Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Avoiding the Dutch Disease: A Comparative Study of Three Successful Countries

This paper explores whether natural resource abundance is a precondition for poor economic performance or can be avoided with suitable policy responses. To ascertain the proper remedy package, three countries are examined: Norway, Indonesia and Botswana. Dutch Disease theory focuses on unbalanced growth among the booming goods, the non-booming traded goods and the expanding non-traded goods sectors. When huge amounts of foreign exchange revenues start to flow into a country, persistence on prudent economic policies are relaxed. This paper attempts to analyze countries that resisted the attractiveness of booming sector revenues and conclude with policy suggestions for resource-rich countries.
Governance: convergent expectations, divergent practices

This paper argues that divergence rather than convergence is manifested in non‐profit governance in non‐profit boards in Australia. This reinforces broader literature on governance undertaken in other countries, and suggests expectations of convergence are premature. The inclusion of more women as directors, together with a greater proportion of directors from minority groups in society, supports a view of directorship dissimilar from the corporate sector. Such divergence offers a contribution to the theory and practice of governance because it suggests that policies of convergence need to be built upon a realistic assessment of the ideologies and values that characterise the non‐profit sector.
Income Convergence in African Countries: Evidence from a Stationary Test With Multiple Structural Breaks

This paper examines the catching-up (stochastic convergence in real per capita income) hypothesis for 52 African countries with respect to the USA. over the 1969-2011 period, using a highly flexible stationarity test. The empirical results show (i) that all African countries experienced at least one break, switching between catching-up and divergence paths during the sample period; (ii) that structural breaks tend to coincide with political instability, trade liberalisation policies and terms of trade shocks; (iii) that among the 52 African countries studied, only five lie on the catching-up path, while the remaining 47 diverge from the USA. Our results show that the economic performance of African countries fall far behind those of the USA and that the economic growth tragedy of Africa continues.
Market Efficiency and the Favorite‐Longshot Bias: The Baseball Betting Market

This paper examines the efficiency of the legal gambling market for major league baseball. Weak-form tests of market efficiency within and across odds lines are performed. Surprisingly, the consistently observed favorite-longshot bias in racetrack betting is shown to exist in reverse for baseball bettors. However, these and other deviations from efficiency are shown to be insufficient to allow for profitable betting strategies when commissions are considered.
Application of an integral sliding mode FTC for a large transport aircraft

In this paper, integral sliding mode control ideas are incorporated with control allocation, to design fault tolerant controllers for longitudinal and lateral control of a large transport aircraft. The proposed scheme has the capability to retain nominal performance even in the face of total failure of certain actuators, provided there is enough redundancy in the system. During faults or failures, the control signals are redistributed by the control allocation unit to the healthy actuators based on their effectiveness level, without reconfiguring the controller. A stability analysis is carried out to ensure the closed-loop stability of the system in the presence of faults and certain actuator failures. Simulations using the FTLAB747 software, show the effectiveness and validity of the proposed scheme.
A multiple infusion start time (MIST) protocol for stable isotope studies of fetal blood.

A new approach utilizing multiple infusion start times for two stable isotopes of leucine was applied to seven pregnancies in order to assess equilibration times for isotopic studies when a single fetal blood sample is available. Two infusates, one containing l -[1-(13)C]-leucine and the other l -[5,5,5-D3]-leucine, were given as a primed constant infusion in the maternal circulation at fetal blood sampling (FBS). In five patients l -[1-(13)C]-leucine infusion was started at time zero (T(0)) whereas l -[5,5,5-D3]-leucine infusion began 30 min later, and both were continued until the umbilical sample was obtained at 149.7+/-8.8 min. In order to assure non-steady state conditions, in two patients the first infusion started at T(0)and the second 17 and 6 min before FBS was performed at 115 and 154 min, respectively. The fetal/maternal ratio for l -[5,5,5-D3]-leucine over the fetal/maternal ratio for l -[1-(13)C]-leucine was 0.98+/-0.03, indicating steady state conditions for both infusions for the first six patients. In the last patient the ratio was 0.51, indicative of non-steady state conditions for the shortest infusion time. Our results show that a single fetal sample can provide data for fetal amino acid enrichments reflecting multiple time points. Leucine steady state is achieved 20 min after a primed continuous infusion both in the maternal and fetal circulations.
The European rescue of the Washington Consensus? EU and IMF lending to Central and Eastern European countries

ABSTRACT The global financial crisis has transformed the relationship between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU). Until the crisis, the IMF had not lent to EU member states in decades, but now the two organisations closely coordinate their lending policies. In the Latvian and Romanian programmes, the IMF and the EU advocated different loan terms. Surprisingly, the EU embraced ‘Washington Consensus’-style measures more willingly than did the IMF, which much of the contemporary literature still portrays as an across-the-board promoter of orthodox macroeconomic policies. We qualify this stereotypical characterisation by arguing from a constructivist perspective that the degree of an organisation's autonomy from its members depends on the interpretation of its mandate. IMF staff viewed the Fund's technical mandate as an opportunity to react rather flexibly to the challenges of the latest crisis. By contrast, European Commission, as well as European Central Bank (ECB), staff interpreted the vast body of supranational rules as necessitating stricter adherence to economic orthodoxy. Thus, IMF lending policies were more flexible and, at least on fiscal issues, also less contractionary.
The role of remittances in Botswana: does internal migration really reward sending families?

