Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Qualifications frameworks: implementation and impact in Botswana

According to Young and Allais (2009), a growing number of countries are introducing qualification frameworks (QFs) following a common definition of outcomes, level descriptors, and a set of occupational or knowledge fields. Botswana has been no exception to this trend. The passing of the Vocational Training Act (1998) led to the creation of the Botswana National Vocational Qualifications Framework (BNVQF). Prior to that, there had been no QF. It is noteworthy that even to date, there is no inclusive national qualifications framework (NQF) in place. The BNVQF is best conceptualized as a sectoral QF on account of its sole focus on vocational education and training (VET). It stands on its own without any links to general and higher education. The present study, the first of its kind to reflect on the three phases of the QF (introduction, capacity building and implementation), investigates the progress of the QF to date. This is accomplished by critically examining evidence, thereby establishing the extent to which aspirations and claims have been met. The Government of Botswana has had a policy on VET and training since independence. The Department of Vocational Education and Training (DVET), within the Ministry of Education, played a coordinating role without any framework to guide it. Training providers and industry did not have any binding relationship, and training was largely institution-based. The creation of the BNVQF arose from a belief by the Government that there was a mismatch between acquired skills and needs dictated by economic circumstances. The present study, therefore, aims in part to establish the extent to which the new QF is capable of addressing the perceived need. The research conducted in the Botswana scenario had two aims in mind, the first one being to capture the structure of the new BNVQF as reflected in documentary evidence and from observation. The second was to critically examine the sustainability of the framework by looking at the initiation, capacity building, implementation and evaluation stages. Evaluation of the QF will encapsulate both positive and negative evidence of its impact. Discussion will reflect what is typical and distinctive about the BNVQF.
The N-Terminal Membrane Domain of Yeast NADPH-Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Oxidoreductase Is Not Required for Catalytic Activity in Sterol Biosynthesis or in Reconstitution of CYP Activity*

The disruption of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NADPH- cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR) gene resulted in a viable strain accumulating approximately 25% of the ergosterol observed in a sterol wild-type parent. The associated phenotypes could be reversed in transformants after expression of native CPR and a mutant lacking the N-terminal 33 amino acids, which localized in the cytosol. This indicated availability of the CPR in each case to function with the monooxygenases squalene epoxidase, CYP51, and CYP61 in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. Purification of the cytosolic mutant CPR indicated properties identical to native CPR and an ability to reconstitute ergosterol biosynthesis when added to a cell-free system, as well as to allow reconstitution of activity with purified CYP61, sterol 22-desaturase. This was also observed for purified Candida albicans and human CYP51 in reconstituted systems. The ability of the yeast enzyme to function in a soluble form differed from human CPR, which is shown to be inactive in reconstituting CYP activity.
Newsvendor problem with multiple unreliable suppliers

This paper focuses on supplier-related decisions in a newsvendor setting. We build upon the current literature by analysing the newsvendor problem with multiple unreliable and non-identical suppliers. We also incorporate both fixed ordering costs and capacity limits for supplier selection. We develop an exact algorithm to solve the problem optimally and a heuristic algorithm to solve the problem efficiently. Through structural properties of the optimal solution and a numerical study, we provide useful managerial implications regarding optimal sourcing strategies in complex supply chains. Previous literature concludes that with multiple unreliable (independent) suppliers, cost is the order qualifier and reliability is the order winner. We found that when fixed ordering costs and supply capacities exist, this insight no longer holds. We also examine the sensitivity of the sourcing decisions to supplier capacity levels, demand uncertainty, salvage value and shortage cost. Our results show that high levels of demand uncertainty lead firms to turn to a single-sourcing strategy whereas high salvage values and high shortage cost suggest multi-sourcing strategy.
Black Swans, Market Timing, and the Dow

Do investors in the US stock market obtain their long-term returns smoothly and steadily over time or is their long-term performance largely determined by the return of just a few outliers? How likely are investors to successfully predict the best days to be in and out of the market? The evidence from the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the 1900-2006 period shows that a few outliers have a massive impact on long-term performance. Missing the best 10 days resulted in portfolios 65% less valuable than a passive investment and avoiding the worst 10 days resulted in portfolios 206% more valuable than a passive investment. Given that 10 days represent 0.03% of the days in the sample, the odds against successful market timing are staggering.
Vision algorithms for automated census of animals

