategies to leverage public and private resources for the development of an adequate national security workforce as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP).There are numerous efforts across the United States to develop a properly skilled and trained national security workforce. Some of these efforts are the result of the leveraging of public and private dollars. As budget dollars decrease and the demand for a properly skilled and trained national security workforce increases, it will become even more important to leverage every education and training dollar. The leveraging of dollars serves many purposes. These include increasing the amount of training that can be delivered and therefore increasing the number of people reached, increasing the number and quality of public/private partnerships, and increasing the number of businesses that are involved in the training of their future workforce.

  14. Financial Leverage Behaviour and Firm Performance: Evidence from Publicly Quoted Companies in Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Godsday Okoro Edesiri

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper scrutinizes financial leverage behaviour and firm performance of publicly quoted companies in Nigeria. Data of Leverage, Profitability and Firm Size were sourced from the Nigerian Stock Exchange Fact-book and Annual Report and Accounts of 120 publicly quoted companies in Nigeria during the period 1990 through 2013. Findings suggest that profitability and firm size had a negative effect on financial leverage behaviour of publicly quoted companies in Nigeria. Thus, it was recommended that firms should carry out projects that would help enhance size and profitability in all aspect of the firm. Size in terms of assets would help increase the internal funding. This in turn will have a positive impact on the financial structure of firm as more of internally generated funds will be used instead of external borrowings. Firms should not assume that making of profit shows good application of leverage as this was not found to be true from the analysis. This implies that the result can be relied upon for policy direction.

  15. Leveraged Leasing in the Federal Sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-12-01

    entity obtains cash while the private investors can depreciate the property and obtain investment tax credits and other tax benefits. The costs are borne...lease from a common base point to familiarize the reader with the applicable portions of generally accepted accounting principles, GAAP , and how they...chapter identifies the differences between a basic lease and a leveraged lease in terms of structure and accounting requirements relative to GAAP

  16. LABA AKUNTANSI, LEVERAGE, DAN UKURAN PERUSAHAAN TERHADAP HARGA SAHAM DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pujo Gunarso

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Research data observed in 2008-2010 coincided with the global financial crisis that caused the stock price todecline and could trigger the companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange to perform income smoothingpractices, with the condition of the researcher wanted to examine the effect of variable earnings, leverage andfirm size on stock prices. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of accounting earnings, leverageand firm size on stock prices of public companies listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The method of dataanalysis used was multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that some of the first findings ofaccounting earnings and firm size significantly affected stock prices. Both leverages did not significantlyaffect the stock price. The empirical results showed that the higher the accounting profit and the size of thecompany were, the higher the price of shares outstanding was, and conversely the smaller the size of thecompany’s stock price was, the less the price of shares outstanding was. The results of this study supported thetheory and the researches done by Ball & Brown (1968, Susan (2008, Sasongko & Wulandari (2006, Daniati& Suhairi (2006.

  17. Making the case: leveraging resources toward public health system improvement in Turning Point states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekemeier, Betty; Riley, Catharine M; Padgett, Stephen M; Berkowitz, Bobbie

    2007-01-01

    Leveraging funds to sustain the efforts of a grant-funded initiative is often an explicit, or implicit, expectation in philanthropy. However, the magnitude of funds leveraged and the factors that facilitate success in leveraging are rarely researched. An example of one of these grant-funded initiatives is the National Turning Point Initiative. Twenty-one states received funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of this initiative to establish and implement strategic goals for achieving significant statewide public health system improvement through diverse, cross-sector partnerships. Leaders from 17 of these 21 states participated in a two-phased study regarding the leveraging of additional funds for their public health infrastructure improvement activities. This article reports on the second phase of the study. In this phase, key informant interviews were conducted to examine how leveraging of resources occurred as part of this large national initiative. Findings indicate that the combination of a comprehensive planning process and a broad-based partnership was crucial in securing resources to expand their efforts. The ability to strategically respond to unexpected events and opportunities also helped states use their plans and partnerships to "make the case" for additional resources to improve their public health infrastructure.

  18. Reconsiderations: We Got the Wrong Gal--Rethinking the "Bad" Academic Writing of Judith Butler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birkenstein, Cathy

    2010-01-01

    It is hard to think of a writer whose work has been more prominently upheld as an example of bad academic writing than the philosopher and literary theorist Judith Butler. In 1998, Butler was awarded first prize in the annual Bad Writing Contest established by the journal "Philosophy and Literature," and early in 1999, was lampooned in an…

  19. Addressing Single and Multiple Bad Data in the Modern PMU-based Power System State Estimation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khazraj, Hesam; Silva, Filipe Miguel Faria da; Bak, Claus Leth

    2017-01-01

    utilization in state estimation can detect and identify single and multiple bad data in redundant and critical measurements. To validate simulations, IEEE 30 bus system are implemented in PowerFactory and Matlab is used to solve proposed state estimation using postprocessing of PMUs and mixed methods. Bad...

  20. Leveraging Innovation Capabilities of Asian Micro, Small and ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Leveraging Innovation Capabilities of Asian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises through Intermediary Organizations. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are a source of livelihood for billions of poor people worldwide. The current global economic downturn has hit these enterprises particularly hard, putting ...

  1. LESSONS FROM THE IMPACT OF INTERNAL AND MACROECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF BAD LOANS IN CEE BANKS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogdan Florin FILIP

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims identifying and analysing the determinants of bad loans in the banks from Central and Eastern Europe, while their accumulation may lead to malfunctions on macroeconomic level. Analysing 38 of the most representative banks in the region during 2004-2013, we found significant positive linkages of bad loans ratio with cost to income ratio, unemployment and crisis, but also significant negative linkages with bank size, activity mix, bank risk taking behaviour, real GDP growth and inflation. Moreover, using Panel Least Squares Fixed Effects Method, we found that the main determinants of bad loans ratio increase are bank size, crisis, unemployment and cost to income ratio. Contrary, activity mix, bank risk taking behaviour, real GDP growth and inflation proved to act against bad loans accumulation. The results offer important lessons which may be useful in the future both for the banks and also for the governments from this region.

  2. Defining and Leveraging Game Qualities for Serious Games

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Michael W.; Shen, Yuzhong

    2011-01-01

    Serious games can and should leverage the unique qualities of video games to effectively deliver educational experiences for the learners. However, leveraging these qualities is incumbent upon understanding what these unique 'game' qualities are , and how they can facilitate the learning process. This paper presents an examination of the meaning of the term 'game' . as it applies to both serious games and digital entertainment games. Through the examination of counter examples, we derive three game characteristics; games are self contained, provide a variety of meaningful choices, and are intrinsically compelling. We also discuss the theoretical educational foundations which support the application of these 'game qualities' to educational endeavors. This paper concludes with a presentation of results achieved through the application of these qualities and the applicable educational theories to teach learners about the periodic table of elements via a serious game developed by the authors.

  3. Influence analysis of Arctic tide gauges using leverages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svendsen, Peter Limkilde; Andersen, Ole Baltazar; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

    2014-01-01

    a calibration period, in this preliminary case Drakkar ocean model data, which are forced using historical tide gauge data from the PSMSL database. The resulting leverage for each tide gauge may indicate that it represents a distinct mode of variability, or that its time series is perturbed in a way......Reconstructions of historical sea level in the Arctic Ocean are fraught with difficulties related to lack of data, uneven distribution of tide gauges and seasonal ice cover. Considering the period from 1950 to the present, we attempt to identify conspicuous tide gauges in an automated way, using...... the statistical leverage of each individual gauge. This may be of help in determining appropriate procedures for data preprocessing, of particular importance for the Arctic area as the GIA is hard to constrain and many gauges are located on rivers. We use a model based on empirical orthogonal functions from...

  4. Statistical Image Properties in Large Subsets of Traditional Art, Bad Art, and Abstract Art.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redies, Christoph; Brachmann, Anselm

    2017-01-01

    Several statistical image properties have been associated with large subsets of traditional visual artworks. Here, we investigate some of these properties in three categories of art that differ in artistic claim and prestige: (1) Traditional art of different cultural origin from established museums and art collections (oil paintings and graphic art of Western provenance, Islamic book illustration and Chinese paintings), (2) Bad Art from two museums that collect contemporary artworks of lesser importance (© Museum Of Bad Art [MOBA], Somerville, and Official Bad Art Museum of Art [OBAMA], Seattle), and (3) twentieth century abstract art of Western provenance from two prestigious museums (Tate Gallery and Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen). We measured the following four statistical image properties: the fractal dimension (a measure relating to subjective complexity); self-similarity (a measure of how much the sections of an image resemble the image as a whole), 1st-order entropy of edge orientations (a measure of how uniformly different orientations are represented in an image); and 2nd-order entropy of edge orientations (a measure of how independent edge orientations are across an image). As shown previously, traditional artworks of different styles share similar values for these measures. The values for Bad Art and twentieth century abstract art show a considerable overlap with those of traditional art, but we also identified numerous examples of Bad Art and abstract art that deviate from traditional art. By measuring statistical image properties, we quantify such differences in image composition for the first time.

  5. Leverage, Asymmetric Information, Firm Value, and Cash Holdings in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aldea Mita Cheryta

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to analyze the effect of leverage and asymmetry information on the firm value through cash holding as mediation variable. The populations of this research were all the firms which listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange since 2012 – 2015. A sample of this research was saturated sample and census, consisted 56 firms related the population criteria.  This research used secondary data from the firm financial report through path analysis method. This research showed that leverage had a negative effect on the cash holdings, asymmetry information had a negative effect on the firm value through cash holding, and cash holding had a negative effect on the firm value.  With leverage and effect on cash, holding cannot affect the firm value, due to investor risk-averse, investor risk seeker, and neutral investor has their own point of view in assessing the company. Cash holdings can lead to asymmetric information that can lead to agency conflict that can affect a company's performance, so that indirectly, with the existence of asymmetry information had an effect on the declining the firm value. 

  6. Breaking bad news: patients' preferences and health locus of control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martins, Raquel Gomes; Carvalho, Irene Palmares

    2013-07-01

    To identify patients' preferences for models of communicating bad news and to explore how such preferences, and the reasons for the preferences, relate with personality characteristics, specifically patients' health locus of control (HLC): internal/external and 'powerful others' (PO). Seventy-two patients from an oncology clinic watched videotaped scenarios of a breaking bad news moment, selected the model they preferred, filled an HLC scale and were interviewed about their choices. Data were analyzed with Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Interviews were content-analyzed. 77.8% preferred an "empathic professional", 12.5% a "distanced expert" and 9.7% an "emotionally burdened expert". Preferences varied significantly with HLC scores (patients with higher internal locus of control (ILC) and lower PO preferred the empathic model), presence of cancer, age and education. Patients explained their preferences through aspects of Caring, Professionalism, Wording, Time and Hope. ILC registered significant differences in regards to Wording and Time, whereas PO was associated with Hope and Time. HLC is an important dimension that can help doctors to better know their patients. Knowing whether patients attribute their health to their own behaviors or to chance/others can help tailor the disclosure of bad news to their specific preferences. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Relationship between mandibular anatomy and the occurrence of a bad split upon sagittal split osteotomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aarabi, Mohammadali; Tabrizi, Reza; Hekmat, Mina; Shahidi, Shoaleh; Puzesh, Ayatollah

    2014-12-01

    A bad split is a troublesome complication of the sagittal split osteotomy (SSO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the occurrence of a bad split and mandibular anatomy in SSO using cone-beam computed tomography. The authors designed a cohort retrospective study. Forty-eight patients (96 SSO sites) were studied. The buccolingual thickness of the retromandibular area (BLR), the buccolingual thickness of the ramus at the level of the lingula (BLTR), the height of the mandible from the alveolar crest to the inferior border of the mandible, (ACIB), the distance between the sigmoid notch and the inferior border of the mandible (SIBM), and the anteroposterior width of the ramus (APWR) were measured. The independent t test was applied to compare anatomic measurements between the group with and the group without bad splits. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) test was used to find a cutoff point in anatomic size for various parts of the mandible related to the occurrence of bad splits. The mean SIBM was 47.05±6.33 mm in group 1 (with bad splits) versus 40.66±2.44 mm in group 2 (without bad splits; P=.01). The mean BLTR was 5.74±1.11 mm in group 1 versus 3.19±0.55 mm in group 2 (P=.04). The mean BLR was 14.98±2.78 mm in group 1 versus 11.21±1.29 mm in group 2 (P=.001). No statistically significant difference was found for APWR and ACIB between the 2 groups. The ROC test showed cutoff points of 10.17 mm for BLR, 36.69 mm for SIBM, and 4.06 mm for BLTR. This study showed that certain mandibular anatomic differences can increase the risk of a bad split during SSO surgery. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Breaking bad news of cancer diagnosis - Perception of the cancer patients in a rural community in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bain, Mathew Gabriel; Lian, Cheah Whye; Thon, Chang Ching

    2014-04-01

    Breaking of bad news is an important component in the management of cancer patients. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of breaking bad news of cancer diagnosis. It was a cross-sectional study using Breaking Bad News Assessment Schedule (BAS) questionnaire on cancer patients in Serian district. Using snowballing sampling method, a total of 134 patients were interviewed face-to-face after the consent was obtained from each of the respondents. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 19.0. Majority were comfortable with the current method of breaking bad news. The main aspects found to be the areas of concern were the importance of the usage of body language, management of time and identifying patients' key area of concerns. There were significant difference between sex and "information giving" (P = 0.028) and "general consideration" (P = 0.016) and also between "the age and setting the scene" (P = 0.042). Significant difference was also found between the types of cancer and "the setting of scene" (P = 0.018), "breaking bad news technique" (P = 0.010), "eliciting concerns" (P = 0.003) and "information giving" (P = 0.004). Good and effective communication skill of breaking bad news is vital in the management of cancer patients. As the incidence of new cases of cancer increase every year, breaking of bad news has become a pertinent to the medical professionals' role. Specific aspects of communication skills based on local characteristics should be more emphasized in the formulation of training for doctors.

  9. Manifestations of Bad Governance on the Threshold of African ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012-10-02

    Oct 2, 2012 ... This orbits around the problems of bad governance ... has become less and less loathed, but rather more and more a business with governance actors like the leaders and representatives not visualizing ethical responsibility ...

  10. Beta : The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Driessen, Joost; van Zundert, J.

    2017-01-01

    This paper decomposes aggregate and individual stock returns into cash flow news, interest rate news, and risk premium news. We then extend the “good beta, bad beta” approach of Campbell and Vuolteenaho (2004) by allowing for a third beta: exposure to interest rate news. Using various stock

  11. Is Sitting Too Much Bad for Your Health?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huysmans, M.A.; van der Ploeg, H.P.; Proper, K.I.; Spekle, E.M.; van der Beek, A.J.

    2015-01-01

    Office workers spend a large part of their workday sitting down. Too much sitting seems bad for people's health and puts them at risk for premature death. Workstation alternatives that allow desk work to be done while standing, walking, biking, or stepping reduce the total time spent sitting without

  12. BAD-dependent regulation of fuel metabolism and K(ATP) channel activity confers resistance to epileptic seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giménez-Cassina, Alfredo; Martínez-François, Juan Ramón; Fisher, Jill K; Szlyk, Benjamin; Polak, Klaudia; Wiwczar, Jessica; Tanner, Geoffrey R; Lutas, Andrew; Yellen, Gary; Danial, Nika N

    2012-05-24

    Neuronal excitation can be substantially modulated by alterations in metabolism, as evident from the anticonvulsant effect of diets that reduce glucose utilization and promote ketone body metabolism. We provide genetic evidence that BAD, a protein with dual functions in apoptosis and glucose metabolism, imparts reciprocal effects on metabolism of glucose and ketone bodies in brain cells. These effects involve phosphoregulation of BAD and are independent of its apoptotic function. BAD modifications that reduce glucose metabolism produce a marked increase in the activity of metabolically sensitive K(ATP) channels in neurons, as well as resistance to behavioral and electrographic seizures in vivo. Seizure resistance is reversed by genetic ablation of the K(ATP) channel, implicating the BAD-K(ATP) axis in metabolic control of neuronal excitation and seizure responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Leveraging organisational cultural capital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Scheel

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Organisational culture discourse mandates a linear approach of diagnosis, measurement and gap analysis as standard practice in relation to most culture change initiatives. Therefore, a problem solving framework geared toward “fixing�? and/or realigning an organisation’s culture is usually prescribed. The traditional problem solving model seeks to identify gaps between current and desired organisational cultural states, inhibiting the discovery of an organisation’s unique values and strengths, namely its cultural capital. In pursuit of discovering and leveraging organisational cultural capital, a descriptive case study is used to show how an Appreciative Inquiry process can rejuvenate the spirit of an organisation as a system-wide inquiry mobilises a workforce toward a shared vision.

  14. Short-Selling, Leverage and Systemic Risk

    OpenAIRE

    Pais, Amelia; Stork, Philip A.

    2013-01-01

    During the Global Financial Crisis, regulators imposed short-selling bans to protect financial institutions. The rationale behind the bans was that “bear raids”, driven by short-sellers, would increase the individual and systemic risk of financial institutions, especially for institutions with high leverage. This study uses Extreme Value Theory to estimate the effect of short-selling on financial institutions’ individual and systemic risks in France, Italy and Spain; it also analyses the rela...

  15. The Influence of Board of Directors, Independent Board of Commissioners, Leverage, and Corporate Activities To Disclosure of Sustainability Report.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eria Nissa Awalia

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This research was intended to examine the influences of board of directors, board of independent commissioner, leverage, and activity of company toward sustainability report disclosure. Sustainability Report Disclosure is the dependent variable sinthis research were measured by GRIG 3.1 Content Index and Checklists. For the independent variables in this research, using board of directors were measured by sum of directors meetings, board of in dependent commissioner were measured by proportion of independent commissioner, leverage were measured by debt to equity, activity of company were measured by total asset turnover. This research uses secondary data which is financial statement. and sustainability report from Indonesian Stock Exchange Listed Companies in 2010-2012. While the sampling method used was purposive sampling method which is overall 39 observations. This research uses multiple regression method to test the hypothesis with SPSS computer program. From the analysis performed in this research, it can be concluded that board of directors, and leverage have no significant influence to sustainability report disclosure. The other hand activity of company has positive influence and significant to sustainability report disclosure. And Board of independent commissioner has negative influence and significant to sustainability reporting disclosure.

  16. Medical students' attitudes towards breaking bad news: an empirical test of the World Health Organization model.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Valck, C. de; Bensing, J.; Bruynooghe, R.

    2001-01-01

    The literature regarding breaking bad news distinguishes three disclosure models: non-disclosure, full-disclosure and individualized disclosure. In this study, we investigated the relations between attitudes regarding disclosure of bad news and global professional attitudes regarding medical care in

  17. Bad news transmission as a function of the definitiveness of consequences and the relationship between communicator and recipient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weenig, M W; Groenenboom, A C; Wilke, H A

    2001-03-01

    There is ample evidence suggesting (e.g., A. Tesser & S. Rosen, 1975) that people are reluctant to transmit bad news. Research on rumors, on the other hand, suggests that people sometimes are less reluctant to transmit bad news. It is argued that differences between the 2 lines of research include the definitiveness of the consequences of the news and the relationship between communicator and recipient. The influence of these 2 factors on news transmission was investigated in 3 experiments. Results showed that bad news with indefinite consequences was transmitted more often than bad news with definite consequences and that both kinds of bad news were transmitted more often if the recipient was a friend rather than a stranger. Differences in feelings of moral responsibility to transmit the news largely accounted for both effects. The 2 factors did not affect the likelihood of good news transmission.

  18. Forecasting stock return volatility: A comparison between the roles of short-term and long-term leverage effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Zhiyuan; Liu, Li

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we extend the GARCH-MIDAS model proposed by Engle et al. (2013) to account for the leverage effect in short-term and long-term volatility components. Our in-sample evidence suggests that both short-term and long-term negative returns can cause higher future volatility than positive returns. Out-of-sample results show that the predictive ability of GARCH-MIDAS is significantly improved after taking the leverage effect into account. The leverage effect for short-term volatility component plays more important role than the leverage effect for long-term volatility component in affecting out-of-sample forecasting performance.

