Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Not quite/just the same/different : the construction of identity in Vietnamese war orphans adopted by white parents

Global diasporas caused by wars carry many streams of people in the 1970s one of these streams contained orphans from Vietnam delivered to white parents in the West. On arrival, the social expectation was that these children would blend seamlessly into the culture of their adoptive parents. Now some adoptees, as adults, reflect on their lives as ‘Asian’ or racially ‘Other’ children in white societies, charting the critical points in their maturation. This thesis interrogates their life histories to explore the role of birth-culture in the self -definition of people removed from that culture at birth or in childhood. Thirteen adult adopted Vietnamese participants were interviewed. These interviews provided qualitative data on issues of racial and cultural identity. These data were developed and analysed, using a framework drawn from symbolic interactionism and cultural studies, in order to reveal the interpersonal dynamics in which people were involved, and the broader cultural relations that sustained them. The findings reveal that in early childhood the adopted Vietnamese identity process was shaped by a series of identifications with, and affirmations of, sharing their adoptive parents racial and cultural identity. Such identifications were then challenged once the adoptees entered society and were seen by others as different. The participants’ attempts to locate a secure sense of self and identity within the world they are placed in are disturbed by numerous uncertainties surrounding racial and cultural difference. One of the most crucial uncertainties is the adopted Vietnamese knowledge about their cultural background. While most felt they lacked positive knowledge about Vietnam and racial diversity, their sense of identity was unsettled by experiences with racism and negative cultural stereotypes throughout their late childhood to adolescence. As their recognition and acceptance of their difference develops in adulthood, they experience a degree of empowerment due to their being able to access more knowledge about their cultural background and a greater appreciation of racial
Small is Beautiful? The Development of Women's Activism in a Small Union

This article draws together two aspects of union renewal strategy: merger and increasing women's involvement and activism. The article utilises a case study of the National Union of the Lock and Metal Workers (NULMW), a small union that appears to have successfully promoted women's involvement contrary to the usual expectations about manufacturing union contexts. We argue that the reasons why women have done so well within the NULMW relates to the small size and community-based nature of the union, including its alignment with the historical development of the lock workforce. In light of this, we reflect on the potential effects of a recent amalgamation of the NULMW with the TGWU.
An Adaptive Flex-Deluge Approach to University Exam Timetabling

This paper presents a new methodology for university exam timetabling problems, which draws upon earlier work on the Great Deluge metaheuristic. The new method introduces a “flexible” acceptance condition. Even a simple variant of this technique (with fixed flexibility) outperforms the original Great Deluge algorithm. Moreover, it enables a run-time adaptation of an acceptance condition for each particular move. We investigate the adaptive mechanism where the algorithm accepts the movement of exams in a way that is dependent upon the difficulty of assigning that exam. The overall motivation is to encourage the exploration of a wider region of the search space. We present an analysis of the results of our tests of this technique on two international collections of benchmark exam timetabling problems. We show that 9 of 16 solutions in the first collection and 11 of 12 solutions in the second collection produced by our technique have a higher level of quality than previously published methodologies.
The 2005/06 South Dakota Grain Marketing Patterns Study: A Grain Elevator Survey Report

This study reports the results of a survey of grain elevators in South Dakota completed in 2007 and focuses on the marketing patterns for spring wheat, winter wheat, oats, barley, corn, soybeans and sunflower seeds for the marketing year 2005/06. During the year, elevators’ market share in South Dakota was 54%, 83%, 91% and 83% for corn, soybeans, spring wheat, and winter wheat, respectively. Contrary to reports for Iowa and Indiana, the increase in ethanol production in the state did not have an adverse impact on elevators’ market share for corn in South Dakota. In terms of volume, cash purchase, delayed pricing, cash forward contracts, and hedge to arrive contracts, collectively, accounted for more than 95% of each of the grain and oilseed purchased by the responding elevators during the year. The three most commonly used methods for grain sales were cash sales, cash forward contracts and basis contracts, collectively, accounting for more than 95% of each of the grain and oilseeds volume handled by the responding elevators during the year. Shipments to out-of-state locations accounted for 38% of the corn and 79% of soybean shipped by all Elevators in South Dakota. Both rail and trucks are important modes of transportation for shipping South Dakota grains.
Downsizing: What do we know? What have we learned?

