Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Migration, Policy and Welfare in the Context of Developing Economies: A Simple Extended Family Approach

After giving an overview of the state of migration policy in developing countries with special reference to Pakistan this paper essentially revisits the issue of policy and its effect on rural to urban migration under an extended family theoretical framework. This specific approach is motivated by empirical literature on migration in the context of developing countries which suggests the emergence of spatially separated but economically linked rural and urban households - expanded or extended families. The extended family in this paper consists of two households, the rural-origin and its urban-migrant offshoot. The migrant after leaving the countryside joins relatives in the city who through the assumption of income sharing within households sustain the migrant in case of unemployment. The economic tie linking the two households is remittances flowing from the migrants to the family members left behind. All decisions, migration and remittance, are based on altruism rather then self-interest. Thus in the model both migration and remittances are endogenously determined. This extended family framework is then employed to analyze the effect of the standard policy prescriptions, i.e., urban employment subsidy and a rural income subsidy on migration and urban employment. Also, the welfare effect of a subsidy transfer from urban to rural sector is analyzed. The results, especially in the case of the rural subsidy provision, are qualitatively different from those in the standard Harris-Todaro type literature on migration suggesting the sensitivity of predicted policy effects on the type of methodology employed.
Meaningful work and secondary school teachers' intention to leave

The study investigates the relations between secondary school teachers’ work-role fit, job enrichment, supervisor relationships, co-worker relationships, psychological meaningfulness of work and intention to leave. A cross-sectional survey was used. The participants were 502 secondary school teachers in Namibia. The following measuring instruments were used: Work-role Fit Scale, Job Enrichment Scale, Co-worker and Supervisor Relationships Scales, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale and Turnover Intention Scale. Work-role fit and job enrichment both had direct positive effect on experiences of psychological meaningfulness at work, while poor work-role fit and low psychological meaningfulness both had a direct effect on teachers’ intentions to leave. An analysis of the indirect effects showed that poor work-role fit and poor job enrichment affected intention to leave due to the concomitant experience of low psychological meaningfulness. These findings have implications for the retention of teachers in secondary schools. Keywords : co-worker relationships; intention to leave; job crafting; job enrichment; Namibia; psychological meaningfulness; secondary schools; supervisor relationships; turnover; work-role fit
The Impact of a Video Game on Criminal Thinking

Background Debate regarding the potential repercussions of engaging with videogames that promote violence and crime has been part of public discourse for decades. The present study seeks to add to the debate by investigating some of the unexplored links between pro-criminal videogames and antisocial cognitive processes. Aim This study examined whether criminal thinking could be manipulated by exposure to common criminal stimuli: a popular North American news show and a popular antisocial videogame (GRAND THEFT AUTO IV). Method Participants (N = 136) were assigned to one of four conditions (criminal news, non-criminal news, criminal gameplay, noncriminal gameplay) followed by implicit (Implicit Association Test) and explicit (questionnaires) measures of criminal thinking. Results Results indicated that engaging in criminal video gameplay had an immediate effect on implicit measures of criminal thinking, but not on explicit measures of criminal thinking. Implications This study builds on the present literature by examining sources of criminal thinking and the usefulness of virtual crime methodologies and implicit measures for experimental paradigms in this field.
Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism in Romania Over the Period 2001 to 2012: A Bvar Analysis

Abstract In this study we intend to highlight the monetary transmission mechanism and how the main economic and monetary variables react to various shocks in Romania over the period 2001 to 2012 using a BVAR model with a KoKo Minnesota/Litterman prior. BVAR models solve the overparameterization of VAR and have advantages in terms of objectivity and flexibility. The analysis reveals important conclusions. The interest rate channel is being more and more consistent in the last years, the positive aspect that emerges from this study being related to the absence of output and price puzzle. Under these circumstances, the role and the responsibilities of the central bank acquire a greater importance, given its ability to control the interest rate in accordance with its objectives. The relationship between inflation and unemployment rate is consistent with the Phillips curve in Romania.
An International Study on Manufacturing Competitive Priorities

This study presents the results of an ongoing worldwide study in manufacturing competitive priorities. The main objective of this study is the examination of manufacturing competitive priorities, strategic directions and concerns of manufacturers around the world and to establish if differences exist among continents with regards to manufacturing strategy implementation. Data on the levels of adoption and relative payoff of strategic manufacturing-related activities, strategy integration and company performance priorities were analyzed to test for differences among continents. Results show that North America and Asia lead on manufacturing competitive priorities when compared to the rest of the continents.
Bioabsorbable Bone Plates Enabled With Local, Sustained Delivery of Bmp2 for Bone Regeneration

