Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of the pull and push‐pull policies on the performance of a three‐stage supply chain

We investigate the performance of two common operating policies (i.e., pull and push‐pull) for a make‐to‐stock product in an un‐capacitated, three‐stage supply chain. The pull policy operates based on periodic orders received from the immediate downstream facility. However, in the push‐pull policy, while processes upstream of the order decoupling point are managed by the push policy, the downstream processes are managed by the pull policy. Simulation experiments are conducted to examine the impact of each operating policy under a variety of experimental conditions, characterised by demand uncertainty and lead‐time variability. Our results indicate that the relative advantage of the two policies is dependent on the type of uncertainty, the level of uncertainty, the inventory control policy and the performance measures of interest. More specifically, while the push‐pull policy results in lower inventory, the pull policy yields a better fill rate. This is in contrast to the notion that the pull policy generally results in superior inventory performance. Our findings suggest that firms should carefully consider the level of uncertainty, the inventory control policy and the performance measures of interest when determining the operating policy.
Eco-Efficiency and Organizational Practices: An Exploratory Study of Manufacturing Firms

As the pressure increases on organizations to improve their eco-efficiency, the identification of organizational practices that can support this improvement has become a major concern for managers and researchers. The aim of this exploratory study is to identify the association between organizational practices (ie managerial and operational) and eco-efficiency in manufacturing organizations. Combining survey and public data from a sample of Canadian manufacturing industries, the results suggest for managerial practices that environmental strategic planning, environmental administrative mechanisms, and incentives are associated with two eco-efficiency ratios—namely, the material intensity ratio and the environmental productivity ratio—while environmental performance indicators are associated with the material intensity ratio. Furthermore, the results suggest that three environmental operational practices—namely, product redesign, reduction, and alliances—are positively associated with the material intensity ratio. This study contributes to the sustainability and eco-efficiency literatures by exploring the role and contributions of organizational practices that support environmental and economic performance.
Association Between the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor &ggr; Pro12Ala Variant and Haplotype and Pancreatic Cancer in a High-Risk Cohort of Smokers: A Pilot Study

Objectives: The Pro12Ala variant in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor &ggr; (PPARG) gene has been associated with diabetes and several cancers. This pilot study tested for the association between Pro12Ala and pancreatic cancer risk in a high-risk sample of smokers. Methods: A nested case-control study was conducted in 83 incident cases of pancreatic cancer and 166 matched controls originally recruited into a cohort chemoprevention study of lung cancer. Associations between Pro12Ala and pancreatic cancer risk were measured using conditional logistic regression. Results: Carriers of the G allele (Ala) of the Pro12Ala variant had a borderline increased relative risk of pancreatic cancer compared with homozygous carriers of the C allele (Pro), with an odds ratio of 1.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-3.33; P = 0.06). Among subjects randomized to high-dose vitamin A, the odds ratio was 2.80 (95% CI, 1.16-6.74; P = 0.02) versus 1.20 (95% CI, 0.45-3.23; P = 0.71) in the placebo group. A haplotype including Pro12Ala was also significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk in all subjects and in subjects randomized to vitamin A. Conclusions: This analysis presents the first evidence that PPARG may be associated with pancreatic cancer risk, and this candidate gene should be investigated in future, larger studies.
Non‐Governmental Policy Transfer: The Strategies of Independent Policy Institutes

Discussions of policy transfer have primarily focused on official actors and networks. The non-governmental mode of policy transfer via foundations, think tanks and non-governmental organizations is a relatively neglected dimension. Accordingly, this paper addresses the role of think tanks in promoting the spread of policy ideas about privatization. The importance of think tanks to policy transfer is their ability to diffuse ideas by (1) acting as a clearing-house for information; (2) their involvement in the advocacy of ideas; (3) their involvement in domestic and transnational policy networks; and (4) their intellectual and scholarly base providing expertise on specialized policy issues. Concepts from comparative public policy and international relations such as “social learning” and “epistemic communities” are used to outline the way think tanks advocate innovative policy ideas. However, not only have think tanks been effective in promoting the transfer of policy ideas, the international spread of think tanks also exhibits organizationaltransfer.
Division of Capitals—What Role Does It Play for Gender-Differentiated Vulnerability to Drought in Nicaragua?

