Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selling the countryside: Representations of rurality in Norway and Spain

This paper analyses how rurality is represented in two lifestyle magazines about country living: LevLandlig in Norway and Vivir en el Campo in Spain. Since material, imaginative and practised ruralities are intertwined and research indicates that representations of the rural affect residential preferences and other consumption activities, we argue that it is important to critically investigate potentially influential representations. Given that the majority of works on representations of the rural in mass media originate mainly from the United Kingdom and the United States, we aim to add the perspectives of a Scandinavian and a Mediterranean country. Furthermore, we analyse the gendering of the visions of the rural. We reveal that the ‘rural idyll’ is the main vision ‘sold’ in both magazines, and in both the same four sub-themes — ‘home’, ‘family’, ‘nature’ and ‘how to make a living in a rural area’ — stand central in the idyll. The gendering of the idyll and the meanings attached to the sub-themes vary between the Spanish and the Norwegian magazines, thus illustrating the contextual character of knowledge about rurality.
Tailoring Mach–Zehnder Comb-Filters Based on Concatenated Tapers

An all-fiber comb-filter using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on concatenated tapers is presented. The central wavelength, the amplitude, the period, and the spectral width of the transmission interference pattern can be tailored by varying the diameter and length of the waist, the length of the up- and down-transition of the fiber tapers, and the separation between the two tapers. Depending on the geometrical parameters of the tapers, the central position and span of the spectral interference pattern were tailored in the range of 1200-1650 and 50-300 nm, respectively. By varying the interferometer length, the fringe period and bandwidth were tailored between 3-36 and 2.5-11 nm, respectively. The physical length of the devices fabricated ranges from 15 to 30 mm. The proposed device is simple and suitable for applications in optical communications systems, fiber lasers, and optical fiber sensors for the monitoring of strain and displacement.
Do National Borders Matter for Quebec&Apos;S Trade?

Extending McCallum's (1995) result, based on a gravity model of 1988 trade flows, that a typical Canadian province trades 22 times more with other provinces than with U.S. states of similar size and distance, this paper asks how Quebec trade patterns compare with those of other provinces. The results, based on revised data for 1988, 1989 and 1990, show that while the typical province trades more than 20 times as much with other provinces as with comparable U.S. states, for Quebec the multiple is even greater. Thus trade between Quebec and the United States appears to be an even less viable alternative to interprovincial trade for Quebec than it is for the rest of Canada. The implications of these results for international economics are considerable, as they show that trade linkages within a national economy are far greater than previously imagined. If these results are confirmed, they imply that the fabric of national economies is far tighter than that of the global trading system, even for countries operating without substantial trade barriers.
The role of collegiality in the professional development of principals

This thesis provides a case study of the nature of collegiality and how it was established and sustained by a peer-support group of Australian principals over a period of seventeen years as a result of their participation in a Commonwealth Schools Commission professional development course designated as a Project of National Significance. The major research question was as follows: ‘How did the involvement of a group of principals in a collegial-based leadership program contribute to their professional development and social, and emotional well-being? ’ The researcher has been a participant in the group from its inception. The case study was constructed from historical and contextual data collected through an analysis of education documents and group artefacts, such as faxes, diaries and photographs, through interviews with key stakeholders such as course designers, consultants and through the use of data from a questionnaire on the concept of collegiality and its sustainability. Contemporary data were collected through individual interviews with the participants in the peer-support group and through participant constructed narratives. Propositions about the nature and changing conditions of collegiality, as experienced by participants in the group, which were derived from an analysis of these data, were clarified through surveys and focus group interviews. As a result of this process of analysis, an ‘ideal type’ of collegiality, captured by the concept of coadunation , was depicted as a model. Structural, behavioural/attitudinal and cultural conditions of collegiality were identified as operating through four stages of the changing group purpose. Some conditions of collegiality were found to have been sustained over a period of seventeen years while others gradually disappeared according to the professional and personal needs of the group. A significant the case study that professional development, the empowered action their
Creating rural heritage visitor attractions—the Queensland Heritage Trails project

To promote rural heritage in Queensland, the Australian Federal and Queensland State Governments embarked on an ambitious funding programmeme titled the Queensland Heritage Trails Network commencing in 1999. The aim of the programmeme was to fund the development of a series of cultural heritage tourism attractions designed to encourage visitors to travel beyond popular coastal destinations and into the rural hinterland. For a state where travelling times by road are measured in days not hours, the development of visitor attractions away from the relatively closely settled coastal areas is essential if additional visitors are to be attracted to rural hinterland areas. However, distance factors add to the cost of travelling to many remote attractions and may deter all but the most determined travellers. This paper examines a number of demand side issues that may effect the long-term viability of many of the projects, particularly those in remote areas. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Budgeting for State Courts: The Perceptions of Key Officials Regarding the Determinants of Budget Success

