Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Determinants of Export Performance: A Review of the Research in the Literature between 1998 and 2005

Considerable attention has been paid to the determinants of export performance. However, despite this research effort in identifying and examining the influence of such determinants, the literature is characterized by fragmentation and diversity, hindering theory development and practical advancement in the field. This paper attempts to review and synthesize the knowledge on the subject. As a result, this study reviews and evaluates 52 articles published between 1998 and 2005 to assess the determinants of export performance. The assessment reveals that: (a) more studies have been conducted outside the USA; (b) the majority of the studies focus on manufacturing firms, with relatively few studies examining the service sector; (c) the majority of the export studies continue to focus on small to medium-sized firms; (d) there is a continuous increase in the sample size; (e) despite the problems that may arise from the use of single informants, it seems that none of the studies reviewed here collected data from more than one informant in the firm; (f) an increasing number of studies have been using the export venture as the unit of analysis; (g) the level of statistical sophistication has improved; (h) the use of control and moderating variables in export performance studies has increased; (i) more studies have started to include the external environment in their models, including domestic market characteristics; and (j) market orientation as a key determinant of export performance emerges in this review. Finally, conclusions are drawn, along with some suggestions for further research.
Fish Price Volatility

ABSTRACT This article investigates the volatility of fish prices on a global scale using trade data. The trade data is organized along four dimensions: Geographical market (import), production technology, species, and product form. This allows us to address several interesting questions such as volatility of prices of aquaculture products relative to capture fisheries, or how does volatility vary across species or product forms. In addition we compare the volatility of fish prices to other commodities to investigate their volatility in a broader context. Given the importance of trade in fisheries and aquaculture, our analysis also sheds light on the relative importance of price risk as part of trade revenue risk and the riskiness of various fish enterprises at the market level. JEL Codes: F1O, Q02, Q11.
Identification of a functional polymorphism affecting microRNA binding in the susceptibility locus 1q25.3 for colorectal cancer

Genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) have identified dozens of susceptibility loci for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, most of them lack functional genetic variants and clear biological mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs involved in a variety of physiological and tumorigenic processes. Here we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect miRNAs biogenesis and binding, could contribute to CRC risk in the Chinese population. To locate miRNA‐related SNPs in established GWAS loci, we initially screened out five candidate SNPs using a systematic bioinformatics analysis. Then, we performed a two‐stage case‐control study consisting of 2347 cases and 3390 controls, and found a positive polymorphism rs1062044, which presented consistently significant associations with CRC in both stages, and with an odds ratio (OR) = 1.32 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.18‐1.49, P = 3.43E‐06) under the dominant model in the combined study. Further luciferase reporter gene assays indicated that the variant G allele obviously improved the specific binding between miR‐423‐5p and the gene LAMC1. These findings suggested that the functional SNP rs1062044 at 1q25.3 might be a genetic modifier for the occurrence and development of CRC.
Silencing Homologous RNA Recombination Hot Spots with GC-Rich Sequences in Brome Mosaic Virus

ABSTRACT It has been observed that AU-rich sequences form homologous recombination hot spots in brome mosaic virus (BMV), a tripartite positive-stranded RNA virus of plants (P. D. Nagy and J. J. Bujarski, J. Virol. 71:3799–3810, 1997). To study the effect of GC-rich sequences on the recombination hot spots, we inserted 30-nucleotide-long GC-rich sequences downstream of AU-rich homologous recombination hot spot regions in parental BMV RNAs (RNA2 and RNA3). Although these insertions doubled the length of sequence identity in RNA2 and RNA3, the incidence of homologous RNA2 and RNA3 recombination was reduced markedly. Four different, both highly structured and nonstructured downstream GC-rich sequences had a similar “homologous recombination silencing” effect on the nearby hot spots. The GC-rich sequence-mediated recombination silencing mapped to RNA2, as it was observed when the GC-rich sequence was inserted at downstream locations in both RNA2 and RNA3 or only in the RNA2 component. On the contrary, when the downstream GC-rich sequence was present only in the RNA3 component, it increased the incidence of homologous recombination. In addition, upstream insertions of similar GC-rich sequences increased the incidence of homologous recombination within downstream hot spot regions. Overall, this study reveals the complex nature of homologous recombination in BMV, where sequences flanking the common hot spot regions affect recombination frequency. A replicase-driven template-switching model is presented to explain recombination silencing by GC-rich sequences.
Strategic capabilities and the emergence of the global factory: Omron in China