  19. From smoke to bad fish: DTU students invent new uses for sensor technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, Lisbeth

    2018-01-01

    A sensor that can register smoke from a fire can also be used to register even the faintest odeur of bad fish. This is what a team of students behind the recently started business, Fishent, discovered.......A sensor that can register smoke from a fire can also be used to register even the faintest odeur of bad fish. This is what a team of students behind the recently started business, Fishent, discovered....

  20. 78 FR 35091 - Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel BAD INFLUENCE; Invitation for...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Maritime Administration [Docket No. MARAD-2013 0072] Requested Administrative Waiver of the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel BAD INFLUENCE; Invitation for Public Comments AGENCY....gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As described by the applicant the intended service of the vessel BAD...

  1. PENGARUH STRUKTUR KEPEMILIKAN, LEVERAGE, PROFITABILITAS DAN KEBIJAKAN DIVIDEN TERHADAP MANAJEMEN LABA DENGAN KUALITAS AUDIT SEBAGAI VARIABEL MODERASI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayu Dwi Hasty

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to examine the effect of ownership structure, leverage, profitability and dividend policy on earnings management. In addition, this study wanted to test audit quality as a moderating variable on the relationship between ownership structure, leverage, profitability and dividend policy on earnings management. Independent variables used in this research are managerial ownership, leverage, profitability, and dividend policy. Dependent variable used in this research is earnings management. While the moderation variable used in this research is audit quality. The sample in this research is a manufacturing company listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange in the period 2013-2015. The total sample used was 99 for three consecutive years, taken through purposive sampling. The method of analysis of this research using multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that managerial ownership negatively affect earnings management, leverage and profitability have a positive effect on earnings management, while dividend policy has no positive effect on earnings management for model 1. As for model 2 shows that managerial ownership has a significant negative effect on earnings management, leverage, profitability and dividend policy have a positive effect on earnings management. Audit quality is not able to moderate the relationship between managerial ownership, leverage, profitability, dividend policy on earnings management. Keywords: managerial ownership, leverage, profitability, dividend policy, earnings management, audit quality

  2. Comparison Between Conventional and Post-Processing PMU-Based State Estimation to Deal with Bad Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khazraj, Hesam; Silva, Filipe Miguel Faria da; Bak, Claus Leth

    2017-01-01

    simulations, IEEE 30 bus is implemented in PowerFactory and Matlab is used to solve proposed state estimation using post-processing of PMUs. Bad data is generated manually and added in PMU and conventional measurements profile. Finally, the location and analysis of bad data are available by result of largest...

  3. Common meanings of good and bad sleep in a healthy population sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, Suzanne S; Klingman, Karen J; Jungquist, Carla R

    2016-09-01

    The study's purpose was to understand the common meanings and shared practices related to good and bad sleep from narratives of a sample of healthy participants. Interpretive phenomenology was the approach to analyze narratives of the participants' everyday experiences with sleep. Participants were interviewed and asked to describe typical good and bad nights' sleep, what contributes to their sleep experience, and the importance of sleep in their lives. Team interpretations of narratives identified common themes by consensus. Medium sized city in New York State (upper west region). A sample of 30 healthy participants were from a parent study (n=300) on testing the sleep questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interpretations of good and bad sleep. Participants described similar experiences of good and bad sleep often directly related to their ability to schedule time to sleep, fall asleep, and maintain sleep. Worrying about life stresses and interruptions prevented participants from falling asleep and staying asleep. Yet, based on current life priorities (socializers, family work focused, and optimum health seekers), they had differing values related to seeking sleep opportunities and strategizing to overcome challenges. The participants' priorities reflected the context of their main concerns and stresses in life that influenced the importance given to promoting sleep opportunities. Public health messages tailored to life priorities could be developed to promote healthy sleep practices. Copyright © 2016 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Regional imbalanced activation of the calcineurin/BAD apoptotic pathway and the PI3K/Akt survival pathway after myocardial infarction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tieluo; Kilic, Ahmet; Wei, Xufeng; Wu, Changfu; Schwartzbauer, Gary; Yankey, G Kwame; DeFilippi, Christopher; Bond, Meredith; Wu, Zhongjun J; Griffith, Bartley P

    2013-06-05

    The underlying molecular mechanisms of the remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a survival pathway (PI3K/Akt) and an apoptosis pathway (calcineurin/BAD) in the remodeling after MI in a large animal model. Ten Dorset hybrid sheep underwent 25% MI in the left ventricle (LV, n=10). Five sheep were used as sham control. The regional strain was calculated from sonomicrometry. Apoptosis and the activation of the PI3K/Akt and calcineurin/BAD pathways were evaluated in the non-ischemic adjacent zone and the remote zone relative to infarct by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence staining. Dilation and dysfunction of LV were present at 12 weeks after MI. The regional strain in the adjacent zone was significantly higher than in the remote zone at 12 weeks (36.6 ± 4.0% vs 9.5 ± 3.6%, pBAD pathways were activated in the adjacent zone. Dephosphorylation and translocation of BAD were evident in the adjacent zone. Regional correlation between the strain and the expression of calcineurin/BAD indicated that the activation was strain-related (R(2)=0.46, 0.48, 0.39 for calcineurin, BAD, mitochondrial BAD, respectively, pBAD apoptotic pathways were concomitantly activated in the non-ischemic adjacent zone after MI. The calcineurin/BAD pathway is strain related and its imbalanced activation may be one of the causes of progressive remodeling after MI. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Main communication barriers in the process of delivering bad news to oncological patients - medical perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zielińska, Paulina; Jarosz, Magdalena; Kwiecińska, Agnieszka; Bętkowska-Korpała, Barbara

    2017-01-01

    Delivering bad news is a major aspect of a doctor's work. The literature most often refers to patient's expectations or needs, and methods of delivering bad news, while medical perspective is often skipped. The purpose of this paper is to examine competencies (knowledge, skills and experience) in delivering bad news by medical specialists in the areas related to the causal and symptomatic treatment of oncological patients; identification of major communication problems and obstacles in this specific situation and evaluation of teaching needs for delivering bad news. The study was performed on a group of 61 medical specialists in the areas related to the causal and symptomatic treatment of oncological patients, using a self-generated questionnaire based on other studies in the literature. Topics that are considered most demanding are: delivering news on the termination of causal treatment and preparing the patient/ close ones for death. The most difficult aspect of such discussions for the respondents was associated with the emotions manifested by the patient. On the other hand, doctors were mostly distressed by the feeling of taking the patient's hope away. The study points to the need for education of doctors in the eld of techniques for delivering bad news, particularly in the area of dealing with the emotions manifested by the patient and giving them real hope. The results encourage to conduct studies on a larger group of doctors.

  6. PENGARUH LEVERAGE, LIKUIDITAS, UKURAN PERUSAHAAN, DAN KUALITAS AUDIT TERHADAP KUALITAS INFORMASI LAPORAN KEUANGAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanti Susanti

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to examine issues relating to the measurement of the quality of empirical studies of financial statement information on the company property and real estate the period 2008-2011 . This study use the four independent variables , namely , leverage , liquidity , firm size , and audit quality and the use of the dependent variable as a proxy for the quality of the timeliness of financial information. This study uses targeted Sampling (purposive sampling . Population in this research is that companies engaged in property and real estate are listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the study period between 2008 to 2011 . Sample totaled 128 with 32 companies that have been based on the criteria specified . Analysis of research data using multiple linear regression with SPSS Version 16.0 . Based on the analysis performed in this study shows that of the four proposed variables (leverage , liquidity , firm size , and quality audit only liquidity that have a significant positive impact on the quality of financial reporting information , while leverage , firm size , and quality audit is not affect the quality of financial reporting information. Keyword: leverage, liquidity, firm size, audit quality, timeliness.

  7. PENGARUH KUALITAS AKRUAL DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP CASH HOLDING PERUSAHAAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anggita Langgeng Wijaya

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available This research tests the effect of accrual quality and leverage on corporate cash holding for a sample of manufacturing company listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange over the period 2006-2007. This research also tests the role of asymmetric information as a mediating variable on the relation between accrual quality and cash holding. Population of this research is 197 manufacturing companies at the Indonesian Stock Exchange. This research uses the purposive sampling method. Hypothesis test of this research em­ploys multiple regression analysis and path analysis. The results show that: accrual quality does not affect asymmetric information; asymmetric information positively affects corporate cash holdings; asymmetric information is not a mediating variable on the relation between accrual quality and cash holding; leverage negatively affects corporate cash holding.

  8. On predictability of rare events leveraging social media: a machine learning perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Le, Lei; Ferrara, Emilio; Flammini, Alessandro

    2015-01-01

    Information extracted from social media streams has been leveraged to forecast the outcome of a large number of real-world events, from political elections to stock market fluctuations. An increasing amount of studies demonstrates how the analysis of social media conversations provides cheap access to the wisdom of the crowd. However, extents and contexts in which such forecasting power can be effectively leveraged are still unverified at least in a systematic way. It is also unclear how soci...

  9. Breaking bad news in the emergency department: a comparative analysis among residents, patients and family members' perceptions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toutin-Dias, Gabriela; Daglius-Dias, Roger; Scalabrini-Neto, Augusto

    2018-02-01

    Our main objective was to assess patient and family members' perception of bad news communication in the emergency department (ED) and compare these with physicians' perceptions. This is a cross-sectional study carried out at the ED of a tertiary teaching hospital. To compare physicians' and receivers' (patient and/or family member) perceptions, we created a survey based on the six attributes derived from the SPIKES protocol. The surveys were applied immediately after communication of bad news occurred in the ED. We analyzed agreement among participants using κ-statistics and the χ-test to compare proportions. A total of 73 bad news communication encounters were analyzed. The survey respondents were 73 physicians, 69 family members, and four patients. In general, there is a low level of agreement between physicians' and receivers' perceptions of how breaking bad news transpired. The satisfaction level of receivers, in terms of breaking bad news by doctors, presented a mean of 3.7±0.6 points. In contrast, the physicians' perception of the communication was worse (2.9±0.6 points), with P value less than 0.001. Doctors and receivers disagree in relation to what transpired throughout bad news communications. Discrepancies were more evident in issues involving emotion, invitation, and privacy. An important agreement between perceptions was found in technical and knowledge-related aspects of the communication.

  10. Effects of Vinegar Bad and Flyash on the Growth of Sorghum and the Improvement of Saline Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FAN Na

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Based on the sorghum growth and salinity soil improvement, the effects of vinegar bad and flyash on the growth of sorghum and the improvement of saline soils were studied. The experiment was carried out with random block design, in 4 treatment, which were pure vinegar bad(treatment 1, vinegar bad and fly ash 1:1 ratio(treatment 2, vinegar bad and fly ash 2:1 ratio(treatment 3 and control respectively. The results showed that the contents of available nutrient in the four periods of sorghum growth increased firstly and then decreased, and the effect of vinegar bad and flyash treatment was better than that of control. Among them, the ratio 1:1 of vinegar and fly ash had the best effect. The results showed that compared with the control, the soil bulk density of treatment 1~3 was decreased by 19.6%, 28.6% and 11.32%, respectively. The spike length of treatment 1~3 was 6.25%, 9.06%, 3.93% higher than that of the control, respectively. The yield per plant of treatment 1~3 was increased by 10.53%, 13.26% and 8.89%, respectively. In summary, vinegar bad, flyash could improve the physical and chemical properties of saline soil, improve the environment of deep soil for plant growth, thereby increase the yield of sorghum.

  11. Banking Competition and Stability : The Role of Leverage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Freixas, X.; Ma, K.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reexamines the classical issue of the possible trade-offs between banking competition and financial stability by highlighting different types of risk and the role of leverage. By means of a simple model we show that competition can affect portfolio risk, insolvency risk, liquidity risk,

  12. THE EFFECT OF LEVERAGE AND ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED ON MARKET VALUE ADDED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristína Jančovičová BOGNÁROVÁ

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Economic value added (EVA is a performance measure developed by Stern Stewart & Co. that attempts to measure the true economic profit produced by a company. Such a metric is useful for investors who wish to determine how well a company has produced value for its investors, and it can be compared against the company's peers for a quick analysis of how well the company is operating in its industry. Market value added (MVA, on the other hand, is simply the difference between the current total market value of a company and the capital contributed by investors (including both shareholders and bondholders. It is typically used for companies that are larger and publicly-traded. MVA is not a performance metric like EVA, but instead is a wealth metric, measuring the level of value a company has accumulated over time. In order to maximise the value for shareholders, companies should strive towards maximising MVA and not necessarily their total market value. It is believed, that the best way to do so is to maximize EVA, which reflects a company’s ability to earn returns above the cost of capital. The leverage available to companies that incur fixed costs and use borrowed capital with a fixed interest charge has been known and quantified by financial managers for some time. In this research the effect of leverage and EVA on MVA as the measure of shareholder wealth creation was analysed. Leverage and EVA have been used as the independent variables whereas MVA has been used as the measure of shareholder wealth creation. Correlation and regression methods have been employed to find out in what way financial managers can practice the effects of leverage and EVA to maximize MVA. The results showed that EVA and leverage have no profound impact on MVA of the selected Slovak companies

  13. Leveraging Collaborative Filtering to Accelerate Rare Disease Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Feichen; Liu, Sijia; Wang, Yanshan; Wang, Liwei; Afzal, Naveed; Liu, Hongfang

    2017-01-01

    In the USA, rare diseases are defined as those affecting fewer than 200,000 patients at any given time. Patients with rare diseases are frequently misdiagnosed or undiagnosed which may due to the lack of knowledge and experience of care providers. We hypothesize that patients' phenotypic information available in electronic medical records (EMR) can be leveraged to accelerate disease diagnosis based on the intuition that providers need to document associated phenotypic information to support the diagnosis decision, especially for rare diseases. In this study, we proposed a collaborative filtering system enriched with natural language processing and semantic techniques to assist rare disease diagnosis based on phenotypic characterization. Specifically, we leveraged four similarity measurements with two neighborhood algorithms on 2010-2015 Mayo Clinic unstructured large patient cohort and evaluated different approaches. Preliminary results demonstrated that the use of collaborative filtering with phenotypic information is able to stratify patients with relatively similar rare diseases.

  14. Leverage of a sport mega-event branding : a case study of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

    OpenAIRE

    2014-01-01

    D.Comm. (Sport Management) The primary objective of the study was to establish what brand leverage strategies could be implemented in sport mega-event branding based on the case study of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The secondary objectives focused on discovering the dimensions of sport mega-event branding, investigating the areas of sport mega-event impacts and leverage, identifying sport mega-event brand leverage activation tools and understanding the role of mega-event brand le...

  15. Bad Loans and Loan Write-Offs

    OpenAIRE

    福田, 慎一; 鯉渕, 賢

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate who bears the burden when writing off bad loans in Japan. Traditionally, Japanese main banks bore large burdens in saving their customers. We still find that some main banks bear a large burden in saving their customers. However, in most cases, main banks became very reluctant to bear large burdens when bailing out their customers. In the transition from the bank-based system to a market-based system, traditional implicit rules are collapsing dramatically. We sug...

  16. 32 CFR 887.7 - Persons separated under other than honorable conditions (undesirable or bad conduct) or...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Persons separated under other than honorable conditions (undesirable or bad conduct) or dishonorable discharge. 887.7 Section 887.7 National Defense... honorable conditions (undesirable or bad conduct) or dishonorable discharge. Those persons whose character...

  17. Self-Deception in the Classroom: Educational Manifestations of Sartre's Concept of Bad Faith

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blenkinsop, Sean; Waddington, Tim

    2014-01-01

    This article explores an important section of Jean-Paul Sartre's famous early work, "Being and Nothingness." In that section Sartre proposes that part of the human condition is to actively engage in a particular kind of self-deception he calls bad faith. Bad faith is recognized by the obvious inconsistency between the purported…

  18. Real interest rates, leverage, and bank risk-taking

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dell’Ariccia, G.; Laeven, L.; Marquez, R.

    2014-01-01

    Do low interest rate environments lead to greater bank risk-taking? We show that, when banks can adjust their capital structures, reductions in real interest rates lead to greater leverage and higher risk for any downward sloping loan demand function. However, if the capital structure is fixed, the

  19. Variants in KCNJ11 and BAD do not predict response to ketogenic dietary therapies for epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoeler, Natasha E; Leu, Costin; White, Jon; Plagnol, Vincent; Ellard, Sian; Matarin, Mar; Yellen, Gary; Thiele, Elizabeth A; Mackay, Mark; McMahon, Jacinta M; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Sander, Josemir W; Cross, J Helen; Sisodiya, Sanjay M

    2015-12-01

    In the absence of specific metabolic disorders, predictors of response to ketogenic dietary therapies (KDT) are unknown. We aimed to determine whether variants in established candidate genes KCNJ11 and BAD influence response to KDT. We sequenced KCNJ11 and BAD in individuals without previously-known glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome or other metabolic disorders, who received KDT for epilepsy. Hospital records were used to obtain demographic and clinical data. Two response phenotypes were used: ≥ 50% seizure reduction and seizure-freedom at 3-month follow-up. Case/control association tests were conducted with KCNJ11 and BAD variants with minor allele frequency (MAF)>0.01, using PLINK. Response to KDT in individuals with variants with MAFBAD sequencing data and diet response data. Six SNPs in KCNJ11 and two in BAD had MAF>0.01. Eight variants in KCNJ11 and seven in BAD (of which three were previously-unreported) had MAFBAD do not predict response to KDT for epilepsy. We can exclude, with 80% power, association from variants with a MAF of >0.05 and effect size >3. A larger sample size is needed to detect associations from rare variants or those with smaller effect sizes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Bad dream frequency in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder: prevalence, correlates, and effect of cognitive behavioral treatment for anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadorff, Michael R; Porter, Ben; Rhoades, Howard M; Greisinger, Anthony J; Kunik, Mark E; Stanley, Melinda A

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the relation between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and frequency of bad dreams in older adults. A secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety to enhanced usual care (EUC) assessed bad dream frequency at baseline, post treatment (3 months), and at 6, 9, 12, and 15 months. Of 227 participants (mean age = 67.4), 134 met GAD diagnostic criteria (CBT = 70, EUC = 64), with the remaining 93 serving as a comparison group. Patients with GAD had significantly more bad dreams than those without, and bad dream frequency was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, worry, and poor quality of life. CBT for anxiety significantly reduced bad dream frequency at post treatment and throughout follow up compared to EUC.

  1. 13 CFR 107.1160 - Maximum amount of Leverage for a Section 301(d) Licensee.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Leverage, you must maintain Venture Capital Financings (at cost) that equal at least 30 percent of your... maintain at least the same dollar amount of Venture Capital Financings (at cost). (e) Definition of “Total... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maximum amount of Leverage for a...

