Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“A Desolate Voice”: Poetry and Identity among Young Afghan Refugees in Iran,

At the time of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, it may be said that Afghans began to form exilic communities in Iran rather than simply intermittent groups of seasonal migrant workers. The binding institutions of these communities, in particular the community of Shi‘a Afghans in Mashhad, were political parties and groups of mojahedin, religious centers and leaders, and cultural figures—notably poets. Poetry (both oral and written) in court Persian and local vernacular, has a long tradition in Afghanistan—much of which is shared with Iran—and continues to be the most respected and most widely practiced of the arts. It has also always had a direct, but not always approving, relationship with power and politics. Among refugees, it has been a vehicle for political commentary and incitement to jihad; for dialogue between Afghans and Iranians; and (in lyrical forms such as the classical ghazal or contemporary blank verse) for expressing subjective experience, thought, and emotion, particularly love or the pain of exile, with some license to criticize or subvert social convention. In this ethnographic analysis, I examine the role of poets and poetry in the cultural life of Afghans in Iran since 1979, focusing on the latest generation of young poets and tracing the influence of modernist Iranian literary developments on their work in the context of the gradual depoliticization of Afghan communities in exile, in particular after September 2001. I also argue that literary activities have been important in sustaining a separate ‘Afghan’ identity that has helped many young people transform their sense of marginalization to one of pride both in their non-Iranian origins and in their common heritage with Iranians. This article is based on nine months of ethnographic fieldwork in Mashhad and Tehran, Iran between 2004 and 2006. 1The quote in the title comes from a poem by Elyas ‘Alavi, Avaz-e Gharib. The adjective gharib means strange, lonely, foreign, and is intended here to evoke a cry of desolation and dispossession. All translations of Persian poems and sources are by the author, with assistance and clarifications from the poets.
Distributed Degree-Based Link Scheduling for Collision Avoidance in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of multiple sensor nodes, which communicate with each other under the constrained energy resources. Retransmissions caused by collision and interference during the communication among sensor nodes increase overall network delay. Since the network delay increases as the node's waiting time increases, the network performance is reduced. Thus, the link scheduling scheme is needed to communicate without collision and interference. In the distributed WSNs environment, a sensor node has limited information about its neighboring nodes. Therefore, a comprehensive link scheduling scheme is required for distributed WSNs. Many schemes in the literature prevent collision and interference through time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol. However, considering the collision and interference in TDMA-based schedule increases the delay time and decreases the communication efficiency. This paper proposes the distributed degree-based link scheduling (DDLS) scheme, based on the TDMA. The DDLS scheme achieves the link scheduling more efficiently than the existing schemes and has the low delay and the duty cycle in the distributed environment. Communication between sensor nodes in the proposed DDLS schemes is based on collision avoidance maximal independent link set, which enables to assign collision-free timeslots to sensor nodes, and meanwhile decreases the number of timeslots needed and has low delay time and the duty cycle. Simulation results show that the proposed DDLS scheme reduces the scheduling length by average 81%, the transmission delay by 82%, and duty cycle by over 85% in comparison with distributed collision-free low-latency scheduling scheme.
Does the application of corporate social responsibility support a high performance organisation in achieving better results? The case of mining multinationals in Peru

Recent literature indicates that the application of corporate social responsibility (CSR) can lead to better organisational performance. It is therefore logical to propose that CSR is not just a philosophy but can be a methodology suitable for business purposes, in the sense that a good application of CSR techniques supports an organisation in becoming a high performance organisation (HPO). The research described in this article investigates whether an organisation that applies CSR more fully achieves better organisational results than an organisation which uses CSR less in its business dealings. A comparison of two mining companies in Peru, using a CSR-HPO framework, shows that the mining company which practised CSR better indeed achieves higher organisational performance and is well on its way to becoming an HPO. A direct consequence of this finding is that it makes both social and economic sense for organisations to work on their CSR practice and behaviour, in order to become and stay an HPO.
Demand Uncertainty and Cost Behavior

ABSTRACT: We investigate analytically and empirically the relationship between demand uncertainty and cost behavior. We argue that with more uncertain demand, unusually high realizations of demand become more likely. Accordingly, firms will choose a higher capacity of fixed inputs when uncertainty increases in order to reduce congestion costs. Higher capacity levels imply a more rigid short-run cost structure with higher fixed and lower variable costs. We formalize this “counterintuitive” argument in a simple analytical model of capacity choice. Following this logic, we hypothesize that firms facing higher demand uncertainty have a more rigid short-run cost structure with higher fixed and lower variable costs. We test this hypothesis for the manufacturing sector using data from Compustat and the NBER-CES Industry Database. Evidence strongly supports our hypothesis for multiple cost categories in both datasets. The results are robust to alternative specifications. Data Availability: All data used in this s.
I conti pubblici nel decennio 1998-2007: fattori temporanei, tendenze di medio periodo, misure discrezionali

