Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Policy transfer: into the future, learning from the past

In our view, one clear conclusion emerges from this volume. Policy transfer research is alive and well and being pursued in a variety of ways, at different levels of governance, using insights from various disciplinary perspectives and sectors. McCann and Ward (2012) advocate a further move in the direction of interdisciplinarity, which would clearly be beneficial and, in a small way, we hope that the inclusion of a critical Geographer’s perspective in this issue will contribute to this process. However, as we argued in the introduction, we think they are too scathing about mainstream political science contributions; a response that, we suggest, the work in this volume supports. More broadly, and unsurprisingly, we would also reject McCann and Ward’s suggestion that the concept of policy transfer should be abandoned and replaced by a series of concepts, policy assemblages, mobilities and mutations, which highlight the complexities involved in the process. We, and the other contributors, recognise these complexities (in certain instances) and, certainly, McCann and Ward’s article provides an important outline of them. It should also be noted that different labels are often used for very similar concepts. For example, for assemblages, mobilities and mutations, read cognitive and elite mobilisation or transfer networks or epistemic communities or hybrids. We could go on. However, those contributors, and many others given that the two articles by Dolowitz and Marsh (1996, 2000) have attracted more than 2000 citations, still find the concept useful and would argue that there is little that McCann and Ward offer which cannot already be found within the generic concept of policy, given that it is already a very broad church. In the end this particular issue will be resolved by the decisions of other researchers and whether they find the concept of utility, even if like all concepts/heuristics it will remain in need of continual revision. We want to close by considering a few directions in which the policy transfer literature might usefully develop, although this is an issue that we have both considered separately before (Evans 2000, Dolowitz and Marsh 2012) and we recognise that everyone in the field would almost inevitably have different ideas about such putative new directions. With those provisos, we focus here on: the link between the literatures on policy transfer, governance and evidence-based policy-making; the importance of utilising a more sophisticated conception of ‘policy success’ when examining the role of policy transfer in policy-making; the need to concentrate more on the issue of learning/transfer from one’s own past and the emergence of new sources of policy learning. Policy Studies Vol. 33, No. 6, November 2012, 587 591
The Asymmetric Effects of Scarcity and Abundance on Storable Commodity Price Dynamics and Hedge Ratios

This paper revisits the asymmetric effect of the basis on commodity spot and futures price volatilities documented by Kogan, Livdan and Yaron (2008) and Lien and Yang (2008). Kogan et al. (2008) show both theoretically and empirically that, for a non-storable consumption good, the relationship between commodity price volatility and the basis exhibits a V-shape. Lien and Yang (2008) illustrate the existence of an asymmetric effect of the basis on commodity price volatilities for storable commodities. Their results seem to imply that both scarcity and abundance increase spot and futures price volatility, a counter-intuitive result. The aim of this article is twofold: (i) test the presence and the robustness of the asymmetric effect for storable agricultural commodities by analyzing different sample periods, longer horizons and alternative utility functions; and - given that this asymmetric effect turns out not to be robust - (ii) explore new variables besides the basis to proxy for scarcity, analyze whether they exhibit an asymmetric effect and test their performance in modeling storable commodity price volatility and in hedging futures positions. Our results provide little support for a V-shaped relationship between the basis and storable agricultural commodity price volatilities. Though an asymmetric effect is present in that the size of the coefficient for a positive basis is much larger than for a negative basis, a negative basis does not lead to higher volatilities. Moreover, we find that the strong hedging performance documented by Lien and Yang (2008) when including the asymmetric basis in the volatility specification is not robust across sample periods, for longer hedging horizons and for alternative utility functions. More positively, though, our results indicate that alternative scarcity specifications do have the expected positive link with volatility and often outperform more simple models in terms of hedging performance. Unfortunately, no single variable consistently leads to better results out-of-sample and there is often no correspondence between the best performing model in- and out-of-sample.
Cyto‐ and chemoarchitecture of the cerebral cortex of an echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). II. Laminar organization and synaptic density

