Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visualization of bionanostructures using transmission electron microscopical techniques

In the recent years, nanotechnology has rapidly evolved as promising toolbox for many applications, including sensing and drug delivery. Nanotechnology aims at forming man‐designed two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional structures in the nanometer scale using e.g., the self‐assembly properties of smaller building blocks such as DNA and RNA. The visualization and structural characterization of these nanostructures do not only provide evidence for the correct formation of the desired shapes, but can also contribute to a better understanding of their formation and functionality. Transmission electron microscopy offers the possibility to directly visualize the individual nanostructures. The vitrification of the sample by using the plunge‐freezing method and subsequent electron cryomicroscopy (cryo‐EM) provides in‐solution snapshots of the nanostructures under cryogenic conditions and thus preserves the close‐to‐native structure of the particles. Here, we describe the plunge‐freezing and other sample preparation protocols such as negative staining and cryo‐negative staining as well as the various imaging and image processing methods, including electron crystallography, electron tomography, and single‐particle EM. Typical example applications are provided together with a discussion of benefits and shortcomings of these approaches. We also discuss how deviations from an ideal symmetry and structural heterogeneity, in general, can limit the resolution. Finally, we suggest that nanotechnological approaches may not only offer new applications in the field of nanomaterial science and nanomedicine, but may also emerge as tools for structural biology and structure‐related biomedical research. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Variance Decomposition Primer for Accounting Research

This pedagogical note introduces the accounting-based variance decomposition methodology of Vuolteenaho (2002) in a relatively simple format for the edification of accounting scholars and doctoral students who wish to use variance decomposition in their research. In addition to presenting an example that explicates the variance decomposition approach, we provide well-documented SAS and STATA programs for estimating variance decompositions from cross-sectional time-series data.
Meanings and Consumption Characteristics of Places at a Tourism Destination

A tourism destination can be viewed as an amalgamation of places generating experiences. From a cultural perspective, places serve as storehouses of meanings that capture value in use and frame expectations for experiences. This article explores how community residents define a broad range of places shared with tourists at an alpine destination. The 19 places under investigation included attractions, dining and lodging establishments, retail offerings, transportation settings, and support services. The places were monitored in terms of their normative meanings using hedonic, utilitarian, novelty, and social variables. In addition, three consumption characteristics provided information on the nature of the experiences at the places. Conclusions are drawn as to the nature of each place and the array of experiences provided by the destination.
Importance of geometry and breakdown field on the piezoelectric d33 coefficient of corona charged ferroelectret sandwiches

Electrical and mechanical properties of corona poled three layer FEP/ePTFE/FEP sandwiches were studied theoretically and experimentally. Modeling of the properties has been performed, as well as their experimental verification. The piezoelectric d33 coefficient has been studied with the objective of its possible optimization. It has been shown that the maximum value of the d33 piezocoefficient depends on interrelation between solid and porous layers thicknesses, the intrinsic Young modulus of the porous layer and dependence of the breakdown field on the thickness of the porous layer. The best geometry of the sample can be designed considering the obtained results.
Why Do Educational Administrators and Other Stakeholders Fail to Recognize and Learn From Failure? What Lessons Can We Learn From Theories of Irrational Behavior?

Author(s): Mukerjee, Diane Elizabeth-Wirt | Advisor(s): Gifford, Bernard R. | Abstract: This study investigates the persistence of the academic achievement gap through national and state testing data. It considers this gap by discussing studies of compensatory education programs and mandates. The inconclusive findings regarding identifying effective programs led to an exploration of decision making theories and persistence to maintain ineffective programs. This information guided the purpose of this study: to explore why decision makers continue an "irrational" course of action. Through application of the decision making theories of Escalation, Sunk-cost and Prospect, this study explored the rationale of decision makers at two California schools, with ineffective programs, via interviews and scenarios. This study concludes with discussion of the applicability of the decision making theories in education, potential application, and future research.
Relative Wages and Trade Unions in the United Kingdom

