Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unexpected Outcomes

Can democratization be promoted by getting the institutions right? In "Unexpected Outcomes," Robert G. Moser offers a compelling analysis of the extent to which institutions can be engineered to promote desired political outcomes. The introduction of democracy in Eastern Europe and the former USSR has enabled scholars to bring new perspectives to the debate about electoral systems. Russia is arguably the most important of the postcommunist states and its mixed electoral system provides an interesting controlled experiment for testing the impact of different electoral systems.Moser examines the effects of electoral systems on political parties and representation in Russia during the 1990s. Moser s study is not only a highly original contribution to our understanding of contemporary Russian politics, but also a significant step forward in the comparative study of electoral systems. Through his comprehensive empirical analysis of Russian elections, Moser provides the most detailed examination of a mixed electoral system to date. This system was introduced in Russia to encourage party formation and benefit reformist parties allied with President Yeltsin. However, the effects were contrary to what the creators of the system expected and also defied the most well-established hypotheses in electoral studies. Parties proliferated under both the PR and plurality halves of the election and patterns of women and minority representation ran counter to prevailing theory and international experience.With an epilogue that updates the study through the December 1999 elections, "Unexpected Outcomes" makes an important and timely contribution to the ongoing debate over the ability and inability of elites to fashion preferred political outcomes through institutional design. "
Neoliberal Workplace Reforms in the Antipodes: What Impact on Union Power and Influence?

Union membership and work stoppages due to strikes—two indicators of union power and influence—have been in decline in the Antipodes (Australia and New Zealand) and the United States in recent decades. Meanwhile, attitudes to unions in Australia seem to have become more positive. I examine how much legislated neoliberal workplace reforms have been responsible for the decline in union membership and work stoppages in the three countries. Evidence indicates that union membership and stoppages would have declined in the absence of the workplace reforms, though it is likely that the declines would not have been quite as rapid as they turned out to be. The emergence of more positive attitudes in Australia to unions is attributed to declining union power reflected in falling membership rates and a relative absence of disruptive union behaviour.
Fairness and justice in Indigenous water allocations: Insights from Northern Australia

Based on findings from participatory action research, we describe a process for the development of a Strategic Indigenous Reserve (SIR) in water for Indigenous groups in the Northern Territory, Australia. In the first case study at Mataranka, we show how a ‘top-down’ process initiated by the Northern Territory Government (NTG) was characterised by inadequate engagement and a failure to deliver water justice or an outcome accepted by the traditional owner groups. In a second case study at Oolloo, the traditional owner groups were engaged by the NTG in a consultation process, but it commenced with a unilateral offer of a water allocation to the SIR that was not formulated in a collaborative way. As a result, traditional owners considered the process unfair, and in turn, the allocation offer was perceived as ‘unfair’. Using insights from these two cases we outline an alternative and collaborative process to support engagement by decision-makers with Indigenous groups that promotes water allocations and outcomes that are just, sustainable and have broad-based community support.
Could Aspirin and Diets High in Fiber Act Synergistically to Reduce the Risk of Colon Cancer in Humans?

Early inhibition of inflammation suppresses the carcinogenic process. Aspirin is the most commonly used non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and it irreversibly inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 (COX1, COX2). Multiple randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that aspirin offers substantial protection from colon cancer mortality. The lower aspirin doses causing only minimal gastrointestinal disturbance, ideal for long-term use, can achieve only partial and transitory inhibition of COX2. Aspirin’s principal metabolite, salicylic acid, is also found in fruits and vegetables that inhibit COX2. Other phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, and anthocyanins also inhibit COX2. Such dietary components are good candidates for combination with aspirin because they have little or no toxicity. However, obstacles to using phytochemicals for chemoprevention, including bioavailability and translational potential, must be resolved. The bell/U-shaped dose–response curves seen with vitamin D and resveratrol might apply to other phytochemicals, shedding doubt on ‘more is better’. Solutions include: (1) using special delivery systems (e.g., nanoparticles) to retain phytochemicals; (2) developing robust pharmacodynamic biomarkers to determine efficacy in humans; and (3) selecting pharmacokinetic doses relevant to humans when performing preclinical experiments. The combination of aspirin and phytochemicals is an attractive low-cost and low-toxicity approach to colon cancer prevention that warrants testing, particularly in high-risk individuals.
The Reputational Penalty Firms Bear from Committing Criminal Fraud

