P-248 Futility and utility of two-stage hepatectomy

Meeting abstract in the European-Society-for-Medical-Oncology (ESMO) 21st World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Culture and profitability: empirical evidence at a European level

Organizational cultures distinguish different organizations within the same country or countries. When comparing the organizations within the same country differences in national cultures are not relevant but become relevant in comparison between different countries. This paper intends to evidence whether the profitability of companies can be influenced by the national culture. In order to characterize the culture of each country, we used the Hofstede measure of cultural dimensions (1. Power Distance (PDI); 2. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI); 3. Individualism (IDV); 4. Masculinity (MAS); 5. Long-Term Orientation (LTO); and 6. Indulgence vs Restraint (IND)). Sample was based on the 500 largest European companies rated by the Financial Times 2015. Profitability was measured by the ratios Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). Statistical tests were performed to test whether the means of the variables used to measure profitability are statistically equal. The results indicate that companies with higher profitability are from countries with lower Power Distance, lower Uncertainty Avoidance, Long-Term Orientation, and Higher Indulgence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intangibles as source of effective returns in the Iberian stock exchange markets

Literature has assigned to intangible assets the ability to generate future inflows, depending from the rights or privileges that the ownership impacts on the business. In the knowledge based economy, value of business has strengthened the identification of the gap between companies’ accounting and market values. Many companies attempt to manage the value of their intangibles, reporting them to stakeholders. Thus, if intangibles are associated to expected returns, a positive impact on turnover, and on other key performance indicators, is expected. This paper aims the identification of that impact and, furthermore, to evidence the typology of intangibles recognized and disclosed on the annual accounts. Data relates to 127 listed companies in the Iberian Stock Exchange Markets. Multiple regression was run towards the identification of the relationship between turnover and independent variables (e.g. intangibles capitalized in the statement of financial position; intangibles information compliance and disclosure index; human capital). Based on the theoretical model and predicted assumptions, empirical evidence has provided a statistically significant and reasonable basis towards the identification of variables embedded on intrinsic immateriality which can predict the businesses’ turnover.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intellectual capital and profitability: a firm value approach in the European companies

Intangibles are, at a knowledge-based economy, the most important resources, driving companies towards systematic and sometimes unexpected returns. This paper follows a positivist approach and aims to investigate the association between the degree of intangibility, value of firms and their profitability. Based on the 500 largest European companies, rated by Financial Times, the most relevant insights emerge from the association between firms’ knowledge intensity level and its degree of profitability. These insights consolidate the evidences that immaterial resources act as drivers of future benefits and are embodied on firms’ profitability ratios.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Molecular gas and a new young stellar cluster in the far outer Galaxy

We investigate the star-formation ocurring in the region towards IRAS07527-3446 in the molecular cloud [MAB97]250.63-3.63, in the far outer Galaxy. We report the discovery of a new young stellar cluster, and describe its properties and those of its parent molecular cloud. Near-infrared JHKS images were obtained with VLT/ISAAC, and millimetre line CO spectra were obtained with the SEST telescope. VLA archive date were also used. The cloud and cluster are located at a distance of 10.3 kpc and a Galactocentric distance of 15.4 kpc, in the far outer Galaxy. Morphologically, IRAS 07527-3446 appears as a young embedded cluster of a few hundred stars seen towards the position of the IRAS source, extending for about 2-4 pc and exhibiting sub-clustering. The cluster contains low and intermediate-mass young reddened stars, a large fraction having cleared the inner regions of their circumstellar discs responsible for (H-Ks) colour excess. The observations are compatible with a < 5 Myr cluster with variable spatial extinction of between Av = 5 and Av = 11. Decomposition of CO emission in clumps, reveals a clump clearly associated with the cluster position, of mass 3.3 x 10^3 M(solar). Estimates of the slopes of the Ks-band luminosity function and of the star-formation efficiency yield values similar to those seen in nearby star-formation sites. These findings reinforce previous results that the distant outer Galaxy continues to be active in the production of new and rich stellar clusters, with the physical conditions required for the formation of rich clusters continuing to be met in the very distant environment of the outer Galactic disc.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figure

On the Stability of Fundamental Couplings in the Galaxy

Astrophysical tests of the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings are a key probe of the standard paradigms in fundamental physics and cosmology. In this report we discuss updated constraints on the stability of the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ and the proton-to-electron mass ratio $\mu=m_p/m_e$ within the Galaxy. We revisit and improve upon the analysis by Truppe {\it et al.} by allowing for the possibility of simultaneous variations of both couplings and also by combining them with the recent measurements by Levshakov {\it et al.} By considering representative unification scenarios we find no evidence for variations of $\alpha$ at the 0.4 ppm level, and of $\mu$ at the 0.6 ppm level; if one uses the Levshakov bound on $\mu$ as a prior, the$\alpha$ bound is improved to 0.1 ppm. We also highlight how these measurements can constrain (and discriminate among) several fundamental physics paradigms.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Control of distributed power flow controllers using active power from homopolar line currents

Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices can be used for power flow control in AC transmission grids, improving power line utilization and performance. Nowadays, Unified Power Flow Controllers (UPFC) are one of the most useful FACTS, allowing the simultaneous control of the bus voltage and line active and reactive power. However, due to high costs and reliability concerns, the utilization of this technology has been limited in such applications. The concept of Distributed FACTS (DFACTS) and Distributed Power Flow Controller (DPFC) was recently introduced as a low coast alternative for power flow control. This paper presents a distributed power flow controller that uses third-harmonic frequency currents transmitted through the line to independently control active and reactive power flow at fundamental frequency. Simulations were carried in the Matlab/Simulink environment. © 2012 IEEE

Newborn Hearing Screening: 5 Years´ Results

In an average of 1000 healthy babies, up to 3 have sensorineural hearing loss ( but this incidence increases 20 to 40 babies if we take into account the newborns’ high risk factors. Newborn hearing screening is essential to detect the total of babies with hearing loss 35 dB If hearing loss is present, it will allow an early detection (before 2 months of age) and an adequate intervention re(h) abilitation before 3 months of age. Hearing screening is performed with Otoacoustic Emissions OAE) and Automated Auditory Brainstem Response aABR.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio