Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Political Mobilisation, Political Participation and the Power of the Vote

This article proposes a framework to recast our thinking about political participation. The approach adopted insists on the role of collective actors and their agents – the political elites – in the democratic process and, by implication, in determining the amount and forms of individual political participation. The proposed framework builds on a simple model of representative government and introduces some major changes in the political context which have become ever more conspicuous in the course of the last 30 years, and which are substantially modifying the conditions for conventional (electoral) and unconventional political participation. Prominent among these changes are the increasing role of the media in politics, and the decline of party control over the voters. These changes tend to enhance both electoral and non-electoral forms of participation. Another set of contemporary institutional changes reduces the electoral accountability of political decision-makers, with expected consequences that are more ambiguous for both electoral and non-electoral participation.
CXC Receptor and Chemokine Expression in Human Meningioma

Abstract: Recent evidence indicates that cancer cells express chemokine (CK) receptors and that their signaling is crucial for tumor proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. The profiles of expression of CXC CK receptors (CXCR1‐5) and their main ligands (growth‐related oncogene, GRO1‐2‐3/CXCL1‐2‐3; interleukin 8, IL‐8/CXCL8; monokine‐induced γ‐interferon MIG/CXCL9; γ‐interferon‐inducible‐protein‐10, IP‐10/CXCL10; stromal cell‐derived factor‐1, SDF1/CXCL12; B‐cell activating CK‐1, BCA‐1/CXCL13) were analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) in surgical samples of human meningiomas. All the five receptors displayed high percentages of positive cases: 92% CXCR1, 89% CXCR2, 83% CXCR3, 78% CXCR4, and 94% CXCR5. Conversely, their ligands showed a lower pattern of expression: 40% IL‐8, 42% GRO1‐3, 42% IP‐10, 28% MIG, 53% SDF1, and 3% BCA‐1. SDF1/CXCR4 interaction plays a pivotal role in cancer proliferation. Thus, the signaling mechanisms activated by the exclusive binding between SDF1 and CXCR4 was investigated in 12 primary cultures from meningioma tissues. CXCR4 was functionally coupled as demonstrated by the significant increase of DNA synthesis in meningioma cells in response to SDF1, measured by [3H]‐thymidine uptake. In three primary cultures, the SDF1‐dependent mitogenic activity was associated with a marked phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1/2) as evaluated by Western blots. PD98059 (a MEK inhibitor) significantly reduced ERK1/2 activation, thus linking the SDF1/CXCR4 pathway to meningioma cell proliferation via ERK1/2 signal transduction. We demonstrate, for the first time in human meningiomas, the simultaneous expression of CXCR1‐5 and their CKs and the mitogenic activity of SDF1/CXCR4, suggesting a pivotal role of these receptor–ligand pairs in meningeal tumors.
Prognostic relevance of dic(9;20)(p11;q13) in childhood B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treated with Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster (BFM) protocols containing an intensive induction and post‐induction consolidation therapy

The presence of a dicentric chromosome dic(9;20) has been reported to have an unfavourable prognosis in children with B‐cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (BCP‐ALL). As outcome may be influenced by type and composition of treatment, we analyzed 19 BCP‐ALL patients with dic(9;20) who have been treated with ALL‐BFM (Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster) protocols that included a 4‐drug induction and subsequent consolidation therapy. All patients were good responders to prednisone and in complete remission after induction therapy. Eight patients had no molecular disease after induction and another eight patients had levels ≤10−4 after consolidation therapy. After a median follow‐up of 3·4 years, probabilities of 5‐year event‐free and overall survival were 75 ± 11% and 94 ± 6%, respectively. Of note, there was a tendency for extramedullary disease in case of relapse (two of three relapses with central nervous system involvement). In conclusion, in the context of ALL‐BFM protocols dic(9;20)‐positivity appeared to have a favourable prognosis, which could be due to a dose‐ and time‐intensified induction and induction consolidation therapy. Given that in vitro studies have shown high cellular sensitivity of dic(9;20)‐positive leukemic blasts to l‐asparaginase and cytarabine, it is reasonable to speculate that both drugs, as given early during BFM‐like induction and consolidation therapy, may have contributed to this good outcome.
Are Some Outside Directors Better than Others? Evidence from Director Appointments by Fortune 1000 Firms

