Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Codes of Conduct and Generations of Public Servants

This article suggests the generational beliefs of public servants are a factor in the efficacy of codes of conduct. Assuming agreement that ethical behaviour by public servants is necessary to good government, the article asks: Do generations matter? If they do, how can ethical behaviour be encouraged most effectively? Codes of conduct are considered necessary in government today because its values have changed. In the past the primary public service values were commitment to the public interest or public good, public service, equality and due and fair process. The primary motivator for public servants was the opportunity to contribute, to make a difference (Perry and Wise, 1990). Under the influence of the new public management (NPM), the focus has shifted to efficiency, flexibility, privatization, entrepreneurialism, customer service/satisfaction, and accountability for results (Glor, 1994/95). Codes reinforce these values. In the context of the NPM, public servants are viewed as largely motivated by personal utility maximization. In keeping with this economic model of behaviour (Perry and Wise, 1990), incentives have been introduced to influence public servants — positively with rewards, negatively with punishment. Penalties are sometimes embodied in codes. Because public service culture has become disconnected from some of its earlier values, those values must be codified if they are to be reaffirmed and maintained. Moreover, fragmentation of the public service is a risk due to the proliferation of semi-independent agencies, greater mobility between the private and public sectors, and increased managerial discretion. In an environment emphasizing decentralization, new controls are being introduced. In this context, codes of conduct are seen as useful tools for value and culture change, visible mechanisms and more flexible devices than anti-corruption laws for enforcing ethical behaviour. Codes can be changed and adapted to organizational cultures and needs. Without requiring the specificity or standards of law, codes can specify expectations and be enforced. Codes of conduct can address several kinds of issues. Kenneth Kernaghan
Sport in the USSR: Physical Culture--Visual Culture

Sport played a vital role within the social and cultural life of the former Soviet Union. From its very foundation to its final demise the Soviet state sponsored countless programmes promoting a whole gamut of sporting activities, and even generated a new term, fizkultura, derived from the Russian word for physical culture. The popular image of fizkultura, however, was as dependent upon its presentation in the cultural arena as it was upon its actual practice. Soviet sportsmen and women made frequent appearance in literature, film and popular song; on stamps, plates and teapots; and on the badges and medals of various societies. Further, sport became a central feature in the pageantry of the Soviet parade. Public exhibitions and popular journals were crowded with photographs, paintings and prints representing youthful Soviet sportsmen and women, whilst sculptural monuments to the Soviet passion for sport adorned sports centres and public parks. Several major artists even forged entire careers based upon representations of sport. Sport in the USSR looks at physical culture within a wide range of Soviet cultural practices, paying special attention to visual culture. In particular it explores the role that physical culture played in the formulation of the Soviet New Person. Here, visual culture was deployed not only to promote the existence of this notional new being, but also to articulate the very process of transformation that brought him or her into existence. Images of sportsmen and women were also widely produced to conflate the leisurely nature of sports practice with the civic duty of voluntary labour, especially during the industrialization drives, and the military defence of the nation. Also examined are such issues as sports spectatorship and participation; the development of the sports parade; the role of fizkultura during military conflict; the deployment of fizkultura as a weapon during the Cold War; and the collapse of the Soviet sports machine.
Sovereign Net Worth: An Analytical Framework

The Fiscal Responsibility Act requires the Crown to articulate targets for a series of fiscal variables, including net worth. Given the dramatic improvement in the fiscal position in recent years, a critical policy question relates to how (and which) measures of Crown net worth should be targeted. This paper sets out a framework for targeting Crown net worth. It does so by supplementing the GAAP-based measure with forward-looking information about spending and tax revenue. The paper argues that targeting net worth for the Crown requires the estimation of a path, rather than a static level.
Performance analysis of multiband OFDM in a homogeneous Poisson field of generic interferers

This paper presents a generalized analysis of Multiband OFDM (MB-OFDM) Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication in the presence of generic or non-specific interference sources. The interference sources are assumed to be distributed in a two-dimensional space according to a homogeneous Poisson field. An aggregate interference is formed by the asynchronous operation of these sources. To provide a generalized analysis, the conventional Gaussian approximation is replaced by a method involving the moment generating function (MGF) of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and Laplace transform to derive the exact expression for the probability density function (pdf) of the interference power. From this, overall expression for the bit error rate, BER, is derived based on the cases where band limited interference is present and otherwise. This resulting expression is valid equally for the first and next generation devices.
Economics as a Guide to Antitrust Regulation

