Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Entry Into Export Markets And Quality Certifications: Evidence From Developing Countries

This paper investigates whether internationally recognized quality certifications can facilitate firms in developing countries to penetrate the export markets, a typical challenge owing mainly to information asymmetries on product quality. Applying a multi-level regression approach that controls for endogeneity to the 2006-2013 firm-level and national-level data for 111 developing countries primarily from the World Bank Enterprise Survey, results indicated that adopting ISO certifications enable firms in developing nations to enter foreign markets. This underscores the importance of policymakers in developing countries to encourage their domestic firms to acquire internationally recognized certificates for both the firm’s and the nation’s growth.
Two-step Mechanism for Modifier of Transcription 1 (Mot1) Enzyme-catalyzed Displacement of TATA-binding Protein (TBP) from DNA*

Background: Mot1 catalyzes ATP-dependent disruption of TBP-DNA complexes. Results: Mot1 binding to TBP-DNA complexes induces a conformational intermediate in which DNA is unbent. Conclusion: We propose a two-step mechanism for Mot1 in which DNA unbending is followed by ATP-dependent DNA translocation. Significance: Mot1 is a model Snf2/Swi2 enzyme whose catalytic mechanism is relevant for understanding how other enzymes in the family function. The TATA box binding protein (TBP) is a central component of the transcription preinitiation complex, and its occupancy at a promoter is correlated with transcription levels. The TBP-promoter DNA complex contains sharply bent DNA and its interaction lifetime is limited by the ATP-dependent TBP displacement activity of the Snf2/Swi2 ATPase Mot1. Several mechanisms for Mot1 action have been proposed, but how it catalyzes TBP removal from DNA is unknown. To better understand the Mot1 mechanism, native gel electrophoresis and FRET were used to determine how Mot1 affects the trajectory of DNA in the TBP-DNA complex. Strikingly, in the absence of ATP, Mot1 acts to unbend DNA, whereas TBP remains closely associated with the DNA in a stable Mot1-TBP-DNA ternary complex. Interestingly, and in contrast to full-length Mot1, the isolated Mot1 ATPase domain binds DNA, and its affinity for DNA is nucleotide-dependent, suggesting parallels between the Mot1 mechanism and DNA translocation-based mechanisms of chromatin remodeling enzymes. Based on these findings, a model is presented for Mot1 that links a DNA conformational change with ATP-induced DNA translocation.
Financial Development and Economic Growth: International Evidence

The importance of the relationship between financial development and economic growth has been well recognized and emphasized in the field of economic development.1 Although recent writings on this subject seem to accept the hypothesis that financial development is crucial for successful economic growth,2 Patrick asked the critical question, Which sector, financial or real, leads in the dynamic process of economic development? Patrick identified two possible patterns in the causal relationship between financial development and economic growth. In the first, growth induces an expansion of the financial system.3 According to this view, called "demand-following," the lack of financial growth is a manifestation of the lack of demand for financial services. As the real side of the economy develops, its demands for various new financial services materialize, and these are met rather passively from the financial side. In the second pattern the expansion of the financial system precedes the demand for its services. Channeling scarce resources from (small) savers to (large) investors according to relative rates of return, the financial sector precedes and induces real growth. The deliberate establishment and promotion of financial institutions in many less developed countries (LDCs) might reflect this belief in the "supply-leading" relationship between the two developments. A natural question then concerns the direction of causality between financial development and economic growth. Patrick asserted that the direction of causality changes over the course of development. In his view, financial development is able to induce real innovation-type investment before sustained modern economic growth gets under way, and, "as the process of real growth occurs, the supply-leading impetus gradually becomes less important, and the demand-following financial response
The Role of the Metropolitan Milieu as an Incubation Centre for Technological Innovations: A Dutch Case Study

In this article the generation of product and process innovations in Dutch manufacturing firms will be analysed. In this context, the impact of both intra-firm and spatial variables are considered by using a multivariate logit analysis. From this analysis it appears that the generation of product and process innovations varies according to type of firm considered. As to the spatial dimension different types of municipalities are distinguished according to their degree of urbanisation. The empirical results suggest that firms located in the most urbanised municipalities perform relatively poorly regarding the generation of (high quality) process innovations, but not in terms of the generation of product innovations. These results also indicate that the importance of internal and external R & D efforts for the generation of product innovations varies - and in an opposite pattern - according to the degree of urbanisation. These results underscore the spatial dimension of innovative behaviour.
The Effects of Reverse Splits on the Liquidity of the Stock

