Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Land registration, credit and agricultural investment in Africa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the argument linking land registration to agricultural investment and to provide theoretical reasons as to why this linkage may not materialise in Africa within the short to medium term. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a critical review of the relevant literature on land registration, access to credit and agricultural investment; arguments are built on empirical studies found in the literature and theoretical concepts. Findings – It has been established in this paper that the links between landed property registration and agricultural investments are made defective in Africa by factors such as poverty, lack of appropriate agro-based infrastructure and the fact that land registration per se does not improve the profitability of agriculture, neither does it improve access to credit. Research limitations/implications – The fact that this paper is based on literature review may be seen as a weakness to some extent. Originality/value – Even though previous researchers have looked at the relationship between landed property registration and agricultural investment in the developing world, they fall short of critically explaining why land registration has been found not to enhance agricultural investment. This paper fills the gap through a combination of various theoretical and practical arguments which could call for a rethinking on the policies for promoting agricultural growth. The rigorous theoretical argument may also provide the basis for further empirical research.
Formation of cohabiting unions in Botswana: A qualitative study

As in most African societies (Kayongo-Male and Oyango 1984), a fundamental component of customary marriage in traditional Tswana society was the participation of the extended family (Roberts 1972; Schapera 1940). The traditional Tswana social organisation system, therefore, had no place for unions in which couples cohabited without the approval of their respective families or descent groups (Roberts 1972:37). Indeed, the lack of a distinct Tswana term that describes this living arrangement may be a reflection of the fact that this is a relatively new phenomenon (Mokomane 2004). According to Roberts and Schapera, such unions established in defiance of the respective families were usually reported to the chief or headman and terminated by tribal authorities. Consequently the traditional Tswana society resembled the rest of sub-Saharan Africa insofar as marriage was early and almost universal and living together without a valid marriage was rare. Recent studies (Mokomane 2004; Mookodi 2003) have, however, revealed a clear upward trend in the prevalence of cohabitation or people who live together outside of marriage, thus showing a variation from the traditional approach to dyadic living. Despite this increase, and the well-documented implications of cohabitation for reproductive behaviour, fertility patterns, marriage patterns, family stability and the future of society as a whole (Castro Martin 2002; Meekers 1991), cohabitation has been left largely unexplored in nuptiality research in Botswana. Consequently the specific dimensions that influence the formation of cohabiting unions are only dimly understood.
Development of the accounting profession and practices in the public sector - a hegemonic analysis

This paper uses Gramsci’s theory of hegemony to analyse the development of the public sector accounting profession and accounting practices in the UK since the nineteenth‐century. Three periods of hegemony and accounting development are identified and the relationship between the two phenomena is discussed. The analysis emphasises the non‐teleological development of the public sector accounting profession and accounting techniques and clearly places them within an ideological framework which is itself the outcome of a complex interrelation between economic crises, class interests and the state. The paper concludes that the public sector accounting professional body in the UK has played an important hegemonic role in constituting and reflecting ideologies and in reflecting the coercive and consensual approaches adopted by the state. The paper also sets an agenda for a research programme which looks at specific crises and hegemonies in more depth.
Hypoxia and oxidation levels of DNA and lipids in humans and animal experimental models

The objective of this review was to evaluate the association between hypoxia and oxidative damage to DNA and lipids. Evaluation criteria encompassed specificity and validation status of the biomarkers, study design, strength of the association, dose‐response relationship, biological plausibility, analogous exposures, and effect modification by intervention. The collective interpretation indicates persuasive evidence from the studies in humans for an association between hypoxia and elevated levels of oxidative damage to DNA and lipids. The levels of oxidatively generated DNA lesions and lipid peroxidation products depend on both the duration and severity of the exposure to hypoxia. Largest effects are observed with exposure to hypoxia at high altitude, but other factors, including ultraviolet light, exercise, exertion, and low intake of antioxidants, might contribute to the effect observed in subjects at high altitude. Most of the animal experimental models should be interpreted with caution because the assays for assessment of lipid peroxidation products have suboptimal validity. © 2008 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 60(11): 707–723, 2008
Non‐Executive Directors: A Question of Independence

This Australian study utilises disclosure requirements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards AASB 1017: Related Party Disclosures, to provide a richer description of non-executive director characteristics. Consistent with the findings of Baysinger and Butler (1985) we find a three scale classification system for directors (insider, grey area, outsider) to better reflect board composition.The results indicate that 35% of non-executive directors were involved in transactions with their companies which potentially threaten their independence (i.e. grey area directors). On average, our findings reveal that the combination of insider and ‘grey’ area directors would constitute a majority of the board. This could lead to companies appearing to comply with current Australian recommendations through possessing a non-executive majority on the board, whilst in fact being controlled by internal management. This finding similarly applied to the composition of the audit committee.
Small (≤ 20 mm) pancreatic adenocarcinomas: analysis of enhancement patterns and secondary signs with multiphasic multidetector CT.

