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This article explores the effects of organizational memory on decision making with particular reference to British foreign policy regarding trade with Bulgaria in the years immediately preceding the Second World War. It argues that British policy, in conjunction with that of other Allied powers, pushed Bulgaria into a state of economic dependence on Nazi Germany. Bulgaria desired neutrality but eventually had to succumb to the pressures of its economic lifeline and join the war on the side of the Axis powers. These British policies were heavily influenced by the institutional memory of Bulgaria as an enemy from the First World War. The particulars of the organizational structure of the British Foreign Office meant little change in policy would occur right up to the beginning of the war, in spite of the recognized strategic importance of Bulgaria becoming an Allied partner or, at least, remaining neutral. This structure also contributed to an ongoing cultural bias that further reinforced rigidity in British policy development. Dans cet article, nous examinons les effets de la memoire organisationnelle dans les prises de decision en etudiant plus particulierement la politique etrangere britannique vis-a-vis du commerce avec la Bulgarie dans les annees qui precederent la deuxieme guerre mondiale. Nous affirmons que cette politique, conjointement avec celles d'autres puissances alliees, accula la Bulgarie a un etat de dependance economique avec l'Allemagne nazie. La Bulgarie souhaitait demeurer neutre mais elle suecomba eventuellement aux pressions economiques et s'engugea dans la guerre du cote des puissances de l'Axe. Les politiques etrangeres de la Grande-Bretagne etaient fortement influencees par la memoire institutionnelle de la Bulgarie qui fut un ennemi durant la premiere guerre mondiale. Les caracteristiques de la structure organisationnelle du ministere des Affaires etrangeres britanniques signifient qu'il n'y a eu que tres peu de changements jusqu 'au debut de la guerre en depit du fait qu'on reconnaissait l'importance strategique d'une alliance de la Bulgarie avec les Allies, ou, pour le moins, de sa neutralite. De plus, cette structure contribua a prolonger un biais culturel qui renforca une rigidite dans le developpement des politiques britanniques., The decision by Bulgarian leaders to join the Tripartite Pact on 1 March 1941 was a product, in large part, of the Balkan state's economic domination by Germany. There was, [...]

The present paper intends to develop an analytical condition for an interest rate swap (variable rate for fixed rate) to be beneficial and examines the incidence and effectiveness of swaps in the Canadian university sector. The paper demonstrates the lack of any cost advantage in a two-party swap through a contradiction analysis and then tests whether there is evidence that the use of this derivative is indeed acting (or not) as an effective risk management tool. The paper also applies a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test to determine whether the size of the university is a factor in the effectiveness of swap. Of the 31 Canadian universities using swaps, only five pass the analytical condition to be judged as an effective swap. The balance fails the test, indicating that the usage of the swap, in essence, unhedges a natural hedge that the institution had. The results also indicate that university size plays a role in whether the hedge is effective or not. This paper is unique in applying a quantitative test to determine swap effectiveness in the Canadian university sector. It also points to the necessity for management of these institutions to better understand the effects and uses of derivative financing instruments for hedging purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, cardiac catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy have been considered the “gold standard” for rejection surveillance after heart transplantation. Factors such as patient size (i.e., infant transplantation), loss of vascular access after repeated catheterizations, and anesthesia requirements all present unique problems and risks related to pediatric rejection surveillance. Therefore, additional methods to monitor for rejection in a non-invasive, reliable and frequent manner have been sought. We studied the utility of echocardiographic measurement of the left ventricular myocardial performance index (LVMPI), a reproducible measure of combined systolic and diastolic performance, in pediatric heart transplant recipients as a method of identifying acute rejection. Methods: Two-dimensional/Doppler echocardiographic studies (n = 36) were performed on 21 cardiac transplant patients (ages 6.2 to 21.9 years) at the time of endomyocardial biopsy. The LVMPI, the sum of the isovolumic contraction time and isovolumic relaxation time divided by aortic ejection time, was determined at each study, as well as other echocardiographic measures of systolic and diastolic function. Patients were grouped by concurrent histologic rejection grade and the results compared between groups. Results: Significant differences in LVMPI (p < 0.001) were noted between patients with no rejection (Grade 0; n = 23) and those with moderate to severe rejection (Grade 3; n = 5), as well as between those with no rejection and those with focal moderate (Grade 2; n = 8) rejection (p < 0.05). The LVMPI was 0.42 ± 0.03 (mean ± SEM) for the group without rejection, 0.57 ± 0.06 for those with Grade 2 rejection and 0.73 ± 0.05 for those with Grade 3 rejection. Although 9 of the 23 studies in the non-rejection group had LVMPI values exceeding 0.44 (upper threshold value), 12 of 13 patients in the rejection groups exceeded this threshold. LVMPI ≥ 0.64 was associated with significant rejection in all cases in this study (n = 7). No significant differences were noted between groups for left ventricular ejection fraction or shortening fraction, percent septal or posterior wall thickening, left ventricular mass index or mitral valve deceleration time. In addition, for those individual patients with multiple studies, the LVMPI consistently increased with higher rejection grades and decreased after therapy. Conclusions: In this series, increased LVMPI correlated with biopsy-proven rejection, and frequent serial assessments using this technique may provide a relatively sensitive non-invasive means of rejection surveillance after pediatric cardiac transplantation. False positive results may be encountered, likely due to alterations in diastolic function that have been previously observed in transplant recipients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]