Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women Travellers’ Adventure Tourism Experiences in New Zealand

Abstract This paper deals with the adventure tourism experiences of women travellers in New Zealand, often considered the ‘adventure tourism capital of the world’. In this context adventure tourism means pitting oneself against nature in some way, in ‘New Zealand's Great Outdoors’ in a structured, provider organized day or half‐day trips (not expeditions). The objectives were to address a lack of literature addressing women tourist experiences of adventure tourism; to gain knowledge about what adventure activities the women chose; and to explore the possibility of the importance or benefits of such experiences to the women. The research draws upon feminist qualitative methods using in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with 60 women travellers from around the world, of various ages, during a three‐month period. The interviewees were on the whole highly educated women, from predominately Western societies with an awareness of their own self‐development. Three themes emerged and the findings led to the following conclusions: Perceived risks taken during adventure activities provided the opportunity for personal challenge and with ultimate success the sense of achievement, pride, and increased confidence for the women. Overcoming personal fears such as a fear of heights empowered the women and gave them an informal qualification, a record of achievement, and a wealth of narrative to be retold to others, thus reinforcing positive experiences and achievements. Participating in activities within the landscapes of New Zealand provided the opportunity for emotional fulfilment, self‐perception and psychological development, special moments to treasure, and moments of pleasure where bodily senses were activated and heightened.
Abdominal obesity.

The application of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography to obesity research has changed the focus from body mass and skinfold thickness to abdominal fat mass and visceral adiposity. Intra-abdominal fat constitutes less than 20% of total body fat but is a major determinant of fasting and postprandial lipid availability because of its physiological (lipolytic rate and insulin resistance) and anatomical (portal drainage) properties. High levels of serum free fatty acids, as a result of abdominal obesity, cause excessive tissue lipid accumulation and contribute to dyslipidaemia, beta cell dysfunction, and hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance. An individual's risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease relates closely to the inheritance of central obesity and susceptibility to tissue lipotoxicity.
Strategic Trade Policy under Incomplete Information

This paper examines equilibrium trade policies when firms have better information than governments about the profitability of the industry. Contrary to the intuition that the policymakers' lack of information should reduce their incentives to engage in strategic trade intervention, the analysis suggests that information asymmetries may increase trade policy distortions in equilibrium and ultimately worsen the "prisoners dilemma" between governments. Copyright 1999 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
Transferring and Trading Water Rights in the People's Republic of China

Cap and trade systems are becoming increasingly common in water resources management as a mechanism to allow water to move to its highest value use. China too is taking steps down this path with the development of a ‘water rights transfer system’. While this system is still in an embryonic stage, a number of government-facilitated projects have already demonstrated its likely form. These projects include the sale of long-term water access rights from one regional government to another, as well as water savings projects in large irrigation districts, with rights to the ‘saved’ water transferred to industry. These transactions are often occurring in a regulatory environment where water rights and the rules governing them are not clearly defined, and in the absence of a strong framework for managing water transfers. This can create ambiguity over the nature of the right being transferred. There is also significant risk of unintended, adverse impacts—to other water users and the environment—if water is reallocated between users in the absence of defined entitlements to water.
Evaluation of patients with sleep apnea after tracheotomy.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of tracheotomy on polysomnographic and arterial blood gas data in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). DESIGN A retrospective study of all patients who underwent tracheotomy and were studied polysomnographically at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center, Baltimore, Md, since 1981. SETTING A regional sleep disorders center. PATIENTS Twenty-eight patients (8 women and 20 men), aged 22 through 77 years. Patients were categorized into 2 groups on the basis of whether they had already undergone tracheotomy before polysomnography. Group 1 patients all had a polysomnographic diagnosis of OSA before tracheotomy. They were further subdivided on the basis of whether cardiopulmonary decompensation had been absent (group 1a, n=10) or present (group 1b, n=13). Group 2 patients (n=5) had undergone tracheotomy to treat upper airway obstruction that developed after non-apnea-related upper aerodigestive tract surgeries. INTERVENTION Tracheotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Nocturnal non-rapid eye movement, apnea-hypopnea index, percentage oxyhemoglobin saturation, and arterial blood gas data. RESULTS Patients with OSA underwent tracheotomy as definitive treatment for the apnea (n=15), to prevent postoperative upper airway compromise after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (n=7), and to treat upper airway compromise after non-apnea-related upper aerodigestive tract surgeries (n=6). Tracheotomy alleviated apnea in all 10 patients with uncomplicated sleep apnea (group 1a). For patients with OSA complicated by cardiopulmonary decompensation (group 1b), tracheotomy improved but did not eliminate sleep apnea in 7 of the 13 patients, despite overall improvement in arterial blood gas values. For patients whose sleep apnea had not been diagnosed polysomnographically before tracheotomy (group 2), tracheotomy was still required to treat OSA that had previously not been recognized. CONCLUSIONS Tracheotomy effectively treated patients with uncomplicated OSA, but was much less effective in treating patients with OSA and cardiopulmonary decompensation. In patients who underwent tracheotomy in conjunction with other upper aerodigestive tract surgeries, concomitant obstructive sleep apnea often required continued use of a tracheotomy to maintain upper airway patency.
Networks, resources, political strategy and climate policy