I analyze 1,493 first-time director appointments to Fortune 1000 boards, during 1997-99, to investigate whether certain outside directors are better than others. Reactions to director appointments are higher when appointees are CEOs of other companies than when they are not. CEOs are more likely to obtain outside directorships when the companies they head perform well. Well-performing CEOs are also more likely to gain directorships in organizations with growth opportunities. Because, for these firms, a large portion of their value hinges upon realizing their growth potential, I conclude that CEOs are sought as outside directors to enhance firm value.
Economists' Hubris - The Case of Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper is the first in a series of articles that look at the practical benefits of economics/finance literature to the world of business and policymakers and critically examines whether there is any relationship between academic thought and business or policy application. In this article I review some key studies of mergers and acquisitions that are representative for this field of study and assess their practical value for making business or policy decisions. I conclude that while this literature does provide a reasonable aggregate of what the markets are doing they form no basis whatsoever upon which judgments are made about acquisitions or mergers and they certainly are of little or no value when it comes to the strategic issues that are essential to the management. Consequently, this academic literature adds very little to our knowledge of how each specific case is to be handled. More specifically, I find very few papers from the world of economics/finance that are actually able to suggest how business combinations can be integrated post-merger, which is what seems to be of greatest value to business managers. This area has largely been left to strategy consultants and a handful of applied (business) economists.
Unilateral Liberalisation or Trade Agreements: Which Way Forward for the Pacific?

Empirical results show that, for the Pacific island states, a free trade agreement with developed countries provides more benefits followed by regional trade agreement within the Pacific and then unilateral tariff reduction. While the agricultural sector expands and the manufacturing sector declines in all scenarios, to avoid second-best outcomes, developed countries need to go beyond the provision of aid for trade/development measures. For developing countries, the way forward with regional trade agreements is to carefully sequence them with regard to the different developed countries involved. This must be accompanied by domestic reform which is necessary but not sufficient for long-term gains.
Analysis of football game-related statistics using multivariate techniques

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore football game-related statistics during a competition, using principal component and cluster analyses to determine if it is possible to distinguish the winning teams from the drawing and losing ones. We collected the game-related statistics of the group phase matches of the 2006 World Cup and organised them into a matrix. The principal components of the covariance matrix were calculated. The scores of the first and second components were used to represent the new data, and cluster analysis was applied to separate the elements in two groups (G1 and G2). To analyse the degree of separation between the groups, we calculated the Silhouette Coefficient for each group. Finally, we checked if the winning teams were classified into the same group. The Silhouette Coefficients found for G1 and G2 were 0.54 and 0.55, respectively. Results showed that 70.3% of the winning teams were classified into the same group (G1). Similarly, 67.8% of the drawing and losing teams were classified in G2. This study presented a different way to analyse game-related statistics that allowed the multivariate differences to be shown between successful and unsuccessful teams.
Making sense of hypertrophic scar: a role for nerves

Healed partial thickness wounds including burns and donor sites cause hypertrophic scar formation and patient discomfort. For many patients with hypertrophic scars, pruritis is the most distressing symptom, which leads to wound excoriation and chronic wound formation. In spite of the clinical significance of abnormal innervation in scars, the nervous system has been largely ignored in the pathophysiology of hypertrophic scars. Evidence that neuropeptides contribute to inflammatory responses to injury include inflammatory cell chemotaxis, cytokine and growth factor production. The neuropeptide substance P, which is released from nerve endings after injury, induces inflammation and mediates angiogenesis, keratinocyte proliferation, and fibrogenesis. Substance P activity is tightly regulated by neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a membrane bound metallopeptidase that degrades substance P at the cell membrane. Altered substance P levels may contribute to impaired cutaneous healing responses associated with diabetes mellitus or hypertrophic scar formation. Topical application of exogenous substance P or an NEP inhibitor enhances wound closure kinetics in diabetic murine wounds suggesting that diabetic wounds have insufficient substance P levels to promote a neuroinflammatory response necessary for normal wound repair. Conversely, increased nerve numbers and neuropeptide levels with reduced NEP levels in human and porcine hypertrophic scar samples suggest that excessive neuropeptide activity induces exuberant inflammation in hypertrophic scars. Given these observations about the role of neuropeptides in cutaneous repair, neuronal modulation of repair processes at two extremes of abnormal wound healing, chronic non‐healing ulcers in type II diabetes mellitus and hypertrophic scars in deep partial thickness wounds, may provide therapeutic targets.
Distribution Channels in the Travel Industry: Using Mystery Shoppers to Understand the Influence of Travel Agency Recommendations

