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Main Benefits (main + benefit)
Selected AbstractsThe Valuation of Deferred Taxation: Evidence from the UK Partial Provision ApproachJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 7-8 2001David B. Citron The UK provides a virtually unique environment in which to examine the information content of the partial provision approach to deferred tax accounting. In addition this issue is of particular interest to UK accounting standard setters in the light of trends towards international accounting standard harmonisation. Taking the total amount of deferred taxation to be equal to the partial balance sheet provision plus the potential portion appearing in the notes, this study tests the relationship between these various deferred tax components and market value. It also examines the economic rationale for the potential portion. The study is based on 1,512 company/years from the period 1989,1991. It finds that, while the full amount of deferred taxation is not valued by the market as a liability, there is evidence of the partial balance sheet provision being so valued. There is also evidence that the potential portion is positively related to market value, consistent with its proxying for information about future growth. This result is supported by the positive relation between the potential portion and measures of future capital spending, indicative of an underlying economic rationale for this deferred taxation component. From a regulatory perspective, the study concludes that the main benefit of the partial provision approach is that the balance sheet amount constitutes a reasonably reliable measure of the portion likely to crystallise as a liability, information that would be lost were only the full amount to be disclosed. [source] Physician and patient survey of allergic rhinitis in France: perceptions on prevalence, severity of symptoms, care management and specific immunotherapyALLERGY, Issue 8 2008P. Demoly Background:, Specific immunotherapy (SIT) is the only aetiological treatment used in allergic rhinitis (AR). A telephone survey of patients and physicians in France was carried out to understand better the real and perceived advantages and inconveniences of this therapeutic approach. Methods:, A cohort of 453 individuals with AR was selected using the Score For Allergic Rhinitis questionnaire. The survey evaluated the level of understanding of allergic rhinitis and its management, including both pharmacotherapy and SIT. A parallel survey was conducted with 400 general practitioners, allergists and nonallergist specialists. Results:, Approximately 50% of patients had heard about SIT as a therapeutic option. Of these, 56% had a positive view of SIT and 14% a negative image. A majority of patients and physicians with a positive opinion associated SIT with improved well-being and quality of life, while those with a negative opinion considered it to be a long and inconvenient treatment, with uncertain results. Over 50% of patients who had been offered SIT had accepted it and approximately 60% of these were satisfied with it. The future availability of SIT as sublingual tablets was perceived positively by both patients and physicians. Conclusions:, Many patients with AR are unaware of their pathology and few seek help from health professionals. When patients take medication, they are generally satisfied with their treatment, even if it is only symptomatic. Patients and physicians see the notion of definitive recovery as the main benefit of SIT, whereas the main disadvantage is the duration of treatment. [source] The Benefits of Banking Mega-Mergers: Event Study Evidence from the 1998 Failed Mega-Merger Attempts in CanadaCANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Issue 3 2003Ramon Baltazar We investigate the main benefit(s) of specific banking mega-mergers, and whether or not we can infer the benefit(s) from event study evidence of stock market reactions to the mega-mergers. In addressing these questions, we examine the market's reactions to three announcements surrounding the 1998 failed mega-merger attempts in the Canadian banking industry. From our analysis, we conclude that market power,not scale, scope, or X-eficiency economies, or access to government safety net subsidies,was the primary benefit ascribed by Canadian shareholders to the merger proposals. To the extent that the market's perception of merger benefits is an accurate indicator of the merging partners' motives, we also conclude that an analysis of shareholder reactions to a merger announcement,as undertaken here,is a productive avenue for regulators attempting to discern a particular merger's main motivations. Résumé Dans cette étude, nous examinons les avantages principaux de certaines méga-fusions bancaires. Nous nous demandons s'il est possible d'inférer ces avantages à partir de l'étude des réactions du marché boursier aux méga-fusions. Notre étude s'appuie sur les réactions du marché enregistrées à la suite de trois annonces, en 1998, de tentatives de méga-fusions avortées dans l'industrie bancaire canadienne. Notre analyse débouche sur la conclusion que le pouvoir du marché,et non son échelle, son étendue, l'efficacité de son économie (économies en efficacité X) ou l'accès au filet de sécurité des subventions gouvernementales,est le principal avantage que les actionnaires canadiens évoquent pour justifier les propositions de fusion. La perception des avantages de la fusion étant un indicateur clair des motivations des partenaires