Executive Overview Downsizing, the planned elimination of positions or jobs, is a phenomenon that has affected hundreds of companies and millions of workers since the late 1980s. While there is no shortage of articles on “How To” or “How Not To” downsize, the current article attempts to synthesize what is known in terms of the economic and organizational consequences of downsizing. We argue that in many firms anticipated economic benefits fail to materialize, for example, lower expense ratios, higher profits, increased return-on-investment, and boosted stock prices. Likewise, many anticipated organizational benefits do not develop, such as lower overhead, smoother communications, greater entrepreneurship, and increases in productivity. To a large extent, this is a result of a failure to break out of the traditional approach to organization design and management—an approach founded on the principles of command, control, and compartmentalization. For long-term. sustained improvements in efficiency, reductio.
True Digestibility of Phosphorus in Different Resources of Feed Ingredients in Growing Pigs

To determine the true digestible phosphorus (TDP) requirement of growing pigs, two experiments were designed with the experimental diets containing five true digestible P levels (0.16%, 0.20%, 0.23%, 0.26% and 0.39%) and the ratio of total calcium to true digestible P (TDP) kept at 2:1. In Experiment 1, five barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) with an average initial body weight of 27.9 kg were used in a 5x5 Latin-square design to evaluate the effect of different dietary P levels on the digestibility and output of P and nitrogen. In Experiment 2, sixty healthy growing pigs (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) with an average body weight (BW) of 21.4 kg were assigned randomly to one of the five dietary treatments (12 pigs/diet), and were used to determine the true digestible phosphorus (TDP) requirement of growing pigs on the basis of growth performance and serum biochemical indices. The results indicated that the true digestibility of P increased (p 0.05) among the five diets, with the average nitrogen output of 12.14 g/d and nitrogen retention of 66% to 74% (p>0.05), which suggested that there was no interaction between dietary P and CP protein levels. During the 28-d experimental period of Experiment 2, the average daily gain (ADG) of pigs was affected by dietary TDP levels as described by Eq. (1): y = -809,532x4+788,079x3-276,250x2+42,114x-l,759; (R 2 = 0.99; p<0.01; y = ADG, g/d; x = dietary TDP, %), F/G for pigs by Eq. (2): y = 3,65l.lx4-3,480.4x 3 +1,183.8x 2 -172.5x+10.9 (R 2 = 0.99; p<0.01; y = F/G; x = dietary TDP, %), and Total P concentrations in serum by Eq. (3): y = -3,311.7x 4 +3,342.7x 3 -1,224.6x 2 +195.6x-8.7 (R 2 = 0.99; p<0.01; y = total serum P concentration and x = dietary TDP, %). The highest ADG (782 g/d), the lowest F/G (1.07) and the highest total serum P concentration (3.1 mmol/L) were obtained when dietary TDP level was 0.34%. Collectively, these results indicate that the optimal TDP requirement of growing pigs is 0.34% of the diet at a total Ca to TDP ratio of 2:1.
Error Detection by Industry‐Specialized Teams during Sequential Audit Review

To improve audit effectiveness, public accounting firms have organized their practices to include hierarchical review by teams organized along industry lines. We examine how industry specialized auditor teams detect errors, using a sophisticated experimental design. Our analysis of nominal teams created from seniors and managers working individually shows that seniors add value to the team by detecting more mechanical errors while managers detect more conceptual errors. Working within specialization, managers and seniors both contribute in a nonredundant way to the team’s overall effectiveness. We also find that the nominal teams outperform real teams in the detection of mechanical but not conceptual errors. These results only hold when the auditors work within in their industry specialization. Out of specialization the auditors are not effective at detecting errors, and real teams perform below the nominal team benchmark in the detection of both mechanical and conceptual errors.
IMPORTANCE OF CENTRAL CORNEAL THICKNESS WHEN STUDYING OCULAR HYPERTENSIVE EYES , GLAUCOMA SUSPECTS