I conti pubblici nel decennio 1998-2007: fattori temporanei, tendenze di medio periodo, misure discrezionali - The paper examines the development of Italy’s public finances after the consolidation period 1992-97, which secured participation in the European Monetary Union from the outset. The «structural» developments in the main budgetary components are assessed, excluding the effects of the economic cycle and of temporary measures. The analysis shows a rapid deterioration in the years 1998-2003, whose roots can be traced back to the consolidation of the early 1990s, achieved primarily by means of tax increases and cuts in capital expenditure. Since 2004 there has been a structural improvement, initially modest but substantial in 2006 and 2007. Sustaining this adjustment and making further progress may again prove difficult, as the fiscal correction is similar in nature to the previous consolidation effort. Looking at the whole period 1998-2007, the deterioration of the public finances seems attributable to the difficulty to restrain the growth of current primary expenditure.
An Empirical Examination of the Editorial Review Processes of Accounting Journals

This study examines the editorial review processes of a broad set of widely circulated and read English-language academic accounting journals. It reports findings for individual journals, as well as clusters of journals that have been categorised by the geographical region of their editorial offices and functional specialty. A survey-based study was used. Authors who had papers accepted at one of the 38 accounting journals during the period 2004–2005 were asked to comment on their experiences with the editorial review process. The authors were also separately asked to comment on the editorial review process of a journal in which they received their most recent manuscript rejection. While the average author experience with the editorial review process was perceived as slightly favourable, significant differences were observed between journals, journal specialty (e.g. accounting and finance, management accounting, etc.), location of editorial review offices and accepted versus rejected manuscript experiences. These more granular findings reveal that some journals, and clusters of journals, were perceived to stand out from the rest.
Modulation of IL-2-induced human B cell proliferation in the presence of human 50-kDa B cell growth factor and IL-4.

Several human T cell derived factors capable of stimulating human B cells to synthesize DNA have been previously described. One such factor exhibits an apparent m.w. of 50,000 Da and has been termed 50-kDa-B cell growth factor (BCGF). In this report, we show that a human B cell proliferation pathway based on the sequential action of anti-mu antibody, 50-kDa-BCGF and IL-2 is inhibited in the presence of human rIL-4. Although IL-4 itself is capable of triggering B cell DNA synthesis as measured at 72 h, this lymphokine inhibits, in a dose-related manner, the 50-kDa-BCGF driven response of B cells to IL-2 when such proliferation is determined after 144 h. This inhibition takes place at an early step of the B cell activation and does not require the presence of IL-4 during the whole culture period. Such inhibitory activity of IL-4 is specific to the IL-2-induced B cell proliferation because DNA synthesis measured in the presence of semi-purified human 12-kDa-BCGF is not affected by the presence of IL-4. Our results suggest that a particular pathway of human B cell activation leading to the proliferation of these cells in the presence of IL-2 could be either up- or down-modulated by 50-kDa-BCGF and IL-4, respectively.
When industrial democracy and empowerment go hand-in-hand: A co-power approach

There is a growing debate between mainstream and critical empowerment theorists; the latter criticize empowerment interventions that could be disempowering when the real power continues to reside with management. To draw upon the tension between these dualistic views, this study investigates whether organizations with formal power structures of collective bargaining as represented by union density and employee representation provide a facilitative social environment for empowerment to grow. Based on two combined sets of secondary data collected for the ETUI in 2006 and EWCS in 2005 from 27 European countries, this study found that countries with a stronger union tradition demonstrated higher workplace empowerment and job satisfaction for individual workers than countries with a weaker union tradition. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Salutary lessons from the Collaborative Eclampsia Trial

Magnesium sulphate now can be confidently recommended as the anticonvulsant of choice for eclampsia. The results of the Collaborative Eclampsia Trial (1) have shown that although its mode of action is not understood, magnesium sulfate has clear advantages when compared with both diazepam and phenytoin. Recurrent seizures were 2 to 3 times less frequent, and other seriou outcomes were also substantially reduced in comparison with phenytoin. These findings have clear implications for clinical practice, but other salutary lessons can be learned from the planning and execution of this study.
Intra-regional Wage Inequality in Portugal