  2. Universal quantum gates for photon-atom hybrid systems assisted by bad cavities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guan-Yu; Liu, Qian; Wei, Hai-Rui; Li, Tao; Ai, Qing; Deng, Fu-Guo

    2016-01-01

    We present two deterministic schemes for constructing a CNOT gate and a Toffoli gate on photon-atom and photon-atom-atom hybrid quantum systems assisted by bad cavities, respectively. They are achieved by cavity-assisted photon scattering and work in the intermediate coupling region with bad cavities, which relaxes the difficulty of their implementation in experiment. Also, bad cavities are feasible for fast quantum operations and reading out information. Compared with previous works, our schemes do not need any auxiliary qubits and measurements. Moreover, the schematic setups for these gates are simple, especially that for our Toffoli gate as only a quarter wave packet is used to interact the photon with each of the atoms every time. These atom-cavity systems can be used as the quantum nodes in long-distance quantum communication as their relatively long coherence time is suitable for multi-time operations between the photon and the system. Our calculations show that the average fidelities and efficiencies of our two universal hybrid quantum gates are high with current experimental technology. PMID:27067992

  3. eButterfly: Leveraging Massive Online Citizen Science for Butterfly Conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prudic, Kathleen L.; McFarland, Kent P.; Oliver, Jeffrey C.; Hutchinson, Rebecca A.; Long, Elizabeth C.; Kerr, Jeremy T.; Larrivée, Maxim

    2017-01-01

    Data collection, storage, analysis, visualization, and dissemination are changing rapidly due to advances in new technologies driven by computer science and universal access to the internet. These technologies and web connections place human observers front and center in citizen science-driven research and are critical in generating new discoveries and innovation in such fields as astronomy, biodiversity, and meteorology. Research projects utilizing a citizen science approach address scientific problems at regional, continental, and even global scales otherwise impossible for a single lab or even a small collection of academic researchers. Here we describe eButterfly an integrative checklist-based butterfly monitoring and database web-platform that leverages the skills and knowledge of recreational butterfly enthusiasts to create a globally accessible unified database of butterfly observations across North America. Citizen scientists, conservationists, policy makers, and scientists are using eButterfly data to better understand the biological patterns of butterfly species diversity and how environmental conditions shape these patterns in space and time. eButterfly in collaboration with thousands of butterfly enthusiasts has created a near real-time butterfly data resource producing tens of thousands of observations per year open to all to share and explore. PMID:28524117

  4. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, UKURAN PERUSAHAAN, DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP MANAJEMEN LABA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR INDONESIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Jao

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The aims of the research are to find out (1 influence of corporate governance which is arecategorized into managerial ownership, institutional ownership, board size, boardcomposition of independent commissioners, and audit committees on earnings management,(2 influence of firm size on earnings management, (3 influence of leverage on earningsmanagement. This study drew 28 samples from manufacturing companies listed in IndonesiaStock Exchange with a purposive sampling technique. The research data was collected fromannual reports within a period 2006 to 2009 of the Capital Market Reference Centre ofIndonesian Stock Exchange. The method of analysis was multiple linear regressions. Theresults of the study indicated that (1 corporate governance with managerial ownership,board composition of independent commissioners, and audit committee had significantnegative influence on earnings management, while institutional ownership and board size hadsignificant positive influence on earnings management, (2 firm size had significant negativeinfluence on earnings management, (3 leverage had not significant influence on earningsmanagement. Keywords:corporate governance, firm size, leverage, earnings management, annual report

  5. Modeling Financial Time Series Based on a Market Microstructure Model with Leverage Effect

    OpenAIRE

    Yanhui Xi; Hui Peng; Yemei Qin

    2016-01-01

    The basic market microstructure model specifies that the price/return innovation and the volatility innovation are independent Gaussian white noise processes. However, the financial leverage effect has been found to be statistically significant in many financial time series. In this paper, a novel market microstructure model with leverage effects is proposed. The model specification assumed a negative correlation in the errors between the price/return innovation and the volatility innovation....

  6. The association between smoking and ectopic pregnancy: why nicotine is BAD for your fallopian tube.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew W Horne

    Full Text Available Epidemiological studies have shown that cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for tubal ectopic pregnancy but the reason for this remains unclear. Here, we set out to determine the effect of smoking on Fallopian tube gene expression. An oviductal epithelial cell line (OE-E6/E7 and explants of human Fallopian tubes from non-pregnant women (n = 6 were exposed to physiologically relevant concentrations of cotinine, the principle metabolite of nicotine, and changes in gene expression analyzed using the Illumina Human HT-12 array. Cotinine sensitive genes identified through this process were then localized and quantified in Fallopian tube biopsies from non-pregnant smokers (n = 10 and non-smokers (n = 11 using immunohistochemistry and TaqMan RT-PCR. The principle cotinine induced change in gene expression detected by the array analysis in both explants and the cell line was significant down regulation (P<0.05 of the pro-apoptotic gene BAD. We therefore assessed the effect of smoking on cell turnover in retrospectively collected human samples. Consistent with the array data, smoking was associated with decreased levels of BAD transcript (P<0.01 and increased levels of BCL2 transcript (P<0.05 in Fallopian tube biopsies. BAD and BCL2 specific immunolabelling was localized to Fallopian tube epithelium. Although no other significant differences in levels of apoptosis or cell cycle associated proteins were observed, smoking was associated with significant changes in the morphology of the Fallopian tube epithelium (P<0.05. These results suggest that smoking may alter tubal epithelial cell turnover and is associated with structural, as well as functional, changes that may contribute to the development of ectopic pregnancy.

  7. PENGARUH CORPORATE GOVERNANCE DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS BANK YANG GO PUBLIC DI INDONESIA PERIODE 2009-2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamidah Hamidah

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The Objective of this study were to examine the effects of corporate governance and leverage on profitability banking companies. The samples from this study is the banking company located in Indonesia are listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI in the period 2009-2012. Corporate Governance mechanisms such as: board of directors, independent commissioners, institutional ownership and managerial ownership, and leverage on profitability (proxies by return on assets. These results indicate that the board of directors have negative and insignificant effect on return on assets. Independent commissioners have a positif and insignificant effect on return on assets. The proportion of institutional ownership, the proportion of managerial, and Leverage have negative and significant. The results show that corporate governance and leverage have simultaneously effect on return on assets of the banking company.

  8. Leveraging Mobile Games for Place-Based Language Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holden, Christopher L.; Sykes, Julie M.

    2011-01-01

    This paper builds on the emerging body of research aimed at exploring the educational potential of mobile technologies, specifically, how to leverage place-based, augmented reality mobile games for language learning. Mentira is the first place-based, augmented reality mobile game for learning Spanish in a local neighborhood in the Southwestern…

  9. Tumor Talk and Child Well-Being: Perceptions of "Good" and "Bad" News Among Parents of Children With Advanced Cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feraco, Angela M; Dussel, Veronica; Orellana, Liliana; Kang, Tammy I; Geyer, J Russell; Rosenberg, Abby R; Feudtner, Chris; Wolfe, Joanne

    2017-05-01

    Little is known about how parents of children with advanced cancer classify news they receive about their child's medical condition. To develop concepts of "good news" and "bad news" in discussions of advanced childhood cancer from parent perspectives. Parents of children with advanced cancer cared for at three children's hospitals were asked to share details of conversations in the preceding three months that contained "good news" or "bad news" related to their child's medical condition. We used mixed methods to evaluate parent responses to both open-ended and fixed-response items. Of 104 enrolled parents, 86 (83%) completed the survey. Six (7%) parents reported discussing neither good nor bad news, 18 (21%) reported only bad news, 15 (17%) reported only good news, and 46 (54%) reported both good and bad news (one missing response). Seventy-six parents (88%) answered free-response items. Descriptions of both good and bad news discussions consisted predominantly of "tumor talk" or cancer control. Additional treatment options featured prominently, particularly in discussions of bad news (42%). Child well-being, an important good news theme, encompassed treatment tolerance, symptom reduction, and quality of life. A majority of parents of children with advanced cancer report discussing both good and bad news in the preceding three months. Although news related primarily to cancer control, parents also describe good news discussions related to their child's well-being. Understanding how parents of children with advanced cancer classify and describe the news they receive may enhance efforts to promote family-centered communication. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. 26 CFR 1.593-2 - Additions to reserve for bad debts where surplus, reserves, and undivided profits equal or exceed...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 7 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Additions to reserve for bad debts where surplus... bad debts where surplus, reserves, and undivided profits equal or exceed 12 percent of deposits or... profits, and reserves at the beginning of the taxable year, a reasonable addition to the reserve for bad...

  11. Are Empathy and Compassion Bad for the Professional Social Worker?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Nilsson

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that social workers and other professional helpers who work with traumatized individuals run a risk of developing compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress. Some researchers have hypothesized that helpers do this as a result of feeling too much empathy or too much compassion for their clients, thereby implying that empathy and compassion may be bad for the professional social worker. This paper investigates these hypotheses. Based on a review of current research about empathy and compassion it is argued that these states are not the causes of compassion fatigue. Hence, it is argued that empathy and compassion are not bad for the professional social worker in the sense that too much of one or the other will lead to compassion fatigue.

  12. Visual improvement for bad handwriting based on Monte-Carlo method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Cao; Xiao, Jianguo; Xu, Canhui; Jia, Wenhua

    2014-03-01

    A visual improvement algorithm based on Monte Carlo simulation is proposed in this paper, in order to enhance visual effects for bad handwriting. The whole improvement process is to use well designed typeface so as to optimize bad handwriting image. In this process, a series of linear operators for image transformation are defined for transforming typeface image to approach handwriting image. And specific parameters of linear operators are estimated by Monte Carlo method. Visual improvement experiments illustrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively enhance visual effect for handwriting image as well as maintain the original handwriting features, such as tilt, stroke order and drawing direction etc. The proposed visual improvement algorithm, in this paper, has a huge potential to be applied in tablet computer and Mobile Internet, in order to improve user experience on handwriting.

  13. Bad Dream Frequency in Older Adults with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Prevalence, Correlates, and Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadorff, Michael R.; Porter, Ben; Rhoades, Howard M.; Greisinger, Anthony J.; Kunik, Mark E.; Stanley, Melinda A.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the relation between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and frequency of bad dreams in older adults. A secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety (CBT) to enhanced usual care (EUC), it assessed bad dream frequency at baseline, post-treatment (3 months), and 6, 9, 12 and 15 months. Of 227 participants (mean age = 67.4), 134 met GAD diagnostic criteria (CBT = 70, EUC = 64), with the remaining 93 serving as a comparison group. Patients with GAD had significantly more bad dreams than those without, and bad dream frequency was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, worry, and poor quality of life. CBT for anxiety significantly reduced bad dream frequency at post-treatment and throughout follow-up compared to EUC. PMID:23470116

  14. PENGARUH NPM, FDR, KOMITE AUDIT, PERTUMBUHAN USAHA, LEVERAGE DAN SIZE TERHADAP MANAJEMEN LABA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahfudzotun Nahar

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to know the influence of NPM , FDR, Audit Committee, the sales growth (growth, leverage and size of the company earnings management practices of Islamic banking in Indonesia. The dependent variable used in this study was calculated using the earnings management of discretionary accruals. The independent variables used in this study is the net profit margin ratio, the ratio of Financing to Deposit Ratio, the Audit Committee, Sales Growth (Growth, Leverage and Firm Size.             The sample in the study of Islamic banking, comprising both Sharia Bank or Sharia in commercial banks by the Financial Services Authority statistics as of June 2015. The sample was selected using purposive sampling was then obtained 6 Islamic Banks and 12 Sharia sampled in this study ,             The results of this study indicate that there is significant influence between NPM ratio to earnings management of Islamic banking. As for the ratio of FDR, the Audit Committee, Growth, Leverage and Size (size of the company had no significant effect on earnings management practices in Islamic banking. Keywords: earnings management, NPM, FDR,audit committee, Growth, Leverage, Company Size

  15. Driven polymer translocation in good and bad solvent: Effects of hydrodynamics and tension propagation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moisio, J E; Piili, J; Linna, R P

    2016-08-01

    We investigate the driven polymer translocation through a nanometer-scale pore in the presence and absence of hydrodynamics both in good and bad solvent. We present our results on tension propagating along the polymer segment on the cis side that is measured for the first time using our method that works also in the presence of hydrodynamics. For simulations we use stochastic rotation dynamics, also called multiparticle collision dynamics. We find that in the good solvent the tension propagates very similarly whether hydrodynamics is included or not. Only the tensed segment is by a constant factor shorter in the presence of hydrodynamics. The shorter tensed segment and the hydrodynamic interactions contribute to a smaller friction for the translocating polymer when hydrodynamics is included, which shows as smaller waiting times and a smaller exponent in the scaling of the translocation time with the polymer length. In the bad solvent hydrodynamics has a minimal effect on polymer translocation, in contrast to the good solvent, where it speeds up translocation. We find that under bad-solvent conditions tension does not spread appreciably along the polymer. Consequently, translocation time does not scale with the polymer length. By measuring the effective friction in a setup where a polymer in free solvent is pulled by a constant force at the end, we find that hydrodynamics does speed up collective polymer motion in the bad solvent even more effectively than in the good solvent. However, hydrodynamics has a negligible effect on the motion of individual monomers within the highly correlated globular conformation on the cis side and hence on the entire driven translocation under bad-solvent conditions.

  16. AKT delays the early-activated apoptotic pathway in UVB-irradiated keratinocytes via BAD translocation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claerhout, Sofie; Decraene, David; Van Laethem, An; Van Kelst, Sofie; Agostinis, Patrizia; Garmyn, Marjan

    2007-02-01

    Upon irradiation with a high dose of UVB, keratinocytes undergo apoptosis as a protective mechanism. In previous work, we demonstrated the existence of an early-activated UVB-induced apoptotic pathway in growth factor-depleted human keratinocytes, which can be substantially delayed by the exclusive supplementation of IGF-1. We now show that in human keratinocytes, IGF-1 inhibits the onset of UVB-triggered apoptosis through a transcriptional independent, AKT-mediated mechanism, involving BAD serine 136 phosphorylation. Our results show that the early UVB-induced apoptosis in growth factor-depleted human keratinocytes is exclusively triggered through the mitochondrial pathway. It is accompanied by BAX translocation, cytochrome c release, and procaspase-9 cleavage, but not by procaspase-8 or BID cleavage. In human keratinocytes, IGF-1 supplementation inhibits these events in a transcription-independent manner. Both IGF-1 supplementation and the transduction of a membrane-targeted form of AKT result in a shift of the BH3-only protein BAD from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm, paralleled by an increase of AKT-specific Ser136 phospho-BAD bound to 14-3-3zeta protein. These data indicate that AKT-induced BAD phosphorylation and its subsequent cytoplasmic sequestration by 14-3-3zeta is a major mechanism responsible for the postponement of UVB-induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes.

  17. Feeling bad about progress does not lead people want to change their health behaviour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, James P; Webb, Thomas L; Benn, Yael; Chang, Betty P I; Sheeran, Paschal

    2018-02-01

    When do people decide to do something about problematic health behaviours? Theoretical models and pragmatic considerations suggest that people should take action when they feel bad about their progress - in other words, when they experience negative progress-related affect. However, the impact of progress-related affect on goal striving has rarely been investigated. Study 1 (N = 744) adopted a cross-sectional design and examined the extent to which measures of progress-related affect were correlated with intentions to take action. Study 2 (N = 409) investigated the impact of manipulating progress-related affect on intentions and behaviour in an experimental design. Study 1 found that, while engaging in health behaviours had the expected affective consequences (e.g. people felt bad when they were not eating healthily, exercising regularly or limiting their alcohol consumption), it was feeling good rather than bad about progress that was associated with stronger intentions. Study 2 replicated these findings. Participants induced to feel good about their eating behaviour had marginally stronger intentions to eat healthily than participants led to feel bad about their eating behaviour. The findings have implications for interventions designed to promote changes in health behaviour, as well as theoretical frameworks for understanding self-regulation.

  18. Leveraging the Thousands of Known Planets to Inform TESS Follow-Up

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Sarah

    2017-10-01

    The Solar System furnishes our most familiar planetary architecture: many planets, orbiting nearly coplanar to one another. However, a typical system of planets in the Milky Way orbits a much smaller M dwarf star, and these stars furnish a different blueprint in key ways than the conditions that nourished evolution of life on Earth. With ensemble studies of hundreds-to-thousands of exoplanets, I will describe the emerging links between planet formation from disks, orbital dynamics of planets, and the content and observability of planetary atmospheres. These quantities can be tied to observables even in discovery light curves, to enable judicious selection of follow-up targets from the ground and from space. After TESS exoplanet discoveries start in earnest, the studies of individual planets with large, space-based platforms comprise the clear next step toward understanding the hospitability of the Milky Way to life. Our success hinges upon leveraging the many thousands of planet discoveries in hand to determine how to use these precious and limited resources.

  19. Empirical Insights on the Trading Behavior of the UK Leveraged ETFs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerasimos G. Rompotis

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective. This paper focuses on UK leveraged Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs and examines their ability to meet their daily targets, the impact of volatility on targets’ achievement, and their pricing efficiency.Methodology. Standard regression analysis is used to evaluate performance, tracking efficiency and persistence in tracking failures, and the relationship between tracking efficiency and market volatility. Moreover, the pricing efficiency is examined along with the persistence in premium and the influence of market factors on premium.Findings. Results reveal that ETFs achieve their targets but occasionally tracking error can be significant. Furthermore, increases in market volatility relate to higher and lower tracking errors for bull and bear ETFs respectively. Moreover, average premiums testify a sufficient fit between trading prices and net asset values whereas the premiums are eliminated sharply. Moreover, the pricing efficiency of bear ETFs is positively associated with benchmark returns. The opposite is the case for bull ETFs. Finally, the pricing deviations are positively related to benchmarks’ volatility.Limitations. A possible limitation is that our sample includes just nine bear and sixteen bull ETFs even though more than 90 leveraged ETFs are traded on the UK market and our results may not be indicative of the entire UK leveraged ETF market. However, we had to use a small sample of ETFs because the trading activity of the rest ETFs has been very poor and, consequently, our analysis could have been biased by a thin trading effect.             Originality/Value. This is the first study to examine the UK market of leveraged ETFs.

  20. The Effect of Leadership in a Public Bad Experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moxnes, E.; van der Heijden, E.C.M.

    2000-01-01

    With regard to global or regional environmental problems, do countries that take unilateral actions inspire other countries to curtail emissions?In this paper this possibility is investigated by the use of a novel design of a laboratory public bad experiment with a leader.Twelve groups of five

  1. The Bad Bugs Book Club: Science, Literacy, and Engagement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Verran

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The Bad Bugs Bookclub was launched in 2009. It comprises scientists and non-scientists. The aim of the Bookclub is to read and discuss novels where infectious disease forms part of the plot, in order to enhance learning about microbiology. The focus of the discussion is on appreciation of the novel, its scientific (microbiologic accuracy and relevance to contemporary microbiology. There are several potential audiences for the Bad Bugs Bookclub, for example students in a classroom setting, or in a more social environment, and/or the general public.  Meeting reports and reading guides have been posted on a dedicated website. For education purposes, additional project work for assessment is suggested for students reading each novel. Bookclub meetings may be held on particular dates in the microbiologic calendar, coupled with additional public engagement activities and student participation. The approach has significant flexibility in terms of intended audience, assessment and extension work, and provides a refreshing and stimulating alternative means for talking about microbiology.

  2. Breaking bad news of cancer diagnosis – Perception of the cancer patients in a rural community in Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bain, Mathew Gabriel; Lian, Cheah Whye; Thon, Chang Ching

    2014-01-01

    Context: Breaking of bad news is an important component in the management of cancer patients. Aims: This study aimed to assess the perceptions of breaking bad news of cancer diagnosis. Settings and Design: It was a cross-sectional study using Breaking Bad News Assessment Schedule (BAS) questionnaire on cancer patients in Serian district. Materials and Methods: Using snowballing sampling method, a total of 134 patients were interviewed face-to-face after the consent was obtained from each of the respondents. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 19.0. Results: Majority were comfortable with the current method of breaking bad news. The main aspects found to be the areas of concern were the importance of the usage of body language, management of time and identifying patients’ key area of concerns. There were significant difference between sex and “information giving” (P = 0.028) and “general consideration” (P = 0.016) and also between “the age and setting the scene” (P = 0.042). Significant difference was also found between the types of cancer and “the setting of scene” (P = 0.018), “breaking bad news technique” (P = 0.010), “eliciting concerns” (P = 0.003) and “information giving” (P = 0.004). Conclusion: Good and effective communication skill of breaking bad news is vital in the management of cancer patients. As the incidence of new cases of cancer increase every year, breaking of bad news has become a pertinent to the medical professionals’ role. Specific aspects of communication skills based on local characteristics should be more emphasized in the formulation of training for doctors. PMID:24818107

  3. Heterogeneity in the Speed of Adjustment toward Target Leverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elsas, Ralf; Florysiak, David

    2011-01-01

    Estimating the speed of adjustment toward target leverage using the standard partial adjustment model assumes that all firms within the sample adjust at the same (average) pace. Dynamic capital structure theory predicts heterogeneity in adjustment speed due to firm-specific adjustment costs. Appl...

