Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender Issues in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a human universal. All over the world, and throughout history, people have created businesses. Yet, although women make up more than 50 percent of the world population, they own and manage significantly fewer businesses than men. Venture types and management styles vary across genders as well. Women entrepreneurship presents several distinctive characteristics that differentiate it from men entrepreneurship. But variations exist also across women entrepreneurs in various countries, and between women who are involved in entrepreneurship and those who are not. Overall, the explanation for the behavior of women entrepreneurs and its distinctiveness is complex and multifaceted. Evidence to date suggests that reasons contributing to explaining these differences include demographic and socio-economic variables, subjective perceptions, and cultural factors and institutions, and that such differences have significant implications at the macro-economic level. Studying female entrepreneurship allows researchers to ask questions that shed light on the linkages between entrepreneurship and wealth creation, employment choices and cognition, human capital accumulation and labor market structure, employment choice and family dynamics, business creation and peace, and many others. From a scientific point of view, the study of female entrepreneurship as a distinct area of inquiry informs us not only about women behavior, but also about entrepreneurial and human behaviors in general. All over the world, female entrepreneurship has become an important component of academic and policy conversations around entrepreneurship. Still, there is much we don't yet understand. Taking stock of what has been learned so far, identifying the main gaps, and encourage scholars to push the frontier of knowledge in this area further are the goals of this work.
A Business Opportunity Model of Corporate Social Responsibility for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

In their book ‘Corporate Social Opportunity’, Grayson and Hodges maintain that ‘the driver for business success is entrepreneurialism, a competitive instinct and a willingness to look for innovation from non-traditional areas such as those increasingly found within the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda’. Such opportunities are described as ‘commercially viable activities which also advance environmental and social sustainability’. There are three dimensions to corporate social opportunity (CSO) – innovation in products and services, serving unserved markets and building new business models. While small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally been presented as non-entrepreneurial in this area, this paper demonstrates how SMEs can take advantage of the opportunities presented by CSR. Using data from 24 detailed case studies of UK SMEs from a range of sectors, the paper explores the numerous CSR opportunities that present themselves to SMEs, such as developing innovative products and services and exploiting niche markets. There are inevitable challenges for SMEs undertaking CSR, but by their very nature they have many characteristics that can aid the adoption of CSR; the paper explores these characteristics and how the utilisation of positive qualities will help SMEs make the most of CSOs. Integrating CSR into the core of a company is crucial to its success. Using the case studies to illustrate key points, the paper suggests how CSR can be built into a company's systems and become ‘just the way we do things’. There are a number of factors that characterise the CSO ‘mentality’ in an organisation, and Grayson and Hodges's book describes seven steps that will move a company in the direction of a ‘want to do’ CSO mentality. This paper adapts these steps for SMEs, and by transferring and building on knowledge from the 24 detailed case studies, it develops a ‘business opportunity’ model of CSR for SMEs.
Preventing head and neck injury