This study examines internal labour migration of Botswana citizens and their remittance behaviour. Although international remittance is among topical global issues that will be investigated for quite some time into the future, it does not appear to contribute much towards national development in Botswana presently. About 25 years ago remittances from internal migration did little to assist households in meeting their basic needs. This study indicates that this situation has not changed. From primary data, the usefulness of remittances and factors influencing remittances are examined. Following this is an examination of the impact of remittances on households' access to basic items. The results indicate that migrants maintain economic and social links with their home-based households through remittance in cash and goods as well as through visitation. The visits actually encourage migrants to remit. There is considerable variation in the extent to which remittances are appreciated as a reliable means of subsistence in the household. Regression results reveal that economic and social factors are associated with remittances from migrants. However, the remittances do not have significant effect on the ability of households to access basic items needed to maintain a reasonable standard of living. Policy implications are addressed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transformer-less cell voltage equalizer using switched capacitor voltage divider and series-resonant voltage multiplier for series-connected electric double-layer capacitors

In energy storage systems consisting of series-connected energy storage cells, such as lithium-ion battery cells and electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), over-charging and-discharging may occur during charging and discharging under voltage-imbalanced conditions. Various kinds of cell voltage equalizers have been proposed to eliminate voltage imbalance. The equalizer using a voltage multiplier, known as a simple voltage equalizer, utilizes a transformer to generate square wave voltage having an arbitrary amplitude to drive the voltage multiplier. The existence of the transformer, however, impairs the extendibility of the system as it has to be redesigned when the number of series connection of cells is changed. In this paper, the transformer-less cell voltage equalizer using the switched capacitor voltage divider (SCVD) and series-resonant voltage multiplier (SRVM) that can generate square wave voltage having an arbitrary amplitude without a transformer is proposed to improve the extendibility of the equalizer.
Cross-modal information display to improve driving performance

We developed a driving simulator with visual and/or auditory information display to enhance the perception of lateral position of the driving car in real-time. The purpose of this study was to test effects of the cross-modal assistance information on the driving performance. We found the discrete visual assistance improved the driving accuracy, but increased the driving load. For auditory and audio-visual assistances, the continuous information improved the accuracy without increasing the load. Thus, the cross-modal information is useful for assisting and improving driver's performance with fewer loads.
Orthotopic liver transplantation for incurable alveolar echinococcosis of the liver: Report of 17 cases

Between 1986 and 1989, orthotopic liver transplantations were performed in our unit for 17 patients with incurable alveolar echinococcosis. Ten patients had hilar involvement (group I), and seven patients had posterior localization (five of them had chronic Budd‐Chiari syndrome) (group II). The delay between diagnosis and the orthotopic liver transplantation was more than 48 mo in group Ia (six patients), less than 24 mo in group Ib (four patients) and less than 48 mo in group II. Previous operations were more common in group Ia than in group Ib and II. Five patients have died–four in group I and one in group II. The actuarial survival rate at 15 mo was 75%. Early reoperations were frequent (69%), mainly caused by rebleeding. Bacterial and fungal infections occurred only in group Ia (four cases) and group II (three cases). In eight patients (palliative group), residual foci of infected nonhepatic tissue occurred after surgery. The titer of specific antibodies decreased during the first 3 mo in all the patients but one. In patients with radical liver transplantation, the complete disappearance of specific antibodies occurred within 2 yr in four cases. In the remaining five patients, specific antibodies remained detectable, but no evidence of recurrence has been obtained up to now. In the palliative group, a peak of specific IgM occurred at 3 mo; an increase of specific IgG was observed later. The growth of residual parasitic foci was relatively slow, and all these patients remained asymptomatic with a mean follow‐up of 19 mo. We conclude that orthotopic liver transplantation is feasible in incurable alveolar echinococcosis and could be proposed without delay to patients with parasitic Budd‐Chiari syndrome or complicated secondary biliary cirrhosis. In the other cases, the best time to perform an orthotopic liver transplantation is more difficult to determine. Nevertheless, in the perspective of an orthotopic liver transplantation, the management of these patients has to change, and repetitive laparotomies for palliative surgical procedures have to be replaced by interventional radiology. (HEPATOLOGY 1991;13:1061–1070.)
Modesty May Pay

