Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Political Servants or Independent Experts? A Comparative Study of Bureaucratic Role Perceptions and the Implementation of EU Law in Denmark and Sweden

Abstract The aim of this article is to test two hypotheses regarding bureaucratic role perceptions and the implementation of EU policies at the Member State level. A comparison of national agencies in two different executive settings, the Danish and the Swedish, yields the conclusion that established theories on bureaucratic role perceptions explain differences in policy-making in the late stage of the EU policy process. Interview data supports the first hypothesis: that the main difference between Danish and Swedish national-level bureaucrats is that between perceiving oneself as a national servant (Denmark) and as an independent expert (Sweden). The second hypothesis tested here is that national-level bureaucrats under certain circumstances will perceive themselves as EU servants, and make implementation choices accordingly. Convincing evidence supporting this hypothesis is not found — not even in the case of the food-policy agencies, which are regarded here as the most likely to foster EU servants.
The Emergence of an Industrial Relations System in Taiwan: Historical and Contextual Challenges

This contribution traces the emergence of a new system of industrial relations in Taiwan. The transformation from a planned one-party state to democracy has occurred in the context of political, economic and social liberalization. The retreat of KMT influence, and the increasing plurality of labour organizations, are issues that are explored. In conclusion, some observations are made with regards to the emergence of new political and economic structures related to labour organization.
Determinants of Length of Stay for Domestic Tourists: Case Study of Yixing

The length of stay of a tourist is one of the most important factors indicating consumption levels and revenue generation for certain tourist destinations. This study employs data from a tourist survey in Yixing, China, to investigate potential factors influencing a tourist's length of stay. Applying an ordered logit model, it is found that distance, age, organized tour, transportation, motivation, past visits and assessment of accommodation are some of the major determinants of a tourist's length of stay. The results indicate that traveling distance and the assessment of accommodation are positively associated with the length of stay. In addition, tourists with different modes of transportation, motivations and past visits have different durations of stay. Based on the estimation results from subsamples, it is also found that there are differences in determinants of length of stay between organized tourists and individual tourists, and among different age groups.
Chronic pain patients' perceptions of their future: a verbal fluency task

Abstract Depression is a common feature of chronic pain, but the content of depressed cognitions in groups with chronic pain may be qualitatively different from other depressed groups. Future thinking has been extensively studied in depressed population; however, to our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate future thinking, using a verbal fluency task, in chronic pain. This study investigated the content of cognitions about the future, which are postulated to be a key mechanism in the development of clinical depression, but have not been studied in groups with chronic pain. This study used the future thinking task to investigate general future thinking and health-related future thinking in 4 groups of participants: those with pain and concurrent depression, those with pain without depression, those with depression without pain, and healthy control participants. One hundred seventy-two participants generated positive and negative future events, and rated the valence and likelihood of these events. Responses were coded for health-related content by 2 independent raters. Participants with depression (with and without pain) produced more negative and less positive future events than control participants. Participants with pain (depressed and nondepressed) produced more positive health-related future events than control participants. Participants with depression and pain produced more negative health-related future events than the nondepressed pain group. The findings suggest that participants with pain and depression exhibit a cognitive bias specific to negative aspects of health-related future thinking. This focus facilitates understanding of the relationship between depression and pain processing. The implications for therapeutic interventions are discussed.
Facilitating Dissent: The Ethical Implications of Political Organizing via Social Media

Social media are often perceived as a frivolous space for youths to connect socially. But youths who live in countries where free expression is curtailed and official news outlets are subject to government cen- sorship, information and communication technology (ICT) offers an increasingly important vehicle for political expression. In many cases, blogging and social media tools fulfill the role that journalism serves in more democratic societies. This article considers recent events in Iran, Egypt, China, and Myanmar, among other countries, and how Western information/social network corporations facilitate dissent. It also considers the ethical implications for doing so when there are negotiations with authoritative re- gimes, and the risks to the youthful communities that are at the receiving end of the consequences of these policies.
Of Risk Taking and the Personal Distribution of Income

This paper revisits the analysis of risk taking and income distribution pioneered by Friedman, but in an extended--general equilibrium--framework. The results of this paper cast doubt on the generality of many of Friedman's strong propositions. In particular, we find that the relationship between inequality and liking for risk is not necessarily monotonic. Nor is it the case that greater diversity in tastes for risk necessarily contributes to greater inequality. The paper also analyzes the effect of progressive taxation on national income and inequality in the context of risk taking.
Quality dimensions, capabilities and business strategy: An empirical study in high- tech industry

