Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modernization Theory and Women's Political Representation: A Case Study of Vietnam

While the proponents of the modernization theory reckon that economic growth leads inevitably to social development and gender equality, authors dealing with conflict and with institutional design suggest that economic growth by itself does not follow an exclusive path. The case of Vietnam serves to illustrate the shifts in women political representation under different historical stages, namely colonialism, war of independence, civil war, pacification process, and neo-liberal economic reforms. This paper shows that the presence of women in high political office in Vietnam could be attributed to various factors of which the culture seems to play a paramount role. Male support is paramount, since patriarchal culture is deeply ingrained in the society. Despite the enforcement of the Doi Moi reform in the eighties, certain features that characterize democracy, such as gender equality in the political sphere, have yet to be achieved. The case of Vietnam imposes a challenge on modernization theory, since it shows that the relationship between political changes and socio-economic conditions are causal. Empirical analysis is performed with data drawn from the Vietnamese Country Reports and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Dataset, when available, from 1946 to 2011.
Information Exchange and Behavior: A Multi-method Inquiry on Online Communities

XI Dansk Resume . XIII Foreword and Acknowledgements . XV I Theoretical background 1
The relationship between smoking, quitting smoking and obesity in Australia: a seemingly unrelated probit approach

Smoking and obesity are two leading causes of preventable death. Further understanding of the relationship between these two risk factors can assist in reducing avoidable morbidity and mortality. This study investigates the empirical association between obesity and the propensity to smoke and to quit smoking, using a Seemingly Unrelated (SUR) probit approach that takes into consideration the potential for reverse causality and unobserved heterogeneity. Using Australian health survey data, this article demonstrates the usefulness of the SUR probit approach in generating information on the relationship between unobserved factors influencing both smoking behaviour and obesity, and in providing estimates of the conditional probabilities of each risk factor. Results suggest the two risk factors are not independent. The presence, size and direction of correlation between the unobserved factors are found to vary by smoking behaviour and by gender. Estimates of conditional probabilities demonstrate smokers have a lower probability of obesity, particularly among females, and ex-smokers have a higher probability of obesity, particularly among males. These findings suggest that health policies targeted at one risk factor may have unintended implications for the other.
Are Higher Levels of Inflation Less Predictable? A State-Dependent Conditional Heteroscedasticity Approach

Milton Friedman proposed that there is a positive relationship between inflation and uncertainty about the future path of inflation. In contrast to previous studies of this hypothesis, we find strong statistical evidence that higher levels of inflation are less predictable, although innovations in inflation are somewhat better predictors of future volatility than the actual level of inflation. We argue that previous failures to find an inflation-uncertainty relationship are due to two factors. First, none of the previous work directly tested Friedman's hypothesis by including the level of inflation in the model of the conditional variance. Second, these studies also used symmetric models, which appears inconsistent with Friedman's hypothesis. Our results are robust to different sample periods and to assumptions about the presence of a unit root in inflation. To test the inflation-uncertainty hypothesis, we use state-dependent models (SDM's) of conditional moments to estimate the time-varying conditional v.
A more holistic paradigm on sustainable development

This paper suggests a more holistic paradigm on national sustainable development, linking together the three constructs of societal survivability, business capability and economic sustainability. Results support the superiority of the three-prong paradigm, and structural equation modelling shows that societal and business constructs are the predominant factors in promoting a country's sustainability. The contribution of this paper is relevant to literature on economic development and has timely real-world implications that could guide managers and policy-makers. This study is the first to suggest a new holistic development paradigm linking all three constructs in one model and, therefore, fills this literature gap.
Shopping is truly a joy

Some groups of consumers derive great pleasure from shopping; we refer to this as hedonic shopping value. This study contributes to the current literature by establishing construct equivalence in a cross-culture study and testing the relationship of positive and negative price cues with hedonic shopping value. We investigated this concept using confirmatory factor analysis to test equivalence between the two cultures on six dimensions of price and hedonism. Results indicate that the two-group path equality provided acceptable results (chi-square = 203.92 with 217 df, p = 0.73; GFI = 0.94). This indicated that the six dimensions of the price construct and hedonic shopping values are the same for the two countries. Therefore, we proceeded to test the hypotheses. As expected, neither of the two positive dimensions of price was significantly related to hedonic shopping value. Two of the four negative price cues, price mavenism and value consciousness, were positively related to hedonic shopping value.
Do we know who we are teaching? Teacher education undergraduates' views of the world

