Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Going to war democratically: The case of the second Congo war (1998–2000)

The assessment of the quality of democracy in Africa normally turns to the subjects of political rights, such as free and fair elections; the effectiveness of the everyday conduct of parliament and opposition parties; freedom from domination by powerful groups; and the experience of human rights, especially among minorities. Comparative analysis frequently use the aggregate scores that claim to summarize these data, such as the Freedom House’s Freedom Rating, and in particular its score on political rights is taken as the measurement of the extent of democratization. Periodically, however, an opening occurs to put the democratic process through a more rigorous testÐ the performance of the polity under the strains of war. International monitors might pronounce on how free and fair elections were, and human rights organizations might report on imprisonment and censorship, but how do states fare under the strains of war? Do governments apply their democratic values of popular mandate for policy, accountability, freedom of information, freedom of expression, equality of treatment and the like, to the issues surrounding war? War reveals how deeply embedded democratic values are in a government. Never is the temptation so great to dilute, evade, or abandon democratic values. This is the time when the eÂ lite, political and military, wants to break free from the restraints of the general populationÐ whose expertise is deemed insuf® cient in military matters; whose informed debates can only delay decisions and undermine the facade of national unity; whose inclinations are for peace rather than war; and whose press would demoralize the nation and aid the enemy if they had half a chance to publish the whole truth. Never does the demos look such a liability as when the few are seated around the war cabinet table. This article will investigate the government conduct in the states involved in the second Congo war namely, Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda and, to a lesser degree, Chad, Burundi and Sudan. In particular it will compare those that claim an allegiance to democracy with their actual democratic performance. The eight states constitute a wide span of regime types. Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda would all be classi® ed as authoritarian states. All have poor records of human rights abuses and political repression, in part because they are engaged in internal insurgencies. Although Rwanda does show some credible sincerity about restoring democracy, albeit of a no-party kind, Burundi and, in particular, Sudan show strong authoritarian tendencies and give little indication of liberalizing in the near future. The other ® ve states, however, would all claim adherence to democratic
A Study of the Association between Level of Slack Reduction Following Downsizing and Innovation Output

Over the years scholars put forward a number of theories to explain the association between slack and innovation. This study extends this body of research by focusing on the effects of reduction in slack level following downsizing on innovation output. We developed two hypotheses to examine the total effects and varied yearly effects. We tested the hypotheses with data from a panel of UK firms that downsized between 1997 and 2003. The results show that the level of downsizing has only temporary effects on innovation output. We discuss the implications of these findings and avenues for future research.
Long-Run Performance Evaluation of Journalists' Stock Recommendations

This paper evaluates the long-run performance of buy and sell recommendations issued by journalists at German Personal Finance Magazines for the first time. We find evidence for journalists providing significant investment value with their recommendations on the sell side since sell recommendations contain high investment value for readers. In contrast, buy recommendations generally contain only little investment value. However, we find that journalists’ predictive abilities differ with respect to specific types of buy recommendations. On the one hand, buy recommendations on value stocks and stocks with a positive performance prior to the publication date are associated with significant investment value for readers. On the other hand, executing buy recommendations on stocks listed at the Neuer Markt would have resulted in serious losses for private investors.
The development of cross-border economic relations

This dissertation investigates the influence of a state border on the development of cross-border economic relations in the European Union. The focus is on the frequency, number, and success of cross-border relations between firms in the border regions of the Netherlands and Belgium. The study fills a gap in the established literature on the internationalisation of firms by measuring the impact of the cognition and affection of entrepreneurs towards enterprise and entrepreneurs on the other side of the border. To gain insight into the development and success of cross-border economic relations a model is developed, the INTERFACE model (INTERnational Formation of Autonomous Cooperation between Enterprises). This model distinguishes between the following phases of economic relationship-building: contact (the encounter), attraction (the choice of a partner), interaction (the negotiation), transaction (the realisation of the contract), relationship (continuity) and success (intensity and evaluation). The study shows that a key factor in the explanation of the frequency and number of cross-border economic relations is 'mental distance' between the home and a foreign country. Furthermore, the findings in this dissertation suggest that trust and similarity between partners are crucial factors in determining the success of a cross-border economic relation.
Validation of the vitronectin knockout mouse as a model for studying myocardial infarction: Vitronectin appears to influence left ventricular remodelling following myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Vitronectin (VN) is an abundant acute-phase plasma protein that regulates cell adhesion and migration as well as interactions with components of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system, specifically plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1. This system plays a major role in tissue remodelling regulating wound healing after myocardial infarction. OBJECTIVES To investigate the feasibility of using VN knockout mice (VN(-/-)) to study the role of VN on ventricular remodelling following myocardial infarction. METHODS Specifically bred VN(-/-) mice and normal wild-type (VN(+/+)) mice underwent coronary artery ligation and were assessed 28 days postligation using echocardiography and morphometric histology. RESULTS No difference was observed between VN(-/-) mice and VN(+/+) mice with respect to gross phenotype, weight, coronary anatomy or echocardiographically measured ejection fraction (56%). Following myocardial infarction, VN(-/-) mice exhibited less ventricular dilation and less impairment in echocardiographic ejection fraction compared with VN(+/+) mice (48% versus 41%; P=0.01). VN(-/-) mice also exhibited smaller infarcts on morphometric analysis. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study confirmed the feasibility of using coronary artery ligation in VN knockout mice to investigate the role of VN in post-myocardial infarction remodelling. The absence of VN appears to result in favourable effects on wound healing. These data suggest that this model may offer novel insights into the role of VN in the regulation of myocardial remodelling.
Doppler application in the delivery timing of the preterm growth‐restricted fetus: another step in the right direction

