Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contesting control in transitional Vietnam: The development and regulation of traveller cafés in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

As Vietnam has moved into the same economic orbit as its Southeast Asian neighbours it has been exposed to globalizing forces which bring about social, economic and political change - one of a transitional economy. One of the Vietnamese state's main dilemmas during its transition from a command to a socialist market economy has been how to manage the emergence of market forces within an existing Marxist ideology. The social, economic and political context in which burgeoning new sectors and industries, such as international tourism, are gaining a foothold is complex and often contradictory. The international tourism industry provides a milieu demonstrating the state's response to new cultural industries and the strategy employed to regulate such development. The study of tourism development in Vietnam also provides an opportunity to rectify the under-theorization of social and cultural processes within the discipline of geography. This paper examines the impact of government regulation and its pro-State Owned Enterprise policy on the development of private small-scale tour operators in Vietnam. It uses a case study of the development of traveller cafés in backpacker areas of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to argue that traveller cafés have been subject to erratic responses by government authorities and that attempts by the state to regulate the private tour operator sector are undermined by personalized social networks which are present at all levels. As a result of personal values, interests and the bureaucrat's ability to exercise discretion in the implementation of policy, the institutional management of tourism is not absolute.
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Economic Growth in Nigeria: 1975-2012

This paper empirically examines Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Nigeria’s economic growth from 1970-2012. The benefits of SMEs to any economy are easily noticeable. These includes: creation of jobs, provide a vehicle for reducing income disparities, increase the output of goods and services produced in the economy etc. The main objective of this paper is to examine the impact of SMEs on economic growth in Nigeria. In order to achieve this objective, the study polled 84 SMEs for primary data collection as well as statistical records for years 1975-2012 as secondary data. The ordinary least square, co-integration and error correction model was used to estimate the data collected during the period of this study. The variables used include Gross Domestic Product as the dependent variable and Finance Available to Small and Medium Enterprises, Interest rate and Inflation rate as the independent variables. Our result showed that Finance Available to SMEs showed a positive relationship with economic growth while Interest rate and Inflation rate showed a negative and positive influence on economic growth respectively. Thus, we concluded that the independent variables play an important role in determining the impact of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises on economic growth in Nigeria. Based on this, it was recommended that the Nigerian Government should organize a national enterprise forum, which would focus on the contributions of SMEs in national development objectives; the Federal/State Ministries of Industry in collaboration with the National Association of SMEs should work out strategies for an annual report of SMEs operating in Nigeria and the Government should adopt policy measures to maintain a favorably low commercial banking lending rate as this will accelerate high investment in Small, Medium and large-scale businesses and subsequently in the long-run contribute significantly to economic growth.
Mobile Functional Test on TaaS Environment

With the rapid development of the mobile internet, a large number of mobile apps are developed and need to be tested adequately. This paper proposes a functional test method based on Testing-as-a-Service (TaaS) platform. TaaS platform provides an integrated test environment for android apps. The mobile TaaS could generate the test script based on functional traversal for the app automatically, then execute the test on diverse devices and discover the test errors. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the app functional traversal method and shows the prototype of the mobile TaaS platform. Finally, the paper summarizes the advantage, limitations and future work of our mobile TaaS platform.
Equilibrium analysis of distribution channel structures under power imbalance and asymmetric information

This paper investigates the problem of channel choice game in two power-imbalanced supply chains consisting of the leader supply chain and the follower supply chain. We assume that there exists symmetric and asymmetric cost information between the two supply chains, and that the two chains as well as the two members in each chain follow the Stackelberg game setting. We analyse four competition scenarios: both chains are decentralised, where individual members of both supply chains maximise their own profits by independently selecting their price policies; both chains are integrated, where manufacturers and retailers coordinate their decisions to maximise supply chain profits; the leader chain is decentralised and the follower integrated; the leader is integrated and the follower decentralised. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of power imbalance, information asymmetries, and the degree of product substitutability under channel choice equilibrium. We find that, in contrast to earlier literature where all manufacturers share equal or balanced decision-making power, an integrated distribution channel is the dominant strategy for the leader under symmetric and asymmetric information Stackelberg game. As the degree of product substitutability increases, the follower will gradually switch from integrated distribution channel to decentralised distribution channel; the follower can gain from constructing a decentralised distribution channel as the prediction accuracy of the leader increases.
The Effect of EU Antitrust Investigations and Fines on a Firm's Valuation