Excellence in quality helps firms gain customer loyalty and achieve competitive edge. Previous studies have suggested the need to develop quality capabilities to improve business performance. However, quality is multi-dimensional, and the development of each dimension requires different sets of resources. It is important for a firm to develop quality capabilities with a focus on a particular set of quality dimensions to support its strategic needs. This study hypothesizes that the relative contribution of the different quality dimensions to business performance is contingent on a given business strategy. We have identified the theoretical relationship between quality capabilities (expressed as a set of dimensions) and business strategy. Using the data collected from 113 high-tech manufacturing firms in Taiwan, we have analyzed and prescribed the matching of seven quality dimensions with three business strategies. Statistical results indicate that the business performance of quality management is strategy dependent. The congruencies between business strategy, quality dimensions and capabilities are important to a firm's performance in new product introduction, net profit and sales.
The role of certification in international ecotourism operators’ internet promotion of education

Ecotourism is a growing international tourism trend with unique demands on natural, cultural, and human resources. To ensure that operations are managed sustainably across environmental, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions, operating standards are implemented through ecotourism certification programmes. This study examined international ecotourism operators’ internet promotion of educational offerings, viewed as interpretive products, and interpretive sustainability practices. The primary focus was to understand differences in internet promotion of educational offerings between certified and non-certified operators. Stratified systematic sampling techniques rendered sampling of 29.9% (227/759) of the population. Data were analysed using domain analysis and logistic regression. The results revealed that certified and non-certified operators promote and practice education in the delivery of their ecotourism services; however, divergences existed between certified and non-certified operators with non-certified operators portraying clearer messages of education in their internet promotion. These findings led to question of why differences exist between these groups’ internet promotion of education as well as what are the merits of ecotourism certification agencies’ requirements for marketing standards of education. Understanding the role of education in certification marketing is critical to ensuring sustainability of ecotourism operators as well as in establishing a shared philosophy between operators, visitors, and residents.
Variable Prevalence and Functional Diversity of the Antiretroviral Restriction Factor TRIMCyp in Macaca fascicularis

ABSTRACT The retroviral restriction factor TRIMCyp, derived from the TRIM5 gene, blocks replication at a postentry step. TRIMCyp has so far been found in four species of Asian macaques, Macaca fascicularis, M. mulatta, M. nemestrina, and M. leonina. M. fascicularis is commonly used as a model for AIDS research, but TRIMCyp has not been analyzed in detail in this species. We analyzed the prevalence of TRIMCyp in samples from Indonesia, Indochina, the Philippines, and Mauritius. We found that TRIMCyp is present at a higher frequency in Indonesian than in Indochinese M. fascicularis macaques and is also present in samples from the Philippines. TRIMCyp is absent in Mauritian M. fascicularis macaques. We then analyzed the restriction specificity of TRIMCyp derived from three animals of Indonesian origin. One allele, like the prototypic TRIMCyp alleles described for M. mulatta and M. nemestrina, restricts human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) but not HIV-1. The others restrict HIV-1 and FIV but not HIV-2. Mutagenesis studies confirmed that polymorphisms at amino acid residues 369 and 446 in TRIMCyp (or residues 66 and 143 in the cyclophilin A [CypA] domain) confer restriction specificity. Additionally, we identified a polymorphism in the coiled-coil domain that appears to affect TRIMCyp expression or stability. Taken together, these data show that M. fascicularis has the most diverse array of TRIM5 restriction factors described for any primate species to date. These findings are relevant to our understanding of the evolution of retroviral restriction factors and the use of M. fascicularis models in AIDS research.
Analyzing the Determinants of Firm's Absorptive Capacity: Beyond R&D

This article proposes a new model for analyzing the determinants of absorptive capacity in companies. We suggest that absorptive capacity is determined not only by research and development activities, but also by a set of internal factors, which we group into three basic categories: organizational knowledge, formalization, and social integration mechanisms. In addition, we suggest that these factors may influence all components of the firm's absorptive capacity, and that the influence can be positive or negative depending on the applicability of the knowledge being absorbed. This paper thus advances the understanding of absorptive capacity by exploring a largely ignored aspect in the literature: the role of knowledge attributes. We show how the model can be operationalized and empirically tested and provide preliminary evidence supporting most of the propositions in the analytical model.
Managing success factors in entrepreneurial ventures: a behavioral approach

