Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural Change and Market Opening in Turkish Agriculture

Turkey is endowed with rich natural and human resources, but its agricultural sector never reached its potential because of the increasingly inefficient agricultural policies adopted since the late 1980s. However, an important reform was started in 2000-01, which has improved the incentive structure. After the reform of the CAP, EU and Turkish agricultural policies are now slowly converging. The principal remaining obstacles in Turkey will be the effective implementation of the new, EU-compatible, policy regime. Turkey has a comparative advantage in plant products that do not exhibit economies of scale and are relatively labour-intensive, i.e. fruits and vegetables Eliminating the existing border and non-tariff barriers to trade in agriculture would allow both sides to better exploit their comparative advantages. The models discussed here imply that an extension of the customs union agreement to agriculture would lead to substantial welfare benefits for both sides. Erol H. Cakmak is a professor of economics at the Middle East Technical University and a consultant to the Undersecretariat of Treasury for the agricultural implementation project in Turkey.
Inflow Uncertainty in Hydropower Markets

We analyse the effects of uncertainty on market performance in hydropower systems under alternative assumptions about market structure. Uncertainty creates distinct possibilities for exercising market power that cannot be captured in deterministic models. The qualitative and quantitative features of these possibilities depend on the characteristics of residual demand facing individual firms, which again depends on consumer preferences and generation and transmission technologies.
Absence of exon 15 BRAF germline mutations in familial melanoma

We have analyzed DNA from peripheral blood of 42 cases of familial melanoma for germline mutations in exon 15 of the BRAF gene. No evidence of mutation was found. We have also analyzed DNA extracted from secondary melanoma from two members of these families. These results were also negative. In addition we have searched for exon 15 BRAF mutations in 24 samples of secondary melanoma from 22 cases of sporadic melanoma and detected the 1796T>A BRAF mutation which leads to a substitution of valine by glutamic acid at position 599 (V599E) in six samples. Peripheral blood DNA from two of these tumor‐positive cases of sporadic melanoma were negative for the V599E BRAF mutation. This mutation therefore appears to be a somatic mutation associated with melanoma development and/or progression in a proportion of affected individuals. Hum Mutat 21:327–330, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhancing muscular qualities in untrained women: linear versus undulating periodization.

PURPOSE This study compared linear (LP) and undulating periodization (UP) on strength changes in untrained women when total workload and average training intensity were matched by the end of training. METHODS Twenty females (20 +/- 2 yr) were conditioned (3 wk) and assessed for one-repetition maximum squat (1RMSQ) and bench press (1RMBP) before being assigned to LP or UP training (9 wk), with training performed at 3 d.wk. Maximal strength, average power output during squat jumps with countermovement (SQJpwr) and bench press throws (BPTpwr), body mass, limb girth, and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) were assessed at baseline (T1) and after every 3 wk (T2, T3, and T4) to differentiate the efficacy of LP and UP training. RESULTS Both groups improved significantly (P < 0.05) in 1RMSQ (LP 34.8%, UP 41.2%), 1RMBP (LP 21.8%, UP 28.3%), SQJpwr (LP 10.4%, UP 9.5%), BPTpwr (LP 11.1%, UP 13.8%), arm girth (LP 1.14%, UP 1.73%), and thigh girth (LP 1.58%, UP 1.99%), with no significant difference between them. Muscle CSA for the LP group increased significantly at T2 before maintaining similar hypertrophic responses until T4, whereas the UP group recorded significant increments from T1 to T2 and T2 to T3, before stabilizing between T3 and T4. Pooled CSA increase was higher than previously found (6.8% at T2, 11.3% at T3, and 11.8% at T4). CONCLUSIONS The comparison of LP and UP training with matched volume load and intensity suggests that both programs were equally adept in improving different strength qualities in active but untrained women. In addition, muscle hypertrophic responses were larger and occurred earlier than previously reported.
The Income Losses of Displaced Workers

We use a new, matched worker-firm dataset for the United Kingdom to estimate the income loss resulting from firm closure and mass layoffs. We track workers for up to nine years after the displacement event, and the availability of predisplacement characteristics allows us to implement difference-in-differences estimators using propensity score matching methods. Income losses during the first five years after the displacement event are in the range 18–35 percent per year for workers whose firm closes down, and 14–25 percent for workers who exit a firm which suffers a mass layoff. These losses are largely due to periods of nonemployment, which is consistent with previous work from Europe, but contrasts with that from the United States.
Preparing Jordanian university services to implement a quality self-assessment methodology