A prevailing notion exists suggesting contemporary university students are conservative in their views and lacking the commitment to socio-political issues traditionally associated with the varsity. If this is the case, it is of particular concern with regard to those who would be teachers. Such conservatism can represent a world view that normalizes one's own experience of schooling and indicates a lack of understanding and acceptance of socio-cultural logics and life experiences different from one's own. But how conservative are today's teacher education undergraduates and how do their views and opinions sit with their wider youth cohort? This paper is a preliminary exploration comparing results from a Western Australian State-wide youth survey with those from three cohorts of first year university undergraduate teacher education students. The minor differences found suggest that students are no more or less socio-politically passive than their wider youth cohort.
Thalamic connectivity in patients with essential tremor treated with MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound: in vivo fiber tracking by using diffusion-tensor MR imaging.

PURPOSE To use diffusion-tensor (DT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with essential tremor who were treated with transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound lesion inducement to identify the structural connectivity of the ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus and determine how DT imaging changes correlated with tremor changes after lesion inducement. MATERIALS AND METHODS With institutional review board approval, and with prospective informed consent, 15 patients with medication-refractory essential tremor were enrolled in a HIPAA-compliant pilot study and were treated with transcranial MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound surgery targeting the ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus contralateral to their dominant hand. Fourteen patients were ultimately included. DT MR imaging studies at 3.0 T were performed preoperatively and 24 hours, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after the procedure. Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were calculated from the DT imaging data sets for all time points in all patients. Voxels where FA consistently decreased over time were identified, and FA change in these voxels was correlated with clinical changes in tremor over the same period by using Pearson correlation. RESULTS Ipsilateral brain structures that showed prespecified negative correlation values of FA over time of -0.5 or less included the pre- and postcentral subcortical white matter in the hand knob area; the region of the corticospinal tract in the centrum semiovale, in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, and in the cerebral peduncle; the thalamus; the region of the red nucleus; the location of the central tegmental tract; and the region of the inferior olive. The contralateral middle cerebellar peduncle and bilateral portions of the superior vermis also showed persistent decrease in FA over time. There was strong correlation between decrease in FA and clinical improvement in hand tremor 3 months after lesion inducement (P < .001). CONCLUSION DT MR imaging after MR imaging-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy depicts changes in specific brain structures. The magnitude of the DT imaging changes after thalamic lesion inducement correlates with the degree of clinical improvement in essential tremor.
Syphilitic uveitis as the presenting feature of HIV

A 25-year-old male presented with visual loss in the right eye for 20 days and best-corrected visual acuity of counting fingers in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. The anterior chamber (AC) had old keratic precipitates, no AC reaction, dense vitritis, active multifocal retinochoroiditis, and retinal vascular sheathing in all quadrants. The left eye showed sheathed blood vessels with chorioretinal atrophy [Fig. 1]. Figure 1 (a) Color fundus montage of the right eye shows vitritis, vascular sheathing, and retinochoroidal infiltrates. (b) Enlarged view of multifocal retinochoroidal infiltrates with vitreous exudates in the right eye. (c) Color fundus montage of left eye showing . The regular bacteriologic and viral investigations on the aqueous and vitreous samples were negative. ELISA for HIV 1 and 2 was positive. Rapid plasma regain (RPR) was reactive at a dilution of >1:32, and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) was positive at more than 1:1280 dilution [Table 1]. Table 1 Investigations carried out and their results The patient was started on tapering dose of oral steroids (1 mg/kg/day), antiretroviral therapy (tenofovir 300 mg, lamivudine 300 mg, and efavirenz 600 mg once daily). Intramuscular penicillin was administered for 3 weeks (2.4 million units every week). After 2 months, visual acuity improved to 20/30, and vitreous inflammation cleared leaving behind retinal pigment epithelium mottling [Fig. 2]. Figure 2 Color fundus montage picture of the right eye showing resolution of vitritis and retinochoroiditis with retinal pigment epithelium mottling 2 months following initiation of treatment
Time course of bleomycin‐induced lung fibrosis