We have examined the distribution and morphology of neurons immunoreactive for nonphosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI‐32 antibody), calcium‐binding proteins (parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin), and neuropeptide Y as well as neurons reactive for NADPH diaphorase in the cerebral cortex of the Australian short‐beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). We have also studied synaptic morphology and density in S1 somatosensory cortex and assessed parameters associated with metabolic activity of the cerebral cortex (vessel volume density, mitochondrial volume density, and mitochondrial numerical density) in semi‐ and ultrathin sections. SMI‐32 immunoreactivity was found mostly in layer V pyramidal neurons in selected cortical regions (S1, PV, V1, A). These neurons often showed atypical morphology compared with therian cortex. Neurons immunoreactive for calcium‐binding proteins were broadly similar in both morphology and distribution to those seen in therian cortex, although calretinin‐immunoreactive neurons were rare. Both Gray type I and Gray type II synapses could be identified in echidna S1 cortex and were similar to those seen in therian cortex. Peak synaptic density was in upper layer IV, followed by layer I, lower layer II, and upper layer III. Most synapses were of type I (72%), although types I and II were encountered with similar frequency in lower layer II and upper layer III. The capillary volume fraction values obtained for the echidna (from 1.18% in V1 to 1.34% in S1 cortex) fall within the values for rodent cortex. Similarly, values for mitochondrial volume fraction in echidna somatosensory cortex (4.68% ± 1.76%) were comparable to those in eutherian cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 482:94–122, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Evolution of Firm Size Distributions

We study the impact of financial constraints on firm size distribution (FSD). We find that financially constrained firms, identified using various proxies, are smaller than the others (their FSD is more skewed to the right). However, among OECD countries, the FSD of nonconstrained firms virtually overlaps that of the entire sample, suggesting that the overall impact of financial constraints on the FSD is modest. The difference is more pronounced in our sample of firms from non-OECD countries. We conclude that financial constraints cannot be considered the main determinant of the FSD evolution in developed economies. (JEL L11, L25)
The HR competencies‐HR effectiveness link: A study in Taiwanese high‐tech companies

This article explores the relationship between HR competencies and HR effectiveness as perceived by line managers and employees within 39 surveyed Taiwanese high-tech firms. The data were collected from multiple constituencies in the form of four targeted surveys, and the analysis was conducted at the firm level. Respondents included 182 high-level executives, 152 HR managers, 320 line managers, and 1,262 employees. Results suggest that in the Taiwanese high-tech context, HR competencies of field expertise and change management are strongly related to HR effectiveness as perceived by line managers and employees, while business knowledge is not. Managerial implications and future research direction are also discussed in the article. This study contributes to a better understanding of HRM competencies and HR effectiveness within an international context. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cellular profile in workers exposed to chrysotile asbestos

The cellular profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in asbestos-exposed population remains controversial. We, therefore, aimed to investigate BALF in apparently healthy individuals that were exposed in asbestos-related work for a long period of time. Participants were selected among employees of a car brakes and clutches factory that used chrysotile asbestos. Selection criteria were an employment history of ≥15 years and the absence of severe respiratory disease. The total number and type of BALF cells, the existence of dust cells, iron-laden macrophages and asbestos bodies were assessed. Thirty-nine workers (25 men), with a mean age of 46.2 ± 4.2 years and a mean employment time of 23.5 ± 4 years, participated. Asbestos bodies were observed in 14 out of 39 (36%) specimens, dust cells in 37 and iron-laden macrophages in all. Those with asbestos bodies had at least 3 times higher probability to have lymphocytosis (lymphocytes > 11%: 64% vs 28%, p = 0.027) and had an increased percentage of iron-laden macrophages compared to those without asbestos bodies (median values: 42% vs 13%, p = 0.08). Smokers (36%) had less lymphocytes compared to non and ex-smokers (median values: 6% vs. 13%, p = 0.002), and iron-laden macrophages count had a positive relation (r = 0.31, p = 0.05) to lymphocyte count. Asbestos-exposed asymptomatic individuals with the presence of asbestos bodies in the BALF are more likely to have lymphocytic alveolitis while concurrent dust exposure and smoking habits hold a significant role.
Guanylyltransferase and RNA 5'-triphosphatase activities of the purified expressed VP4 protein of bluetongue virus.

We have examined the RNA-capping enzyme activities of bluetongue virus (BTV) minor core protein, VP4. Recombinant BTV VP4 protein was purified to homogeneity from insect cell culture infected with a baculovirus VP4 of BTV serotype 10. We demonstrate that the purified protein, and VP4 encapsidated in core-like particles, react with GTP and covalently bind GMP via a phosphoamide linkage, a characteristic feature of guanylyltransferase enzyme. VP4 also catalyses a GTP-PPi exchange reaction indicating that the protein is the guanylyltransferase of the virus. In addition, VP4 possesses an RNA 5'-triphosphatase activity which catalyses the first step in the RNA-capping sequence. Further, an inorganic pyrophosphatase activity was identified which may aid the transcription activity within the virus by removing inorganic pyrophosphate which is an inhibitor of the polymerization reaction. Finally, the direct evidence of VP4 capping activity has been obtained by demonstrating in vitro transfer of GMP to the 5' end of in vitro synthesized BTV ssRNA transcripts to form a cap structure.
Intracranial EEG‐fMRI analysis of focal epileptiform discharges in humans