IT is too soon, perhaps too late, to be confident that the currently fashionable criticism of regulation will result in reform. If reform does materialize, there can be no doubt that Stigler's work will have had an impact on policy. However, should reform fail, Stigler will have assessed correctly the minuscule role of academicians in political affairs, his theory of regulation being partly an explanation of why academic notions of the general interest will seldom prevail over the political power of the special interests. Either way he is a winner!
Efficiency optimization in ZVS series resonant inverters with asymmetrical voltage-cancellation control

This paper presents a time-domain analysis and a computerized search algorithm for optimizing the efficiency in zero-voltage switching (ZVS) full-bridge series resonant inverters with asymmetrical voltage-cancellation (AVC) control for different load quality factors. The optimum AVC control found allows all the switches to be turned on with zero voltage with the minimum switching frequency. In order to minimize losses, the switching frequency is kept as close as possible to resonance. The optimum AVC control is compared with previous fixed or narrow frequency range control strategies to show that it improves performance over all the output power range for different loads. The detailed steady-state analysis carried out here increases the precision of the first-harmonic analysis of a previous work, which is especially important with distorted output currents due to low load quality factors or highly asymmetrical modulation strategies. The theoretical results are verified experimentally.
Valuing externalities from water supply: Status quo, choice complexity and individual random effects in panel kernel logit analysis of choice experiments

Abstract Choice experiments are often implemented with choice sets including one alternative depicting the status quo. Utility from status quo is experienced by the respondent, while utility associated with experimentally designed hypothetical alternatives is only conjectured by respondents. The effects of explicitly accounting for such a difference in the econometric analysis of the data are often unreported, or limited to fitting a ‘status quo’ constant. The paper proposes a model that explicitly accounts for these effects and attempts their decomposition using data from two choice modelling exercises designed to value the provision of environmental goods. Preferences for change versus status quo are explored with standard specifications along with a less usually applied error component analysis via mixed logit. The results suggest that alternatives offering changes from status quo do not share the same preference structure as the status quo alternative, and that estimates of spread parameters in zero-mean error components can be decomposed conditional on respondents' socio-economic characteristics. It is argued that these findings have implications for practitioners and their stance towards the strategies for the econometric analysis of choice modelling data for the purpose of valuation.
Design, Performance, and Applications of a Hybrid X-Ray/MR System for Interventional Guidance

Image-guided minimally invasive procedures have made a substantial impact in improving patient management, reducing the cost, morbidity, and mortality of treatments and making therapies available to patients who would otherwise have no option. X-ray fluoroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are two powerful tools for guiding interventional procedures but with very different strengths and weaknesses. X-ray fluoroscopy offers very high spatial and temporal resolution and is excellent for guiding and deploying devices. MRI offers tomographic imaging with complete freedom of plane orientation, outstanding soft tissue discrimination, and the ability to portray physiological responses during treatment. We have shown that it is feasible to fully integrate an X-ray fluoroscopy system into the bore of an interventional MR scanner to provide a single congruent field of view, with integration requiring minor modifications to the flat-panel digital detector, and using a static-anode X-ray tube. Given the limited availability of the MR scanner platform (0.5T GE Signa SP magnet), and the X-ray fluence limitations of the static-anode X-ray tube, we are now investigating the technology developments required to place a rotating-anode digital flat-panel X-ray system immediately adjacent to a closed-bore MRI system. These types of hybrid systems could have enormous impact in the diagnosis and treatment of oncologic, cardiovascular, and other disorders.
Simulations of motor unit number estimation techniques

Motor unit number estimation (MUNE) is an electrodiagnostic procedure used to evaluate the number of motor axons connected to a muscle. All MUNE techniques rely on assumptions that must be fulfilled to produce a valid estimate. As there is no gold standard to compare the MUNE techniques against, we have developed a model of the relevant neuromuscular physiology and have used this model to simulate various MUNE techniques. The model allows for a quantitative analysis of candidate MUNE techniques that will hopefully contribute to consensus regarding a standard procedure for performing MUNE.
Enforcing state aid rules in EU candidate countries: a qualitative comparative analysis of the direct and indirect effects of conditionality

ABSTRACT The article analyses the effectiveness of EU conditionality regarding the enforcement of state aid rules in candidate countries during the pre-accession phase. Theoretically, conditionality should be able to overcome the reluctance of governments to implement control systems that restrict their ability to freely allocate subsidies. Effective conditionality can take two causal paths: first, it can directly influence the political decisions of governments in candidate countries regarding state aid, independent of any domestic institutional set-up; second, the reduction of state aid levels can be the indirect effect of the establishment of domestic monitoring authorities. To test these hypotheses, the article undertakes a multi-value qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA) of the conditions for the reduction of annual state aid levels with regard to either the credibility of conditionality expressed by different stages in the accession negotiations, or domestic institutional factors such as the independence and operability of state aid monitoring authorities.
The effects of zero interest rate commitment in Japan