  4. Factors affecting Leverage: An empirical analysis of Mauritius ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nafiisah

    presumably have an impact on the WACC and the firm's investment decision and ... debt is advocated as it consists of fixed interest payment which does not lead to ... explain the level of leverage – company size, profitability, asset tangibility and ... The firm will thus pursue an optimal capital structure or target debt ratio by.

  5. North Korea: Economic Leverage and Policy Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-22

    although non- governmental groups do run operations in the DPRK in activities such as goat dairy farming and transportation. North -South Korean...Finance Minister Says “At Least” 34m US Dollars Sent to North Korea. Financial Times Information, Global News Wire—Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. June 6...CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress North Korea: Economic Leverage and Policy Analysis Dick K

  6. Bad leadership and institutional failure: foundation of corruption in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study basically assesses the phenomenal rise of corruption in Nigeria. While the study recognizes the varying perspectives of the causes of corruption among developing nations, the study asserts that the dramatic rise of corruption to the present level of impurity is caused by bad leadership and institutional failure.

  7. Leverage, Growth Opportunities and Firm Investment: The Case of Manufacturing Firms in China

    OpenAIRE

    Di Sheng; Shuyang Hou

    2014-01-01

    This paper examined the impact of financial leverage on investment decisions offirms using the panel data of publicly traded Chinese firms. We collected data for511 manufacturing companies during the period from 2005 to 2013 to do theresearch. The data shows that financial leverage is negatively correlated with afirm’s investment. Moreover, after we categorized the data into two types: 1)high-growth firms and 2) low-growth firms, it demonstrated that such negativecorrelation is significant fo...

  8. 26 CFR 1.381(c)(12)-1 - Recovery of bad debts, prior taxes, or delinquency amounts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... delinquency amounts. 1.381(c)(12)-1 Section 1.381(c)(12)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE...(c)(12)-1 Recovery of bad debts, prior taxes, or delinquency amounts. (a) Carryover requirement. (1... corporation is entitled to the recovery of a bad debt, prior tax, or delinquency amount on account of which a...

  9. Acanthamoeba keratitis in 194 patients: risk factors for bad outcomes and severe inflammatory complications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnt, Nicole; Robaei, Dana; Minassian, Darwin C; Dart, John K G

    2018-01-03

    To determine demographic and clinical features of patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) that are independent risk factors both for bad outcomes and for severe inflammatory complications (SIC). A retrospective audit of medical records of AK cases at Moorfields Eye Hospital from July 2000 to April 2012, including 12 earlier surgical cases. Cases with a bad outcome were defined as those having one or more of the following: corneal perforation, keratoplasty, other surgery (except biopsy), duration of antiamoebic therapy (AAT) ≥10.5 months (the 75th percentile of the whole cohort) and final visual acuity ≤20/80. SICs were defined as having scleritis and/or a stromal ring infiltrate. Multivariable analysis was used to identify independent risk factors for both bad outcomes and SICs. Records of 194 eyes (194 patients) were included, having bad outcomes in 93 (48%). Bad outcomes were associated with the presence of SIC, aged >34 years, corticosteroids used before giving AAT and symptom duration >37 days before AAT. The development of SIC was independently associated with aged >34 years, corticosteroids used before giving AAT and herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis treatment before AAT. The prompt diagnosis of AK, avoidance of a misdiagnosis of HSV keratitis and corticosteroid use before the exclusion of AK as a potential cause of keratitis are essential to the provision of a good outcome for patients and for the avoidance of SIC. Older age is an unmodifiable risk factor that may reflect differences in the immune response to AK in this patient subset. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  10. The effect of high leverage points on the logistic ridge regression estimator having multicollinearity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ariffin, Syaiba Balqish; Midi, Habshah

    2014-06-01

    This article is concerned with the performance of logistic ridge regression estimation technique in the presence of multicollinearity and high leverage points. In logistic regression, multicollinearity exists among predictors and in the information matrix. The maximum likelihood estimator suffers a huge setback in the presence of multicollinearity which cause regression estimates to have unduly large standard errors. To remedy this problem, a logistic ridge regression estimator is put forward. It is evident that the logistic ridge regression estimator outperforms the maximum likelihood approach for handling multicollinearity. The effect of high leverage points are then investigated on the performance of the logistic ridge regression estimator through real data set and simulation study. The findings signify that logistic ridge regression estimator fails to provide better parameter estimates in the presence of both high leverage points and multicollinearity.

  11. Leverage and Deepening Business Cycle Skewness

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Henrik; Petrella, Ivan; Ravn, Søren Hove

    2017-01-01

    We document that the U.S. economy has been characterized by an increasingly negative business cycle asymmetry over the last three decades. This finding can be explained by the concurrent increase in the financial leverage of households and firms. To support this view, we devise and estimate......, booms become progressively smoother and more prolonged than busts. We are therefore able to reconcile a more negatively skewed business cycle with the Great Moderation in cyclical volatility. Finally, in line with recent empirical evidence, financially-driven expansions lead to deeper contractions...

  12. Egyptian mothers’ preferences regarding how physicians break bad news about their child’s disability: A structured verbal questionnaire

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelmoktader Ahmed

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Breaking bad news to mothers whose children has disability is an important role of physicians. There has been considerable speculation about the inevitability of parental dissatisfaction with how they are informed of their child’s disability. Egyptian mothers’ preferences for how to be told the bad news about their child’s disability has not been investigated adequately. The objective of this study was to elicit Egyptian mothers’ preferences for how to be told the bad news about their child’s disability. Methods Mothers of 100 infants recently diagnosed with Down syndrome were interviewed regarding their preferences for how to be told bad news. Mothers were recruited through outpatient clinics of the Pediatric Genetics Department at Fayoum University Hospital (located 90 km southwest of Cairo, Egypt from January to June 2011. Results and discussion Questionnaire analyses revealed nine themes of parental preferences for how to be told information difficult to hear. Mothers affirmed previously reported recommendations for conveying bad medical news to parents, including being told early, being told of others with a similar condition, and being informed of the prognosis. Conclusions Mothers affirmed communication themes previously discussed in the literature, such as being told early, and being informed of the prognosis. Although more research is needed in this important area, we hope that our findings will stimulate future search and help health care providers in different societies establish guidelines for effectively communicating bad news.

  13. Siim Nestor soovitab : HUH : energiaöö. Bad Apples / Siim Nestor

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Nestor, Siim, 1974-

    2006-01-01

    Festivali "Hea Uus Heli" hooaja lõpetamisest 15. dets. Von Krahlis Tallinnas. Ansambli Bad Apples heliplaadi "When Colours Become Day and Night" esitlusest 19. dets. Tallinnas teatri NO99 majas Jazziklubis

  14. Microfield «bad smell» in English

    OpenAIRE

    Martyniuk, Aliona; Мартинюк, Альона

    2015-01-01

    The article deals with the lexical units that belong to the microfield of «bad smell»; the results of lexicographical analysis was given and the semantic markers which we can find in the literature. The material of our investigation we took the dictionary entries of five explanatory dictionaries (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, MacMillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collin’s English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s...

  15. PENGARUH FAKTOR MAKRO EKONOMI DAN PERTUMBUHAN PERUSAHAAN TERHADAP LEVERAGE DAN NILAI PERUSAHAAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sujoko Sujoko

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the influence of macro economic,growth firm on leverage and value of the firm.This study uses Agency Free Cash Flow, Static trade off Theory, Pecking Order Theory and Signaling Theory.This study uses empirical data from Indonesian Capital Market Directory 2015 issued By Indonesian Stock Exchange. This research uses quantitative analysis. The Population of the research are manufacturing firm listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange. The hypothesis test uses structural equation model-ing with the degree of signifance at 0.05. Sample in this study are manufacturing company listed in Indone-sian Stock Exchange during 2012-2014. As much as 75 manufacturing firm listed in Indonesian Stock exchange were taken as a sample using a purposive sampling method. The data were there analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM. The Result of the study show that: (1 Macro economic factor have negative significant influence on leverage with p value 0.06 (2 Growth firm have significant influences on leverage with value 0.004 (3 Macro economic have negative t influences on value of the firm with p value 0.006 (4 Growth firm have positive significant influence on value of the firm with p value 0.005 (5 Leverage have negatives significant influence on value of the firm with p value 0.006 The result of the study is support to Agency Free Cash Flow,Jensen (1986,Static Trade off Theory, Pecking Order Theory, Myers and Majluf (1984 and Signaling Theory, Ross (1977

  16. Leverage Website Favicon to Detect Phishing Websites

    OpenAIRE

    Kang Leng Chiew; Jeffrey Soon-Fatt Choo; San Nah Sze; Kelvin S. C. Yong

    2018-01-01

    Phishing attack is a cybercrime that can lead to severe financial losses for Internet users and entrepreneurs. Typically, phishers are fond of using fuzzy techniques during the creation of a website. They confuse the victim by imitating the appearance and content of a legitimate website. In addition, many websites are vulnerable to phishing attacks, including financial institutions, social networks, e-commerce, and airline websites. This paper is an extension of our previous work that leverag...

  17. Mining E-mail to Leverage Knowledge Networks in Organizations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Reijsen, J.; Helms, R.W.; Jackson, T.W.

    2009-01-01

    There is nothing new about the notion that in today‟s knowledge driven economy, knowledge is the key strategic asset for competitive advantage in an organization. Also, we have learned that knowledge is residing in the organization‟s informal network. Hence, to leverage business performance from a

  18. The effect of leverage increases on real earnings management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    I. Zagers-Mamedova (Irina)

    2009-01-01

    textabstractMain subject of this paper is to understand whether there could be an incentive for managers to manipulate cash flow from operating activities (CFO) through the use of real earnings management (REM), in situations with increasing leverage. Based upon a study of Jelinek (2007) who

  19. PENGARUH PERPUTARAN KAS, PERPUTARAN PIUTANG USAHA, PERPUTARAN PERSEDIAAN DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP KINERJA KEUANGAN PERUSAHAAN

    OpenAIRE

    Suprihatin, Neneng Sri; Nasser, Etty

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of cash turnover, account receivable turnover, inventory turnover and leverage to financial performance (Liquidity and Rentability). The independent variable is cash turnover, account receivable turnover, inventory turnover and leverage. The dependent variable are financial performance (Liquidity and Rentability). The sample used in the study consists of manufacturing company in food and beverage sector the period of 2009-2012.The result sh...

  20. Leveraging Existing Heritage Documentation for Animations: Senate Virtual Tour

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhanda, A.; Fai, S.; Graham, K.; Walczak, G.

    2017-08-01

    The use of digital documentation techniques has led to an increase in opportunities for using documentation data for valorization purposes, in addition to technical purposes. Likewise, building information models (BIMs) made from these data sets hold valuable information that can be as effective for public education as it is for rehabilitation. A BIM can reveal the elements of a building, as well as the different stages of a building over time. Valorizing this information increases the possibility for public engagement and interest in a heritage place. Digital data sets were leveraged by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) for parts of a virtual tour of the Senate of Canada. For the tour, workflows involving four different programs were explored to determine an efficient and effective way to leverage the existing documentation data to create informative and visually enticing animations for public dissemination: Autodesk Revit, Enscape, Autodesk 3ds Max, and Bentley Pointools. The explored workflows involve animations of point clouds, BIMs, and a combination of the two.

  1. Fasting mediated increase in p-BAD(ser155) and p-AKT(ser473) in the prefrontal cortex of mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitchaimani, Vigneshwaran; Arumugam, Somasundaram; Thandavarayan, Rajarajan Amirthalingam; Karuppagounder, Vengadeshprabhu; Sreedhar, Remya; Afrin, Rejina; Harima, Meilei; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Miyashita, Shizuka; Nomoto, Mayumi; Sone, Hirohito; Suzuki, Kenji; Watanabe, Kenichi

    2014-09-05

    BAD-deficient mice and fasting have several common functional roles in seizures, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) uptake in brain and alteration in counterregulatory hormonal regulation during hypoglycemia. Neuronal specific insulin receptor knockout (NIRKO) mice display impaired counterregulatory hormonal responses during hypoglycemia. In this study we investigated the fasting mediated expression of p-BAD(ser155) and p-AKT(ser473) in different regions of brain (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, midbrain and hypothalamus). Fasting specifically increases p-BAD(ser155) and p-AKT(ser473) in prefrontal cortex and decreases in other regions of brain. Our results suggest that fasting may increase the uptake BHB by decreasing p-BAD(ser155) in the brain during hypoglycemia except prefrontal cortex and it uncovers specific functional area of p-BAD(ser155) and p-AKT(ser473) that may regulates counter regulatory hormonal response. Overall in support with previous findings, fasting mediated hypoglycemia activates prefrontal cortex insulin signaling which influences the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus mediated activation of sympathoadrenal hormonal responses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Role of mTOR, Bad, and Survivin in RasGAP Fragment N-Mediated Cell Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiang-Yan; Widmann, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Partial cleavage of p120 RasGAP by caspase-3 in stressed cells generates an N-terminal fragment, called fragment N, which activates an anti-apoptotic Akt-dependent survival response. Akt regulates several effectors but which of these mediate fragment N-dependent cell protection has not been defined yet. Here we have investigated the role of mTORC1, Bad, and survivin in the capacity of fragment N to protect cells from apoptosis. Neither rapamycin, an inhibitor of mTORC1, nor silencing of raptor, a subunit of the mTORC1 complex, altered the ability of fragment N from inhibiting cisplatin- and Fas ligand-induced death. Cells lacking Bad, despite displaying a stronger resistance to apoptosis, were still protected by fragment N against cisplatin-induced death. Fragment N was also able to protect cells from Fas ligand-induced death in conditions where Bad plays no role in apoptosis regulation. Fragment N expression in cells did neither modulate survivin mRNA nor its protein expression. Moreover, the expression of cytoplasmic survivin, known to exert anti-apoptotic actions in cells, still occurred in UV-B-irradiated epidermis of mouse expressing a caspase-3-resistant RasGAP mutant that cannot produce fragment N. Additionally, survivin function in cell cycle progression was not affected by fragment N. These results indicate that, taken individually, mTOR, Bad, or Survivin are not required for fragment N to protect cells from cell death. We conclude that downstream targets of Akt other than mTORC1, Bad, or survivin mediate fragment N-induced protection or that several Akt effectors can compensate for each other to induce the pro-survival fragment N-dependent response. PMID:23826368

  3. 13 CFR 108.1630 - SBA regulation of Brokers and Dealers and disclosure to purchasers of Leverage or Trust...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Financial Assistance for NMVC Companies (Leverage) Funding Leverage by Use of Sba Guaranteed Trust... standing in respect to compliance with the financial, ethical, and reporting requirements of such body...

  4. The Impact of Deferred Tax Assets, Discretionary Accrual, Leverage, Company Size and Tax Planning Onearnings Management Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacobus Widiatmoko

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to analyze and provide empirical evidence of the influence of deferred tax asset, discretionary accrual, leverage, company size, and tax planning on earnings management. Financial performance is an indicator that is required by company management to measure the effectiveness of company performance. This research used secondary data that was got from annual report published in www.idx.co.id and data from Indonesian Capital Market Directory (ICMD. Populations of the research are manufacturing companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2011-2013. Samples were selected by using purposive sampling method. There are 208 observations that will examined by logistic regression analysis. The result shows that deferred tax asset has negative and not significant effect to the earnings management, discretionary accrual has negative and not significant effect to the earnings management, leverage has negative and significant effect to the earnings management, company size has positive and significant effect to the earnings management, tax planning has positive and not significant effect to the earnings management.Tujuan penelitian ini menganalisis bukti empiris mengenai pengaruh asset pajak tangguhan, discretionary accrual, leverage, ukuran perusahaan, dan perencanaan pajak terhadap manajemen laba. Kinerja keuangan adalah indikator untuk mengukur efektivitas perusahaan. Penelitian ini menggunakan data sekunder yang diperoleh dari www.idx.co.id serta data dari Indonesian Capital Market Directory (ICMD. Populasi penelitian ini adalah perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di BEI tahun 2011-2013. Sampel dipilih dengan purposive sampling. Terdapat 208 observasi yang akan diuji dengan model analisis regresi logistik. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa asset pajak tangguhan memiliki pengaruh negatif dan tidak signifikan terhadap praktik manajemen laba, discretionary accrual memiliki pengaruh negatif dan tidak signifikan terhadap

  5. Curiosity Is Not Good--But It's Not Bad, Either

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, David

    2012-01-01

    Curiosity is vital quality of the creative work. However, in the classroom, educators seem to view curiosity as alternately amoral, virtuous, or dangerous. Education's stance towards curiosity is, in a word, curious. Conversely, the author says, curiosity is inherently amoral--neither good nor bad--and the subject is ripe for an exploration of the…

  6. Here comes the bad news: Doctor robot taking over

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoorn, J.F.; Winter, S.D.

    2017-01-01

    To test in how far the Media Equation and Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) validly explain user responses to social robots, we manipulated how a bad health message was framed and the language that was used. In the wake of Experiment 2 of Burgers et al. (Patient Educ Couns 89(2):267–273, 2012.

  7. Bartonella henselae trimeric autotransporter adhesin BadA expression interferes with effector translocation by the VirB/D4 type IV secretion system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yun-Yueh; Franz, Bettina; Truttmann, Matthias C; Riess, Tanja; Gay-Fraret, Jérémie; Faustmann, Marco; Kempf, Volkhard A J; Dehio, Christoph

    2013-05-01

    The Gram-negative, zoonotic pathogen Bartonella henselae is the aetiological agent of cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis and peliosis hepatis in humans. Two pathogenicity factors of B. henselae - each displaying multiple functions in host cell interaction - have been characterized in greater detail: the trimeric autotransporter Bartonella adhesin A (BadA) and the type IV secretion system VirB/D4 (VirB/D4 T4SS). BadA mediates, e.g. binding to fibronectin (Fn), adherence to endothelial cells (ECs) and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VirB/D4 translocates several Bartonella effector proteins (Beps) into the cytoplasm of infected ECs, resulting, e.g. in uptake of bacterial aggregates via the invasome structure, inhibition of apoptosis and activation of a proangiogenic phenotype. Despite this knowledge of the individual activities of BadA or VirB/D4 it is unknown whether these major virulence factors affect each other in their specific activities. In this study, expression and function of BadA and VirB/D4 were analysed in a variety of clinical B. henselae isolates. Data revealed that most isolates have lost expression of either BadA or VirB/D4 during in vitro passages. However, the phenotypic effects of coexpression of both virulence factors was studied in one clinical isolate that was found to stably coexpress BadA and VirB/D4, as well as by ectopic expression of BadA in a strain expressing VirB/D4 but not BadA. BadA, which forms a dense layer on the bacterial surface, negatively affected VirB/D4-dependent Bep translocation and invasome formation by likely preventing close contact between the bacterial cell envelope and the host cell membrane. In contrast, BadA-dependent Fn binding, adhesion to ECs and VEGF secretion were not affected by a functional VirB/D4 T4SS. The obtained data imply that the essential virulence factors BadA and VirB/D4 are likely differentially expressed during different stages of the infection cycle of

  8. Novice supervisee's experiences of what is good and bad psychotherapy supervision

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, Claus Haugaard; Pedersen, Lene Tanggaard

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents a qualitative study of novice supervisee’s experiences of good and bad supervisory experiences and on how this change as the supervisees gain more experience. Novice psychotherapists rate supervision as the most important element in their acquisition of professional skills...... was conducted as a series of semi structured qualitative research interviews with 7 student therapist 2 month after their first clinical experience in a university clinic setting. The subjects were re-interviewed when they had almost a year of clinical experience and supervision. The interviews were...... thematically focusing on the experience of specific good and bad supervisory experiences. Also included were the importance of peers in the supervision group and the organisational setting of the supervision. After analysing each individuals experience all individual experiences were examined until patterns...

