Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing The Efficient Market Hypothesis On The Romanian Capital Market

The Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is one of the leading financial concepts that dominated the economic research over the last 50 years, being one of the pillars of the modern economic science. This theory, developed by Eugene Fama in the `70s, was a landmark in the development of theoretical concepts and models trying to explain the price evolution of financial assets (considering the common assumptions of the main developed theories) and also for the development of some branches in the financial industry. For example, the main impact was on the development and the mutual fund industry, regarding the increase and the diversification of the funds, of the assets under management and the relevance to the financial industry. As the financial crises that occurred on the financial markets had important consequences on the EMH and its usefulness in the financial field, definitions refining and new concepts were made and introduced, in order to explain the non-typical evolutions.In the case of Romania, we use the closing values for BET index (the most representative index on Bucharest Stock Exchange) for January, 01, 2002 – May, 15, 2014, in order to test the EMH, using unit root test, Jarque-Bera test, multiple variance ratio test and GARCH model. The results obtained show that the Romanian capital market is not weak-form efficient.
International Careers and Career Success of Indian Women in Science and Technology: The Importance of Career Capital and Organizational Capital

This article presents a study on international careers and career success of Indian women in Science & Technology (S&T). We conducted interviews with 30 (upper) middle class Indian women in New Delhi and Bangalore (India) who pursued careers abroad as self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). Important elements of career capital competencies in international career pursuits and career success of Indian women SIEs in S&T were: (a) families who value higher education and careers of their female children, which motivated women to pursue international careers to elevate family class status (knowing-why); (b) the motivation to gain knowledge and skills in science and technology (knowing-how) and (c) the encouragement and support from family for women’s international career pursuits, and international networks (knowing-whom). Furthermore, findings show that patriarchy entrenched in Indian society and culture resulted in a lack of organizational capital, which impede career success of women in S&T. We advise organizations in India to implement HR policies and practices embracing the development of career capital to empower Indian women in S&T to be successful in their international careers.
Role of extracellular‐regulated kinase and c‐jun NH2‐terminal kinase in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine‐induced neurofilament phosphorylation

The neurotoxin 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) causes selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in which the c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase (JNK) signalling cascade has been implicated. We have employed a differentiated mouse neuroblastoma N2a cell model to investigate the involvement of JNK and extracellular‐regulated kinase (ERK) in MPTP‐mediated toxicity and their role in neurofilament heavy chain (NF‐H) phosphorylation. Acute treatment with a cytotoxic MPTP concentration (5 mM) caused rapid and sustained JNK phosphorylation and ERK dephosphorylation, accompanied by cell death. In contrast, subcytotoxic concentrations of 10 μM MPTP resulted in lower, transient JNK activation in the presence of sustained ERK activity. This resulted in an aberrant increase in a phosphorylation‐dependent NF‐H epitope, perikaryal accumulation of NF‐H, and loss of axon‐like processes, prior to cell death. Inhibition of MEK kinase, using PD98059, showed that MEK 1/2 or the downstream kinase, ERK, is required for N2a cell differentiation, NF‐H phosphorylation and survival. Indeed, MPTP‐induced cell death was exacerbated by the presence of PD98059. However, in the presence of MPTP, reducing JNK activity by using an upstream specific mixed‐lineage kinase inhibitor (CEP‐11004) significantly attenuated aberrant NF‐H phosphorylation and perikaryal NF‐H accumulation and maintained axon‐like processes, in addition to attenuating cell death. This study reports a switch in the predominant kinase involved in NF phosphorylation in a neuronal cell model and may have implications for the formation of inclusions. Our studies provide further evidence that modulation of the JNK pathway could have a role in alleviating neuronal cell death. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Book review: Party Brands in Crisis. Partisanship, Brand Dilution and the Breakdown of Political Parties in Latin America