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between entrepreneurial behavior and success factors in a developing country context. , – A case study approach was selected to analyze real‐life situations in order to gain an insight about entrepreneurial cognition and action related to success factors. Drawing from the behavioral theory of entrepreneurship, this paper presents a conceptual model which shows that entrepreneurial cognitions about success factors may lead toward entrepreneurial actions. The data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews. Three entrepreneurs were asked to outline responses to identified success factors such as start‐up planning, managing risk, learning, networking, managing human resource, and managing finances. , – The results suggest that many behavioral patterns exhibited by the case study entrepreneurs were similar to entrepreneurs' behavior in more developed regions. The similarities include: preparation of business plan, ability cognition for start‐up planning, overconfidence and representativeness heuristics for managing risk, obtaining professional outsider assistance for learning, developing business relationships with suppliers for networking and favorable credit policies, and employing owner‐related and delaying‐payment methods of bootstrapping for managing finances. , – For the first time in Pakistan this study explores entrepreneurial cognition and action in managing success factors. The findings of the research will potentially help practitioners and policy makers in nurturing entrepreneurial initiatives in a developing country context.
Evolution of the vertebrate DNMT3 gene family: a possible link between existence of DNMT3L and genomic imprinting

DNA methylation plays an essential role in genomic imprinting observed in eutherian mammals and marsupials. In mouse, one of the two de novo DNA methyltransferases, Dnmt3a, and a related protein, Dnmt3L have been shown to be essential for imprint establishment in the parental germline. To gain insights into the evolution of imprinting mechanisms, we have identified and characterized the DNMT3 family genes in other vertebrate species. We cloned cDNAs for chicken DNMT3A and DNMT3B, whose putative protein products shared 81.5% and 48.6% amino acid sequence identity with their mouse orthologues. Using computer-assisted database searches, we also identified DNMT3A and DNMT3B orthologues in fish (fugu and zebrafish) and marsupials (opossum). We found that, while opossums had an orthologue for DNMT3L, chickens and fish did not have this gene. Thus, unlike the other DNMT3 members, DNMT3L was restricted to the species in which imprinting occurs. The acquisition of DNMT3L by a common ancestor of eutherians and marsupials might have been closely related to the evolution of imprinting.
Perception Based Principal Leadership Measurement: Does It Work in Pakistan?.

Adequacy of relevant knowledge and interpersonal skills, interalia, are vital contributors to a successful leadership. However, leadership is not a self-centered phenomenon but followers through their actions and views profess it. Extant literature suggests teachers’ and principals’ perceptions as a prominent tool for measuring school leadership. This study evaluated the applicability of this leadership measure in context of Pakistani schools. Study focused on analyzing the differences between views of school principals about their own leadership attributes and as viewed by the teachers under their sub-ordination. We adopted the questionnaire developed by Sharma (2010) and Sun et al. (2014) to collect the data on leadership attributes. Total of 178 teachers and 18 principals from Secondary Schools in Pakistan responded the questionnaire. We applied independent sample t-test to analyze the data. The results showed a significant difference between perceptions of principals about their own leadership attributes and that of views by the teachers working under them. The results of the study suggest that principals in the schools under study lack the leadership skills. Further analysis revealed that most of the principals considered them good leader but their sub-ordinates opinion negated this. It shows, the principals, under study, either lacked the interpersonal skills to motivate their sub-ordinates or failed to modify the opinion of their sub-ordinates.
Unravelling the Evidence on Franchise System Survivability

The underlying hypothesis behind the evidence presented here - some of it drawn from earlier literature and some of it previously unpublished - is that franchise system survival patterns largely mirror those of conventional small businesses, with high attrition rates in the formative years, rather than being a sure-fire recipe for success with low system failure rates. After all, the majority of new franchise systems are in fact themselves small businesses, obliged to construct a front-end infrastructure of managerial support some years ahead of achieving full financial break-even point. In effect, given the demands placed upon an infant franchise system to finance and manage the processes of franchisee recruitment and all that entails, plus induction and field support for franchisees, the new franchise company is, in effect, developing the management and administrative structures normally associated with a medium-sized business, without the income levels normally associated with this scale of business. F.
characterization of PCBs and benzoate metabolism genes from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) had been widely used for a variety of industrial purposes. Due to their classification as persistent organic pollutants, their production was banned in 1979. However, PCBs-polluted sites are still present worldwide, thus leading to the need for environmental remediation strategies for PCB compounds. Several PCBs-degrading bacteria had been previously isolated from anthropogenic polluted zones and had been screened to select those useful in bioremediation [1]. In this context, the γ-proteobacterium Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes KF707 is considered as one of the best candidate, due to its high heavy metal-resistance and its capability to grow either in planktonic or biofilm state [2]. Our aim was to investigate, within P. pseudoalcaligenes KF707 genome, bph and ben gene operon features, involved in the PCBs and the benzoate degradation pathways respectively. Since benzoate catabolism play a key role in aerobic bacterial PCBs degradation, we particularly focused on ben gene operons. Comparative genomic analyses extended to other classes out of γ-proteobacteria including order Pseudomonadales and phylogenetic analyses of protein encoding in ben operon were perfomed, in order to trace their ancestry.
Foundational Field Experiences: A Window into Preservice Teachers' Cultural Consciousness and Self-Efficacy for Teaching Diverse Learners