  9. Leveraging best practices to promote health, safety, sustainability, and stewardship.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, Marjorie D

    2013-08-01

    Strategically leveraging health and safety initiatives with sustainability and stewardship helps organizations improve profitability and positively impact team member and customer attachment to the organization. Collective efficacy enhances the triple bottom line: healthy people, healthy planet, and healthy profits. The HS(3)™ Best Practice Exchanges group demonstrated that collective efficacy can leverage the social cohesion, communication channels, and activities within workplaces to promote a healthy, sustainable work culture. This in turn (1) protects the health and safety of workers, (2) preserves the natural environment, and (3) increases attachment to the organization. Community-based participatory research using the Attach21 survey assessed the progress of these companies in their efforts to integrate health, safety, sustainability, and stewardship. Monthly Best Practice Exchanges promoted collective efficacy by providing support, encouragement, and motivation to share and adopt new ideas. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  10. Delivering Bad News: An Approach According to Jewish Scriptures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sody A. Naimer

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Despite a preoccupation in the medical literature with developing an effective approach for breaking bad news, the sources are based on personal opinion alone and only in some instances on qualitative research. Recognizing the gravity of this topic coupled with respect for the wisdom of the written and oral Jewish scriptures, this work is an attempt to delve into the diverse ancient writings to draw conclusions regarding a recommended methodology to guide and inform this task. It is interesting to learn that most elements related to this topic have previously been raised in various forms in the scriptures. The issues range from where, when, and how the bearer of bad news should undertake this duty, to details such as the environment, the format, the speed, and depth of the details to be disclosed. The essence of this paper is to enrich the reader using both positive and negative examples found in the Jewish heritage. Adopting these principles will hopefully provide an effective method for performing this unpleasant obligation, with the goal of limiting harmful consequences as much as possible.

  11. Leverage principle of retardation signal in titration of double protein via chip moving reaction boundary electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Liu-Xia; Cao, Yi-Ren; Xiao, Hua; Liu, Xiao-Ping; Liu, Shao-Rong; Meng, Qing-Hua; Fan, Liu-Yin; Cao, Cheng-Xi

    2016-03-15

    In the present work we address a simple, rapid and quantitative analytical method for detection of different proteins present in biological samples. For this, we proposed the model of titration of double protein (TDP) and its relevant leverage theory relied on the retardation signal of chip moving reaction boundary electrophoresis (MRBE). The leverage principle showed that the product of the first protein content and its absolute retardation signal is equal to that of the second protein content and its absolute one. To manifest the model, we achieved theoretical self-evidence for the demonstration of the leverage principle at first. Then relevant experiments were conducted on the TDP-MRBE chip. The results revealed that (i) there was a leverage principle of retardation signal within the TDP of two pure proteins, and (ii) a lever also existed within these two complex protein samples, evidently demonstrating the validity of TDP model and leverage theory in MRBE chip. It was also showed that the proposed technique could provide a rapid and simple quantitative analysis of two protein samples in a mixture. Finally, we successfully applied the developed technique for the quantification of soymilk in adulterated infant formula. The TDP-MRBE opens up a new window for the detection of adulteration ratio of the poor food (milk) in blended high quality one. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. An Overview of Teaching Communication of Bad News in Medical School: Should a Lecture be Adequate to Address the Topic?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutinho, Filipe; Ramessur, Anisha

    2016-12-30

    Delivering bad news is very common in medical daily practice. Several studies have shown a lack of effective communication skills amongst medical students, particularly concerning how to deliver bad news. The SPIKES protocol allows communicating bad news in a 6-step method. The aim of this study is to investigate the perspective of students related to this subject. A 45 minute lecture "Breaking Bad News" was given to 160 students in the fifth and sixth years of the Medicine course, using the SPIKES' protocol training. After the lecture, an online survey was given to all students, and a cross-sectional and descriptive analysis of data extracted from survey was undertaken. Fifty-four students (21% of overall) answered the online survey. Eighty three percent said that theme should have an important role in their further daily medical practice, and most of students rated the physicians' role as challenging. Sixty percent of students expressed that communicating bad news was an integral part of the medical course curriculum. Regarding the SPIKES´ protocol, 48% felt that the first step would be the easiest to put in practice, and 40% felt that the fifth step related to "Emotions" would be the most difficult. In general, the students would like to gain competencies in breaking bad news using a practical approach Conclusions: Students highly valued theoretical and practical approaches in teaching of communication of bad news. Therefore, we encourage a combination approach in pre-graduate medical education.

  13. Behavioural assessment of the dysexecutive syndrome (BADS in healthy elders and Alzheimer´s disease patients: preliminary study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiola Canali

    Full Text Available Abstract Although the main initial deficit is considered to be in the memory domain, an early impairment of executive functions is also found in AD where these deficits are correlated to functional impairment. Ecological tests are more indicated to evaluate executive impairment, and are better able to assist in treating AD patients than more commonly used tests. Objectives: The aim of this preliminary study is to verify the performance in executive functions using the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS in elder controls and mild AD patients, and to analyze its applicability in our environment. Methods: The BADS was performed by 17 healthy elders and 17 early AD patients matched for age, schooling and gender. Results: There were significant differences among controls and AD patients on MMSE scores, and in measures of executive functions, memory, and motor speed. Some sub items of BADS (rule shift cards, modified six elements, total score, standard, standard by age and overall classification by age were also different between groups. Differences were also significant on the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX of BADS self-ratings and other-ratings. Conclusion: BADS was efficacious in detecting executive deficits in this sample, as confirmed by other executive functions tests applied.

  14. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEVERAGE EFFECT IN THE ISE WITH STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY MODEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YELİZ YALÇIN

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is the asses the leverage effect of the Istanbul Stock Exchange within the Stochastic Volatility framework in the period 01.01.1990 – 11.08.2006. The relationship between risk and return is a well established phenomenon in Financial Econometerics. Both positive and negative relationship has been reported in the empirical literature. That use the conditional variance the empirical evidence provided in this paper from the Stochastic Volatility is to be negative feed back effect and statistically insignificant leverage effect.

  15. PENGARUH LINDUNG NILAI, FINANCIAL LEVERAGE, DAN MANAJEMEN LABA TERHADAP AGRESIVITAS PAJAK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Furqon Nurhandono

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This research is aimed to provide empirical evidence about relationship between hedging, financial leverage, and earnings management on tax aggressiveness. Frank and Rego (2009 defines tax aggressiveness as the act of manipulation to reduce the amount of taxable income through tax planning efforts either it can or can not be categorized as an act of tax evasion. Using purposive sampling this research selected 24 firms that are listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange from 2011-2015 as samples. The result of multiple regression of panel data shows that there is positively significant relationship between financial leverage and tax aggressiveness as well as earnings management and tax aggressiveness. While there is no significant relationship between hedging and tax aggresiveness.

  16. The Impact of Jumps and Leverage in Forecasting Co-Volatility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Asai (Manabu); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

    2015-01-01

    markdownabstract__Abstract__ The paper investigates the impact of jumps in forecasting co-volatility, accommodating leverage effects. We modify the jump-robust two time scale covariance estimator of Boudt and Zhang (2013) such that the estimated matrix is positive definite. Using this

  17. Habits: How to Break the Bad and Cultivate the Good

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellman, Geoffrey

    1976-01-01

    Every trainer and training director should take a close look at his or her habits--good and bad ones. The author provides a series of questions that, when answered by trainers will help them change or get rid of a habit or develop a new one. (BP)

  18. Human development of the ability to learn from bad news

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moutsiana, Christina; Garrett, Neil; Clarke, Richard C.; Lotto, R. Beau; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne; Sharot, Tali

    2013-01-01

    Humans show a natural tendency to discount bad news while incorporating good news into beliefs (the “good news–bad news effect”), an effect that may help explain seemingly irrational risk taking. Understanding how this bias develops with age is important because adolescents are prone to engage in risky behavior; thus, educating them about danger is crucial. We reveal a striking valence-dependent asymmetry in how belief updating develops with age. In the ages tested (9–26 y), younger age was associated with inaccurate updating of beliefs in response to undesirable information regarding vulnerability. In contrast, the ability to update beliefs accurately in response to desirable information remained relatively stable with age. This asymmetry was mediated by adequate computational use of positive but not negative estimation errors to alter beliefs. The results are important for understanding how belief formation develops and might help explain why adolescents do not respond adequately to warnings. PMID:24019466

  19. Reversing one's fortune by pushing away bad luck.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yan; Risen, Jane L; Hosey, Christine

    2014-06-01

    Across cultures, people try to "undo" bad luck with superstitious rituals such as knocking on wood, spitting, or throwing salt. We suggest that these rituals reduce the perceived likelihood of anticipated negative outcomes because they involve avoidant actions that exert force away from one's representation of self, which simulates the experience of pushing away bad luck. Five experiments test this hypothesis by having participants tempt fate and then engage in avoidant actions that are either superstitious (Experiment 1, knocking on wood) or nonsuperstitious (Experiments 2-5, throwing a ball). We find that participants who knock down (away from themselves) or throw a ball think that a jinxed negative outcome is less likely than participants who knock up (toward themselves) or hold a ball. Experiments 3 and 4 provide evidence that after tempting fate, engaging in an avoidant action leads to less clear mental representations for the jinxed event, which, in turn, leads to lower perceived likelihoods. Finally, we demonstrate that engaging in an avoidant action-rather than creating physical distance-is critical for reversing the perceived effect of the jinx. Although superstitions are often culturally defined, the underlying psychological processes that give rise to them may be shared across cultures. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  20. "I Have Good News and Bad News:" The Effects of Power Imbalances and Physical Distance on News-givers' Use of Blended News Delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Legg, Angela M.

    2013-01-01

    People dislike giving bad news, and one strategy they use to ease the process is to pair bad news with some good news, a phenomenon called blended news delivery. Often, blended news arrives from people in power positions such as physicians, managers, or teachers. But followers also find themselves needing to give bad news to those in higher power positions. Similarly, people can choose how they deliver bad news, such as in person or over email. The current study brings much needed empirical a...

  1. The Impact of Jumps and Leverage in Forecasting Co-Volatility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    M. Asai (Manabu); M.J. McAleer (Michael)

    2015-01-01

    markdownabstract__Abstract__ The paper investigates the impact of jumps in forecasting co-volatility, accommodating leverage effects. We modify the jump-robust two time scale covariance estimator of Boudt and Zhang (2013)such that the estimated matrix is positive definite. Using this approach we

  2. Leveraging Digital Innovation in Healthcare

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brown, Carol V.; Jensen, Tina Blegind; Aanestad, Margun

    2014-01-01

    Harnessing digital innovations for healthcare delivery has raised high expectations as well as major concerns. Several countries across the globe have made progress in achieving three common goals of lower costs, higher quality, and increased patient access to healthcare services through...... investments in digital infrastructures. New technologies are leveraged to achieve widespread 24x7 disease management, patients’ wellbeing, home-based healthcare and other patient-centric service innovations. Yet, digital innovations in healthcare face barriers in terms of standardization, data privacy...... landscapes in selected countries. Then panelists with expertise in digital data streams, cloud, and mobile computing will present concrete examples of healthcare service innovations that have the potential to address one or more of the global goals. ECIS attendees are invited to join a debate about...

  3. q-Gaussian distributions of leverage returns, first stopping times, and default risk valuations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, Yuri A.; Tian, Li

    2013-10-01

    We study the probability distributions of daily leverage returns of 520 North American industrial companies that survive de-listing during the financial crisis, 2006-2012. We provide evidence that distributions of unbiased leverage returns of all individual firms belong to the class of q-Gaussian distributions with the Tsallis entropic parameter within the interval 1distributions imply a much higher probability of extreme movements in a company’s leverage ratio than forecasted by the normal distribution (q=1). Motivated by these findings, we develop a q-Gaussian generalization of traditional structural models of default. Derived exact analytical expressions for the probability distribution of a first stopping time and its intensity forecast significantly higher probability of default and much wider credit spreads at short time-horizons. Our findings are broadly consistent with the results of empirical studies in equity markets and are essential for single-name default forecasting as well as valuations of portfolio credit risk and economic capital, which might be underestimated by a classic theory of diversified portfolio optimization.

  4. Leveraging CubeSat Technology to Address Nighttime Imagery Requirements over the Arctic

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, J. J.; Mamula, D.; Caulfield, M.; Gallagher, F. W., III; Spencer, D.; Petrescu, E. M.; Ostroy, J.; Pack, D. W.; LaRosa, A.

    2017-12-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has begun planning for the future operational environmental satellite system by conducting the NOAA Satellite Observing System Architecture (NSOSA) study. In support of the NSOSA study, NOAA is exploring how CubeSat technology funded by NASA can be used to demonstrate the ability to measure three-dimensional profiles of global temperature and water vapor. These measurements are critical for the National Weather Service's (NWS) weather prediction mission. NOAA is conducting design studies on Earth Observing Nanosatellites (EON) for microwave (EON-MW) and infrared (EON-IR) soundings, with MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA JPL, respectively. The next step is to explore the technology required for a CubeSat mission to address NWS nighttime imagery requirements over the Arctic. The concept is called EON-Day/Night Band (DNB). The DNB is a 0.5-0.9 micron channel currently on the operational Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument, which is part of the Suomi-National Polar-orbiting Partnership and Joint Polar Satellite System satellites. NWS has found DNB very useful during the long periods of darkness that occur during the Alaskan cold season. The DNB enables nighttime imagery products of fog, clouds, and sea ice. EON-DNB will leverage experiments carried out by The Aerospace Corporation's CUbesat MULtispectral Observation System (CUMULOS) sensor and other related work. CUMULOS is a DoD-funded demonstration of COTS camera technology integrated as a secondary mission on the JPL Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna mission. CUMULOS is demonstrating a staring visible Si CMOS camera. The EON-DNB project will leverage proven, advanced compact visible lens and focal plane camera technologies to meet NWS user needs for nighttime visible imagery. Expanding this technology to an operational demonstration carries several areas of risk that need to be addressed prior to an operational mission

  5. Least bad solutions to the 'drugs problem'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mugford, S

    1991-01-01

    This paper examines the current difficulties being faced in Australia by policy-makers attempting to regulate the non-medical use of illegal drugs, and it is suggested that the difficulties centre upon two aspects. First, existing prohibitions are unsuccessful, with use levels rising and, in some arenas (e.g. cocaine use in the USA), quite out of control. On the other hand, a move towards decriminalization or legalization is difficult because past propaganda has been so vehement that a change now apparently risks sending the wrong messages to young people. This dilemma means that there is no solution, including inertia, which is risk-free, nor is there one free of difficulties. It is thus relevant to think in terms of 'least bad' rather than 'best' when formulating a system to face these problems. The exploration of what this least bad solution might be begins with the examination of the prominent myths (such as 'the drug-free society', 'the evil pusher', 'the user as victim' and 'the young person as cultural dope') that hinder our reasoning. Secondly, by suggesting that, in a climate of increasing crime related to drugs, inability of prohibitions to control that use and escalating health risks attendant on use (including the AIDS problem), the central policy thrust must be harm reduction and damage minimization rather than illusory goals such as widespread abstinence. The paper concludes with a discussion of some relevant evidence on alternative options.

  6. LEVERAGING EXISTING HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION FOR ANIMATIONS: SENATE VIRTUAL TOUR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Dhanda

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of digital documentation techniques has led to an increase in opportunities for using documentation data for valorization purposes, in addition to technical purposes. Likewise, building information models (BIMs made from these data sets hold valuable information that can be as effective for public education as it is for rehabilitation. A BIM can reveal the elements of a building, as well as the different stages of a building over time. Valorizing this information increases the possibility for public engagement and interest in a heritage place. Digital data sets were leveraged by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS for parts of a virtual tour of the Senate of Canada. For the tour, workflows involving four different programs were explored to determine an efficient and effective way to leverage the existing documentation data to create informative and visually enticing animations for public dissemination: Autodesk Revit, Enscape, Autodesk 3ds Max, and Bentley Pointools. The explored workflows involve animations of point clouds, BIMs, and a combination of the two.

  7. Video games: good, bad, or other?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prot, Sara; McDonald, Katelyn A; Anderson, Craig A; Gentile, Douglas A

    2012-06-01

    Video games are a pervasive pastime among children and adolescents. The growing popularity of video games has instigated a debate among parents, researchers, video game producers, and policymakers concerning potential harmful and helpful effects of video games on children. This article provides an overview of research findings on the positive and negative effects of video games, thus providing an empirical answer to the question, are video games good or bad? The article also provides some guidelines to help pediatricians, parents, and other caregivers protect children from negative effects and to maximize positive effects of video games. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Trajectory Design for a Cislunar Cubesat Leveraging Dynamical Systems Techniques: The Lunar Icecube Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosanac, Natasha; Cox, Andrew; Howell, Kathleen C.; Folta, David

    2017-01-01

    Lunar IceCube is a 6U CubeSat that is designed to detect and observe lunar volatiles from a highly inclined orbit. This spacecraft, equipped with a low-thrust engine, will be deployed from the upcoming Exploration Mission-1 vehicle in late 2018. However, significant uncertainty in the deployment conditions for secondary payloads impacts both the availability and geometry of transfers that deliver the spacecraft to the lunar vicinity. A framework that leverages dynamical systems techniques is applied to a recently updated set of deployment conditions and spacecraft parameter values for the Lunar IceCube mission, demonstrating the capability for rapid trajectory design.

  9. A feasible central limit theory for realised volatility under leverage

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barndorff-Nielsen, Ole Eiler; Shephard, Neil

    In this note we show that the feasible central limit theory for realised volatility and realised covariation recently developed by Barndor-Nielsen and Shephard applies under arbitrary diusion based leverage eects. Results from a simulation experiment suggest that the feasible version of the limit...

  10. Future NTP Development Synergy Leveraged from Current J-2X Engine Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballard, Richard O.

    2008-01-01

    This paper is a discussion of how the many long-lead development elements required for the realization of a future nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) system can be effectively leveraged from the ongoing work being conducted on the J-2X engine program for the Constellation Program. Development studies conducted to date for NTP forward planning have identified a number of technical areas that will require advancement to acceptable technology readiness levels (TRLs) before they can be utilized in NTP system development. These include high-temperature, high-area ratio nozzle extension; long-life, low-NPSP. turbomachinery; and low-boiloff propellant management; and a qualified nuclear fuel element. The current J-2X program is working many of these areas that can be leveraged to support NTP development in a highly compatible and synergistic fashion. In addition to supporting technical development, there are other programmatic issues being worked in the J-2X program that can be leveraged by a future NTP development program. These include compliance with recently-evolved space system requirements such as human-rating, fault tolerance and fracture control. These and other similar mandatory system requirements have been adopted by NASA and can result in a significant technical impact beyond elevation of the root technologies required by NTP. Finally, the exploitation of experience, methodologies, and procedures developed by the J-2X program in the areas of verification, qualification, certification, altitude simulation testing, and facility definition will be especially applicable to a future NTP system. The similarities in system mission (in-space propulsion) and operational environment (vacuum, zero-gee) between J-2X and NTP make this highly synergistic. Thus, it can be $hown that the collective benefit of leveraging experience and technologies developed during the J-2X program can result in significant savings in development cost and schedule for NTP.

  11. Oral and non oral diseases and conditions associated with bad breath.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Migliario, M; Rimondini, L

    2011-03-01

    The causes of bad breath are numerous and related to conditions dependent or not on oral and general health. The aim of our observational study is the assessment of the simultaneous relationships between halitosis, oral and/or nonoral diseases, and lifestyles using the principal components analysis of categorical data (CATPCA) to identify the main components involved in the detection of the symptom. A sample of 192 patients, who requested general dental examination at the Dental Clinic, participated at the study. Alimentary and voluptuary habits, general health information, drugs assumption, the status of teeth and intraoral medical devices including fillers, lesions of the oral mucosa, tongue coating score (TCS), plaque index (PI), probing bleeding index (PBI) and organoleptic tests were all evaluated. Data were analysed using CATPCA model. A strong relationship between halitosis and plaque, probing bleeding and tongue coating indexes was observed, whereas incongruous fillers, prostheses, systemic pathologies or diet were not clearly associated with halitosis probably because their effects on breath were clinically sheltered by the periodontal condition. The data of our observational study confirm that halitosis is more indicative of tongue coating and periodontal disease, rather than other oral and non oral associated conditions, like systemic pathologies or specific habits of life.