Abstract This study investigates the liquidity effects of reverse stock splits using bid-ask spread, trading volume, and the number of nontrading days as proxies for the liquidity of the stock. Results indicate a decrease in bid-ask spread and an increase in trading volume after reverse splits. More importantly, the number of nontrading days significantly declines following reverse splits. For the control group, however, no such changes are observed. These results suggest that reverse splits enhance the liquidity of the stock.
Predominant Palmoplantar Lichen Planus: A Diagnostic Challenge

Background: Palmoplantar lesions in lichen planus (LP) are uncommon. In such cases, diagnosis is usually missed. This study was conducted to document various clinical and histopathological features of palmoplantar LP. Materials And Methods: A total of 18 patients from our outpatient department with lesions of LP, either predominantly or exclusively on palms and/or soles were studied. Patients with history of drug intake in recent past and patients with classical acute widespread LP with a few lesions on palms or soles were excluded. In each patient, diagnosis was made on clinicopathological correlation. Various clinical and histopathological features were analyzed. Results: Average age of onset was 38 years. Male: female ratio was 1:0.6 and average disease duration was 11 months. Exclusive palm or sole involvement was seen in 4/18 patients. Itching was the most common symptom. Clinically the most common variant was hypertrophic. Histologically presence of parakeratosis, spongiosis, lack of melanophages, and lack of hypergranulosis in some cases was seen in addition to classical features of LP. In 3 out of 4 patients with exclusive palmoplantar involvement diagnosis of LP was missed clinically. Conclusion: Involvement of palms and soles in LP poses a diagnostic challenge due to variable presentations. Histopathology is of vital importance for correct diagnosis and treatment.
Phonetic and phonological factors in the perception of syllables in second-language speech *

The goal of the present study is to investigate the degree to which native Japanese speakers’ perception of syllables in spoken English words is affected by various phonetic and phonological factors. Specifically, the present study examined whether Japanese listeners’ perception of English syllables is affected not just by phonological factors such as syllable complexity, but also by acoustic-phonetic factors such as the duration of the spoken English words. In addition, the present study examined the possible influence of another factor,, namely, consonant voicing. Syllables in Japanese are relatively simple, often having a CV (consonant-vowel) or CVC structure, e.g., “ki” (tree) and “hon” (book), but syllables in English tend to have more complex structures such CCCVCC and CVCCC, e.g., “strange” and “text”. Numerous behavioral studies have in fact demonstrated that native speakers of Japanese, when faced with the task of producing or perceiving complex English syllables, often experience difficulties, resulting in mispronunciation or misperception of English syllables (Tarone, 1980; Tajima et al., 2003; Otake et al., 1996: Dupoux et al.,
Solution Team: A program evaluation of an anti-bullying intervention

Bullying is a pervasive problem in schools worldwide and a relatively common problem among children and adolescents today. As a result of this, many schools have been looking at anti-bullying interventions. This research examined the effectiveness of the Solution Team intervention. The frequency of bullying on targeted students was studied in an attempt to discover whether this is an appropriate and effective intervention. Solution Team is a new anti-bullying intervention developed and trademarked in 2007 by No Bully, a San Francisco based 501(c)(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It derives its inspiration from restorative justice approaches and is within the same family of peer-based interventions as the Pikas Method of Shared Concern (based in Sweden) and England’s no blame approach. Five schools in the San Francisco Bay Area
Altered top-down and bottom-up processing of fear conditioning in panic disorder with agoraphobia

Background Although several neurophysiological models have been proposed for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PD/AG), there is limited evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on key neural networks in PD/AG. Fear conditioning has been proposed to represent a central pathway for the development and maintenance of this disorder; however, its neural substrates remain elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the neural correlates of fear conditioning in PD/AG patients. Method The blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response was measured using fMRI during a fear conditioning task. Indicators of differential conditioning, simple conditioning and safety signal processing were investigated in 60 PD/AG patients and 60 matched healthy controls. Results Differential conditioning was associated with enhanced activation of the bilateral dorsal inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) whereas simple conditioning and safety signal processing were related to increased midbrain activation in PD/AG patients versus controls. Anxiety sensitivity was associated positively with the magnitude of midbrain activation. Conclusions The results suggest changes in top-down and bottom-up processes during fear conditioning in PD/AG that can be interpreted within a neural framework of defensive reactions mediating threat through distal (forebrain) versus proximal (midbrain) brain structures. Evidence is accumulating that this network plays a key role in the aetiopathogenesis of panic disorder.
Diversification, Size, and Risk at Bank Holding Companies