Omron Shanghai provides a detailed case study of a multinational subsidiary's long-term evolution. The study assesses three streams of international business literature that emphasize the seemingly competing roles of parent firm strategy, national institutions or local management in the development of subsidiaries. It looks at each business function separately to reveal which capabilities were effectively transferred from Japan to China. In tracing Omron Shanghai's development from international joint venture into wholly owned enterprise and then global factory, it is the strategic intent of the parent multinational corporations that emerges as the consistent formative influence on management practices and capabilities.
Environmental Injustice in France

Abstract This paper presents the first national study on environmental inequalities in France. It applies the Anglo-American concept of environmental justice, focusing on the distribution of environmental burdens, to the French setting and tests the hypothesis that poor and immigrant communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental risks. The location of eight types of hazardous sites (industrial and nuclear sites, incinerators, waste management facilities) and the socio-economic characteristics of populations are associated at the commune, or town, level for all 36 600 French towns. The analysis, descriptive and multivariate, uses simple and spatial regression techniques. It shows that towns with high proportions of immigrants tend to host more hazardous sites, even controlling for population size, income, degree of industrialization of the town and region. The study establishes the presence of environmental inequities in France and raises new public policy questions. However, it does not investigate the mechanisms that may explain inequities, which could include procedural injustices, land market dynamics and historical patterns of industrial and urban development.
Identifying agroecological mixed farming strategies for local conditions in San Antonio de Los Baños, Cuba

Building on previous research at the experimental and national scales, this study was carried out at the local scale over a four-year period on three farms of reference: one specialized dairy farm ‘Vaquería 10’ (33.7 ha) and two mixed farms, ‘Remedio’ (9.4 ha) and ‘La Sarita’ (47 ha). All three farms are located in the San Antonio de Los Baños municipality, Havana, Cuba. This study illustrates the application of the Ecological Framework for the Assessment of Sustainability (ECOFAS). This methodology consists of a cyclical structure of six steps, aimed at guiding the process of implementing innovative mixed (crop–livestock) farming strategies. Local stakeholders (farmers, researchers, extension officers and representatives of the ministry of agriculture in the municipality) identified alternative strategies for agriculture in the region, based on the critical technological, environmental and socio-economic factors constraining the current performance of farming systems. The results show that implementation of ‘best practice’ mixed farming systems management strategies in the region potentially can lead to a strong positive impact on land productivity, food self-sufficiency as well as improve socio-economic performance.
The spectrum of carcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus: A clinicopathologic study of 26 patients

The clinical and pathologic features of carcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus were studied in resection specimens from 26 patients. White males predominated (73%). A history of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux was frequently absent, being elicited in only eight of 14 patients (57%) with a carefully obtained history at the time of presentation with carcinoma. Survival was relatively short with a median survival of 23 ± 5 months, and only three patients had a disease-free survival longer than 2 years. A pathologic spectrum of carcinoma was found: differentiation ranged from well to poorly differentiated in the 20 patients with a single adenocarcinoma; two separate carcinomas were found in four patients; and a spectrum of differentiation in a single tumor was found in the other two cases, one an adeno-carcinoid tumor and the other an adenosquamous carcinoma. The tumors were generally far advanced, with extension through the esophageal wall in 23 of 26 cases (88%) and metastases to lymph nodes in 17 of 24 cases (71%). Epithelial dysplasia, including carcinoma in situ in some cases, was found in Barrett's mucosa adjacent to the tumor in all 26 patients. Our findings suggest that a surveillance program for dysplasia in patients known to have Barrett's esophagus is warranted in an attempt to improve the outcome. However, the impact of surveillance on the incidence of Barrett's carcinoma may be lessened by its frequent occurrence in patients with asymptomatic gastroesophageal reflux.
Who are California's Late HIV Testers? An Analysis of State AIDS Surveillance Data, 2000–2006