Bone fixation systems made of biodegradable polymers, such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), poly (lactic acid) (PLA) or poly (glycolic acid) (PGA), have attracted a great deal of interest as they would not need a secondary removal surgery due to biodegradability [1,2]. The major compartments of the bone fixation systems are plates and screws, where the plate is positioned and fixed on a fractured bone by screws. In this way, the undesired motion of the fractured bone can be prevented until complete healing. However, the bone fixation systems currently in clinical use do not have the functionality to treat patients with bone loss or diseases, such as osteoporosis. It was reported that approximately 11.4% of comminuted fractures induce bone loss [3], which would impair the stability of the bone fixation systems, thereby often needing a secondary surgery [3,4]. Such complications would also include infection, which was reported to occur in approximately 13.9% patients with fractured bone [5]. The osteoporotic patients often show low bone density, which delays bone healing [6] and causes severe complications, such as microfracture, malunion or a loosening of the fixation system even with adequate fixation of fractured bone [7,8]. It has been reported that the failure of bone fixation systems occurs in 2 to 10% of fractures related to osteoporosis [8,9].
With a compulsory superannuation (pension) system in Australia since 1992, the size of the Australian superannuation industry, in terms of assets under management, is estimated at AUD 1.99

Superannuation fees have come under public scrutiny in recent years with the belief that many are set too high. Using a comprehensive dataset of Australian superannuation funds, we examine the relationship between investment fees and fund performance. We find that the most expensive funds produce significantly higher after-fee raw returns than the cheapest funds. However, the most expensive funds do not earn significantly higher benchmark-adjusted returns after asset allocation adjustment, after fees, than the least expensive funds. Furthermore, we do not observe a strong relationship between benchmark-adjusted fund performance and their investment fees. These findings suggest that retirement balances will not be worse off if superannuation investors are to hold the more expensive funds.
The relationship between maternal allostatic load and demographic characteristics within different ethnic populations and different federal-level poverty groups

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between maternal allostatic load, a measure of the cumulative toll of chronic stress, and demographic characteristics within different ethnic populations and different federal-level poverty groups, which provides some foundational research prior to investigating the association of maternal allostatic load with the outcome of a subsequent pregnancy. Methods: This study is a part of a large study conducted by the Community and Child Health Network (CCHN). The CCHN allostatic load data set includes 10 objective biomarkers taken at the T2M visit (six months postpartum) and the T3M visit (12 months postpartum) for the mothers. The linear mixed-effects model was used to analyze the differences of all maternal allostatic load variables between the T2M visit and the T3M visit. Next, principal component analysis was applied to summarize the variability across maternal allostatic load variables in different ethnicity and poverty level groups and to do variable reduction. Finally, regression analysis was invoked to determine the relationship between maternal allostatic load variables and demographic variables within different ethnicity and poverty level groups. Results: From the linear mixed-effects regression analysis, there were significant differences on total cholesterol between the T2M visit and the T3M visit in poor Hispanic group (Difference=-9.9, SE=4.6, p=0.03), in the rich White group (Difference=-8.5, SE=3.7, p=0.02), and in the middle White group (Difference=-29.9, SE=7.2, p<0.0001). Principal component analysis identified two principal components of the biomarkers of maternal allostatic load. The first principal component was total cholesterol and the second principal component can be explained as a weighted average of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The comparisons of each allostatic load variable between different groups by ethnicity and poverty level at the T3M visit showed the only difference of mid-arm circumference between the middle Africa-American group and the middle White group after performing Hochberg step-down procedure (Difference=8.6, 95% Confidence Limits: 3.8-13.3, p=0.0004). The group wise comparisons of overall allostatic load variables at the T3M visit showed no statistical significance. Conclusions: There were no differences on most allostatic load biomarkers among 18 to 40 years old women within different ethnicity and poverty level groups while accounting for education, recruitment location, and age as covariables.
Are Consumers Of Luxury Natural Products Concerned About Environmental Issues

In this current marketplace, where consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious, natural products are increasingly promoting environmental and health related issues to the customers with a promise to enhance their quality of life. For luxury natural products, this effort is growing ever more robust due to the assurance of product quality and consumer awareness of environmental issues. Despite the significant grow thin the market for luxury natural products in Thailand, at present, little is known as to whether varying degrees of environmental and health consciousness will impact purchasing behavior. Data was collected from325 Thai consumers in a capital city in Thailand using a purposive judgment sample. The results show that environmental and health consciousness does have positive and significant impacts on consumers’ repurchase intention of luxury natural products. The empirical results and findings from this study will be valuable for business practitioners in the luxury natural products industry, to help formulate marketing strategies and facilitate industry development.
Limnology of Chanda beel