PURPOSE To evaluate the enhancement patterns, prevalence of secondary signs, and histopathologic features of 20-mm-diameter or smaller pancreatic cancers seen on multiphasic multidetector computed tomographic (CT) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board; the requirement for informed consent was waived. From January 2002 through September 2009, the authors reviewed the clinical and imaging data of 130 consecutive patients (76 men, 54 women; mean age, 64.1 years; age range, 28-82 years) who had surgically proven 30-mm-diameter or smaller pancreatic cancers and underwent preoperative multidetector CT and 33 consecutive patients (17 men, 16 women; mean age, 65.1 years; age range, 48-84 years) who had histopathologically proven pancreatic cancer and underwent incidental multidetector CT before the diagnosis was rendered. Only pancreatic phase CT was performed in two patients, and only hepatic venous phase CT was performed in nine patients. Two radiologists in consensus classified the tumor attenuation as hyper-, iso-, or hypoattenuation during the pancreatic and hepatic venous phases. Accompanying secondary signs, temporal changes in tumor attenuation, and histopathologic findings also were analyzed. The Fisher exact test, χ(2) test, generalized estimating equation, and Student t test were used to compare the variables. RESULTS Seventy tumors were 20 mm or smaller, and 93 were 21-30 mm. Isoattenuating pancreatic cancers were more commonly observed among the 20-mm or smaller tumors (16 of 59, 27%) than among the 21-30-mm tumors (12 of 93, 13%) (P = .033). They were also more common among well-differentiated tumors (seven of 12, 58%) than among moderately differentiated (20 of 124, 16%) and poorly differentiated (one of 10, 10%) tumors (P = .001). The prevalence of secondary signs differed significantly according to tumor size (53 [76%] of 70 ≤20-mm tumors vs 92 [99%] of 93 21-30-mm tumors) (P < .001). The prevalence of secondary signs was high among isoattenuating pancreatic cancers (14 [88%] of 16 ≤20-mm tumors vs all 12 [100%] 21-30-mm tumors). Most of the isoattenuating tumors seen at prediagnostic CT were hypoattenuating after 6 months (100% [four of four] during pancreatic phase, 71% [five of seven] during hepatic venous phase). CONCLUSION The prevalence of isoattenuating pancreatic cancers differed significantly according to tumor size and cellular differentiation. Most small isoattenuating pancreatic cancers showed secondary signs. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101133/-/DC1.
Application of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Score to Patients With Cancer Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit

The aim of the current study was to describe the utility of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score in assessing the severity of organ dysfunction in patients with cancer before admission to the intensive care unit. This was a prospective cohort study performed from January to October 2007. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was recorded before admission to intensive care unit. Two hundred patients were included. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of patients having survived the intensive care unit stay was 3.44 ± 3.56 and of the patients no survivor’s was 9.35 ± 3.45. There were 89.5% of the patients who had 2 or more organ dysfunctions. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for score Sequential Organ Failure Assessment was 0.87. The mortality in the intensive care unit was 27.5%. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was predictive for survival in intensive care unit when applied before admission.
The Importance of Information Asymmetry in Customers’ Booking Decisions

Information asymmetry is a key building block of revenue management. Would-be customers have far less indication of future rates and availability than do the service providers. Even with the relatively transparent pricing on various Web sites, customers do not know the extent of demand for their desired itineraries. However, a tool that allows customers to book specific airplane seats and hotel rooms gives customers a greater indication of existing demand. A test of a simulated hotel-room-selection site confirmed that knowledge of demand influenced participants’ willingness to book. However, that knowledge was most salient when room rates were high. On the other hand, when rates were low, knowledge about demand levels did not influence bookings.
The Mediation Process: Practical Strategies for Resolving Conflict

UNDERSTANDING DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND MEDIATION Approaches to Managing and Resolving Conflict How Mediation Works LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR EFFECTIVE MEDIATION Initial Contacts with the Disputing Parties Selecting a Strategy to Guide Mediation Collecting and Analyzing Background Information Designing a Detailed Plan for Mediation Building Trust and Cooperation CONDUCTING PRODUCTIVE MEDIATION Beginning the Mediation Session Defining Issues and Setting an Agenda Uncovering Hidden Interests of the Disputing Parties Generating Options for Settlement REACHING A SETTLEMENT Assessing Options for Settlement Final Bargaining Achieving Formal Settlement Strategies for Dealing with Special Situations .
The Use of an e-Learning System for Agricultural Extension: A Case Study of the Rural Development Administration, Korea