EU antitrust investigations involve a sequence of events which affect the investigated firm's market value. We model these relationships and estimate their impact on firms' share prices. On average, a surprise inspection reduces a firm's share price by 2.89%, an infringement decision reduces it by 3.57%. The Court judgments do not have a statistically significant effect. Overall, we find that the total effect of the antitrust action ranges from −3.03% to −4.55% of a firm's market value. Fines account for no more than 8.9% of this loss, and we conjecture that most of the loss is due to the cessation of illegal activities.
Subcellular Distribution and Dynamics of Active Proteasome Complexes Unraveled by a Workflow Combining in Vivo Complex Cross-Linking and Quantitative Proteomics*

Through protein degradation, the proteasome plays fundamental roles in different cell compartments. Although the composition of the 20S catalytic core particle (CP) has been well documented, little is known about the composition and dynamics of the regulatory complexes that play a crucial role in its activity, or about how they associate with the CP in different cell compartments, different cell lines, and in response to external stimuli. Because of difficulties performing acceptable cell fractionation while maintaining complex integrity, it has been challenging to characterize proteasome complexes by proteomic approaches. Here, we report an integrated protocol, combining a cross-linking procedure on intact cells with cell fractionation, proteasome immuno-purification, and robust label-free quantitative proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry to determine the distribution and dynamics of cellular proteasome complexes in leukemic cells. Activity profiles of proteasomes were correlated fully with the composition of protein complexes and stoichiometry. Moreover, our results suggest that, at the subcellular level, proteasome function is regulated by dynamic interactions between the 20S CP and its regulatory proteins—which modulate proteasome activity, stability, localization, or substrate uptake—rather than by profound changes in 20S CP composition. Proteasome plasticity was observed both in the 20S CP and in its network of interactions following IFNγ stimulation. The fractionation protocol also revealed specific proteolytic activities and structural features of low-abundance microsomal proteasomes from U937 and KG1a cells. These could be linked to their important roles in the endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation pathway in leukemic cells.
Evaluating the Economic Impact of Travel Information Provided at Indiana Welcome Centers

This study evaluates the effectiveness of travel information provided at Indiana state-operated welcome centers in modifying travel behaviors. The travel behaviors consid ered were the extension of time spent in Indiana, selection of alternative attractions, and incremental expenditures produced by longer visits or visiting different places. The findings suggest motorists can be influenced to extend their stay and select alternative attractions which translate into substantial direct economic impact to the state.
Why is There an Anti-Trade Bias in Trade Policy?

Small economies rarely embrace free trade, a fact that is commonly explained as a consequence of the government's use of trade policy to redistribute income. But why is this redistribution typically biased in favor of import-competing sectors and is consequently trade restricting rather than trade promoting? This remains an important puzzle in trade policy. Most models assume the puzzle away by restricting the government set of policies or else generate the opposite, and empirically counterfactual, prediction--that trade policy has a pro-trade bias (e.g. Grossman-Helpman AER 1994). We show that if the government's objective reflects a concern for inequality, or diminishing marginal political support from factor owners, then trade policy exhibits anti-trade bias. Importantly the mechanism that we analyze generates the anti-trade bias independently of whether factors are specific or mobile across sectors. The mechanism also generates an anti-trade bias between large countries even after they sign reciprocal trade agreements that eliminate any terms-of-trade motivation for the use of trade protection.
Developmental Differences in Posterior Mesofrontal Cortex Recruitment by Risky Rewards

Might increased risk taking in adolescence result in part from underdeveloped conflict-monitoring circuitry in the posterior mesofrontal cortex (PMC)? Adults and adolescents underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a monetary game of “chicken. ” As subjects watched ostensible winnings increase over time, they decided when to press a button to bank their winnings, knowing that if they did not stop pursuing money reward before a secret varying time limit, they would “bust” and either lose the money accrued on the current trial (low-penalty trials) or forfeit trial winnings plus a portion of previous winnings (high-penalty trials). Reward accrual at risk of low penalty (contrasted with guaranteed reward) activated the PMC in adults but not in adolescents. Across all subjects, this activation (1) correlated positively with age but negatively with risk exposure and (2) was greater when subjects busted on the previous low-penalty trial. Reward accrual at risk of high penalty was terminated sooner and recruited the PMC in both adults and adolescents when contrasted with guaranteed reward. Predecision PMC activation in the high-penalty trials was significantly reduced in trials when subjects busted. These data suggest that (1) under threat of an explicit severe penalty, recruitment of the PMC is similar in adolescents and adults and correlates with error avoidance, and (2) when potential penalties for a rewarding behavior are mild enough to encourage some risk taking, predecision PMC activation by a reward/risk conflict is sensitive to previous error outcomes, predictive of risk-aversive behavior in that trial, and underactive in adolescents.
Do migrants take the jobs of native workers