gressive ambition. Indeed, he finds that party switchers pay a significant cost at the ballot box, one that is not foreshadowed in the elections immediately preceding the shift, and they also improve their committee assignments and influence when moving to the majority party. While Crossing the Aisle shows how employing rigorous social science methods allow us to better understand a phenomenon that occurs only rarely, it also has a richness that is rare in contemporary research on Congress and elections. Perhaps the most intriguing aspects of the book are the chapters based on interviews with legislators (both switchers and not) and party leaders. These interviews confirm many of the insights Yoshinaka develops in his theory and vividly illustrate the role party leaders play in inducing legislators to change parties. Majority party leaders have disproportionate electoral and institutional resources which they use to recruit members from the minority to join their ranks. Particularly remarkable is the description of a legislator who was in the process of deciding whether or not to switch parties. Consequently, the interviews provide insight into a legislator’s considerations and the order in which they address them as they contemplate making a switch. A legislator who began by considering the electoral consequences of the shift was enticed to complete it partly due to the increased power and influence he would hold once in the majority. Indeed, to the extent that the book has a weakness, it pertains to the application of the interviews and case studies. From a methodological perspective, some of the case studies and interviews might be more strategically selected to provide additional leverage necessary for addressing alternative hypotheses. Instead, in the case of the legislator who was in the process of making the shift, the results raise questions about the (small) role Yoshinaka ascribes to electoral considerations in the decisionmaking process. Even here, though, the finding does not mean Yoshinaka’s theory is wrong, as ex ante legislators may well believe they will get an electoral boost. This broader question would be a larger problem were the multi-method approach not employed, as unlike traditional case “only” studies, the evidence from them is not necessary for evaluating rival hypotheses. Consequently, such exiguous quibbles do little to detract from the force and findings of the work, as the evidence presented is at once clever and compelling. Overall, Crossing the Aisle is an interesting and impressive work. Yoshinaka’s multi-method approach synthesizing evidence from case studies, interviews, and massive amounts of historical legislative and elections data spanning decades illustrates how scholars can gain the leverage needed to provide insight into the causal processes that underlie rare events. Providing a rigorous yet accessible methodological account of party switching makes Crossing the Aisle likely to be of enduring interest to students and scholars alike.
Morphological and structural study on GdSr/sub 2/RuCu/sub 2/O/sub 8/ melt-textured samples

Strongly anisotropic magnetic and superconducting properties have been recently observed to coexist in Gd1212 (GdSr/sub 2/RuCu/sub 2/O/sub 8/). Magnetic ordering appears to be due to Ru planes while Cu planes are correlated to the superconducting properties. The unavailability of single crystals makes relevant the fabrication of oriented samples of macroscopic size by melt texturing techniques. Then we have grown MTG samples starting from 1 cm diameter pellets. Gd1210 (GdSr/sub 2/RuO/sub 6/) is added, analogously to Y211 in YBCO MTG processes. Preliminary studies have been performed on Gd1212 powders to explore the range of temperatures and the reactions involved. XRD analysis shows that a certain degree of orientation is present in our samples. By Polarized Light Optical Microscopy we have observed large oriented domains of almost millimeter size. Larger domains are expected by optimization of growth parameters. Images show even a homogeneous distribution of Gd1210 precipitates with a mean size of a few micrometers. SEM and EDS analyses have also been performed, confirming optical observations. Resistivity measurements show a 12 K wide superconductive transition with T/sub c/ onset at about 40 K. Optimization of successive annealing treatments are expected to reduce this width.
Homophily, Peer Effects, and Dishonesty

If individuals tend to behave like their peers, is it because of conformity, that is, the preference of people to align behavior with the behavior of their peers; homophily, that is, the tendency of people to bond with similar others; or both? We address this question in the context of an ethical dilemma. Using a peer effect model allowing for homophily, we designed a real-effort laboratory experiment in which individuals could misreport their performance to earn more. Our results reveal a preference for conformity and for homophily in the selection of peers, but only among participants who were cheating in isolation. The size of peer effects is similar when identical peers were randomly assigned and when they were selected by individuals. We thus jointly reject the presence of a self-selection bias in the peer effect estimates and of a link strength effect.
Misattribution of facial expressions of emotion in adolescents at increased risk of psychosis: the role of inhibitory control