While much has been made of the financial crisis affecting state courts in the early 2000s, there has been little research on court budgeting and the politics that affect it, especially concerning factors that lead to budgetary success. In this study, we assess the determinants of budget success for state courts by examining the perceptions of key state budget actors. We argue that courts tend to behave conservatively in the budget process and may need to behave more politically. Behaving acquisitively, providing realistic requests, and justifying funding needs will enable courts to increase funding in the short-term. In the long-term, courts should act more aggressively to improve relations with legislative and executive branch officials.
Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein—Lessons learned from the phase III, randomized, clinical trial of rBPI21 for adjunctive treatment of children with severe meningococcemia

ObjectivesTo review the scientific rationale for the clinical use of recombinant bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (rBPI21) and to discuss the results, implications, and lessons learned during the clinical development of rBPI21 for adjunctive treatment of children with severe meningococcemia. Data Sources The published medical literature. Study Selection Of the phase I/II and phase III trials in humans, preclinical experimental studies were selected. Data from these sources are presented in the context of the authors’ experiences as principal investigators in the phase I/II and/or phase III clinical trials. Data Extraction and Data Synthesis Bactericidal permeability-increasing protein and N-terminal fragments of bactericidal permeability-increasing protein, such as rBPI21, bind and neutralize endotoxin and are potently bactericidal against both smooth and rough forms of Gram-negative bacteria, including Neisseria meningitidis. Based on these properties and compelling preclinical data indicating that administration of rBPI21 reduced mortality in several models of sepsis, we initiated clinical trials by using rBPI21 as adjunctive therapy for children with severe meningococcemia. Data from the phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trial indicate that rBPI21 reduces clinically significant morbidities and improves the functional outcome of children with severe meningococcemia. No statistically significant benefit in mortality was demonstrated; however, because of the rare incidence of disease and the rapidity of death in this study, the trial was substantially underpowered to detect a statistically significant mortality advantage. Before the completion of the trial, the probability that the study might have been underpowered to detect a significant reduction in mortality was recognized. An attempt at selecting a previously unvalidated composite end point to increase the meaningful event rate for the primary end point proved unsuccessful. Significant improvements were seen in other prospectively defined outcome variables that suggest an overall substantial benefit of therapy with rBPI21 in children with severe meningococcemia. ConclusionsAs the largest therapeutic trial conducted in pediatric critical care, the phase III trial of rBPI21 demonstrates important principles that can influence the design of future trials targeting rare, life-threatening diseases.
Economic Independence and Union Formation in Sweden

Although sociologists, demographers, and economists are generally agreed that economic independence enhances the likelihood that men will marry, there is disagreement concerning its effect on women. The view that economic independence weakens women's incentive to marry has probably been the most influential, although it has been subjected to few rigorous empirical tests with individual-level data. In the present paper we examine the predictors of forming a first cohabiting union, of progressing from this union to marriage, and of marrying without previously cohabiting by applying hazard regression to event-history data from the 1992 Swedish Family Survey, supplemented by earnings data extracted from the national taxation register. We test a battery of measures that reflect people's past, current, and potential attachment to the labour market. We find that the correlates of union formation for women are largely indistinguishable from the correlates of union formation for men, and that far from being less l.
Normal-tension glaucoma and central corneal thickness.

PURPOSE To determine whether a decreased corneal thickness is a primary factor in the lower intraocular pressure readings found in normal-tension glaucoma patients. METHODS Fourteen patients with normal-tension glaucoma were compared with 14 age- and sex-matched glaucoma patients. Corneal thickness was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry on each eye. RESULTS The corneal thickness (mean +/- SD) in patients with normal-tension glaucoma was 0.536 +/- 0.035 mm. The corneal thickness in patients with glaucoma was 0.537 +/- 0.035 mm. The 95% confidence interval for the difference between the two groups was -0.027 to +0.027 mm. CONCLUSION It has been documented that increased corneal thickness leads to high readings of intraocular pressure. Therefore, decreased corneal thickness may lead to a lower intraocular pressure reading. This study suggests that for most normal-tension glaucoma patients corneal thickness is not a major factor in accounting for the lower intraocular pressure measurements when compared with primary open angle glaucoma patients.
The relationships between IFRS, earnings losses threshold and earnings management