Neither public opinion nor evidence-based research supports the claim of some politicias and the media that immigrants take the jobs of native-born workers. Public opinion polls in six migrant-destination countries after the 2008–2009 recession show that most people believe that immigrants fill job vacancies and many believe that they create jobs and do not take jobs from native workers. This view is corroborated by evidence-based research showing that immigrants—of all skill levels—do not significantly affect native employment in the short term and boost employment in the long term.
Introduction: 20 years later

The journal Environment and Development Economics began operating in 1995; in a few months, it will complete 20 years of operation. It seemed appropriate to mark this occasion with a special issue of the journal that would provide some perspective on the field, looking both backward at what has been achieved and forward to what lies ahead.
Assessing the Impact of Tourism on the Physical Environment of a Small Coastal Town: Girne, Northern Cyprus

The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of tourism on Girne, with special emphasis on the natural and built environments. With this aim in mind, the study first reviews the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the physical environment of the coastal cities. These impacts are used to develop the methodology for assessing the impacts in the second part. Accordingly, 11 negative impacts/indicators (4 for natural environment and 7 for built environment) and 9 positive impacts/indicators (3 for natural environment and 6 for built environment) have been selected and founded as relevant for assessing tourism impacts of the case study. Then, each selected indicator has been measured by using a series of analyses results. Following these results, some suggestions are made for encouraging the positive impacts and for decreasing the pressure created by tourism on the physical environment of the town. The issues discussed in the paper are relevant to other small historic cities in the Mediterranean Basin. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for proper planning strategies to minimize negative impacts on physical environment and significant difference of impacts between historic district and newly developing areas.
Epithelial differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells for laryngeal tissue engineering

One potential treatment option for severe vocal fold scarring is to replace the vocal fold cover layer with a tissue‐engineered structure containing autologous cells. As a first step toward that goal, we sought to develop a three‐dimensional cell‐populated matrix resembling the vocal fold layers of lamina propria and epithelium.
The detection of Simian virus 40 in mesotheliomas from New Zealand and England using real time FRET probe PCR protocols

Aims: To detect Simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA in mesotheliomas from New Zealand and from England using novel real time FRET probe polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols. Methods: Twenty four mesotheliomas from New Zealand (Central North Island) and 32 mesotheliomas from England (Greater Manchester region) were examined. Two real time FRET probe PCR protocols were optimised and their analytical sensitivity compared using dilutions of SV40 DNA. A conventional SV40 large tumour antigen protocol with detection by probe hybridisation and chemiluminescent Southern blotting was also optimised. Results: Both real time PCR protocols had the same analytical sensitivity, detecting down to 10−6 pg of SV40 DNA for each reaction, approximately one SV40 copy. All of the 56 mesothelioma samples contained amplifiable β globin DNA, but none contained amplifiable SV40 DNA with the conventional large T antigen PCR–Southern blotting protocol, or the two real time FRET probe PCR protocols. The positive and negative controls gave the expected results. There was no evidence of inhibition. Conclusions: There is abundant evidence in the literature for the presence of SV40 in mesotheliomas. However, this study found no evidence of SV40 in mesotheliomas from England and New Zealand. The extensive use of SV40 contaminated polio vaccine in New Zealand does not seem to have resulted in SV40 associated mesotheliomas.
Distribution and function of new bacterial intein‐like protein domains

Hint protein domains appear in inteins and in the C‐terminal region of Hedgehog and Hedgehog‐like animal developmental proteins. Intein Hint domains are responsible and sufficient for protein‐splicing of their host‐protein flanks. In Hedgehog proteins the Hint domain autocatalyses its cleavage from the N‐terminal domain of the Hedgehog protein by attaching a cholesterol molecule to it. We identified two new types of Hint domains. Both types have active site sequence features of Hint domains but also possess distinguishing sequence features. The new domains appear in more than 50 different proteins from diverse bacteria, including pathogenic species of humans and plants, such as Neisseria meningitidis and Pseudomonas syringae. These new domains are termed bacterial intein‐like (BIL) domains. Bacterial intein‐like domains are present in variable protein regions and are typically flanked by domains that also appear in secreted proteins such as filamentous haemagglutinin and calcium binding RTX repeats. Phylogenetic and genomic analysis of BIL sequences suggests that they were positively selected for in different lineages. We cloned two BIL domains of different types and showed them to be active. One of the domains efficiently cleaved itself from its C‐terminal flank and could also protein‐splice its two flanks, in E. coli and in a cell free system. We discuss several possible biological roles for BIL domains including microevolution and post translational modification for generating protein variability.
Middle management downsizing: an empirical investigation of the impact of information technology