The purpose of this article is to analyse the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) self-assessment model in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Spain and in Jordan, and show what Jordanian HEIs have learnt from the Spanish experience. The article uses a case study methodology on eight administrative services provided by a public university in Spain and seven services provided by one public and one private university in Jordan. The findings show the steps that an administrative service may follow in order to apply the questionnaire approach to self-assessment in a successful manner. It provides lessons for decision-makers and managers from other public services in HEIs in Jordan, and other developing countries, who wish to perform an exercise in self-assessment using a questionnaire approach. Points for practitioners The article describes a practical methodology for assessing quality in public services in HEIs. It identifies the steps to implement this methodology in public services in a developed country (Spain) and in a developing country (Jordan) and the lessons learnt by the developing country. The article shows that the concept of quality awards can be adapted to different contexts, although there is a need for modification and careful implementation. The study provides lessons for decision-makers and managers from other public services in HEIs in Jordan, and other developing countries, who wish to perform an exercise in self-assessment using a questionnaire approach.
Voluntary IFRS Adoption, Analyst Coverage, and Information Quality: International Evidence

ABSTRACT: This study investigates whether and how a firm's voluntary adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) affects financial analysts' decisions to follow the firm, and improves the information environment, as reflected in the precision of the analysts' information set. First, this study finds that firms with voluntary IFRS adoptions attract more analysts than non-adopter firms. Second, it finds that the added disclosure via IFRS adoption contributes to the better precision of the analyst information set. Third, this study finds that the improved precision of total analyst information is attributed to not only an increase in the precision of public information common to all analysts, but also an increase in the precision of private information that is idiosyncratic to a particular analyst. This finding suggests a complementary relation with respect to the effect of IFRS adoption on the quality of public and private information. Finally, further analysis reveals that analyst covera.
Engaging in Buyer-Seller Partnership for Fair Labor Management

This study introduces the concept of partnership for fair labor management, which has been identified as critical for further improvement in labor management in the apparel and footwear industry. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of a firm's strategic emphases on its partnership behavior for fair labor management. An exploratory scale of partnership was developed based on what has been found in practice and the buyer-seller relationship literature. A self-administered survey through mail was conducted to gather data from 209 sourcing managers from U.S. firms. Six types of strategic emphases (i.e., supply control, image differentiation, focus, quality differentiation, product development, and low price) were identified. Firms with supply control, image differentiation, and product development strategic emphases were more engaged in partnership, whereas ones with a low-price emphasis were less engaged in partnership relationships. The role of strategic emphases as well as control variables, including size and the extent of foreign sourcing, are discussed in relation to partnership behavior for fair labor management.
The impact of information technology on bank profitability in Nigeria

This paper examines the impact of information technology on bank profitability. Using a sample comprising one-quarter of the banks in Nigeria currently quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, regression results were in conflict with a priori expectations, which indicated that information technology spending in the study period had no significant impact on future operating performance. The results remained robust irrespective of alternative measures of profitability. This surprising outcome, among other things, is likely connected with the fact that investment in information technology is now a common denominator for all banks and that the data set is from a sub-Saharan African country where investment in information technology by banks is not yet at its prime level. However, what the results show is that information technology investment is inevitable for banking institutions to enable them to continue to operate efficiently in the current competitive banking industry.
Stock Returns and the Business Cycle

This article examines whether movements in economic factors dictated by the dividend discount model can explain broad movements in stock returns over the business cycle. As anticipated, stock returns decrease throughout economic expansions and become negative during the first half of recessions. Returns are largest during the second half of recessions, suggesting an important role for expected earnings. These results are consistent with the notion that expected stock returns vary inversely with economic conditions, yet suggest that realized returns are especially poor indicators of expected returns prior to turning points in the business cycle. Copyright 2004 by the Eastern Finance Association.
The Arctic Sea Route

The thawing of Arctic areas will open all-year sea routes between the northern Atlantic and the northern Pacific, reduce the travel time between them in summer by 10-35%, make ten mill. sq-km accessible to mining and add one Middle East sized deposit to global hydrocarbon resources. The changes will downsize the role of the Suez and Panama Canals, actualise issues of sovereignty and maritime right-of-way and affect potentially 20-25% of the ocean-going container tonnage. In this study, physical setting, traffic potential, route options and political issues of the Arctic Sea Route are discussed.
Transthoracically or Transabdominally: How to Approach Adenocarcinoma of the Distal Esophagus and Cardia. A Meta-Analysis