  12. Good and Bad Sleep in Childhood: A Questionnaire Survey amongst School Children in Southern Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gianluca Ficca

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite its clinical importance, the issue of subjective sleep quality in children remains unexplored. Here we investigate, in school-aged children, the prevalence of bad sleep perception and its relationships with sleep habits and daytime functioning, to provide hints on its possible determinants. Subjective sleep perception, sleep habits, and daytime functioning were studied through a questionnaire survey in a sample of 482 children (6–12 yrs.. Being “bad sleeper” was reported by 6.9% of the sample. Compared to the “good sleepers”, these subjects displayed shorter sleep duration on schooldays, longer sleep latencies, and a more pronounced evening preference, beyond more frequent insufficient sleep. Though no differences emerged in sleepiness, bad sleepers showed higher impairments in daytime functioning, indicated by more frequent depressed mood and impulsivity. These distinctive features might be very important to precociously detect those children who are possibly more vulnerable to sleep disturbances and whose sleep-wake rhythms evolution should be paid particular attention thereafter.

  13. Are we there yet? The state of the evidence base for guidelines on breaking bad news to cancer patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paul, C L; Clinton-McHarg, T; Sanson-Fisher, R W; Douglas, H; Webb, G

    2009-11-01

    The way clinicians break bad news to cancer patients has been retrospectively associated with poor psychosocial outcomes for patients. Education and practice in breaking bad news may be ineffective for improving patients' well-being unless it is informed by a sound evidence base. In the health field, research efforts are expected to advance evidence over time to inform evidence-based practice. Key characteristics of an advancing evidence base are a predominance of new data, and rigorous intervention studies which prospectively demonstrate improved outcomes. This review aimed to examine the progress of the evidence base in breaking bad news to cancer patients. Manual and computer-based searches (Medline and PsycINFO) were performed to identify publications on the topic of breaking bad news to cancer patients published between January 1995 and March 2009. Relevant publications were coded in terms of whether they provided new data, examined psychosocial outcomes for patients or tested intervention strategies and whether intervention studies met criteria for design rigour. Of the 245 relevant publications, 55.5% provided new data and 16.7% were intervention studies. Much of the intervention effort was directed towards improving provider skills rather than patient outcomes (9.8% of studies). Less than 2% of publications were rigorous intervention studies which addressed psychosocial outcomes for patients. Rigorous intervention studies which evaluate strategies for improving psychosocial outcomes in relation to breaking bad news to cancer patients are needed. Current practice and training regarding breaking bad news cannot be regarded as evidence-based until further research is completed.

  14. The impact of Taxation on Bank Leverage and Asset Risk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Horvath, B.L.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract: The tax-bene t of interest deductibility encourages debt nancing, but regulatory and market constraints create dependency between bank leverage and risk. Using a large international sample of banks this paper estimates the short and long run effects of corporate income taxes (CIT) on bank

  15. The effects of government bond purchases on leverage constraints of banks and non-financial firms

    OpenAIRE

    Kühl, Michael

    2016-01-01

    This paper investigates how government bond purchases affect leverage-constrained banks and non-financial firms by utilising a stochastic general equilibrium model. My results indicate that government bond purchases not only reduce non-financial firms' borrowing costs, amplified through a reduction in expected defaults, but also lower banks' profit margins. In an economy in which loans priced at par dominate in banks' balance sheets - as a reflection of the euro area's structure - the leverag...

  16. Pengaruh Set Kesempatan Investasi Terhadap Hubungan Antara Kepemilikan Manajerial dan Aliran Kas Bebas dengan Tingkat Leverage Perusahaan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Endang Raino Wirjono

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Agency  theory  mentions  that  leverage  (debt  is  one  of  mechanism  used  by shareholders  to minimize agency problem with manager. In this context, previous researchers show that leverage was influenced by free cash flow and insider ownership (managerial ownership. This research aims  to  examine  the determinants  of  leverage  in  a  research  model  and  treats investment opportunity  set  (IOS  as  moderating  variable  that  will  influence the  relationship  between  free cash flow and managerial ownership with leverage. By using sample consist of 38 manufacturing companies, result from moderated Regression Analysis (MRA statistically shows evidence that IOS  influences  the relationship  between  free  cash  flow  and  leverage.  This  result supported Tarjo’s research (2002.

  17. Leveraging electronic health records for clinical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raman, Sudha R; Curtis, Lesley H; Temple, Robert; Andersson, Tomas; Ezekowitz, Justin; Ford, Ian; James, Stefan; Marsolo, Keith; Mirhaji, Parsa; Rocca, Mitra; Rothman, Russell L; Sethuraman, Barathi; Stockbridge, Norman; Terry, Sharon; Wasserman, Scott M; Peterson, Eric D; Hernandez, Adrian F

    2018-04-30

    Electronic health records (EHRs) can be a major tool in the quest to decrease costs and timelines of clinical trial research, generate better evidence for clinical decision making, and advance health care. Over the past decade, EHRs have increasingly offered opportunities to speed up, streamline, and enhance clinical research. EHRs offer a wide range of possible uses in clinical trials, including assisting with prestudy feasibility assessment, patient recruitment, and data capture in care delivery. To fully appreciate these opportunities, health care stakeholders must come together to face critical challenges in leveraging EHR data, including data quality/completeness, information security, stakeholder engagement, and increasing the scale of research infrastructure and related governance. Leaders from academia, government, industry, and professional societies representing patient, provider, researcher, industry, and regulator perspectives convened the Leveraging EHR for Clinical Research Now! Think Tank in Washington, DC (February 18-19, 2016), to identify barriers to using EHRs in clinical research and to generate potential solutions. Think tank members identified a broad range of issues surrounding the use of EHRs in research and proposed a variety of solutions. Recognizing the challenges, the participants identified the urgent need to look more deeply at previous efforts to use these data, share lessons learned, and develop a multidisciplinary agenda for best practices for using EHRs in clinical research. We report the proceedings from this think tank meeting in the following paper. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Breaking bad news in spinal cord injury; a qualitative study assessing the perspective of spinal cord injury survivors in Turkey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozyemisci-Taskiran, Ozden; Coskun, Ozlem; Budakoglu, Isil Irem; Demirsoy, Nesrin

    2018-05-01

    Prior abstract publication: 2 nd Medical Rehabilitation Congress; Nov 4-7, 2010; Ankara, Turkey Objective: This study aims to investigate the process of breaking bad news from the perspective of spinal cord injury survivors. A cross sectional, qualitative study. Community. Fourteen spinal cord injury survivors. Subjects participated in a semi-structured interview about 'when', 'where' 'by whom' and 'how' they received and 'would' prefer to receive bad news. Answers to 'how' questions were coded according to SPIKES protocol (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathizing, Summary). Eight participants (57%) reported that they received bad news from a physician, mostly during rehabilitation. All would prefer to be informed by a physician and majority preferred to be gradually informed during rehabilitation. Half were not satisfied with the content of information. Only half felt that his/her physiatrist understood his/her emotional distress. Majority of participants who received bad news from physicians reported that the setting was private and their family members accompanied them. Most spinal cord injury survivors were unsatisfied with knowledge and emotional support provided by rehabilitation physicians. Participants would prefer to receive bad news by a senior physiatrist in a planned meeting during rehabilitation.

  19. Bank stock returns, leverage and the business cycle

    OpenAIRE

    Jing Yang; Kostas Tsatsaronis

    2012-01-01

    The returns on bank stocks rise and fall with the business cycle, making bank equity financing cheaper in the boom and dearer during a recession. This provides support for prudential tools that give incentives for banks to build capital buffers at times when the cost of equity is lower. In addition, banks with higher leverage face a higher cost of equity, which suggests that higher capital ratios are associated with lower funding costs.

  20. Leveraging Proximity Sensing to Mine the Behavior of Museum Visitors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Martella, Claudio; Miraglia, Armando; Cattani, Marco; van Steen, Martinus Richardus

    Face-to-face proximity has been successfully leveraged to study the relationships between individuals in various contexts, from a working place, to a conference, a museum, a fair, and a date. We spend time facing the individuals with whom we chat, discuss, work, and play. However, face-to-face

  1. Solar retrofitting of a historical brewery plant in Bad Toelz/Upper Bavaria; Solare Erneuerung einer historischen Brauereianlage in Bad Toelz/Obb.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lichtblau, Wendelin; Lichtblau, Florian [Lichtblau Architekten, Muenchen (Germany); Bruenner, Michael [Ingenieurbuero EST, Miesbach (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    The contribution under consideration reports on a solar renovation of a historic brewery plant in Bad Toelz (Federal Republic of Germany). All energy requirements of this brewery plant were minimized and supplied with renewable energy sources. A visible sign of this is the fully glazed roof with an integrated solar technology for light, air, heat and electricity. The energy concept includes a fully renewable energy supply to the historic building complex under the limiting conditions of the stock.

  2. Phospho-BAD BH3 Mimicry Protects β Cells and Restores Functional β Cell Mass in Diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanda Ljubicic

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Strategies that simultaneously enhance the survival and glucose responsiveness of insulin-producing β cells will greatly augment β cell replacement therapies in type 1 diabetes (T1D. We show that genetic and pharmacologic mimetics of the phosphorylated BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3 domain of BAD impart β-cell-autonomous protective effects in the face of stress stimuli relevant to β cell demise in T1D. Importantly, these benefits translate into improved engraftment of donor islets in transplanted diabetic mice, increased β cell viability in islet grafts, restoration of insulin release, and diabetes reversal. Survival of β cells in this setting is not merely due to the inability of phospho-BAD to suppress prosurvival BCL-2 proteins but requires its activation of the glucose-metabolizing enzyme glucokinase. Thus, BAD phospho-BH3 mimetics may prove useful in the restoration of functional β cell mass in diabetes.

  3. Polish adaptation of Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Brace and Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Deformity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misterska, Ewa; Głowacki, Maciej; Harasymczuk, Jerzy

    2009-12-01

    Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Brace and Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Deformity are relatively new tools aimed at facilitating the evaluation of long-term results of therapy in persons with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing conservative treatment. To use these tools properly in Poland, they must be translated into Polish and adapted to the Polish cultural settings. The process of cultural adaptation of the questionnaires was compliant with the guidelines of International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. In the first stage, two independent translators converted the originals into Polish. Stage two, consisted of a comparison of the originals and two translated versions. During that stage, the team of two translators and authors of the project identified differences in those translations and created a combination of the two. In the third stage, two independent translators, who were native speakers of German, translated the adjusted version of the Polish translation into the language of the original document. At the last stage, a commission composed of: specialists in orthopedics, translators, a statistician and a psychologist reviewed all translations and drafted a pre-final version of the questionnaires. Thirty-five adolescent girls with idiopathic scoliosis who were treated with Cheneau brace were subjected to the questionnaire assessment. All patients were treated in an out-patient setting by a specialist in orthopedics at the Chair and Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology. Median age of patients was 14.8 SD 1.5, median value of the Cobb's angle was 27.8 degrees SD 7.4. 48.6% of patients had thoracic scoliosis, 31.4% had thoracolumbar scoliosis, and 20% patients had lumbar scoliosis. Median results obtained by means of the Polish version of BSSQ-Brace and BSSQ-Deformity questionnaires were 17.9 SD 5.0 and 11.3 SD 4.7, respectively. Internal consistency of BSSQ-Brace and BSSQ-Deformity was at the level of 0.80 and 0.87, whereas the value of

  4. Good is up – Spatial metaphors in action observation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janna Marleen Gottwald

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Positive objects or actions are associated with physical highness, whereas negative objects or actions are related to physical lowness. Previous research suggests that metaphorical connection (good is up or bad is down between spatial experience and evaluation of objects is grounded in actual experience with the body. Prior studies investigated effects of spatial metaphors with respect to verticality of either static objects or self-performed actions. By presenting videos of object placements, the current three experiments combined vertically-located stimuli with observation of vertically-directed actions. As expected, participants’ ratings of emotionally-neutral objects were systematically influenced by the observed vertical positioning, that is, ratings were more positive for objects that were observed being placed up as compared to down. Moreover, effects were slightly more pronounced for bad is down, because only the observed downward, but not the upward, action led to different ratings as compared to a medium-positioned action. Last, some ratings were even affected by observing only the upward/downward action, without seeing the final vertical placement of the object. Thus, both, a combination of observing a vertically-directed action and seeing a vertically-located object, and observing a vertically-directed action alone, affected participants’ evaluation of emotional valence of the involved object. The present findings expand the relevance of spatial metaphors to action observation, thereby giving new impetus to embodied-cognition research.

  5. REVERSE LEVERAGED BUYOUT RETURN BEHAVIOR: SOME EUROPEAN EVIDENCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trevor W. Chamberlain

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available This study investigates the stock performance of reverse leveraged buyouts (RLBOs before, during, and after the global financial crisis. An RLBO consists of the return to public investors (i.e. the offering of stocks to the public of a company that had gone private after a leveraged buyout (LBO led by a private equity fund. The value created by an RLBO resides in the changes brought by the LBO fund while it owns the company. After a “repackaging” of the bought company, the private equity fund sells the company’s shares to the public. Most of the research on this topic, based on RLBOs that occurred between 1980 and 2005 in the US, has shown that RLBOs outperform their peers (i.e. other IPOs and outperform the market after going public again. Focusing on RLBO companies in Europe in the financial crisis era, this study investigates whether they also outperform other IPOs and the market. The study is based on a sample of 421 IPOs occurring between 2001 and 2011 in France, Germany and the UK, of which 52 are RLBOs. We examine RLBO performance one day, one month, one year and three years after the offering. We also use event study methods to investigate the impact of the global financial crisis on RLBO performance. We find that European RLBOs outperform both their peers (i.e. “classic” IPOs and the market during the period studied. This outperformance does not diminish in the long-term. The global financial crisis appears to have affected RLBO performance, which weakened between 2007 and 2009, though RLBOs still outperformed the market. In addition, multivariable regressions were used to examine various extant explanations for RLBO outperformance. This analysis did not support any of the prevailing theories. In particular, the value created by RLBOs does not appear to be linked to LBO duration, sponsor reputation, or to the level of leverage employed. There is no evidence of time or industry effects. Moreover, RLBO performance shows no

  6. Estimates for the Probabilities of Surface-to-Air Cloud-Free Lines-of-Sight and Low Cloud Statistics from Ship Observations. Part 1. Fifteen Marine Locations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-11-24

    time before and after) or cumulus fractus of bad weath’er, or both ( pannus ), usually below altostratus or nimbostratus. 8 = Cumulus and stratocumulus...vibrous upper part by cumulus, stratocumulus, stratus or pannus . + . from Surface Marine Observations Tape Deck TDF-11 *Fog All clouds in the 0-50...Fractus of bad weather, cr V both ( pannus ), usually below Alto- stratus or N~imbostratus. The term "bad weather* denotes the conditions which coenerally

  7. Competition in Healthcare: Good, Bad or Ugly?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Goddard

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The role of competition in healthcare is much debated. Despite a wealth of international experience in relation to competition, evidence is mixed and contested and the debate about the potential role for competition is often polarised. This paper considers briefly some of the reasons for this, focusing on what is meant by “competition in healthcare” and why it is more valuable to think about the circumstances in which competition is more and less likely to be a good tool to achieve benefits, rather than whether or not it is “good” or “bad,” per se.

  8. Public good provision and public bad prevention: the effect of framing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sonnemans, J.H.; Schram, A.J.H.C.; Offerman, T.J.S.

    1998-01-01

    An experimental analysis of voluntary, binary contributions for step-level public goods (bads) is presented. In the public good presentation of the dilemma the subjects choose between contributing or not. The public good is provided for all group-members if and only if the number of contributors

  9. Breaking Bad: Intertextuality, Intermediality and Crossmediality, and the Taste of Unpredictability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicola M. Dusi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Breaking Bad è una serie per molti aspetti indecidibile nel genere, che presenta un’intertestualità aperta e cangiante, tra serialità televisiva e cinema d’autore (ad esempio tra western e poliziesco, e si apre all’innovazione intermediale, data non solo dall’ibridazione dei generi e della fiction seriale con il cinema, ma dai modi metadiscorsivi (o 'metacinematografici' e da soluzioni che lavorano sui bordi dei media e sulla loro porosità grazie alle nuove tecnologie digitali. Passando attraverso esempi di modi traduttivi e reinterpretativi, intertestuali e intermediali, transmediali e crossmediali, cercherò di analizzare alcuni meccanismi di funzionamento degli attuali ecosistemi mediali seriali in Breaking Bad. Ad esempio nelle citazioni dirette e indirette, nelle aperture intertestuali e intermediali, ma anche nei teaser e nei recaps, nei webisode e nelle proliferazioni crossmediali delle pratiche dei remixer, distinguendo tra ripetizione e innovazione, tra modi centripeti e centrifughi dello storytelling e, per i remix, tra modi della selezione e modi della collezione.

  10. 2,5-hexanedione induces bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell apoptosis via inhibition of Akt/Bad signal pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jingsong; Shi, Xiaoxia; Li, Shuangyue; Piao, Fengyuan

    2018-04-01

    2,5-Hexanedione (HD) is an important bioactive metabolite of n-hexane and mediates the neurotoxicity of parent compound. Studies show that HD induces apoptotic death of neural progenitor cells. However, its underlying mechanism remains unknown. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotential stem cells with the ability to differentiate into various cell types and have been used as cell model for studying the toxic effects of chemicals on stem cells. In this study, we exposed rat bone marrow MSCs to 0, 10, 20, and 40 mM HD in vitro. Apoptosis and disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential were estimated by immunochemistry staining. The expression of Akt, Bad, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and Bad (p-Bad) as well as cytochrome c in mitochondria and cytosol were examined by Western blot. Moreover, caspase 3 activity, viability, and death of cells were measured by spectrophotometry. Our results showed that HD induced cell apoptosis and increased caspase 3 activity. HD down-regulated the expression levels of p-Akt, p-Bad and induced MMP depolarization, followed by cytochrome c release. Moreover, HD led to a concentration-dependent increase in the MSCs death, which was relative to MSCs apoptosis. However, these toxic effects of HD on the MSCs were significantly mitigated in the presence of IGF, which could activate PI3 K/Akt pathway. These results indicated that HD induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in the MSCs via inhibiting Akt/Bad signaling pathway and apoptotic death of MSCs via the signaling pathway. These results might provide some clues for studying further the mechanisms of HD-induced stem cell apoptosis and adverse effect on neurogenesis. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Leveraging DMO's Hi-Tech Simulation Against the F-16 Flying Training Gap

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    McGrath, Shaun R

    2005-01-01

    .... The purpose of this research is to examine leveraging hi-tech simulation assets against the every growing gap in training caused by a systematic reduction in the average fighter pilot's flying hours...

  12. Relationship between MRI findings and outcome in supratentorial branch atheromatous disease (BAD)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moriya, Saori; Adachi, Tomohide; Goto, Jun; Arakawa, Chiaki; Takagi, Makoto; Mizoi, Yoshikazu

    2006-01-01

    Branch atheromatous disease has been recognized as one of the types of stroke which is often associated with clinical deterioration. We investigated the correlation between diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) findings and clinical courses of 33 patients with branch atheromatous diseases (BADs) in the territory of the lenticulostriate arteries. The DWI findings associated with the poor outcomes (modified Rankin Scale mRS>or=3) are (1) the larger lesion size in a direction perpendicular to axial section and (2) the lesions located in the inferior portion of basal ganglia. The findings correlated with progressive motor deficits are (1) the lesions closer to the posterior limb of internal capsule (medial type) and (2) the lesions located in the inferior portion of basal ganglia. These characteristics of DWI may play an important role to distinguish the progressing ischemic strokes as BAD from non-progressing ones. (author)

  13. 12 CFR Appendix D to Part 225 - Capital Adequacy Guidelines for Bank Holding Companies: Tier 1 Leverage Measure

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... Consolidated Financial Statements (FR Y-9C Report), less goodwill; amounts of mortgage servicing assets... part. b. The tier 1 leverage guidelines apply on a consolidated basis to any bank holding company with consolidated assets of $500 million or more. The tier 1 leverage guidelines also apply on a consolidated basis...