de la fusion, nous pensons qu'une analyse des réactions des actionnaires à l'annonce d'une fusion est une piste pertinente dans la détermination des principales raisons qui la sous-tendent. [source] Patients' experiences with partial dentures: a qualitative studyGERODONTOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Patricia A. Smith Objective:, The aim of the study was to gain insight into people's experiences of being given and using partial dentures. Methods:, In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with 23 people of varied age, social background and denture wearing experience in Tayside, Scotland. Participants were encouraged to discuss how they came to have partial dentures, their day-to-day denture use and their interactions with dentists. The interview data were systematically coded using key theme headings, and summary charts were constructed to facilitate analysis. Results:, The initial decision that a partial denture was needed was generally difficult to accept. People perceived the main benefits of partial dentures to be improved appearance and confidence, but experienced a variety of difficulties with their dentures and often coped with these by only wearing them on social occasions. Participants had not always told their dentists about the difficulties they experienced. Barriers to seeking help with denture problems included financial constraints, previous experience of rushed appointments or poor communication from dentists and a perceived lack of entitlement to help when partial dentures were issued free. Conclusions:, Partial dentures can be difficult to cope with. People experience a range of difficulties in wearing them, not all of which have been discussed with dentists. Informative and supportive communication when partial dentures are first needed, and subsequently, can improve the quality of patients' experiences and may help promote effective use and appropriate help-seeking by partial denture wearers. [source] An introduction to enantiomers in psychopharmacologyHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue S2 2001Brian E. Leonard Abstract There is growing scientific, clinical, commercial and regulatory recognition that enantiomers offer benefits over racemates in the management of psychiatric diseases as well as in clinical medicine generally. However, relatively few studies consider enantiomers' individual characteristics. This review considers some of the clinical benefits associated with using stereochemically pure drugs in psychiatric conditions other than depression. A review of the evidence shows that enantiomers offer four main benefits. Firstly, using a single enantiomer may allow a reduction in total dose, while maintaining or improving outcomes. For example, (+)-nefopam's antinociceptive activity is greater than that produced by both the racemate and (,)-nefopam, but with the same level of acute toxicity. Thus, a single enantiomer may offer greater efficacy, dose for dose, than the racemate. Secondly, assessing dose,response relationships is simpler. There is no reason to suppose that a racemate will necessarily contain the isomers' optimum therapeutic ratio, that one of the isomers will be inactive or that the enantiomers' dose,response curves will coincide. For example, the dose,response relationship for the induction of catalepsy in the rat by thioridazine suggested that the racemate was around 12 times more potent than (+)-thioridazine and three times more potent than (,)-thioridazine, when considering the actual concentrations in the striatum. Thirdly, using a single enantiomer may reduce pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability between patients. For example, the coefficients of variation for some of methadone's pharmacokinetic parameters may reach 70%, which might have clinical consequences. Finally, using a single enantiomer may reduce toxicity arising from the therapeutically inactive stereoisomer. For example, the single enantiomers of bupivacaine and ropivacaine are significantly less cardiotoxic than their respective racemates. This review illustrates why stereochemistry should be considered when assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, metabolism and efficacy of a racemate. Indeed, the differences may be so marked that achiral analyses may be misleading, and clinicians should consider prescribing an enantiomer whenever possible. In many cases, prescribing a single enantiomer improves the benefit:risk ratio. Finally, there is no reason to suppose that a racemate's characteristics will apply to the constituent enantiomers. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Using MOS current dividers for linearization of programmable gain amplifiersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CIRCUIT THEORY AND APPLICATIONS, Issue 4 2008M. Teresa Sanz Abstract Two highly linear, digitally programmable gain amplifiers are presented and compared in terms of linearity, frequency, area and power consumption. High linearity and wide gain tuning range with moderate area consumption are the main benefits of both configurations. Furthermore, constant bandwidth is achieved by means of switched compensation capacitor arrays. Three-bit prototypes were integrated in a 0.35,µm,3.3,V CMOS process with 2.5,V supply voltage. Experimental distortion levels are better than ,68,dB for 1,MHz and 1,Vp,p output signals in both configurations; hence, the suitability of the linearization technique based on MOS current dividers is shown. