Commenting on Political Topics Through Twitter: Is European Politics European?

The aim of this study was to explore social media, and specifically Twitter's potential to generate a European demos. Our use of data derived from social media complements the traditional use of mass media and survey data within existing studies. We selected two Twitter hashtags of European relevance, #schengen and #ttip, to test several theories on a European demos (non-demos, European democracy, or pan-European demos) and to determine which of these theories was most applicable in the case of Twitter topics of European relevance. To answer the research question, we performed sentiment analysis. Sentiment analysis performed on data gathered on social media platforms, such as Twitter, constitutes an alternative methodological approach to more formal surveys (e.g., Eurobarometer) and mass media content analysis. Three dimensions were coded: (1) sentiments toward the issue public, (2) sentiments toward the European Union (EU), and (3) the type of framing. Among all of the available algorithms for conducting sentiment analysis, integrated sentiment analysis (iSA), developed by the Blog of Voices at the University of Milan, was selected for the data analysis. This is a novel supervised algorithm that was specifically designed for analyses of social networks and the Web 2.0 sphere (Twitter, blogs, etc.), taking the abundance of noise within digital environments into consideration. An examination and discussion of the results shows that for these two hashtags, the results were more aligned with the demoicracy and "European lite identity" models than with the model of a pan-European demos

Influence of family-centered goals on dividend policy in family firms: A socioemotional wealth approach

Socioemotional wealth (SEW) preservation is likely to be a key determinant for family firms to shape their dividend policy. This paper analyzes how family-centered goals captured by SEW influence on dividend policy in private family firms, exploring as well the moderating role on these relationships of family involvement in management, generational stage, and firm hazard. Results indicate a negative association between SEW preservation and both the likelihood of giving dividends and the amount of dividend paid. This negative relationship is stronger when the CEO is a family member, in early generational stages and when the firm faces greater performance hazard. The amount of dividend paid is also lower when there are family members in other top management positions beyond the CEO. Thus, the evidence provided suggests that the existing heterogeneity regarding dividend policy in the context of privately held family firms is strongly driven by differences in SEW priorities

Socioemotional wealth and financial decisions in private family SMEs

This study focuses on heterogeneity in family firms by analyzing whether the non-economic aspects that meet the family?s affective needs, or socioemotional wealth (SEW), influence debt financing. In the context of private family small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), our results indicate that family firms which are more concerned about preserving their SEW have lower debt levels (total and financial debt) and that CEO gender plays an important moderating role, with female CEOs strengthening the negative effect of SEW preservation on debt financing. Moreover, when family firms are managed by the first generation, the SEW effect on financial debt is even more negative. The findings are consistent with SEW being the point of reference in family SMEs? financial decisions, and highlight the importance of the CEO and family generation in charge of the firm as moderators of the relationship between SEW preservation and debt financing

Study protocol on social return on investment (SROI) project of the surgical waiting list management system

In Andalusia, the right to maximum waiting times for healthcare clashes with the available supply, leading to an increase in demand in the form of waiting lists. To address this situation, the activity of private centers has been created for certain diagnostic tests. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) model evaluates an intervention from an economic and stakeholder perspective. However, there are no studies on the suitability of waiting lists using SROI, which is why it is intended to be studied as a decision-making tool for the clinical and healthcare management of waiting lists. This research protocol is designed to determine the quality of life gained, with the EuroQol-5D-5L questionnaire, and its social assessment, with the specific survey of the SROI method, and, thus, analyze the social return on investment and determine the suitability of the intervention (diagnostic endoscopy activity arranged in a contracted center). After the study, we will know the economic (cost in public health centers and the incremental cost of extraordinary health resources), social (quality of life with health), and environmental scenarios of the concerted activity intervention in order to adjust waiting list timesPartial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Variable selection for classification and forecasting of the family firm's socioemotional wealth

Socioemotional wealth (SEW) refers to those family-centered goals that are likely to have a major influence on the strategic decision-making process and performance of family firms. Many studies have used indirect indicators related to family involvement in ownership and management to measure SEW; meanwhile, others have developed scales to directly measure the level and importance of SEW in family firms. Limitations of both indirect and direct measures of SEW lead empirical research on SEW to be under threat. In the current study, we use random forests to identify the important indicators related to financial and economic decisions, as well as family-related measures, for explaining the family firms' SEW and to design a good prediction model using the smallest set of nonredundant indicators. Our results show that the model that exhibits the minimum out-of-bag sample (OOB) error rate includes variables that refer to the presence of family members in the firm's management positions, long-term nonfinancial debt, personnel expenditures, longterm financial investments, short-term financial debt, average storage period, and accounts receivables. For prediction, the model with a reasonably low estimated classification error includes only three variables, which refer to the presence of family members in the firm's management positions, long-term nonfinancial debt, and accounts receivables.Fundación Cajamurci