A limno-biological investigation was conducted in Chanda beel over a period of 8 months from June ‘95 to January ‘96. The floodplain showed temporal spatial and vertical variation in physico-chemical as well as biological conditions. During study period, physico-chemical parameters were within the suitable range for fish culture. Plankton population was higher in true beel areas. Both phytoplankton and zooplankton showed direct relationship among themselves. Presence of several indication plankton genera showed that the floodplain was eutrophic in nature.
Commitment, expertise and mutual recognition: oscillating sports tourism experiences of performing and watching at the World Gymnaestrada

This paper is dedicated to exploring the shifting experiences between being actively involved in and viewing sports tourism and the extent to which the perception of both roles relates to their experience of a participant community. While historically both activities were considered as heterogeneous categories in sports tourism, understood and analysed separately, recent research increasingly acknowledges the separation between both activities is often not as clear-cut as it seems. This paper explores the oscillation of the two roles in the context of the 2011 and 2015 World Gymnaestrada in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Helsinki, Finland. Framed by the conceptual notion of community and drawing largely on an ethnographic research approach, the findings suggest over and above taking part in a gymnastics display oneself, watching and talking about other groups’ performances is central to the event experience. During the event week, the participants adopt two constantly shifting roles of being a performer and being a spectator, with asking for and giving feedback based on one's own expertise being the mediating device between the two. There appears to be an internalised consensus that being involved in a display, which is taken seriously, provides the ability to assess and judge others. The constant interplay between performing and watching, between asking for feedback and showing appreciation, constitutes a significant device of mutual recognition through which the participants’ community is confirmed and validated.
Study of CSF C-reactive protein in meningitis to differentiate bacterial meningitis from aseptic meningitis in children between 1 month and 12 years of age

Background: Meningitis is a serious illness of childhood. CSF Gram stain and culture is the gold standard for diagnosis which is a costly and time consuming. So, this study was conducted with the objective to measure the specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy of CSF-CRP in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Department of Pediatrics, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jaipur. Children between 1 month to 12 years of age admitted with acute history of fever and seizure were included. CSF was sent for CRP estimation and other laboratory investigations. CSF CRP was determined qualitatively and value >6mcg/ml was considered positive. Patients were divided into three groups based on clinical and CSF findings. Group 1 (Bacterial meningitis), Group 2 (Aseptic Meningitis) and Group 3 (No meningitis/Control Group). Statistical analysis was done using software SPSS version 23. Results: 120 patients were enrolled in our study. 65% of our cases were males. The mean age of our cases was 74.9±39.8 months. 48 cases had bacterial meningitis, 42 cases had Aseptic Meningitis and 30 cases had no meningitis. CSF-CRP was positive in 35 cases of Bacterial meningitis, 6 cases of aseptic meningitis and negative in all cases of control group. Hence the Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive Value and Diagnostic Accuracy of CSF-CRP for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis were 72.92%, 85.71%, 85.71%, 73.47% and 78.89% respectively. CSF-CRP cases of bacterial meningitis were also found to have a poor outcome. Conclusions: CSF-CRP can be used as an initial test for the diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis till other confirmatory test reports are awaited.
Low Intensity Ultrasound Induced Apoptosis in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines

According to the World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRFI), breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide with recorded 1.7 million new cases in 2012. The main line of treatments is still limited to chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy which could lead to a wide range of dangerous side effects. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of low intensity ultrasound (LIUS) on cell proliferation, percentage of living and dead cells and the induction of apoptosis on the MCF-7 cell line with CHO cells as the control for non-cancerous group. In order to achieve the objective of this study, several methods of cell-bioguided assays were used including the MTT assay for cell proliferation, Live/Dead assay for the determination of both live and dead cells and gene expression study for the detection of apoptosis in the cells. The cytotoxicity and Live/Dead assays data provided preliminary data that the LIUS has potential to induce apoptosis in a wide population of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the LIUS treatment induced the expression of p53-mRNA at a detectable level via qPCR analysis, indicating the activation of apoptosis. In short, our study suggested LIUS dosage used in this study could potentially show positive effects in the induction of apoptosis selectively on the MCF-7 with less harm to the control CHO cells.
The Link Between the Brent Crude Oil Price and the US Dollar Exchange Rate