British economists in the last decade or so have concentrated their efforts on the part played by unions in wage inflation. This paper is addressed to a somewhat different question: by how much have trade unions in Britain raised the pay of unionized manual workers relative to the pay of non-unionized manual workers? The derived estimates pertain not to a single occupation or industry, but are an economy-wide average and so, no doubt, conceal some important differences within particular sectors. Nevertheless an examination of the British experience affords a valuable opportunity to consider whether the institutional setting of collective bargaining acts as a neutral factor in determining the influence of unions on relative wages. Many observers have drawn attention to the existence in the high employment postwar British economy of two systems of industrial relations; in its Report, the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations (1968) presents a cogent, if rather strong, summary description of the characterization of the two systems. On the one hand, there are those industries where average hourly earnings (net of overtime pay) do not differ substantially from the wage rates negotiated between representatives of the employers and of the unions at the industry level. On the other hand, there are those industries (the large engineering sector being the standard example) in which actual hourly earnings are considerably in excess of the industry-wide wage rate agreements and it is in these industries that, as far as the pay of manual workers is concerned, bargaining at the plant or firm level takes on paramount importance. These differences in the industrial relations systems may imply corresponding differences in the opportunities available to unions to secure an hourly earnings differential for their members vis-a-vis non-union workers. To investigate this possibility, a framework for measuring the relative wage effect of trade unions is presented in Section I. There follows a brief description of the British industrial relations systems. Section III contains estimates of the effect of unions on relative wages using industry crosssection data. A summary of these results is offered in the concluding section.
E-commerce in Least Developing Countries: Summary Evidence and Implications

ABSTRACT We undertook a review and classification of research on electronic commerce (e-commerce) in developing countries. We analyzed 181 articles published in a broad range of journals covering e-commerce, global information technology, and development issues. The analysis provides a roadmap that not only indicates the current state of e-commerce for development research but also identifies gaps and priorities for future research. This will be of significant value to both academics and practitioners who are working on, or plan to work on, e-commerce in developing countries.
Induction of resistance of corn plants to Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by application of silicon and gibberellic acid

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of silicon application and administration of the phytohormone gibberellic acid on resistance of the corn plants to the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, and their vegetative characteristics. We evaluated larval and pupal duration, survival and biomass, and adult longevity, malformation and fecundity of S. frugiperda after feeding on plant matter treated with silicon and/or gibberellic acid. The feeding preference of FAW first-instar larvae, the total leaf area consumed by the insects, and the vegetative parameters of corn plants were also evaluated. No significant differences were observed in the measured parameters of larval and pupal stages of S. frugiperda in response to silicon or gibberellic acid. In adult stage insects, the number of eggs per female was significantly reduced in insects derived from larvae fed plants treated with silicon or gibberellic acid. In a non-preference test, 48 h after release, caterpillars preferred control untreated plants and consumed less matter from plants that had received hormonal treatment (gibberellic acid). Gibberellic acid also altered the vegetative characteristics of plants, by increasing their height, shoot fresh and dry mass, and silicon content. We conclude that gibberellic acid can alter the vegetative characteristics and silicon uptake of corn plants, leading to a reduction in their consumption by S. frugiperda larvae and a decrease in female insect oviposition.
Guarding the Guardians: Partisanship, Corruption and Delegation in Victorian Britain 1

Why were elections in 19th-century Britain so corrupt? Others have highlighted the ease of vote buying prior to the introduction of the secret ballot, the small electorate in each constituency, and the corruptibility of poor voters. We suggest that elections were corrupt in part because electoral corruption statutes were enforced by tribunals of sitting MPs who, as partisan politicians, were unsuited to the task. Using a newlycollected dataset of rulings issued by these tribunals in the period 1840-1868, we nd that the outcome of approximately one-quarter of cases depended on the partisan bias of the tribunal assigned to it. We explain how partisan enforcement may have encouraged electoral corruption and provide suggestive evidence that the judges who heard corruption trials after an 1868 reform were more eective at deterring corruption. While other
Ecological change predicts population dynamics and genetic diversity over 120 000 years

While ecological effects on short‐term population dynamics are well understood, their effects over millennia are difficult to demonstrate and convincing evidence is scant. Using coalescent methods, we analysed past population dynamics of three lizard species (Psammodromus hispanicus, P. edwardsianus, P. occidentalis) and linked the results with climate change data covering the same temporal horizon (120 000 years). An increase in population size over time was observed in two species, and in P. occidentalis, no change was observed. Temporal changes in temperature seasonality and the maximum temperature of the warmest month were congruent with changes in population dynamics observed for the three species and both variables affected population density, either directly or indirectly (via a life‐history trait). These results constitute the first solid link between ecological change and long‐term population dynamics. The results moreover suggest that ecological change leaves genetic signatures that can be retrospectively traced, providing evidence that ecological change is a crucial driver of genetic diversity and speciation.
Mutual Fund Misclassification: Evidence Based on Style Analysis

