Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Reserve Requirements and Money Multiplier Predictability: The Canadian Experience”

An argument against abolishing legal reserve requirements is that money multipliers would become more volatile and unpredictable in the absence of reserve requirements, thus impairing the central bank’s effectiveness in controlling money aggregates. This study examines the Canadian experience during 1970-2004, where a zero reserve requirement regime has become fully effective since June 1994. The findings show that all money multipliers, except the M1 multiplier, under this current regime have become less volatile than before. Furthermore, shortand medium-term ex ante forecasts based on the Holt-Winters exponential smoothing model indicate that the money multipliers have not become apparently more unpredictable. Overall, the findings do not lend strong support to the monetary control argument for reserve requirements.
Interdisciplinary palliative care for people with advanced Parkinson's disease: a view from the home.

BACKGROUND Advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multidimensional neurodegenerative condition with motor and non-motor symptoms contributing to increasing disability and decreasing quality of life. As the disease progresses, patients may become homebound and estranged from neurological care, with dire consequences. We describe the increasing epidemiologic burden of and individual risks faced by patients with palliative-stage PD and their caregivers. METHODS With the aim of mitigating these risks, we designed and iterated two models of interdisciplinary home visits to maintain continuity of care and illuminate the unmet needs and barriers to care faced by this population. We describe both models in detail, with data on feasibility and patient-centered outcomes achieved in the initial model, and baseline characteristics of participants in the ongoing expanded model. Finally, we illustrate the scope and common themes of such palliative care-informed home visits with two cases. RESULTS The pilot model involved over 380 visits with 109 individual patients. Among those patients, PD severity worsened by nearly 12 points annually on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), without a corresponding decline in quality of life. In an ongoing study of the second iteration of the model, 52 patient-caregiver dyads have completed their initial visit, with 44% bearing a diagnosis of dementia and the majority requiring an assistive device or being bedbound. Two cases highlight the critical importance of thorough medication reconciliation and home safety assessment in the comprehensive evaluation and management of such patients. CONCLUSIONS As our population ages, therapies increase, and the number of individuals living with advanced PD and related disorders grows, so too does the imperative to recognize and address the palliative care needs of such patients and families. For many, home may be a viable, and perhaps optimal, site for this care.
Biological contributions to well-being: the relationships amongst temperament, character strengths and resilience

Orientation: Positive psychology emphasises the nurturing of personal strengths, yet little research to date has investigated the role of nature in psychological wellness. Research purpose: The study aimed to address this dearth by investigating the relationship between temperament, with its biological roots, and psychological well-being and also to ascertain whether character strengths and resilience can be predicted by certain temperament traits. Motivation for the study: Although the biological bases of mental illness have been researched extensively in past studies, there is very little research regarding the biological bases of psychological wellness. Research design, approach and method: This quantitative study selected a sample of 620 participants and applied four measuring instruments, namely the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, the Values in Action – Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) , the Sense of Coherence scale and the Resilience scale to measure temperament and well-being. Correlations and logistic regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Main findings: There are relationships between certain biologically based temperament traits and the psychological constructs of character strengths and resilience. Logistic regression models, using temperament as the independent variable, correctly predicted high and low scores on the Sense of Coherence scale, the Resilience scale and the (VIA-IS) with 64% – 76.1% accuracy. Pratical/managerial implications: Understanding the physiological substrates of flourishing and being able to predict strengths based on temperament promise advances in applying positive psychology concepts. Contribution/value-add: Values, ethics, character strengths, virtues and resilience are universal and may be entrenched in biology, according to some theorists. This has not been researched much, however. The current study addressed this dearth.
Temporal ordering ability and level of specificity at different pure tone tests

Purpose: Evaluate temporal ordering ability with different tests, verify the specificity of these tests and compare the result with the level of easiness/difficulty reported by the subjects. Methods: The subjects carried out basic audiological evaluation and Dichotic Digit Test, for auditory processing screening, and they also underwent Frequency Pattern Test (FPT) and Duration Pattern Test (TPD), in the versions of Taborga-Lizarro, Musiek and Auditec®, in order to evaluate the temporal ordering ability. Afterwards, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was presented, so that the subjects could identify the difficulty of each test. Results: A total of 33 subjects were evaluated, being 29 women and four men, aged from 17 to 27 years. There were a higher number of individuals who have reached normal levels in Auditec® test and in Taborga-Lizarro test, for FPT and TPD. In the Musiek test, there were some subjects with normal results very close to the ones observed on subjects with processing disorders. In the distribution of the most difficult test, there was a statistical significance for the Musiek test. In terms of the specificity of the test, Auditec® proved to be better. However, the analysis was performed only on TPD. Conclusion: Although the subjects did not present change and auditory processing complaints, we found difference in the results of temporal ordering tests. In relation to the reported difficulty for Musiek test, we verified that there was influence of this factor on the test results. In the analysis for specificity tests, better results for the Auditec® test
The chief executive officer pay–performance relationship within South African state-owned entities

