Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiencing the barriers: non-traditional students entering higher education

The paper describes part of an ongoing study of the experiences of 32 mature, ‘non-traditional’ students as they make the transition to higher education. The paper draws on the stories of three of the participants to highlight some of the financial and institutional barriers experienced by mature minority ethnic students. It points to the need for institutional change if nontraditional students are to thrive within a system that purports to be directed towards widening participation. The study reveals the non-traditional student as a frustrated participant in an unresponsive institutional context and questions the tendency to problematize students from non-traditional backgrounds, rather than the educational institutions responsible for their progress This paper is based on research carried out with adults involved in a communitybased, flexible access to higher education project in an inner-city area of the UK. The study involved the development of a participatory research design to encourage mature students to speak directly to an academic audience and to reflect on their experiences as they made the decision to aim for higher education entry, and as they entered a variety of part-time and fulltime higher educational establishments and courses.
EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH URINE AMYLASE MONITORING FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF REJECTION IN PANCREAS TRANSPLANTATION

Pancreas allograft rejection in dogs with pancreati-cocystostomy can be predicted in advance of hyperglycemia by monitoring the urinary amylase (UA) concentration (U/L): In initial experiments, UA values declined to <1000 1.3±0.2 days before hyperglycemia in non-immunosuppressed dogs, 3.3±1.0 days in dogs treated with cyclosporine (CsA), and 9.3±0.7 days in dogs treated with CsA, azathioprine (Aza), and prednisone (triple therapy). Autotransplanted control dogs maintained high urine amylase concentrations indefinitely (mean 125,544±36,931). In a subsequent experiment, in 19 dogs with bladder-drained pancreas allografts on CsA only for prophylactic immunosuppression, a five-day course of antirejection treatment with Aza (5.0 mg/ kg) and antilymphocyte globulin ALG (1 mg/kg) was started in group A (n = 10) when a raise in serum glucose was detected, and in group B (n = 9) when a drop of UA below 1000 was observed. The functional allograft survival rate was 9.2±0.5 days in group A (treatment started after hyperglycemia) and 29.0±5.7 days in group B (treatment started after drop in UA) (P = .002). The UA dropped in all dogs before hyperglycemia, at a mean of 2.7 days in group A and 20.8 days in group B. Clinically, 8 patients received a whole cadaver pancreas transplant with urinary drainage of the exocrine secretions. All were followed with UA monitoring. Three recipients lost the grafts for technical reasons. One had a primary nonfunction and UA was below 1000 U/24 hr; two developed abscesses and the grafts were removed while functioning with high UA values. Five grafts are currently functioning; 3 recipients had no rejection episodes and their UA values ranged from 30,000 to 100,000 U/24 hr during their entire postoperative course. The other two had rejection episodes. In both cases UA decreased to baseline levels 1 and 4 days in advance of the hyperglycemia. After antirejection treatment UA rose again to high values and plasma glucose levels declined. Both patients are currently in.
Polyculturalism and Sexist Attitudes

In cultural contexts in which sexist beliefs are considered traditional, shifts toward gender equality represent an example of cultural change. Polyculturalism is defined as the belief that cultures change constantly through different racial and ethnic groups’ interactions, influences, and exchanges with each other and, therefore, are dynamic and socially constructed rather than static. Thus, polyculturalism may involve openness to cultural change and, thereby, would be expected to be associated with lower sexist attitudes. Four studies (both cross-sectional and longitudinal) with undergraduate and community samples in the Northeastern United States tested whether endorsement of polyculturalism is inversely associated with sexism, above and beyond potentially confounding belief systems. Across studies, for both women and men, endorsement of polyculturalism was associated with lower sexist attitudes for two classes of sexism measures: (a) attitudes toward the rights and roles of women and (b) ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Associations remained significant while controlling for potentially confounding variables (colorblindness, conservatism, egalitarianism, gender and ethnic identity, gender and race essentialism, multiculturalism, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation). Greater openness to criticizing one’s culture mediated polyculturalism’s association with attitudes toward the rights and roles of women but not with ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Studying polyculturalism may provide unique insights into sexism, and more work is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.
Hierarchical Game-Theoretic Models of Transparency in the Administrative State