OPTIMAL penalties for corporate fraud require that firms face expected penalties equal to the total social costs of the crime. Yet formal courtimposed sanctions for committing fraud often represent a small fraction of the damage produced by the fraud. Alain Sheer and Chih-Chin Ho, for example, estimate that the median and mean ratios of criminal fines to the private loss from private fraud were . 14 and . 73 in 1988. The corresponding median and mean ratios for government procurement
Knowledge Creation, Retention, Exchange, Devolution, Interpretation and Treatment (K-CREDIT) as an Economic Growth Driver in Pro-Poor Tourism

On the basis of the premise that information asymmetry perpetuates a vicious cycle of economic deprivation and poverty, this article argues that technology-facilitated knowledge flow mechanism subsumed into pro-poor tourism value chains can serve as eco-friendly and economical instruments in poverty alleviation efforts. In evolving a framework for such a mechanism, the semantic appropriateness of knowledge management (KM) as a concept is scrutinised and a more robust term is suggested. Capacity-building and last mile connectivity are identified as critical issues for knowledge-driven pro-poor tourism interventions. These are discussed from the perspective of contemporary paradigms in development thinking and a framework for dynamic and interactive indigenous knowledge systems is proposed. Stakeholders' responsibilities as benign intermediaries in the knowledge-driven pro-poor tourism value chain are highlighted and a case is made for basing such interventions on economically sustainable models.
Comparison of GSTM polymorphisms and risk for oral cancer between African-Americans and Caucasians.

Two members of the mu class of glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, GSTM1 and GSTM3, have polymorphic alleles which have been associated with altered levels of GST mu protein expression and may be linked to increased risk for several tobacco-related cancers. Oral cancer is a tobacco-related disease that affects African-American men at a significantly higher incidence than Caucasian men. To examine the potential role of GSTM polymorphisms in risk for oral cancer in African-Americans and Caucasians, the prevalences of the GSTM1 null and GSTM3 intron 6 polymorphisms were examined in 63 African-American and 101 Caucasian patients with histologically confirmed primary oral cancer, as well as in 133 African-American and 213 Caucasian matched control subjects. In African-Americans, the odds ratio for oral cancer associated with the GSTM1 (0/0) genotype was 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-8.5], with the association between the GSTM1 (0/0) genotype and oral cancer risk strongest in heavy smokers [i.e. > 24 pack-years; odds ratio (OR) = 5.4, 95% CI = 1.2-24]. Using the potentially most protective GSTM1 [+]/GSTM3 (B/B) genotype as the reference group, increased risk for oral cancer was observed in African-Americans with the GSTM1 [+]/GSTM3 [(A/A) + (A/B)] (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 0.82-6.0), GSTM1 (0/0)/GSTM3 (B/B) (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 1.1-16), and GSTM1 (0/0)/GSTM3 [(A/A) + (A/B)] (OR = 6.6, 95% CI = 1.2-38) genotypes (P < 0.01, trend test). No significant associations were observed between GSTM genotype and oral cancer risk in Caucasians. These results suggest that the GSTM1 null and GSTM3 intron 6 polymorphisms play an important role in risk for oral cancer among African-Americans and implicates the mu class of GSTs as important tobacco carcinogen detoxifying enzymes in this population.
Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Kidney Disease‐Mineral and Bone Disorder

Masafumi Fukagawa, Keitaro Yokoyama, Fumihiko Koiwa, Masatomo Taniguchi, Tetsuo Shoji, Junichiro James Kazama, Hirotaka Komaba, Ryoichi Ando, Takatoshi Kakuta, Hideki Fujii, Msasaaki Nakayama, Yugo Shibagaki, Seiji Fukumoto, Naohiko Fujii, Motoshi Hattori, Akira Ashida, Kunitoshi Iseki, Takashi Shigematsu, Yusuke Tsukamoto, Yoshiharu Tsubakihara, Tadashi Tomo, Hideki Hirakata, and Tadao Akizawa for CKD-MBD Guideline Working Group, Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy
How do UK Banks React to Changing Central Bank Rates?

This paper explores the interest rate transmission mechanism using a broad disaggregated sample of UK deposit and credit products. For a large proportion of rates the adjustment speed is time-varying, switching among four regimes according to the direction of the policy rate and its effect on the disequilibrium gap. In general, this sign asymmetry implies faster adjustment to the long run path when the policy rate revision widens the gap. There is evidence of curvature in the catch-up effect towards equilibrium, namely, large gaps entail a disproportionately faster correction although mainly for deposits. The size of the policy rate change also impacts the adjustment speed. The notable heterogeneity found across financial institutions/products regarding the presence of these nonlinear patterns raises important questions on how to assess the effectiveness of monetary policy. The cross-section heterogeneity uncovered can be explained to some extent by diversification, profit volatility, product range, market concentration and menu costs.
The cotton sector of Benin