Esophageal carcinoma is the eighth most frequent cancer worldwide and the sixth cancer-related cause of death. Here we propose a new meta-analysis to identify the most appropriate approach for resectable adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and cardia (Siewert 1-2). A systematic literature search was performed independently by 2 of the manuscript's authors using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library Central. The following criteria were set for inclusion in this meta-analysis: 1) studies comparing transthoracic esophagectomy and transhiatal esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus; 2) studies reporting at least 1 perioperative outcome; and 3) if more than 1 study was reported by the same institute, only the most recent or the highest quality study was included. A total of 6 articles dated between 1996 and 2012 fulfilled the selection criteria and were therefore included in this meta-analysis; this pool of articles consisted of 2 prospective and 4 retrospective studies. A statistically significant difference favoring the transthoracic procedure was noted regarding the number of retrieved lymph nodes, 5-year disease-free survival rate and 5-year overall survival rate (p = 0.001, p = 0.05 and p = 0.03, respectively). In conclusion, transthoracic esophagectomy for adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus and esophagogastric junction (Siewert 1-2) appears to be superior to the transhiatal approach in terms of oncological outcomes.
The paradoxical effects of workforce shortages on rural interprofessional practice.

RATIONALE AND AIM While interprofessional practice has been promoted as a solution to the challenges besetting rural health services, current evidence does not offer a clear explanation as to why it is effective in some domains and yet is not successful in others. At the same time, rural clinicians are frequently faced with major workforce pressures and this has a significant influence on professional practice. The aim of this study was to explore how these pressures impact on rural interprofessional practice. METHOD This study is part of a larger project investigating factors that enhance and detract from effective interprofessional working. We utilised a modified realistic evaluation approach to analyse the context, mechanisms and outcomes of rural interprofessional practice. Approval for this study was granted by an accredited research ethics committee. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 rural clinicians who were purposively recruited from a range of settings, roles, locations and professions. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION We found that clinicians often invested in interprofessional practice because of the need to manage intense workloads and this necessitated sharing of responsibilities across disciplines and blurring of role boundaries. Paradoxically, participants noted that workload pressures hampered interprofessional working if there were long-term skill shortages. Sharing workload and responsibility is an important motivator for rural practitioners to engage in interprofessional practice; however, this driver is only effective under circumstances where there are sufficient resources to facilitate collaboration. In the context of intransient resource challenges, rural health service managers would be best to focus on enabling IPP through facilitating role understanding and respect between clinicians. This is most feasible via informal workplace learning and allowing time for teams to reflect on collaborative processes.
A multi-level examination of quality-focused human resource practices and firm performance: evidence from the US healthcare industry

In today's business world, the role of quality has become ever more significant for organizations to compete in a global marketplace. Based on the quality management theory, this study empirically examines the relationship between quality-focused human resource practices (QHRP) and organizational performance outcomes. Data from 69 healthcare organizations indicate a strong support for this relationship. A Human Resource (HR) system focused on quality management was directly related to multiple dimensions of organizational performance outcomes (i.e., intangible – employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction – and tangible – profit). Specifically, two measures of QHRP, knowledge management and strategic management, were found to be positively related to the financial performance of firms implementing quality management. Process management is found to be negatively related to employee satisfaction. General Human Resources were positively related to both employee and customer satisfaction. Employee focus of the firms is also positively related to employee satisfaction. In addition, employee satisfaction is also related to both customer satisfaction and financial performance while customer satisfaction is found to be positively related to employee satisfaction. The findings indicate a generally strong positive relationship with the organizational performance outcomes. The results of this study are particularly important in showing HR's contribution to the organization's bottom line.
Judicial Instability and Endogenous Constitutional Change: Lessons from Latin America

Legal scholars frequently advocate institutional reforms to modernize the judiciary and promote judicial independence. However, constitutional reforms also offer an opportunity for politicians to reshuffle the high courts. The negative consequences of constitutional change for judicial stability are explored using an original database of Supreme Court and Constitutional Tribunal members in eighteen Latin American countries between 1904 and 2010. Because unobserved factors potentially explain constitutional replacement as well as judicial turnover, a two-stage event-history model has been employed. The analysis integrates two literatures, studies of constitution-making and studies of judicial politics. The results show that constitutional change is a significant cause of judicial instability and court manipulation, even after potential endogeneity has been taken into account.
THE IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT AND COMPETENCES ON INNOVATION AMBIDEXTERITY

