Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The UK's negotiation of its EU budget rebate

This thesis is an investigation of Britain’s negotiations of its EU budget rebate. It attempts to answer the main question of why Britain decided to reduce its rebate in the 2005 financial negotiation for the financial perspective for 2007-2013, instead of defending the rebate. What motivated Britain’s behaviours in the rebate negotiations? Drawing upon European integration theories, particularly Liberal Intergovernmentalism (LI), this thesis challenges LI’s lack of explanation of the role of domestic political parties in shaping the formation of a national preference, member states’ behaviours in inter-state bargaining, and the role of the presidency of the Council in EU institutions. This thesis emphasises the role of domestic political parties in shaping member states’ approach on European integration which affects member states’ behaviours within decision-making. In Britain, the governing parties’ ideologies are not only a lens to evaluate European integration but also bring about intra-party factions and cross-party factions in shaping Britain’s approach. In contrast to LI’s explanation of member states’ behaviours, this thesis adopts the constructivists’ argument of a ‘logic of expected consequentialism’ and a ‘logic of appropriateness’ in order to explain Britain’s behaviours in financial negotiations and argues that the governing party’s attitude is a decisive factor for Britain in choosing its behaviour from the two logics above. In addition, with regard to the debate between rational choice institutionalists and sociological institutionalists on the role of the presidency of the Council in EU decision-making, Britain is able to choose its behaviour in the role of the presidency as decided by the governing party’s approach. When Britain has pro-European approach and its preferences are a central issue in blocking a financial agreement, it may be that the UK presidency’s appropriate behaviour makes extraordinary concessions on their preferences to secure deals that will enhance their reputation as presidency. Since the time of Britain’s initial membership negotiations, this behavioural logic has been evident in the EU’s budgetary decision-making. In the 2005 financial negotiation, the UK presidency’s pro-European approach recognized that its rebate was a central issue in blocking the negotiation. Consequently, after lengthy and difficult negotiations, the UK presidency decided to make a concession about the reduction of the rebate in order to achieve the financial agreement.
Too close for comfort? Distance and engagement in interpretive information systems research

In this paper, we seek to explore the implications of the assumptions underlying interpretivism for the preferred relationship between the researcher and the research phenomenon. The growing interest in interpretive information systems research has drawn attention to the need to gain access to the interpretations of social actors. Various data‐gathering methods are available to the researcher to achieve such access. These may be seen as located on a spectrum in terms of the degree of engagement between the researcher and the research subject. While engagement is not without its drawbacks from a research perspective, it may be argued that it enables good access to the sorts of data that interpretive researchers are seeking. Most of the research reported in the information systems (IS) field, however, has adopted relatively distant methods by which the researcher avoids intervention in the research context. Some of the characteristics of more engaged forms of research are illustrated through a discussion of a participant observation study of executive information systems development. This research has highlighted a number of issues that can be seen to be common to other data‐gathering methods. Reasons for the neglect of engaged data‐gathering methods are explored, and it is suggested that consideration of the issues it raises may contribute to more reflexive interpretive IS research practice.
Parental Divorce during Childhood: Age at First Intercourse, Partnership and Parenthood

It is well established that young people whose parents divorced or experienced marital breakdown during their childhood are likely to enter into first partnerships and into parenthood earlier than those whose parents remained married. In this paper using data from the British National Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles Survey we examine how far the timing of first coitus plays a role in the genesis of this demographic behaviour for children of divorced parents. Other factors including the timing of menarche attitudes to sexual activity degree of parental strictness and religiosity were also examined. In general these factors had little explanatory power. The analysis showed that earlier sexual activity for men and women from disrupted families is an important proximate determinant of their earlier entry into partnership and parenthood compared with those brought up with both natural parents. (EXCERPT)
Roflumilast for the treatment of COPD in an Asian population: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study.

BACKGROUND Roflumilast is the only oral phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor indicated for use in the treatment of COPD. Previous studies of roflumilast have predominantly involved European and North American populations. A large study was necessary to determine the efficacy and safety of roflumilast in a predominantly ethnic Chinese population. METHODS In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, phase 3 study, patients of Chinese, Malay, and Indian ethnicity (N = 626) with severe to very severe COPD were randomized 1:1 to receive either roflumilast 500 μg once daily or placebo for 24 weeks. The primary end point was change in prebronchodilator FEV1 from baseline to study end. RESULTS Three hundred thirteen patients were assigned to each treatment. Roflumilast provided a sustained increase over placebo in mean prebronchodilator FEV1 (0.071 L; 95% CI, 0.046, 0.095 L; P < .0001). Similar improvements were observed in the secondary end points of postbronchodilator FEV1 (0.068 L; 95% CI 0.044, 0.092 L; P < .0001) and prebronchodilator and postbronchodilator FVC (0.109 L; 95% CI, 0.061, 0.157 L; P < .0001 and 0.101 L; 95% CI, 0.055, 0.146 L; P < .0001, respectively). The adverse event profile was consistent with previous roflumilast studies. The most frequently reported treatment-related adverse event was diarrhea (6.0% and 1.0% of patients in the roflumilast and placebo groups, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Roflumilast plays an important role in lung function improvement and is well tolerated in an Asian population. It provides an optimal treatment choice for patients with severe to very severe COPD.
Current and future prospects for the use of pulsed electric field in the meat industry