An iterative application of William Sharpe's method of style analysis is applied to the classification of equity mutual funds. A new methodology for creating purified mutual fund style indexes is used to verify existing classifications. Results suggest that 9 percent of all equity funds are seriously misclassified and another 31 percent are somewhat misclassified. Two factors emerge as the most likely reasons for misclassification: (1) the ambiguity of the current classification system and (2) competitive pressures in the mutual fund industry and compensation structures that reward relative performance. Monte Carlo simulations on out-of-sample data show that this misclassification has a significant effect on investors' ability to build diversified portfolios of mutual funds.
An Effective Way of Teaching Early Childhood Education On-line

n-line courses can be an effective way of providing educational opportunities for preservice teachers who are unableto attend the required courses at a set time. Distance learning, specifically in its on-line form, has become an increasingly important part of college and university programs across the United States. Institutions are expending resources to enhance their digital links and offer convenience to those students who find a nontra-ditional approach to education a better fit with their cramped schedule. Given the advancements in computer technology and the widespread use of the Internet
Patrimonialism and neopatrimonialism: comparative trajectories and readings

There is a striking contrast between the dissemination of the concept of neopatrimonial rule in Africa and its more parsimonious mobilisation outside the continent. The increasing assimilation of the African neopatrimonial state to integral and predatory forms of politics has contributed to its perception as a global prototype of the ‘anti-developmental’ state. The article contrasts this trajectory with those observed in Latin America, South East Asia, Russia and Central Asia. There, patrimonialism and neopatrimonialism have been associated with a greater axiological neutrality than in Africa due, inter alia, to the preservation of an analytical dichotomy between regulated and predatory forms of neopatrimonialism. Neglected for all too long, the study of regulated forms of neopatrimonialism in Africa calls for fresh empirical and theoretical attention.
The role of wildlife in emotional attachment to a nature-based tourism destination

Place attachment to protected areas has been associated with pro-environmental behaviour and visitor loyalty. It is therefore worth gaining insight into the factors that play a role in explaining attachment to nature-based tourism destinations. Various studies indirectly suggest that wildlife experiences play a role in visitor attachment to protected areas. Our paper explores the relationship between wildlife and overnight visitors' emotional attachment to a nature-based tourism destination in the Netherlands, the Lauwersmeer area. Our results demonstrate that motives centring on seeing wildlife, the perceived intensity of wildlife experiences, and an interest in guided wildlife encounters significantly explain emotional attachment to the Lauwersmeer area. However, since the majority of our respondents visit the Lauwersmeer area to see wildlife, it is likely that their pre-disposed emotions towards wildlife steer the relationship between wildlife experiences and emotional attachment. Facilitating and improving (guided) wildlife experiences may therefore be reinforcing, rather than increasing, emotional attachment to the Lauwersmeer area.
Regional Asymmetries in the Impact of Monetary Policy Shocks on Prices: Evidence from US Cities

Variations in real exchange rates across US cities are smaller than corresponding international variations, but nevertheless substantial. We find that a proportion of these variations can be explained by asymmetric responses to federal monetary policy shocks, and that a large part of the asymmetry can be explained by city-specific economic characteristics including the composition of local industry, bank size, house prices and the age distribution of the population.
Terms of Trade Shocks and Economic Recovery

This paper identifies factors that contribute to a fast recovery in growth after persistent negative terms of trade shocks, using a sample of 159 countries for 1970-2006. The results suggest that policies matter. Fast recoveries are fairly robustly related to real exchange rate depreciation and improvements in government stability and the institutional environment. A timely increase in aid may also support recovery.
Feminization of Agriculture in China? Myths Surrounding Women's Participation in Farming

Abstract The goals of this article are to help build a clear picture of the role of women in China's agriculture, to assess whether or not agricultural feminization has been occurring, and if so, to measure its impact on labour use, productivity and welfare. The article uses two high quality data sets to explore who is working on China's farms and the effects of the labour allocation decisions of rural households on labour use, productivity and welfare. It makes three main contributions. First, we establish a conceptual framework within which to define the different dimensions of agricultural feminization and its expected consequences. Second, as a contribution to the China literature and contrary to popular perceptions, we believe we have mostly debunked the myth that China's agriculture is becoming feminized; it is not. We also find that even if women were taking over farms, the consequences in China would be mostly positive – from a labour supply, productivity and income point of view. Finally, there may be some lessons for the rest of the world on what policies and institutions help make women productive when they work on and manage a nation's agricultural sector. Policies that ensure equal access to land, regulations that dictate open access to credit, and economic development strategies that encourage competitive and efficient markets all contribute to an environment in which women farmers can succeed.
Does Debts Foster Economic Growth?: The Experience of Malaysia