Orientation: Over the years, the increase in executive remuneration in state-owned entities (SOEs) has been the subject of intense discussions. The poor performance of some SOEs with highly remunerated executives begs the question of whether chief executive officers in South African SOEs deserve the high levels of remuneration they receive. Research purpose: This study examined the relationship between chief executive remuneration and several measures of company performance across Schedule 2 SOEs within South Africa. Motivation for the study: Notwithstanding the widely publicised poor performance of South African SOEs, their importance and relevance remains evident. Regrettably, the literature on what fundamentally drives their performance is lacking. Research design, approach and method: This quantitative, longitudinal study, conducted over a 9-year period, collected secondary data from the annual reports of 18 Schedule 2 SOEs. The primary statistical technique used in the study was ordinary least square (OLS) multiple regression analysis on a pooled dataset. Chief executive remuneration consisted of fixed salary and total remuneration. Main findings: A relationship was found between chief executive remuneration and company performance, although mainly an inverse relationship. Practical and managerial implications: The improved understanding and knowledge of the relationship between chief executive remuneration and SOE performance may be used by the organisation and HR practitioners to direct and inform strategies for organisational effectiveness and business excellence. Contribution or value-add: This research provides new knowledge to the limited research available on SOEs in South Africa. Further, it reveals an unexplored area of potential research, that is, the importance of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure as a performance measure in SOEs.
Effect of Hay Transfer on Long‐Term Establishment of Vegetation and Grasshoppers on Former Arable Fields

The transfer of seed‐containing hay is a restoration measure for the introduction of plant species of local provenance. We investigated the effect of hay transfer on species richness and on long‐term establishment of target plant and grasshopper species on former arable fields with and without topsoil removal in comparison to reference sites in a nature reserve. Plant species richness, the number of target plant species, and Red List plant species were significantly positively affected by hay transfer, both on the scale of whole restoration fields and on permanent plots of 4 m2. Eight years after the start of the restoration, only few of the transferred plant species had disappeared and some target species were newly found. Grasshoppers were affected not by hay transfer but by topsoil removal. The proportion of target grasshopper and plant species and Red List grasshopper species was higher on topsoil removal sites with low standing crop and high cover of bare soil than on sites without soil removal. On topsoil removal sites without hay, however, plant species richness was very low because of the slow natural dispersal of the target species. Vegetation and grasshopper communities still differed between restoration fields and the nature reserve. Nevertheless, our results indicate that the transfer of autochthonous seed‐containing hay is a successful method to establish species‐rich grasslands with a high proportion of target species.
Using focus groups to study everyday narratives in world politics

Following widespread use in political marketing and polling, focus groups are slowly gaining recognition as a useful and legitimate method in politi cal science. Focus groups can however be far more than just a secondary qualitative method to primary quantitative public opinion research: they can be used to study the micro-level process of social construction. The process in which key sub-groups collectively contest and justify t he actions of elite political actors via shared values is one way to study how legitimacy i s conferred. This article therefore argues that focus groups can be particularly useful for re search that examines everyday narratives in world politics.
Demand Under Product Differentiation: An Empirical Analysis of the US Wine Market

Oversupply has led to a number of perplexities for the Australian wine industry in recent times. When disaggregated from the industry level, however, the problem can be better described as a range of attribute-specific disequilibria. To date, the solutions to this problem have predominantly revolved around supply-side policies of reducing output through crop thinning or vine pulling. By contrast, this paper focuses on the demand side and argues that the disequilibria may be reduced by gaining a better understanding of the demand for Australian wine. A discrete choice model of product differentiation is used to estimate the demand for wine in Australia's second largest export market, the United States. Implications of the analysis are explored.
Physicochemical changes in pyrogenic organic matter 1 ( biochar ) after 15 months field-aging 2