A wide range of head and neck injury risks are present in sport, including catastrophic injury. The literature since 1980 on prevention of head and neck injury in sport was reviewed, focusing on catastrophic and brain injury and identifying the range of injury prevention methods in use. There have been few formal evaluations of injury prevention methods. Approaches that are considered, or have been proven, to be successful in preventing injury include: modification of the baseball; implementation of helmet standards in ice hockey and American football and increased wearing rates; use of full faceguards in ice hockey; changes in rules associated with body contact; implementation of rules to reduce the impact forces in rugby scrums. Helmets and other devices have been shown to reduce the risk of severe head and facial injury, but current designs appear to make little difference to rates of concussion. Research methods involving epidemiological, medical, and human factors are required in combination with biomechanical and technological approaches to reduce further injury risks in sport.
Usefulness of intraoperative magnetic resonance ventriculography during endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is the preferred method for the treatment of noncommunicating hydrocephalus. The different success rates of ETV indicate the difficulties in predicting the success of this procedure. OBJECTIVE To show the usefulness of intraoperative ventriculography performed by the low-field 0.15-T magnetic resonance imager Polestar N20 during ETV. METHODS The study was conducted in 11 patients with noncommunicating hydrocephalus caused by tumors or cysts of the third ventricle (n = 5), nontumoral stenosis of the sylvian aqueduct (n = 3), and fourth ventricle outlet obstruction (n = 3). Intraoperative magnetic resonance (iMR) ventriculography was performed before and after the ETV. RESULTS In each case, iMR-ventriculography was a safe procedure and determined the exact site of obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid flow. In all cases, iMR-ventriculography performed after ETV showed with the greatest accuracy the patency of the performed fenestrations, demonstrating in 9 patients good flow of the contrast from the third ventricle to the basal cisterns, restricted flow in 1 patient, and no flow in 1 patient. The results of ventriculography were consistent with the postoperative neurological status of operated-on patients. In 3 patients, the opinion of the surgeons about the patency of endoscopic fenestration, based on intraoperative observation of the third ventricle floor, was inconsistent with the results from iMR-ventriculography. CONCLUSION Low-field iMR-ventriculography is a safe procedure that can be successfully applied during ETV to determine the site of obstruction in hydrocephalus and the patency of performed ventricle fenestration.
Severe viral respiratory infections in infants with cystic fibrosis

Limited data in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) suggest that respiratory viral infections during infancy result in substantial morbidity. Eighty of 101 (79%) infants with CF diagnosed by neonatal screening during 1991–1996 were recruited into a prospective, multiple‐birth cohort study. We aimed to perform an initial, then annual bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for bacterial and viral culture, cytology, IL‐8, and elastolytic activity over the following 2 years. When possible, BAL was also performed during any hospitalization for a pulmonary exacerbation, and additional specimens for viral culture were collected by nasopharyngeal aspiration. Thirteen infants undergoing bronchoscopy for congenital stridor served as disease controls.
Risk, Ruin and Investment Analysis

In this article, we shall discuss several of the alternative definitions of risk that have been proposed from time to time. We shall show that one definition — risk is the probability of loss — leads to a formulation of the investment decision problem as a chance constrained problem. Three different strategies are then proposed by which an investor can reduce risk. It is our belief that professional investors utilize all three strategies and that risk, in many such cases, is not a substantial constraint on investor behavior.
Modulation of a spinal locomotor network by metabotropic glutamate receptors

We have explored the potential involvement of the three main classes of metabotropic glutamate receptor in the modulation of a spinal locomotor network using tadpoles of the anuran amphibian Xenopus laevis. Selective activation of group I receptors in Xenopus embryos and young larvae using the general group I agonist DHPG [(S)‐3,5‐dihyroxyphenylglycine] significantly increased the frequency of swimming and the number of spontaneously occurring swimming episodes, as monitored by extracellular recordings from ventral roots. Group I receptor activation was without significant effect on the duration or amplitude of motor bursts, the duration of swimming episodes, or the head‐to‐tail delay in the propagation of swimming activity. Activation of either group II or group III receptors, however, following bath applications of the specific agonists APDC [(2R,4R)‐aminopyrrolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylic acid] and L‐AP4 (l‐2‐amino‐4‐phosphonobutanoate), respectively, produced a net inhibitory effect on many of the parameters of fictive swimming at both developmental stages, including a reduction in swimming frequency and episode duration, along with a significant reduction in motor burst amplitude and duration in larval animals only. Applications of selective antagonists provide evidence for activation of all three groups during swimming. The group II and III antagonists EGLU (1‐ethyl‐2‐benzimidazolinone) and MAP4 [(S)‐2‐amino‐2‐methyl‐4‐phosphonobutanoate], respectively, increased, while group I antagonists, CPCCOEt and MPEP, decreased swim frequency. Our findings thus provide evidence for the presence and endogenous activation of three classes of metabotropic glutamate receptor which may function as an intrinsic modulatory control system during fictive swimming in Xenopus tadpoles.
Enhancement of International Dermatologists' Pigmented Skin Lesion Biopsy Decisions Following Dermoscopy with Subsequent Integration of Multispectral Digital Skin Lesion Analysis.