This dissertation develops three game-theoretic models in each of its three chapters to explore the strategic implications of transparency in the administrative state. Each model contains a similar set of three players: a political principal, an agent representing an agency or a bureaucrat, and an interested third party. The models consider the utility of transparency as a tool for mitigating regulatory capture, in which the third party influences the agent to serve its interest rather than the principal’s. Chapter 1, “Transparency and Media Scrutiny in the Regulatory Process,” models transparency as the volume of records that the media receives from the agent, which raises the likelihood of news alleging low costs to the interest group after the agent’s proposal of lax regulation. Such reports cost these two players and may deter the group from capturing the agent. Among other things, the model describes costs due to distorted policy proposals and loss of information when greater transparency causes inaccurate reports to increase along with accurate ones. In Chapter 2, “Transparency and Power in Rulemaking,” transparency is a requirement for the agent to disclose an item of information, such as his message from the regulated party or his signal about the cost of regulation. The agent can always disclose this information, but doing so may increase the principal’s power to set regulation higher than he or the regulated party desires. A key result is that transparency is not necessary for the principal to know as much as the agent does but may discourage the generation of the message or signal.
Currency speculation and dollar fluctuations

In this study the reasons behind the wide fluctuations of the dollar exchange rate following the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system, for the most part unexplained by the prevailing exchange rate theories, are explored. To do so, the author investigates the exchange rate between the two most traded currencies, the dollar and the deutschemark, from 1973 to 1988. In the first part, the pattern of the daily exchange rate movements is examined to show that a sequence of upward and downward trends interrupted by non-directional movements is typical of exchange rate dynamics in the short run. Moreover, this pattern is systemically exploited through currency speculation, particularly through the use of “technical analysis”. In the second part, the author focuses on the medium-term, arguing that fluctuations can be explained as the result of interacting disequilibria in the goods and asset markets. Although currency speculation has been systemically profitable for most currencies, it should be considered to be destabilizing since the sequence of price runs caused large and persistent deviations of exchange rates from their equilibrium values (purchasing power parity).
Notes on Estate Taxes, Redistribution, and the Concept of Balanced Growth Path Incidence

This paper shows that, because of capital accumulation effects, the estate tax may increase inequality of income and wealth. If the government takes actions to offset these accumulation effects, the tax will lead to an increase in equality of income and wealth. More generally, the paper argues that to evaluate the incidence of a tax in a growth context, one should compare policy changes which leave the aggregate capital labor ratio unchanged; we call this balanced growth incidence. But even with the capital labor ratio remaining unchanged, the estate tax may increase inequality in the distribution of consumption.
Does total quality management still shine? Re-examining the total quality management effect on financial performance

This paper re-examines the effects of total quality management (TQM) on firms' financial performance by reviewing the findings of the empirical literature. It assesses the appropriateness of different financial measures while evaluating the impact of TQM as reported by various studies. We propose a new conceptual model to empirically test the effect of TQM implementation on financial performance – one that is meaningful for shareholders. There is near consensus that the overriding objective of a firm should be to maximise shareholders' wealth. We conclude by briefly reviewing the methodological limitations inherent in studies in this field and recommend avenues for further empirical research on TQM's impact on financial performance.
An investigation into the Professional Quality of Life of dietitians working in acute care caseloads: are we doing enough to look after our own?

BACKGROUND The development of compassion fatigue (CF) has been described across a variety of acute care caseloads in some health professions. The present study was undertaken to determine whether dietitians working in these caseloads also experience CF. METHODS A voluntary, anonymous survey incorporating the Professional Quality of Life tool was developed in an online format, and was e-mailed to dietitians working in public acute care settings. RESULTS Eighty-seven completed surveys were returned. Average rates of compassion satisfaction (CS) and burnout and low rates of secondary traumatic stress (STS) were reported. Dietitians in high-risk workloads reported higher levels of STS than those with low-risk workloads (χ2 = 5.4, P = 0.02). Differences in STS were found between those practising in paediatric compared to adult caseloads (χ2 = 16.6, P < 0.01). Dietitians in smaller facilities reported higher STS (χ2 = 10.6, P < 0.01) and lower CS (P = 0.05) than larger facilities. Working for >5 years as a dietitian was associated with higher rates of STS and burnout than in those working for <5 years (χ2 = 7.9, P = 0.05 and χ2 = 3.8, P = 0.05, respectively). Those who perceived greater levels of support reported lower rates of burnout (r(s) = -0.41, P < 0.01) and higher rates of CS (r(s) = 0.39, P < 0.01) than those not feeling supported. All dietitians reported undertaking self-care practices; however, up to 24% reported practices that may represent maladaptive coping methods. CONCLUSIONS Although the present study suggests dietitians experience a good professional quality of life, vulnerable areas were identified, suggesting the need for additional support in some areas of dietetic practice.
No Man's Brand—Brands, Institutions, and Fashion

