Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language and education in Latin America : an overview

This paper provides an overview of bilingual education in several Latin American countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. Bilingual education is defined in this paper as instruction to minority groups through the use of their mother language and, progressively, and mainstream language, such as Spanish or Portuguese. Studies have shown that the combination of providing education to minority groups in their own language and using teachers from the same group is highly effective. A bilingual program also increases learning when the group's history and perspective are included in the school curriculum. Other investigations show that bilingual education can have contradictory effects in the education process, depending on the child's language and socioeconomic status. Immersion programs -- such as the highly successful French Canadian immersion program -- are positive for middle-class students whose maternal language is prestigious; conversely, the immersion model is negative for lower-class students who speak a language of lower prestige. Bilingual education appears to offer a solution to the problem of repetition, dropout and low educational attainment among indigenous children.
Microfinance and poverty alleviation : case studies from Asia and the Pacific

Part 1 Microfinance - from theory to practice: financing a revolution - an overview of the microfinance challenge in Asia-Pacific South East Asia rural social leadership institute, Philippines is there a "state-of-the-art"? Part 2 Microfinance in South Asia: Bangladesh - the pioneering country microfinance in India - adjusting to economic liberalization microfinance in Nepal - coping with dispersed markets microfinance in Sri Lanka - the importance of adapting to local conditions. Part 3 Microfinance in East Asia and the Pacific islands: microfinance in Malaysia -aiming at success microfinance in the Philippines - battling the system microfinance in the Pacific islands - adjusting to aid dependence and the Dutch disease. Part 4 Learning from experience: microfinance for and by the poor - lessons from experience.
THE STOCHASTIC VOLATILITY MODEL OF BARNDORFF‐NIELSEN AND SHEPHARD IN COMMODITY MARKETS

We consider the non‐Gaussian stochastic volatility model of Barndorff‐Nielsen and Shephard for the exponential mean‐reversion model of Schwartz proposed for commodity spot prices. We analyze the properties of the stochastic dynamics, and show in particular that the log‐spot prices possess a stationary distribution defined as a normal variance‐mixture model. Furthermore, the stochastic volatility model allows for explicit forward prices, which may produce a hump structure inherited from the mean‐reversion of the stochastic volatility. Although the spot price dynamics has continuous paths, the forward prices will have a jump dynamics, where jumps occur according to changes in the volatility process. We compare with the popular Heston stochastic volatility dynamics, and show that the Barndorff‐Nielsen and Shephard model provides a more flexible framework in describing commodity spot prices. An empirical example on UK spot data is included.
The Impacts of Living Wage Policies: Introduction to the Special Issue

Since 1994, living wage laws have been passed and implemented in over 100 cities or other local governmental entities in the United States. 1 The typical local living wage law imposes a relatively high mandated wage standard—currently averaging more than $9 an hour—upon a relatively small number of employers—usually those working on service contracts with the city and (in about a fourth of the cities) those receiving financial assistance from the city. Major cities in the United States that have living wage laws include Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Oakland, Portland, Rochester, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Louis and Tucson. In all, the cities that have passed living wage laws comprise about two-fifths of the population of large U.S. cities. Campaigns for local or statewide living wage laws are also in varying stages of development in nearly 100 localities and in a dozen or more states. These community-based developments are often cited as the most striking progressive achievement in labor and employment policy in the past 25 years—a period of declining real wages for the bottom two-fifths of the earnings distribution. The successful attempts to set living wage standards contrast with attempts to increase the national minimum wage, the real level of which eroded in the 1980s and recovered only partly in the late 1990s. The term “living wage,” which is much more evocative than the term “minimum wage,” now appears commonly in public discourse. Living wage campaigns gained momentum throughout the 1990s, supported by improvements
Non-surgical periodontal therapy with adjunctive chlorhexidine use in adults with down syndrome: a prospective case series.

BACKGROUND Subjects with Down syndrome (DS) experience a high prevalence of periodontal disease, and the management of this disease in subjects with DS is a challenge for oral health care providers. The purpose of this case series was to follow the periodontal healing response changes over a 12-month period after non-surgical mechanical periodontal therapy with the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine and monthly recalls in adults with DS who presented initially with chronic periodontitis. METHODS Twenty-one subjects with DS (14 males and seven females; 25.3 +/- 5.5 years of age) with reported mild-to-moderate learning disabilities and chronic periodontitis were recruited and treated by non-surgical mechanical periodontal therapy (followed by monthly recalls) and the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine gel for toothbrushing and chlorhexidine mouthwash twice daily. Clinical data were recorded. RESULTS After 12 months of non-surgical mechanical periodontal therapy, the mean percentage of sites with plaque decreased from 84.1% to 23.6%, and the mean number of sites with bleeding on probing decreased from 82.1% to 29.5%. Mean probing depth decreased from 3.2 to 1.8 mm, with a mean clinical attachment level gain of 0.6 mm. CONCLUSIONS Satisfactory healing responses were achieved following non-surgical mechanical periodontal therapy with the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine and monthly recalls in adults with DS with chronic periodontitis and mild-to-moderate learning disabilities. Such a treatment regimen seems appropriate and beneficial for adults with DS and chronic periodontitis.
Explaining Trade and FDI Relationships in a Gravitational Model