This article examines the effectiveness of the Bank of Japan's Zero Interest Rate Commitment Policy (ZIRCP). Using the Exponential Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity model, we present an empirical analysis of the volatility of return on Japanese interest rates for the short-, medium-, long- and super long-term. We find that each interest rate is affected by the ZIRCP. However, the ZIRCP stabilizes the daily change for only the super long-term interest rate. This suggests that the ZIRCP effect includes the decrease in interest rate and the reduction in super long-term variability.
Relationship Between Sustainable Development and Financial Performance: International Empirical Research

The aim of this paper is to clarify the relationship between companies' sustainable behavior and their financial performance (FP), which has been studied for several years without reaching a consensus on the effect and the direction of it. Hypotheses are tested for an unbalanced sample of 1960 multinational non-financial listed companies from 25 countries and one administrative region for the period between 2002 and 2010. Due to the use of an international database and the differences among countries, it is possible to observe divergence between institutional settings. For this reason, a corporate governance system (Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Latin and Asian) is used as characteristic of the macro-environment. Results obtained via the generalized method of moments estimator allow us to support the existence of a positive bidirectional relationship between corporate social responsibility and FP, evidencing the existence of a synergistic circle. The use of market value indicated that investors are able to identify economic, social and environmental practices generating a positive effect on FP. These relationships differ between corporate governance systems, due to the specific characteristics of each system. Findings are robust for each sustainable sub-index (society, human rights, environmental and board). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Accuracy evaluation of surface-based registration methods in a computer navigation system for hip surgery performed through a posterolateral approach.

OBJECTIVE Many computer navigation systems have recently been developed for brain surgery, and the use of such systems in orthopedic surgery is increasing. Intraoperative registration of preoperative images is one of the most important steps in controlling the overall accuracy of computer navigation systems. Various parameters, such as CT-scan slice thickness, reconstruction pitch, intraoperative data sampling area, and data sampling volume, may affect the accuracy of registration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the aforementioned parameters on the accuracy of registration for hip surgery performed through a posterolateral approach, and to find a clinically suitable trade-off between accuracy and surgical invasiveness. MATERIALS AND METHODS One cadaveric pelvis and one cadaveric femur were used for this study. Four alumina ceramic balls with a diameter of 28 mm and within 1 micrometer of sphericity were attached to the pelvis, and three similar balls attached to the femur, to determine relative position. CT-scan images of the pelvis and femur were obtained with a helical scanner. Three sets of slice thickness and slice pitch were chosen for data acquisition, and two additional sets of reconstructed data were made. Bone contours were extracted by cutting out the surrounding substrate at a given CT number threshold, and surface models of the bone were made from the resultant data. The positions of the pelvis and femur were tracked by LED markers attached to the bone using an optical three-dimensional position sensor (OPTOTRAK). Registration of the computer models to the real objects was performed by measuring the position of a certain number of surface points on each object with an OPTOTRAK pen-probe. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Slice thickness and reconstruction pitch affected the accuracy of registration. As the sampling area was expanded from the periarticular area to the distant peripheral area, accuracy increased slightly. Accuracy did not increase when the whole area was used, but in fact decreased, especially in the femur. The positive effect of increasing the number of sampling points was saturated at 30 points when the surface of the periarticular area was sampled. The following trade-off between accuracy and invasiveness, in terms of various parameters of preoperative and intraoperative data, is proposed as clinically optimal: perform the CT scan with 3-mm slice thickness and 1-mm reconstruction pitch, and sample the periarticular area with 30 sampling points. With these parameters, the accuracy of registration was 1.2 mm and 0.9 degrees of bias with 0.7 mm and 0.3 degrees of RMS in the pelvis, and 1.4 mm and 0.6 degrees of bias with 1.3 mm and 0.3 degrees of RMS in the femur.
Effect of garlic oil on ethanol induced gastric ulcers in rats