Background By studying behavior, cognitive abilities and brain functioning in adolescents at high risk for psychosis, we can gain an insight into the vulnerability markers or protective factors in the development of psychotic symptoms. Although many high-risk studies have focused on impairments in neurocognitive functions, such as memory and attention, very few studies have investigated problems in processing social cues such as facial expressions as a possible vulnerability marker for psychosis. Method Thirty-six adolescents at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and 21 non-clinical controls completed a face recognition test, a facial affect labeling test and an inhibitory control test. Schizotypal traits and schizophrenia symptoms were assessed using a schizotypy questionnaire and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results The UHR group showed impairments in labeling facial expressions of others, in addition to a spared ability to recognize facial identity. More specifically, the UHR group made more errors in labeling neutral expressions compared to the controls, and an analysis of error types indicated that neutral faces were misattributed as being angry. The degree of misattribution of neutral-as-angry faces correlated significantly with reduced inhibitory control. Conclusions Our findings suggest that misattributing social cues might contribute to vulnerability for psychosis. This social cognitive deficit may be related to problems in inhibitory control, which potentially plays an important role in the selection of appropriate social meaning. These findings may have relevance for understanding the mechanisms underlying prodromal social dysfunction, which should be targeted in future remediation interventions.
Improving the Policy Development Process through Social Learning: An Evaluation of Advisory Committees using the Provincial Nutrient Management Advisory Committee

Improving the Policy Development Process through Social Learning: an Evaluation of Advisory Committees using the Provincial Nutrient Management Advisory Committee Mark T. Ferguson Advisor: University of Guelph, 2013 Professor John FitzGibbon Successful policy development requires collaborative planning, stakeholder participation, and effective knowledge transfer to develop trust and understanding among stakeholders; essentially social learning must take place in order to ensure policy formations are effective and sustained. It is thought that advisory committees fulfill these requirements for successful policy development. The Provincial Nutrient Management Advisory Committee (PNMAC) was used as a case study in assessing the suitability for stakeholder advisory committees as social learning and stakeholder participation processes. Interviews with PNMAC members were analyzed in revealing stakeholder perspectives and social learning tools that existed in the advisory committee process. Theories of collaborative planning, citizen participation, and social learning were used in analyzing these findings. Findings showed that advisory committees do foster social learning, through changes in stakeholder attitudes and trust development. Implementation benefits are limited to stakeholder groups’ abilities to disseminate knowledge and stakeholder group developments to their respective communities of practice.
Organizational Justice and its Relationship with Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Non-Academic Staff Members at Government Universities in North of Jordan

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organizational justice and organizational citizenship behaviors of non-academic staff members’ at government Universities in North Jordan. A descriptive cross-sectional and correlational research design was used. Three hundred employees were participated in this study that took place during July (2018). This study showed that high level of perceptions of Organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior among non-academic staff members at government Universities. Statistically significant positive relationships between the organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior were reported. There were some limitations in this study the sample drawing from public universities only in north Jordan. Thus, these results may not be representative of whole universities. Potential studies included all universities in Jordan were recommended.
Different genetic pathways in the evolution of invasive breast cancer are associated with distinct morphological subtypes

Invasive breast cancer shows a wide range of morphological differentiation, associated with differences in prognosis, but as yet, the underlying genetic mechanisms cannot be accounted for. In order to establish a model of the possible progression from the different subtypes of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer, 77 selected cases of invasive breast cancer representing distinct morphological subtypes were investigated by means of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). There was a high degree of genetic homology between tubular and tubulo‐lobular carcinoma and well‐differentiated DCIS, and between ductal invasive carcinoma G3 and poorly differentiated DCIS. Highly differentiated invasive breast cancers were characterized by a loss of 16q and a low average number of aberrations per case. In high‐grade tumours, losses of this chromosomal region were seen with a much lower frequency in cases with evidence of an aneuploid tumour status. These data demonstrate the close genetic similarity of well‐, intermediately, and poorly differentiated DCIS and distinct morphological types of invasive breast carcinoma, providing further evidence that DCIS is a direct precursor lesion of invasive breast cancer and that various evolutionary genetic pathways exist. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Determinants of VAT Gap in EU

This paper explains the term “VAT gap”, and briefly describes the calculation methods used in existing literature quantifying the VAT gap in various countries of the world. The VAT gap is calculated as the difference between the theoretical VAT liability ascertained from the national accounts and the VAT revenues accrued by the financial authorities. Although VAT gap is not caused by tax evasion only, it could serve as its indicator. Further, it provides a review of scientific papers and various studies that analyse factors influencing the size of the VAT gap, and summarizes the results of these empirical studies. The main purpose of this article is to perform a regression analysis of potential variables explaining the VAT gap in 24 EU Member States in two selected years (2002 and 2006) for which data on the VAT gap was available. Two factors common for both examined years affecting the VAT gap in the surveyed countries were found, being the fi nal consumption of households and non-profit organizations in each state, with a positive impact on the VAT gap, and the share of VAT in GDP, reducing the VAT gap. Other identified variables that would explain the size of the VAT gap were the share of the shadow economy and the standard VAT rate, with a positive impact, and GDP per capita, the share in intracommunity trade, final consumption of restaurant and hotel services, and the number of VAT rates, having a negative impact on the VAT gap.
Effects of heme oxygenase-1 gene modulated mesenchymal stem cells on vasculogenesis in ischemic swine hearts.