In recent decades, the world economy has undergone major changes, particularly with regard to trade and foreign direct investment. In view of this evolution, we need to review some basic assumptions of international economics. According to models based on the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson seminal contribution, trade and foreign direct investment are taken as substitutes. Nevertheless this is not consensual. The purpose of this paper is thus to examine the links between trade and foreign direct investment through a gravitational model in the context of the present-day world economy. In the model, the explanatory variables of trade are the physical distances between countries, as proxy to transaction costs, their incomes, dummies for each country and standardized indicators of foreign investment attractiveness. The parameters to be estimated are the distance attrition, the coefficients associated with the foreign investment, and the dummies' coefficients, which can be seen as extra costs or benefits attributable to each country that are not explicit in the physical distance. Taking into account our findings, which favor the argument of substitutability, we draw some conclusions about the relationship between trade and foreign direct investment, with the aim of contributing to the ongoing theoretical debate.JEL Classification: F13, R10
Product innovation in small manufacturers, market orientation and the industry's five competitive forces

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study whether the effectiveness of innovation in improving a firm's performance varies in different competitive situations and to analyze whether the competitive forces act as a motivator or as an inhibitor.Design/methodology/approach – The paper formulates some hypotheses from the literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling with data collected from 218 manufacturers.Findings – The findings show that small firms must invest in innovation preferably when competitive forces are more intense. Moreover it is found the positive role that market orientation plays in promoting innovation and performance, no matter the level of the competitive forces.Research limitations/implications – A decision had to be taken on the range of concepts and the domain used for measuring each concept. For future research the paper suggests considering different types of innovations (e.g. incremental vs radical) to get a more precise explanation of the.
MARKETING STRATEGIES: GAINING A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH THE USE OF EMOTION

Top marketing executives and middle managers understanding and utilizing emotions when attempting to gain a competitive advantage through developing various marketing strategies may find this to be of added value when reaching their customers. To enhance the marketing executive's arsenal of weapons when waging competitive battles, this article will review some appropriate theories of emotions and then attempt to develop various advertising, merchandising and selling strategies based on these propositions. This article demonstrates ways in which marketing managers may match various marketing strategies with the various emotional states of typical customers. Also, to counter customer defense mechanisms, battlefield tactics are presented when engaging in a competitive war.
Oral sucrose and a pacifier for pain relief during simple procedures in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial

Background and Objectives: Previous randomized trials of the analgesic effects of sucrose, glucose, and a pacifier in term neonates have shown that the pacifier resulted in lower pain scores than glucose or sucrose, but the pacifier with and without sucrose did not differ. The current study was designed to assess the analgesic effect of pharmacologic (sucrose, water) and a non-pharmacologic measures (pacifier) in preterm infants and to find whether there is any synergism between these intervention in relieving pain during painful procedures. Patients and Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, controlled study, 36 preterm infants (mean 31 weeks gestational age, range 27 to 36 weeks) were randomly allocated to six different regimens (0.5 mL sterile water with pacifier, 0.5 mL sterile water without pacifier, 0.5 mL sucrose 24% with pacifier, 0.5 mL sucrose 24% without pacifier, pacifier alone and control group) during a stay in intensive care of up to 15 days. Pain scores were measured with the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP), a validated behavioral acute pain scale. Results: Of all the regimens, the lowest pain scores occurred with the use of 24% sucrose solution combined with pacifier. The mean pain score for the combination of sucrose with pacifier was 0.7 as compared to 1.4 for the sterile water with pacifier group (P< .05). Conclusion: The synergistic effect of the combination of sucrose and non-nutritive sucking was clinically effective and safe in relieving the pain of simple procedures such as venipuncture or heel stick in preterm and term infants, but further research is needed on these interventions alone and in combination with other behav--ioral interventions in neonates.
Homeownership as a Sign of Immigrants’ Consumer Acculturation: The Role of Region of Origin