12 Predicting the effects of pyrogenic organic matter (OM) addition (either natural or intentional as 13 in the case of biochar amendment) on soil chemistry and crop yields has been hampered by a 14 lack of understanding of how pyrogenic OM evolves in the environment over time. This work 15 compared the physicochemical characteristics of newly-made and 15-month field-aged biochars 16 and biochar-soil mixtures. After aging, biochars made by pyrolysis of wood and grass at 250, 17 400 and 650 C exhibited 5-fold increases in cation exchange capacity (CEC), on average, 18 appearance of anion exchange capacity (AEC) and significant decreases in pH, ash content and 19 nanopore surface area. Cross polarization C-NMR analyses indicated relative increases in O20 containing functional groups including substituted aryl, carboxyl and carbonyl C, likely via 21 abiotic and microbial oxidation and losses of O-alkyl groups, likely via leaching. Similar 22 chemical trends were observed for soil-biochar mixtures suggesting the same biochar aging 23 processes occurred in the soil environment. However, there was evidence for a major role of soil 24 OM-microbe-biochar interaction during aging. Field-aging of soil with biochar resulted in large 25 increases in C and N content (up to 124 and 143%, respectively) and exchange capacity (up to 26 43%) beyond that calculated by the weighted addition of the properties of biochar and soil aged 27
Recycling Improves Soil Fertility Management in Smallholdings in Tanzania

Residues from bioenergy and ecological sanitation (EcoSan) can be utilized to sustain soil fertility and productivity. With regard to certain cooking and sanitation technologies used in smallholder households (hh), we systematically analyzed how utilization of the respective potentials to recover residues for farming affects (i) soil nutrient balances, (ii) the potential for subsistence production of composts, and (iii) environmental emissions. On the example of an intercropping farming system in Karagwe, Tanzania, we studied specific farming practices including (1) current practices of using standard compost only; (2) a combination of using biogas slurry, urine, and standard compost; (3) a combination of using so-called “CaSa-compost” (containing biochar and sanitized human excreta, Project “Carbonization and Sanitation”), urine, and standard compost. The system analysis combines a soil nutrient balance (SNB) with material flow analysis (MFA). Currently, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are depleted by −54 ± 3 and −8 ± 1 kg∙ha−1∙year−1, respectively. Our analysis shows, however, a clear potential to reduce depletion rates of N, and to reverse the SNB of P, to bring about a positive outcome. Composts and biogas slurry supply sufficient P to crops, while urine effectively supplements N. By using resources recovered from cooking and sanitation, sufficient compost for subsistence farming may be produced. Human excreta contribute especially to total N and total P in CaSa-compost, whilst biochar recovered from cooking with microgasifier stoves adds to total carbon (C) and total P. We conclude that the combined recycling of household residues from cooking and from sanitation, and CaSa-compost in particular, is especially suitable for sustainable soil management, as it mitigates existing P-deficiency and soil acidity, and also restores soil organic matter.
The Effects of Human Resource Development Investment and Learning Practices on Innovative Performance of Organizations

IRLE WORKING PAPERS WP 2010 - 01 The Effects of Human Resource Development Investment and Learning Practices on Innovative Performance of Organizations by Jim Nam Choi College of Business Administration, Seoul National University jnchoi@snu.ac. kr January 21, 2010 10945 Le Conte Ave. Ste 2107, Los Angeles CA 90095,Tel. 310 -794-5957 Fax 310-794-6403 www.irle. ucla.edu
A Survey of One Hundred Suspected Drug Addicts

Drug addiction had been observed and reported in the Chicago area as early as 1880. The Psychiatric Institute has had a few addicts referred to it every year since its inception in 1914 but they were considered only a minor portion of the total case load. During 1950-51 tremendous public pressure had been brought to bear on the city officials to do something about a suspected increase in drug addiction. In April, 1951 the Narcotics Court was established by the Municipal Courts to serve as a centralized clearing house for all cases involving illegal sale or use of narcotics, barbiturates and marijuana. During the first four months of operation over four thousand cases were brought before this court. Approximately seven percent of these were referred to our clinic for examination. While the various professional members of this psychiatric unit had each examined a few addicts prior to this time, none considered himself really familiar with the problem of drug addiction. Hence the influx of this group of suspected drug addicts forced the team to work largely "in the dark" until such time as they could clinically deal effectively with such patients through the experience of contacts with the patients and through study of the available literature. It was decided by the staff that the standard screening procedures utilized in our clinics would be employed until such time as research and intensive clinical experience would indicate what modifications should be made for these particular types of patients. 1. The writers wish to express their gratitude to Mrs. Mary Appel, Mrs. Margaret Terch,
Religion in Textbooks and among Young Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims: A Comparative Study