An increasing number of countries have adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Prior research indicates that IFRS increase the relevance of financial statements, but also increase opportunism in earnings management (EM). Despite this, no evidence is found in this study to demonstrate that the adoption of IFRS increases the use of EM by companies as a whole. Furthermore, the results indicate that the use of IFRS can enhance the neutrality of financial statements. However, these phenomena occur only in the case of firms with positive earnings. Therefore, if a firm faces earnings losses (ELOSS), the manager will often exhibit EM behaviour after implementing IFRS. Thus, when the firm has ELOSS and adopts IFRS, the situation that results will usually decrease the neutrality of financial statements. As for the management implications, these findings suggest that the government and regulator should implement more in-depth supervision to prevent the increased use of EM by managers following the adoption of IFRS.
Getting ready for the digital economy: Net Readiness in New Zealand industries

This paper focuses on measures of readiness for success in the digital economy. Scorecards for measuring preparedness for the Internet-based economy are discussed. The New Zealand context and environment for E-Commerce is introduced. Key results from a novel study of Net Readiness in eight New Zealand industries are presented. Further Net Readiness research is proposed to provide international comparisons and explore industry-specific factors, size and links to corporate performance. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactive learning in operations management higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a computer‐assisted learning experience in operations management (OM) higher education that entailed the development of interactive learning software, its evaluation in an experimental environment and the formal analysis of the teaching method's influence on student perceptions.Design/methodology/approach – The software design follows the constructivist focus based on widely‐accepted educational technology principles. Objective tests of knowledge and subjective appraisal of the learning process were used in the experiment to compare two educational scenarios (computer‐assisted learning and on‐site class). Students' perceptions of the software's technical and teaching features are also analyzed.Findings – The study shows that the teaching method can significantly affect students' perceptions of the learning process. The findings also confirm the pedagogical effectiveness of the software that was designed and that information communication technologies (ICT.
The Performance of Private and Cooperative Socialist Organization: Postwar Yugoslav Agriculture

Socialist enterprises in Yugoslav agriculture show higher levels of productivity than private producers. The author examines the sources of these differences with total factor productivity estimates based on sectoral aggregate Cobb-Douglas production functions which permit separation of environmental, policy, and organizational effects. The results support the following conclusions: cooperative socialist enterprises are not inherently inefficient and can even outperform private producers; both types of producers were responding to their environment and their differential rates of technological change reflect the different constraints they faced; and socialist enterprises exhibited technology adoption behavior similar to nonsocialist enterprises elsewhere. Copyright 1987 by MIT Press.
From Euro-enthusiasm to Euro-scepticism? A Re-evaluation of Minority Nationalist Party Attitudes Towards European Integration

This article examines the different dimensions of, and different factors affecting, minority nationalist party attitudes towards Europe. The article draws on evidence from minority nationalist parties in two different contexts—Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Bloque Nacionalista Galego in Galicia—to argue that minority nationalist party attitudes towards European integration are more complex than is usually asserted in the existing academic literature. First, even though minority nationalist parties converged around the idea of a Europe of the Regions during the 1980s and 1990s, the nature of, and motivations for, this support differed widely from party to party. Secondly, there is evidence that, in recent years, minority nationalist parties have become increasingly critical of Europe, although they have not yet abandoned their normative aspirations for a regional Europe. At the same time, however, the salience of the European integration issue has declined markedly in the political projects espoused by minority nationalist parties in Wales and Galicia. The article concludes by arguing that whilst minority nationalist parties may not have turned their back completely on the idea of a Europe of the Regions, a new pragmatism drives these parties' strategies and tactics for meeting their short- and long-term goals.
Time-to-Expiry Seasonalities in Eurofutures

This article reports a new seasonality in the volatility of Eurofutures contracts as a function of the time left before contract expiry. The fact that futures markets, unlike foreign exchange or equity markets, offer contracts that expire on specific dates, with typically one expiry per quarter for Eurofutures, leads to a new type of volatility seasonality as a function of the time left to expiry for the contract in question. The intraday volatility, averaged over the Eurofutures contracts we studied (Eurodollar, Euromark, and Short Sterling), decreases as a function of the time left to expiry. There is also an unexpected behavior consisting of oscillatory movements in volatility, with peaks every 60 business days, corresponding to rollover activities before each quarterly expiry.
Organisational ambidexterity in the search phase of the innovation process. Evidence from a leading case study