Purpose: To compare the central corneal thickness, measured with an ultrasound pachymeter, in normal subjects, those with ocular hypertension, glaucoma suspects and patients with preperimetric glaucoma. Methods: 61 normal eyes (control group), 131 eyes with ocular hypertension, 62 glaucoma suspects (optic nerve head morphology compatible with glaucoma) and 36 patients with preperimetric glaucoma (abnormal short-wavelength automated perimetry) were prospectively and consecutively selected. Scatter plots of central corneal thickness, against the intraocular pressure values were calculated for each of the study groups. Ultrasound pachymetry measurements were compared between those with normal eyes and the other groups. Results: Ocular hypertensive subjects had higher pachymetry values than the control group (p=0.009). No differences were found in the central corneal thickness between normal eyes and those who were glaucoma suspects, and between normal and preperimetric glaucomatous eyes. A mild direct logarithmic correlation was evident between central corneal thickness and the Goldmann tonometry result in the ocular hypertensive group. ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Predictability of Equity REIT Returns

This study examines the predictability of monthly returns on equity real estate investment trusts (EREITs) over the period 1975-95 and compares it with that for small- and mid-cap firms. Using the time series approach of Jegadeesh (1990), evidence is found that monthly EREIT returns are predictable based on past performance. However, the predictability is not substantial enough to cover typical transactions costs, so that there is no evidence of unexploited arbitrage opportunities. The magnitude of EREIT predictability also is examined over different time periods, with the greatest amount found in the most recent data since 1992, which marks the emergence of the new wave of EREITs. Finally, persistence in individual REIT return performance is examined using a nonparametric technique. Limited evidence of persistence in performance is found, with retail-oriented REITs tending to exhibit the most persistence.
Testing the Perturbation Sensitivity of Abortion-Crime Regressions

The hypothesis that the legalisation of abortion contributed significantly to the reduction of crime in the United States in 1990s is one of the most prominent ideas from the recent “economics-made-fun” movement sparked by the book Freakonomics. This paper expands on the existing literature about the computational stability of abortion-crime regressions by testing the sensitivity of coefficients’ estimates to small amounts of data perturbation. In contrast to previous studies, we use a new data set on crime correlates for each of the US states, the original model specifica-tion and estimation methodology, and an improved data perturbation algorithm. We find that the coefficients’ estimates in abortion-crime regressions are not computationally stable and, therefore, are unreliable.
The Impact of Ownership on Small Firm Behaviour and Performance

The impact of ownership on organizational performance has attracted the interest of a large number of scholars. The empirical research predominately focuses on the impact of ownership structures on organizational performance, and to a lesser extent on the relationship between ownership type and performance. The relationship between ownership and other organizational factors has received little attention. In this article we examine the relationship between independent and subsidiary plants/operating units and leadership style, culture, emphasis on dimensions of the strategy making process, barriers to the implementation of strategy and a matrix of performance measures. Overall we found that independent firms performed better along some but not all dimensions of performance. In addition, they placed less emphasis on dimensions of the strategy making process, faced more implementation barriers, and were more likely to have a transformational style of management. We found differences along dimensions of culture, but no significant difference in cultural strength.
Are Union Wage Differentials in the United States Falling?

