Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving the Measurement and Analysis of African Agricultural Productivity: Promoting Complementarities between Micro and Macro Data

A wide variety of multilateral and bilateral agencies, private sector firms, and African governments have a need for high quality, reliable data on agricultural productivity. This paper identifies numerous situations where poor data lead to incorrect estimates of African land and labor productivity. The paper argues that better coordination of macro, meso, and micro data collection, reporting, and analysis efforts can lower costs and improve our ability to monitor trends and to quantify determinants of agricultural productivity. Seven key points are made in the discussion: (1) Missing or poorly measured variables used in the numerator (output) or denominator (land and labor, for example) are biasing productivity ratios; (2) In most cases, these errors underestimate levels of agricultural productivity in Africa and distort trends; (3) Micro data are an important source of information for identifying the existence and magnitude of these errors in macro and meso data; (4) Information from micro data can improve estimates of productivity ratios when macro data are not available and too costly to collect; (5) Detailed micro data sets are the best source of information on the farm-level determinants of agricultural productivity; this information contributes to the development of productivity-enhancing policies and technologies; (6) Micro data play an important role in identifying the appropriate variables to monitor in macro and meso series; (7) Only consistently high-quality macro data in unbroken time series can provide adequate information about productivity trends and the contribution of policy and technological change to national agricultural productivity over time. From these conclusions it becomes evident that improving the data used to monitor and analyze agricultural productivity requires much greater cross-fertilization of detailed micro studies and broad macro-data collection and reporting efforts. As data collection and analysis costs are high, researchers and statistical services need to ensure the maximum complementarity possible among different types of surveys and data. This requires coordination among donors, government agencies, and research institutes that fund, collect, and analyze agricultural data.
Vecuronium: an anthropometric comparison

This study set out to determine if there was any resistance to vecuronium in Nepalese studied in Nepal compared with Nepalese, Chinese and European patients studied in Hong Kong. The four groups, each of 10 male and 10 female patients, were intubated 60s after administration of 0.1 mg.kg−1 vecuronium. The Nepalese patients in Nepal had significantly less satisfactory intubating conditions (p = 0.002). Similarly, male patients had significantly less satisfactory conditions than female patients (p = 0.004). Some anthropometric measurements were significantly different between the patients in Nepal and those in Hong Kong. There were also sex‐related anthropometric differences. It is suggested that differences in response to vecuronium could be explained by differences in distribution volume and muscle mass
Management of vaginal erosion of polypropylene mesh slings.

PURPOSE The SPARC (American Medical Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota) polypropylene sling has recently been introduced as an alternative delivery system to TVT (Ethicon, New Brunswick, New Jersey) tension-free vaginal tape for placement of a tension-free mid urethral sling. Erosion must always be considered a risk of synthetic materials. We present 4 cases of vaginal erosion of polypropylene mesh placed with this system and the successful conservative management done. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 90 patients received a SPARC polypropylene pubovaginal sling at our institution between October 1, 2001 and October 1, 2002. During followup 3 of our patients and 1 patient with tension-free vaginal tape who was referred from elsewhere presented with vaginal exposure of the mesh. RESULTS Two patients described persistent vaginal discharge 6 weeks postoperatively, including 1 who complained primarily of partner discomfort during sexual intercourse. Two patients were completely asymptomatic and mesh erosion was discovered at routine physical examination 6 weeks postoperatively. Pelvic examination demonstrated vaginal exposure of the mesh in all cases. Each patient was observed conservatively and 3 months postoperatively all 4 had complete spontaneous epithelialization over the mesh. None had stress incontinence, urgency or urge incontinence, all emptied the bladder to completion and all patients were completely satisfied with the procedure. CONCLUSIONS The recent literature suggests that polypropylene mesh erosion should be treated with complete removal of the sling material. We present 4 cases of vaginal erosion of polypropylene slings that were managed conservatively with observation and resulted in complete spontaneous healing. Sling preservation with continued patient continence and satisfaction is a feasible option in those with vaginal exposure of polypropylene mesh.
Cultural Tourism Product: Pacific Island Migrant Perspectives in New Zealand

