Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The "Too Few Cases/Too Many Variables" Problem in Implementation Research

1F 5IRST GENERATION studies of implementation were, for the most part, detailed accounts of how a single authoritative decision was carried out, either at a single location (Derthick 1970; Pressman and Wildavsky 1973) or at multiple sites (Derthick 1972). 1 Implementation was conceptualized as a complex and dynamic process, characterized by a variety of participants with a wide range of perspectives whose interpretation and operationalization of earlier authoritative decisions had multiple effects, some anticipated, others not. With few exceptions (e.g., Sapolsky 1972), most first generation authors were pessimistic about a program's chances of being implemented successfully.2 For example, in 1977, Eugene Bardach (1977: 5) observed that "even the most robust policy one that is well designed to survive the implementation process will tend to go awry. The classic symptoms of underperformance, delay, and escalating costs are bound to appear" (emphasis added). With the publication of additional empirical studies of implementation, however, the picture of implementation as inevitable failure began to fade.3 Whereas faulty execution may have been the rule, there emerged a more eclectic view of implementation, one that acknowledged its variability and stressed the political as well as managerial dimensions of implementation behavior.4 The lead, or orienting, questions of these second generation studies became, and still are, "Why was X so well implemented, particularly in comparison with the less successful implementation of Y? " (Mazmanian and Sabatier 1983: 3) or "Why was X so well implemented in state A, compared to state B? " (Abolafia 1979; Goggin forthcoming).
Validity of Forced Eyelid Closure Test: A Novel Clinical Screening Test for Ocular Myasthenia Gravis

Background: Forced eyelid closure test (FECT) is a clinical screening test developed from the original Cogan lid twitch (CLT) sign to assist in the diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG), We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of FECT compared with CLT and benchmarked to standard diagnostic tests. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of 48 patients using electronic medical records of those that presented with ptosis and/or diplopia at Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles between February 2015 and April 2016. Patients without FECT testing were excluded. FECT and CLT results, and final diagnosis were recorded. To perform FECT, the patient was asked to squeeze his or her eyelids shut for 5–10 seconds then open quickly and fixate in primary position. The excessive upward overshoot of eyelids movement indicated a positive FECT. The test was performed by a neuro-ophthalmologist before establishing the diagnosis. Patients who had equivocal test results and/or inconclusive final diagnosis were excluded. Results: Of the 48 patients studied, 18 patients (37.5%) had positive FECT; 15 of whom had a final diagnosis of OMG (83.3%). Of the 30 patients with negative FECT, 1 had OMG (3.3%). Of the 48 patients, 35 patients also had a documented CLT result (72.9%). CLT was positive in 11 of these 35 patients (31.4%), and 9 of these 11 had OMG (81.8%). Of the 24 patients with negative CLT, 2 of them had OMG (8.3%). Sensitivity and specificity of FECT were 94% and 91% (joint 95% confidence region: sensitivity × specificity = [0.70, 1] × [0.75, 1]). The relative true-positive fraction (rTPF) between FECT and CLT was 1.15; the relative false-positive fraction was 1.31. Conclusions: FECT is a simple clinical screening test with good sensitivity and specificity for OMG.
The monetary approach to understanding the balance of payments for the Fiji Islands

The monetary approach to the balance of payments postulates a unidirectional, negative causality running from domestic credit to net foreign assets. Using data for Fiji for the period 1974-2003, we find a statistically significant, negative correlation between domestic credit and net foreign assets; but the Granger causality test reveals no statistical evidence of causality running from domestic credit to net foreign assets. This finding suggests that domestic credit is mainly passive and is not the central tool of monetary policy to which the balance of payments adjusts.
Improving agri-food marketing in developing economies: Contractual vegetable markets in Ghana

Ministere du Plan (1996) 'Notes sur le Probleme du Logement dans le Cadre de la Reintegration Sociale des Populations Rapatriees', unpublished document, Kigali. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2001) The Government of Rwanda Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, National Poverty Reduction Programme, Kigali. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2002) A Profile of Poverty in Rwanda: An Analysis Based on the Results of the Household Living Condition Survey 1999-2001, Kigali. Ministry of Gender and Women in Development (2000) 'The National Gender Action Plan 2000-2005', unpublished document, Kigali. Muganza, Angeline (2002) 'A Government Acts against Gender Violence', Declaration of the Minister of Gender and Women in Development, Kigali, 6 June 2002. Ndahimana, Isaie, Celestin Niseyimana and Landrada Musabeyezu (2001) 'Donnees Socio-economiques de Base dans la Zone d'Intervention du Projet SNC', unpublished report, Kigali. Turshen, Meredith and Clotilde Twagiramaryia (eds.) (1998) What Women do in Wartime: Gender and Conflict in Africa, London and New York: Zed Books. UNDP (2002) Human Development Report 2002, New York: OUP. Zucherman, Elaine (2002) Evaluation of Gender Mainstreaming in Advocacy Work on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), Washington, DC: Gender Action.
Vectored dispersal of Symbiodinium by larvae of a Caribbean gorgonian octocoral

The ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbance is difficult to predict, in part due to uncertainty regarding the dispersal capabilities and connectivity of their reef inhabitants. We developed microsatellite markers for the broadcast spawning gorgonian octocoral Eunicea (Plexaura) flexuosa (four markers) and its dinoflagellate symbiont, Symbiodinium B1 (five markers), and used them to assess genetic connectivity, specificity and directionality of gene flow among sites in Florida, Panama, Saba and the Dominican Republic. Bayesian analyses found that most E. flexuosa from the Florida reef tract, Saba and the Dominican Republic were strongly differentiated from many E. flexuosa in Panama, with the exception of five colonies from Key West that clustered with colonies from Panama. In contrast, Symbiodinium B1 was more highly structured. At least seven populations were detected that showed patterns of isolation by distance. The symbionts in the five unusual Key West colonies also clustered with symbionts from Panama, suggesting these colonies are the result of long‐distance dispersal. Migration rate tests indicated a weak signal of northward immigration from the Panama population into the lower Florida Keys. As E. flexuosa clonemates only rarely associated with the same Symbiodinium B1 genotype (and vice versa), these data suggest a dynamic host–symbiont relationship in which E. flexuosa is relatively well dispersed but likely acquires Symbiodinium B1 from highly structured natal areas prior to dispersal. Once vectored by host larvae, these symbionts may then spread through the local population, and/or host colonies may acquire different local symbiont genotypes over time.
Pain as a late emotional reaction. Clinical research evaluating the psychosocial expression of pain disorder in preoperative and postoperative period.

AIM A comparative analysis of the influence of psychosocial factors on pain perception in preoperative and postoperative period in patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS A psychological assessment was performed in 50 patients without psychiatric history scheduled for abdominal surgery. The verbal expression of pain, intensity of anxiety, catastrophizing level, and the interpersonal relationships were assessed. RESULTS Surgery has a powerful effect on the perception of pain intensity. Postoperatively patients perceive significantly lower pain than in the preoperative period (p = 0.001). In the postoperative period the patients mainly use emotional and evaluative verbal expressions (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000, respectively), have a high index of anxiety (p = 0.000), adopt a higher level of coping self-statements (p = 0.002), and have a higher level of perception of others (family, friends) (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS In patients undergoing surgery, surgery affects their psyche, triggering a series of events that can have psychological effects on pain intensity, doctor-patient relationship, postoperative complications, and shortening of recovery time.
A transform domain circular convolution algorithm for adaptive filtering

A new transform domain adaptive digital filter using the common LMS adaptation algorithm based on a highly efficient circular convolution algorithm is presented. The proposed filter has an easily implementable structure involving only real-valued arithmetic. It is shown to converge to the Wiener solution in the transform domain and has significant advantage in efficiency over the corresponding FFT-based adaptive digital filters.
Rb and N-ras Function Together To Control Differentiation in the Mouse

ABSTRACT The product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene (Rb) can control cell proliferation and promote dif-ferentiation. Murine embryos nullizygous for Rb die midgestation with defects in cell cycle regulation, control of apoptosis, and terminal differentiation of several tissues, including skeletal muscle, nervous system, and lens. Previous cell culture-based experiments have suggested that the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) and Ras operate in a common pathway to control cellular differentiation. Here we have tested the hypothesis that the proto-oncogene N-ras participates in Rb-dependent regulation of differentiation by generating and characterizing murine embryos deficient in both N-ras and Rb. We show that deletion of N-ras rescues a unique subset of the developmental defects associated with nullizygosity of Rb, resulting in a significant extension of life span. Rb−/−; N-ras −/− skeletal muscle has normal fiber density, myotube length and thickness, in contrast to Rb-deficient embryos. Additionally, Rb −/−; N-ras −/− muscle shows a restoration in the expression of the late muscle-specific gene MCK, and this correlates with a significant potentiation of MyoD transcriptional activity in Rb −/−; N-ras −/−, compared to Rb −/− myoblasts in culture. The improved differentiation of skeletal muscle in Rb −/−; N-ras −/− embryos occurs despite evidence of deregulated proliferation and apoptosis, as seen in Rb-deficient animals. Our findings suggest that the control of differentiation and proliferation by Rb are genetically separable.
Time trends in the prevalence of HPV in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas in northern Spain (1990–2009)