How firms succeed in reconciling the exploitation of existing knowledge with the exploration of new possibilities is an open question in the literature and it represents the core of our paper, the aim of which is to explore how firms have actually achieved ambidexterity capability. In order to do so, we decided to focus on the very early phase of the process where firms search for new ideas with which to renew themselves. In particular, we analysed the search phase of a highly innovative technology-based company by investigating the structural design choices combined with the presence of specific roles and searching practices. The results show how exploration and exploitation can actually be achieved simultaneously and maintained through a multilevel approach that integrates both the operational and the strategic levels. Our findings, thus, contribute to the organisational ambidexterity literature by proposing a first interpretative model for dealing with ambidexterity in the search phase of the innovation process.
University-School Partnerships: Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers Working Together to Teach Primary Science.

This paper reports on a partnership approach preparing pre-service primary teachers to teach science. Partnerships involving pre-service teachers and volunteer in-service colleagues were formed to teach science in the classroom of the colleague, with support from the science education lecturer. Each pre-service teacher collaboratively planned and delivered a sequence of at least six science lessons over six weeks. An earlier paper reported on how the program affected the confidence of the pre-service teachers. Over three iterations, 61 in-service teachers from 23 local schools participated. In this paper the data from the colleague teachers and principals who participated is explored. The evidence indicates that the principals valued the program as an opportunity to improve science in their schools and as science professional development for their staff. The in-service teachers were positive and results show that the triadic partnerships offered professional development that addresses common barriers to teaching science in primary schools.
Acetyl-dl-leucine in Niemann-Pick type C

Objective: To assess the effects of the modified amino acid acetyl-dl-leucine (AL) on cerebellar ataxia, eye movements, and quality of life of patients with Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease. Methods: Twelve patients with NP-C disease were treated with AL 3 g/d for 1 week and then with 5 g/d for 3 weeks with a subsequent washout period of 1 month. The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Functional Index (SCAFI), the modified Disability Rating Scale (mDRS), EuroQol 5Q-5D-5L, and the visual analog scale (VAS) were administered. Measurements took place at baseline, after 1 month of therapy, and after 1 month of washout. Results: The SARA score changed from the baseline (median [±SD, interquartile range]) of 10.8 (11.2, 8–24.6) to 7.0 (10.7, 5.6–19.6) on medication (difference: 3.8 points) and 10.5 (11.5, 7.1–23.9) after washout (difference: 3.5 points) (p = 0.000412; post hoc p = 0.003 between baseline and on medication, and on medication and washout p = 0.005). The SCAFI subscore 9-Hole Peg Test for dominant hand, mDRS score, and VAS score also improved on medication. No side effects except transient dizziness in one patient were reported. Conclusions: Treatment with AL improved ataxic symptoms in patients with NP-C without relevant side effects, thus showing a reasonable risk-benefit profile. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that AL improves cerebellar symptoms and quality of life in patients with NP-C.
Patterns of Hyaluronan Staining Are Modified by Fixation Techniques

The apparent intensity of hyaluronan (HA) staining in tissue sections can vary as a function of fixation techniques. We examined the histochemical distribution of HA in normal human skin using an HA-specific binding peptide derived from bovine nasal cartilage. The HA, particularly in the dermis, was best preserved in sections fixed in 10% acid-formalin with 70% ethanol. In contrast, sections fixed in the routine 10% neutral-buffered formalin had a much weaker intensity of HA staining. Furthermore, acid-formalin/ethanol-fixed sections retained much of their apparent HA after incubation with saline, in contrast to the neutral formalin-fixed sections, in which most of the stainable HA was lost. Such marked differences in staining intensity were not observed in slides stained with Alcian blue, a procedure pressumed to stain HA as well as other glycosaminoglycans. Staining using the HA binding peptide was entirely absent when sections were first preincubated in hyaluronidase, whereas similar Alcian blue-stained sections retained most of their staining intensity. Caution should be exercised in evaluating the distribution of HA in tissues using the HA binding peptide, particularly when different fixation techniques among several laboratories are being compared. In addition, the ability to evaluate the HA content of tissues using Alcian blue staining should be reconsidered. The sulfated glycosaminolglycans of the “ground substance” appear to be the predominant substrates for Alcian blue. (J Histochem Cytochem 45:1157–1163, 1997)