The effect of online class attendance on academic performance in finance education

© 2024 The Authors. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This document is the Published version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in The International Journal of Management Education. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101023This study presents new evidence on how attending class –particularly synchronous virtual lessons– affects academic performance in higher education. We analyse data from over 500 undergraduate students enrolled in four finance courses at the University of Murcia, a Spanish public university where attendance is non-mandatory. After controlling for the student’s previous admission grade, academic experience, and demographic factors, the results show that online class attendance significantly increases the likelihood of taking the exam and improves the success rate as well as the final grades. Moreover, when the analysis distinguishes between attending lectures and practical lessons, there is a similar (positive) effect on student performance

Benefit-risk assessment of sonidegib and vismodegib in the treatment of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma

Sonidegib and vismodegib are Hedgehog pathway inhibitors (HhIs) that play a relevant role in the management of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (laBCC). This study compared the efficacy and safety of both HhIs based on their available data using effect size measures such as number needed to treat (NNT), number needed to harm (NNH), and likelihood to be helped or harmed (LHH)

Caracterización y clasificación de los carbones cretácicos de Teruel. Relaciones entre sus características y el entorno geológico

27 páginas, 8 figuras, 4 tablas.[ES]: Se han caracterizado los carbones cretácicos de la cuenca minera de Teruel (España), mediante el estudio exhaustivo de 36 muestras de capa de todas las explotaciones con actividad minera. El estudio ha comprendido: Análisis inmediato, elemental y petrográfico. Asimismo, se han determinado otros parámetros cuyo conocimiento se consideró necesario. También se han realizado ensayos carboquimicos como oxidación e hidrogenación. Los resultados muestran que aunque estos carbones pertenecen todos a una misma unidad geológica (Formación Escucha), existen diferencias claras entre los carbones de las subzonas Norte y Sur del Distrito Minero. Estos carbones se han clasificado mediante sistemas científicos (Seyler, van Krevelen y Alpem-ICCP) y comerciales (ECE/IJN y ASTM). El mejor parámetro clasificatorio ha sido la reflectividad de la vitrinita. Según el sistema de clasificación utilizado, los carbones de la subzona Norte se pueden considerar como lignitos o subbituminosos B y los de la subzona Sur como subbituminosos B ó A. Las diferencias encontradas entre los carbones estudiados, se explican desde un punto de vista geológico, por dos motivos: 1) Diferente presión litostática sobre las capas de carbón según la subzona, debido al aumento progresivo de la potencia de los sedimentos del Cenomaniense - Senoniense (Cretácico Superior) de Norte a Sur del Distrito Minero. 2) Menor influencia de la orogénesis alpina en las subzona Norte, contrastando con la subzona Sur, donde provocó gran número de fallas y plegamientos (una estructuración más intensa de las sucesiones mesozoicas).[EN]: Cretaceous coals from the Teruel Mining District (Spain) have been characterized by an exhaustive study of 36 bed samples from alí of the underground and upen cut mines with activity in that cual field. This study has included proximate, elemental, petrographic and other analyses. Also, sume chemical tests, as oxidations and hydrogenations, have been carried out. The results show that although these coals belung tu the same geological unit (Escucha Furmation in the lower Cretaceous), there are clear differences between the Norther and Southem Subzones of the Mining District. These coals have been classified by sume scientific (Syler’s, van Krevelen diagram and Alpem-ICCP) and commercial (ECE/UN and ASTM) systems. The best parameter tu classify these coals has been the vitrinite reflectance. In depending un the used classification system, cuaN from the North Subzone can be cunsidered as lignites or subbituminous B while coals from the South Subzone can be considered as subbituminous B or A. The differences between both groups uf studied coals can be explained, from a geological viewpoint, by two major factors: 1) The lithostatic pressure supported by the cual beds has been different in depending un the Subzone, because of the progressive thickness increase of te Cenomanian - Senonian sediments (Upper Cretaceous) from the North tu the South uf the Mining District. 2) The intensity of te Alpine Orogeny was stronger in the South Subzone; where gaye rise tu a more intense structuration of the Mesozoic sequences.El proyecto de investigación: “Caracterización de carbones aragoneses” del que forma parte este proyecto, fue realizado en el Instituto de Carboquímica, gracias a la financiación del CSIC, OCICARBON y Diputación General de Aragón - Diputación Provincial de Teruel (Juan, 1990).Peer reviewe

Effect of prime type on lexical decisión time

Present investigation concerns the issues of the control condition and type of related prime-target relationship operationalization in the lexical-decision paradigm