Numerous military bases have a requirement, based on the Sikes Act, to maintain the base's natural environment while still meeting military mission objectives. One method used to accomplish this is by working toward the goal of achieving habitat and species sustainability. One difficulty is that there is currently no adequate baseline of the ecosystem; specifically, a critical need is the detection, identification, and tracking of animals on Federal and State endangered lists 24 hours a day. For instance, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists 130 animals as either endangered or threatened, including the desert tortoise, the Mohave ground squirrel, various species of fox, jaguar, mountain beaver, and wolf. In order to even begin to form an appropriate natural environmental baseline, the location and movements of these animals must be acquired, recorded, and made available for review.
Business Network Agility for Global Demand-Supply Synchronization: A Comparative Case Study in the Apparel Industry

Abstract Firms are looking to leverage information technology (IT) to develop higher order capabilities that span the extended enterprise, such as demand-supply synchronization for agile response in volatile markets. In this study, we examine two global firms that are both driven to become orchestrators of their respective global business networks, where product design, distribution, and manufacturing are managed as one coordinated whole. However, each firm has pursued a different business strategy to develop demand-supply synchronization capabilities. The design of their business networks, digital enablement of business processes, and product characteristics are key attributes that differentiate these firms. By conducting a comparative case analysis of both firms, we assess differences and similarities, in an effort to understand how IT capabilities and business network structure can be aligned to leverage global resources, synchronize demand and supply, and develop business network agility on a global scale.
Using Echo State Networks to Characterise Wireless Channels

We propose the use of echo state networks for the task of wireless channel characterisation to select the most similar channel to the current observed channel from a pre-defined set, based entirely on received signal information. This allows the system to select the optimal resource allocation scheme and transmission parameters from pre-computed solutions. Using suitable training data, the neural network was able to learn to characterise a signal correctly 68% of the time, which can be further improved to 72% by adding some simple location data to the signals being examined. Our system out- performs a comparable statistical method by a factor of two, demonstrating echo state networks' ability to infer information from their training data which other systems can not.
Who Wants To Revise Privatization? The Complementarity of Market Skills and Institutions

Using survey data from 28 transition countries, we test for the complementarity and substitutability of market-relevant skills and institutions. We show that democracy and good governance complement market skills in transition economies. Under autocracy and weak governance institutions, there is no significant difference in support for revising privatization between high- and low-skilled respondents. As the level of democracy and the quality of governance increases, the difference in the level of support for revising privatization between the high and low skilled grows dramatically. This finding contributes to our understanding of microfoundations of the politics of economic reform.
Congestion-Based Rate and Power Control in Wireless Cellular Networks

In a cellular network it is necessary to make a trade-off between congestion and Quality of Service (QoS) of the users. To ensure good system performance in uplink of a WCDMA network, control loops are used to adapt to changing radio and interference conditions. A fast inner power control loop updates the transmission powers of the mobiles based on measurements related to QoS, which are compared to a reference value. The reference value is set dynamically by a slower outer rate control loop that uses measurements of congestion. There is a time-scale difference between the loops, but joint dynamics cannot be neglected. In this paper we derive a high order system model with distributed feedback control based on locally measurable information. We model the time-scale difference between the loops and include this in the model. We give sufficient conditions for stability using control theoretic methods and validate the model and results by simulations.
Inhibition of angiogenesis and murine hemangioma growth by batimastat, a synthetic inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases.

BACKGROUND The importance of matrix metalloproteinases in angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis is well known. However, little is known about the role of matrix metalloproteinases in the formation of hemangiomas and about the possible therapeutic use of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors in aggressive vascular tumors. PURPOSE To study the role of matrix metalloproteinase in vascular tumors, we tested the antineoplastic activity of a synthetic inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases, batimastat, on an experimental model of hemangioma, formed by murine endothelioma cells transformed by polyoma middle-T oncogene (eEnd.1). METHODS The effect of batimastat was studied in vivo on the formation of hemorrhaging, cavernous hemangiomas by eEnd.1 endothelioma cells injected subcutaneously in nude mice and on the angiogenic response induced by an endothelioma cell supernatant embedded in a pellet of reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel). The effect of batimastat was investigated in vitro on endothelial cell proliferation, motility, and invasion of a layer of Matrigel. RESULTS Daily treatment with batimastat (30, 3, and 0.3 mg/kg at the site of eEnd.1 cell injection) inhibited tumor growth, with increased doubling time. The carboxamide derivative of batimastat, BB-374, a poor inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase activity, was less active in reducing hemangioma growth. Histologic analysis of treated tumors indicated a reduction in the size of blood-filled spaces and in hemorrhage. Batimastat also inhibited the angiogenic response induced by cultured eEnd.1 endothelioma cell supernatant embedded in a pellet of Matrigel. Batimastat significantly inhibited endothelial cell invasion in vitro through a layer of Matrigel, but it showed no direct cytotoxic activity. CONCLUSIONS Batimastat reduces in vivo growth of experimental hemangiomas, most probably by blocking endothelial cell recruitment by the transformed cells or by interfering with cell organization in vascular structures. IMPLICATIONS These results confirm the importance of matrix metalloproteinase in endothelial cell recruitment that occurs in angiogenesis and in the formation of vascular tumors and suggest a therapeutic potential for synthetic matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.
An Unintended Consequence of SFAS 133: Promoting Speculation