Growth in the intensity of the inverse relationship between the US dollar exchange rate and the Brent crude oil price has been observed over the last decade. This may be linked, among other things, to the growing role of commodities as an alternative investment instrument at times of excess liquidity and low interest rates on global markets. This analysis examines monthly data from January 1982 to September 2010. Since 2002 the direction of the relationship in the Granger causality sense has been from the dollar exchange rate to the oil price. A weakening of the dollar of 1% causes the Brent oil price to rise by 2.1%. The contrary movements in the Brent oil price and the dollar exchange rate are a factor dampening the impact of sharp fl uctuations in the dollar price of oil on "non-dollar" economies, including the Czech Republic. This dampening effect was clearly visible in the period of sharp oil price growth in 2007 and 2008.
Markov processes associated with semi-Dirichlet forms

Recently, in [1], [11] an analytic characterization of all (non-symmetric) Dirichlet forms (on general state spaces) which are associated with pairs of special standard porocesses has been proved extending fundamental results in [8], [9], [18], [5], [10] (cf. also the literature in [11]). These Dirichlet forms are called quasi-regular (cf. Section 3 below). The processes forming the pairs are in duality w.r. t. the reference (speed) measure of the Dirichlet form. From a probabilistic point of view, however, this duality is quite restrictive. It arises from the fact that a Dirichlet form by the definition in [1], [11] exhibits a contraction property in both of its arguments. More precisely, we recall that a coercive closed form (<̂ ,Z>((ί)) on L(E;m) (cf. Section 2 below) is called a Dirichlet form if for all ueD(£) we have w MeD(S) and
Moderation effects on the market orientation-performance connubial relationship: a developing world perspective

Market orientation (MO) occupies the front burner in strategic marketing domain. To date, available empirical evidence on the universality and effect of MO on organisational performance continue to generate mixed, conflicting, contradictory, inconsistent and at best inconclusive research findings. Thus, the study investigates the MO-objective performance measure relationship and the effects of moderation variables in Nigeria. A survey approach was used and the Narver and Slater's (1990) MKTOR scale was adapted to the Nigerian business environment and adopted for the study. Results show that contrary to prior research MO has a direct relationship with profitability and market share. Amazingly,market turbulence does not moderate the relationship, competitive intensity was found to play a moderating role in the MO-profitability relations but no effect on MO-market share relations. Technological turbulence was found to negatively moderate the MO-profitability link but not for market share. It thus, suggests that the Nigerian business has some resemblance with advanced countries. This may be due largely to western influence in the country, which leads to changing customer lifestyle and business landscape.
Applying a Usability Technique in the Open Source Software Development Process: Experiences from the Trenches

the the chapter Abstract The growth in the number of non-developer open source software (OSS) application users has drawn attention to usability in the OSS community. OSS communities do not generally know how to apply usability techniques and are unclear about which techniques to use in each activity of the development process. The aim of our research is to determine the feasibility of applying the focus groups technique in the OSS ERMaster project. To do this, we participated as project volunteers. We used the case study research method to inves tigate technique application and OSS community participation. As a result, we identified adverse conditions that were an obstacle to the application of the original technique. We then adapted the technique to make it applicable in an OSS project. We can conclude that was not easy to recruit OSS users and developers to participate in technique application.
A moderated transactional link between child behavioral problems and parenting: A longitudinal- and behavioral- genetic study

Parenting behaviors and a variety of behavioral problems in children covary. The current study first aimed to examine how and why parenting and child behavioral problems are linked in middle childhood. In particular, a longitudinal design (1364 children assessed from 54 months to 5 th grade) was used to examine whether the developmental link between parenting and child behavioral problems were reciprocal. A twin design (131 pairs of monozygotic and 173 pairs of dizygotic twins assessed from 6 to 8 years of age on average) was used to examine the underlying genetic and nongenetic etiology of this link. In addition, using these two samples, the current study also aimed to examine whether parental attributes, including negative affect, executive function, and social cognitive factors, modulate the link between parenting and child behavioral problems. Results across these two studies suggested that parenting and child behavioral problems mutually influenced the development of each other over time, potentially through both evocative and passive gene-environment correlation processes and environmental transmissions. In addition, maternal dispositional anger modulated the effects of child behavioral problems on changes in maternal parenting quality over time. Finally, implications of the current study were also discussed.