ABSTRACT Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a novel non-thermal technology that has recently attracted the attention of meat scientists and technologists due to its ability to modify membrane structure and enhance mass transfer. Several studies have confirmed the potential of pulsed electric field for improving meat tenderness in both pre-rigor and post-rigor muscles during aging. However, there is a high degree of variability between studies and the underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood. While some studies have suggested physical disruption as the main cause of PEF induced tenderness, enzymatic nature of the tenderization seems to be the most plausible mechanism. Several studies have suggested the potential of PEF to mediate the tenderization process due to its membrane altering properties causing early release of calcium ions and early activation of the calpain proteases. However, experimental research is yet to confirm this postulation. Recent studies have also reported increased post-mortem proteolysis in PEF treated muscles during aging. PEF has also been reported to accelerate curing, enhance drying and reduce the numbers of both pathogens and spoilage organisms in meat, although that demands intense processing conditions. While tenderization, meat safety and accelerated curing appears to be the areas where PEF could provide attractive options in meat processing, further research is required before the application of PEF becomes a commercial reality in the meat industry. It needs to deal with carcasses which vary biochemically and in composition (muscle, fat, and bones). This review critically evaluates the published reports on the topic with the aim of reaching a clear understanding of the possible applications of PEF in the meat sector in addition to providing some insight on critical issues that need to be addressed for the technology to be a practical option for the meat industry.
Supporting patient adherence to antiretrovirals using mobile phone reminders: Patient responses from South India

Abstract There has been exponential growth in the use of mobile phones in India over the last few years, and their potential benefits as a healthcare tool has raised tremendous interest. We used mobile phone reminders to help support adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV patients at an infectious disease clinic in a tertiary hospital in Bangalore. Between March and June 2010, 139 adult HIV patients taking regular ART for at least a month received weekly reminders to support adherence. These reminders consisted of a weekly interactive call and a non-interactive neutral pictorial short message service (SMS). After four weeks of the intervention, participants were interviewed to study perceptions on preference, usefulness, potential stigma and privacy concerns associated with this intervention. Majority of the participants were urban (89%), and had at least a secondary education (85%). A total of 744 calls were made, 545 (76%) of which were received by the participants. In addition, all participants received the weekly pictorial SMS reminder. A month later, 90% of participants reported the intervention as being helpful as medication reminders, and did not feel their privacy was intruded. Participants (87%) reported that they preferred the call as reminders, just 11% favoured SMS reminders alone. Only 59% of participants viewed all the SMSs that were delivered, while 15% never viewed any at all. Participants also denied any discomfort or stigma despite 20% and 13%, respectively, reporting that another person had inadvertently received their reminder call or SMS. Mobile phone interventions are an acceptable way of supporting adherence in this setting. Voice calls rather than SMSs alone seem to be preferred as reminders. Further research to study the influence of this intervention on adherence and health maintenance is warranted.
Perinuclear Localization of Internalized Outer Membrane Vesicles Carrying Active Cytolethal Distending Toxin from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

ABSTRACT Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is implicated in aggressive forms of periodontitis. Similarly to several other Gram-negative species, this organism produces and excretes a cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), a genotoxin associated with cell distention, G2 cell cycle arrest, and/or apoptosis in many mammalian cell types. In this study, we have identified A. actinomycetemcomitans outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as a vehicle for simultaneous delivery of multiple proteins, including CDT, into human cells. The OMV proteins were internalized in both HeLa cells and human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) via a mechanism of OMV fusion with lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. The active toxin unit, CdtB, was localized inside the nucleus of the intoxicated cells, whereas OmpA and proteins detected using an antibody specific to whole A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype a cells had a perinuclear distribution. In accordance with a tight association of CdtB with OMVs, vesicles isolated from A. actinomycetemcomitans strain D7SS (serotype a), in contrast to OMVs from a D7SS cdtABC mutant, induced a cytolethal distending effect on HeLa and HGF cells, indicating that OMV-associated CDT was biologically active. Association of CDT with OMVs was also observed in A. actinomycetemcomitans isolates belonging to serotypes b and c, indicating that OMV-mediated release of CDT may be conserved in A. actinomycetemcomitans. Although the role of A. actinomycetemcomitans OMVs in periodontal disease has not yet been elucidated, our present data suggest that OMVs could deliver biologically active CDT and additional virulence factors into susceptible cells of the periodontium.
Broadening Humor: Comic Styles Differentially Tap into Temperament, Character, and Ability