Abstract The study explores the e-learning system of the Computer-Based Agricultural Extension Program (CBAES) and examines the differences in user satisfaction and preferences between the two systems for Agricultural Education and Extension at the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Korea. It also describes the architecture, services, user interface, preference, and satisfaction for the CBAES. Results show significant differences in terms of ‘relationship with manager’ category and number of CBAES users. This suggests that adults prefer interactive learning rather than reading technical information.
Forecasting football results and the efficiency of fixed‐odds betting

An ordered probit regression model estimated using 10 years' data is used to forecast English league football match results. As well as past match results data, the significance of the match for end-of-season league outcomes, the involvement of the teams in cup competition and the geographical distance between the two teams' home towns all contribute to the forecasting model's performance. The model is used to test the weak-form efficiency of prices in the fixed-odds betting market. A strategy of selecting end-of-season bets with a favourable expected return according to the model appears capable of generating a positive return. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PENGARUH VARIABEL RETURN ON ASSETS, RETURN ON EQUITY, NET PROFIT MARGIN DAN EARNING PER SHARE TERHADAP HARGA SAHAM PADA SEKTOR PERBANKAN (Studi Empiris di Bursa Efek Indonesia Tahun 2008-2011)

ABSTRAK Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti seberapa besar pengaruh variabel Return on Assets, Return on equity, net profit margin dan earning per share secara parsial dan secara simultan terhadap harga saham pada sektor Perbankan tahun 2008-2011 dan variabel mana yang memberikan pengaruh dominan terhadap harga saham perusahaan. Sampel dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 23 perusahaan Perbankan dan 92 observasi selama 4 tahun yang tercatat dalam Bursa Efek Indonesia. Hasil penelitian dengan menggunakan uji F menunjukkan bahwa kinerja keuangan perusahaan yang diukur dari ROA, ROE, NPM dan EPS mempunyai pengaruh signifikan terhadap harga saham. Secara parsial dengan uji t disimpulkan bahwa secara parsial variabel ROA, NPM dan EPS yang berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap harga saham, sedangkan variabel ROE tidak berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap harga saham. Kata Kunci : harga saham, return on assets, return on equety, net profit margin dan earning per share.
Condorcet Winners and the Paradox of Voting: Probability Calculations for Weak Preference Orders

That individual preferences may he aggregated into a meaningful collective decision using the Condorcet criterion of majority choice is one of the central tenets of democracy. But that individual preferences may not yield majority winners is one of the classic findings of the social choice literature. Given this problem, social choice theorists have attempted to estimate the probability of Condorcet winners, given certain empirical or theoretical conditions. We shall estimate the probabilities of Condorcet winners and intransitive aggregate orders for various numbers of individuals with strong or weak preference orders across various numbers of alternatives. We find, using computer simulation, a stark contrast between these estimates assuming strong individual preferences and the estimates allowing for individuals' indifference between pairs of alternatives. In contrast to earlier work, which depends on the strong-preference assumption, we suggest that the problem is most acute for small committee decision making and least acute for mass elections with few alternatives.
Effects of cascade information sharing in inventory and service level in multi-echelon supply chains

Information sharing has been regarded as an effective remedy to counteract supply chain dynamics, especially in the current era with advanced information technology. While sharing inventory information among supply chain members would certainly help to improve a supply chain's performance, the scale of full information sharing is rather complex because the scope of such integration is quite wide. This is because most of the supply chain members are probably located in different countries as outsourcing is now not uncommon. In this paper, a cascade information sharing approach is proposed in multi-echelon supply chains in contrast to full information sharing. The principle behind the proposed approach is to allow information sharing only to a member's immediate upstream member on its inventory information. Simulation is employed to test the effectiveness of the proposed approach and results indicate that the proposed approach is still able to minimise the problem of supply chain dynamics. The achievement is even close to the full information sharing approach subject to various service levels.
Defining the SEP environment for specifications using the SAPPHIRE model