This article provides an opinion on a study of relationships between umbilical artery (UA) Doppler, ductus venosus (DV) Doppler, fetal heart rate variation, and perinatal outcome in preterm, intrauterine growth‐restricted (IUGR) fetuses published in the same issue of this journal by Bilardo and coworkers. Recent evidence on venous Doppler surveillance in preterm IUGR fetuses was also reviewed and discussed in the context of the study with a special emphasis on delivery timing. A search was conducted through MEDLINE and eight articles with similar inclusion criteria and reporting format of outcomes were identified. Numbers for perinatal mortality, intraventricular hemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) were extracted for cases where Doppler status was recorded in an identical format. Proportional distribution of outcomes was compared for fetuses with normal DV Doppler velocimetry, absent or reversed UA end‐diastolic velocity (UA A/REDV), elevated DV Doppler index (abnormal DV) and absence or reversal of atrial velocity in the DV (DV‐RAV). A total of 320 fetuses with normal and 202 with elevated DV Doppler indices were extracted. Of these fetuses, 101 with UA A/REDV only and 34 with DV‐RAV were identified. Perinatal mortality was 5.6% (16/282) with normal DV, 11.9% (12/101) with UA A/REDV, 38.8% (64/165) with abnormal DV and 41.2% (7/17) with DV‐RAV. With the exception of NEC, all complications were significantly more frequent with abnormal DV. With normal venous Doppler neonatal deaths account for most of the perinatal mortality, while with abnormal DV stillbirths and neonatal mortality are similar contributors to the significantly increased perinatal mortality. In conclusion, UA Doppler is a placental function test that provides important diagnostic and prognostic information in preterm IUGR. DV Doppler effectively identifies those preterm IUGR fetuses that are at high risk for adverse outcome (particularly stillbirth) at least 1 week before delivery, independent of the UA waveform. Relationships between perinatal outcome, arterial and venous Doppler status and gestational age require ongoing observational research effort. Randomized management trials are necessary to verify that delivery timing based on venous Doppler will impact on outcome in preterm IUGR. Copyright © 2004 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Challenge of Reducing Subsidies and Trade Barriers

This is one of 10 studies for the Copenhagen Consensus Project that sought to evaluate the most feasible opportunities to improve welfare globally and alleviate poverty in developing countries. The author argues that phasing out distortionary government subsidies and barriers to international trade will yield an extraordinarily high benefit-cost ratio. A survey is provided of recent estimates using global economy-wide simulation models of the benefits of doing that by way of the current Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations. Even if adjustment costs are several times as large as suggested by available estimates, the benefit-cost ratio from seizing this opportunity exceeds 20. That is much higher than the rewards from regional or bilateral trade agreements or from providing preferential access for least-developed countries' exports to high-income countries. Such reform would simultaneously contribute to alleviating several of the other key challenges reflected in the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals.
Regional Heterogeneity and Policy Preferences in Canada: 1979–2006

The publication of Small Worlds in 1980 constituted a landmark in the study of Canadian politics. This contribution re-assesses the central findings of regional similarity and convergence in opinion preferences on public policy as observed in the original chapter by Richard Simeon and Donald Blake. Using public opinion data from the past 30 years, three central findings emerge: the presence of non-trivial levels of regional variation in public policy preferences; policy preference heterogeneity tends to be comparable to or greater than differences based on other socio-demographic features of Canadian society, and; regional preference heterogeneity since 1980 has increased and remains prominent even when separating out the effects of the Quebec issue. As a result, the contribution concludes that region is an important source of heterogeneity in Canadians' public policy preferences.
Why Do Developers Get Password Storage Wrong?: A Qualitative Usability Study

