Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Import Demand Function for Bangladesh: A Rolling Window Analysis

This study aims to estimate aggregate import demand function for Bangladesh economy by using the data of 1980 to 2008. Estimation evidence provided by using autoregressive distributed lag (ADRL) approach to cointegration and rolling window regression method to estimate the coefficient of each observation in the sample by fixing the window size. The estimation result confirms long run relationship between imports, relative price and economic activity, and long run economic growth elasticity is (0.93) positive and relative price elasticity in the long run (-0.29) is negative. In contrast regression results of rolling window method demonstrates that the long run elasticities of national income variable are vary in the range of 0.81 to 0.96 and the relative price elasticities are negative according to the theory except few years.
Venture capitalists' non-financial value-added: an evaluation of the evidence and implications for research

Much research has suggested that venture capital (VC) investors can contribute post-investment to the success of new ventures in ways other than financing, but the specifics of such post-investment non-financial value-added (NFVA) are still not well understood. We systematically review, organize and evaluate the empirical research on VC NFVA, and compile together results that were previously scattered across many papers. In the 20 salient studies of VC NFVA published between 1986 and 2005, we observe little consensus regarding the definition and measurement of value-adding inputs and value-added outcomes, and little consensus regarding which of the VCs' value-adding inputs are most important. We further observe that NFVA studies have employed either qualitative methods or quantitative measures of retrospective perceptions. To guide future research, we propose a provisional model of VC exit success and a provisional eight-category typology of value-adding inputs that accommodates the findings in the literature. Two categories of the typology (legitimation and outreach) have an external orientation and six categories (recruiting, mandating, strategizing, mentoring, consulting and operating) have an internal orientation. The empirical evidence to date suggests that operating, outreach, consulting, mentoring and recruiting may be the most influential categories, but the evidence is far from definitive. We argue that future studies should examine ‘VC exit success’ as a high-impact dependent variable, and place greater emphasis on the measurement of directly observable events for both value-adding inputs and value-added outcomes.
With or Without You?1 Strategic Spatial Planning and Territorial Re-Scaling in Grenoble Urban Region

Spatial planning across European city regions is undergoing substantial changes. The paper draws on the framework of territorial re-scaling, strategic spatial planning and the emergence of new governance modes in order to analyse strategic planning episodes in Grenoble urban region (France). The paper aims at showing how strategic planning processes by means of new governance arenas call into question local planning cultures, especially by reshaping planning perimeters, territorial identities and actors' roles. In particular, it shows the importance of path dependency for strategic planning, the effects of power imbalances between local actors and the crucial role planners play in spatial policy-making.
Environmental Strategies and Their Impact on Hotel Performance

This study examines the relevance of environmental management as a source of competitive advantage for hotels. The relationship between the environmental proactivity of hotels located in the province of Alicante (Spain) and their economic performance levels was studied, and three strategic groups, based on environmental proactivity, were identified: Proactive, Intermediate and Reactive. The findings show that the degree of proactivity achieved by these hotels does not strongly impact on their organisational performance. Nevertheless, performance levels increase as environmental proactivity grows.
Site-specific encounters, norms and crowding of summer visitors at alpine ski areas.

Operating chairlifts at alpine ski areas during the summer to accommodate tourism and recreation activities (e.g. hiking and mountain biking) is increasing in popularity. Increasing summer use, however, may affect the ability of ski areas to sustain acceptable social conditions (e.g. crowding). In addition, little is known about encounters, crowding or acceptable use levels at ski areas during the summer. This article addresses these issues using data from surveys of summer visitors (n = 548) conducted at five separate sites in the Whistler Mountain ski area in British Columbia, Canada. Photographs and Likert-type scales measured visitors' encounters with others, perceived crowding and acceptance of use levels. Results showed that: (i) crowding and encounters differed among the sites; (ii) visitors at the backcountry sites rated encounters as less acceptable and possessed greater agreement regarding acceptable encounter levels compared with visitors at the more accessible sites; (iii) crowding and encounters were important indicators of summer use at each site; and (iv) visitors who felt more crowded encountered more people than their normative tolerances. Explanations for these findings and implications for managers and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Host Plant Cultivar Effects on Hydrogen Evolution by Rhizobium leguminosarum.