BACKGROUND Early detection and subsequent management of melanoma are critical for patient survival. New technologies have been developed to augment clinician analysis of suspicious pigmented skin lesions. OBJECTIVE To determine how information provided by a multispectral digital skin lesion analysis device affects the biopsy decisions of international dermatologists following clinical and dermoscopic pigmented skin lesion evaluation. METHODS Participants at a dermoscopy conference in Vienna, Austria, were shown 12 clinical and dermoscopic images of pigmented skin lesions (2 melanomas in situ, 3 invasive melanomas, and 7 low-grade dysplastic nevi) previously analyzed by multispectral digital skin lesion analysis. Participants were asked if they would biopsy the lesion based on clinical images, again after observing high-resolution dermoscopy images, and again when subsequently shown multispectral digital skin lesion analysis information. RESULTS Data were analyzed from a total of 70 international dermatologists. Overall, sensitivity was 58 percent after clinical evaluation (C) and 59 percent post-dermoscopy (D), but 74 percent after multispectral digital skin lesion analysis. Participant specificity was 56 percent (C) decreasing to 51 percent (D), but increasing to 61 percent with multispectral digital skin lesion analysis. Diagnostic accuracy was 57 percent (C) decreasing to 54 percent (D), but increasing to 67 percent for dermatologists after integrating the multispectral digital skin lesion analysis data into the biopsy decision. The overall number of lesions biopsied increased from 50 percent (C) to 53 percent (D), rising to 54 percent after multispectral digital skin lesion analysis. CONCLUSION Decisions to biopsy melanocytic lesions were more sensitive and specific when multispectral digital skin lesion analysis information was provided with no significant increase in the number of biopsies recommended. Providing multispectral digital skin lesion analysis data may lead to additional improvement in biopsy accuracy with a concomitant decrease in the number of nonessential biopsies for pigmented skin lesions even after dermoscopic evaluation.
Government within Governance: Network Steering in Yorkshire and the Humber

This article considers whether the narrative of ‘governing without Government in a differentiated polity’ (Rhodes 1997, p. 200) provides an accurate description of the regeneration policy networks in Yorkshire and the Humber.1 In doing so, it considers the role of the recently created Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber within policy networks for both UK and EU regeneration initiatives at regional and local levels. The case studies show that while Rhodes’ narrative has value in explaining the transformation of the institutions of the Westminster model, the role of Government Office in the region has ensured that the transformation to ‘governing without Government’ is far from complete in Yorkshire and the Humber.
Harmful Tax Competition?

European governments are currently engaged in an assault on tax havens, to stamp out what they call "unfair tax competition. " This article examines and rejects the arguments they use to justify this action and shows that tax competition is (like all forms of competition) beneficial, except perhaps as practised by European governments themselves.
Fiscal Decentralization and Economic Growth in China*

We employ a province-level data set to assess the contribution of fiscal decentralization initiated in the 1980s to economic growth in China. Controlling for other concurrent reform measures, we find that fiscal decentralization has raised the growth rate of per capita GDP at the province level. This is consistent with the hypothesis that fiscal decentralization increases economic efficiency. In addition, we also find that the rural reform, non-state sector development, and capital accumulation are the key driving forces of the impressive growth in China over the past twenty or so years.
Developing Accounting Regulations that Reflect Public Viewpoints: The Australian Solution to Differential Reporting