Abstract Studies on intra-regional inequality are scarce, particularly for European countries. This paper aims at further investigating inequality by focusing on wage differences within regions. We consider the case of Portugal, which is considered one of the countries with the highest level of economic inequality. In particular, we analyse the evolution of intra-regional wage inequality between 1995 and 2005, employing a quantile-based decomposition method. Our results show that wage inequality evolution has been different across the various regions, increasing in some regions and decreasing in others. Different changes in the workforce composition explain these diverse developments.
Field trial of optical current transformer using optical fiber as Faraday sensor

The optical current transformers (OCTs) using silica optical fiber as Faraday sensor were manufactured and tested in the field (275 kV substation) for 2 years to confirm their long-term reliability. Regarding the initial performance the current characteristic or the ratio error of the OCT for measurement satisfied the Japanese Electrotechnical Committee (JEC)-1201 class 1PS and that of the OCT for protection satisfied class 1T in the range from -20/spl deg/C to 55/spl deg/C. Regarding the field performance the ratio error of the OCT for measurement was stable within /spl plusmn/1% for 2 years. The current characteristic of the ratio error of the OCT for measurement satisfied class 1PS and a good result was also obtained for the OCT for protection. Also the OCTs measured accurately transient current that arose from a fault in the system. Therefor we confirm the long-term reliability of the OCT in the field through the field trial.
COMPETENCIA Y RESULTADOS EDUCATIVOS: TEORIA Y EVIDENCIA PARA CHILE

Este trabajo presenta un modelo conceptual y estimaciones empiricas para estudiar los efectos de la competencia que enfrentan los colegios sobre la calidad de la educacion que ofrecen. Los resultados empiricos, obtenidos utilizando informacion para cerca de 5000 colegios entre 1994 y 1997 y estimaciones robustas a endogeneidad, apoyan las predicciones del modelo teorico y muestran un efecto positivo y economicamente relevante de la competencia en los resultados de los colegios chilenos subvencionados. Esos efectos son relativamente mayores para los colegios particulares subvencionados, que enfrentan incentivos mas directamente relacionados con su desempeno academico.
On the Number and the Composition of Varieties

I propose a simple general equilibrium model with nonhomothetic preferences and productivity differences and analyse the number and the composition of varieties in consumption. I obtain the following three results. First, population and labour efficiency have different roles in the income elasticity of demand, thus having different impacts on the number of final goods. Second, given the number of final goods, the composition of varieties is determined by the relative importance of desirability and technological feasibility of each final good. Finally, the equilibrium number and composition of final goods may not necessarily be the same as the optimal ones. Copyright © The Author(s). Journal compilation © Royal Economic Society 2009.
Active Bias: Training More Accurate Neural Networks by Emphasizing High Variance Samples

Self-paced learning and hard example mining re-weight training instances to improve learning accuracy. This paper presents two improved alternatives based on lightweight estimates of sample uncertainty in stochastic gradient descent (SGD): the variance in predicted probability of the correct class across iterations of mini-batch SGD, and the proximity of the correct class probability to the decision threshold. Extensive experimental results on six datasets show that our methods reliably improve accuracy in various network architectures, including additional gains on top of other popular training techniques, such as residual learning, momentum, ADAM, batch normalization, dropout, and distillation.
To teach is to learn twice : Resident teachers learn more

Objectives To describe the formal teaching activities of pediatric residents and to assess how the act of formal teaching affects residents' acquisition and retention of knowledge. Design and Methods Randomized controlled trial. Forty-three pediatric residents in a university-based program were surveyed about their teaching activities, given a pretest on a predetermined topic (oral rehydration), then randomly assigned to either teach (n=18) or listen to (n=25) a 30-minute lecture on that topic; 6 to 8 weeks later they completed a posttest. The difference between pretest and posttest scores was calculated for each resident as an index of knowledge acquisition. Results The mean number of resident teaching events per year was 3.5 for interns (n=16), 2.9 for junior residents (n=11), and 6.9 for senior residents (n=16). Self-reported comfort with the teaching role, ability to hold a group's attention, and desire to teach were similar across year of training. Prior to randomization, teachers (experimental group) reported less interest in oral rehydration than did listeners (control group) ( P P Implications Among pediatric residents, formal teaching enhances knowledge acquisition relative to self-study and lecture attendance.
Economic Benefits and Support for Membership in the E.U.: A Cross-National Analysis

ABSTRACT How can differences in public support for membership in the European Union across the twelve EU member states and among its citizens be explained? Using Eurobarometer polls for 1982, 1986, and 1990, the paper examines how direct and indirect economic benefits associated with EU membership affect support for integration. We find that individuals living in countries that benefit more from EU membership display higher levels of support for their country's participation in the EU. Moreover, the results indicate that those individuals who benefit personally are also more supportive of the integration project. The paper also spells out some of the possible ramifications of these results.
A Study of Changes in Risk Appetite in the Stock Market and the Housing Market before and after the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 Using the vKOSPI