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Parabiotic associations between tropical ants: equal partnership or parasitic exploitation?JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010F. Menzel Summary 1.,The huge diversity of symbiotic associations among animals and/or plants comprises both mutualisms and parasitisms. Most symbioses between social insect species, however, involve social parasites, while mutual benefits have been only suspected for some parabiotic associations , two colonies that share a nest. 2.,In the rainforest of Borneo, we studied parabiotic associations between the ants Crematogaster modiglianii and Camponotus rufifemur. Parabiotic nests were regularly found inside hollow tree trunks, most likely initiated by Cr. modiglianii. This species frequently nested without its partner, whereas we never found non-parabiotic Ca. rufifemur nests. We experimentally investigated potential benefits, potential interference competition for food (as a probable cost), and foraging niches of both species. 3.,The two species never showed aggressive interactions and amicably shared food resources. However, Cr. modiglianii had a wider temporal and spatial foraging range than Ca. rufifemur, always found baits before Ca. rufifemur and recruited more efficiently. Camponotus rufifemur probably benefited from following pheromone trails of Cr. modiglianii. In turn, Ca. rufifemur was significantly more successful in defending the nest against alien ants. Crematogaster modiglianii hence may profit from its partner's defensive abilities. 4.,In neotropical parabioses, epiphytes grown in ,ant-gardens' play a crucial role in the association, e.g. by stabilization of nests. Hemiepiphytic Poikilospermum cordifolium (Cecropiaceae) seedlings and saplings frequently grew in the entrances of parabiotic nests in Borneo, obviously dispersed by the ants. In cafeteria experiments, both parabiotic ants carried its elaiosome-bearing seeds into the nest. However, P. cordifolium does not provide additional nest space, contrasting with neotropical ant-gardens. 5.,The parabiotic association appears beneficial for both ant species, the main benefits being nest initiation by Cr. modiglianii and interspecific trail-following (for Ca. rufifemur), and, in turn, nest defence by Ca. rufifemur (for Cr. modiglianii). However, Ca. rufifemur seems to be more dependent on its partner than vice versa. [source] Alleviating linear ecological bias and optimal design with subsample dataJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 1 2008Adam N. Glynn Summary., We illustrate that combining ecological data with subsample data in situations in which a linear model is appropriate provides two main benefits. First, by including the individual level subsample data, the biases that are associated with linear ecological inference can be eliminated. Second, available ecological data can be used to design optimal subsampling schemes that maximize information about parameters. We present an application of this methodology to the classic problem of estimating the effect of a college degree on wages, showing that small, optimally chosen subsamples can be combined with ecological data to generate precise estimates relative to a simple random subsample. [source] New driver for high-efficiency switching RF power amplifiersMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 5 2004Francisco Javier Ortega-González Abstract This paper describes a new driver circuit for high-efficiency RF switching power amplifiers (class E, class D) based on a small-area driver transistor, intrinsic input capacitances of the output-power transistor, and a shaping network. The driver operation is based on class-E principles. Among the main benefits of this new driver are high efficiency, very low-bias voltage, and circuit simplicity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 43: 370,372, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20472 [source] Proteomics integrated with Escherichia coli vector-based vaccines and antigen microarrays reveals the immunogenicity of a surface sialidase-like protein of Propionibacterium acnesPROTEOMICS - CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, Issue 9 2008Cheng-Po Huang Abstract Proteomics is a powerful tool for the identification of proteins, which provides a basis for rational vaccine design. However, it is still a highly technical and time-consuming task to examine a protein's immunogenicity utilizing traditional approaches. Here, we present a platform for effectively evaluating protein immunogenicity and antibody detection. A tetanus toxin C fragment (Tet-c) was used as a representative antigen to establish this platform. A cell wall-anchoring sialidase-like protein (SLP) of Propionibacterium acnes was utilized to assess the efficacy of this platform. We constructed an Escherichia coli vector-based vaccine by overexpressing Tet-c or SLP in E. coli and utilized an intact particle of E. coli itself as a vaccine (E. coli Tet-c or SLP vector). After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, the E. coli vector-based vaccines were administered intranasally into imprinting control region mice without adding exogenous adjuvants. For antibody detection, we fabricated antigen microarrays by printing with purified recombinant proteins including Tet-c and SLP. Our results demonstrated that detectable antibodies were elicited in mice 6,weeks after intranasal administration of UV-irradiated E. coli vector-based vaccines. The antibody production of Tet-c and SLP was significantly elevated