In this paper, we analyse the factors that have shaped the approach taken by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) in addressing the issue of differential reporting in Australia. In contrast to its early adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards in 2005, the AASB has signalled an independent approach to differential reporting. Still in progress at the time of writing, we show how the AASB's approach has been shaped by feedback from key stakeholder groups, as well as by influential individuals and key events. In the face of strongly held views on both sides of the debate, the Board has moved from reliance on discursive techniques to develop and justify proposed policies to embracing to a greater extent, the use of more objective research evidence to resolve the empirical questions presented in the public debate.
Differential Localization of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors during Postnatal Development

The localization of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) during development has been associated with brain maturation and plasticity. The developmental immunohistochemical analysis of mGluR1α, mGluR2/3 and mGluR4a expression was performed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia at postnatal days (P) 4, 8, 12, 35 and 60. In early stages (P4 and P8) mGluR1α-like immunoreactivity (mGluR1α-LI) was detected in cell bodies and fibers of the frontal cortex, hippocampus and globus pallidus. At P35 and P60, the staining was observed in pyramidal cells and fibers in the deepest layers of the cortex and in stratum oriens of the hippocampus, while a lower labeling was observed in fibers of the globus pallidus. No immunostaining was observed in substantia nigra pars reticulata until P12, when a dense network of fiber staining was detected through the adult stages (P35, P60). mGluR2/3-LI was present from the second week of development in fibers and cell bodies of the stratum lacunosum moleculare of the CA1–CA3 and striatum; this staining pattern persisted until adult stages. mGluR4a-LI was observed at P12 in neuronal bodies of the cortex, in pyramidal cells of the hippocampus and in neuronal cells of the striatum. At P35 and P60, a strong signal was observed in a reduced number of labeled cells of the cerebral cortex, in fibers of the stratum oriens of CA1 and in long processes of substantia nigra pars reticulata. Our results indicate that there are significant changes in the protein expression of mGluR subunits through postnatal development. These differences may play a significant role in the establishment of proper synaptic circuitry in early postnatal life, as well as contributing to the maintenance, stabilization, and plasticity of the rat forebrain, particularly through the participation of mGluR1α and mGluR4a.
Ethanol Influences on Native T-Type Calcium Current in Thalamic Sleep Circuitry

Ethanol is known to disrupt normal sleep rhythms; however, the cellular basis for this influence is unknown. This study uses an in vitro slice preparation coupled with electrophysiological recordings to probe neuronal responses to acute ethanol exposure. Recordings were conducted in ferret and rat thalamic slices, since thalamic circuitry is an integral component of sleep/wake cycles and sleep spindles. A key mediator of spindle wave activity is the low-threshold calcium current (T-type current). The T-type current underlies burst responses in the lateral geniculate and thalamic reticular nuclei that are important in spindle propagation. Whole cell patch recordings in thalamic brain slices revealed that ethanol has a differential, dose-dependent effect on the native T-type current in thalamic relay cells. Low concentrations of ethanol (2.5, 5, and 10 mM) enhance T-type current (n = 35), whereas higher concentrations of ethanol (20 and 50 mM) decrease T-type current (n = 27). To address whether this dose-dependent effect was due to variation between cells, in a subset we verified the differential effect within the same cell (n = 7). In an effort to examine whether the biphasic effects on the current were due to the order of ethanol exposures, we varied the order of high and low ethanol concentrations within the same cell. The ability of ethanol to perturb calcium currents in thalamic relay cells may provide a mechanistic framework for the well documented disruptions in sleep/wake behavior in subjects with ethanol exposure.
Changing the Concepts to Justify the Standards

In this paper, I discuss the current project to converge the IASB and FASB conceptual frameworks, and specifically efforts to purge the converged framework of concepts that hinder promoting balance sheet valuation using fair values. I discuss reasons why I believe these efforts to be misguided, based on how investors who analyze financial statements employ accounting information. I focus on stewardship, reliability and earnings, terms either demoted in importance or at risk of being eliminated in the framework convergence project. I explain their salience to financial statement users, and argue against their deletion or demotion.
Mutations of Hydrophobic Residues in the N-terminal Domain of Troponin C Affect Calcium Binding and Exchange with the Troponin C-Troponin I96–148 Complex and Muscle Force Production*