Recent studies support an important role for human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC), although the incidence varies widely depending on the geographic location and time period studied. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of HPV in a large cohort of OPSCC in northern Spain in the years 1990–2009. Clinical records and paraffin embedded tumor specimens of 248 consecutive patients surgically treated for OPSCC (140 tonsillar and 108 base of tongue) between 1990 and 2009 were retrieved. OPSCC cases were histomorphologically evaluated, and protein expression of p16 and p53 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Detection of high‐risk HPV DNA was performed by GP5+/6+‐PCR and in situ hybridization (ISH). Thirty cases (12%) were positive for p16 immunostaining, of which eight (3.2% of the total series) were found positive for HPV type 16 by genotyping of GP5+6+‐PCR products. All HPV GP5+/6+‐PCR‐positive tumors were p53‐immunonegative, seven had a basaloid morphology and seven were also positive by HPV ISH. Presence of HPV correlated inversely with tobacco and alcohol consumption (p < 0.001), but not with age of onset of OPSCC. Overall survival was better in the HPV‐positive group, although not statistically significant (p = 0.175). OPSCC patients in northern Spain demonstrated a low involvement of HPV, increasing (although not significantly, p = 0.120) from 1.8% in 1990–1999 to 6.1% of cases in 2000–2009.
Implied Filtering Densities on the Hidden State of Stochastic Volatility

Abstract We formulate and analyse an inverse problem using derivative prices to obtain an implied filtering density on volatility’s hidden state. Stochastic volatility is the unobserved state in a hidden Markov model (HMM) and can be tracked using Bayesian filtering. However, derivative data can be considered as conditional expectations that are already observed in the market, and which can be used as input to an inverse problem whose solution is an implied conditional density on volatility. Our analysis relies on a specification of the martingale change of measure, which we refer to as separability. This specification has a multiplicative component that behaves like a risk premium on volatility uncertainty in the market. When applied to SPX options data, the estimated model and implied densities produce variance-swap rates that are consistent with the VIX volatility index. The implied densities are relatively stable over time and pick up some of the monthly effects that occur due to the options’ expiration, indicating that the volatility-uncertainty premium could experience cyclic effects due to the maturity date of the options.
The many faces of preparatory control in task switching: Reviewing a decade of fMRI research

A large body of behavioural research has used the cued task‐switching paradigm to characterize the nature of trial‐by‐trial preparatory adjustments that enable fluent task implementation when demands on cognitive flexibility are high. This work reviews the growing number of fMRI studies on the same topic, mostly focusing on the central hypothesis that preparatory adjustments should be indicated by enhanced prefrontal and parietal BOLD activation in task switch when compared with task repeat trials under conditions that enable advance task preparation. The evaluation of this straight‐forward hypothesis reveals surprisingly heterogeneous results regarding both the precise localization and the very existence of switch‐related preparatory activation. Explanations for these inconsistencies are considered on two levels. First, we discuss methodological issues regarding (i) the possible impact of different fMRI‐specific experimental design modifications and (ii) statistical uncertainty in the context of massively multivariate imaging data. Second, we discuss explanations related to the multidimensional nature of task preparation itself. Specifically, the precise localization and the size of switch‐related preparatory activation might depend on the differential interplay of hierarchical control via abstract task goals and attentional versus action‐directed preparatory processes. We argue that different preparatory modes can be adopted relying either on advance goal activation alone or on the advance resolution of competition within action sets or attentional sets. Importantly, while either mode can result in a reduction of behavioral switch cost, only the latter two are supposed to be associated with enhanced switch versus repeat BOLD activation in prepared trial conditions. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Foreign direct investment strategies by developing country multinationals: A diagnostic model for home country effects

We explore how home country conditions affect outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) strategies (scale, timing, location) employed by developing country multinational corporations (DMNCs). Extending from the springboard and LLL (leverage, linkage, and learning) perspectives, we illustrate that DMNCs rely on their home base during their internalization process in a unique fashion compared with traditional multinationals due to their well-established strengths at home and competitive weaknesses overseas. Our survey of 153 DMNCs from China shows that, beyond the host country impacts that have been widely studied, DMNCs' overseas investment strategies are influenced by home country environment parameters, including economic growth, perceived institutional hardship, competitive pressure, and by their home country operational characteristics, including inward internationalization, innovation orientation, and business development stage.
Brand Valuation: A Model and Empirical Study of Organisational Implications