  14. The Effect of Bad Human Activities on Marine Life as Portrayed in Sammy's Adventure: the Secret Passage

    OpenAIRE

    LATHIFAH, ISNA NUR

    2015-01-01

    Keywords: ecocriticism, bad humans activities, marine life, Sammy's Adventure: the Secret Passage movie. The balance of marine life is often damaged by irresponsible humans who do not care about their environment. This problem has inspired some works to criticize humans' reckless behavior toward environment, especially ocean. Sammy's Adventure: the Secret Passage is one of the examples that have been created to criticize the bad human activities in the ocean. This research applies ecocritici...

  15. ANALYSIS AND OPERATING LEVERAGE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OPERATIONAL RISK CUBAN ENTERPRISES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María E. González-del Foyo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The analysis of the equilibrium point is important in the planning process, because the relation costvolume-benefit may become significantly influenced by the investment of the company in fixed assets, and the changes in the ratio of fixed assets in relation to variable assets are determined at the moment, that the finantial plans are established. Together with the analysis of the equilibrium point, the degree of leverage is calculated and interpreted and its implicatiosn for the operative risk of an company is studied. The study of the degree of leverage and its interpretation from the operative risk point of view to which an company thats operate in different conditions and economies is faced, with is the basic objetive of the present paper and is of the highest importance for the decision taking of the management, being this a phenomenon present in all economic organizations. 

  16. Breaking Bad News Training Program Based on Video Reviews and SPIKES Strategy: What do Perinatology Residents Think about It?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setubal, Maria Silvia Vellutini; Gonçalves, Andrea Vasconcelos; Rocha, Sheyla Ribeiro; Amaral, Eliana Martorano

    2017-10-01

    Objective  Resident doctors usually face the task to communicate bad news in perinatology without any formal training. The impact on parents can be disastrous. The objective of this paper is to analyze the perception of residents regarding a training program in communicating bad news in perinatology based on video reviews and setting, perception, invitation, knowledge, emotion, and summary (SPIKES) strategy. Methods  We performed the analysis of complementary data collected from participants in a randomized controlled intervention study to evaluate the efficacy of a training program on improving residents' skills to communicate bad news. Data were collected using a Likert scale. Through a thematic content analysis we tried to to apprehend the meanings, feelings and experiences expressed by resident doctors in their comments as a response to an open-ended question. Half of the group received training, consisting of discussions of video reviews of participants' simulated encounters communicating a perinatal loss to a "mother" based on the SPIKES strategy. We also offered training sessions to the control group after they completed participation. Twenty-eight residents who were randomized to intervention and 16 from the control group received training. Twenty written comments were analyzed. Results  The majority of the residents evaluated training highly as an education activity to help increase knowledge, ability and understanding about breaking bad news in perinatology. Three big categories emerged from residents' comments: SPIKES training effects; bad news communication in medical training; and doctors' feelings and relationship with patients. Conclusions  Residents took SPIKES training as a guide to systematize the communication of bad news and to amplify perceptions of the emotional needs of the patients. They suggested the insertion of a similar training in their residency programs curricula. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

  17. Bad news: an experimental study on the informational effects of rewards

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bremzen, A.; Khokhlova, E.; Suvorov, A.; van de Ven, J.

    2015-01-01

    Psychologists and economists have argued that rewards often have hidden costs. One possible reason is that the principal may have incentives to offer higher rewards when she knows the task is difficult. Our experiment tests if high rewards embody such bad news and if this is correctly perceived by

  18. Do People Prefer to Pass Along Good or Bad News? Valence and Relevance of News as Predictors of Transmission Propensity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath

    1996-11-01

    Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that exaggeratedly bad news may propagate in the marketplace of ideas. Three studies investigate whether people prefer to pass along pieces of bad news or good news that are equated for "surprisingness." People typically prefer to pass along central rather than extreme information (i.e., news that is less surprising rather than more surprising). However, when confronted with extreme information, the results support a preference for congruence, that is, people prefer to pass along news that is congruent with the emotional valence of the domain in question. This means that in emotionally negative domains, contrary to some theoretical predictions, people are willing to pass along bad news even when it is exaggeratedly bad. At the same time, however, people transmit exaggeratedly good news in emotionally positive domains. The general discussion indicates how these results may inform research on word of mouth for consumer products and social relations in organizations.

  19. Ultra-processed foods, protein leverage and energy intake in the USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Steele, Euridice; Raubenheimer, David; Simpson, Stephen J; Baraldi, Larissa Galastri; Monteiro, Carlos A

    2018-01-01

    Experimental studies have shown that human macronutrient regulation minimizes variation in absolute protein intake and consequently energy intake varies passively with dietary protein density ('protein leverage'). According to the 'protein leverage hypothesis' (PLH), protein leverage interacts with a reduction in dietary protein density to drive energy overconsumption and obesity. Worldwide increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been hypothesized to be an important determinant of dietary protein dilution, and consequently an ecological driving force of energy overconsumption and the obesity pandemic. The present study examined the relationships between dietary contribution of UPF, dietary proportional protein content and the absolute intakes of protein and energy. National representative cross-sectional study. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. Participants (n 9042) aged ≥2 years with at least one day of 24 h dietary recall data. We found a strong inverse relationship between consumption of UPF and dietary protein density, with mean protein content dropping from 18·2 to 13·3 % between the lowest and highest quintiles of dietary contribution of UPF. Consistent with the PLH, increase in the dietary contribution of UPF (previously shown to be inversely associated with protein density) was also associated with a rise in total energy intake, while absolute protein intake remained relatively constant. The protein-diluting effect of UPF might be one mechanism accounting for their association with excess energy intake. Reducing UPF contribution in the US diet may be an effective way to increase its dietary protein concentration and prevent excessive energy intake.

  20. PENGARUH KEPEMILIKAN MANAJERIAL, LEVERAGE DAN PROFITABILITAS TERHADAP KEBIJAKAN INVESTASI PERUSAHAAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anggita Langgeng Wijaya

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini menguji dampak kepemilikan managerial, buku besar dan profitabilitas pada kebijakan investasi perusahaan pada sampel perusahaan manufaktur yang ada di Indonesian Stock Exchange. Metode purposive sampling digunakan untuk menentukan sampel dan analisis multiple regression digunakan untuk menguji hipotesis. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kepemilikan manajerial tidak berpengaruh secara signifikan pada kebijakan investasi perusahaan, buku besar berpengaruh positif pada kebijakan investasi publik, sedangkan profitabilitas berpengaruh positif terhadap investasi kebijakan publik. This research tests the effect of managerial ownership, leverage, and profitability on corporate investment policy for a sample of manufacturing companies listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange over the period 2006-2008. Population of this research is all of manufacturing companies at Indonesian Stock Exchange. Purposive sampling method was employed and the data analysis technique was classic assumption test: multicollinearity test, autocorrelation test, heteroscedasticity test, and normality test. The hypothesis test used multiple regression analysis. The results show that managerial ownership has no significant effects on corporate investment policy; leverage positively affects corporate investment policy; while profitability positively affects corporate investment policy.

  1. Bad apples and black sheep: Threat of ostracism as determinant of reactions to deviant behavior of ingroup and outgroup members

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ouwerkerk, J.W.

    2005-01-01

    Within a public good dilemma people have a tendency to follow the behavior of a single uncooperative individual (i.e., a bad apple) rather than the behavior of a single cooperative individual. The present research shows that this bad apple effect is stronger when a deviant individual is categorized

  2. BAD BANK AND OTHER POSSIBLE BANKS’ RESCUING MODELS – THE CASE OF SLOVENIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TANJA MARKOVIC-HRIBERNIK

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available During the economic crisis, Slovenia has transformed from one of the most successful new EU Member States into one of the most problematic ones. The reason for this is largely extensive banking problems, that continue to cause uncertainty on financial markets and adversely affect the rating of the country and consequently also the price of borrowing for both the state and private entities. Slovenia has opted to rehabilitate its banking sector by means of a bad bank (DUTB that, however, only became operational at the end of 2013. The paper seeks to examine whether a bad bank has indeed proven the most appropriate choice out of possible methods of resolving the banking crisis, based on the most recent findings regarding the suitability of various methods of bailing out banking systems in crisis, taking into consideration key elements required for the successful rehabilitation thereof. The paper finds that, taking into consideration all relevant circumstances, the bad bank has proven to be appropriate solution in the Slovenian case but the delay in rehabilitating the banking system has had significant negative macroeconomic impacts as demonstrated by a comparison to other selected countries that had opted to bail out the banking sector before Slovenia. State ownership of systemic banks and political instability have both greatly contributed to slow action taken.

  3. Effect of cAMP signaling on expression of glucocorticoid receptor, Bim and Bad in glucocorticoid-sensitive and resistant leukemic and multiple myeloma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Hongli; Carlton, Michael E; Lerner, Adam; Epstein, Paul M

    2015-01-01

    Stimulation of cAMP signaling induces apoptosis in glucocorticoid-sensitive and resistant CEM leukemic and MM.1 multiple myeloma cell lines, and this effect is enhanced by dexamethasone in both glucocorticoid-sensitive cell types and in glucocorticoid-resistant CEM cells. Expression of the mRNA for the glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GR) promoters 1A3, 1B and 1C, expression of mRNA and protein for GR, and the BH3-only proapoptotic proteins, Bim and Bad, and the phosphorylation state of Bad were examined following stimulation of the cAMP and glucocorticoid signaling pathways. Expression levels of GR promoters were increased by cAMP and glucocorticoid signaling, but GR protein expression was little changed in CEM and decreased in MM.1 cells. Stimulation of these two signaling pathways induced Bim in CEM cells, induced Bad in MM.1 cells, and activated Bad, as indicated by its dephosphorylation on ser112, in both cell types. This study shows that leukemic and multiple myeloma cells, including those resistant to glucocorticoids, can be induced to undergo apoptosis by stimulating the cAMP signaling pathway, with enhancement by glucocorticoids, and the mechanism by which this occurs may be related to changes in Bim and Bad expression, and in all cases, to activation of Bad.

  4. Kulturlandschaftswandel seit 1900: Ausmass, Wahrnehmung in der Öffentlichkeit und ethische Dimension : Beispiel: Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Bad Säckingen

    OpenAIRE

    Neudecker, Angelika

    2012-01-01

    The dissertation shows the extent of the landscape change in the administration alliance Bad Säckingen (municipalities Bad Säckingen, Murg, Rickenbach and Herrischried). The analysis of municipality statistics, the comparison of documents (maps, aerial photographs, postcards) and the attribution to a scale of change (from 0 = no change to 4 = extreme change) demonstrate, that the change of landscape over the past 100 years was moderate (level 2). The main changes in the research area are: ...

  5. Going from bad to worse: Adaptation to poor health, health spending, longevity, and the value of life

    OpenAIRE

    Schünemann, Johannes; Strulik, Holger; Trimborn, Timo

    2015-01-01

    Unhealthy persons adapt to their bad state of health and persons in bad health are usually happier than estimated by healthy persons. In this paper we investigate how adaptation to a deteriorating state of health affects health spending, life expectancy, and the value of life. We set up a life cycle model in which individuals are subject to physiological aging, calibrate it with data from gerontology, and compare behavior and outcomes of adapting and non-adapting individuals. While adaptation...

  6. A study of the impacts of leverage on labor and capital productivity: A case study of companies listed in Tehran Stock Market

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peyman Akbari

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Productivity is a primary objective of increasing competition in modern economy and any increase in productivity level helps development of organization in the competitive market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between operating leverage, financial leverage, compound leverage as independent variables and productivity indices including labor and capital productivities as dependent variables. The study includes 102 companies accepted in Tehran Stock Market based on screening, systematic deletion, over the period 2005-2010. The required data are gathered through official financial statements, committee reports, and other available documents in Tehran Stock Market. Stepwise regression and Pearson correlation are used to analyze the data. The results of the study have indicated that there were significant relationships between independent variables including leverage ratios with labor productivity. In addition, there is also a significance relationship between leverage ratios with capital productivity of total assets.

  7. Oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath among young mothers, Tanzania.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumghamba, E G S; Manji, K P; Michael, J

    2006-11-01

    To determine the oral hygiene practices, periodontal conditions, dentition status and self-reported bad mouth breath (S-BMB) among young mothers. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A total of 302 postpartum mothers, aged 14-44 years, were interviewed on oral hygiene practices and S-BMB using structured questionnaire. Oral hygiene, dentition and periodontal status were assessed using the Community Periodontal Index probe and gingival recessions (GR) using Williams Periodontal probe. Tooth brushing practice was 99%; tongue brushing (95%), plastic toothbrush users (96%), chewing stick (1%), wooden toothpicks (76%), dental floss (oral health promotion and periodontal therapy are recommended. This study provides baseline information on oral health status and the complaint on bad mouth breath which necessitates in the future need for objective assessment, diagnosis and management of bad mouth breath for enhanced social and professional interaction without embarrassment.

  8. Relationships between oncohematopediatrics, mothers and children in communicating bad news.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afonso, Selene Beviláqua Chaves; Minayo, Maria Cecília de Souza

    2017-01-01

    We present a study about the relations between pediatric oncological haematologists, mothers, and children in sharing bad news (BN) in a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. The text emphasizes the intertwining of technique and emotions for the treatment of children with diagnoses in which the fatal outcome is always a probability. We used a qualitative approach, privileging participant observation and open interviews with oncologists (at this service all professionals were female) and mothers. We sought to understand the importance of communication which includes expressions and control of emotions; bioethical issues that require sensitivity, serenity, and truth about approaching the end of life; and how the professionals balance proximity to children and families and objectivity in their activity. The main results showed: intense exchanges on BN among professionals; relapse of children who were evolving positively as the most difficult news; constant update of BN facing terminally ill children; quality of communication influencing the treatment; professionals permanently balancing between closeness and distance from patients and evidence of the their irreplaceable role to secure the family and the child.

  9. Leveraging Economy of Scale across Construction Projects by Implementing Coordinated Purchasing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thuesen, Christian Langhoff

    2010-01-01

    coordinated purchasing is an important step in the attempt to rethink the existing business model in construction. Going from competing on overhead (in a red ocean) to start to compete on company specific core competencies. The paper concludes highlighting the next milestones at the journey leveraging economy...

  10. PENGARUH LIKUIDITAS DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS DAN NILAI PERUSAHAAN PADA PERUSAHAAN PERBANKAN DI BEI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Yudha Dharma Putra

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available High  corporate  value  of  a  company  will  attract  investors  to  invest  in  the company.  Company  value  on  companies  that  went  public  in  the  long-term improvement is affected by profi tability, the higher the value of the company’s profi tability  is  also  higher  the  value  of  the  company,  and  the  lower  the profi tability of a company refl ects the low value of the company. Investors buy stocks  in  companies  that  go  pubilc  in  order  to  benefi t  from  the  investments made. This study aimed to analyze the infl uence of Liquidity and Leverage on Profi tability and Value.The population used in this study is a banking company listed  in  Indonesia  Stock  Exchange  (BEI  in  2007  to  2011  by  31  companies. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. Samples taken in this study were 20 companies for 5 years. Techniques of data analysis in this study using  Path  analysis.The  results  showed  that:  1  no  signifi cant  positive  effect of  liquidity  on  profi tability.  2  leverage  gives  a  signifi cant  positive  effect  on profi tability.  3  liquidity  is  not  signifi cant  positive  effect  on  a  fi rm  value.  4 Liquidity  positive  effect  on  company  value  through  profi tability.  5  Leverage gives a signifi cant positive effect on fi rm value. 6 Leverage has a positive effect on fi rm value through profi tability. 7 Profi tability gives a signifi cant positive effect on company value. Keywords :Liquidity, Leverage, Profi tability, Company Value

  11. Magnetic leverage effects in amorphous SmCo/CoAlZr heterostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Procter, R. A.; Hase, T. P. A.; Magnus, F.; Andersson, G.; Hjörvarsson, B.; Sánchez-Hanke, C.

    2015-01-01

    Although magnetic heterostructures are the basis of many magnetic technologies, the mechanisms involved in magnetization reversals in such structures are not fully understood, especially in amorphous multilayers. Here, we report on the SmCo/CoAlZr system and exploit resonant magnetic x-ray scattering to probe the element specific magnetization reversals. When combined into a tri-layer structure, two different switching fields and reversal mechanisms are observed for the Sm and Co sub-lattices. We argue that the decoupling of the sub-lattices arises from the local distribution of atomic species within the amorphous matrix leading to a strong magnetic leverage effect and exchange pinning. The decoupling arises due to strong interactions between regions of high Co density which span the interface. The relatively sparse interactions between Sm and Co induce a localized pinning of the Co-rich areas, resulting in an exchange bias in minor loops and an enhanced coercivity

  12. Magnetic leverage effects in amorphous SmCo/CoAlZr heterostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Procter, R. A., E-mail: r.a.procter@warwick.ac.uk; Hase, T. P. A. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); Magnus, F.; Andersson, G.; Hjörvarsson, B. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 751 20 Uppsala (Sweden); Sánchez-Hanke, C. [National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)

    2015-08-10

    Although magnetic heterostructures are the basis of many magnetic technologies, the mechanisms involved in magnetization reversals in such structures are not fully understood, especially in amorphous multilayers. Here, we report on the SmCo/CoAlZr system and exploit resonant magnetic x-ray scattering to probe the element specific magnetization reversals. When combined into a tri-layer structure, two different switching fields and reversal mechanisms are observed for the Sm and Co sub-lattices. We argue that the decoupling of the sub-lattices arises from the local distribution of atomic species within the amorphous matrix leading to a strong magnetic leverage effect and exchange pinning. The decoupling arises due to strong interactions between regions of high Co density which span the interface. The relatively sparse interactions between Sm and Co induce a localized pinning of the Co-rich areas, resulting in an exchange bias in minor loops and an enhanced coercivity.

  13. Die Aufklärung schwer kranker Patienten im interprofessionellen Kontext [Breaking bad news

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schildmann, Jan

    2006-11-01

    Full Text Available [english] Background: Breaking bad news is a frequent and difficult communication situation in clinical practice. Informing patients about bad news is part of physicians’ tasks. Nurses may support patients during the process of realising bad news on a cognitive as well as emotional level. Empirical studies show that experiential courses are effective measures to train communication skills. This paper presents the course concept of an interprofessional teaching session for medical and nursing students on the communication with seriously ill patients. Description of the project: Since 2002, 54 participants took part in seven courses. Teaching aims are the development of competences to provide feedback as well as communication skills with respect to discussions with seriously ill patients. In addition students get to know the specific tasks both professions encounter in the context of discussions with patients who had been diagnosed with a serious illness. Role plays with simulated patients, small group discussions as well as a session with clinically experienced physicians and nurses are the main teaching methods. Conclusion: The optional course has been well accepted by both student groups. In addition to the analysis of individual communication skills participants use the collaborative teaching sessions to discuss the options of an interprofessional approach of breaking bad news. There is a lack of scientific literature regarding the criteria of interprofessional concepts of breaking bad news. Such research is necessary to define specific teaching aims of collaborative courses on disclosing bad news and will serve as a fundament for future evaluation studies. [german] Hintergrund: Das Überbringen schlechter Nachrichten ist eine häufige und schwierige Gesprächssituation im klinischen Alltag. Während das Aufklärungsgespräch ärztliche Aufgabe ist, unterstützen Mitarbeiter der Krankenpflege die Patienten im Verlauf des Aufkl

  14. Combating Terrorism with Socioeconomics: Leveraging the Private Sector

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-01-01

    ndupress .ndu.edu   issue 46, 3d quarter 2007  /  JFQ        127 Leveraging the Private Sector b y m i e m i e W i n n b y R d Major Miemie...the Private Sector 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK...nongovernmental organizations, private sector , academia, and the U.S. Government (including the military). To attract all the necessary

  15. Comparison of good- and bad-quality cork: application of high-throughput sequencing of phellogenic tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teixeira, Rita Teresa; Fortes, Ana Margarida; Pinheiro, Carla; Pereira, Helena

    2014-09-01

    Cork is one of the most valuable non-wood forest products and plays an important role in Mediterranean economies. The production of high-quality cork is dependent on both genome and environment, posing constraints on the industry because an ever-growing amount of bad-quality cork (BQC) development has been observed. In order to identify genes responsible for production of cork of superior quality we performed a comparative analysis using the 454 pyrosequencing approach on phellogenic tissue of good- and bad-quality samples. The transcriptional profiling showed a high number of genes differentially expressed (8.48%) from which 78.8% displayed annotation. Genes more highly represented in BQC are involved in DNA synthesis, RNA processing, proteolysis, and transcription factors related to the abiotic stress response. Putative stomatal/lenticular-associated genes which may be responsible for the disadvantageous higher number of lenticular channels in BQC are also more highly represented. BQC also showed an elevated content of free phenolics. On the other hand, good-quality cork (GQC) can be distinguished by highly expressed genes encoding heat-shock proteins. Together the results provide valuable new information about the molecular events leading to cork formation and provide putative biomarkers associated with cork quality that can be useful in breeding programmes. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Occupational Control in Education: The Logic and Leverage of Epistemic Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazer, Joshua L.; Peurach, Donald J.