This article explores the gender differentiation of vulnerability to the drought situation within a rural community in the dry zone of Nicaragua. Case study work demonstrates that women and men use different strategies to cope with drought in the short term, and to adapt to the recurring El Niño induced events in the longer term. These strategies combined constitute the livelihoods of the rural poor in the dry zone of Nicaragua—livelihoods that change at times of drought to reduce its impacts. The article uses the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to look at what resources women and men in the case study area have lost and to analyze what capitals are most central for the coping and adaptation capacity. A gender perspective is applied to see what difference in access to capitals between men and women exist and what that means in terms of gender-differentiated vulnerability to drought.
Risk of ischemic stroke with the use of risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine in elderly patients: a population-based, case-crossover study

We conducted a case-crossover study to evaluate the comparative risk of ischemic stroke associated with the use of risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine in geriatric patients using the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. Cases included elderly patients >64 years old who had experienced their first ischemic stroke (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), I63) hospitalization from July 2005 to June 2006 and who had been without prior cerebrovascular diseases (ICD-10, I60–I69), or transient ischemic attack (ICD-10, G45). Exposures to risperidone, quetiapine and olanzapine were assessed during the 30 days prior to the stroke episode. We set two control periods with lengths which were the same as the hazard periods. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. A total of 1601 cases of ischemic stroke with a mean age of 75.6 (±6.7) years were identified, among which 933 (58.3%) were female. An increased risk of ischemic stroke was associated with the use of risperidone (aOR=3.5, 95% CI 3.3–4.6) and quetiapine (aOR=2.7, 95% CI 2.0–3.6) during the 30 days prior to stroke: however, no significant risk was observed with olanzapine (aOR=1.2, 95% CI 0.7–2.0). The increased stroke risk in demented patients, assessed within 30 days after exposure, was also observed with olanzapine. However, the sample of olanzapine users was small and underpowered.
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Student Access to and Skills in Using Technology in an Open and Distance Learning Context

use ICTs are highly contested issues in the South African higher education landscape. While there are various opinions about the scope and definition of the digital divide, increasing empirical evidence questions the uncritical use of the notion of the digital divide in South African and international higher education discourses. In the context of the University of South Africa (Unisa) as a mega ODL institution, students’ access to technology and their functional competence are some of the critical issues to consider as Unisa prepares our graduates for an increasingly digital and networked world. This paper discusses a descriptive study that investigated students’ access to technology and their capabilities in using technology, within the broader discourse of the “digital divide. ” Results support literature that challenges a simplistic understanding of the notion of the “digital divide” and reveal that the nature of access is varied.
Wealth, Saving, and the Rate of Interest

T HE fundamental thesis of classical economics, that a free-market economy has an automatic tendency to approach a state of full employment, has been a subject of heated controversy in recent decades. Indeed, after the publication of Keynes's General Theory there were many economists who rejected the classical thesis completely on the ground that it contained internal inconsistencies. Today, however, we are witnessing a renaissance of the classical doctrines. In part, the renaissance is attributable to world-wide economic developments since the end of the war, which have been characterized by a high level of demand and by full employment in almost all industrial countries. But the rebirth of classical theory is also attributable, in part, to attempts to reconstruct the classical doctrines along lines which make them immune to the Keynesian criticisms. the remodeled classical theory can be found in the works of other economists as well, particularly in the works of Scitovszky2 and Haberler.3 The innovation which these economists introduced was a reconsideration, or perhaps I should say an elaboration, of the forces determining the quantity of real saving. In the classical theory the amounts of saving and investment out of a fullemployment level of income were regarded as functions of the interest rate alone, and the latter was thus the primary governing force of the economic system as a whole. Equilibrium was attained, according to the classical theory, only when the interest rate was such that the quantity of real saving out of a fullemployment income was equal to the quantity of real investment.4 Scitovszky,
The influence of endogenous catecholamines on the inhibitory effects of rolipram against early- and late-phase response to antigen in the guinea pig.