Interactions between troponin C and troponin I play a critical role in the regulation of skeletal muscle contraction and relaxation. We individually substituted 27 hydrophobic Phe, Ile, Leu, Val, and Met residues in the regulatory domain of the fluorescent troponin CF29W with polar Gln to examine the effects of these mutations on: (a) the calcium binding and dynamics of troponin CF29W complexed with the regulatory fragment of troponin I (troponin I96–148) and (b) the calcium sensitivity of force production. Troponin I96–148 was an accurate mimic of intact troponin I for measuring the calcium dynamics of the troponin CF29W-troponin I complexes. The calcium affinities of the troponin CF29W-troponin I96–148 complexes varied ∼243-fold, whereas the calcium association and dissociation rates varied ∼38- and ∼33-fold, respectively. Interestingly, the effect of the mutations on the calcium sensitivity of force development could be better predicted from the calcium affinities of the troponin CF29W-troponin I96–148 complexes than from that of the isolated troponin CF29W mutants. Most of the mutations did not dramatically affect the affinity of calcium-saturated troponin CF29W for troponin I96–148. However, the Phe26 to Gln and Ile62 to Gln mutations led to >10-fold lower affinity of calcium-saturated troponin CF29W for troponin I96–148, causing a drastic reduction in force recovery, even though these troponin CF29W mutants still bound to the thin filaments. In conclusion, elucidating the determinants of calcium binding and exchange with troponin C in the presence of troponin I provides a deeper understanding of how troponin C controls signal transduction.
Combined model of chaos theory, wavelet and support vector machine for forecasting runoff series and its application

A combined model of chaos theory, wavelet and support vector machine was built to overcome the limitations including challenges in determination of orders of nonlinear models and low prediction accuracy which the simulated accuracy is high in runoff series forecasting. Firstly, runoff series were decomposed into different frequency runoff components in application of wavelet. Secondly, phase space was reconstructed in chaotic analysis. Thirdly, support vector machine (SVM) was used to predict each component. Finally, all components were combined into a model to predict runoff. A case study, annual and monthly runoff of two reservoirs located in the Sha River and Li River of the Shaying River system within the Haihe River watershed were used to examine the combined model. The results indicated that the simulated accuracy and predicted accuracy were grade A and grade B, which met the requirements of the medium term accuracy and long term accuracy and the combined model is applicable to medium term and long term prediction.
Consumption and saving pattern of micro small and medium enterprises operators: A case of Ubungo bus terminal in Dar es Salaam

This study examines consumption and saving pattern of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The study objectives are to assess the proportion of consumption and the proportion of saving of MSMEs operators; relationship between socio-economic characteristics, saving and consumption patterns of MSMEs and identifying MSMEs major constraints in order to evaluate the capacity of MS.MEs to eradicate poverty by increasing the proportion of their income invested which is key if they are to grow and be sustainable. The study uses questionnaire survey methodology to collect primary data and uses a model of consumption in which income determines consumption. The study employed the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method to estimate the econometric model. The main empirical findings of the study show that the proportion of consumption is high compared to the proportion of saving. The study results show relatively positive relationship between income, consumption, saving and size of enterprise. MSMEs social characteristics do not relate to MSMEs consumption and saving patterns. The major MSMEs constraints are lack of capital, lack of security and lack of premises to conduct business, Vll ABSTRACT The study recommends a need for taking measures to ensure that MSMEs become sustainable in Tanzania as they lack capacity to sustain their growth prospects. Some of these measures include creation and nurturing of MSMEs entrepreneurship trainin.g, improvement of financial systems, establishing well functioning marketing systems for MSMEs to utilize both local and international opportunities and put in place a suitable legal framework for MSMEs to flourish.