This paper shows that large bank holding companies (BHCs) are better diversified than small BHCs based on market measures of diversification. The authors find, however, that better diversification does not translate into reductions in risk. The risk-reducing potential of diversification at large BHCs is offset by their lower capital ratios and larger commercial and industrial loan portfolios. The authors' results suggest that diversification may provide an important motive for consolidation by allowing BHCs to pursue riskier lending while operating with greater leverage. Copyright 1997 by Ohio State University Press.
Between a Cross and a Hard Place: Religious Identifiers and Employability

Unfair hiring practices in the form of differential treatment are forbidden by law (e.g., in the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964). Our experimental research examines whether differential treatment occurs based on the wearing of religious identifiers. Mainly, this study explores whether applicants who wear Muslim and Jewish religious identifiers are considered less employable than applicants who do not wear religious identifiers, and whether the job status and gender of the evaluator influence these ratings. Our findings revealed that applicants who wore Muslim religious identifiers were rated the most employable for low status jobs and least employable for high status jobs. Additionally, female applicants who wore Muslim religious identifiers received the highest employability ratings of all groups, but male applicants who wore Muslim religious identifiers received the lowest employability ratings of all groups. The implications of these findings for discrimination in the workplace are discussed.
Who Anticipated the Great Depression? Gustav Cassel versus Keynes and Hayek on the Interwar Gold Standard

The intellectual response to the Great Depression is often portrayed as a battle between the ideas of Friedrich Hayek and John Maynard Keynes. Yet both the Austrian and the Keynesian interpretations of the Depression were incomplete. Austrians could explain how a country might get into a depression (bust following a credit‐fueled investment boom) but not how to get out of one (liquidation). Keynesians could explain how a country might get out of a depression (government spending on public works) but not how it got into one (animal spirits). By contrast, the monetary approach of Gustav Cassel has been ignored. As early as 1920, Cassel warned that mismanagement of the gold standard could lead to a severe depression. Cassel not only explained how this could occur, but his explanation anticipates the way that scholars today describe how the Great Depression actually occurred. Unlike Keynes or Hayek, Cassel analyzed both how a country could get into a depression (deflation due to tight monetary policies) and how it could get out of one (monetary expansion).
Relationship of solar keratosis and history of skin cancer to objective measures of actinic skin damage

Two methods for the assessment of severity of actinic skin damage were evaluated in a population‐based survey of 1216 subjects. After controlling for the effects of age, skin texture changes graded by cutaneous microtopography were found to be associated strongly with the presence of solar keratoses and a past history of non‐melanotic skin cancer. Changes in skin condition graded by paraocular photography had a weaker relationship with the presence of keratoses and showed no association with non‐melanotic skin cancer. These results, together with a higher level of agreement between observers in grading cutaneous microtopographs, support the use of cutaneous microtopography as an index of actinic skin damage in epidemiological research.
Immune-Mediated Damage Completes the Parabola: Cryptococcus neoformans Pathogenesis Can Reflect the Outcome of a Weak or Strong Immune Response

ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis occurs most frequently in immunocompromised individuals. This has led to the prevailing view that this disease is the result of weak immune responses that cannot control the fungus. However, increasingly, clinical and experimental studies have revealed that the host immune response can contribute to cryptococcal pathogenesis, including the recent study of L. M. Neal et al. (mBio 8:e01415-17, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01415-17 ) that reports that CD4+ T cells mediate tissue damage in experimental murine cryptococcosis. This finding has fundamental implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of cryptococcal disease; it helps explain why immunotherapy has been largely unsuccessful in treatment and provides insight into the paradoxical observation that HIV-associated cryptococcosis may have a better prognosis than cryptococcosis in those with no known immune impairment. The demonstration that host-mediated damage can drive cryptococcal disease provides proof of concept that the parabola put forth in the damage-response framework has the flexibility to depict complex and changing outcomes of host-microbe interaction.
Can Heterosexist Music Cause Hiring Discrimination Against Sexual Minority Men? Testing the Effects of Prejudicial Media Messages

Workplace heterosexism is a pervasive issue affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees. This study investigated the influence of heterosexist media on hiring decisions by exposing 171 heterosexual undergraduate men to heterosexist rap music, nonheterosexist rap music, or no music and measuring their evaluations of a heterosexual and gay male professorial job applicant immediately afterward. As expected, participants exposed to the heterosexist music provided lower evaluations of the gay applicant than those exposed to no music, for two of the eight dimensions measured. Also, participants exposed to heterosexist messages were less willing to recommend and meet one-on-one with a gay candidate than a heterosexual one. Music condition effects remained, even with demographic factors controlled. These findings suggest that media heterosexism may affect hiring decisions for GBT men and may also influence the treatment of these men in a workplace environment.
Accounting and Control, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Venturing into New Research Opportunities