The development of tourism cultural product in the case of minority peoples has become a mechanism for affirming traditional values, a restatement of identity, and an assertion of political and social aspirations. This is true for Pacific Island communities in Auckland, New Zealand, that are economically, socially, and politically marginalized. These peoples account for approximately 14% of Auckland's population, have retained several traditional features and connections with home islands through extended family networks, and have been well established in the city for over 60 years. The article reports research findings based on a mixed method of participation in discussions and political processes and results derived from a questionnaire. The study reveals differences between migrant and host communities toward the perceived attractiveness of the proposed tourism development and also indicates issues relating to management and product placement summarized in a model based on dimensions of cultural content and modes of management.
Association of the IL4R single-nucleotide polymorphism I50V with rapidly erosive rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the interleukin-4 receptor gene IL4R influence susceptibility to, or radiographic progression in, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS The contribution of 2 SNPs (I50V and Q551R) in the coding region of IL4R to RA susceptibility was analyzed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in a case-control study of 471 RA patients and 371 healthy controls. Patients with available radiographs of the hands and feet obtained 2 years after disease onset (n = 302) were stratified retrospectively according to radiologic outcome into an erosive and a nonerosive group to evaluate the association between IL4R SNPs and disease progression. RESULTS No differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of the I50V or Q551R SNPs were identified between the RA patients and healthy controls. In contrast, significant differences in the distribution of I50V IL4R SNP genotypes between patients with erosive and nonerosive disease were observed (chi2 = 15.68, P = 0.0004). Bone erosions at 2 years after disease onset were present in 68.1% of patients homozygous for the V50 allele compared with 37.0% of patients homozygous for the I50 allele (odds ratio 3.86, P < 0.0001). This association was independent of individual factors previously associated with severe disease, such as rheumatoid factor or the HLA-DR shared epitope. On a cellular level, the V50 allele conferred significantly reduced responsiveness to interleukin-4, providing a possible mechanism for the association of the I50V IL4R polymorphism with early erosions in RA. CONCLUSION Our data identify the I50V IL4R SNP as a novel genetic marker in RA, showing high predictive value for early joint destruction.
Research on Standards for Professional Licensure and Certification Examinations

The purpose of this article is to outline an agenda for research on standards for professional licensure and certification examinations. To avoid confusion, scores are defined as content-based decisions about the correctness of responses, and standards refer to the educational/social decisions about how many questions need to be answered correctly to pass. Standards are the focus of this article. The two major types of standards, relative and absolute, are described and the major standardsetting methods for each are presented. Some of the published results in four different areas are reviewed: (a) basis of the judgments, (b) efficiency of the process, (c) group effects, and (d) content and expertise effects. Topics forfuture research in allfour areas are identified.
Neighborhood amenity packages, property price, and marketing time

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to introduce modeling of common neighborhood amenities as packages, rather than as separate independent variables in a single model. Results from the standard modeling technique of including separate controls for each amenity are provided for comparison. A secondary purpose is to provide price and time‐on‐market implications for amenities in seasoned versus newly constructed properties.Design/methodology/approach – Common neighborhood amenities are grouped according to the total amenity bundle offered by each neighborhood. Hedonic pricing, hazard modeling, and two‐stage least squares regression are used to estimate price and time‐on‐market impacts for six common amenities.Findings – Neighborhood tennis courts, clubhouses, boating facilities, and golf courses, as well as several amenity packages, significantly impact property values. Valuation of particular amenity packages differs between newly constructed and seasoned homes. Time‐on‐market results are less convincing.
On the Association between Voluntary Disclosure and Earnings Management

This paper investigates the association between corporate voluntary disclosure and management's discretion over accounting choices. In particular, it examines the role of earnings management in mitigating costs associated with management earnings forecast errors. The empirical results are consistent with the prediction that managers, fearing costly legal actions by shareholders and loss of reputation for credibility, use discretionary accruals to reduce their forecasting errors. Specifically, the paper documents that managers who overestimate the earnings number manage reported earnings upward, and that the extent of discretionary accruals is associated with various securities litigation cost factors and the amount of management's accounting flexibility. Having identified the role of accounting discretion in mitigating costs associated with management earnings forecast errors, the study raises the possibility that the degree of accounting discretion affects corporate voluntary disclosure policies.
A multicenter study of leukocytapheresis in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of leukocytapheresis (LCAP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is refractory to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), we conducted a prospective, multicenter, open-label clinical trial. METHODS We enrolled 38 active RA patients, including 32 patients who showed an inadequate response to > or = 2 DMARDs and 6 patients with rapidly progressive RA. All patients continued drug therapy and were treated with 5 LCAP sessions conducted at 1-week intervals. The clinical response was evaluated at baseline before starting LCAP and at 4 weeks after the completion of all the LCAP sessions using the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and the 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). RESULTS Of the 35 patients who fulfilled the study's eligibility criteria, 24 (69%), 10 (29%), and 23 (66%) patients achieved 20% (ACR20), 50% (ACR50), and DAS28-C-reactive protein (CRP) EULAR improvement, respectively. The mean DAS28-CRP score of the 35 patients decreased significantly from 5.99 +/- 0.92 at baseline to 4.54 +/- 1.39 after treatment. Comparison analysis of the ACR20 responders and non-responders to LCAP revealed that 22 of 24 responders (92%) concomitantly received methotrexate, whereas significantly fewer, that is, 6 of 11 non-responders (55%) received methotrexate. Less frequent and transient mild-to-moderate adverse events, including nausea and headache, were seen in 12 of 189 LCAP sessions (6.3%). CONCLUSION These results demonstrate the usefulness of LCAP in combination with DMARDs, particularly methotrexate, as an effective and safe treatment for refractory RA.
Thermal Loading and Lifetime Estimation for Power Device Considering Mission Profiles in Wind Power Converter