ABSTRACT: The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133 (SFAS 133) allows firms to apply hedge accounting only to qualified hedges that pass effectiveness tests. Unqualified hedges (speculations) are required to be marked to market, and the unrealized gains/losses are to be recognized in earnings immediately. The purpose of SFAS 133 is to improve the timeliness of the information about financial derivatives risk. This paper, however, shows through a specific agency model that the early recognition of the unqualified use of derivatives may change the risk allocation in the manager's compensation and motivate speculation. Speculation is modeled as engaging in high-risk, high-return derivatives contracts, while hedging activities are modeled as engaging in low-risk, low-return contracts (the low return is normalized to be zero for simplicity). The higher expected return from speculation makes it possible for the principal to offer a lower incentive in the early stage of derivative contracts. The lo.
A Note on Estimating the Parameters of the Diffusion-Jump Model of Stock Returns

The search for a distribution which accurately describes the behavior of stock price returns has generated a considerable amount of controversy. While it is well known that the traditionally used assumption of lognormality deviates in systematic ways from the empirically observed—the latter has fatter tails and a larger concentration of mass near zero—none of the alternatives that have been proposed over the years (Stable Paretian—Mandelbrot [5], Poisson mixture of; lognormal distributions—Press [10], scaled T distribution—Praetz [9], lognormal with nonstationary variance—Rosenberg [11], subordinate stochastic process—Clark [2]) has gained general acceptance.
Stage‐dependent craniofacial defects resulting from Sprouty2 overexpression

Sprouty genes encode intracellular regulators of receptor tyrosine kinases that function in a variety of developmental events. Although mice carrying null mutations in Sprouty genes exhibit craniofacial anomalies, the precise role of these regulatory proteins in facial development remains unclear. Here, we show that overexpression of spry2 at the initiation of craniofacial development results in a dramatic arrest in outgrowth of the facial prominences. Although endogenous spry2 and fibroblast growth factor 8 (fgf8) are coexpressed throughout much of craniofacial development, overexpression of spry2 did not alter the spatiotemporal patterns of fgf target gene expression. The morphological consequences of spry2 overexpression were specific: all of the facial prominences were truncated, but despite this gross malformation, the programs of osteogenesis and chondrogenesis were not impaired. Collectively, these data suggest that Sprouty2 plays a role in the outgrowth of facial prominences independent of canonical Fgf signaling. Developmental Dynamics 236:1918–1928, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of Cryptography Usage in Android Applications

Mobile application developers are using cryptography in their products to protect sensitive data like passwords, short messages, documents etc. In this paper, we study whether cryptography and related techniques are employed in a proper way, in order to protect these private data. To this end, we downloaded 49 Android applications from the Google Play marketplace and performed static and dynamic analysis in an attempt to detect possible cryptographic misuses. The results showed that 87.8% of the applications present some kind of misuse, while for the rest of them no cryptography usage was detected during the analysis. Finally, we suggest countermeasures, mainly intended for developers, to alleviate the issues identified by the analysis.
Term Structure Estimation

The term structure of interest rates gives the relationship between the yield on an investment and the term to maturity of the investment. Since the term structure is typically measured using default-free, continuously-compounded, annualized zero-coupon yields, it is not directly observable from the published coupon bond prices and yields. This paper focuses on how to estimate the default-free term structure of interest rates from bond data using three methods: the bootstrapping method, the McCulloch cubic-spline method, and the Nelson and Siegel method. Nelson and Siegel method is shown to be more robust than the other two methods. The results of this paper can be implemented using user-friendly Excel spreadsheets.
Recent insights into the mechanisms of Chlamydia entry