This country study is a background paper prepared for the comparative analysis of organization and performance of cotton sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa, a study carried out by the World Bank, with the objective of analyzing the links between sector structure and observed performance outcomes and thus draw lessons from reform experience that can provide useful guidance to policy-makers, other local stakeholders, and interested donors agencies. It describes and reviews the cotton sector situation in Benin and the reforms that the sector has undergone since the beginning of the 1990s. Reforms entailed mainly the privatization of input supply, introduction of private ginners and creation of inter-professional bodies to take over the sector management, through a highly regulated system precluding competition among ginners. The outcome of these reforms were far beyond expectations, because of a lack of support from the Government, as well as because of the complexity of the regulation mechanisms which made them difficult to enforce and because of the weakness of farmers organizations. As a consequence of these shortcomings, the payment of seed cotton to producers became irregular, resulting in a steep drop in production. With the privatization of the main cotton company, SONAPRA (Societe Nationale pour la Production Agricole), finally completed at the end of 2008, the sector is now moving towards a concentrated type, dominated by one private operator. This evolution calls for new regulation mechanisms, currently being considered by Government and stakeholders.
Thatcher's enterprise society and electoral change*

This article aims to examine the relationship between the development of the ‘enterprise society’ and changes in electoral support from 1979 to 1987. It focuses on the impact of four policies at the heart of Thatcherism: the extensive programme of share‐ownership, the sale of council houses, declining membership of trade unions and the expansion of private health care. The article concludes that over the last decade the enterprise society has radically transformed many central aspects of British society. This may reinforce Conservatism in future generations but nevertheless in the short term the development of the enterprise society had little impact on changing electoral support in the 1987 General Election.
O serotyping scheme for Enterobacter cloacae

A serotyping scheme for Enterobacter cloacae based on heat-stable somatic antigens is described. A total of 28 antisera were prepared in rabbits, and titers of agglutinins were high (greater than 640). Some cross-reactions were observed, and 11 sera required absorption before routine use. Of 300 clinical isolates from 66 hospitals, 77.6% were typable, 11.4% were not agglutinated by any of the sera, and 11.0% were autoagglutinable in saline. The eight most frequent serotypes were O3 (21.3%), O8 (13.3%), O1 (7.6%), O13 (5.0%), O9 (4.7%), O10 (3.0%), O16 (3.0%), and O25 (3.0%).
Organizational Climate: Implications for the Home Healthcare Workforce

&NA; Organizational climate generally refers to staff members' perceptions of organizational features like decision making, leadership, and norms. It is widely acknowledged that these perceptions influence patient, employee, and system outcomes. However, there has been little consensus on how best to measure these important relationships. This article examines how organizational climate has been defined and measured in health services research and identifies factors most important in home healthcare delivery. Standardization of climate measures will facilitate the ultimate goal of translating results into evidence‐based management practices to improve the quality of care delivery.
Dividend Policy: Informational Content or Partial Adjustment?

IN making dividend decisions, the firm determines the division of earnings between reinvestment and distribution to stockholders. There are two general issues in the area of dividend policy: The first concerns the determinants of the firm's payout ratio (the ratio of dividends to earnings). The second issue concerns the intertemporal change of dividends. The focus of this paper is on the second issue. There are two prevailing views on the behavior of corporate dividend policies over time; the informational content and the partial adjustment hypothesis. In the following sections, both hypotheses are shown leading to empirically equivalent expressions. To avoid this confusion, we suggest an approach that would differentiate between the two hypotheses. Empirical results analyzing dividends behavior of twenty broad industry categories are summarized.
The Hot Hand and the Cold Hand in Professional Golf

Previous studies have shown that people believe in the existence of the “hot hand” effect: recent good performances make one more confident and lead to more good performances. However, economists have found little evidence that such an effect is present. Motivated by models of momentum from psychology, this study examines hole-by-hole performances of four types of professional golfers, which is perhaps the ideal environment to evaluate whether such an effect exists. The results show that evidence consistent with the existence of hot hand and cold hand can be masked by looking only at overall mean impacts because the existence and magnitude of the effects can vary with the player's experience.
High-performance work practices, career satisfaction, and service recovery performance: a study of flight attendants

