Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Political Economy of Fiscal Consolidations

In the context of recent research in political economy, this paper addresses the policy problem of fiscal consolidation in terms of three types of issues: 1) the macroeconomic effects of alternative strategies to consolidate; 2) the institutional setups conducive to a consolidation; and 3) the best strategy for implementing a consolidation in order to maximize its political feasibility. One methodological feature of this survey is an emphasis on policy feasibility. One methodological feature of this survey is an emphasis on policy issues in order to bridge the gap between the level of abstraction of politico-economic models of fiscal policy and the issues faced by a policymaker when attempting a fiscal consolidation. Copyright 1998 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
Influence of MOS Gas-Sensor Production Tolerances on Pattern Recognition Techniques in Electronic Noses

Temperature cycling at metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) sensor elements in combination with pattern recognition algorithms is applied for detecting various gas mixtures. Through this process, the influence concerning the capability of gas identification has been investigated in the case of transferring the recorded reference library from a distinct sensor element to several further sensors. This comparative study has been followed based on responses of four sensors exposed to the same gas composition. The results are analyzed and compared for two sensor types with differing variations of sensing-layer resistance. It is shown that gas identification, particularly the determination of gas concentration, is improved by the implementation of sensors with smaller resistance variations if the reference library from one sensor is also used for other sensor elements.
Influence of Context and Culture on Managerial Perceptions and Practices in the Turkish Software Industry

This article provides an empirical examination of the Turkish software industry to understand how its current profile, managerial practices and perceptions are shaped by the context of an emerging economy and its cultural background. In comparison to a developed economy with a very different culture, Austria, employees, know-how, and access to new technologies are perceived as less important, while productivity and sales are considered more important. Marketing to foreign countries as well as policy related factors are perceived as more important barriers, while domestic rivalry, software piracy, and e-business readiness are perceived as smaller growth barriers. The domestic market is relatively developed, but rivalry is low and dominated by large companies, many of which have a close relationship with their few clients. Generally, the companies seem to exhibit a short-sighted perspective, with a limited focus on process maturity, improvement and investments in continuous training of employees, in line with the prevailing culture.
Distribution of Hwc2-1, a causal gene of a hybrid weakness, in the World Rice Core collection and the Japanese Rice mini Core collection: its implications for varietal differentiation and artificial selection

A pair of complementary genes, Hwc1-1 at HWC1 locus and Hwc2-1 at HWC2 locus, cause a weakness phenomenon in rice. For this study, we performed haplotype analysis around the HWC2 locus in two core collections comprising 119 accessions. We also examined reactions to phenol and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) Japanese race I. To elucidate the genetic relations among all accessions, we analyzed their banding patterns of 40 Indel markers covering the rice genome. The classification by Indel markers was almost consistent with that using 4,357 SNPs. The testcross with Hwc1-1 carrier indicated that 37 accessions carried Hwc2-1 allele, whereas 82 carried hwc2-2 allele. Strong association between HWC2 and Ph genes was observed. Based on 14 DNA markers around HWC2 locus and Ph genotype, the 119 accessions were divided into 50 haplotypes. To examine the HWC2 candidate chromosomal region specifically, the ‘haplotype group’ characterized by the six DNA markers closely linked with HWC2 were analyzed. Hwc2-1 carriers had the same haplotype group. Some hwc2-2 haplotype groups were associated with resistance against the Xoo race. The relation between varietal differentiation and haplotypes around the HWC2 locus was discussed, along with its breeding significance.
Ultrasound Measurements in the Management of Unstable Hips Treated With the Pavlik Harness: Reliability and Correlation With Outcome

The purposes of this study were to determine the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of ultrasound measurements in unstable neonatal hips treated with the Pavlik harness and to determine whether ultrasound measurements correlate with radiological outcome at 6 months. Sixty-four babies treated from birth with the Pavlik harness for neonatal hip instability were scanned at 2 and 6 weeks. The &agr; and &bgr; angles of Graf, the combined (H) angle of Hosny, and the femoral head coverage (FHC) were measured by 3 observers and remeasured by each observer on a minimum of 50 scans. From 248 scans, 792 sets of measurements were made. Hips were categorized as normal, abnormal, or borderline for each parameter; and interobserver and intraobserver repeatability coefficients and Kappa values were calculated. The &agr; angle had the smallest interobserver range (17 degrees), the H angle range was 21 degrees, and the &bgr; angle 28 degrees. Kappa values were best for the FHC and &bgr; angle (0.66-0.8). The mean acetabular index (AI) of all hips at 6 months was 26 degrees (SD, 4.9). The AI was 30 degrees or greater in 24 hips (18 babies) despite prolonged splintage in 9 hips (6 babies). A stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the FHC at 6 weeks was predictive of AI at 6 months (regression coefficient −0.27; 95% confidence interval −0.42 to −0.12; P<0.001). We recommend the FHC as being reproducible, useful, and predictive of outcome in neonatal hips treated for instability.
Relationship of Hypertensive Retinopathy to Thoracic Aortic Atherosclerosis in Patients with Severe Arterial Hypertension