Garlic oil was evaluated for gastroprotective activity against ethanol induced ulcers. Reactive oxygen species are involved in the pathogenesis of these ulcers. The possible involvement of garlic oil in restraining the oxidation process produced in gastric tissue was also investigated. The ulcer index, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity (GPx, catalase, SOD) were determined. Pretreatment with garlic oil in doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg, 30 min before administration of ethanol (1 mL of 100%) caused a decrease in ulcer index and lipid peroxidation and ameliorated the decrease in antioxidant enzyme levels caused by ethanol. The result suggests that garlic oil possesses antioxidant properties and provides protection against ethanol induced gastric injury. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ONION: Functional Approach for Integration of Lipidomics and Transcriptomics Data

To date, the massive quantity of data generated by high-throughput techniques has not yet met bioinformatics treatment required to make full use of it. This is partially due to a mismatch in experimental and analytical study design but primarily due to a lack of adequate analytical approaches. When integrating multiple data types e.g. transcriptomics and metabolomics, multidimensional statistical methods are currently the techniques of choice. Typical statistical approaches, such as canonical correlation analysis (CCA), that are applied to find associations between metabolites and genes are failing due to small numbers of observations (e.g. conditions, diet etc.) in comparison to data size (number of genes, metabolites). Modifications designed to cope with this issue are not ideal due to the need to add simulated data resulting in a lack of p-value computation or by pruning of variables hence losing potentially valid information. Instead, our approach makes use of verified or putative molecular interactions or functional association to guide analysis. The workflow includes dividing of data sets to reach the expected data structure, statistical analysis within groups and interpretation of results. By applying pathway and network analysis, data obtained by various platforms are grouped with moderate stringency to avoid functional bias. As a consequence CCA and other multivariate models can be applied to calculate robust statistics and provide easy to interpret associations between metabolites and genes to leverage understanding of metabolic response. Effective integration of lipidomics and transcriptomics is demonstrated on publically available murine nutrigenomics data sets. We are able to demonstrate that our approach improves detection of genes related to lipid metabolism, in comparison to applying statistics alone. This is measured by increased percentage of explained variance (95% vs. 75–80%) and by identifying new metabolite-gene associations related to lipid metabolism.
A heuristic method for the inventory control of short life-cycle products

In many manufacturing sectors, the product life cycle is becoming increasingly shorter. The direct application of standard forecasting and inventory control techniques in short life-cycle products (SLCPs) is not effective because their demand is transitory, non-stationary, and highly variable. In this paper, we develop an easy-to-implement heuristic method for the inventory control of SLCPs during their sales season. The heuristic method comprises a single-shipment submodel at the beginning of the season and a submodel that considers multiple shipments through the season. Both models work under a Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) environment within a one-warehouse N-retailer supply chain, and attempt to minimize the total relevant cost of the system, which consists of the cost of returns, shortage costs, and fixed shipping costs. The latter costs have been barely considered in the literature for SLCPs. In the multiple-shipment submodel, we determine the shipment size by adapting the well-known Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model. The safety stock is determined by means of the critical fractile of the newsvendor problem. Based on real sales data of a textbook publishing company, we compare the behavior of the heuristic method with the current shipping strategy of the firm. In all the test he total relevant cost of the system, which consists of the cost of returns, shortage costs, and fixed shipping costs. The latter costs have been barely considered in the literature for SLCPs. In the multiple-shipment submodel, we determine the shipment size by adapting the well-known Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model. The safety stock is determined by means of the critical fractile of the newsvendor problem. Based on real sales data of a textbook publishing company, we compare the behavior of the heuristic method with the current shipping strategy of the firm. In all the test cases, the total relevant cost produced by the heuristic method was less than that of the current policy control of the company.
M2 and Monetary Policy

Consistent with its mandate in the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978, the Federal Reserve System each year sets a calendar-year target for the monetary aggregate M2. This paper examines the effect of specifying the M2 target as a multiyear trend line and concludes that an operationally significant target for M2 in the form of a trend line that rises at three percent per year will eliminate inflation.
Piqueteros: An Experimental Analysis of Direct vs. Indirect Reciprocity

Abstract Research in behavioral economics has widely recognized the importance of reciprocity concerns in shaping individual behavior. The literature is however dominated by a focus on direct reciprocity. Motivated by a real life situation in Argentina – the Piqueteros (pickets) conflict — I designed a three-player three-stage game in order to investigate what type of reciprocity prevails in the face of a negative externality in an environment that allows for direct and indirect reciprocity simultaneously. I show that (negative) reciprocity from the directly affected second mover is more frequent than punishment from the indirectly affected third party. However, the third party more frequently punishes the first mover than the second mover, even though he is negatively affected by the latter’s punishment effort while not by the former’s move directly. In oder words, in real life settings featuring the incentives captured by this paper’s experimental design, affected third parties more frequently act in line with indirect rather than direct reciprocity.