Outcome of pregnancy in gestational diabetes as compared to overt diabetes

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterised by polyuria, polyphagia, polydipsia and glycosuria. Diabetes in pregnancy can be defined as pregestational (pre-existing) diabetes or gestational diabetes have type 1 (T1DM) or type 2 (T2DM) diabetes mellitus. Present study was carried to compare the maternal and perinatal outcome of overt diabetes mellitus as compared to gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) with that of gestational diabetes (GDM).Methods: An observational study was conducted at obstetrics and gynaecology department of a tertiary care center from July 2010 to October 2012 among 23 diabetic women. Seven of them were cases of overt diabetes while 16 were diagnosed during pregnancy. Maternal and fetal outcome were studied. All patients were followed from time of admission to discharge from hospital.Results: mean age of the participants were 26.71±4.89 in overt diabetes as compared to 27.56±4.41 among gestational diabetes. Illiteracy, low socio-economic status, rural residence, family history of diabetes was also high in overt diabetes mellitus as compared to GDM but none of them was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Intrauterine fetal death was more among GDM (37.5%) as compared to overt diabetes (28.57%). Prematurity and LBW were also high in overt diabetes as compared to GDM but none of them were statistically significant. Oligohydramnios, polyhydramnios and premature rupture of membrane were higher in gestational diabetes mellitus as compared to overt diabetes among women. Rate of LSCS were higher in gestational diabetes.Conclusions: Diabetes whether over or gestational is responsible for the poor outcome of the pregnancy so tight control is needed.

A trade-level DEA model to evaluate relative performance of investment fund managers

We develop a trade-level measure to evaluate fund managers’ efficiency in their buying and selling activities relative to the trades of other fund managers. We customize an additive Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to focus on risk-adjusted returns during different time periods as trade-level outcomes. The model does not consider any input-output process. Instead, it considers tradeoffs between multiple outcomes. We find that fund managers do not have symmetric ability in buying and selling. Some managers do well in buy transactions but not in sell transactions while others perform well in selling but not in buying. We also explore the determinants of fund managers’ trading performance. Compared to trade characteristics, portfolio characteristics have a greater influence in explaining fund managers’ relative trading efficiency

Repository Evaluation of Software Reuse: An Empirical Study

The traditional unit of analysis and control for software managers is the software project, and subsequently the resulting application system. Today, with the emerging capabilities of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) and corresponding changes in the development process, productivity gains can be realized by reusing portions of the organization's inventory of existing application designs and code. With this opportunity, however, comes the need to monitor software reuse at the corporate level, as well as at the level of the individual software development project. Integrated CASE environments can support such monitoring. We illustrate the use and benefits of repository evaluation of software reuse through an analysis of the evolving repositories of two large firms that recently implemented integrated CASE development tools. The analysis shows that these tools have supported high levels of software reuse, but it also suggests that there remains considerable unexploited reuse potential. Our findings indicate that organizational changes will be required before the full potential of the new technology can be realized.Information Systems Working Papers Serie

Profitability, productivity and price recovery patterns in the U.S. telecommunications industry

We undertake a study where we examine changes in the profitability, productivity and price recovery of firms in the U.S. telecommunications industry over a sixteen-year period. We assess the performance of thirty-three major companies in the local-exchange sector over six time periods 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1990, using a performance analysis model which disaggregates the profitability measure into two components: productivity and price recovery. We demonstrate the computation of performance using this technique. Our study indicates that the opening up of markets has had a significant impact on different dimensions of performance in the telecommunications industry, also validating a number of theoretical assumptions about the impact that industry changes are expected to have on firms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43575/1/11151_2004_Article_BF00163594.pd

Estimating Effectiveness of the Control of Violence and Socioeconomic Development in Colombia: An Application of Dynamic Data Envelopment Analysis and Data Panel Approach

This paper develops an index to evaluate the level of effectiveness of the control of violence based on the data envelopment analysis approach. The index is used to examine the grade of effectiveness of the control of violence at the level of Colombian departments between 1993 and 2007. Comparing the results across Colombian departments, we find that the majority of departments show improvement in their scores of effectiveness. A second stage of the regression model reveals that departments with a higher gross domestic product and higher education and employment are more effective in the control of violence, whereas departments with higher political violence, unemployment rates, unsatisfied basic needs, a displaced population, and hectares cultivated with coca show lower effectiveness in the control of violence. All these findings are of particular interest in the formulation and development of policies against violence, taking into account that organised forms of violence, such as drug trafficking, impede the adequate effectiveness of its control. Moreover, violence decreases social investments, generating alterations in social services that produce long-run deterioration in faith in the government’s ability to govern, which should become an incentive to further violence

Analysis of efficiency and profitability of franchise services

The present study analyses the relative efficiency of franchise services and characterises the best companies, confirming the relationship between efficiency and profit. These companies are from the trade and other services sector , the main group of service-providing companies in the Spanish economy. The methodology calls for first comparing the relative efficiency of franchisers and ownership enterprises. Second, the focus turns to the most efficient franchise services, using a super-efficiency model to rank them. The paper then goes on to cover the analysis of the main characteristics of the best franchise enterprises, the number of own establishments in a franchise business and the profitability of the company. This paper presents arguments as to why companies from the trade and other services sector are included. The main conclusion is that, whilst the number of establishments is irrelevant in achieving greater efficiency, many of the most efficient enterprises have high returns.García Martin, CJ.; Medal Bartual, A.; Peris-Ortiz, M. (2014). Analysis of efficiency and profitability of franchise services. Service Industries Journal. 34(9):796-810. doi:10.1080/02642069.2014.905921S79681034