Abstract Arterial hypertension complicated with atherosclerosis presents the most common cause of death in hypertensive patients. Eyes suffer vascular damage as a result of high blood pressure (BP) and these changes can be detected by funduscopy, although its role has recently been questioned. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques and other disorders of thoracic aorta by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with severe arterial hypertension of at least 1 year duration and to analyze the association between aortic atherosclerotic plaques and hypertensive retinopathy. This was a prospective TEE study conducted on 56 hypertensive patients from September 2008 to January 2010. Mean patient age was 62.8 ± 8.2 years and 67.86% of them were women. Aortic atherosclerotic plaques were found on 96.4% of patients, whereas hypertensive retinopathy was present on 94.6% of them. The mean thickness of maximal atherosclerotic plaque found on each patient was 4.3 ± 1.9 mm and 28.6% of patients had ulcerative plaques, while descending aorta was the most common location of the lesions. Grade 1 and 2 hypertensive retinopathy was diagnosed in 14.3% and 80.3% of patients, respectively. Hypertensive retinopathy correlated highly with aortic atherosclerotic score (r = 0.76, p < 0.0001), as it correlated significantly with aortic plaque thickness (r = 0.69, p < 0.0001). Application of funduscopy should be encouraged since it is a noninvasive procedure that provides a good window of retinal arterioles. Hypertensive retinopathy, even in mild forms, should serve as a marker of atherosclerosis elsewhere in the organism.
Activation of human T cells by FcR nonbinding anti-CD3 mAb, hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala).

Dimeric Fc receptor (FcR) nonbinding anti-CD3 antibodies have been developed to minimize toxicities associated with classical anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (e.g., OKT3). Studies with murine analogs of non-FcR-binding antibodies have shown reduced mitogenicity compared to OKT3. In a trial of an FcR nonbinding humanized anti-CD3 mAb hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala) for treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes, we found significant increases in IL-10 and IL-5 in the serum of 63% and 72% of patients, respectively, and TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels that were lower than those previously reported following OKT3 therapy. The activation signal delivered by hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala) was associated with calcium signaling and cytokine production by previously activated human cells in vitro. However, the production of IL-10, compared to IFN-gamma on a molar basis, was greater after culture with hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala) than with OKT3. Flow cytometric studies confirmed that OKT3 induced IFN-gamma and IL-10 production, but hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala) induced only detectable IL-10 production in CD45RO(+) cells. Moreover, in vivo, we found IL-10(+)CD4(+) T cells after drug treatment. These cells were heterogeneous but generally CD45RO(+), CTLA-4(-), and expressed CCR4. A subgroup of these cells expressed TGF-beta. Thus, the non-FcR binding anti-CD3 mAb, hOKT3gamma1(Ala-Ala) delivers an activation signal to T cells that is quantitatively and qualitatively different from OKT3. It leads to the generation of T cells that might inhibit the autoimmune response and may be involved in the beneficial effect on beta cell destruction in Type 1 diabetes.
Consideration of space harmonics in complex finite element analysis of induction motors with an air-gap interface coupling

A method for coupling the stator and rotor fields of induction motors in time harmonic finite element (FE) analysis with consideration of space harmonics is presented. The coupling scheme is derived from Fourier series of the magnetic vector potential at air-gap interface conditions. A transformation technique is used to introduce the coupling scheme in the saturated time harmonic FEs model coupled to the electrical circuits. The obtained results are compared to experiments in critical situations
Rational Cross-Sectional Differences in Market Efficiency: Evidence from Mutual Fund Returns

Abstract Markets should be inefficient enough to allow returns to security analysis to adequately compensate the marginal analyst for his efforts. Cross-sectional differences in the costs of analysis therefore imply cross-sectional differences in market efficiency and in before-cost returns to smart investors. Small growth stocks are difficult to analyze and costly to trade. I find that the abnormal returns of mutual fund investments in small growth stocks from 1980 to 2006 averaged 0.76% per month. Large value stocks are easier to analyze and cheaper to trade. Mutual funds earned average monthly abnormal returns of only 0.05% in large value stocks during the same period.
The Urban NeighBorhood Its Analytical and Social Contexts

This introductory paper summarizes three analytical approaches to the study of neighbor hoods : (1) typologies, (2) stages of change, and (3) functions-which include economic, administrative, political, and social. A central characteristic of urban neighborhoods is seen to be their embeddedness in city, metropolitan, and national contexts. This, in turn, is hypothesized as leading to a newly emergent organization of neighborhoods into a "hierarchy of community. " A central persisting dilemma for neighborhoods is seen to be that between diffuse "sentiments of place" and the more formal "organization of interests. " The urban neighborhood is a unique locus of the convergence and clash of these elements.
Patent Breadth, Patent Life, and the Pace of Technological Progress

