Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Globalisation, Growth and Convergence

This paper, devoted to the study of globalisation, analyses two distinct but closely related issues: First, it aims at evaluating disparities in the degree of globalisation observed in a sample of 101 countries over the period 1970–2005. Second, the paper tries to shed some light to the much debated issue of whether globalisation affects economic growth and, in so doing, whether convergence in globalisation brings about convergence in per capita income. The results obtained are both encouraging: on the one side, as it is shown that there has been a clear process of globalisation convergence; on the other, the paper concludes that globalisation has been one of the main drivers of economic growth, thus fostering convergence in per capita income.
Evolutionary Relationships of Three New Species of Enterobacteriaceae Living as Symbionts of Aphids and Other Insects

ABSTRACT Ecological studies on three bacterial lineages symbiotic in aphids have shown that they impose a variety of effects on their hosts, including resistance to parasitoids and tolerance to heat stress. Phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of gyrB and recA are consistent with previous analyses limited to 16S rRNA gene sequences and yield improved confidence of the evolutionary relationships of these symbionts. All three symbionts are in the Enterobacteriaceae. One of the symbionts, here given the provisional designation “Candidatus Serratia symbiotica,” is a Serratia species that has acquired a symbiotic lifestyle. The other two symbionts, here designated “Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa” and “Candidatus Regiella insecticola,” are sister groups to one another and together show a relationship to species of Photorhabdus.
Nursing Manager Leadership Skills

Nurse managers are internal stakeholders who play essential roles in managing change, cultural integration, retention, and direction of staff attitudes toward changing healthcare structures. The challenges facing them as they attempt to understand and to support employees during times of change are monumental. They frequently assume expanded roles and responsibilities without adequate education, resources, or support. The author reports variables key to the success of the role and areas of education that may influence that success.
StackReader: An RNN-Free Reading Comprehension Model

Machine comprehension of text is the problem to answer a query based on a given context. Many existing systems use RNN-based units for contextual modeling linked with some attention mechanisms. In this paper, however, we propose StackReader, an end-to-end neural network model, to solve this problem, without recurrent neural network (RNN) units and its variants. This simple model is based solely on attention mechanism and gated convolutional neural network. Experiments on SQuAD have shown to have relatively high accuracy with a significant decrease in training time.
PRECURSORS OF SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

We carried out a systematic search of precursors on the sample of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by Swift. We found that ∼8%–10% of short GRBs display such early episodes of emission. One burst (GRB 090510) shows two precursor events, the former ∼13 s and the latter ∼0.5 s before the GRB. We did not find any substantial difference between the precursor and the main GRB emission, and between short GRBs with and without precursors. We discuss possible mechanisms to reproduce the observed precursor emission within the scenario of compact object mergers. The implications of our results on quantum gravity constraints are also discussed.
Environmental change and vulnerability in the Usangu plain, southwestern Tanzania: Implications for sustainable development

Natural resources are important assets for sustainability of rural livelihoods and economic development. The objectives of the study were to assess linkage of environmental change to emerging water scarcity, livelihoods insecurity and decline in wildlife biodiversity and hydropower generation in the Great Ruaha ecosystem, and to discuss policy lessons for sustainable development. Literature survey, participatory assessments, collection of records from stakeholders, participatory observations and a questionnaire survey were used. Participatory assessment found that increasing water scarcity is associated with degradation of land, vegetation cover and change in rainfall intensity and duration. Rainfall change is supported by 83% of respondents and rainfall trends analysis. About 42% of variation in cereal production is described by the rainfall amount variability. Analysis of trends for per capita cereals production from district records showed a significant (p < 0.05) decline over the years. Changes in water flows in the Great Ruaha River have been evident since 1993, and have affected wildlife diversity in the Ruaha National Park and power generation from the Kidatu hydroelectric plant downstream. Human livelihood activities, exclusiveness, weak coordination and collaboration between sectors and institutions in policy formulation and implementation have played a role. The pro-poor policy formulation through integrated planning, strong coordination and collaboration is recommended for sustainable development.
Corporate social responsibility and its impact in consumer decision-making