Selective inhibitors of the low-Km cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE4) inhibit inflammatory cell function and relax airway smooth muscle. Thus PDE4 inhibitors may be useful in the therapy of asthma. The present study was conducted to determine whether the in vivo activity of rolipram, a prototypical PDE4 inhibitor, is due to its ability to potentiate the anti-inflammatory effects of prostaglandins or catecholamines, endogenous activators of adenylyl cyclase, in models of the early- and late-phase response to antigen. Rolipram, administered i.v. to anesthetized, paralyzed and ventilated ovalbumin-sensitized guinea pigs, inhibited i.v. antigen-induced bronchoconstriction with an ID50 value of 0.2 mg/kg. Pretreatment with either of the beta adrenoceptor antagonists propranolol and nadolol (0.5 mg/kg i.v.), enhanced the bronchial reactivity to antigen and abolished the inhibitory activity of rolipram (0.1-10 mg/kg i.v.). In addition, the inhibitory activity of three structurally dissimilar PDE4 inhibitors was nearly abolished by propranolol. Cyclooxygenase inhibition by indomethacin slightly enhanced the reactivity to antigen but did not affect the inhibitory activity of rolipram. Plasma catecholamine concentrations were not altered by rolipram (0.3 or 1 mg/kg i.v.), which indicates that there was no stimulation of catecholamine release. Bilateral adrenalectomy reduced plasma epinephrine concentrations (from 1700 pg/ml to 400 pg/ml), significantly enhanced airway reactivity to antigen and substantially reduced the inhibitory activity of rolipram (3 mg/kg i.v.). Pretreatment of conscious guinea pigs with the beta adrenoceptor antagonist nadolol, 2 mg/kg p.o. , enhanced aerosol antigen-induced bronchoconstriction and pulmonary eosinophil influx measured by bronchoalveolar lavage. Nadolol reduced the inhibitory effect of rolipram against antigen-induced bronchoconstriction but not eosinophil influx. The inhibitory effect of rolipram was unaffected by indomethacin. The present data suggest that circulating catecholamines play an important protective role against antigen-induced broncho-constriction in the guinea pig. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of PDE4 inhibitors against antigen-induced bronchoconstriction, but not eosinophil influx, is reduced by beta adrenergic blockade or adrenalectomy. Thus the inhibitory activity of PDE4 inhibitors against antigen-induced bronchoconstriction may be related to their synergism with endogenous catecholamines to suppress mast cell degranulation.
Specificity Protein-1 as a Critical Regulator of Human Cystathionine γ-Lyase in Smooth Muscle Cells*

Cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) is the major enzyme in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) that catalyzes the endogenous production of H2S. Phenotypic switching of SMCs is affected by endogenous H2S level and alterations of this switching may result in vascular disorders. To date, the mechanisms underlying the alteration of CSE expression and H2S production in vascular proliferative diseases have been unclear. In the present study, we found that serum deprivation induced SMC differentiation marker gene expressions and increased CSE expression and H2S production in cultured human aorta SMCs (HASMCs). Carotid artery ligation in mice resulted in enhanced neointima formation and down-regulation of CSE expression, suggesting an important role of CSE in SMC differentiation. Transient transfection of HASMCs with human CSE (hCSE) promoter/luciferase reporter revealed that the region between −226 to +140 base pair contains the core promoter for the hCSE gene. Deletion and mutation analysis demonstrated that two specificity protein-1 (Sp1) consensus binding sites were present in the core promoter region of the hCSE gene. Incubation of HASMCs with Sp1 binding inhibitor mithramycin inhibited CSE mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of Sp1 alone was sufficient to increase the activity of the hCSE core promoter and CSE protein expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that the binding of Sp1 to the hCSE promoter was increased in differentiated HASMCs compared with that in proliferated HASMCs. Exogenously applied H2S at 100 μm stimulated SMC differentiation, which was reversed by p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. These results suggest that transcript factor Sp1 is a critical regulator of the hCSE expression during SMC differentiation, and CSE/H2S system is essential for maintenance of SMC phenotype.
Sleep Quality and 1-Year Incident Cognitive Impairment in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

ferences in the association between depressive symptoms and cognitive decline because many studies observed that depressive symptoms predicted cognitive decline 9,11,16 or the onset of in men, but not in women. Some studies on anxiety, 10,16-18 but not all, 17-19 also showed that this symptom is associated with an increased risk of incident cognitive impairment and and poor sleep quality did much as a potential predictive symptom of or One study showed that chronic insomnia was linked 3 later to an increase in (2 at on the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire in nondepressed older but not older In this study, was defined as trouble falling or up too early most of the but no other subjective sleep variable was measured. These results suggest that, similar to depressive symptoms, poor subjective sleep quality could be a predictor of future cognitive impairment and that this association may be more pronounced or may occur only in older men. In another study in older women using a 2-yr follow-up, no association was found between sleep variables (subjective duration, subjective sleep difficulties, and and the evolution of measured by the for third which consider found Study Objectives: To examine in cognitively intact older men and women the associations between subjective sleep quality and 1-yr incident cognitive impairment. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: General community. Participants: individuals age years. Measurements and Results: Sleep quality at baseline was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Cognitive functioning was assessed at baseline and 12 months later using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Incident general cognitive impairment was defined according to a follow-up MMSE score below the 15 th percentile according to normative data and of at least 2 points below baseline. General cognitive impairments were also separated into amnestic and nonamnestic subtypes according to MMSE delayed recall performance. Associations between sleep quality indicators at baseline and incident cognitive impairment were assessed by odds ratio (OR) adjusted for age, education, baseline MMSE score, psychotropic drug use, anxiety, depressive episodes, cardiovascular conditions, and chronic diseases. Results revealed that global PSQI score was significantly linked with incident cognitive impairment (OR 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.30) in men, but not in women. In women, sleep disturbance score (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.41-4.86) and long sleep duration (≥ 9 hr; OR 3.70, 95% CI 1.49-9.17) were associated with nonamnestic and amnestic incident cognitive impairment, respectively. In men, short sleep duration (≤ 5 hr; OR 4.95, 95% CI 1.72-14.27) and habitual sleep efficiency score (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.42-2.66) were associated with amnestic and general incident cognitive impairment, respectively. Conclusions: Sleep quality in older adults should receive particular attention by clinicians because poor sleep quality can be an early sign of cognitive decline.
The Stigma of Being a Long-Term Foster Carer