The relevance of accounting and control to entrepreneurship and innovation has become more salient over the last few years. The traditional paradigm that identified accounting and control as nothing else but detrimental to these two aspects of management has been challenged both through new concepts and recent empirical evidence. This paper presents a review of this emerging literature. It examines the theoretical concepts that are shaping these fields as well as the evidence that is accumulating. It also presents a framework to structure the study of management control systems in innovative settings and future opportunities for research.
Place, Organization, Democracy: Three Strategies For Municipal Branding

Abstract We develop a typology for analysing branding processes in municipalities: a place, organizational and democracy branding strategy. Our main contribution is to expand the view of municipalities as places, taking the debate on the branding of cities, regions and municipalities in a more nuanced direction. Our findings show that the place branding perspective is insufficient for understanding branding efforts; in fact, organizational branding is the most prevalent strategy. However, democracy branding is also strongly present. Using logistic regression, we conclude that the place branding debate should be nuanced by what we know about municipal size, identity and perceived media influence.
Opening the Windows on Diplomacy: a Comparison of the Domestic Dimension of Public Diplomacy in Canada and Australia

SummaryPublic diplomacy’s scholarship and practice are evolving and seeking to adapt to the expanding interests, expectations, connectivity and mobility of the publics that have come to define the field in an organic fashion. The characteristic distinction between international and domestic publics as the key to defining the practice of public diplomacy is increasingly challenged by public audiences that are no longer constrained by such traditional delineations. The attention on the involvement of domestic publics in public diplomacy, or its domestic dimension, has to be understood within this context. This article aims to cast further light on public diplomacy’s domestic dimension, with Canada and Australia — two countries that have much in common — as the launch pads for discussion. The article’s first section investigates the approach and development of public diplomacy’s domestic dimension in both countries and draws out the similarities and differences. The second section identifies the opportunities, challenges and tendencies in its practice as well as the conceptual implications. The article finds that while differences in approach remain, Canada and Australia have more in common than not when it comes to involving domestic audiences in international policy, especially in recent years. Their practice of public diplomacy’s domestic dimension appears to be resilient and adaptive in nature, although it has been subject to fluctuations resulting from changes in the political climate, leadership styles and governmental preferences, and resource availability. Additionally, reconceptualizing public diplomacy with a domestic dimension and constructivist underpinnings opens the window on norms that are taken for granted in diplomacy and offers the potential for a more inclusive view and practice — a better fit for its time.
Renewed land debate and the 'cargo cult' in Mozambique

Land is again the subject of debate in Mozambique. The 1997 land law was passed following widespread consultation in one of the most democratic processes in Mozambique in the 1990s, and the law won praise for protecting peasant rights while creating space for outside investment. This balance is now being questioned. The law gives communities the right to delimit and register their land; once registered, potential investors need to negotiate with communities rather than merely consult them. About 100 communities have had land delimitations approved, but so far there have been no negotiations with investors. The international community and senior government officials argue that development in Mozambique will only come from private investors, mainly large foreign investors. They want greater emphasis on improving conditions for would-be investors, including speeding-up the consultation process, and less stress on peasant land delimitation. Pressure to change the constitution to allow land privatisation has been rejected, but debate continues on permitting land 'titles' (effectively, leases) to be sold and mortgaged. This article argues that the land debate is actually a proxy for a debate about rural development. A minority see the need to actively promote some form of peasant-based development. However, most of the Mozambican élite and the international community have become adherents of a 'cargo cult' which believes that development is something that flies in from outside - from the World Bank and foreign investors.
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE TEACHERS' BARRIERS, ROLES, AND INFORMATION SOURCE PREFERENCES FOR TEACHING BIOTECHNOLOGY TOPICS

The purpose of this study was to determine barriers, roles, and information source preferences for teaching agricultural biotechnology topics. Agricultural science teachers were described primarily as 37 year-old males who had taught for 12 years, had bachelor’s degrees, and had lived or worked on a farm or ranch. Equipment was perceived as the only major barrier to teaching biotechnology. Administration acceptance and community support were considered minor barriers. Teachers acknowledged responsibilities for educating consumers, farmers, and students about biotechnology and involving students in biotechnology-related SAE projects. Teachers disagreed that it was their role to develop instructional materials and lesson plans on biotechnology. Workshops, video tapes, and the Internet constituted teachers’ preferred biotechnology information sources. No significant relationships were found between years of teaching experience (teachers with 15 or more years and teachers with less than 15 years of teaching experience) and perceived barriers, beliefs, or information sources. Similarities between teachers allows for new strategies to be shared among all teachers, without a need for tailoring materials to specific teacher age groups.