Tilburg University

About: Tilburg University is a education organization based out in Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5550 authors who have published 22330 publications receiving 791335 citations.

Alternative disciplinary mechanisms in different corporate systems

Abstract: Corporate systems across the industrialized world differ markedly with respect to their historical origins, their methods of capital mobilization, and their structures of ownership and control. Those institutional differences seem to have an influence on economic behaviour, including the manner in which corporate restructurings take place. Whereas in the Anglo-Saxon world hostile takeovers are commonplace, they are virtually unknown in most countries of continental Europe and in Japan. In these latter countries other disciplinary mechanisms are at work, especially through the intense involvement of universal banks and financial holding companies in corporate decision-making and restructuring. These salient differences raise a number of interesting questions concerning the relationships between varying institutional settings and corporate behaviour, control and performance. This study provides a comparative analysis of market-oriented corporate systems on the one side and network-oriented corporate systems on the other. It indicates significant differences in the way the inherent agency conflicts are resolved. The typical disciplinary mechanisms employed in either system have a number of pros as well as cons, which suggests that the implied optimization of economic organization leaves room for multiple configurations.

Identifying depressive subtypes in a large cohort study: results from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).

Abstract: Objective: The heterogeneity of depression in the current classification system remains a point of discussion in the psychiatric field, despite previous efforts to subclassify depressive disorders. Data-driven techniques may help to come to a more empirically based classification. This study aimed to identify depressive subtypes within a large cohort of subjects with depression. Method: Baseline data from 818 persons with a DSM-IV diagnosis of current major depressive disorder or minor depression who participated in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety were used. Respondents were recruited in the community, in primary care, and in specialized mental health care from September 2004 through February 2007. Latent classes were derived from latent class analysis using 16 depressive symptoms from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Classes were characterized using demographic, clinical psychiatric, psychosocial, and physical health descriptors. Results: Three classes were identified: a severe melancholic class (prevalence, 46.3%), a severe atypical class (prevalence, 24.6%), and a class of moderate severity (prevalence, 29.1%). Both severe classes were characterized by more neuroticism (melancholic OR=1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.10]; atypical OR=1.07 [95% Cl, 1.03-1.12]), more disability (melancholic OR=1.07 [95% Cl, 1.05-1.09]; atypical OR=1.06 [95% CI, 1.04-1.07]), and less extraversion (melancholic OR=0.95 [95% CI, 0.92-0.99]; atypical OR=0.95 [95% CI, 0.92-0.99] than the moderate class. Comparing the melancholic class with the atypical class revealed that the melancholic class had more smokers (atypical OR=0.57 [95% CI, 0.39-0.84]) and more childhood trauma (atypical OR=0.86 [95% CI, 0.74-1.00]), whereas the atypical class had more women (atypical OR=1.52 [95% CI, 0.99-2.32]), a higher body mass index (atypical OR=1.13 [95% CI, 1.09-1.17]), and more metabolic syndrome (atypical OR=2.17 [95% CI, 1.38-3.42]). Conclusions: Both depression severity (moderate vs severe) and the nature of depressive symptoms (melancholic vs atypical) were found to be important differentiators between subtypes. Higher endorsement rates of somatic symptoms and more metabolic syndrome in the atypical class suggest the involvement of a metabolic component. J Clin Psychiatry 2010;71(12):1582-1589 (C) Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

International Evidence on Ethical Mutual Fund Performance and Investment Style

Abstract: Using an international database containing 103 German, UK and US ethical mutual funds we review and extend previous research on ethical mutual fund performance. By applying a multi-factor Carhart (1997) model we solve the benchmark problem most prior ethical studies suffered from. After controlling for investment style, we find little evidence of significant differences in risk-adjusted returns between ethical and conventional funds for the 1990-2001 period. Introducing time-variation in betas however leads to a significant under-performance of domestic US funds and a significant out-performance of UK ethical funds, relative to their conventional peers. Finally, we differentiate previous results by documenting a learning effect. After a period of strong under-performance, older ethical funds finally are catching up, while younger funds continue to under-perform both the index and conventional peers.

Subjective cognitive dysfunction in breast cancer patients: a systematic review.

Abstract: Objective: Results from studies examining subjective cognitive dysfunctioning (SCD) in breast cancer (BC) patients are unclear. Therefore, this review examined (i) the prevalence of SCD, (ii) the differences between (treatment) groups in SCD, (iii) the course of SCD, (iv) the relationship of SCD with psychological factors, and (v) the relationship between SCD and objective cognitive dysfunctioning (OCD). Methods: Through a systematic literature search, we identified 27 studies concerning SCD in BC patients. The methodological quality of these studies was examined according to predefined criteria. The methodological limitations and heterogeneity across studies were taken into account. Results: Eight studies were graded of high, 12 of moderate, and seven of low quality. Twenty-one to 90% of the patients reported SCD. The comparison between different (treatment) groups, at different time points of the cancer trajectory, rendered inconclusive evidence regarding the relation of SCD to the cancer itself, chemotherapy, and hormonal therapy. SCD and OCD were unrelated, but SCD was associated with psychological distress, fatigue, and health status. Conclusions: SCD does exist in BC patients, but it remains unclear if this is more commonly found in BC patients than in the general population. It is inconclusive if SCD is developed post-treatment or already exists pretreatment. Since there is a relationship between SCD and anxiety and depression, SCD may be more indicative of emotional distress instead of OCD. Attention toward SCD in future research is warranted in order to draw valid conclusions regarding SCD in BC patients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.