Branding has become so intertwined with consumption that today's consumers have often deeply personal relationships to brands and brand histories. Branding is an attempt to strategically "personify" products and to encapsulate a balance between different economic values: quality, utility, symbolic, and cultural worth. In this paper we argue that the relationship between the contemporary consumer and producer is mediated by and governed by a reflexive construction of brands. As such brands are best understood from an institutional perspective. The paper illustrates the institutional role of brands by using the example of the fashion industry. It is argued that in the fashion industry, a focus on consumer-producer brand-building and brand loyalty is central to the commodity and value chains built around products. We conclude by suggesting that economic geography has consistently undervalued brands as an area of study. By taking brands as a core product in industrial production rather than as an interesting aside for sociologists, historians, and cultural theorists, economic geography can better understand the institutions governing the economy. In particular, better understanding the institution of brands helps us better appreciate the dynamics systems within which commodities and commodity chains are formed. Copyright 2008 Blackwell Publishing.
THE EFFECTS OF EXCHANGE RATE VOLATILITY ON SRI LANKAN EXPORTS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

This paper investigates effects of exchange rate volatility on Sri Lankan exports to its major trading partners. In this paper, we use a generalized ARCH-type model (GARCH) to generate a measure of exchange rate volatility which is then tested in a model of Sri Lankan exports. Testing sectoral trade data allows us to identify whether the effect of exchange rate volatility differs depending on the types of the goods traded. The results obtained in this paper suggest that the impact of exchange rate volatility differs between different categories of goods although it remains difficult to firmly establish the nature of the relationship.
Government Spending Shocks and Rule‐Of‐Thumb Consumers with Steady‐State Inequality

In the body of literature concerning fiscal policy, a central result is that government spending might stimulate private consumption because only some households save, while others spend their entire income each period. Although such heterogeneity naturally causes inequality, this complication is commonly avoided by assuming that transfers redistribute steady‐state wealth. I show that this steady‐state assumption drives short‐run results. Without redistribution, the equilibrium is indeterminate, and the labor‐market structure that is imposed to support the expansive result is theoretically inconsistent. On a more positive note, I propose a labor‐market formulation under which the expansive effects of government spending might arise.
A Meta-analysis of Food Demand Elasticities for China

We conducted a meta-analysis of food and agricultural demand elasticities for China, and used the results to derive estimates of income, own-price, and cross-price elasticities of demand that can be used in models of food and agricultural markets. Consistent with expectations, we find that income elasticities of demand for many food products decline as per capita income increases. The declines are relatively large for alcohol and tobacco, and smaller for livestock products. Contrary to expectations, own-price elasticities for some products become more price-elastic as per capita income increases. One explanation may be that economic development brings with it improvements in food supply chains that provide people more choices with respect to food products than those traditionally consumed in rural villages, leading to greater substitution possibilities and more price-elastic demands. Estimates for 2011 of income and own-price demand elasticities are generally reasonable, whereas deriving reliable estimates of cross-price elasticities is difficult. The estimates suggest that China's meat and dairy demands, and in turn livestock feed demands, will continue growing strongly. Policy-makers should continue to monitor the evolution of demand for these products with an eye toward ensuring food security, particularly given the sheer size of the population and relatively tight domestic food supply situation in China.
Antecedents and Consequences of Political Behavior in New Product Development Teams

According to the political perspective on strategic decision making, political decisions are the results of a process in which the preferences of the most powerful dominate over those of the less powerful. The conceptualization of political behavior accounts for issues, such as negotiation, bargaining, and power, which are central to this perspective. Since strategic decisions during the new product development (NPD) process are made by team members, they are a mass of action, interaction, and counteraction. This means that the strategic decision-making process during NPD can be subject to political behavior. This study extends research on political behavior into the realm of NPD teams by examining the impact of six contextual variables (project importance, project uncertainty, project motive, trust, functional diversity, and demographic diversity) associated with two types of context (project and team environment) on the practice of political behavior in NPD teams. The study also examines the impact of political behavior on speed to market considering the moderating impact of environmental turbulence. Using primary and cross-sectional data obtained from 103 Turkish NPD teams, our results showed that project importance, project motive, and functional diversity significantly influence political behavior. Interestingly, our results indicated that political behavior positively influences speed to market. We present and discuss our empirical results, provide implications for both theory and practice, and discuss research limitations.
A New View of Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this recognition, little is known about the issue. A few studies have presented rudimentary analyses of agricultural productivity in Africa, but the more analytically sophisticated studies of cross-country productivity have essentially ignored Africa. Part of the problem has been the lack of an appropriate output aggregate for African agriculture. In the present paper, I develop such an aggregate and present a new view of cross-country agricultural productivity in Africa. Contrary to previous findings, I find evidence of a notable recovery of African agricultural productivity during the 1980s, although the sustainability of that recovery is in question.
The Effects of Accruals on Financial Constraints in Tehran Stock Exchange