The present study introduces eight comic styles (i.e., fun, humor, nonsense, wit, irony, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism) and examines the validity of a set of 48 marker items for their assessment, the Comic Style Markers (CSM). These styles were originally developed to describe literary work and are used here to describe individual differences. Study 1 examines whether the eight styles can be distinguished empirically, in self- and other-reports, and in two languages. In different samples of altogether more than 1500 adult participants, the CSM was developed and evaluated with respect to internal consistency, homogeneity, test–retest reliability, factorial validity, and construct and criterion validity. Internal consistency was sufficiently high, and the median test-retest reliability over a period of 1–2 weeks was 0.86 (N = 148). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the eight styles could be distinguished in both English- (N = 303) and German-speaking samples (N = 1018 and 368). Comparing self- and other-reports (N = 210) supported both convergent and discriminant validity. The intercorrelations among the eight scales ranged from close to zero (between humor and sarcasm/cynicism) to large and positive (between sarcasm and cynicism). Consequently, second-order factor analyses revealed either two bipolar factors (based on ipsative data) or three unipolar factors (based on normative data). Study 2 related the CSM to instruments measuring personality (N = 999), intelligence (N = 214), and character strengths (N = 252), showing that (a) wit was the only style correlated with (verbal) intelligence, (b) fun was related to indicators of vitality and extraversion, (c) humor was related to character strengths of the heart, and (d) comic styles related to mock/ridicule (i.e., sarcasm, cynicism, but also irony) correlated negatively with character strengths of the virtues temperance, transcendence, and humanity. By contrast, satire had a moral goodness that was lacking in sarcasm and cynicism. Most importantly, the two studies revealed that humor might be related to a variety of character strengths depending on the comic style utilized, and that more styles may be distinguished than has been done in the past. The CSM is recommended for future explorations and refinements of comic styles.
Actively Learning about Demand and the Dynamics of Price Adjustment

By observing the quantity demanded at particular prices, a firm may learn about the parameters of its demand curve. In such an environment, price changes obstruct the learning process by inducing additional noise. The authors' paper constructs a dynamic model where a price-setting firm endogenously controls the speed of learning. The model provides a possible explanation for price inertia, as a stable pricing policy allows the firm to learn more rapidly, which improves future expected profits. Furthermore, even in the long run, learning continues to affect the firm's optimal price. Copyright 1990 by Royal Economic Society.
The relationship between TQM, learning orientation and market performance in service organisations: an empirical analysis

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tridimensional relationship between total quality management (TQM), learning orientation and market performance of Malaysian service firms, in which TQM is hypothesised as a platform to enhance both learning orientation and market performance of a company. Furthermore, this empirical paper also investigates whether effective learning orientation can bring about improved market performance. The sample data are collected from 146 service firms in Malaysia. To examine the relationship between TQM, learning orientation and market performance of the service organisations in Malaysia, the structural equation modelling analysis was employed. The survey evidence identified that the adoption of TQM practices in service organisations is positively and significantly related to both learning orientation and market performance. However, learning orientation did not show any significant correlation with market performance of the firm, implying that learning orientation does not provide extensive opportunities for a service organisation to attain a higher market performance. The managers of the service firms who intend to achieve organisational success through the implementation of TQM practices that support their firm's learning orientation and enhance their market performance will be able to benefit from this research paper.
Successful headship leadership in primary schools in Cyprus

This research explored the nature and conduct of successful leadership in the context of Cyprus; how policy and school contexts and heads' experience influence headship leadership. The empirical findings of this study draw upon ethnographic methods rooted within the naturalistic paradigm in order to illuminate the complex and dynamic nature of headship leadership in a specific country context. A group often successful heads in urban primary schools of Cyprus was selected. Data was collected through observations, a review of a number of schools' documents and semi-structured interviews carried out with each of the successful heads and with people that had everyday conduct with them. The overall findings provided empirical evidence of the complexity of successful head teachers day-to-day practices and pointed to the positive and negative in themes of 'policy contexts', 'the values of society' and 'school and experience contexts'. These results support earlier evidence on successful leadership but also extend this. The evidence from this research has important implications for head teachers' learning and development and the role of the government in raising standards of schooling in Cyprus.
Household accounting in Australia: Prescription and practice from the 1820s to the 1960s