The study examines the effect of different types of debts on the economic growth in Malaysia during the sample period 1970 - 2006. Using cointegration test, the findings suggest that all components of debts have a negative effect on long-run economic growth. In addition, the Granger causality test reveals the existence of a short-run causality linkage between all debt measures and economic growth in the shortrun. The policy conclusion is that an increase in foreign debt level adversely influences economic performance, whereas the decline in the rate of economic growth weakens the ability of the country to service its debt.
Relative Importance of Success in Sport and School Work

Cross-domain studies of achievement-related cognitions have been gaining attention in the United States. This study provides comparative data from a United kingdom upper school. 390 subjects age 13 (n=218) or 15 (n= 172) years raced the importance of success in sport and schoolwork. Academic success was more important than sport success, and sport success was more important to boys (n=203) than girls (n=187). Academic success was less important to older subjects, and sport success was less important to older girls. Predictions, from importance and perceived ability, of free time spent in each domain were stronger for sport than for schoolwork indicating that the model held becter for voluntary activity.
Restructuring of agrarian labour relations after Fast Track Land Reform in Zimbabwe

The fast track land redistribution programme generated new agrarian labour relations altering the tying of labour on the large farms to tenancy, supplemented by casual labour from the communal areas. Job losses and displacement occurred, but this is not the whole story as new and diverse sources of rural employment have emerged, including high levels of self-employment on small farms (A1) supplemented by casual employment. Large farms dependent on wage labour experience labour shortages despite the mechanisation drive. However, communal areas and A1 farmers continue to provide labour to large farms, although labour supplies are negotiated on new terms.
Vitamin D status and the risk of pancreatic cancer: a meta‐analysis

Background Vitamin D status in relation to pancreatic cancer risks is still inconsistent. This study was performed to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and risk of pancreatic cancer using a meta‐analysis approach. Methods A systemic review of all relevant literature in English was performed by searching Pubmed, Web of Science and Embase to identify eligible studies from the earliest available date to April 1, 2012. The search terms “vitamin D”, “25‐hydroxyvitamin D”, “pancreatic cancer” or “pancreatic neoplasms” were used to retrieve relevant papers. Inclusion criteria were: (1) the exposure of interest was intake of vitamin D or blood levels of vitamin D; (2) the outcome of interest was pancreatic cancer; (3) data on high and low intake or blood vitamin D in cases and controls were available; (4) odds ratio (OR) estimates with 95% confidence interval (CI) were provided; (5) primary epidemiological data were provided reporting pancreatic cancer incidence. The combined OR values and their 95% CIs were calculated via a meta‐analysis. The potential presence of publication bias was estimated using Egger's regression asymmetry test. Results Nine studies with a total of 1 206 011 participants met the inclusion criteria. The test for heterogeneity showed there were significant differences among the included studies (2=70.9%, P=0.001), so a randomized‐effects model was used in the meta‐analysis. The pooled OR of pancreatic cancer for the highest versus the lowest categories of vitamin D level was 1.14 (95% CI 0.896‐1.451), and the Z‐score for the overall effect was 1.06 (P=0.288), showing that there was no significant association between vitamin D levels and the risk of pancreatic cancer. Egger's test indicated there was a low possibility of publication bias in this study (P=0.348). Conclusion Dietary vitamin D or circulating concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D are not associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer based on evidence from currently published studies.
Green consumer behaviour: an experimental analysis of willingness to pay for remanufactured products

Products' end-of-life management has recently become a critical business issue. One of the possible end-of-life strategies is remanufacturing, which can provide competitive advantages through material and energy savings. Beyond industrial organization challenges, there is a question about the interest of developing a green marketing strategy for remanufactured products. Indeed, remanufactured products can be considered as green products since their industrial process has environmental benefits. Our paper asks whether consumers are willing to pay for remanufactured products, especially when they are informed that these products are ‘green’. We use experimental auctions to elicit consumers' WTP for specific characteristics of remanufactured products. Our study indicates that consumers tend to value the remanufactured product less than the conventional one unless they are informed about their respective environmental impacts. We find no evidence that consumers are willing to pay a premium for the green (i.e. remanufactured) product. However, providing environmental information to consumers has an effect on their WTP for the conventional product: they generally decrease significantly their WTP for the conventional (and thus most polluting) product. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.