Purpose - – This study aims to explore the relationship between the consumer perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the buying behaviour in the brand clothing Design/methodology/approach - – This paper used a survey to assess the perception of the consumer of the social responsibility practices of the Findings - – The consumers revealed that they have four dimensions of perceptions of CSR: ecological reasons, no discrimination reasons, recycling reasons and communication reasons. The results suggest that the consumers consider that there are four aspects of CSR: economic, social, ecological and recycling. When it was verified that the personal concerns, regarding environment and recycling, play an important role in consumer decision, the seven stages of the consumer decision process developed by Blackwell Originality/value - – This paper obtained an interesting result in the sense that the consumers distinguish the environmental aspects on ecological and recycling. It is also observed that this distinction, allied to the knowledge of social responsibility practices carried out by the company, leads to the affirmation that the final disinvestment stage of the consumer decision process plays an important role in consumer decision.
Effects of industrial noise on the blood levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde

Objective Effects of noise on free radical production and antioxidant defence mechanism were investigated. Methods Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and ferritin levels were measured in weavers who worked at noisy workplace. Results MDA, GSH-Px and SOD levels were significantly higher in weavers than that of the controls. There was no significant difference in ferritine levels. Conclusions These data suggest that employees who work at noisy workplace may be under the risk of free radical mediated damage in long time duration.
Entrepreneurial orientations of business students and entrepreneurs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the implications of different entrepreneurial orientations on business start‐up and development challenges.Design/methodology/approach – This research reflects surveys of 1,075 experienced entrepreneurs and business and entrepreneurship students in Estonia during the years 2005‐2010. An additional method is action learning and reflections of training focused on recognising new business opportunities during the economic crises.Findings – Combinations of co‐creative and innovative entrepreneurial orientations are more popular than the imitative entrepreneurial orientation. There is, however, an essential contradiction between stressing the principles of co‐creative orientation at the first stages of business opportunity identification and taking a more individualistic approach to innovation at later stages of the business development process and implementing the related changes. Potential entrepreneurs developing radically new innovative ideas in emerging ec.
miR319a targeting of TCP4 is critical for petal growth and development in Arabidopsis

In a genetic screen in a drnl-2 background, we isolated a loss-of-function allele in miR319a (miR319a129). Previously, miR319a has been postulated to play a role in leaf development based on the dramatic curled-leaf phenotype of plants that ectopically express miR319a (jaw-D). miR319a129 mutants exhibit defects in petal and stamen development; petals are narrow and short, and stamens exhibit defects in anther development. The miR319a129 loss-of-function allele contains a single-base change in the middle of the encoded miRNA, which reduces the ability of miR319a to recognize targets. Analysis of the expression patterns of the three members of the miR319 gene family (miR319a, miR319b, and miR319c) indicates that these genes have largely non-overlapping expression patterns suggesting that these genes have distinct developmental functions. miR319a functions by regulating the TCP transcription factors TCP2, TCP3, TCP4, TCP10, and TCP24; the level of RNA expression of these TCP genes is down-regulated in jaw-D and elevated in miR319a129. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that TCP4 is a key target of miR319a. First, the tcp4soj6 mutant, which contains a mutation in the TCP4 miRNA-binding site complementary to the miR319a129 mutation, suppresses the flower phenotype of miR319a129. Second, expression of wild-type TCP4 in petals and stamens (i.e., AP3:TCP4) has no effect on flower development; by contrast, a miRNA-resistant version of TCP4, when expressed in petals and stamens (i.e., pAP3:mTCP4) causes these organs not to develop. Surprisingly, when AP3:TCP4 is present in a miR319a129 background, petal and stamen development is severely disrupted, suggesting that proper regulation by miR319a of TCP4 is critical in these floral organs.
Peptide excretion in celiac disease.

BACKGROUND In celiac disease, the mucosa in the small intestine is damaged. This study was conducted to determine whether the normal peptide and protein uptake from the gut is increased in patients with celiac disease. METHODS The low-molecular-weight peptides were measured in urine from children and adults with untreated celiac disease. A reversed-phase technique was used. RESULTS The excretion of peptides increased compared with that in an age- and sex-matched reference group. CONCLUSIONS Celiac patients have hyperpeptiduria. It is possible that some of these peptides are bioactive and may mediate varying systemic effects also found in untreated celiac disease.
Emerging Market Exposures and the Predictability of Hedge Fund Returns

We examine Emerging Market and Global Macro hedge funds and find a significant positive relation between hedge funds’ future returns and their exposure to both emerging market equities and emerging market currencies. We present evidence that the strong predictive power of emerging market betas is related to the superior market-timing ability of these fund managers. Results are robust after controlling for commonly used hedge fund factors, the emerging market equity index, lagged fund returns, liquidity risk, and fund characteristics. Our results suggest that hedge funds can earn positive excess returns by timing their exposure to emerging market securities.
The Economic Impacts of Voluntary Environmental Performance of Firms: A Critical Review