    2015-01-01

    Most current approaches to improving teaching and learning in American public schools rely on either market pressures or bureaucratic controls to leverage performance. In this article, however, authors Joshua Glazer and Donald Peurach examine occupational control as a third approach, whereby the internalization of norms, technical language, and…

  17. Leveraging Sociocultural Theory to Create a Mentorship Program for Doctoral Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosslin, Matt; Wakefield, Jenny S.; Bennette, Phyllis; Black, James William, III

    2013-01-01

    This paper details a proposed doctoral student connections program that is based on sociocultural theory. It is designed to assist new students with starting their educational journey. This program is designed to leverage social interactions, peer mentorship, personal reflection, purposeful planning, and existing resources to assist students in…

  18. The behavioralist as nutritionist: leveraging behavioral economics to improve child food choice and consumption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    List, John A; Samek, Anya Savikhin

    2015-01-01

    We leverage behavioral economics to explore new approaches to tackling child food choice and consumption. Using a field experiment with >1500 children, we report several key insights. We find that incentives have large influences: in the control, 17% of children prefer the healthy snack, whereas introduction of small incentives increases take-up of the healthy snack to ∼75%. There is some evidence that the effects continue post-treatment, consistent with a model of habit formation. We find little evidence that the framing of incentives (loss vs. gain) matters. Educational messaging alone has little effect, but we observe a combined effect of messaging and incentives: together they provide an important influence on food choice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Breaking bad news to cancer patients in palliative care: A comparison of national cross-sectional surveys from 2006 and 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichikura, Kanako; Matsuda, Ayako; Kobayashi, Mika; Noguchi, Wataru; Matsushita, Toshiko; Matsushima, Eisuke

    2015-12-01

    Most cancer patients experience the time when a doctor must "break the bad news" to them, a time when it is necessary for patients to call upon their self-determination to aid in the battle with cancer. The purpose of our study was to clarify the percentage of times doctors deliver bad news to patients at the end of life in each of four different situations, and to define the most common recipients of this bad news. We compare these results for two timepoints: 2006 and 2012. The study had a national cross-sectional design consisting of self-completed questionnaires sent to all hospitals that provide cancer care. We mailed them to hospital directors in January and February of 2012, requesting a reply. The results of the same survey in 2006 were employed as a point for comparison. A total of 1224 questionnaires were returned during 2012. 1499 responses collected in 2006 were employed as reference data. Some hospital characteristics had changed over that interval; however, the new data obtained were representative for patients being treated in Japanese cancer care hospitals. In hospitals with 300-499, there were significant differences between 2006 and 2012 in the providing information about ("disclosure of cancer diagnosis," "therapeutic options for treatment," and "a life-prolonging treatment"). In addition, the likelihood of doctors delivering bad news to patients and family members (as opposed to family members only) at the end of life increased from 2006 to 2012. Our results suggest that the overall incidence of bad news being disclosed has increased, especially in hub medical institutions for cancer care. Advanced treatment options or domestic legislation may have influenced the frequency or type of bad news.

  20. The Number of Hardwood Sawmills Continues to Decrease - Is that Bad?

    Science.gov (United States)

    William G. Luppold; William G. Luppold

    2005-01-01

    The following Guest Editorial, "The Number of Hardwood Sawmills Continues to Decrease - Is that Bad?" is presented by William G. Luppold, Ph.D., of the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station - Forestry Sciences Laboratory. In this article, Dr. Luppold examines many of the key issues surrounding the size and loss of sawmills, which has influenced...

  1. Leveraging the NPS Femto Satellite for Alternative Satellite Communication Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    programmed for eventual integration with the Iridium Network , which is then tested. C. THESIS ORGANIZATION The thesis addresses these questions...NPS FEMTO SATELLITE FOR ALTERNATIVE SATELLITE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS by Faisal S. Alshaya September 2017 Co-Advisors: Steven J. Iatrou...TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE LEVERAGING THE NPS FEMTO SATELLITE FOR ALTERNATIVE SATELLITE COMMUNICATION NETWORKS 5

  2. No-arbitrage, leverage and completeness in a fractional volatility model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilela Mendes, R.; Oliveira, M. J.; Rodrigues, A. M.

    2015-02-01

    When the volatility process is driven by fractional noise one obtains a model which is consistent with the empirical market data. Depending on whether the stochasticity generators of log-price and volatility are independent or are the same, two versions of the model are obtained with different leverage behaviors. Here, the no-arbitrage and completeness properties of the models are rigorously studied.

  3. Leveraging Machine Learning to Estimate Soil Salinity through Satellite-Based Remote Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welle, P.; Ravanbakhsh, S.; Póczos, B.; Mauter, M.

    2016-12-01

    Human-induced salinization of agricultural soils is a growing problem which now affects an estimated 76 million hectares and causes billions of dollars of lost agricultural revenues annually. While there are indications that soil salinization is increasing in extent, current assessments of global salinity levels are outdated and rely heavily on expert opinion due to the prohibitive cost of a worldwide sampling campaign. A more practical alternative to field sampling may be earth observation through remote sensing, which takes advantage of the distinct spectral signature of salts in order to estimate soil conductivity. Recent efforts to map salinity using remote sensing have been met with limited success due to tractability issues of managing the computational load associated with large amounts of satellite data. In this study, we use Google Earth Engine to create composite satellite soil datasets, which combine data from multiple sources and sensors. These composite datasets contain pixel-level surface reflectance values for dates in which the algorithm is most confident that the surface contains bare soil. We leverage the detailed soil maps created and updated by the United States Geological Survey as label data and apply machine learning regression techniques such as Gaussian processes to learn a smooth mapping from surface reflection to noisy estimates of salinity. We also explore a semi-supervised approach using deep generative convolutional networks to leverage the abundance of unlabeled satellite images in producing better estimates for salinity values where we have relatively fewer measurements across the globe. The general method results in two significant contributions: (1) an algorithm that can be used to predict levels of soil salinity in regions without detailed soil maps and (2) a general framework that serves as an example for how remote sensing can be paired with extensive label data to generate methods for prediction of physical phenomenon.

  4. Efficiency, Leverage and Exit: The Role of Information Asymmetry in Concentrated Industries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siyahhan, Baran

    2011-01-01

    This paper develops a real options model of imperfect competition with asymmetric information that analyzes firms’ exit decisions. Optimal exit decision is linked to firm characteristics such as financial leverage and efficiency. The model shows that informational asymmetries can lead more...

  5. Efficiency, Leverage and Exit: The Role of Information Asymmetry in Concentrated Industries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siyahhan, Baran

    This paper develops a real options model of imperfect competition with asymmetric information that analyzes firms’ exit decisions. Optimal exit decision is linked to firm characteristics such as financial leverage and efficiency. The model shows that informational asymmetries can lead more...

  6. The Financial Leverage Effect: Problems of Use in the Process of Optimization of the Enterprise Capital Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliynyk-Dunn Olena O.

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The article is aimed at clarifying the feasibility of optimizing the structure of the company’s capital based on the effect of financial leverage for the simplest situation – in the absence of profit taxation and without considering the dynamic aspects, related to changes in the total volume and composition of assets. On the basis of use of the recognized theoretical provisions – the Modigliani-Miller postulates – the authors illustrate the fundamental difference of results of the capital structure optimization by the criterion of maximizing the profitability of equity, which stipulates use of the effect of financial leverage, and on the criterion of maximizing the value of the owners capital. It has been concluded about the disadvantage for owners of implementation in the above-mentioned static situation of any revision of the capital structure accompanied by an increase in the financial leverage ratio, as it does not lead to an increase in the value of enterprise, but only provides a threat to its decline, and worsens financial security. Building of any optimization models of the enterprise’s capital structure, including those based on use of the effect of financial leverage, has been recognized as not expedient in the considered situation.

  7. The Role of Corporate Governance as a Leverage Moderating and Free Cash Flow on Earnings Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reni Yendrawati

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available According to agency theory there were separation of function between principal and agent. This separation created different interest between principal and agent. This condition occurs because of the asymmetric information that agent more knew company information than principal. Therefore, it was interesting to study the actions of management.This research aimed to analyze the influence of leverage and free cash flow to earning management and the ability to analyze the influence corporate governance consisting of managerial ownership, institutional ownership, independent commissioner, and audit committee in influencing earnings management on the listed manufacturing companies in Indonesia Stock Exchange during years 2010-2014. The results showed that leverage significantly influence to earnings management and free cash flow significantly influence to earnings management moderating variables that influence the relationship of leverage to earnings management is managerial ownership, independent commissioner,audit committee, and moderating variables that influence the relationship of free cash flow to earning management was managerial ownership and institutional ownership.

  8. THE INFLUENCE OF LEVERAGE AND DIVERSIFICATION TO FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANIESN IN INDONESIA 2010-2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulianti ,

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research is to find out the influence of leverage and diversification to financial performance of general insurance companies in Indonesia. This research uses secondary data from Indonesian general insurance companies’s financial report  within  year 2010 to 2014. The population of this research  is general insurance companies in Indonesia which listed as member of The General Insurance assosiation of Indonesia. The number of samples that used in this research are 10 general insurance companies which were selected based on purposive sampling method.This research used pooled regression models and hypothesis testing for each independent variable on dependent. The Result of this research shows that leverage and diversification significantly affect positively to general insurance company’s financial performance in Indonesia. Keywords : leverage, diversification, financial performance, insurance companies, and ROE.

  9. Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Reflections on Good and Bad Mathematics Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dayal, Hem Chand

    2013-01-01

    Researchers suggest that teachers' beliefs about teaching are strongly influenced by their personal experiences with mathematics. This study aimed to explore Pacific Island pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions about good and bad mathematics teachers. Thirty pre-service teachers, enrolled in a mathematics teaching methods course…

  10. The small and rural academic library leveraging resources and overcoming limitations

    CERN Document Server

    Davis Kendrick, Kaetrena

    2016-01-01

    Through the use of case studies, research, and practical interviews, The Small or Rural Academic Library: Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations explores how academic librarians in such environments can keep pace with, create, and improve modern library practices and services, network with colleagues, and access continuing education and professional development opportunities.

  11. Breaking Bad News in Healthcare Organizations: Application of the Spikes Protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    VonBergen, C. W.; Stevens, Robert E.; Loudon, David

    2011-01-01

    Organizational downsizing has increased exponentially worldwide and is also affecting the healthcare industry. It is one thing to speak abstractly of the need to reduce costs and quite another to actually tell a worker the bad news that he or she has been laid off. This paper offers practical advice to healthcare managers on conducting unpleasant…

  12. Cosmological leverage from the matter power spectrum in the presence of baryon and nonlinear effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bielefeld, Jannis; Huterer, Dragan; Linder, Eric V.

    2015-01-01

    We investigate how the use of higher wavenumbers (smaller scales) in the galaxy clustering power spectrum influences cosmological constraints. We take into account uncertainties from nonlinear density fluctuations, (scale dependent) galaxy bias, and baryonic effects. Allowing for substantially model independent uncertainties through separate fit parameters in each wavenumber bin that also allow for the redshift evolution, we quantify strong gains in dark energy and neutrino mass leverage with increasing maximum wavenumber, despite marginalizing over numerous (up to 125) extra fit parameters. The leverage is due to not only an increased number of modes but, more significantly, breaking of degeneracies beyond the linear regime

  13. The Relationship Between Company Returns and Leverage Depending on the Business Sector: Empirical Evidence from the Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stryckova Lenka

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The paper aims to provide up-to-date empirical evidence of relationship between the key indicators of business competitiveness: leverage and corporate performance. The study is based on corporate financial data of selected companies from the Czech Republic within 14 major business sectors according to CZ-NACE which companies published for the year 2014. The results of this study show that leverage (debt ratio has a substantially negative effect on corporate performance when the return on equity (ROE is used as an indicator of corporate performance in the Czech Republic over the period covered by the study. The results of the regression analysis confirmed negative relationship between the company profitability and the use of debt in majority of business sectors (Agriculture, fishery, and forestry; Construction, Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Professional, scientific and technical activities; Administrative and support service activities. The opposite relationship was found in one business sector only (Mining and quarrying where positive relationship between the company profitability and leverage was confirmed. Among other things, the results of this study confirm that corporate leverage varies across industries.

  14. KARAKTERISTIK EKSEKUTIF TERHADAP TAX AVOIDANCE DENGAN LEVERAGE SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verani Carolina

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to examine the influence of the executive characteristic on corporate tax avoidance. Risktaker’s executive tended to be more courageous and aggressive in taking decision related to the tax. On thecontrary, the risk averse executive tended to be carefully (Low, 2006. This research used leverage as interveningvariable. Therefore, there was an assumption that the executive characteristic determined the corporateleverage which then influenced their tax avoidance in the company. Manufacturing companies which werelisted in Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period 2010-2012 were used as samples. This research usedpurposive sampling method to select the sample with the criteria as follows: they were listed in Indonesia StockExchange during the period of 2010-2012, they made a profit during the period of 2010-2012, and they usedrupiah as reporting currency. Data was processed using path analysis and the result showed that the executivecharacteristic had an impact on corporate tax avoidance with leverage as the intervening variable. The resultof this research could be used for the investors to assess the corporate tax avoidance before they made a decision,and also for the policy makers to detect the corporate tax avoidance.

  15. Social categorization and threat of ostracism as determinants of reactions to deviant behaviour: A story about bad apples and black sheep

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ouwerkerk, J.W.

    2004-01-01

    Within a public good dilemma people have a tendency to follow the behaviour of a single non-cooperative individual (i.e., a “bad apple”) rather than the behaviour of a single cooperative individual. The present research shows that this “bad apple”-effect is stronger when the deviant individual is

  16. HOLIDAY FROM HELL : Bad travel experiences of Finnish people

    OpenAIRE

    Miettinen, Milja

    2015-01-01

    The topic of this thesis was the bad travel experiences of Finnish people. This thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical framework consists of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, tourism consumer behaviour, experience and experience economy. In the empirical part, a survey was used and answers were collected by a questionnaire on the Internet. The link to the questionnaire was published in Facebook and also on Suomi24 forum’s travel section. It was possible to answer to the questionnai...

  17. Investigating the effect of growth and financial strength variables on the financial leverage: Evidence from the Tehran Stock Exchange

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iman Dadashi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effect of growth and financial strength variables on the financial leverage for some listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange. For this purpose, a sample of 700 firm-years among listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2006-2010 was examined. In the present study, the growth variables, including asset growth, profit growth and sales growth; and financial strength calculated by the Altman Z-bankruptcy model have been considered as independent variables. In addition, the ratios of long-term debt to total assets, long-term debt to fixed assets, total long-term debt and short-term receivable facilities to equity capital and total long-term debt and short-term receivable facilities to total assets are used as measures of financial leverage and dependent variables. The results indicate that there is a negative and significant relationship between assets growth and some indexes of financial leverage. There is also a positive and significant relationship between the variables of profit growth, sales growth and financial strength with financial leverage measures.

  18. The PEWTER Study: Breaking Bad News Communication Skills Training for Counseling Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keefe-Cooperman, Kathleen; Savitsky, Devyn; Koshel, Walter; Bhat, Varsha; Cooperman, Jessica

    2018-01-01

    The efficacy of teaching communication skills for breaking bad news in graduate-level counseling programs was examined. A structured model, PEWTER (Prepare, Evaluate, Warning, Telling, Emotional Response, Regrouping; Keefe-Cooperman and Nardi 2004), provides a method for this difficult task. Prior to training in using the model, students reported…

  19. The Effect of Leverage and Financial Distress on Earnings Management with Good Corporate Governance as the Moderating Variable

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anugerah Iman

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available t Every investor wants his company’s financial statement to be in accordance with the condition of the company. In practice, it often occurs that a company does profit management to attract investors’ interest. The factors which can increase the practice of profit management are leverage and financial distress. The objective of the research was to find out and to analyze the influence of leverage and financial distress on profit management with good corporate governance as moderating variable in banking companies in Indonesia. The research used descriptive explanatory method. The data were gathered by conducting documentary study. The population was 42 banking companies listed in BEI (Indonesia Stock Exchange and the population target was 30 companies. The gathered data were analyzed by using path analysis with E-views 7.0 Software program. The result of the first model showed that leverage and financial distress simultaneously had positive and significant influence on profit management in banking companies in Indonesia at the coefficient determination (R2 of 0.1243 or 12.43%. Partially, leverage had positive and significant influence on profit management, and financial distress had negative but significant influence on profit management in banking companies in Indonesia. The result of the second model showed that institutional ownership as moderating variable could not weaken and strengthen the influence of financial distress on profit management and was considered as potential moderation. The result of the third model showed that managerial ownership as moderating variable could weaken the influence of leverage on profit management and was stated as quasi moderation. It can also weaken the influence of financial distress on profit management and was stated as quasi moderation. The result of the fourth model showed that independent commissioners as moderating variable could not weaken or strengthen the influence of leverage on profit

  20. Leveraging the Unified Access Framework: A Tale of an Integrated Ocean Data Prototype

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Brien, K.; Kern, K.; Smith, B.; Schweitzer, R.; Simons, R.; Mendelssohn, R.; Diggs, S. C.; Belbeoch, M.; Hankin, S.

    2014-12-01

    The Tropical Pacific Observing System (TPOS) has been functioning and capturing measurements since the mid 1990s during the very successful Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) project. Unfortunately, in the current environment, some 20 years after the end of the TOGA project, sustaining the observing system is proving difficult. With the many advances in methods of observing the ocean, a group of scientists is taking a fresh look at what the Tropical Pacific Observing System requires for sustainability. This includes utilizing a wide variety of observing system platforms, including Argo floats, unmanned drifters, moorings, ships, etc. This variety of platforms measuring ocean data also provides a significant challenge in terms of integrated data management. It is recognized that data and information management is crucial to the success and impact of any observing system. In order to be successful, it is also crucial to avoid building stovepipes for data management. To that end, NOAA's Observing System Monitoring Center (OSMC) has been tasked to create a testbed of integrated real time and delayed mode observations for the Tropical Pacific region in support of the TPOS. The observing networks included in the prototype are: Argo floats, OceanSites moorings, drifting buoys, hydrographic surveys, underway carbon observations and, of course, real time ocean measurements. In this presentation, we will discuss how the OSMC project is building the integrated data prototype using existing free and open source software. We will explore how we are leveraging successful data management frameworks pioneered by efforts such as NOAA's Unified Access Framework project. We will also show examples of how conforming to well known conventions and standards allows for discoverability, usability and interoperability of data.