ABSTRACT One of the limitations highlighted by the consumer acculturation literature is the lack of empirical research to identify better constructs or indicators of consumer acculturation. In this article, the use of homeownership by immigrants in the host society is proposed as an indicator of advanced consumer acculturation. The decision to own a home by a minority group, such as immigrants, represents a key landmark in the process of adaptation to the new culture and a commitment with the host country's values and culture. The empirical case used is the immigrant population of Spain. The sharp rise in its foreign-born population during the last decade and the significantly higher homeownership rates of natives in comparison with other countries makes the Spanish scenario a relevant case study. The results obtained show homeownership is linked to features associated with highly acculturated consumers. Moreover, the analysis conducted reveals important differences in the way immigrants from different origins advance in their consumer acculturation processes and suggest distinct approaches when marketing to these groups.
Will the strategic fit between business and HRM strategy influence HRM effectiveness and organizational performance

Purpose - The purpose of this research is to examine how the fit between the strategy of business and HRM would affect HRM effectiveness and organizational performance. The paper aimed to find whether a better fit between firm's strategy and HRM strategy would strengthen HRM effectiveness and organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach - The literature was reviewed from both the theoretical and empirical perspectives. Four hypotheses were formulated. Top 1,000 manufacturing companies in Taiwan were sampled, yielding valid questionnaire data and objective performance indexes from 181 firms. Multiple regressions and LISREL was employed to test the four hypotheses empirically. Findings - The main findings were: the strategy fit between a firm's business and HRM strategy has a positive and direct impact on HRM effectiveness and labor productivity after analyzing by hierarchical multiple regression. HRM effectiveness could directly increase labor productivity while strategy fit strengthened the relationship between HRM effectiveness and labor productivity. Practical implications - This study found that the alignment between the business and HRM strategy was the key factor of success for organizations. When the HRM strategy and business strategy were aligned, the effectiveness of HR practices and organizational performance were better than “that of not aligned” by contingency perspective. This study also estimated the practical significance through calculating the impact of HRM effectiveness and strategy fit on labor productivity by each standard deviation increase, respectively. Originality/value - This study confirmed that a firm's competitive advantage can be enhanced by HRM practices and strategy fit. Strategy fit could also moderate the relationship between HRM effectiveness and labor productivity.
Estimating the Natural Rate of Unemployment and Testing the Natural Rate Hypothesis

How should one measure the natural rate of unemployment? This paper proposes a systems procedure as an alternative to NAIRU. The natural rate is treated as an unobserved state variable in a system that includes measurement equations for the unemployment rate, the rate of wage growth and the rate of inflation. The model is derived from a version of the wage bargaining model of Blanchard and embodies a version of the natural rate hypothesis. The model is estimated by embedding the Kalman filter within the full-information maximum likelihood procedure. For US data, the estimated model implies substantial post-war variation in the natural rate and a negative, but weak, effect of inflation surprises on unemployment.
Should children with special health care needs have separate preventive care visits?

THE COMMONWEALTH FUND ONE EAST 75TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10021-2692 TEL 212.606. 3800 FAX 212.606. 3500 E-MAIL info@cmwf.org www.commonwealthfund. org Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) may require intensive health care services and visit their physicians frequently. Because of the time providers spend managing their ongoing and sometimes life-threatening chronic health conditions, many of these children do not receive sufficient routine well-child care.
Einfluss der Naturprozesse, waldbaulicher Massnahmen und Schutzmassnahmen auf die Erhaltung der Eibe im Naturreservat Pavelcovo, Slowakei | The effect of natural processes, silvicultural and protective measures on the conservation of common yew in the Nature Reserve Pavelcovo, Slovakia

The study analysed a 15-years experiment focusing on the effect of silvicultural treatment (increment thinning) and red deer browsing on the structure and regeneration processes of common yew (Taxus baccata L.) on a series of four permanent experimental plots in the Nature Reserve Pavelcovo. The reserve Pavelcovo is an age-differentiated natural forest with a typical two-layer structure. The fragmented upper layer is formed of common beech, silver fir, sycamore, Norway maple, Wych elm, common ash and European larch. The lower layer, which is relatively continuous, is formed primarily of common yew. Concerning forest typology, a major part of the reserve was classified to Fagetum tiliosum. The analysis of the effect of the thinning from above with negative selection confirmed a significant increment of yew crown diameters. Concerning the damage on yews with DBH over 2 cm by red deer browsing, a positive correlation was observed: with the increasing breastheight diameter, the share of yew trees damaged by b.
Characterization of the human cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of dihydrocodeine.