Stigma is a powerful social phenomenon with insidious health implications. Understanding stigma as it applies to various populations is imperative for nurses as it enables nurses to enhance individual patient care and nurses are well positioned to influence both social and health care policies which may exacerbate the experience of stigma. This article is a report of a study to explore the experiences of women who provide long-term foster care. Interviews were conducted with 20 women who provided long-term foster care in Australia. Data were coded according to the components of stigma described by Link and Phelan (2001). Findings reveal participants rejected the label of foster carer to avoid the negative stereotype. When unable to conceal their foster carer label, participants experienced social isolation and status loss. Moreover, participants felt marginalized and disempowered within the governing systems.
Theory and Practice of Leadership

Introduction The Nature and Importance of Leadership Sectoral Similarities and Differences in Leadership Leadership Theory A Critical Review, Synthesis and Re-Definition Leadership and Vision Leadership and Purpose Leadership and Values Leadership and Strategy Leadership and Empowerment Leadership and Engagement Multiple Intelligences of Leadership The Assessment and Development of Leadership Leadership Brand Sustaining Leadership Excellence
Urban Concentration, Agglomeration Economies, and the Level of Economic Development

There is a view among planners in the developing nations that the process of economic development invariably results in the concentration of population in one or two "primal" cities. ' There is also, however, considerable disagreement over whether this apparent relationship is either necessary or desirable. Proponents, on the one hand, argue that concentrated urbanization strongly supports industrial development through the realization of scale and agglomeration economies.2 Dissenters from this view feel that urban concentration creates serious social costs and results more from historical or political forces than economic ones. In this case, policies aimed at decentralizing growth can achieve social objectives without sacrificing economic efficiency. Despite these deliberations, it is surprising that there has been little or no empirical study of urban concentration on either a longitudinal or cross-national basis. The major related work which exists is Williamson's research on economic development and income inequality.3 Williamson demonstrates that, as economic growth begins, inequality initially increases, but then diminishes in the more advanced stages of development. This coincides with Hirschman's4 view that industrialization eventually spreads into more backward areas, reduc-
A Dynamic Model of Technology-based Opportunity Recognition

Studies on the factors determining recognition of business opportunities are based on partial analyses of one or more of the variables that influence that process. But economic relationships between actors are conditioned by ongoing structures of social relationships. This work uses the cognitive approach and presents an integrated study of psychological and sociological variables, and of the interactions between these variables, both of which affect the opportunity recognition stage for technology businesses. The research makes use of a method based on a case study; the work provides a dynamic model in which the key interactions that explain the technology-based opportunity recognition are: (1) the interactions between entrepreneurs with complementary backgrounds, (2) the proactive management of involvement in networks, (3) the entrepreneurial-technological alertness and (4) learning and continuous evaluation.
The Study on the Stationarity of Energy Consumption in US States: Considering Structural Breaks, Nonlinearity, and Cross- Sectional Dependency

This study applies the sequential panel selection method (SPSM) procedure proposed by Chortareas and Kapetanios (2009) to investigate the time-series properties of energy consumption in 50 US states from 1963 to 2009. SPSM involves the classification of the entire panel into a group of stationary series and a group of non-stationary series to identify how many and which series in the panel are stationary processes. Empirical results obtained through SPSM with the panel KSS unit root test developed by Ucar and Omay (2009) combined with a Fourier function indicate that energy consumption in all the 50 US states are stationary. The results of this study have important policy implications for the 50 US states. Keywords—Energy Consumption, Panel Unit Root, Sequential Panel Selection Method, Fourier Function, US states.
Rollover Hedging and Missing Long-Term Futures Markets

Sequential rollover of annual futures positions provides farmers or others with a means of long-term hedging. Consequently, the absence of multiyear futures markets may not be a serious problem. However, year-to-year basis risk exists which can render rollovers ineffective in hedging. Evidence on soybean, corn, and cotton futures suggests that rollovers would be effective at locking in an initial price for a three- to six-year period but would be ineffective in routine hedging over a series of successive three- to six-year periods.