Most noncooperative game theoretic models of international environmental agreements (IEAs) draw a pessimistic picture of the prospective of successful cooperation. In this paper, we consider the possibility that countries agree on modest instead of ambitious abatement targets. It is shown that this can be an explanation for higher participation and more successful treaties. Thus, modesty may well pay, though the first-best optimum cannot be achieved. It is also demonstrated that our model extension makes it easier to relate the stylized model to actual negotiations. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social accounting for nonprofits: Two models

After giving an overview of the development of social accounting, this article presents two models of social accounting for nonprofits: the community social return on investment model and the expanded value-added statement. The discussion focuses on the process for establishing a comparative market value for nonmarket social outputs. The authors discuss these models and the comparative market value in relation to social accounting, an academic field that has evolved as part of a critique of financial accounting, especially its failure to analyze the impact of the organization on society and the natural environment. For the most part, scholars have not related social accounting to nonprofits. This article attempts to draw nonprofits into the field of social accounting. Both models address the social impact of nonprofits by including social inputs and outputs that accounting statements normally exclude.
Euforia-induced acute hepatitis in a patient with scleroderma

Euforia, a supplement containing a variety of natural ingredients, is widely used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory formula. It is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and its side effects are unknown. We report a 45-year-old woman with limited systemic sclerosis who presented with jaundice and marked elevation of serum transaminases. One month before, she started taking Euforia juice. A liver biopsy disclosed submassive hepatocellular necrosis with histopathological changes consistent with toxic hepatitis. The patient's symptoms resolved with cessation of Euforia. Six months later, she persisted with abnormal liver function tests, but these resolved 18 months after discontinuation of Euforia. The mechanism by which Euforia causes liver injury is unknown. Some ingredients contained in this supplement (green tea, Aloe vera, noni and goji) are linked to hepatic injury. To our knowledge, this is the first report of hepatotoxicity associated with Euforia.
Return, Volume and Volatility Relationship in Indian Stock Market: Pre and Post Rolling Settlement Analysis

The present article examines the impact of rolling settlement on contemporaneous and causal relationships between return, volume and volatility in Indian stock market using daily data of closing prices and volume of NIFTY index of NSE and SENSEX of BSE from January 1997 to June 2007. The correlation analysis reveals that contemporaneous relationship is not detected between volume and returns in post rolling settlement period for both NIFTY and SENSEX. Positive relationship between volume and return has been seen in only pre-rolling settlement period in both indices (NIFTY and SENSEX). This indicates that markets have become more efficient after introduction of rolling settlement. In addition, causality results also provide conclusive evidence of improvement in efficiency at NSE and BSE with the introduction of rolling settlement. Thus, rolling settlement makes shares more attractive; investors would be more willing to supply risk capital in the country if they know that shares can be rapidly converted into cash when need arises. Moreover, noise created by prices has been reduced with reduction in settlement days.
The Unusual Behavior of the Federal Funds Rate and Treasury Yields: A Conundrum or an Instance of Goodhart’s Law?

In February 2005, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan referred to the decline in long-term rates in the wake of the Fed increasing the target for the federal funds rate by 150 basis points as a “conundrum. ” Greenspan’s remarks generated considerable interest and research. I document that the relationship between Treasury yields and the federal funds rate changed dramatically in the late 1980s, well in advance of Greenspan’s observation. I hypothesize that the marked change in the relationship is a consequence of the Federal Open Market Committee switching from using the funds rate as an operating instrument to using the funds rate to implement monetary policy, i.e., change in the relationship is an instance of Goodhart’s Law. Evidence from a variety of sources supports this hypothesis.
Eye-Tracking Technology in Surgical Training

ABSTRACT The aim of this review was to amalgamate literature on the use of eye tracking methodology as an adjunct to surgical training. The PRISMA Guidelines were used to undertake this systematic review. Our review studies has shown that recording a surgeon's eye movements; time to first fixation and gaze pattern through the use of eye tracking technology would be beneficial for surgical training.
Transaction Cost Economics and beyond: Towards a New Economics of the Firm