Objectives. Late HIV testing leads to preventable, severe clinical and public health outcomes. California, lacking a mature HIV surveillance system, has been excluded from documented analyses of late HIV testers in the United States. We identified factors associated with late HIV testing in the California AIDS surveillance data to inform programs of HIV testing and access to treatment. Methods. We analyzed data from California AIDS cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 and reported through November 1, 2007. Late testers were people diagnosed with HIV within 12 months before their AIDS diagnosis. We identified factors significantly associated with late HIV testing using multivariable logistic regression. Results. Among 28,382 AIDS cases, 61.2% were late HIV testers. Late testing was significantly associated with those ≥35 years of age, heterosexual contact or unknown/other reported transmission risk, and being born outside of the U.S. When further classified by country of birth, people born in Mexico were most likely to be HIV late testers who progressed to AIDS. Conclusions. Our findings support wider implementation of opt-out HIV testing and HIV testing based in emergency departments. Services for HIV testing and treatment should be inclusive of all populations, but especially targeted to populations that may have more limited access.
Medication Errors in Prehospital Management of Simulated Pediatric Anaphylaxis

Abstract Background. Systematic evaluation of the performances of prehospital providers during actual pediatric anaphylaxis cases has never been reported. Epinephrine medication errors in pediatric resuscitation are common, but the root causes of these errors are not fully understood. Objective. The primary objective of this study was to identify underlying causes of prehospital medication errors that were observed during a simulated pediatric anaphylaxis reaction. Methods. Two- and 4-person emergency medical services crews from eight geographically diverse agencies participated in a 20-minute simulation of a 5-year old child with progressive respiratory distress and hypotension from an anaphylactic reaction. Crews used their own equipment and drugs. A checklist-based scoring protocol was developed to help identify errors. A trained facilitator conducted a structured debriefing, supplemented by playback of video recordings, immediately after the simulated event to elicit underlying causes of errors. Errors were analyzed with mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Results. One hundred forty-two subjects participated in 62 simulation sessions. Ninety-five percent of crews (59/62) gave epinephrine, but 27 of those crews (46%) delivered the correct dose of epinephrine in an appropriate concentration and route. Twelve crews (20%) gave a dose that was ≥5 times the correct dose; 8 crews (14%) bolused epinephrine intravenously. Among the 55 crews who gave diphenhydramine, 4 delivered the protocol-based dose. Three crews provided an intravenous steroid, and 1 used the protocol-based dose. Underlying causes of errors were categorized into eight themes: faulty reasoning, weight estimation errors, faulty recall of medication dosages, problematic references, calculation errors, dose estimation, communication errors, and medication delivery errors. Conclusion. Simulation, followed by a structured debriefing, identified multiple, underlying causes of medication errors in the prehospital management of pediatric anaphylactic reactions. Sequential and synergistic errors were observed with epinephrine delivery. Key words: Emergency medical services; pediatric emergencies; anaphylaxis; competency assessment; simulation
Social and Commercial Ventures: A Comparative Analysis of Sustainability

Abstract This study explores common and different aspects of sustainability, in terms of survival and growth, between social and commercial ventures. The effects of nonhuman factors between a sample of social ventures and a sample of commercial ventures taken from the same environment in Israel were compared. Social ventures showed higher likelihood to survive and grow. Findings exhibit interesting similarities between the two types of entrepreneurship in regard to the significant effect of early market or community acceptance and the non-effect of early funding diversity on venture long-term sustainability. Further research is suggested to substantiate these findings and to explore other aspects of comparison between social and commercial entrepreneurship.
Nontransportable inhibitors attenuate reversal of glutamate uptake in synaptosomes following a metabolic insult.