The effect of host plant cultivar on H(2) evolution by root nodules was examined in symbioses between Pisum sativum L. and selected strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum. Hydrogen evolution from root nodules containing Rhizobium represents the sum of H(2) produced by the nitrogenase enzyme complex and H(2) oxidized by any uptake hydrogenase present in those bacterial cells. Relative efficiency (RE) calculated as RE = 1 - (H(2) evolved in air/C(2) H(2) reduced) did not vary significantly among ;Feltham First,' ;Alaska,' and ;JI1205' peas inoculated with R. leguminosarum strain 300, which lacks uptake hydrogenase activity (Hup(-)). That observation suggests that the three host cultivars had no effect on H(2) production by nitrogenase. However, RE of strain 128C53 was significantly (P </= 0.05) greater in symbiosis with cultivar JI1205 than in root nodules of Feltham First. At a similar rate of C(2)H(2) reduction on a whole-plant basis, nearly 24 times more H(2) was evolved from the Feltham First/128C53 symbiosis than from the JI1205/128C53 association. Root nodules from the Alaska/128C53 symbiosis had an intermediate RE over the entire study period, which extended from 21 to 36 days after planting. Direct assays of uptake hydrogenase by two methods showed significant (P </= 0.05) host cultivar effects on H(2) uptake capacity of both strain 128C53 and the genetically related strain 3960. The (3)H(2) incorporation assay showed that strains 128C53 and 3960 in symbiosis with Feltham First had about 10% of the uptake hydrogenase activity measured in root nodules of Alaska or JI1205. These data are the first demonstration of significant host plant effects on rhizobial uptake hydrogenase in a single plant species.
Evidence of Earnings Management from the Provision for Bad Debts

Our paper examines whether managers manipulate earnings. ' We begin by modeling how a specific accounting number, the provision for bad debts, would be reported in the absence of earnings management. This model is motivated by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP): the provison should ensure that net accounts receivable represents management's expectation of future collections. We refer to the difference between the reported provision and the measurement specified by GAAP as a discretionary accrual and use our model to develop a discretionary accrual proxy. ' To test for earnings management, we divide our sample
WSF: The Model Parliament for Family Law Reform: A Significant Step towards Linking Women’s Issues with National Concerns

textabstractA central feature of Palestinian politics in the nineties, and specifi cally after the signing of the Oslo agreement in 1993, was that while many Palestinians were enthusiastically debating laws and challenging their newly established government on the basis of equality, they were aware that the framework within which their new reality was constructed was an agreement which deprived them of their fundamental right to self-determination and independence. The Oslo Accords sustained Palestinian inequality with Israel; in fact, by virtue of being signed by Palestinian representatives and approved by the international community, they amounted to a written surrender to the state of Israel.
Site-specific validation of indoor RF models for commercial propagation topologies at 2.4 GHz

This paper features a site-specific validation of indoor RF models for a commercial topology with an installed Wi-Fi system operating at 2.4 GHz (802.11g protocol). Based on extensive measurements acquired at the Athens International Airport, the efficiency of existing indoor RF models was validated in terms of signal prediction. Usage of different APs as transmitters allowed for more accurate results. Our work confirms the practical significance of the One-Slope model that calculates measurement-based values for the path loss exponent. These values are very useful for further studies of such complex indoor propagation environments at 2.4 GHz. In addition, it provides a numerical correction to the original formula of the ITU indoor RF model for commercial topologies at 2.4 GHz, with significantly increased precision in its predictions for all APs.
Antioxidant Activity of Moringa oleifera Tissue Extracts

Moringa oleifera is an important source of antioxidants, tools in nutritional biochemistry that could be beneficial for human health; the leaves and flowers are used by the population with great nutritional importance. This work investigates the antioxidant activity of M. oleifera ethanolic (E1) and saline (E2) extracts from flowers (a), inflorescence rachis (b), seeds (c), leaf tissue (d), leaf rachis (e) and fundamental tissues of stem (f). The radical scavenging capacity (RSC) of extracts was determined using dot‐blots on thin layer chromatography stained with a 0.4 mm 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) solution; spectrophotometric assays were recorded (515 nm). Antioxidant components were detected in all E1 and E2 from a, b and d. The best RSC was obtained with E1d; the antioxidants present in E2 reacted very slowly with DPPH. The chromatogram revealed by diphenylborinate‐2‐ethylamine methanolic solution showed that the ethanolic extract from the flowers, inflorescence rachis, fundamental tissue of stem and leaf tissue contained at least three flavonoids; the saline extract from the flowers and leaf tissue revealed at least two flavonoids. In conclusion, M. oleifera ethanolic and saline extracts contain antioxidants that support the use of the plant tissues as food sources. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sherpa of Khumbu: People, Livestock, and Landscape