after boosting. Notably, the platform with main benefits of using E. coli itself as a vaccine carrier provides a critical template for applied proteomics aimed at screening novel vaccine targets. In addition, the novel immunogenic SLP potentially serves as an antigen candidate for the development of vaccines targeting P. acnes -associated diseases. [source] Innovation and collaboration in the geographic information systems (GIS) industry: evidence from Canada and the United StatesR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2000Valerie Hartung This paper examines the role of collaborative technical activity in the innovation performance of Canadian and US companies in the geographic information systems (GIS) industry. This young but rapidly growing sector produces specialised hardware and software for cartographic applications (computer mapping). Evidence from a sample of 384 companies suggests that innovation is strongly dependent upon in-house R&D. The results also suggest that a firm's propensity to operate within a collaborative network varies directly with its R&-intensity. A description of the main benefits and costs of collaboration is presented. Although there is no statistical association between innovation and the incidence of external collaboration, the evidence suggests that R&D partnerships contribute to the innovation process in a number of important ways. The key contribution lies in the speed of product commercialisation. A related finding is that collaborators tend to generate radical innovations more frequently than less successful and/or non-collaborators. [source] A Model-Based Approach for Making Ecological Inference from Distance Sampling DataBIOMETRICS, Issue 1 2010Devin S. Johnson Summary We consider a fully model-based approach for the analysis of distance sampling data. Distance sampling has been widely used to estimate abundance (or density) of animals or plants in a spatially explicit study area. There is, however, no readily available method of making statistical inference on the relationships between abundance and environmental covariates. Spatial Poisson process likelihoods can be used to simultaneously estimate detection and intensity parameters by modeling distance sampling data as a thinned spatial point process. A model-based spatial approach to distance sampling data has three main benefits: it allows complex and opportunistic transect designs to be employed, it allows estimation of abundance in small subregions, and it provides a framework to assess the effects of habitat or experimental manipulation on density. We demonstrate the model-based methodology with a small simulation study and analysis of the Dubbo weed data set. In addition, a simple ad hoc method for handling overdispersion is also proposed. The simulation study showed that the model-based approach compared favorably to conventional distance sampling methods for abundance estimation. In addition, the overdispersion correction performed adequately when the number of transects was high. Analysis of the Dubbo data set indicated a transect effect on abundance via Akaike's information criterion model selection. Further goodness-of-fit analysis, however, indicated some potential confounding of intensity with the detection function. [source] eDrug: a dynamic interactive electronic drug formulary for medical studentsBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Simon R. J. Maxwell What is already known about this subject ,,Delivering education about an ever-increasing number of prescribable drugs to medical students represents a major challenge. ,,Drug names are generally not logical or intuitive, and many students find learning them akin to learning a foreign language. ,,Pharmacology and therapeutics teaching is struggling for visibility in some integrated medical curricula. What this study adds ,,Development of electronic tools allowing web delivery of a restricted student formulary facilitates dynamic access to core learning materials, improves the profile of this aspect of the curriculum and is highly appreciated by students. Aims Prescribing drugs is a key responsibility of a doctor and requires a solid grounding in the relevant scientific disciplines of pharmacology and therapeutics (PT). The move away from basic science disciplines towards a more system-based and integrated undergraduate curriculum has created difficulties in the delivery of PT teaching in some medical schools. We aimed to develop a web-based strategy to overcome these problems and improve the PT learning experience. Methods We designed and introduced ,eDrug', a dynamic interactive web-based student formulary, as an aid to teaching and learning of PT throughout a 5-year integrated medical curriculum in a UK medical school of 1300 students. This was followed by a prospective observational study of student-reported views about its impact on their PT learning experience. Results eDrug was rated highly by students and staff, with the main benefits being increased visibility of PT in the curriculum, clear identification of core drugs, regular sourcing of drug information via direct links to accredited sources including the British National Formulary, prioritization of learning, immediate access and responsiveness. It has also served as a focus of discussion concerning core PT learning objectives amongst staff and students. Conclusions Web-based delivery of PT learning objectives actively supports learning within an integrated curriculum. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||