As a key component in the wind turbine system, the power electronic converter and its power semiconductors suffer from complicated power loadings related to environment, and are proven to have high failure rates. Therefore, correct lifetime estimation of wind power converter is crucial for the reliability improvement and also for cost reduction of wind power technology. Unfortunately, the existing lifetime estimation methods for the power electronic converter are not yet suitable in the wind power application, because the comprehensive mission profiles are not well specified and included. Consequently, a relative more advanced approach is proposed in this paper, which is based on the loading and strength analysis of devices and takes into account different time constants of the thermal behaviors in power converter. With the established methods for loading and lifetime estimation for power devices, more detailed information of the lifetime-related performance in wind power converter can be obtained. Some experimental results are also included to validate the thermal behavior of power device under different mission profiles.
Social Networks in High-Technology Local Economies

The clustering of innovative industry both demands and creates a highly skilled local labour market. The growth of this agglomeration of labour, it has been argued, benefits both individuals and firms by providing the opportunity for matching labour demand with labour supply,which is crucial to sustaining innovation. Additionally, mobility within the local labour market is argued to be of collective benefit as the movement of the highly skilled within the cluster is a key mechanism for technology transfer and fostering of interfirm links. Social networks (social capital) are argued in the literature to be the medium by which these activities are facilitated and the development of which is key to innovation-based local economic development. This is exemplified by SiliconValley.To examine the universality of these assumptions, this article explores the development of social networks among scientists and engineers in the high-technology local economies of Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Drawing on the results of a postal survey of the engineers, physicists and chemists in the local labour markets of these regions carried out between November 2000 and March 2001, the article considers the networking behaviour of the highly skilled, focusing on the composition and spatial reach of their networks. It concludes that the importance of local networks should not be overstated on the basis that there are distinct differences within two seemingly similar locations and within the professional associations.
Exporting and Economic Performance: Firm-Level Evidence of Spanish Manufacturing

In a previous paper, Delgado, Farinas and Ruano (2002) report TFP differences between exporters and non-exporters on the basis of a sample of Spanish manufacturing firms. In this paper, we extend the previous analysis in three directions using a similar data set. First, we investigate additional economic performance differences between exporters and non-exporters. Second, we measure TFP differences estimating production functions that control for unobserved heterogeneity and simultaneity bias. Third, we explore the self-selection and learning-by-exporting hypothesis as explanations for the greater performance of exporters. With respect to the results, we confirm that many indicators of economic performance such as productivity, size, wages and innovation are greater in exporting firms. Furthermore, TFP differences between exporters and non-exporters estimated with parametric methods are remarkably similar to those estimated using index numbers. Finally, performance differences and transition patterns between the export market and the domestic market indicate higher performance for entering exporters with respect to non-exporters at the moment of entry. We find evidence of selection in the entry and the exit side of the export market. One of the basic results that we obtain indicates that after controlling for self-selection, the productivity growth of entering exporters does not significantly change with respect to non-exporters. As the evidence we find indicates no systematic changes in performance between non-exporters and exporters after entry takes place, we do not confirm the learning-by-exporting hypothesis.
The Use of Limited Dependent Variable Techniques in Strategy Research: Issues and Methods