The objective of this study was to understand the factors that influence travel agency recommendations in the United Kingdom. This was achieved using a mixture of focus groups, interviews, and “mystery shoppers. ” Exploration into the process of choosing a holiday showed that the brochure plays an important role for many consumers. However, for the travel agent the brochure is low priority, and even when the brochure is used the travel agent often has a considerable amount of influence on consumer decision making. Whether the agency is vertically integrated has considerable influence on the recommendation process. Based on analysis of the interviews and focus groups, a model was developed and tested using mystery shoppers. Results from investigating 156 travel agents across the United Kingdom indicate that the majority of travel agents owned by large tour operators will attempt to push the holidays of their parent company rather than give impartial advice to consumers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Percutaneous Necrosectomy and Sinus Tract Endoscopy in the Management of Infected Pancreatic Necrosis: An Initial Experience

ObjectiveTo describe the development of a minimally invasive technique aimed at surgical debridement in addition to simple drainage of the abscess cavity. Summary Background DataSurgical intervention for secondary infection of pancreatic necrosis is associated with a death rate of 25% to 40%. Although percutaneous approaches may drain the abscess, they have often failed in the long term as a result of inability to remove the necrotic material adequately. MethodsFourteen consecutive patients with infected necrosis secondary to acute pancreatitis were studied. The initial four patients underwent sinus tract endoscopy along a drainage tract for secondary sepsis after prior open necrosectomy. This technique was then modified to allow primary debridement for proven sepsis to be carried out percutaneously in a further 10 patients. The techniques and initial results are described. ResultsAdditional surgery for sepsis was successfully avoided in the initial four patients managed by sinus tract endoscopy, and none died. Of the following 10 patients managed by percutaneous necrosectomy, 2 died. The median inpatient stay was 42 days. There was one conversion for intraoperative bleeding. Eight patients recovered and were discharged from the hospital after a median of three percutaneous explorations. Only 40% of patients required intensive care management after surgery. ConclusionsThese initial results in an unselected group of patients are encouraging and show that unlike with percutaneous or endoscopic techniques, both resolution of sepsis and adequate necrosectomy can be achieved. The authors’ initial impression of a reduction in postoperative organ dysfunction is particularly interesting; however, the technique requires further evaluation in a larger prospective series.
Management skills and senior management effectiveness

Traditionally, the effectiveness of the senior officials within the public sector has been disproportionately associated with task instead of people‐related skills. A study of 74 senior managers within Indian Railways, over three years, has revealed that managers, in order to become effective, not only require task and people skills but also self‐development knowledge and skills. Moreover, the above broad categories of managerial skills form a hierarchy which suggests that the more senior positions which managers occupy, the greater the need for people and self‐development. Explores the implications of the above for senior management training and development in public sector briefly.
Global analysis of Oja's flow for neural networks

A detailed study of Oja's learning equation in neural networks is undertaken in this paper. Not only are such fundamental issues as existence, uniqueness, and representation of solutions completely resolved, but also the convergence issue is resolved. It is shown that the solution of Oja's equation is exponentially convergent to an equilibrium from any initial value. Moreover, the necessary and sufficient conditions are given on the initial value for the solution to converge to a dominant eigenspace of the associated autocorrelation matrix. As a by-product, this result confirms one of Oja's conjectures that the solution converges to the principal eigenspace from almost all initial values. Some other characteristics of the limiting solution are also revealed. These facilitate the determination of the limiting solution in advance using only the initial information. Two examples are analyzed demonstrating the explicit dependence of the limiting solution on the initial value. In another respect, it is found that Oja's equation is the gradient flow of generalized Rayleigh quotients on a Stiefel manifold.
Comparing Youth and Adult Desire for Unionization in Canada

Survey data for Canada indicates that youths have a stronger preference than adults for unionization. We show that most of that difference reflects the stronger desire of youths to have unions deal with workplace issues rather than a greater exposure of youths to these issues. In particular, youth preferences for unionization are influenced to a greater degree than for adults by social capital (e.g, familial union status and peer–group attitudes). The possible role of progressive HRM practices and legislative protection in substituting for unionization is also highlighted. Finally, implications of the findings for the future of unionization and organizing youth are discussed.
The durability of consumer durables

The life span of a product is a key component in assessing its environmental impact. Until very recently, however, product durability was far from prominent in the environmental debate. This has begun to change due to mounting concern about waste, the prospect of producer ‘take back’ schemes and the importance of quality in highly competitive international markets. This has led to product durability emerging on the business and environment agenda. This paper explores the significance of product life spans and identifies currently available data on the life-span of consumer durables. It defines product life and argues that, from an environmental perspective, optimum product life, rather than maximum product life should be the goal. It suggests that potential advantages to businesses of manufacturing and retailing products with longer life spans include improved environmental foresight (i.e. a greater responsiveness to new social trends, changes in consumer behaviour and tighter government regulations), an enhanced reputation for quality, greater potential market share and increased customer loyalty. Addressing claims that manufacturers deliberately make products with the intention that they should have life spans below the known technical potential, the paper identifies some of the influences upon manufacturers which encourage shorter product life spans. Finally, some means by which longer life products might be encouraged are proposed.
Internal Audit Quality and Financial Reporting Quality: The Joint Importance of Independence and Competence