Chlamydia are widespread bacteria that grow in human and animal cells. They enter their host cell, establish an intracellular environment favourable for their multiplication and finally exit the host cell. A combination of host cell factors and of bacterial proteins contribute to pathogen entry. Recent advances have shed new light on the entry mechanism, following attachment. Here we review recent data concerning endocytosis, host cell signalling, proteins secreted by the bacteria, the actin cytoskeleton in entry and the involvement of small GTPases.
The impact of CEO succession on top management teams and the degree of firm internationalisation

In this paper, we used CEO succession events to explore the effects of the post-succession Top Management Team (TMT) structural changes on a firm's change in its degree of internationalisation. In addition, we examined the moderating effects of the industrial environment on the relationship between post-succession TMT changes and a firm's change in its degree of internationalisation. We tested hypotheses by using 2000? 2005 data from 185 succession observations from listed companies in Taiwan as a research sample. The results show that a firm will opt for higher levels of change in its international scale degree when there is a high degree of structural change that occurs in its post-succession TMT. Moreover, the impact of post-succession TMT changes to a firm's degree of international scale increases significantly when the firm faces a munificent or complex industry environment.
Auditor’s choice and earning management after Enron scandals: empirical approach in French context

This paper investigates the relation between ownership structures, auditor’s choice and earning management after Enron scandals in the French context. The sample is composed of 119 firms from Thomason financial data bases and annual reports over 2002–2005 periods. Multivariate analyses document that: 1) property dispersion is associated with high audit quality even after Enron scandals; 2) whereas the banking confidence has been withdrawn after Enron failure; 3) finally, Big Four auditors have no effect on the magnitude of discretionary accruals.
Effects of relational embeddedness on technological innovation An empirical study in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effecting mechanism of relational embeddedness on technological innovation performance in the context of China.Design/methodology/approach – By probing into the related theories and five exploratory case studies of Chinese manufacturing firms, this paper establishes a conceptual model about the effects of relational embeddedness on technological innovation performance and proposes nine hypotheses. The authors then investigate 228 Chinese manufacturing firms by questionnaires, and testify the hypotheses and conceptual model by structural equation modeling.Findings – Chinese firm's relational embeddedness in the international manufacturing network has a positive effect on its technological innovation performance through explorative learning. Specifically, trust, information sharing and joint problem solving are beneficial to new knowledge acquisition and application, and then to the improvement of technological innovation performance.Research limitations.
Defining the poor in early twentieth-century Japan

Abstract The Japanese government introduced new social welfare policies and institutions during the late 1910s and 1920s that acknowledged the growing significance of the ‘social question’ in Japan and seemingly recognized that social and economic structures were responsible for an increasing number of urban poor. However, a moralistic approach to the solution of poverty remained prominent, which aimed at ‘guiding’ and ‘correcting’ poor families' behaviour, values and ‘thought’. This revealed the persistence of an assumption that the poor were poor due to their individual moral failings. The Relief and Protection Law of 1929 and social welfare institutions and practices defined the poor as morally undeserving and thereby marginalized and marked them as inferior to respectable members of Japanese society. Not only was relief inadequate to raise the poor out of poverty; discriminatory treatment and stigmatization excluded the poor from being full members of Japanese society, a situation that still affects Japanese social welfare policies and social attitudes today.
A novel neural approximate inverse control for unknown nonlinear discrete dynamical systems

A novel neural approximate inverse control is proposed for general unknown single-input-single-output (SISO) and multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) nonlinear discrete dynamical systems. Based on an innovative input/output (I/O) approximation of neural network nonlinear models, the neural inverse control law can be derived directly and its implementation for an unknown process is straightforward. Only a general identification technique is involved in both model development and control design without extra training (online or offline) for the neural nonlinear inverse controller. With less approximation made on controller development, the control will be more robust to large variations in the operating region. The robustness of the stability and the performance of a closed-loop system can be rigorously established even if the nonlinear plant is of not well defined relative degree. Extensive simulations demonstrate the performance of the proposed neural inverse control.
Discretionary Accruals and the Emergence of Profitability

This study examines discretionary accruals associated with firms' reaching profitability after a series of quarterly losses. As firms approach profitability, we posit they will be characterized with less income increasing discretion given the reversing nature of accruals. We find results consistent with this expectation. The discretionary accrual behavior for firms that remain profitable contrasts to that of a control sample that does not remain profitable. In the quarters preceding a reported profit, firms that sustain profitability use significantly lower income increasing discretionary accruals. For these firms, we also find that past discretion relates inversely to future profitability. We interpret our results as evidence that discretionary accruals for persistent loss firms can serve as a leading indicator of the ability to sustain future profits.