Purpose: Combining intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is of interest in epilepsy studies as it would allow the detection of much smaller interictal epileptiform discharges than can be recorded using scalp EEG‐fMRI. This may help elucidate the spatiotemporal mechanisms underlying the generation of interictal discharges. To our knowledge, iEEG‐fMRI has never been performed at 3 Tesla (3T) in humans. We report our findings relating to spike‐associated blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) signal changes in two subjects.
The Tourism Industry as an Alternative for the GCC Oil-Based Rentier Economies

During the past four decades, the tourism industry has emerged as one of the leading industries worldwide. This article examines its development in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The article looks at, first, the main factors that led the GCC rulers to select tourism as a major catalyst for enhancing economic development and diversification. Further, it examines the GCC comparative advantages in the global tourism arena and then analyses Dubai's tourism development as an example of both the potential as well as the costs of having a well-established tourism industry in the Arabian Gulf region. Finally, it considers the major barriers to further GCC tourism development. The main conclusion of the article is that, although tourism development may provide a viable economic solution to some of the major socio-economic problems currently facing the GCC oil rental countries, one should not disregard the fundamental barriers and risks to further GCC tourism development, first and foremost in the area of increasing dependence on foreign labour.
Intra-seasonal Variability of Ball Speed and Coordination of Two Team-Handball Throwing Techniques in Elite Male Adolescent Players.

Abstract In sports biomechanics and motor control, a thorough study of coordination variability is important to understanding how the human movement system is organized. From a more applied sport science perspective, knowledge about performance variability is essential regarding the evaluation of true sport specific effects of any intervention. While there are many reports of intervention studies in team-handball, no description of the amount of normal variability is available. This study investigated variability of two important throwing techniques in team-handball within elite junior players over a 4-month period during a competitive season. To evaluate ball speed variability, the intra-individual coefficient of variation was calculated. The 95th percentile of ball speed variability over all players was 7%, which can be used as an effect size estimate in future research. For coordination variability, a qualitative description based on the output of neural networks was used. All participants presented multiple coordination patterns, representing multi-stability on a month-to-month timescale and switched between stable states without the manipulation of any control variable. Some limitations in the methodology and applications of neural networks in the present study and in biomechanics and motor control in general are highlighted. When more researchers adopt these methodologies, a more coherent framework for their application can emerge.
Decentralized Policy Implementation

This article develops a regime-splitting process model of decentralized policy implementation to integrate two theoretical approaches rooted in the tension between local flexibility and national control. The author estimates a model that simultaneously assesses the ability of each approach to explain the outcome it is meant to map onto (case-level discretion for local flexibility and aggregate responsiveness for national control) as well as each approach's extensibility to the other approach's domain. The data for the study come from the implementation of eight primary statutes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional offices. The results are counterintuitive: the national control approach largely explains case-level discretion, the domain of local flexibility, but retains some power for explaining aggregate responsiveness. The local flexibility perspective contributes to both case-level discretion and aggregate responsiveness. Both models work outside their traditional domains, but neither is a sufficient explanation for decentralized policy implementation.
Evaluating temporal trends from occupational lead exposure data reported in the published literature using meta-regression.

OBJECTIVES The published literature provides useful exposure measurements that can aid retrospective exposure assessment efforts, but the analysis of this data is challenging as it is usually reported as means, ranges, and measures of variability. We used mixed-effects meta-analysis regression models, which are commonly used to summarize health risks from multiple studies, to predict temporal trends of blood and air lead concentrations in multiple US industries from the published data while accounting for within- and between-study variability in exposure. METHODS We extracted the geometric mean (GM), geometric standard deviation (GSD), and number of measurements from journal articles reporting blood and personal air measurements from US worksites. When not reported, we derived the GM and GSD from other summary measures. Only industries with measurements in ≥2 time points and spanning ≥10 years were included in our analyses. Meta-regression models were developed separately for each industry and sample type. Each model used the log-transformed GM as the dependent variable and calendar year as the independent variable. It also incorporated a random intercept that weighted each study by a combination of the between- and within-study variances. The within-study variances were calculated as the squared log-transformed GSD divided by the number of measurements. Maximum likelihood estimation was used to obtain the regression parameters and between-study variances. RESULTS The blood measurement models predicted statistically significant declining trends of 2-11% per year in 8 of the 13 industries. The air measurement models predicted a statistically significant declining trend (3% per year) in only one of the seven industries; an increasing trend (7% per year) was also observed for one industry. Of the five industries that met our inclusion criteria for both air and blood, the exposure declines per year tended to be slightly greater based on blood measurements than on air measurements. CONCLUSIONS Meta-analysis provides a useful tool for synthesizing occupational exposure data to examine exposure trends that can aid future retrospective exposure assessment. Data remained too sparse to account for other exposure predictors, such as job category or sampling strategy, but this limitation may be overcome by using additional data sources.
Citizenship, Migrant Activism and the Politics of Movement