In light of the growing importance of internal audit functions (IAF) and the limited archival evidence on internal audit quality, we examine an interactive model of IAF quality (comprised of competence and independence) to better understand the determinants of IAF effectiveness as a financial reporting monitor. Our tests support the hypothesis that the joint presence of competence and independence is a necessary antecedent to effective IAF financial reporting monitoring. In sum, our results show that, the answer to “what is the effect of internal audit competence (independence) on financial reporting quality? ” is “it depends on the independence (competence) of the internal auditor. ” Our study extends the understanding of IAF quality determinants in the realm of financial reporting as it relates to ongoing discussions by researchers, standard setters, regulators, and practitioners.
A century of PPP: supportive results from nonlinear unit root tests

In this paper, we test Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) by applying a new unit root test that allows for nonlinearity in the data to the real exchange rates, constructed with a century of data of 20 countries from Taylor (2002). The problem of lag selection has been taken into account in testing as recommended by Lopez et al. (2005), who challenged Taylor's conclusion that PPP holds well over the 20th century. The results support PPP in 16 out of 19 cases when the US dollar is used as base currency, a result much closer to Taylor (2002) than Lopez et al. (2005) and in line with Wallace and Shelley (2006).
Bid-Ask Spread Components in an Order-Driven Environment

The purpose of this study is to extend the bid-ask spread decomposition literature into the order-driven environment. The use of electronic limit order books combined with order-driven market making has been increasing rapidly in recent years because improvements in information technology and financial market deregulation. To date, reported bid-ask spread decompositions rely almost exclusively on quote-driven or hybrid systems. This study provides bid-ask spread component estimates from one of the world's largest order-driven markets, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Based on a sample of over six million observations, we estimate a median adverse selection component of 33 percent and a median order processing component of 45 percent of the spread. Dollar volume-based decile portfolios show significant cross-sectional variation for adverse selection costs but insignificant variation for order processing costs. Finally, order persistence is consistently positive for all deciles and displays a direct relation with the level of trading activity.
Advances in the medical management of Cushing's syndrome

Background: Management of Cushing's syndrome, that is, excess cortisol secretion, has undergone considerable advances since the pioneering studies by Harvey Cushing. Surgery is clearly first choice for all etiologies of Cushing's syndrome, and medical therapy is largely administered in the interim between other therapeutic options. The limited use of medical therapy is a consequence of the lack of a truly efficacious compound to restrain adrenocorticotrophic hormone or cortisol secretion, but this will hopefully change in the near future as molecules developed over the past few years are tested. Conclusion: This paper illustrates present and perspective medical treatments for Cushing's syndrome.
Marginal Capacity Costs of Electricity Distribution and Demand for Distributed Generation*

Marginal costs of electricity vary by time and location. Past researchers attributed these variations to factors related to electricity generation, transmission and distribution. Past authors, however, did not fully analyze the large variations in marginal distribution capacity costs (MDCC) by area and time. Thus, the objectives of this paper are as follows: (1) to show that large MDCC variations exist within a utility's service territory; (2) to demonstrate inter-utility variations in MDCC; and (3) to demonstrate the usefulness of these costs in determining demand for distributed generation (DG).
Dynamics of remittance practices and development: Bangladeshi overseas migrants

Remittances from migrant workers play a significant role in keeping the economy of Bangladesh vibrant, adding around six per cent to the country's GDP and helping to maintain the balance of payments. This article examines remittance flows from Hong Kong and Malaysia to Bangladesh; the dynamics of remittance practices; and the impact on the well-being of migrant families. Data were collected from 126 labour migrants (56 in Hong Kong and 70 in Malaysia) between November 2004 and October 2006. The article presents empirical data showing that while remittances are significant component of the Bangladeshi economy, a considerable amount goes to ‘unproductive’ schemes. Hence remittances at the micro level that do not significantly contribute to increasing household capacities fail to bring about the anticipated sustainable development at the macro level. La dynamique des pratiques d'envoi de fonds et le developpement : migrants bangladais a l'etranger Les envois de fonds par les travailleurs migrants jouent un r.