New trends in studies on the governance of natural assets include substantial consideration of the role of voluntary initiatives. A traditional economic view states that there is a trade-off between being green and being competitive. According to that view, no voluntary environmental action is expected to occur. To undertake an in-depth analysis of the scope for voluntary action, this paper reviews empirical literature that analyzes the relationship between manufacturing firms' environmental initiatives or performance and economic results. This review moves beyond the general test of the 'pay to be green' hypothesis, preferring instead to systematize empirical results in more specific research questions. Empirical findings of the reviewed literature generally support that there is no penalty for being green. In addition, the typology of firms, the methods utilized for implementing environmental initiatives, the intensity of abatement efforts and stockholders' valuation of green firms have all been shown to have a sizeable influence on the actual economic results of environmental action or management. Consequently, the findings of this paper challenge the traditional strategic theory that predicts widespread free-riding; it holds major implications for environmental policy-making and environmental business decisions. Copyright © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Home blood pressure is the predictor of subclinical target organ damage like ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in untreated hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE Home blood pressure (HBP) measurements are known as an important adjunct to office blood pressure (OBP) measurements in clinical practice. But little is known about the relationship between HBP and subclinical target organ damage (TOD) other than left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). So we investigated the relationship of HBP measurements with subclinical TOD in untreated hypertensive patients. METHODS We measured ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), HBP and OBP of 93 untreated hypertensive patients (men: 60 and women: 33, mean age, 49±13 years). The ABP was recorded for 24 hours, HBP was measured for one week, and OBP was measured at least in two visits. All BP measurements were taken using automatic BP measuring device. The parameters indicating subclinical TOD were the left-ventricular mass index (LVMI) by transthoracic echocardiography, urinary albumin excretion rate (AER), brachial ankle pulse-wave velocity (PWV), and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). RESULTS The LVMI was significantly correlated with systolic HBP and 24 hours systolic ABP, but not with OBP. The AER, PWV and IMT were also significantly correlated with systolic HBP and 24 hours systolic ABP. In a binary logistic regression analysis, systolic HBP, 24 hours systolic and diastolic ABP were the predictors of LVMI, AER and PWV (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our data suggest that HBP is as good as ABP monitoring and superior to OBP measurements in regard to their association with subclinical TOD. Therefore, HBP measurements give valuable information on the subclinical TOD in hypertensive patients in addition to ABP monitoring.
Constrained iterative technique with embedded neural network for dual-polarization radar correction of rain path attenuation

A new stable backward iterative technique to correct for path attenuation and differential attenuation is presented here. The technique named, neural network iterative polarimetric precipitation estimator by radar (NIPPER), is based on a polarimetric model used to train an embedded neural network, constrained by the measurement of the differential phase along the rain path. Simulations are used to investigate the efficiency, accuracy, and the robustness of the proposed technique. The precipitation is characterized with respect to raindrop size, shape, and orientation distribution. The performance of NIPPER is evaluated by using simulated radar volumes scan generated from S-band radar measurements. A sensitivity analysis is performed in order to evaluate the expected errors of NIPPER. These evaluations show relatively better performance and robustness of the attenuation correction process when compared with currently available techniques.
Automatic transportation of biological cells with a robot-tweezer manipulation system

The positioning of biological cells has become increasingly important in biomedical research such as drug discovery, cell-to-cell interaction, and tissue engineering. Significant demand for both accuracy and productivity in cell manipulation highlights the need for automated cell transportation with integrated robotics and micro/nano-manipulation technologies. Optical tweezers, which use highly focused low-power laser beams to trap and manipulate particles at the micro/nanoscale, can be treated as special robot ‘end-effectors’ to manipulate biological objects in a noninvasive way. In this paper, we propose to use a robot-tweezer manipulation system for automatic transportation of biological cells. A dynamics equation of the cell in an optical trap is analyzed. Closed-loop controllers are designed for positioning single cells as well as multiple cells. A synchronization control technology is utilized for multicell transportation with maintained cell pattern. Experiments are performed on transporting live cells to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
The Penrose hypothesis in 2004: patient and prisoner numbers are positively correlated in low-and-middle income countries but are unrelated in high-income countries.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between the numbers of psychiatric hospital beds and prisoners using recent statistics. DESIGN An analysis of published data from 158 countries. METHODS Multiple linear regression techniques were used to examine the relationship between per capita measures of income and numbers of psychiatric hospital beds and the dependant variable of per capita prison populations, in high and low-and-middle-income countries. RESULTS Prison and psychiatric populations were positively correlated in low-and-middle-income countries. There was no relationship between the number of psychiatric hospital beds and prison populations in high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS In low-and-middle income countries the association between prison and psychiatric hospital populations may depend on the ability of governments to pay for custodial institutions as well as differences in cultural attitudes towards abnormal and criminal behaviour. In high-income (HI) countries psychiatric and prison populations are not related and probably determined by separate social and political factors.
Why has China not embraced a global cap-and-trade regime?