This paper addresses several estimation and specification issues in estimating union wage differentials in the United States over the last two decades. Estimates provide strong evidence of a decline in the differential for women. For men, the differential appears to have declined for a person with overall average characteristics, but not for a male with characteristics of the average unionized male.
Nigerian Cash-Less Policy Prospects and Challenges

This paper examines the viability of an operational cashless policy in the Nigerian economy and the importance of a cash-based to cash-less transition that has been pursued by the Central Bank of Nigeria over the last few years. The cash-less policy, initially piloted in Lagos, and accentuated by e-banking schemes, is examined in this paper in the context of a country malaised with pressing developmental challenges including illiteracy, low standards of living, poverty and insecurity and a still developing financial and banking system. The study takes a descriptive look at the benefits to be derived from such an initiative, as well as the various challenges that have to be surmounted in order to fully harness these positive outcomes, which would aid towards the attainment of the country’s developmental goals. Additionally, particular focus is given to the issue of security, and thus a section has been dedicated to explicating on the importance of electronic identity and the recently introduced Bank Verification Number system. Keywords: e-banking, CBN, Nigerian economy, cash-less, BVN, development
Overcoming the Challenges of Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Sampling in Remote Localities: A Comparison of CO2 Attractants on Mosquito Communities in Three Tropical Forest Habitats

ABSTRACT Emerging infectious diseases are on the rise with future outbreaks predicted to occur in frontier regions of tropical countries. Disease surveillance in these hotspots is challenging because sampling techniques often rely on vector attractants that are either unavailable in remote localities or difficult to transport.Weexamined whether a novel method for producing CO2 from yeast and sugar produces similar mosquito species captures compared with a standard attractant such as dry ice. Across three different vegetation communities, we found traps baited with dry ice frequently captured more mosquitoes than yeast-baited traps; however, there was little effect on mosquito community composition. Based on our preliminary experiments,we find that this method of producing CO2 is a realistic alternative to dry ice and would be highly suitable for remote field work.
Trends in disease modifying antirheumatic drug prescription in early rheumatoid arthritis are influenced more by hospital setting than patient or disease characteristics

Objective: To characterise temporal trends and factors associated with the prescription of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at the initial consultation in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Data from 2584 patients with early RA at 19 hospitals were extracted from the Swedish Rheumatoid Arthritis Register for the period 1997–2001. Disease characteristics and DMARD prescription at first consultation with the rheumatologist were investigated using cross tabulation and logistic regression. Results: DMARD prescriptions, particularly for methotrexate, increased from 1997 to 2001 independently of patient characteristics. Stratification by hospital type showed that patients in district hospitals were less likely to be prescribed DMARDs than those in university hospitals (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.53 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.69), p<0.001), independently of confounding factors. Association of the DAS28 with the likelihood of DMARD prescription was greater among patients attending district hospitals (OR = 1.65 (1.34 to 2.02), p<0.001) than those at university hospitals (OR = 1.23 (1.07 to 1.41), p = 0.003) and county hospitals (OR = 1.34 (1.01 to 1.63), p = 0.003). Interaction testing indicated that the difference was significant (p = 0.007). Conclusions: Temporal trends in DMARD prescription indicate an increasingly aggressive approach to disease management among Swedish rheumatologists. However, the association of hospital type with DMARD prescription suggests that the adoption of research findings in clinical care varies considerably.
Market Power, Resource Extraction and Pollution: Some Paradoxes and a Unified View

We adopt a stepwise approach to the analysis of a dynamic oligopoly game in which production makes use of a natural resource and pollutes the environment, starting with simple models where firms' output is not a function of the natural resource to end up with a full-fledged model in which (i) the resource is explicitly considered as an input of production and (ii) the natural resource and pollution interact via the respective state equations. This allows us to show that the relationship between the welfare properties of the economic system and the intensity of competition is sensitive to the degree of accuracy with which the model is constructed.
Reserve Price Formation in Online Auctions