In the three and a half decades since Nepal opened its borders the Sherpa world has changed irreversibly. Becoming a part of the rest the world and being defined as a natural park have brought new pressures on people and the land, and have vitally affected both the traditional life of the Sherpa people and the fragile high mountain environment of Khumbu. This study, based on extensive fieldwork, looks at animal management in Sagarmatha National Park in the context of Sherpa subsistance, demonstrating the intricacy of man-land relationship, the adaptability of traditional people and the range of considerations that must be taken into account in any attempt to modify traditional land use practices. The Khumbu landscape is graphically described and the human role in modifying the natural landscape is explored. Sherpa history and economy are discussed as are the substantial changes that the traditional life of Khumbu has undergone in the past few decades. Livestock provides a focal point for this wide ranging investigation and the cattle economy in particular is described in some detail. Although focusing on the Sherpa its relevance should stretch beyond its immediate subject to the study of all traditional societies subject to the pressures of change and the debate on the apparent hiatus between preservation of the environment and the legitimate rights of the people who depend upon it for a livelihood. This work should be of interest to anthropologists, geographers and scholars of agriculture and environmental studies.
Developing a conceptual framework of strategic entrepreneurship

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the integration of entrepreneurship and strategy to develop a conceptual framework of strategic entrepreneurship. The framework is developed through an analysis of theory and refined through an examination of practice.Design/methodology/approach – This framework is considered in the context of potentially entrepreneurial and strategic activity undertaken by 12 of the 17 state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) operating in New Zealand in 2006‐2007. Based on a review of documents, observation, and interviews with SOE executives, cases of 12 SOE activities were analysed to compare and contrast strategic entrepreneurship in practice.Findings – The findings reveal distinct elements within the four activities classified as strategic entrepreneurship, activities, such as leveraging from core skills and resources from a strategic perspective, and innovation from an entrepreneurial perspective.Originality/value – This study is one of the first to examine the nature of strategic entrepre.
The Frequency of Red Cell Transfusion for Anemia in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy A Retrospective Cohort Study

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to determine the frequency of red cell transfusion for anemia and risk factors. It was conducted at a regional cancer center and host hospital. All patients receiving chemotherapy in 1989 were studied. Complete data were available on 381; 26 were excluded. Age, diagnosis, baseline and nadir hemoglobin, transfusion history, chemotherapy regimen, and prior treatment were abstracted from the cancer center chart and hospital medical records. Transfusion for anemia was required in 18% of all patients with solid tumors; those with lung cancer had the highest rate (34%). Patients with anemia who entered chemotherapy were more likely to be transfused. Therefore, patients with leukemia, lung cancer, and/or prior anemia have higher transfusion rates and may benefit from such therapies as recombinant human erythropoietin.
A meta-analysis of three decades of validating thoracic impedance cardiography.

OBJECTIVE To provide a meta-analysis of current literature concerning the validation of thoracic impedance cardiography (TIC) and to explain the variations in the reported results from the differences in the studies. DATA SOURCES A computer-assisted search of English-language, German, and Dutch literature was performed for the period January 1966 to April 1997. Moreover, references from review articles were obtained. STUDY SELECTION A total of 154 studies comparing measurements of cardiac output or related variables obtained from TIC and a reference method were analyzed. DATA EXTRACTION Articles were classified by differences in TIC methodology, reference method, and subject characteristics. Fisher's Zf transformed correlation coefficients were used to compare results. Data were pooled using the random-effects method. DATA SYNTHESIS An overall pooled r2 value of . 67 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.71) was found. However, the correlation was higher in repeated-measurement designs than in single-measurement designs (r2 = .53; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.62). Further research using analysis of variance revealed a significant influence of the reference method and the subject characteristics on the correlation coefficient. The correlation was significantly better in animals than in cardiac patients. Subgroup analysis revealed that TIC correlated significantly better to the indirect Fick method than to echocardiography in healthy subjects. No significant influence of the applied TIC methodology was found. DISCUSSION The overall r2 value of . 67 indicates that TIC might be useful for trend analysis of different groups of patients. However, for diagnostic interpretation, a r2 value of . 53 might not meet the required accuracy of the study. Great care should be taken when TIC is applied to the cardiac patient. However, because the applied reference method was of significant influence, differences between TIC and the reference method are incorrectly attributed to errors in TIC alone.
The Strategic Bequest Motive

Although recent research suggests that intergenerational transfers play an important role in aggregate capital accumulation, our understanding of bequest motives remains incomplete. We develop a simple model of strategic bequests in which a testator influences the decisions of his beneficiaries by holding wealth in bequeathable forms and by conditioning the division of bequests on the beneficiaries' actions. The model generates falsifiable empirical predictions that are inconsistent with other theories of intergenerational transfers. We present econometric and other evidence that strongly suggests that bequests are often used as compensation for services rendered by beneficiaries.
COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY BETWEEN COOPERATIVE, SAVINGS AND COMMERCIAL BANKS IN EUROPE USING THE FRONTIER APPROACH