Although many economic studies suggest that China would reap significant benefits from participating in a global cap-and-trade regime, China has consistently refused to participate in international negotiations on this issue. Understanding China's underlying concerns is a key to explaining why China has not embraced an international greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. This is explored as a potential basis for including China in future negotiations and schemes. This issue is considered from the following perspectives that impact upon China: (a) fairness: how do developing countries perceive emissions caps? (b) why have China and India been sceptical about international emissions trading? (c) what would China's political perceptions be of an inflow of CDM investment in comparison with the exports of emissions permits to the USA? (d) what are the implications of ‘lock in’ to an emissions cap, particularly when no rules and principles exist for setting emissions targets for post-2012? (e) the complex question of establishing future emissions caps for developing countries.
The Pre-Incubator: A Longitudinal Study of 10 Years of University Pre-Incubation in Wales

This paper describes a longitudinal study of over 10 years of university pre-incubation in Wales, using case studies of incubated businesses to track their performance since 2001. Surviving ‘graduated’ businesses were investigated and quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to profile the current status of these businesses and assess their development following the incubation process. It was noted that the off-site location was beneficial in recruiting both graduate and non-graduate clients and gave rise to a proactive and enabling business environment. Overall, a positive contribution by the pre-incubator was found, in terms of turnover generated and jobs created in an area of economic underperformance.
Idiopathic Bronchiolocentric Interstitial Pneumonia

The authors report 10 patients with a distinctive idiopathic bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia having some histologic similarities to hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia has a marked predilection for women (80%) and occurs in middle age (40–50 years). Chest radiographs and pulmonary function tests show interstitial and restrictive lung disease, while the histologic appearance is that of a centrilobular inflammatory process with small airway fibrosis and inflammation that radiates into the interstitium of the distal acinus in a patchy fashion. Granulomas are not identified. At a mean followup of approximately 4 years in nine patients, 33% of patients were dead of disease and 56% had persistent or progressive disease suggesting a more aggressive course than hypersensitivity pneumonitis and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, the two major disease processes in the differential diagnosis. Whether Bronchiolocentric interstitial pneumonia is a unique entity or not, the pattern of bronchiocentric injury to the lung in the absence of known causes and its clinical presentation as interstitial lung disease, warrants further investigation of this unusual interstitial process.
An Econometric Model of Merseyside: Validation and Policy Simulations

MINFORD P., STONEY P., RILEY J. and WEBB B. (1994) An econometric model of Merseyside: validation and policy simulations, Reg. Studies 28, 563–576. The paper estimates an econometric model of Merseyside on annual data. The model is derived from a Heckscher–Ohlin framework for the traded sector, set beside a non-traded sector and facing a positively sloped supply curve of manual labour whose reservation wage is set by unemployment benefits. With all other factor prices being set exogenously to the region through elastic supply, the supply of manual labour (responding to traded sector wages set by world market conditions) determines the size of the region's output. The model's fit over the past is acceptable, though data is limited. Its simulation properties, contrasting with those of previous demand-driven models, imply high returns to policies that reduce local costs such as taxes, union mark-ups and transport charges. MINFORD P., STONEY P., RILEY J. et WEBB B. (1994) Un modele econometrique de Merseyside.
Analysts’ Perceptions of Intellectual Capital Information

This study is based on a survey of 324 financial analysts in Japan. The survey concerns analysts’ perceptions of intellectual capital (IC) information and its links to the evaluation of companies. The value relevance of and the access to IC-related information reveals a large gap on many items. The analysis further shows that the lack of access to information hampers analysts’ use of IC in their evaluation of companies, particularly in their use of human capital measures. Attitudes towards more disclosure and standardisation are mainly driven by perceptions of what generates value in companies.