Passwords are still a mainstay of various security systems, as well as the cause of many usability issues. For end-users, many of these issues have been studied extensively, highlighting problems and informing design decisions for better policies and motivating research into alternatives. However, end-users are not the only ones who have usability problems with passwords! Developers who are tasked with writing the code by which passwords are stored must do so securely. Yet history has shown that this complex task often fails due to human error with catastrophic results. While an end-user who selects a bad password can have dire consequences, the consequences of a developer who forgets to hash and salt a password database can lead to far larger problems. In this paper we present a first qualitative usability study with 20 computer science students to discover how developers deal with password storage and to inform research into aiding developers in the creation of secure password systems.
The Determinants and Motivations of China's Outward Foreign Direct Investment: A Spatial Gravity Model Approach

Abstract The study attempts to investigate the features and determinants of China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) into 138 countries and Chinese firms' investment strategies over the 2003–2009 period using an augmented gravity model with spatial linkages. The respective evaluations of China's OFDI are indicative of the important role played by non-financial OFDI. At the same time, Chinese firms prefer to invest in high-tech industries in developed countries while also focusing on the extraction of natural resources around the world. The empirical findings show that the host country's economic size has a significantly positive effect in terms of promoting Chinese OFDI. Chinese firms favour a complex-vertical platform in the developed countries while they prefer a market potential foreign direct investment (FDI) surrounding the host developing countries and an export-platform FDI in the petroleum exporting countries based on the surrounding market potential effect and spatial effect. The fuel extraction motive plays a key role in China's OFDI in line with the realities of Chinese FDI strategies in recent years.
Ranking Stock Exchange Development of the Selected Countries Using

Capital markets are one of the most important economic sectors of each country. Attaining desirable economic growth and development is not possible without the existence of efficient financial institutions and appropriate data of financial resources. In this regard, efficient financial systems could lead to better allocation of resources, increasing economic growth by reduction of transaction costs and information acquisition and analysis. Thus, given to such important and vital role of the stock exchange in achieving economic growth, it appears that more researches should be performed concerning stock exchange development. The purpose of this research is to rank stock exchange development level of forty countries including twenty developed and twenty developing countries by means of TOPSIS method during 2004-2008. Research literature indicated that the most complete system to measure the level of stock exchange development consists of three criteria of depth, width and sophistication. Hence, these three criteria are considered as indices of stock exchange development using TOPSIS method. Results of data analysis illustrated that Iran has averaged ranks of 25, 36 and 15, respectively, based on depth, width and sophistication indices during the research time period. Finally, given a combination of all the countries’ indices, total rank of Iran's stock exchange development during the research time period was an average of 26.
Cloning and Characterization of Adeno-Associated Virus Type 5

ABSTRACT Adeno-associated virus type 5 (AAV5) is distinct from other dependovirus serotypes based on DNA hybridization and serological data. To better understand the biology of AAV5, we have cloned and sequenced its genome and generated recombinant AAV5 particles. The single-stranded DNA genome is similar in length and genetic organization to that of AAV2. The rep gene of AAV5 is 67% homologous to AAV2, with the majority of the changes occurring in the carboxyl and amino termini. This homology is much less than that observed with other reported AAV serotypes. The inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) are also unique compared to those of the other AAV serotypes. While the characteristic AAV hairpin structure and the Rep DNA binding site are retained, the consensus terminal resolution site is absent. These differences in the Rep proteins and the ITRs result in a lack of cross-complementation between AAV2 and AAV5 as measured by the production of recombinant AAV particles. Alignment of the cap open reading frame with that of the other AAV serotypes identifies both conserved and variable regions which could affect tissue tropism and particle stability. Comparison of transduction efficiencies in a variety of cells lines and a lack of inhibition by soluble heparin indicate that AAV5 may utilize a distinct mechanism of uptake compared to AAV2.
The European Migrant Workers Union and the barriers to transnational industrial citizenship

Despite the rapid increase in cross-national labour migration since EU enlargement in 2004, there has been little research on transnational union efforts to organize migrant workers. This article examines the European Migrant Workers Union, created by the German union IG BAU in a shift away from national protectionism towards transnational organizing. The initiative largely failed, primarily because of decisions by other unions to reject the transnational approach and instead to defend existing institutional arrangements. We argue that this inaction constitutes a setback for union reassertion of control over markets and for bringing industrial citizenship to Europe’s hyper-mobile workers.
From Research to Practice: Knowledge Translation in Job Development