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a conceptual model that examines career satisfaction (CSAT) as a mediator of the effects of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) on service recovery performance, drawing from social information processing and Bagozzi’s (1992) reformulation of attitude theories. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered from flight attendants, with a time lag of two weeks in the private airline companies in Iran. The relationships were gauged using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results suggest that career opportunities seem to be the most important indicator of HPWPs, followed by rewards, selective staffing, empowerment, teamwork, job security and training. The results further suggest that the availability of HPWPs boosts flight attendants’ CSAT and that, in turn, results in elevated levels of service recovery performance. Originality/value – This study contributes to the current literature by linking HPWPs, as manifested by selective staff.
Nonunion Wage Rates and the Threat of Unionization

Using CPS data for 1977–2002, the author investigates the extent to which the threat of union organization increases nonunion wages and reduces the union/nonunion wage differential. The results are mixed. Estimates employing the predicted probability of union membership as a measure of the union threat show no important link between the union threat and either nonunion wages or the union wage gap. Estimates focusing on two states' introduction of right-to-work laws, which arguably affect the threat of union organization independently of changes in labor demand, show that in one state the law was associated with a statistically significant drop in nonunion wages. Finally, an analysis of wage data for three industries that underwent deregulation—another natural experiment in which labor demand changes are unlikely to have been a complicating factor—yields stronger evidence of threat effects on nonunion wages than do either of the other two analyses.
Orders of Merit and CEO Compensation: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

Governments worldwide bestow orders of merit upon their citizens as a recognition of distinguished service. In this paper, I study if orders of merit can function as an external form of perquisite through which the government can supplement the compensation given by a publicly listed firm to the CEO. I build upon the literature on perquisites to develop hypotheses on the relationship between orders of merit and executive compensation. The predictions are tested through an empirical analysis that revolves around the 1974 legal reform in which Sweden discontinued the conferral of orders of merit to citizens. The difference-in-differences methodology I employ enables me to make causal statements on the relationship between orders of merit, firm performance and monetary compensation. I find that orders of merit function as symbols that visibly confirm social status vis-a-vis the general public and are valued by CEOs as a substitute for the need to engage in conspicuous consumption. This study provides empirical support that orders of merit can be seen as an external form of perquisite that can substitute for monetary compensation. Essentially, this is evidence that governments can affect CEO salaries through the provision of a nonmonetary status good. The findings also indicate that CEOs not only care about distinguishing themselves as “superstars” among their peer group of corporate leaders but also value nonmonetary symbols that emphasize their social status in relation to the general public.Companies should take into account that CEOs may receive valuable status goods from the government when determining compensation policies. In addition, governments should consider that the removal of nonmonetary awards may result in higher levels of monetary compensation in publicly listed firms.
Why people from the UK's minority ethnic communities achieve weaker degree results than whites

People from the UK's minority ethnic communities achieve less good degree results than whites. The paper explores some reasons for this under-performance. By analysing a large sample of around two million observations a measure of the quality of qualifications among those accepted into Higher Education is developed. It is found that ethnic minorities are less well qualified than whites. This is because proportionately more are accepted into Higher Education, so lower average quality is unsurprising. Subject choice is also found to have an influence because ethnic minorities choose subjects where it is more difficult to achieve a good degree.
Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Carcinoma (HLRCC): A Rapid Autopsy Report of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Rapid (“warm”) autopsies of patients with advanced metastatic cancer provide invaluable insight into the natural history, pathobiology, and morphology of advanced and treatment-resistant tumors. Here, we report a rapid autopsy case of a hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) patient with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC)—the first such case described for either a primary renal tumor or HLRCC-related cancer. Mutations in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene underlie HLRCC, a rare syndrome involving cutaneous and uterine leiomyomata and aggressive kidney tumors. Loss of heterozygosity at the wild-type FH gene locus results in profound cellular metabolic derangement, “pseudohypoxic” upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1&agr; (HIF-1&agr;)-dependent transcription, and aberrant protein succination; these molecular changes drive oncogenesis of kidney tumors in HLRCC patients. The current index patient had a high-grade RCC with classic morphologic features of HLRCC, including large nuclei with prominent eosinophilic nucleoli and perinucleolar clearing. In addition, this patient’s RCC demonstrated extensive sarcomatoid and rhabdoid features—morphologies not previously well described in HLRCC-associated kidney tumors. Here, we report the extent of metastatic dissemination and supplement this unique tumor morphology with mitochondrial enzyme histochemistry and extended immunohistochemical analysis. Tumor cells strongly expressed PAX8, vimentin, CD10, and the HIF target GLUT1 and showed increased nuclear p53 accumulation; the expression of other RCC markers was negative. We also detail microscopic tubular epithelial changes in the grossly uninvolved ipsilateral renal parenchyma and demonstrate sporadic, aberrant upregulation of the HIF targets GLUT1 and CAIX in dysplastic peritumoral tubules.