This analysis is designed to show how policy network theory can be used to gain insights into the politics of climate change and climate policy. A version of policy network theory is set out based on the idea that policy networks are created and sustained by interdependencies among political actors. This theory identifies the main types of resources that are exchanged, and the main kinds of political actors that are likely to engage in resource exchange in the field of climate policy. Policy network theory is then used to unpack the main strategic options that are available to governments. The analysis concludes by listing 10 specific implications for governments that want to take more effective action against climate change while avoiding significant political damage.
Stock Price Reactions to Announcements of Related Party Transactions

reactions in response to investment announcements made by firms listedon the Indonesian Stock Exchange (JSX) depend on 1) the nature of relationbetween transacting parties (Related Party Transaction (RPT) or Non-Related Party Transaction (Non-RPT)); and 2) the type of firms (part ofgroup affiliation or not). This study constitutes an event study, i.e., toexamine cumulative abnormal returns (CAR) surrounding the date ofinvestment announcements. The study finds that the stock price reaction(as measured by CAR) for RPT is lower than that for Non-RPT. Therefore,the market perceives that RPT is subject to wealth expropriation bycontrolling shareholders to minority shareholders, and that this perceptionis eventually reflected in the relatively lower market reaction. Further, thestudy finds (albeit weak) that the stock market reaction for firms in groupaffiliations is lower than for those in non-group affiliations. Under thecondition of inadequate supervision and ineffective law enforcement, firmsin group affiliations can easily conduct expropriation without beingconcerned about being detected by the regulator.Keywords: Group Affiliation, Investment Decision, Minority Shareholders,Related Party Transaction, Wealth expropriation
Phytotherapeutic Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Role of Aerial Parts of Wood Betony (Stachys lavandulifolia)

Pharmacological treatments of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have side effects. We compared the efficacy and safety of the aerial parts of wood botany (AWB) with those of Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) due to PCOS. We conducted a randomized clinical trial of 66 women aged 15–45 years, with AUB. Participants were randomly assigned to either cyclical 10‐mg BD MPA for three cycles or 5 g ABW TDS for three months. Clinical symptoms and paraclinical parameters were recorded before and 3 months after initiation of the treatment. Comparisons were made using generalized linear models. Age‐adjusted prevalence rate of different patterns of AUB, decreased from 2.7 (95%CIs: 0.6–48.0) to 1.1 (95%CIs: 0.1–18.3) for patients taking MPA, and from 2.5 (95% CIs: 0.2–40.2) to 0.7 (95%CIs: 0.0–12.1). Decrease in prevalence rate was similar across two arms of the study (P value = 0.248). Adverse effects were observed less frequently (24.2%) among participants on MPA than among those on AWB (45.5%). The multivariate‐adjusted odds for developing adverse reaction of MPA was 0.40 (95%CIs: 0.14–1.19, P value = 0.099) time odds of AWB. In conclusion, AWB may be used as an alternative for MPA in the treatment of AUB caused by PCOS. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mycosis fungoides in Patients under 20 Years of Age: Report of 7 Cases, Review of the Literature and Study of the Clinical Course

Background: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is rare in young patients. Its clinical behavior is still uncertain, as some reports have suggested that it has a more aggressive course than does the adult-onset type. Aim: To ascertain if early-onset MF represents a heterogeneous group of cutaneous T cell lymphomas. Materials and Methods: Clinical, immunohistopathological and follow-up data of early-onset (<20 years of age) MF cases reported in the literature (n = 42) plus 7 described herein were compared with those of a cohort of adult-onset MF patients (n = 252) diagnosed at our institution since 1975. Results: The majority of the 49 early-onset MF patients had patch-plaque stage disease at diagnosis. Ten had hypopigmented lesions. The predominant phenotype was CD3+ CD4+CD7–CD8–. Seven patients had a stage progression, 6 with extracutaneous involvement. Five- and 10-year survival rates were 93 and 74%, respectively. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were found in the disease course between early- and adult-onset MF.
Infrastructure and Canadian Economic Growth 1946-1991