Despite a large literature on discretionary accruals, how accruals impact corporate financial decisions is not well-understood. It is hypothesized that a financially constrained firm with valuable projects can use discretionary accruals to credibly signal positive prospects, enabling it to raise capital to make the investments. In today’s world, there are many companies that, in spite of encountering financial constraints, have valuable projects. Considering this issue, they can mark their positive activities’ aspects to the market using arbitrary choices and therefore, increase their capital stock price in short-term. This research aims to study the effects of discretionary accruals on companies' financial constraints. So, 113 companies were studied during 2006 to 2012. This research includes six dependent variables that in each hypothesis, one of them are estimated and overall, the results are similar. We have examined a large panel of firms during 2006 to 2012 and found that financially constrained firms with good investment opportunities had significantly higher discretionary accruals prior to investment compared to their unconstrained counterparts. Constrained high-accrual firms have higher earnings-announcement returns than constrained low-accrual firms, obtain more equity and debt financing, and invest in projects that appear to improve performance. These results provide supporting evidence that the use of discretionary accruals can help constrained firms with valuable projects ease those constraints and increase firm value.
What is Happening to the Impact of Financial Deepening on Economic Growth?

Although the finance-growth relationship is now firmly entrenched in the empirical literature, we show that it is not as strong in more recent data as it was in the original studies with data for the period from 1960 to 1989. We consider several explanations. First, we find that the incidence of financial crises is related to the dampening of the effect of financial deepening on growth. Excessive financial deepening or too rapid growth of credit may have led to both inflation and weakened banking systems which in turn gave rise to growth-inhibiting financial crises. Excessive financial deepening may also be a result of widespread financial liberalizations in the late 1980s and early 1990s in countries that lacked the legal or regulatory infrastructure to exploit financial development successfully. However, we find little indication that liberalizations played an important direct in reducing the effect of finance. Similarly, there is little evidence that the growth of equity markets in recent years has substituted for debt financing and led to a reduced role of financial deepening on growth.
Bearing down at the time of delivery and the incidence of spinal headache in parturients.

A major drawback to the use of spinal anesthesia for relief of pain during delivery is the associated high incidence of postlumbar puncture headache. Vandam and Dripps (1) reported an incidence of 22% in obstetric patients. It is generally believed that the spinal headache is secondary to leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the dural hole, which, resulting in reduced CSF volume and pressure, causes traction on the intracranial vessels and meninges. Some of the prophylactic measures advocated to reduce the incidence of spinal headache include prolonged bed rest, application of an abdominal binder, use of narrowgauge (2) or pencil-point spinal needles (3), lateral approach to the subarachnoid space (4, avoidance of spinal flexion on insertion of the needle (5), aggressive oral and parenteral fluid administration, longitudinal alignment of the spinal needle with the dural fibers, and prophylactic epidural injection of saline or autologous blood (6, 7). Some of the explanations given for the increased incidence of postlumbar puncture headace in parturients include: ( a ) relative dehydration, which could reduce the production of CSF; (b ) abrupt release of intra-abdominal pressure and venacaval compression upon delivery, which reduces epidural and epidural venous pressures; and ( c ) maternal bearing down efforts that could increase CSF leakage through the dural hole. Some clinicians advocate low outlet forceps delivery following institution of spinal anesthesia as a prophylactic measure to reduce the incidence of postpartum spinal headache. We initiated this prospective study to determine the influence of maternal bearing down efforts on the incidence of postlumbar puncture headache in parturients.
Institutional Benchmarking of Foreign Aid Effectiveness in Africa

This paper integrates two main strands of the aid-development nexus in assessing whether institutional thresholds matter in the effectiveness of foreign aid on institutional development in 53 African countries over the period 1996-2010. Eight government quality indicators are employed: rule of law, regulation quality, government effectiveness, corruption, voice & accountability, control of corruption, political stability and democracy. Three hypotheses are tested and the following findings are established: (1) Institutional benefits of foreign-aid are contingent on existing institutional levels in Africa. (2) But for a thin exception (democracy), foreign-aid is more negatively correlated with countries of higher institutional quality than with those of lower quality. (3) The institutional benefits of foreign-aid are not questionable until greater domestic institutional development has taken place. The reverse is true instead. Government quality benefits of development assistance are questionable in African countries irrespective of prevailing institutional quality levels.