Nearly all Fortune 1000 firms claim to have downsized since the early eighties, and it is argued that information technology IT is responsible for this massive downsizing. However, earlier research has indicated that IT increases middle management. Even though the impact of IT on the middle management workforce has been studied for the last thirty years, research has failed to clearly explain this phenomenon. Quite the opposite, research has fueled controversy and has provided inconsistent findings. This article addresses the state of inconsistent findings across multiple studies by examining the impact of information technology on the number of middle managers using two additional variables: the degree of centralization of organizational decision authority and the degree of centralization of computing decision authority. One hundred and fifty-five city governments were surveyed. Information technology was found to be both positively and negatively associated with the size of the middle management workforce. The impact of information technology was fundamentally determined by who controlled computing decisions and what interests were being served, and by the roles of middle managers. Information technology was associated with a decrease in the size of the middle management workforce in organizations with centralized decision authority and with an increase in the number of middle managers in organizations where decision authority was decentralized.
Neurological and neuroradiological progression in hereditary spastic paraplegia with a thin corpus callosum

We followed‐up a Japanese man suffering from hereditary spastic paraplegia with a thin corpus callosum (HSP‐TCC) by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using 123I N‐isopropyl‐p‐iodoamphetamine (123I‐IMP) over 4 years (25 to 29 years old). Besides the initial symptoms of lower limb spasticity, mental deterioration slightly progressed and upper limb spasticity and slight cerebellar ataxia were developed, during the period. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an extremely thin corpus callosum and medial frontal atrophy, which remained essentially unchanged during the period. 123I‐IMP SPECT demonstrated that cerebral blood flow was decreased in the thalamus and the medial frontal, temporal and parietal cortices at the first examination, and that the thalamus showed further reduction but the other involved regions presented essentially no progression during the follow‐up period. This is the first report referring to the longitudinal clinical and neuroradiological changes in HSP‐TCC.
Rapid and Reliable Method for Quantification of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by Use of the BACTEC MGIT 960 System

ABSTRACT A simple method for the enumeration of viable Mycobacterium paratuberculosis cells was developed and evaluated using the MGIT 960 culture system. For each of 12 M. paratuberculosis strains isolated from either cattle or humans, single-cell suspensions of M. paratuberculosis cells were adjusted to an optical density at 600 nm of 1.00 (107.6 to 108.2 cells/ml), and serial dilutions were prepared. Standard curves were established by relating the MGIT time-to-detection data to the log10 CFU for these suspensions using standard plate counting and BACTEC 460 results as reference methods. Universal and strain-specific standard quantification curves were generated. A one-phase exponential decay equation best fit the universal standard curve and strain-specific curves (R2 of 0.96 and >0.99, respectively). Two subgroups within the universal curves were distinguished: one for laboratory-adapted strains and the other for recently isolated low-passage bovine strains. The predictive errors for log10 estimations using the universal standard curve, each subgroup's standard curve, and strain-specific curves were ±0.87, ±0.45, and ±0.31 log10 units, respectively. CFU estimations by all three standard curves were highly reproducible, regardless of the M. paratuberculosis strain or inoculum volume. In comparison with the previously described BACTEC 460 M. paratuberculosis counting method, quantification with MGIT 960 was less expensive, more rapid, more accurate, and more sensitive (<10 CFU). This MGIT counting method has broad applications for studies requiring the quantification of viable M. paratuberculosis cells, such as drug susceptibility testing or environmental survival studies.
Risk factors for hospital death after surgery for type A aortic dissection

This study was undertaken to identify perioperative risk factors for hospital death in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. Between 2000 and 2009, 101 consecutive patients underwent emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. Four patients died before institution of cardiopulmonary bypass or completion of the procedure. In the remaining 97 (68 men; mean age, 63.4 ± 16.7 years), proximal repair was performed using ascending aortic replacement with valve re-suspension in 52 (53.6%) and composite valve graft replacement in 44 (45.4%). Distal repair required hemi- or total arch replacement in 42 (43.3%) patients. Overall hospital mortality reached 25.8% (25/97 patients). Logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age, location of an intimal tear in the arch or more distally, and preoperative coronary malperfusion were significant independent risk factors for hospital death. No procedure-related variables were significant risk factors. Current hospital mortality in patients undergoing emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection remains high, but seems to be mainly determined by preoperative variables. More aggressive proximal or distal repairs were not associated with increased mortality.