Abstract Researchers consider job developers key to the successful negotiation of the complex factors that people with intellectual disability face when pursuing employment. Unfortunately, knowledge about the characteristics and their use of research tested strategies in job development is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the practices and attitudes of job developers and the implementation of best practices as described in the literature. The current study is an outgrowth of a large online survey of job development practices (Migliore, Hall, Butterworth, & Winsor, 2010). Researchers reached out to a subset of survey participants via telephone and conducted qualitative interviews with eight job developers. Findings from this study further explain the conclusions of Migliore et al. (2010) regarding the gap between the literature and field. Findings from the study also indicate that the issues, challenges, and strategies that job developers use with each customer group (famil.
Dissociation in Individuals Denying Trauma Exposure: Findings From Two Samples

Abstract A number of studies suggest that dissociation is reliably related to trauma exposure, and that inadequate regulation of posttraumatic distress may be a significant factor. We examined whether affect dysregulation predicts dissociation in those denying any lifetime exposure to trauma. These relationships were evaluated in a general population sample and a second sample of nontraumatized university students. In the first study, multivariate analyses indicated that, along with gender, affect dysregulation was a relatively strong predictor, accounting for 27% of the variance in dissociation. In the replication study, dissociation was associated with affect dysregulation, but not gender. Affect dysregulation seems to predict dissociative symptomatology in nontraumatized individuals. It is hypothesized that emotional distress, whether from trauma or other etiologies, motivates dissociation to the extent that it challenges the individual’s compromised capacity for affect regulation. Treatment implications may include the potential helpfulness of interventions that increase emotion regulation skills.
Anesthetic effect of tricaine methanesulfonate, clove oil and electroanesthesia on lysozyme activity of Oncorhynchus mykiss

There is a few available information about the effect of anesthetics, specially electroanesthesia on immune parameters in fish. In the present work, two anesthetics, MS222 (50 ppm), clove oil (25 ppm), and electroanesthesia were tested in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in narcosis stage. The results showed, clove oil and electroanesthesia increase the lysozyme activity 24 h after anesthesia(p 0.05). It seems use of MS222 during aquacultural practices may induce lesser effect in rainbow trout.
Countercyclical Fiscal Policy in South Africa: Role and Impact of Automatic Fiscal Stabilisers

As actual budget balances reflect both cyclical developments and discretionary measures, they are not very useful when seeking to assess the orientation of underlying fiscal policy and possible structural imbalances in the budget balance. The influence of fluctuations in economic growth on the government’s budget balance can be examined by decomposing the actual budget into a cyclical and a structural or cyclically adjusted component. The former component shows the effect on the government budget of cyclical fluctuations in economic activity, the latter reflects what the budget balance would be if economic activity were at its trend level. This paper calculates the extent to which fiscal policy stabilises output fluctuations in South Africa and estimates the cyclically adjusted budget balance of the consolidated general government as an alternative fiscal indicator that can contribute to more effective fiscal policy and fiscal analysis. JEL E63
Similarities and Differences between Women and Men Business Proprietorship

Stanley Cromie is senior lecturer in organisation theory at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. The study was undertaken to add to the literature on the female entrepreneur by using a model of entrepreneurial choice to discover why 34 women and 35 men chose to become business proprietors. Results indicated that both men and avoid unsatisfying jobs. In contrast men were more interested in making money while women expressed dissatisfaction with their job histories. Women with children women saw entrepreneurship as a means of overcoming barriers to career advancement. Both genders were poorly prepared for the task of new business founding and neither men nor women were forced into proprietorship through labour market pressures.
HR Practices and Knowledge Sharing Behavior

In the era of the knowledge-based economy, knowledge management has increasingly captured the interest and attention of researchers and practitioners. In addition, knowledge sharing behavior has been recognized as an important element of knowledge management. However, few studies have explored knowledge sharing behavior in the public sector. Using the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey data, this study investigates the relationship between human resource (HR) practices and knowledge sharing behavior in the public sector, including the moderating role of trust in supervisor. The authors find that HR practices and trust in supervisor play pivotal roles in promoting knowledge sharing behavior. In addition, results show that trust in supervisor moderates the relationships between HR practices and knowledge sharing behavior. The implications of these findings are thoroughly discussed in this study.