This study analyzes the empirical relationship between the vKOSPI, which is the Korean VIX (implied volatility index), and the housing market (rent1-to-house price ratio) based on monthly data from January 2003 to November 2012. The data were divided into two parts before and after the global financial crisis in 2008 and were analyzed by using the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) Model. The research results show that the influence of vKOSPI on the housing market changes from symmetric to asymmetric since the global financial crisis in 2008. Before the global crisis in 2008, the influence of the vKOSPI on the house price index and rent index is almost the same, so the influence on the rent-to-house price ratio is not statistically significant. However, since the global crisis in 2008, the influence of the vKOSPI on the two prices has changed asymmetrically and the influence on the rent-to-house price ratio was statistically significant. Second, the influence of the vKOSPI fluctuation on house sale prices and rent is shown differently according to the rise/fall of the vKOSPI. In the event of the vKOSPI rising, house prices would fall greatly. On the other hand, in the event of the vKOSPI falling, the rise in housing prices is relatively small. This means that while the boosted sentiment of investors in the stock market is not transferred to the housing sales market, the aggravated sentiment of investors affects the housing sales market easily. In conclusion, the uncertainty has been represented in the vKOSPI and the preference for risky assets has an asymmetrical influence on the market dependent upon the kind of market. We suspect that this is caused by complex factors including shrinking expectations for future house prices.
Early signals transduction linking the synthesis of jasmonic acid in plant

Jasmonate signaling plays a critical role in protecting plants from pathogens or insect attacks and in limiting damage from abiotic stress. Many events contribute to the regulation of jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis during abiotic or biotic stress, but the details of the underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this Mini-Review paper, we discuss the possible roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), calcium influx, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade during JA synthesis or JA signal transduction.
Barriers to successful implementation of technology integration in educational settings: a case study

Representing issues discussed at the EduSummIT 2011 relative to essential conditions and barriers to successful technology integration, this article presents a systemic analysis of barriers that needed to be overcome for an information technology initiative (Remote Networked School project) to be successfully implemented. The analysis was conducted from an activity theory framework. Barriers were conceptualized as tensions that pulled constituents of an activity system or activity systems in opposite directions at four distinct levels of contradiction. Chains of tensions–pivotal actions that led to the overcoming of barriers were identified. Twelve exemplars illustrate how roles, policies and routines were transformed for necessary conditions to be in place in small remote schools. As emphasized by our application of activity theory, these conditions, which parallel the essential conditions formulated by the International Society for Technology in Education, can never be taken for granted by the educational agents of a specific setting. In the case presented, activity theory explains that the overcoming of barriers is an ongoing exercise as some tensions get resolved, reappear or give way to new ones.
Higher Education Employability in Croatia - Analysis from 2002 to 2011

In modern society having good educational system isn't enough. Today's educational system has to provide answers for the jobs that will be present in five to ten years while taking into consideration that future jobs are drastically changing and labor market is eager for highly educated workers. Having this in mind, every country that wants to respond to current and future labor market needs has to have a good dialog among those two sectors. In this article we are focusing on the tertiary education employability in Croatia which is further supported by comparison with EU and USA data, while taking into consideration student standard and international survey results.
Empty gestures? A review of the discourses of ‘localism’ from the practitioner’s perspective

Little has been written from the practitioner’s perspective about the discourses of localism permeating local planning practice. Even less has been written about the tangible local economic outputs of such planning initiatives legislated through the Localism Act (House of Commons, 2011). As such, this paper fills a gap by reviewing the practicalities of the neighbourhood development plan (NDP) process; a localism tool heralded as a mechanism to allow local communities to choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built. Reflecting on the 858 NDPs currently underway across England and Wales, the real drivers, practicalities and implications of this new policy layer are critically analysed from the practitioner’s perspective. The paper concludes that behind the rhetoric of the neighbourhood planning discourse is a covert political objective of enabling local economic development by facilitating private sector-led growth (through ensuring fewer local objections to development proposals and more planning approvals). However, quite the opposite, the paper reveals a dangerously misplaced emphasis on empowering localities through NDPs. This is because in reality experimental NDPs have a limited and uneven scope and at times may be inflammatory, increasing anti-development sentiments. Instead, it is proposed that an adjusted policy focus is adopted which facilitates genuine community engagement with the local development planning process.