In active investment climates where firms sequentially improve each other's products, a patent can terminate either because it expires or because a non-infringing innovation displaces its product in the market. We define the length of time until one of these happens as the effective patent life, and show how it depends on patent breadth. We distinguish lagging breadth, which protects against imitation, from leading breadth, which protects against new improved products. We compare two types of patent policy with leading breadth: (1) patents are finite but very broad, so that the effective life of a patent coincides with its statutory life, and (2) patents are long but narrow, so that the effective life of a patent ends when a better product replaces it. The former policy improves the diffusion of new products, but the latter has lower R&D costs. Copyright (c) 1998 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Intellectual Capital Architectures and Ambidextrous Learning: A Framework for Human Resource Management

Both researchers and managers are increasingly interested in how firms can pursue ambidextrous learning; that is, simultaneously exploring new knowledge domains while exploiting current ones. Ambidextrous learning is derived from intellectual capital architectures that underlie unique configurations of human, social, and organizational capital. We identified two distinctive architectures of intellectual capital that facilitate ambidextrous learning. Refined interpolation is an architecture comprised of specialist human capital supplemented by cooperative social capital, and complemented by organic organizational capital. Disciplined extrapolation is an architecture comprised of generalist human capital, supplemented by entrepreneurial social capital, and complemented by mechanistic organizational capital. As organization contexts to support these architectures, we have also identified two alternative HR configurations that facilitate ambidextrous learning. One HR configuration combines job or function-based development, ILM-based employee relations, and error embracing performance/control systems to support refined interpolation. The other HR configuration combines skill-based development, market-based employee relations, and error avoiding performance/control systems to support disciplined extrapolation. Our framework may provide valuable theoretical implications for HRM systems regarding the issues of internal fits and best configurations. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008.
Determinants of individual Muslim behaviour in accomplishing Zakah, Infaq, Shadaqah and WAqf through amil institution

In Muslim-dominated regions, Zakah, Infaq, Shadaqah and WAqf (ZISWA) are philanthropic instruments to help alleviating poverty when they are managed properly. ZISWA payer pays through an institution called amil which then collect, manage and distribute ZISWA funds to the needy. Since most Muslims pay their ZISWA directly to the needy, ZISWA instruments are not powerful enough to alleviate poverty. This paper presents determinants of individual behaviour in accomplishing ZISWA through amil institution in Bangkalan District, Madura, East Java, Indonesia. Data was collected through two stages of quantitative surveys toward 117 Muslims and analysed using structural equation model with partial least square analysis. Research found that the main determinants of Muslim behaviour in accomplishing ZISWA are external factors which are related to Muslim’s beliefs in and trust on amil institution. The implication is amil should provide positive stimulus to convince Muslims to use amil services as intermediary institution for ZISWA accomplishment.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS LABORATORY MANAGEMENT INSERVICE NEEDS OF MISSOURI AGRICULTURE TEACHERS

“The primary objective of agricultural mechanics education is the development of the abilities necessary to perform the mechanical activities to be done in agriculture. ” (Phipps, 1980, p. 306). This statement implies that agricultural mechanics instruction must include an experiential process as well as classroom instruction whereby students are provided with opportunities to develop manipulative skills.
Natural gas prices and the gas storage report: Public news and volatility in energy futures markets

This study examines the short‐term volatility of natural gas prices through an examination of the intraday prices of the nearby natural gas futures contract traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The influence on volatility of what many regard as a key element of the information set influencing the natural gas market is investigated. Specifically, we examine the impact on natural gas futures price volatility of the Weekly American Gas Storage Survey report compiled and issued by the American Gas Association during the period January 1, 1999 through May 3, 2002 and the subsequent weekly report compiled and issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration after May 6, 2002. We find that the weekly gas storage report announcement was responsible for considerable volatility at the time of its release and that volatility up to 30 minutes following the announcement was also higher than normal. Aside from these results, we document pronounced price volatility in this market both at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day and offer explanations for such behavior. Our results are robust to the manner in which the mean percentage change in the futures price is estimated and to correlation of these changes both within the day and across days. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 24:283–313, 2004
Corporate governance and dividends payout: are they substitutes or complementary?