Purpose - Beyond the public world of work, the home provides an arena for examining accounting and gender in everyday life. This study aims to examine household accounting in Australia from the early nineteenth to around the mid-twentieth century. Design/methodology/approach - The study comprises two parts. The first part, as reported in this paper, presents evidence on household accounting as prescribed in the didactic literature in Australia, and evidence of actual accounting practices based on the examination of 76 sets of surviving Australian household records available in public repositories. The second part adopts a microhistorical approach involving the detailed scrutiny of 18 sets of accounting records and relevant biographical and family data on the household accountants involved. Findings - The study indicates that household accounting was an instrument for restraining female consumption, particularly during times of crises, and that accounting in Australian homes focussed on maintaining records of routine transactions as opposed to the preparation of budgets and financial statements. Household accounting in Australia was performed by women and men. The surviving records examined suggest that while areas of financial responsibility were defined by gender there was little evidence of formalised hierarchical accountability between spouses as has been found to be the case in Britain. Originality/value - The study extends knowledge of household accounting and gender. Most historical investigations on this subject draw on instructional literature. The current investigation also examines accounting practice in the home.
Isolated autoimmune enteropathy associated with autoantibodies to a novel 28-kDa duodenal antigen.

A utoimmune enteropathy (AIE) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder characterized by protracted diarrhea with severe enteropathy and villous atrophy; no response to exclusion diets; presence of circulating anti-enterocyte antibodies, anti-goblet cell antibodies, or evidence of other autoimmune disease; and no severe immunodeficiency (1,2). Most patients with early-onset AIE carry mutation of foxp3 gene, a causative gene of immunedysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome (3,4). Although autoantibodies to enterocytes are hallmark of AIE, only 2 autoantigens, autoimmune enteropathyrelated 75 kDa antigen (AIE-75) and villin, have been identified (5,6). Herein, we report a 2-month-old boy with protracted diarrhea associated with severely disrupted intestinal mucosa and presence of autoantibodies to a novel 28-kDa antigen in the duodenum. The patient was born to non-consanguineous parents at 40 weeks’ gestation with birth weight of 2870 g. At 1 month of age, he was presented with severe diarrhea with sepsis, and was admitted to the referring hospital. He recovered from sepsis but still required total parenteral nutrition because of diarrhea unresponsive to antibiotics or fasting. At 2 month of age, he was transferred to National Center for Child Health and Development, for his second episode of sepsis. His body height and weight were 52 cm ( 3.1 standard deviation), and 4670 g (body mass index 17.2 percentile), respectively. Laboratory examination demonstrated hypoproteinemia (2.8 g/dL) and hypoalbuminemia (1.8 g/dL). Elevated fecal sodium (132 mEq/L) and chloride (123 mEq/L) levels, as well as decreased fecal osmotic gap (0.96 mOsm/L), were observed. Workups for enteric infection, immunodeficiency, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endocrinologi-
Organisational Strategies for Sustainable Development: Developing A Research Agenda for the New Millennium

Environmental issues have been on the agendas of industry and academia for nearly thirty years. While the bulk of this research has focused on environmental sustainability, the late 1990s saw a broadening of the scope of this field of inquiry to include social, environmental and economic sustainability. In this paper I discuss the emergence of organisational strategies for sustainable development and their implications for management theory and practice. I discuss the emergence of environmental issues and their implications for strategy, and describe briefly the theoretical and practical implications of integrating environmental and social issues into corporate strategies. I also discuss my own work in this field and how it relates to other research.
Economic recessions, strategy, and performance: a synthesis

Purpose – Despite the episodic pervasiveness of recessions and their destructive impact on firms, a void exists in the management literature examining the intersection between recessions, strategy, and performance. This paper seeks directly to address this research void by reviewing relevant literature spanning the past 20 years and building an integrative framework for future research efforts.Design/methodology/approach – The paper systematically reviews and compartmentalizes articles on the intersection between firm strategy and economic recession published between 1991 and 2010 in widely recognized management and entrepreneurship journals. Concurrently, a theoretical framework is proposed which identifies distinct constructs and linkages related to economic recessions, strategy, and performance.Findings – The findings are twofold. First, the review distils disparate scholarly works on firm behavior and recessions to provide a systematic appraisal and review of what people know and do not know about man.