This paper concerns the role of infrastructure in Canadian economic growth in light of the recent literature in the United States on the returns to infrastructure investment, such as Aschauer (1989, 1993), and Munnell (1992). In this literature, the debate centres on the returns to public investment in infrastructure, and its role in the productivity slowdown. David Aschauer finds an elasticity of business sector output and productivity with respect to public core infrastructure investment of about 0.4, double that of private business investment of about 0.2. He argues that these high returns to both public and private investment demonstrate that all types of investment, but especially public investment, tend to be underprovided in the United States, relative to consumption, and that funds need to be moved out of consumption and into investment of all kinds. Most critically, he argues, a lack of infrastructure spending by the public sector has played a key role in explaining the productivity slowdown in the United States. In Canada, the advocacy of infrastructure investment as a lever to economic growth and productivity was key to the Liberal Party of Canada's successful election platform of 1993, and the issue was the subject of an Investment Canada conference in June 1993, the proceedings published in Mintz and Preston (1994). The growth of labour productivity in Canadian goods production slowed from an average 5.29 percent per annum, 19471972, to 1.87 percent, 1973-1991 (the productivity slowdown). The accumulation of goods sector capital per person-hour worked slowed from an average 5.84 percent per annum to 2.63 percent, and of total infrastructure capital accumulation per person-hour worked from 6.09 to 3.05 percent, in the same period. However, the largest slowdown was recorded in public infrastructure capital accumulation per person-hour worked, falling from a growth rate of 5.93 to one of only 1.21 percent per annum, between 1947-1972 and 1973-1991. The growth rate decline per
Contested decisions: Empirical analysis of voting in the European Union Council of Ministers

This article analyses voting records of the European Union's (EU) Council of Ministers. Governments’ voting patterns are assumed to be partly affected by national-level factors and partly by EU-level factors. The results support the view that the political space of the EU is defined by two dimensions: the traditional left-right dimension, and the independence versus integration dimension. In general, left-wing governments tend to vote less against the Council majority than their right-wing counterparts. However, if the government is a strong supporter of increased integration, its position on the left-right dimension does not matter much. All other things being equal, pro-integration governments are least likely to raise their voice against the Council majority. However, considerable differences are found among eurosceptic parties. Of these, right-wing governments are the most active ‘no’ voters. In addition, large countries are more likely to vote ‘no’ than small countries. When they hold the presidency, governments take the role of arbitrator and vote less against the majority in the Council than otherwise.
Gaining residents' support for tourism and planning

This research analyses residents' perceptions of the effects of tourism. Economic, cultural and environmental effects are identified as determinants of residents' attitudes towards tourism development and planning. Authors speculate that there are different patterns of resident's support depending on their differential benefits obtained from tourism. A conceptual model is developed and empirically tested in Santiponce, a small community in southern Spain. Our results support our basic hypothesis: resident's level of personal benefits obtained from tourism influence their perceptions regarding tourism impacts, and in consequence, their support for tourism development and for tourism planning. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When Do Listed Firms Pay for Market Making in Their Own Stock?

type="main"> A recent innovation in the equity markets is the introduction of market maker services procured by the listed companies themselves. Using data from the Oslo Stock Exchange, we investigate what motivates issuing firms to pay to improve the secondary market liquidity of their listed shares. By examining the timing of market maker hirings relative to corporate events, we show that hirings are more likely when the firm will interact with the capital markets in the near future. Futhermore, a typical firm employing a designated market maker is more likely to raise capital, repurchase shares, or experience an exit by insiders.
Search and discovery by repeatedly successful entrepreneurs

This article examines the use of a model of search by entrepreneurs; for decades they have been advised to remain alert but now, new approaches are more open to effectuation and creation. However, so far none provides guidance regarding how to improve search effectiveness. We report upon a phenomenological investigation of Fiet’s model of constrained, systematic search which offers a prescriptive alternative. In order to test the latter’s effectiveness, 10 participants who started 47 ventures were interviewed. The article presents evidence of its use by these repeatedly successful entrepreneurs, finds support for the model and discusses its limitations and contributions.
Consumer evaluation perspectives of service quality: evaluation factors and two-way model of quality