Strategy researchers are increasingly turning their attention from examining the impact of strategic choices on firm performance to examining the factors that determine strategic choices at the firm level. This shift of research orientation has meant that researchers are increasingly faced with a limited dependent variable (LDV) that takes a limited number of usually discrete values, for which LDV methods such as logit or probit are required. Despite their growing popularity, there appears to be widespread problems in the use of LDV methods. This research note complements recent studies that offer general guidelines by presenting and illustrating the practical steps needed to implement the methods essential for analyzing and interpreting the results from LDV models. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immediate Tight Sealing of Skin Incisions Using an Innovative Temperature-controlled Laser Soldering Device: In Vivo Study in Porcine Skin

Background:A feedback temperature-controlled laser soldering system (TCLS) was used for bonding skin incisions on the backs of pigs. The study was aimed: 1) to characterize the optimal soldering parameters, and 2) to compare the immediate and long-term wound healing outcomes with other wound closure modalities. Materials and Methods:A TCLS was used to bond the approximated wound margins of skin incisions on porcine backs. The reparative outcomes were evaluated macroscopically, microscopically, and immunohistochemically. Results:The optimal soldering temperature was found to be 65°C and the operating time was significantly shorter than with suturing. The immediate tight sealing of the wound by the TCLS contributed to rapid, high quality wound healing in comparison to Dermabond or Histoacryl cyanoacrylate glues or standard suturing. Conclusions:TCLS of incisions in porcine skin has numerous advantages, including rapid procedure and high quality reparative outcomes, over the common standard wound closure procedures. Further studies with a variety of skin lesions are needed before advocating this technique for clinical use.
A Highly Complex Chromosomal Rearrangement between Five Chromosomes in a Healthy Female Diagnosed in Preparation for Intracytoplasmatic Sperm Injection

We report a case of a de novo complex chromosomal rearrangement among five chromosomes found in a clinically healthy woman. The only indication for chromosome analysis was a planned intracytoplasmatic sperm injection. Physical examination, including internal and external genitals, and ovaries and hormone status were normal. Banding cyto-genetics showed a rearrangement among chromosomes #3, #4, #7, #9, and #17. Twenty-four-color fluorescence in situ hybridization and multicolor banding were applied to characterize the translocations and breakpoints more precisely. This confirmed the involved chromosomes and revealed two breakpoints in chromosome #4. This six-breakpoint rearrangement [der(3)t(3;4), der(4)t(17;4;7), der(7)t(3;7), der(9)t(4;9), and der(17)t(9;17)] seemed to be balanced on a molecular cytogenetic level, although submicroscopic deletions or duplications close to the breakpoints cannot be excluded.
The Volatility and Price Sensitivities of Managerial Stock Option Portfolios and Corporate Hedging

We use estimates of the Black-Scholes sensitivity of managers' stock option portfolios to stock return volatility and the sensitivity of managers' stock and stock option portfolios to stock price to test the relationship between managers' risk preferences and hedging activities. We find that as the sensitivity of managers' stock and stock option portfolios to stock price increases, firms tend to hedge more. However, as the sensitivity of managers' stock option portfolios to stock return volatility increases, firms tend to hedge less. Copyright The American Finance Association 2002.
An overview on safety of monoclonal antibodies

Purpose of reviewBiological agents have been a treatment option for many chronic immune-mediated diseases as well as oncological conditions. The issue of infusion reactions is of particular importance and at least in some cases related to the immunogenicity of these drugs with the production of antidrug antibodies. Infectious diseases are a well described side-effect of certain biological agents, even if, at least regarding the biological agents used for the treatment of allergic diseases and immune-mediated diseases, the risk has been reduced. Biological agents clearly impact the physiological functions of the immune system also those connected to immunosurveillance against cancers. This review discusses the safety profile to the main biological agents currently in use in allergic and chronic immune-mediated diseases. Recent findingsBy reducing chronic inflammation in immune-mediated diseases, biological agents decrease mortality, cardiovascular events without increasing significantly the risk of cancer. In addition, specific clinical procedure enables the identification of potentially reactive patients and the prevention of acute severe reactions. Overall, the ratio between therapeutic and side-effects is clearly in favor of the former. SummaryThe safety profile of biological agents is, just as much as their efficacy, one of the fundamental criteria justifying their clinical broad use.
Toward an Understanding of the Informal Economy

After surveying some of the typical content of the informal economy, the authors argue that the most substantial amount of activity in this sector is based on family and community and may not involve an immediate expectation of financial return. It would include local barter, mutual aid and self-help networks as well as other activities such as light construction and repair work. Reliance on such networks, common in preindustrial economies, continues to serve specific needs in industrial and postindustrial societies, filling in where the conventional economy falls short or fails. By its very definition, informal activity is difficult to investigate and monitor and raises questions about the legitimate concerns of government.