Intratracheal instillation (IT) of bleomycin is a widely used experimental model for lung fibrosis. In this study we describe the time‐course of bleomycin‐induced lung fibrosis in mice using computer‐assisted morphometry. C57Bl/6J mice were treated with a single IT dose of bleomycin or control saline. Animals were killed 3, 6, 14 and 21 days post‐IT. Lung injury was evaluated by analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, hydroxyproline concentration in the lung, routine light microscopic examination resulting in a semiquantitative morphological index (SMI) of lung injury, and quantitative morphological measurements (fibrosis fraction and alveolar wall area fraction) aided by optimas image analysis software. Changes in BAL fluid attributed to bleomycin treatment include increased total cell count (days 14 and 21), and increased percentage of neutrophils (days 3 and 6) followed by a sustained increase in lymphocytes (days 6, 14 and 21). Hydroxyproline levels increased in bleomycin‐treated mice on days 14 and 21. Median SMI grades were significantly elevated on days 3, 14 and 21. Computer‐assisted morphometry demonstrated a 3‐fold increase in fibrosis fraction and a 1.3‐fold increase in wall area fraction in bleomycin‐treated mice on day 14, with no further increase on day 21. These data also demonstrate that the most suitable time point for assessing lung fibrosis in this model is 14 days after IT instillation of bleomycin, based on the observation that at 14 days the animals developed extensive fibrosis, but had less variability in the fibrotic response and lower mortality than later at 21 days. Computer‐assisted morphometry provides objective and quantitative measurements that are a useful tool for the evaluation of bleomycin‐induced lung injury.
Pathogen inactivation and regrowth in organic waste during biological treatment

After proper sanitation treatment, organic wastes such as animal by-products, e.g.catering waste, slaughterhouse waste and manure can be used as fertilisers and soil conditioners and thereby contribute to a sustainable society. However, organic waste may contain pathogenic microorganisms and can thus present a health risk to both humans and animals if not properly treated. In the present thesis regrowth potential of Salmonella Typhimurium, Enterococcus spp. and coliforms in organic waste at psychrophilic and mesophilic temperatures and the time and temperature combinations required for pathogen inactivation during thermal treatments was investigated. This was done with the aim to contribute to hygienically safe recycling of organic waste. Pathogen growth was observed in active compost material as well as in fresh cattle manure. The growth potential decreased with increased maturity of the compost. In thermal treatment of fresh cattle manure, a treatment temperature of 52°C and a retention time of 17.2 h or a temperature of 55°C during 16.9 h were needed to achieve the reduction targets set by current EU regulation in terms of bacterial reduction. However, this time and temperature combination was not sufficient to achieve the reduction target of 3 log10 for parvovirus as a thermoresistant virus. The inactivation rate of Salmonella Senftenberg W775 and Enterococcus spp. were found to increase with increased moisture content whereas the opposite relationship between inactivation rate and moisture content was observed for viruses.
Accounting Accruals and Auditor Reporting Conservatism

Accounting accruals are managers' subjective estimates of future outcomes and cannot, by definition, be objectively verified by auditors prior to occurrence. This causes audits of high-accrual firms to pose more uncertainty than audits of low-accrual firms because of potential estimation error and a greater chance that high-accrual firms have undetected asset realization and/or going concern problems which are related to the high level of accruals. One way auditors can compensate for this risk exposure is to lower their threshold for issuing modified audit reports, an action which will increase modified reports and therefore lessen the likelihood of failing to issue a modified report when appropriate to do so. We call this auditor reporting conservatism and test if high-accrual firms in the United States are more likely to receive modified audit reports for asset realization uncertainties and going concern problems. Empirical results for a large sample of U.S. publicly-listed companies support that auditors are more conservative, that is, more likely to issue both types of modified audit reports for high-accrual firms. Further analyses show that income-increasing accruals are somewhat more likely to result in reporting conservatism than income-decreasing accruals, and that only the Big 6 group of auditors show evidence of reporting conservatism. These findings add to our understanding of the audit report formation process and the potentially important role played by accounting accruals in that process.
Joint Beamforming and Power Allocation for Multiple Access Channels in Cognitive Radio Networks