Winter 2011-2012, Vol. 21, Number 1 Page 37 E foundation courses, in conjunction with initial field experiences, have been described as critical entry points for developing preservice teachers’ interpretative contexts for future pedagogical courses (Ryan, 2006). These contexts must be situated within the historical, cultural, social, economic and political lives of the students they will teach, extending beyond an understanding of and sensitivity towards diversity to the development of efficacious teacher candidates.
Risks and Portfolio Decisions Involving Hedge Funds

This article characterizes the systematic risk exposures of hedge funds using buy-and-hold and option-based strategies. Our results show that a large number of equity-oriented hedge fund strategies exhibit payoffs resembling a short position in a put option on the market index and therefore bear significant left-tail risk, risk that is ignored by the commonly used mean-variance framework. Using a mean-conditional value-at-risk framework, we demonstrate the extent to which the mean-variance framework underestimates the tail risk. Finally, working with the systematic risk exposures of hedge funds, we show that their recent performance appears significantly better than their long-run performance. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.
Does Bat Day Make Cents? The Effect of Promotions on the Demand for Major League Baseball

A primary objective of sport marketers in the professional sport setting is to develop strategies to increase game attendance. Historically, one of the strategies to accomplish this goal has been the utilization of special promotions. This paper studied the impact of promotions on attendance at professional sport games. Specifically, this research examines (1) the overall effect of promotions on attendance, and (2) the marginal impact on attendance of additional promotional days. Using a data set containing 1500 observations, we find that a promotion increases single game attendance by about 14%. Additionally, increasing the number of promotions has a negative effect on the marginal impact of each promotion. The loss from this watering down effect, however, is outweighed by the gain from having an extra promotion day.
Hispanic Professors In U.S. Higher Education Institutions: Examining Discourses of Identity Negotiation, Discrimination and Prejudice, and Workplace Experiences

Despite all the efforts universities and colleges put into facilitating a more diverse student and faculty body, the scarcity of Hispanics in academia and the struggles they encounter once they join a department remains a problem for administrators. This study explored how Hispanic faculty members negotiated their identities in the workplace in light of their perceptions of prejudice and discrimination, and their working experiences associated with their professions. Thirty in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with college professors from seven different universities who self-identified as Hispanic or Latino(a). Using a qualitative grounded theory approach, specifically a constant comparative method (Charmaz, 2000, 2006; Corbin & Strauss, 1990), this study uncovered three themes. First, professors used different strategies to negotiate their identities depending on whether they are seeking to avoid or confront identity threats. Specifically, professors used dual identity and social creativity strategies to cope with potential identity threats. Second, professors demonstrated a constant sense of vigilance and self-reflexivity in reporting prejudice and discrimination experienced at different levels, thus revealing certain strategies outlined in the first theme. The third theme outlines the professors’ perceptions of the difficulties they experienced in professional processes such as teaching and mentoring and establishing interpersonal relationships beyond the Hispanic community in academia. Ultimately, this theme highlights that their ethnic group membership is still central in the way professors perform in their professions but also in the way they relate interpersonally with different people. In analyzing Hispanic professors in United States higher education institutions, this research made four theoretical contributions by (a) expanding knowledge about how professors’
Taxes and Time Use: Fiscal Policy in a Household Production Model †

Time use data on work and leisure is presented for a broad group of OECD countries. The home production model explicitly accounts for taxes and public expenditures on day care and elder care, substitutes for work households perform at home. Taxes are important for matching time use patterns in Canada, the UK, and continental Europe, but cannot explain the high levels of market work and low levels of home work observed in Scandinavia. Subsidies of services like day care that substitute for home work are shown to be quantitatively important for bringing both market and home work predictions in line with the data. (JEL D13, E62, J13, J14)