Introduction: Citizenship, Migrant Activism, and the Politics of Movement Peter Nyers and Kim Rygiel 1. Securitized migrants and postcolonial (in)difference: The politics of activisms among North African migrants in France Alina Sajed 2: Claiming Rights, Asserting Belonging: Contesting Citizenship in the UK Ruth Grove-White 3. Ungrateful Subjects? Refugee protests and the logic of gratitude Carolina Moulin 4. "We are All Foreigners": No Borders as a practical political project Bridget Anderson, Nandita Sharma and Cynthia Wright 5. Ethnography and Human Rights: The Experience of APDHA with Nigerian Sex Workers in Andalucia Estefania Acien Gonzalez 6. Moments of Solidarity, Migrant Activism and (Non)Citizens at Global Borders: Political Agency at Tanzanian refugee camps, Australian detention centres and European borders Heather Johnson 7. Building a Sanctuary City: Municipal Migrant Rights in the City of Toronto Jean McDonald 8. Taking not waiting: Space, temporality and politics in the City of Sanctuary movement Vicki Squire and Jennifer Bagelman 9: Undocumented Citizens? Shifting grounds of citizenship in Los Angeles Anne McNevin
A Systematic Review of the Psychological Risk Factors Associated with Near Fatal Asthma or Fatal Asthma

Psychological factors such as anxiety, depressive disorders and/or personality disorders may predispose patients with asthma to near fatal asthma (NFA) or fatal asthma (FA). NFA is defined by an asthma exacerbation resulting in respiratory arrest requiring mechanical ventilation or a pCO2 ≧45 mm Hg. Most studies have used the case-control study design. Several studies analyzing the effects of psychological factors on the risk of NFA or FA have shown conflicting results. We reviewed all of the literature found by the systematic search done of psychological factors on the risk NFA or FA. A MEDLINE search identified 423 articles between 1960 and March 2006. Seven case-controlled studies were identified following strict applications of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Due to the significant heterogeneity in the measurement of the psychological factors, a summary statistic was not calculated. The trial characteristics were tabulated and qualitative trends were observed to explain the heterogeneity in the results of the studies. Recommendations on future studies in the field are outlined in detail. Following a systematic assessment of all published studies, we cannot conclude that psychological factors increase the risk of NFA and FA.
Consensus vs. Time‐series Forecasts of US 30‐year Home Mortgage Rates

Accurate forecasts of the 30‐year home mortgage rate (HMR) are important to both US housing market participants and policymakers. This study compares the consensus forecasts of the HMR from the Blue Chip panel of experts with two benchmarks: the random walk forecasts (which are basically the most recent HMR available at the time of the survey) and the augmented‐autoregressive (A‐A) forecasts (which contain the past information in both the HMR and trend rate of inflation). For 1992–2005, the Blue Chip forecasts are unbiased and accurately predict directional change at the shorter but not longer forecast horizons. The random walk and A‐A forecasts, in addition to outperforming the Blue Chip, are unbiased and accurately predict directional change at all forecast horizons. Further findings indicate that the A‐A forecasts encompass those of the random walk, implying that the predictive information in the trend rate of inflation helps improve forecast accuracy. Therefore, one with access to these HMR forecasts would clearly prefer the A‐A over the Blue Chip and random walk forecasts in decision‐making.
Financial intermediaries and economic growth in Ghana: an empirical investigation

This paper examines the impact of bank-based financial development on economic growth inGhana during the period from 1970 to 2014 ? using the autoregressive distributed lag(ARDL) bounds testing approach. Unlike some previous studies, the current study uses fiveproxies to measure the level of bank-based financial development, including a compositeindex of bank-based financial development derived from various financial developmentindicators. The empirical results of this study show that the impact of bank-based financialdevelopment on economic growth in Ghana is sensitive to the proxy used to measure bankbasedfinancial development. The results also tend to vary over time. Overall, our resultsshow that when the ratio of domestic credit extension to the private sector by banks to GDP,and the composite index are used as proxies, bank-based financial development has apositive impact on economic growth in Ghana. However, when the ratio of deposit moneybanks' assets to GDP is used as a proxy, bank-based financial development has a negativeimpact on economic growth. These results apply, irrespective of whether the analysis is donein the short run or in the long run. Other results show that when the ratio of the claims ofdeposit money banks on the private sector to broad money is used as a proxy for bank-basedfinancial development, bank-based financial development is found to have a negative impacton economic growth in the short run, but a positive impact in the long run. However, whenthe ratio of quasi liquid liabilities to GDP is used, the relationship tends to be positive in theshort run, but negative in the long run.