BACKGROUND Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation may partially restore heart function in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The aim of this study was to explore the beneficial effects of MSCs modified with heme xygenase-1 (HO-1) on post-infarct swine hearts to determine whether the induction of therapeutic angiogenesis is modified by the angiogenic cytokines released from the implanted cells. METHODS In vitro, MSCs were divided into four groups: (1) non-transfected MSCs (MSCs group), (2) MSCs transfected with the pcDNA3.1-Lacz plasmid (Lacz-MSCs group), (3) MSCs transfected with pcDNA3.1-hHO-1 (HO-1-MSCs group), and (4) MSCs transfected with pcDNA3.1-hHO-1 and pretreatment with an HO inhibitor, tin protoporphyrin (SnPP) (HO-1-MSCs + SnPP group). Cells were cultured in an airtight incubation bottle for 24 hours, in which the oxygen concentration was maintained at < 1%, followed by 12 hours of reoxygenation. After hypoxia/reoxygen treatment, ELISA was used to measure transforming growth factor (TGF-β) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) in the supernatant. In vivo, 28 Chinese mini-pigs were randomly allocated to the following treatment groups: (1) control group (saline), (2) Lacz-MSCs group, (3) HO-1-MSCs group, and (4) HO-1-MSCs + SnPP group. About 1 × 10(7) of autologous stem cells or an identical volume of saline was injected intracoronary into porcine hearts 1 hour after MI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assay and postmortem analysis were assessed four weeks after stem cell transplantation. RESULTS Post hypoxia/reoxygenation in vitro, TGF-β in the supernatant was significantly increased in the HO-1-MSCs ((874.88 ± 68.23) pg/ml) compared with Lacz-MSCs ((687.81 ± 57.64) pg/ml, P < 0.001). FGF-2 was also significantly increased in the HO-1-MSCs ((1106.48 ± 107.06) pg/ml) compared with the Lacz-MSCs ((853.85 ± 74.44) pg/ml, P < 0.001). In vivo, at four weeks after transplantation, HO-1 gene transfer increased the capillary density in the peri-infarct area compared with the Lacz-MSCs group (14.24 ± 1.66/HPFs vs. 11.51 ± 1.34/HPFs, P < 0.001). Arteriolar density was also significantly higher in HO-1-MSCs group than in the Lacz-MSCs group (7.86 ± 2.00/HPFs vs. 6.45 ± 1.74/HPFs, P = 0.001). At the same time, the cardiac function was significantly improved in the HO-1-MSCs group compared with the Lacz-MSCs group ((53.17 ± 3.55)% vs. (48.82 ± 2.98)%, P < 0.05). However, all these effects were significantly abrogated by SnPP. CONCLUSION MSCs provided a beneficial effect on cardiac function after ischemia/reperfusion by the induction of therapeutic angiogenesis, and this effect was amplified by HO-1 overexpression.
ICTs and Tourism in Small Island Developing States: The Case of the Maldives

Tourism is the leading economic activity in many small island developing states, such as the Maldives. Increasing reliance on information and communication technology in the tourism industry has become one of the major challenges facing developing countries, especially the small island developing states. Though the use of information and communication technology can potentially overcome barriers of distance and open up new markets, exploiting the full potential of information and communication technology can be problematic for small island developing states due to limited resources in terms of finance and human capital. This research uses a combination of grounded theory and multi-grounded theory to investigate this issue. This process generated a set of factors and institutional influences affecting the adoption and integration of information and communication technology in the tourism organizations of small island developing states like the Maldives. These factors and institutional influences formed the basis of a new theoretical framework organized around three themes: country, sector, and information systems. Many of the issues in using information and communication technology in the Maldives tourism industry are similar to those faced by other developing countries; however, two factors were found to be unique to small island developing states: the issues of vulnerability and technology dependency. These issues were found to have a major impact on the way the tourism industry operates in the Maldives, because of the industry’s dependence on information and communication technology.