We use a unique hand collected data set of 6 258 auctions from the online football manager game Hattrick to study micro-patterns of reserve price formation. We find that chosen reserve prices exhibit both, very sophisticated and “irrational” behavior by the sellers. Reserve prices pick up the “birthday effect” in sales prices, documented in Englmaier and Schmoller (2008) and are adjusted remarkably nuanced to the resulting sales price pattern. Moreover, reserve prices are too clustered (around multiples of €50 000) as to be consistent with fully rational behavior. Furthermore, we find evidence for entitlement effects and the sunk cost fallacy as there is a huge positive effect on the reserve price when the player has been acquired previously.
A Bayesian “Fill-In” Method for Correcting for Publication Bias in Meta-Analysis

Publication bias occurs when the statistical significance or direction of the results between published and unpublished studies differ after controlling for study quality, which threatens the validity of the systematic review and summary of the results on a research topic. Conclusions based on a meta-analysis of published studies without correcting for publication bias are often optimistic and biased toward significance or positivity. We propose a Bayesian fill-in meta-analysis (BALM) method for adjusting publication bias and estimating population effect size that accommodates different assumptions for publication bias. Simulation studies were conducted to examine the performance of BALM and compare it with several commonly used/discussed and recently proposed publication bias correction methods. The simulation results suggested BALM yielded small biases, small RMSE values, and close-to-nominal-level coverage rates in inferring the population effect size and the between-study variance, and outperformed the other examined publication bias correction methods across a wide range of simulation scenarios when the publication bias mechanism is correctly specified. The performance of BALM was relatively sensitive to the assumed publication bias mechanism. Even with a misspecified publication bias mechanism, BALM still outperformed the naive methods without correcting for publication in inferring the overall population effect size. BALM was applied to 2 meta-analysis case studies to illustrate the use of BALM in real life situations. R functions are provided to facilitate the implementation of BALM. Guidelines on how to specify the publication bias mechanisms in BALM and how to report overall effect size estimates are provided.
A systematic review on the frequency of advanced recession following single immediate implant treatment.

PURPOSE It has been stated that midfacial recession is common following immediate implant treatment (IIT). The objective of this systematic review was to assess the frequency of advanced recession (>1 mm) following single IIT. MATERIAL AND METHODS An electronic search in Pubmed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Oral Health Group Specialized Trials Register database was performed using a search algorithm. Reference lists of relevant articles were also scrutinized to identify prospective studies on ≥10 implants installed in patients with an intact buccal bone wall and followed for ≥12 months. Study eligibility and quality were independently assessed by two investigators. Primary outcome variables were advanced inter-proximal and midfacial recession defined as soft tissue loss surpassing 1 mm between the pre- or postoperative status and the final re-assessment. RESULTS Thirteen of 171 papers were selected. Inter-examiner agreement on eligibility (κ = 0.879; p < 0.001) and quality (κ = 0.788; p < 0.001) was high. Advanced inter-proximal recession was described in 0-27% of the cases. However, these data were only based on two studies. Mean inter-proximal recession was frequently reported (11/13) and was <1 mm in all studies suggesting limited risk for advanced inter-proximal recession. Advanced midfacial recession was described in 0-64% of the cases. Again, few papers provided such information (4/13). Only one of these studies demonstrated high risk for advanced midfacial recession (>10%). This could be attributed to the fact that implants had not been restored with an immediate implant crown, which seems of pivotal importance given the results of a randomized controlled trial reporting on the preserving effect of immediate provisionalization on midfacial mucosa level. There is limited evidence to support an increased risk for midfacial recession following flap surgery and in patients with a thin-scalloped gingival biotype. The impact of implant-specific parameters on inter-proximal and midfacial soft tissue level seems conflicting. CONCLUSIONS Soft tissue recession may be expected following IIT and multiple factors seem to contribute to the phenomenon. Taking into account the paucity of papers, patients with an intact buccal bone wall and thick gingival biotype, treated by means of flapless surgery and an immediate implant crown may demonstrate limited risk for advanced midfacial recession (<10%). Proper risk assessment addressing diagnostic, surgical and restorative aspects is mandatory to avoid compromised outcome of IIT.