A cognitive radio (CR) network refers to a secondary network operating in a frequency band originally licensed/allocated to a primary network consisting of one or multiple primary users (PUs). A fundamental challenge for realizing such a system is to ensure the quality of service (QoS) of the PUs as well as to maximize the throughput or ensure the QoS, such as signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs), of the secondary users (SUs). In this paper, we study single-input multiple output multiple access channels (SIMO-MAC) for the CR network. Subject to interference constraints for the PUs as well as peak power constraints for the SUs, two optimization problems involving a joint beamforming and power allocation for the CR network are considered: the sum-rate maximization problem and the SINR balancing problem. For the sum-rate maximization problem, zero-forcing based decision feedback equalizers are used to decouple the SIMO-MAC, and a capped multi-level (CML) water-filling algorithm is proposed to maximize the achievable sum-rate of the SUs for the single PU case. When multiple PUs exist, a recursive decoupled power allocation algorithm is proposed to derive the optimal power allocation solution. For the SINR balancing problem, it is shown that, using linear minimum mean-square-error receivers, each of the interference constraints and peak power constraints can be completely decoupled, and thus the multi-constraint optimization problem can be solved through multiple single-constraint sub-problems. Theoretical analysis for the proposed algorithms is presented, together with numerical simulations which compare the performances of different power allocation schemes.
Hedonic Equilibria, Land Value Capitalization, and the Willingness to Pay for Public Goods †

Models of household location choice provide a theoretical foundation for measuring the willingness to pay for public goods. The difficulty is identification. Empirical work was traditionally believed to suffer from widespread identification problems. Recent studies have revived this literature by demonstrating that quasi-experiments can provide credible estimates for the rates at which shocks to public goods are capitalized into land values. In this paper, we develop a unified framework that relates land value capitalization to the underlying concept of market equilibrium on which welfare measurement is based. The foundation for our analysis is Rosen’s description of a differentiated product market with heterogeneous buyers and sellers. First we define the restrictions on preferences and technology that support a welfare interpretation for the rate at which an exogenous shock is capitalized into equilibrium prices. Then we translate those restrictions into testable conditions on micro data sets and on the design of quasi-experiments. Finally, we use the new framework to analyze the differences between: (i) hedonic estimates of the willingness to pay for improvements to public school quality from boundary discontinuity regressions in ten markets and (ii) capitalization rates for changes in test scores that occurred over the first four years of the federal No Child Left Behind program. We find that hedonic measures of the average resident’s willingness to pay for improved school quality are four times as large as capitalization based measures.
Does the European Union need to revive productivity growth

This paper studies procyclical productivity growth at the industry level in the U.S. and in three European countries (France, Germany and the Netherlands). Industry-specific demand-side instruments are used to examine the prevalence of non-constant returns to scale and unmeasured input utilization. For the aggregate U.S. economy, unmeasured input utilization seems to explain procyclical productivity. However, this correction still leaves one in three U.S. industries with procyclical productivity. This failure of the model can also be seen in Europe and is mostly concentrated in services industries.
An experimental study to explore WTP for aviation carbon offsets: the impact of a carbon tax on the voluntary action

As Australia recently introduced a mandatory carbon price, this paper provides a rare perspective of how such institutional changes influence consumer preferences for voluntary climate action. When examined using three contingent valuation questions, the results show that the compliance mechanism induces a substantial reduction in the number of air travellers who are willing to pay extra for voluntary carbon offsets and in the payment amount, although the crowding-out effect is incomplete. A disproportionately larger welfare benefit is attached to the carbon offsets for a domestic flight than its international counterpart. Overall empirical findings advocate the continued role of voluntary programmes.
A New Venture's Cognitive Legitimacy: An Assessment by Customers

Many legitimacy problems associated with new ventures appear to stem from a lack of customers’ knowledge and understanding of the new venture. Of particular concern to entrepreneurs is cognitive legitimacy. The findings of this article suggest that customers appear to have a preference for greater rather than lesser information about a new venture's product, organization, and management (holding the content of that information constant). Furthermore, customers appear to use a contingent decision policy. For an independent startup business that is perceived as new on all three dimensions, priority should be given to building customer knowledge in the product, followed by building customer knowledge in the organization. Less attention should be given to building the customer's knowledge in the management team, although such actions still will build cognitive legitimacy.
Measuring Monetary Policy Stress for Fed District Representatives

This study provides a measure of the degree of stress that exists among Fed districts in the US. Stress in a district is defined as the difference between the desired interest rate of its representative and the actual policy rate implemented by the FOMC. I find that the degree of stress reflects the stance of the US monetary policy, a positive stress level in the 1990s (which corresponds to a policy rate higher than the desired rate of FOMC members), and a negative stress level from the 2000s (which corresponds to a policy rate lower than the desired rate of FOMC members). However, the economic and financial crisis exacerbated the degree of stress measure, suggesting an increase in monetary policy uncertainty among FOMC members from that time.