In recent years transaction costs economics have come to dominate the discussion of the nature and organization of firms. In Transaction Costs Economics and Beyond Michael Driscoll offers a critical exploration of transaction costs. He argues that whilst they have much to offer they are still an inadequate basis for a general theory of the firm. Drawing on theories of organizational behaviour as well as economics, he concludes by offering a theory of the firm that allows for both hierarchical and creative decision making.
Photosynthetic Mediterranean meadow orchids feature partial mycoheterotrophy and specific mycorrhizal associations.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY We investigated whether four widespread, photosynthetic Mediterranean meadow orchids (Ophrys fuciflora, Anacamptis laxiflora, Orchis purpurea, and Serapias vomeracea) had either nutritional dependency on mycobionts or mycorrhizal fungal specificity. Nonphotosynthetic orchids generally engage in highly specific interactions with fungal symbionts that provide them with organic carbon. By contrast, fully photosynthetic orchids in sunny, meadow habitats have been considered to lack mycorrhizal specificity. METHODS We performed both culture-dependent and culture-independent ITS sequence analysis to identify fungi from orchid roots. By analyzing stable isotope ((13)C and (15)N) natural abundances, we also determined the degree of autotrophy and mycoheterotrophy in the four orchid species. KEY RESULTS Phylogenetic and multivariate comparisons indicated that Or. purpurea and Oph. fuciflora featured lower fungal diversity and more specific mycobiont spectra than A. laxiflora and S. vomeracea. All orchid species were significantly enriched in (15)N compared with neighboring non-orchid plants. Orchis purpurea had the most pronounced N gain from fungi and differed from the other orchids in also obtaining C from fungi. CONCLUSIONS These results indicated that even in sunny Mediterranean meadows, orchids may be mycoheterotrophic, with correlated mycorrhizal fungal specificity.
The role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of canine keratoconjunctivitis sicca: the effect of topical Cyclosporin A therapy.

PURPOSE The exact etiology of dry eye is unknown but is believed to be multifactorial. Apoptosis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as Sjögren's syndrome (SS). This study attempted to gain a better understanding of the role of apoptosis and its regulation in the patho-physiology of dry eye. The therapeutic effect of immunomodulatory agents such as cyclosporin A (CsA) in the treatment of dry eye, particularly its impact on the level of apoptosis in the target tissues, is also investigated. METHODS A colony of dogs with spontaneous chronic idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) was maintained. Nictitans lacrimal gland (NLG), an accessory lacrimal gland, and conjunctival biopsies of the KCS and normal dogs were obtained before and after 12 weeks of treatment with 0.2% topical CsA ophthalmic emulsion b.i. d. (Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, U.S.A.). Tissues were prepared for the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) apoptosis assay and immunohistochemical analysis for various apoptosis mediators. RESULTS The TUNEL assay demonstrated that (i) the normal NLG and conjunctival epithelial cells exhibited a limited level of apoptosis; (ii) in KCS dogs, lacrimal acinar and conjunctival epithelial cells underwent an increased apoptosis, whereas the lymphocytes had a significantly lower level of apoptosis compared to those of the normal dogs; (iii) after topical CsA, apoptosis was induced in the lymphocytes and suppressed in the acinar and conjunctival epithelial cells in KCS dogs. Immunohistochemistry revealed that p53, fas, and fasL, but not bcl-2 were highly expressed in the target tissues of KCS dogs. The immunoreactivity of p53 was significantly decreased, whereas the bcl-2 level was increased after CsA administration. CONCLUSIONS The induction of epithelial cell apoptosis and the suppression of lymphocytic apoptosis in the NLG and ocular-surface tissues, such as conjunctiva of KCS dogs, indicates the important role of this phenomenon in the etiology of dry eye. Topical CsA appears to facilitate lymphocytic apoptosis and suppress epithelial cell apoptosis in the KCS dog. The differential expression of various apoptotic mediators after topical treatment implicates CsA in facilitating the reestablishment of the normal apoptotic balance, suggesting additional mechanisms by which CsA is therapeutic for dry-eye syndrome.
Using Financial Prices to Test Exchange Rate Models: A Note

THE PURPOSE OF THIS note is to illustrate how tests of exchange rate models can be conducted using financial prices rather than macroeconomic data. All empirical tests of exchange rate models have met with limited success so far. ' A major problem encountered is the poor quality of the macroeconomic data used. Most of the data suffer from large measurement error or cannot even be measured directly. For example, these models often require measures of changes in expected real activity or in monetary policy; such variables can only be poorly estimated from time-series models on industrial production or money supply. The innovation in this paper is to use financial prices such as stock prices instead of the traditional macroeconomic data. There exists convincing empirical evidence that stock returns forecast changes in economic activity as measured by industrial production, real growth in GNP, employment rate, or corporate profits (Fama [5] and Geske and Roll [8]). In the domestic context, stock prices have been used to test the relation between economic activity and inflation (e.g., Fama [5], Geske and Roll [8], and Solnik [12]). In the same spirit, stock returns are used in this paper as proxies for changes in economic activity to test the relation between exchange rates and economic activity. Interest rates are determined by monetary policies, and changes in interest rates are used in this article as indicators of monetary shocks. The approach used is introduced in Section I, while the empirical results are presented in Section II. The data cover the eight major western countries over the recent period of flexible exchange rates (July 1973 to December 1983).