Present standards for the solar energetic particle radiation environment in space prescribe a somewhat disparate set of methods for the determination of environment specifications. Herein a new model is presented to cover all SEP environment time-scales across all relevant species in a consistent, probabilistic manner; the Solar Accumulated and Peak Proton and Heavy Ion Radiation Environment (SAPPHIRE) model. This model builds on earlier work regarding the probabilistic modelling methodology but is greatly enhanced making use of updates to the ESA's SEPEM (Solar Energetic Particle Environment Modelling) Reference Data Set (RDS) for protons and an extension to include helium. A careful processing of heavier ion data has been carried out to extend the helium model to heavier ions. Model outputs include mission cumulative fluence, worst-case event fluence and peak fluxes for proton spectra, helium spectra and heavy ion spectra also included as a function of Linear Energy Transfer (LET). As a verification of the robustness of the procedure the proton model outputs are compared to a similar model based solely on data from neutron monitors.
Impact of Early Pharmacological Treatment on Cognitive and Behavioral Outcome After Traumatic Brain Injury in Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Early pharmacological treatment has the potential to reduce some of the disabling cognitive and behavioral problems that result from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although a large number of treatments have been developed, clinical research has yielded inconsistent findingfss with respect to the effectiveness of these pharmacological treatments on cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Furthermore, their relative efficacy has not been evaluated, thereby hindering advances in the treatment of TBI. A meta-analysis of research that examined the impact of pharmacological treatments on cognitive and behavioral outcomes in the early stages after TBI between January 1980 and May 2008 was therefore undertaken. The PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched using 35 terms. All articles were screened using detailed inclusion criteria. Weighted Cohen's d effect sizes, percent overlap statistics, and fail-safe N statistics were calculated for each pharmacological agent. Studies that used different experimental designs were examined separately. Eleven pharmacological treatments were investigated by 22 clinical studies, comprising 6472 TBI patients in the treatment groups and 6460 TBI controls. One dopamine agonist (amantadine) and 1 bradykinin antagonist (CP-0127 [Bradycor]) produced marked treatment benefits (d ≥ 0.8) for a single measure of arousal (Glasgow Coma Scale). Notably, drug dosage and the measure chosen to assess outcome influenced the probability of finding a treatment benefit.
Discovery of a new hypotrich ciliate from petroleum contaminated soil

Pollution after oil spill represents extreme habitat for survival and is a major concern for loss of species diversity in the affected area. In this study, we investigated soil samples collected from a petrochemical industry, Ulsan, South Korea. The soil was in the phase of recovery from the contamination of crude oil spill. Detailed investigation, based on morphology, ontogenesis, and molecular phylogenetic methods, resulted in discovery of a novel hypotrich ciliate, i.e., Metasterkiella koreana n. gen., n. sp. , which is morphologically characterized by a semirigid body, undulating membranes in Oxytricha pattern, 18 frontal-ventral-transverse cirri with cirrus V/3 placed posteriorly, one right and one left row of marginal cirri, four dorsal kineties, two dorsomarginal rows, and caudal cirri at the end of dorsal kineties 1, 2, and 4. Interestingly, during ontogenesis, formation of three common anlagen for the proter and the opisthe and involvement of cirrus V/3 in anlagen formation was observed. The dorsal ontogenesis was typical of oxytrichids, i.e., simple fragmentation of dorsal kinety 3 and formation of dorsomarginal rows close to the right marginal row. The new species was found to be similar with Sterkiella subtropica, except for some minor differences in morphometry, and at gene level with only one base pair difference. In phylogenetic analyses, based on SSU rRNA gene sequence, M. koreana cluster in a clade away from Sterkiella species, which could be explained by the differences in the morphogenetic pattern between these two genera. It is proposed that S. subtropica probably belongs to Metasterkiella; however, we do not perform changes and wait for the reinvestigation of its morphogenetic pattern.
Public Policy Towards R&D in Oligopolistic Industries

This paper examines the free-market and socially optimal outcomes in a dynamic oligopoly model with R&D spillovers. First-best optimal subsidies to R&D are higher when firms play strategically against each other but lower when they cooperate on R&D (at least with high spillovers) and when they play strategically against the government. Second-best optimal subsidies to R&D are presumptively higher than first-best ones, but policies to encourage cooperation are likely to be redundant (since it is always privately profitable) and simulations suggest that the welfare cost of lax competition is high.
Vertical restraints and competition policy

This report considers the private and social welfare effects of vertical restraints - whereby contractual arrangements between suppliers (manufacturers) and distributors (retailers) extend beyond simple arms-length pricing. It seeks to synthesise and extend existing theory on vertical restraints, so as to identify the conditions where detrimental effects are likely to dominate benign social welfare effects, and vice versa, with the aim of developing a practical framework for the analysis of vertical restraints.
Stock Price Reaction to Non-financial News in European Technology Companies

In this paper we examine investors' valuation of non-financial corporate news items issued by European companies in the information and communications technology industry. We analyse the stock market reaction to the publication of press releases on a sample of 145 firms from 2003 to 2005. Results indicate that investors react positively to information concerning a firm's capacity to consolidate its position, diversify and grow. Investors react negatively to information about new product launches and upgrades. We also find that investors in companies with a strong market position and growth prospects highly value information on takeovers and internationalisation. In contrast, investors in low-performing companies value news of disposals and distribution alliances. Our results enhance the general understanding of the relevance of non-financial information to investors, and contribute to the debate surrounding the usefulness of publishing non-financial information.