A two-part investigation of service quality is made to explore perspectives by which consumers evaluate the quality of services. First, attributes constituting quality are determined for several representative mass-market services, and a survey is made of consumer expectations for quality improvement. Using factor analysis, consumer evaluation factors for services are derived and examined across service categories. Next, an investigation is made of the applicability of a two-way model of quality for the same service quality attributes. Using the results of a second survey, the attributes are categorized according to their level of fulfillment and the resultant consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Implications for quality planning and assurance activities are also discussed.
Multiple Checkpoints for the Expression of the Chloroplast-Encoded Splicing Factor MatK1[C][W]

Expression of a chloroplast-encoded splicing factor is regulated on the level of mRNA stability and translation, including a possible autoregulatory loop. The chloroplast genome of land plants contains only a single gene for a splicing factor, Maturase K (MatK). To better understand the regulation of matK gene expression, we quantitatively investigated the expression of matK across tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) development at the transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and protein levels. We observed striking discrepancies of MatK protein and matK messenger RNA levels in young tissue, suggestive of translational regulation or altered protein stability. We furthermore found increased matK messenger RNA stability in mature tissue, while other chloroplast RNAs tested showed little changes. Finally, we quantitatively measured MatK-intron interactions and found selective changes in the interaction of MatK with specific introns during plant development. This is evidence for a direct role of MatK in the regulation of chloroplast gene expression via splicing. We furthermore modeled a simplified matK gene expression network mathematically. The model reflects our experimental data and suggests future experimental perturbations to pinpoint regulatory checkpoints.
Variations in the management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with COPD. AECOPD are the leading cause of hospital admissions in Canada. Although multiple guidelines have been developed for the acute and chronic management of COPD, there are few quality assurance studies investigating adherence to these guidelines. METHODS A retrospective chart review of all patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital in 2009 for an AECOPD was performed. Using a standardized data abstraction tool, adherence to current guidelines across different physician groups and patient outcomes were assessed. Particular focus was centred on differences in management across physician groups. RESULTS Overall, 293 patients were evaluated. Of these, 82.6% were treated with one or more chronic COPD medication(s) in the community, with only 17.7% of patients treated with a long-acting inhaled anticholinergic medication. For treatment of AECOPD, 58% of patients received corticosteroids and 84% received antibiotics. Compared with general medicine and the hospitalist service, the respiratory medicine service demonstrated significantly better adherence with current treatment guidelines; however, even this was less than optimal. In addition, there was poor follow-up of patients cared for outside of the respiratory service. CONCLUSIONS The present study identified significant care gaps in the treatment of patients admitted with AECOPD and on their discharge.
A Low-Profile Wideband Planar Antenna

A wideband planar antenna with a low profile of 0. 095λ0, where λ0 is the wavelength referring to the center frequency of the operating band, is proposed. Using the concept of complementary antenna, two shorted quarter-wave microstrip patch antennas, operating as magnetic dipoles, and two planar electric dipoles are connected together and excited simultaneously by a coaxial-to-microstrip impedance transformer. For further size reduction and back radiation suppression, a U-shaped reflector is employed. Experimentally, the proposed antenna exhibited an impedance bandwidth of 51.5% with SWR ≤ 1.5 from 1.96 to 3.32 GHz, a boresight gain of 6.9 ± 1.1 dBi and a unidirectional radiation pattern with low cross-polarization and back radiation levels. Moreover, the dc grounded structure fulfills the requirement for lightning protection in outdoor applications.
Testing for Foreign Direct Investment Gravity Model for Russian Regions

Gravity model of inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is specified to determine the sources of uneven distribution of FDI across Russian regions in recent years. FDI gravity model specification includes several additional variables, namely, agglomeration effect, natural resources abundance, skilled labor abundance, capital city advantages, dummy variable for cultural closeness and common language. Our data set consists of FDI inflows from six source countries (UK, Germany, Finland, Byelorussia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan) into 76 Russian regions in year 2002. FDI inflow is measured with the number of foreign firms of a particular source country in a particular Russian region. Two estimation techniques have been applied. In OLS estimation we exclude all zero observations, thus the dependent variable reflects the magnitude of foreign firm’s presence. All explanatory variables, except natural resources abundance, have an expected influence on the dependent variable. ML estimation of binary choice models included also all zero observations. Thus the 1/0-valued dependent variable reflects the willingness of foreign direct investors to invest into a particular Russian region. Results imply that only the factors of the crude form of gravity model, namely, gross products of host regions and source countries and distance between them, and agglomeration effect are important for FDI entrant probability in different regions.