Abstract This paper presents a model concerned with the organisational and behavioural implications associated with accounting for brand values. A series of propositional statements concerning the internal implications of brand value accounting are formulated and the relative strength of each proposition is analysed using data collected via a mailed survey. In interviews conducted with senior management in strongly-branded companies it was found that beneficial managerial implications are expected to result from a brand valuation. Interviewees saw these implications as primarily strategically, rather than operationally, orientated. This view was provided with some support by the survey data. Evidence is also provided that marketing directors perceive greater benefits arising from brand valuation than do finance directors.
Divorce and housing: a European comparison of the housing consquences of divorce for men and women

In recent decades the probability of divorce and separation among married and cohabiting couples has increased significantly in most European countries. Focusing on both economic and social aspects, this comprehensive volume explores the consequences of partnership dissolution at the individual level. The contributors use personal characteristics, properties of the partnerships and the institutional context to explain coping behaviours.
The Relationship Between Job Insecurity and Employability and Well-Being Among Finnish Temporary and Permanent Employees

The present article investigates the relationship between temporary and permanent employees' job insecurity and employability and their wellbeing. We hypothesize that job insecurity relates negatively to job satisfaction and self-rated health status among permanent but not temporary employees. Employability is hypothesized to contribute more in explaining job satisfaction and self-rated health status among temporary compared with permanent employees. Using a representative sample of Finnish employees (N = 4,104), the results show that quantitative job insecurity relates negatively to job satisfaction, and that qualitative job insecurity relates negatively to self-rated health status among permanent but not temporary employees. No such interactions between employment contract type and employability are found.
Confined Liquid Flow in Nanotube: A Numerical Study and Implications for Energy Absorption

Understanding nanofluidic behavior is of fundamental value to the development of many potential nano-technology applications, including high-performance energy absorption. We carry out non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations to study the transport characteristics of liquids in a confined nano-environment. It is shown that the distributed electric field arising from either an electrolyte water solution (due to the dissolved ions) or a polar solid surface, could lead to nanofluidic properties that are significantly different to those associated with pure water or a neutral nanotube. In addition, the nanopore size and the transport rate are shown to be important factors that strongly influence the flow process. The nominal viscosity and the shearing stress between the nanofluid and tube wall, which characterize the ease for nanofluid transport under an external driving force, are found to be dependent on the liquid phase and solid phase properties, as well as liquid flow rate and nanotube size. By varying properties of liquid phase and solid phase, liquid flow rate and nanotube size, the energy absorption characteristics of nanofluidic devices might be adjusted.
High Commitment Management and Payment Systems

This paper extends the analysis of high commitment management (HGM) reported in a previous "Journal of Management Studies" article (Wood and Albanese, volume 32, number 2) by examining its linkage to payment systems. It opens with an overview of what the literature on HCM portrays as the pay systems that are most compatible with it. Then it reports research, based on data from a representative sample of manufacturing plants in the UK, which examines what pay systems in practice are used in conjunction with HCM. It also assesses whether, as we might expect, plants using piecework and individual bonuses are less likely to adopt such an approach. Finally, the paper examines whether changes in payment systems are made as managements attempt to heighten their use of HCM. Copyright 1996 Basil Blackwell Ltd.
Austrian Higher Education Meets the Knowledge Society

Austria has gone through two cycles of university reforms since the 1960s. The first aimed to open the universities to social and labour market demand and to make their structures more democratic and flexible. The second reform cycle dealt with glitches in the overly close relationship between universities and state bureaucracy. Bureaucrats still tightly controlled universities through line-budget funding and other forms of micro-management. This close dependency was abolished and university autonomy greatly strengthened when traditionally weak university leadership was replaced by a strong president and centralized administration, and by the creation of governing boards. The author argues that the second reform cycle was much influenced by Anglo Saxon models of university governance and constituted an almost total break with the traditional structures of Austrian universities.
FOREIGN DIRECT MINORITY‐EQUITY INVESTMENTS AS STRATEGIC ALLIANCES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE IMPACT ON U.S. FIRMS (1979–1991)

This research considers the incidence of foreign firms investing between 10 percent and 50 percent equity in U.S. corporations, or Foreign Direct Minority‐Equity Investment (FDMI). FDMI relationships are viewed with respect to international strategic alliances in general and are hypothesized to be motivated by market, technology, or production considerations. Both financial and operational performance measures are examined comparing three years prior to the FDMI with three years after. The research follows an ex post facto, quasi‐experimental design with two control groups consisting of 99 companies each. Results indicate declining performance measures related to FDMI companies receiving FDMI as compared to a matched sample of peer firms. Strategic management, agency theory and other explanations are explored in light of these findings.