This article presents three studies of religious beliefs and practices among young Norwegian Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus related to the presentation of these religions in religious education textbooks. Drawing on analyses of textbook presentations and group interviews with young informants from the three religions, the studies show that there are similarities as well as divergences between the textbook presentations and the descriptions given by the informants. By showing how textbooks may emphasize aspects of religions that the informants find marginal or exotic, this article adds to the understanding of the complex challenges posed to religious education by an increasingly multicultural context.
Emotional Intelligence and Coping Styles among Hospitality Industry Employees

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and three coping styles (task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping) using an adult, hospitality industry population. The hierarchical regression indicates that EI is by far the most dominant predictor of task coping among all selected explanatory variables; EI does not have much influence on emotion coping after the entry of two basic personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion); and EI is significantly related to avoidance coping encompassing social diversion and distraction. In addition, this study reveals the critical role played by demographic characteristics (e.g., age, experience, and gender) in individual coping efforts.
Toxicity and biological effects of three Egyptian isolates of baculovirus on the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (boisd)

The toxicity of three different isolates of Egyptian baculovirus namely NPVGiza, NPVCairo and NPVAlex to Spodoptera littoralis larvae and their effects on some biological aspects of adults were studied. The second and fourth larval instars were highly susceptible to NPVCairo than to the other isolates. The second larval instar was highly susceptible than the fourth larval instar. NPVCairo induced larval, pupal and adult malformations. It was found that the three NPV's decreased the moth longevity, fecundity, egg hatchability and altered the sex ratio.
The metal-ion-dependent adhesion site in the Von Willebrand factor-A domain of α2δ subunits is key to trafficking voltage-gated Ca2+ channels

All auxiliary alpha2delta subunits of voltage-gated Ca2+ (Ca(V)) channels contain an extracellular Von Willebrand factor-A (VWA) domain that, in alpha2delta-1 and -2, has a perfect metal-ion-dependent adhesion site (MIDAS). Modeling of the alpha2delta-2 VWA domain shows it to be highly likely to bind a divalent cation. Mutating the three key MIDAS residues responsible for divalent cation binding resulted in a MIDAS mutant alpha2delta-2 subunit that was still processed and trafficked normally when it was expressed alone. However, unlike WT alpha2delta-2, the MIDAS mutant alpha2delta-2 subunit did not enhance and, in some cases, further diminished Ca(V)1.2, -2.1, and -2.2 currents coexpressed with beta1b by using either Ba2+ or Na+ as a permeant ion. Furthermore, expression of the MIDAS mutant alpha2delta-2 reduced surface expression and strongly increased the perinuclear retention of Ca(V)alpha1 subunits at the earliest time at which expression was observed in both Cos-7 and NG108-15 cells. Despite the presence of endogenous alpha2delta subunits, heterologous expression of alpha2delta-2 in differentiated NG108-15 cells further enhanced the endogenous high-threshold Ca2+ currents, whereas this enhancement was prevented by the MIDAS mutations. Our results indicate that alpha2delta subunits normally interact with the Ca(V)alpha1 subunit early in their maturation, before the appearance of functional plasma membrane channels, and an intact MIDAS motif in the alpha2delta subunit is required to promote trafficking of the alpha1 subunit to the plasma membrane by an integrin-like switch. This finding provides evidence for a primary role of a VWA domain in intracellular trafficking of a multimeric complex, in contrast to the more usual roles in binding extracellular ligands in other exofacial VWA domains.
Microbial Quality of Fresh Meat from Retail Outlets in Tolon and Kumbungu Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana

Microbiological quality of raw meat sold at retail outlets in the Tolon and Kumbungu districts of the Northern region of Ghana was evaluated using standard microbiological methods. Samples collected from retail outlet at Nyankpala in the morning, afternoon, and late afternoon had the highest mean total aerobic bacterial count of 5.74 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 , 7.58 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 , and 8.85 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 respectively. The lowest total aerobic count was recorded in retail outlet at Gbulung (1.84 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 , 4.40 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 and 5.75 X 10 6 cfu/cm 2 for morning, afternoon, and late afternoon samples respectively). Bacteria isolated from the samples were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Salmonella species, of which some may be pathogenic and of public health concern. Variations in the total aerobic count and the type of bacteria were observed at different times of the day. The presence of various bacteria on raw meat sold in the Tolon and kumbungu districts is an indication of low standards of animal and meat handling practices from pre-slaughter to post–slaughter, sales of meat, abattoir facilities, and equipments.