We test competing hypotheses concerning the comparative behavior of shareholder-owned commercial banks and stakeholder-orientated cooperative and savings banks in European banking. One hypothesis is that the risk culture and business models of stakeholder and shareholder-owned banks have become more alike and so cost efficiency has converged between bank ownership structures. The alternative hypothesis suggests that institutional differences do matter and lead, amongst other things, to variation in network effects and monitoring mechanisms producing differing behaviors and efficiency outcomes. By using a novel panel data set of 521 European banks during 1994-2010, we find: (i) mean inefficiency scores vary by ownership type and are lower for cooperative banks than for commercial and savings banks; (ii) there is a large variation in inefficiency scores among banks within each ownership type but the lower variance for cooperative banks indicates that they are the most homogeneous group; (iii) the inefficiency distribution of savings and commercial banks appear to arise from the same distribution, but this does not hold for cooperative banks. As such our findings are more consistent with the alternative hypothesis. Our first two findings buttress those studies that found significant differences between European banks with differing ownership structures, while our third finding on the significance of the cycle to the distribution of inefficiency is novel.
Achieving destination competitiveness: an importance–performance analysis of Serbia

As a relatively new and under-researched tourism destination, Serbia provides an interesting context to assess destination competitiveness in conditions of global environmental changes and the additional challenges of transition from a socialist economy to a market-based economy. This article uses importance–performance analysis (IPA) to assess the importance of different activities to underpin tourism development in Serbia, as well as the industry's perceived performance in respect of these activities. There are a number of areas in which Serbian tourism industry considers itself to be underperforming in the implementation of activities to maintain destination competitiveness. This article analyses these results in detail using IPA as a diagnostic tool. Particular attention is paid to investigating the implications of the findings for both destination managers and private tourism operators in Serbia that can assist them to develop a focused action agenda to achieve and maintain destination competitive advantage. The approach can be used in other destinations to assess tourism ability to meet the challenges of global trends.
Intergenerational Correlations in Labor Market Status: A Comparison of the United States and Germany

We use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the German Socio-economic Panel to calculate comparable measures of intergenerational correlations of earnings, hours, and education in the United States and in Germany. Our results indicate that there is remarkable similarity across the two countries in the correlations of earnings and of annual work hours of fathers and sons. The corresponding correlations for daughters and mothers are stronger in the United States than Germany, most likely due to the greater labor market integration of women in the United States. We also find that intergenerational correlations in educational attainment are considerably stronger in the United States.
What managers should know about ERP/ERP II

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of enterprise resource planning (ERP) on organizations and discusses critical issues that should be considered by managers and decision makers who are considering implementing an ERP/ERP II system.Design/methodology/approach – Extensive literature review and the author's professional experience on the topic provide the foundation for this article.Findings – ERP/ERP II are designed to improve competitiveness by upgrading an organization's ability to generate timely and accurate information throughout the enterprise and its supply chain. The goal of an ERP/ERP II is to integrate all business units of an organization and to create a system that is capable of providing up‐to‐date and relevant information for the corporation's decision makers and employees as well as business partners. The investment that is required is significant, sometimes running into the hundreds of millions of dollars and the decision to purchase and implement an ERP system is one of the mo.
Lawyering Stress and Work Culture: An Australian Study

This article presents findings from a national survey of nearly 1000 Australian legal practitioners conducted in 2012-13 to examine the working conditions, work experience, and health and wellbeing of solicitors and barristers who practice in a variety of settings. This is the first Australian study to investigate the extent to which stress, anxiety and depression among lawyers are associated with the conditions and culture of legal practice. The results show a remarkably high level of self-reported stress and negative emotional states amongst this sample of practitioners, which is pervasive across different legal settings and demographic groups. Excessive job demands, minimal control over workload and spillover of work commitments into personal life are just some of the work-related factors which are significantly correlated with poorer mental health outcomes. Concerns about the structure and culture of legal practice in Australia are also highlighted.
The Connection between Financial Repression and Economic Growth: The Case of China

Abstract China exhibits the typical symptoms of a financially repressed economy, such as regulated interest rates, a dominance of state ownership, and managed credit allocation. A repressed financial system acts as a double-edged sword: on the one hand, the system may help China accomplish extraordinary economic growth by subsidizing investment and production, but on the other hand, it endangers China's economic health by damaging economic efficiency, slowing job creation, and distorting the country's economic structure. Therefore, a more market-oriented financial system is required to rebalance China's distorted economy and make China's economic growth more sustainable.