AIMS Using human liver microsomes from donors of the CYP2D6 poor and extensive metabolizer genotypes, the role of individual cytochromes P-450 in the oxidative metabolism of dihydrocodeine was investigated. METHODS The kinetics of formation of N- and O-demethylated metabolites, nordihydrocodeine and dihydromorphine, were determined using microsomes from six extensive and one poor metabolizer and the effects of chemical inhibitors selective for individual P-450 enzymes of the 1A, 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E and 3A families and of LKM1 (anti-CYP2D6) antibodies were studied. RESULTS Nordihydrocodeine was the major metabolite in both poor and extensive metabolizers. Kinetic constants for N-demethylation derived from the single enzyme Michaelis-Menten model did not differ between the two groups. Troleandomycin and erythromycin selectively inhibited N-demethylation in both extensive and poor metabolizers. The CYP3A inducer, alpha-naphthoflavone, increased N-demethylation rates. The kinetics of formation of dihydromorphine in both groups were best described by a single enzyme Michaelis-Menten model although inhibition studies in extensive metabolizers suggested involvement of two enzymes with similar Km values. The kinetic constants for O-demethylation were significantly different in extensive and poor metabolizers. The extensive metabolizers had a mean intrinsic clearance to dihydromorphine more than ten times greater than the poor metabolizer. The CYP2D6 chemical inhibitors, quinidine and quinine, and LKM1 antibodies inhibited O-demethylation in extensive metabolizers; no effect was observed in microsomes from a poor metabolizer. CONCLUSIONS CYP2D6 is the major enzyme mediating O-demethylation of dihydrocodeine to dihydromorphine. In contrast, nordihydrocodeine formation is predominantly catalysed by CYP3A.
Price-level Targeting versus Inflation Targeting in a Forward-looking Model

This paper examines a price-level target in a model with a forward-looking Calvo-Taylor Phillips curve. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it is found that price-level targeting leads to a better trade-off between inflation and output-gap variability than inflation targeting, when the central bank acts under discretion. In some cases, price-level targeting under dircretion results in the same equilibrium as inflation targeting under commitment.
Strategic Dalliances as an Enabler for Discontinuous Innovation in Slow Clockspeed Industries: Evidence from the Oil and Gas Industry

The concept of ‘strategic dalliances’– defined as non-committal relationships that companies can ‘dip in and out of,’ or dally with, while simultaneously maintaining longer-term strategic partnerships with other firms and suppliers – has emerged as a promising strategy by which organizations can create discontinuous innovations. But does this approach work equally well for every sector? Moreover, how can these links be effectively used to foster the process of discontinuous innovation? Toward assessing the role that industry clockspeed plays in the success or failure of strategic dalliances, we provide case study evidence from Twister BV, an upstream oil and gas technology provider, and show that strategic dalliances can be an enabler for the discontinuous innovation process in slow clockspeed industries. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and conclusions from our findings are drawn.
Executive Compensation Structure and Firm Performance in the U.S. Restaurant Industry: An Agency Theory Approach

Executive compensation represents a small fraction of firm value, however, the way in which the dependence of compensation on firm performance is structured can have a significant effect on firm performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between executive compensation structure and firm performance in the U.S. restaurant industry. Using executive compensation data for publicly traded restaurant firms for the period 1999–2010, our results suggest that compensation in the form of bonuses and nonequity affects restaurant firm performance positively. Results also reveal that compensation in the form of salary affects restaurant firm performance negatively. Findings of this study suggest that restaurant firms should use salary with discretion, and use bonuses and deferred pay to increase firm performance.
Hungarian Inflation Dynamics

This paper estimates traditional and New Phillips curves for Hungary over the sample period 1995Q1 to 2004Q1. It presents the first structural Phillips curve estimations for a New EU Member State economy. We find that Hungarian inflation dynamics can be reasonably well described by a standard New Hybrid Phillips curve and by its open economy extension specifying imported goods as intermediate production goods. Our estimation results indicate that Hungarian inflation is significantly more inertial than Euro area inflation. Hungarian inflation inertia appears to be the result of pervasive backward looking price setting behaviour, while prices seem to be reset more frequently than in the Euro area. At the same time, Hungarian inflation dynamics is comparable to that of countries characterized by a relatively high average inflation rate.
An Iterative Dictionary Learning-Based Algorithm for DOA Estimation

This letter proposes a dictionary learning algorithm for solving the grid mismatch problem in direction of arrival (DOA) estimation from both the array sensor data and from the sign of the array sensor data. Discretization of the grid in the sparsity-based DOA estimation algorithms is a problem, which leads to a bias error. To compensate this bias error, a dictionary learning technique is suggested, which is based on minimizing a suitable cost function. We also propose an algorithm for the estimation of DOA from the sign of the measurements. It extends the iterative method with adaptive thresholding algorithm to the 1-b compressed sensing framework. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the dictionary learning-based algorithms in comparison with the counterpart algorithms in DOA estimation both from the sensors' data and from the sign of the sensors' data.