Research into organisation theory contains abundant evidence of the positive effects of ambidexterity on a firm's performance, and of the influence of organisational context on ambidexterity. The present research tests whether organisational context affects innovation ambidexterity. Our results, based on a dataset of 108 large innovative firms, show that firms combining exploration innovation and exploitation innovation should adopt long-term practices that favour risk-taking and creativity, and thereby build an organisational context suited to innovation ambidexterity. Competences were found to have a strong moderating effect. These results have important managerial and theoretical implications. In the case of innovation, firms that simultaneously pursue exploitation and exploration activities should carefully consider how they combine competences and organisational context.
The Increasing Importance of Industry Risk Relative to Country Risk. Is it there

Recent evidence suggests that the gains from industry diversiflcation may now be at the same or even at higher level than from country diversiflcation. We flrst investigate whether this conclusion still holds when the dummy variable model of Heston and Rouwenhorst (1994) and Campbell et al. (2001) is extended as to allow for time-varying sensitivities to global market, sector, and country shocks. Second, we consider a large number of fundamental economic variables that may explain the potential shift in cross-country and cross-industry correlations over time. We flnd that the assumption of both unit and constant betas is strongly rejected in the data. Our results indicate that by wrongly assuming unit betas, previous studies have overestimated industry and country speciflc risk up to respectively 18 and 13 percent. After correcting for this bias, our results do not conflrm that industry efiects are now more important than country efiects.
Determinants of fish consumption by household type in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to separate households into several types based on their features, and then to further investigate determinants of household fish consumption in China by figuring out consumption preference divergences between types of households under the effects of economic and socio-demographics factors. Design/methodology/approach – This paper first applies Multiple Correspondence Analysis to separate the modalities of variables and households according to their features, with health knowledge and time constraint of a spouse highlighted. Then, the transcribed principal information of both variables and households has been added into Marshallian demand function with fish price, income, child effect, and health status for identification of factors on household fish demand. The robust fixed effect and robust random effect GLS regression has been conducted. Findings – The paper provides empirical insights about what and how factors affect household fish consumption. It suggests that,.
Informal and Gendered Practices in a Homeless Persons Unit

The informal categorisation of clients into those who are more and those who are less ‘deserving’ of help has been a noted occurrence amongst welfare officials. Whilst such practices usually do not constitute official policy, it is recognised that shorthand rules and stereotyping are inevitable and necessary for the effective delivery of public service work. Using data from observations and interviews at several homeless assessment sites, this paper examines the evidence that the gender of a homeless person affects the way they are categorised by housing officers. The research finds that housing officers see homeless women as the more ‘deserving’ group and explanations for this are explored. However, a relative lack of appropriate short-term housing options for women means that the outcomes of women's cases may not reflect their more ‘deserving’ categorisation.
Fiscal Policy, Default Risk and Euro Area Sovereign Bond Spreads

This paper develops an arbitrage-free a¢ ne term structure model of potentially defaultable sovereign bonds to model a cross-section of six euro area government bond yield curves. We make use of the coexistence of a common monetary policy under European Monetary Union, which determines the short end of the yield curve that is common to all countries, and decentralized debt policies which drive expected default probabilities and thereby spreads at the long end. The factors of our term structure model are observable macroeconomic variables, including measures of government solvency. When applying this model to yield curves of six EMU member countries over the period January 1999 to March 2010, we …nd strong evidence for a break in the relationship between the …scal variable and the default intensities in early 2008. Despite using no latent factors, our model produces an excellent …t to both yield levels and spreads. For highly indebted countries, following the break the sensitivity of spreads to the …scal variable rises sharply. JEL classi…cation: E6, H6.
An Evaluation of Accounting-Based Measures of Expected Returns

We develop an empirical method that allows us to evaluate the reliability of an expected return proxy via its association with realized returns even if realized returns are biased and noisy measures of expected returns. We use our approach to examine seven accounting‐based proxies that are imputed from prices and contemporaneous analysts' earnings forecasts. Our results suggest that, for the entire crosssection of firms, these proxies are unreliable. None of them has a positive association with realized returns, even after controlling for the bias and noise in realized returns attributable to contemporaneous information surprises. Moreover, the simplest proxy, which is based on the least reasonable assumptions, contains no more measurement error than the remaining proxies. These results remain even after we attempt to purge the proxies of their measurement error via the use of instrumental variables and grouping. We provide additional evidence, however, that demonstrates that some proxies are reliable whe.