Purpose – This paper aims to furnish incremental insights on dividends and corporate governance (CG) by addressing the relationship between board meeting frequency and board independence with dividend payout. In particular, this study aims to investigate whether CG attributes are substitutes to control agency problem within the Malaysian context. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines panel data on a sample of 114 Malaysian firms (798 observations) for seven years from 2002 to 2008. Findings – Based on 798 firm-year observations for the period from 2002 to 2008, the results show significant negative relationship between CG (board independence, board meeting frequency) and dividend payout. This suggests that CG and dividend payout are substitutes in reducing agency costs. Our study provides empirical evidence consistent with the “substitution argument”, indicating that firms with weak CG need to establish reputation by paying more dividends. Specifically, the findings indicate that firms with a .
A case study on micro-blog communication characteristics related to haze during the Harbin haze disaster

After 19 October 2013, a nasty haze settled over Harbin, a Chinese north city. This haze air disaster lasted a week or so. In this research, a case study about Sina Weibo platform, a typical Chinese micro-blog system, was conducted to investigate the values of new media technology and the special diffusion characteristics of the haze disaster micro-blog messages. To understand how people used Sina Weibo in respond to haze disaster, a content analysis was carried out by manual and automatic classification. Further, a trend analysis was implemented according to different category messages. The results showed that people have great information needs during haze spreading process and the Sina Weibo platform could play different roles in response to haze disaster in different phases. In addition, this work helped us to explore a new view to understand people's behavior in disaster phases which is contributed to guide them correctly and validly.
Borrowing costs and the demand for rural credit

The authors argue that high borrowing costs discourage many rural poor in low income countries from using formal loans. Borrowing costs are defined as nominal interest payments, plus borrower loan transaction costs, plus changes in the purchasing power of money. Farm level information from Bangladesh, Brazil and Colombia is presented to show that small borrowers incur substantially higher borrowing costs on formal loans than do large borrowers. It is suggested that higher nominal interest rates may induce lenders to reduce overall borrowing costs for the small and new borrower.
Leasing Decisions and Credit Constraints: Empirical Analysis on a Sample of Italian Firms

Although lease financing provides a significant source of funds enabling many companies to invest, few studies examine the determinants of leasing in Continental Europe and we are aware of no study on the Italian case. This paper investigates the relationship between financial constraints and leasing decisions for a sample of Italian firms. In particular, it investigates the determinants of firm leasing decisions, the degree of substitutability between leasing and debt, and the impact of leasing on the probability of firms feeling ‘credit rationed’. Our results support the hypothesis that leasing preserves capital, thus helping to relieve credit constraints.
Development of Novel Glyphosate-Tolerant Japonica Rice Lines: A Step Toward Commercial Release

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide for its low cost and high efficiency. However, it is rarely applied directly in rice field due to its toxicity to rice. Therefore, glyphosate-tolerant rice can greatly decrease the cost of rice production and provide a more effective weed management strategy. Although, several approaches to develop transgenic rice with glyphosate tolerance have been reported, the agronomic performances of these plants have not been well evaluated, and the feasibility of commercial production has not been confirmed yet. Here, a novel glyphosate-tolerant gene cloned from the bacterium Isoptericola variabilis was identified, codon optimized (designated as I. variabilis-EPSPS*), and transferred into Zhonghua11, a widely used japonica rice cultivar. After systematic analysis of the transgene integration via PCR, Southern blot and flanking sequence isolation, three transgenic lines with only one intact I. variabilis-EPSPS* expression cassette integrated into intergenic regions were identified. Seed test results showed that the glyphosate tolerance of the transgenic rice was about 240 times that of wild type on plant medium. The glyphosate tolerance of transgenic rice lines was further evaluated based on comprehensive agronomic performances in the field with T3 and T5generations in a 2-year assay, which showed that they were rarely affected by glyphosate even when the dosage was 8400 g ha−1. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the development of glyphosate-tolerant rice lines based on a comprehensive analysis of agronomic performances in the field. Taken together, the results suggest that the selected glyphosate-tolerant rice lines are highly tolerant to glyphosate and have the possibility of commercial release. I. variabilis-EPSPS* also can be a promising candidate gene in other species for developing glyphosate-tolerant crops.
SERIES EXPANSION OF THE SABR JOINT DENSITY

Under the SABR stochastic volatility model, pricing and hedging contracts that are sensitive to forward smile risk (e.g., forward starting options, barrier options) require the joint transition density. In this paper, we address this problem by providing closed‐form representations, asymptotically, of the joint transition density. Specifically, we construct an expansion of the joint density through a hierarchy of parabolic equations after applying total volatility‐of‐volatility scaling and a near‐Gaussian coordinate transformation. We then establish an existence result to characterize the truncation error and provide explicit joint density formulas for the first three orders. Our approach inherits the same spirit of a small total volatility‐of‐volatility assumption as in the original SABR analysis. Our results for the joint transition density serve as a basis for managing forward smile risk. Through numerical experiments, we illustrate the accuracy of our expansion in terms of joint density, marginal density, probability mass, and implied volatilities for European call options.