Na+-dependent, high-affinity glutamate transporters in the central nervous system are generally credited with regulating extracellular levels of L-glutamate and maintaining concentrations below those that would induce excitotoxic injury. Under pathological conditions, however, it has been suggested that these same transporters may contribute to excitotoxic injury by serving as sites of efflux for cellular L-glutamate. In this study, we examine the efflux of [3H]D-aspartate from synaptosomes in response to both alternative substrates (i.e., heteroexchange), such as L-glutamate, and a metabolic insult (5 mM potassium cyanide and 1 mM iodoacetate). Exposure of synaptosomes containing [3H]D-aspartate to either L-glutamate or metabolic inhibitors increased the efflux of the radiolabeled substrate to over 200% of control values. Two previously identified competitive transport inhibitors (L-trans-2, 3-pyrrolidine dicarboxylate and dihydrokainate) failed to stimulate [3H]D-aspartate efflux but did inhibit glutamate-mediated heteroexchange, consistent with the action of nontransportable inhibitors. These compounds also attenuated the efflux of [3H]D-aspartate from synaptosomes exposed to the metabolic inhibitors. These results add further strength to the model of central nervous system injury-induced efflux of L-glutamate through its high-affinity transporters and identify a novel strategy to attenuate this process.
Is Liberalisation Associated with Higher Productivity? A Case Study of Punjab Manufacturing

Productivity is an important concept in the context of the economic growth of a nation. The rate of productivity in accelerating the pace of economic growth is well recognised in both the theoretical as well as empirical literature on growth. The significance of productivity for economic growth was highlighted by Kuznets (1966) when he showed that rapid gain in industrial productivity was the crucial underpinning of Western Industrialization. The Indian Economy was thrust into throes of rapid change in the nineties when the then government of India adopted the New Economic Policy. Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization — became the three planks by which the Indian Economy was propelled into the fusion. This process has had maximum impact on the manufacturing sector, as it has radically changed its business environment and future growth dynamics. All the states of Indian union have been affected differently due to the structural changes. In response to changed policy regime different sub sectors of industry of Punjab have responded differently to adjust optimally. The present research work focuses on studying the response of manufacturing industries in Punjab to the changed policy regime after the advent of liberalisation and privatisation process in India. The present study analyses the trends in value added, labour, capital as well as trends in labour, capital and total factor productivity for sixteen industrial groups on the organised manufacturing sector for the period 1980 — 81 to 2002 — 03 and also for two sub periods, period I, 1980 — 81 to 1990 — 91 and period II, 1991 — 92 to 2002 — 03. The present study tries to examine the trends in partial productivities as well as total factor productivity in the two sub periods to see whether there has been an improvement in productivity in the post 1991 period, the period associated with liberalisation and globalisation. The study tries to analyse the industries which have been showing better performance in terms of partial and total factor productivity and also study the trends of the industries which have not performed well in the period of analysis.
Verification of Boolean Queries over Outsourced Encrypted Data Based on Counting Bloom Filter

Recent years witness the rapid development of cloud computing and more and more data owners outsource their data to the cloud. To eliminate the disclosure of authorized data users' privacy in cloud services (e.g., cloud storage or cloud-assisted computing)-since the cloud providers cannot be fully trustworthy-several previous works have proposed considerable privacy-preserving schemes by exploiting searchable encryption. However, owing to its feature of untrusty, issue arises on how data users can verify whether the cloud has faithfully executed the search operations or not. Motivated by this question, in this paper, we propose a searchable and verifiable query scheme over encrypted data based on Counting Bloom Filter (CBF). Specifically, we deploy counting bloom filters to generate proofs for data users' queries in the private cloud; using the consistence between algebra operations on counting bloom filters and on data sets, we can verify the integrity of search result. The security analysis and performance evaluation show that the proposed scheme is privacy-preserving and is feasible to implement.
Analysis of chemical components in oolong tea in relation to perceived quality.

Summary Properties of leaf and infusion colours, chemical components and volatile flavour compounds of oolong teas and their correlation with perceived quality score given by tea-tasting panel were analysed. The scores for appearance and infused leaf correlated strongly with concentrations of chlorophyll a (chl a), chlorophyll (chl b) and chlorophyll (chl) (r = 0.355–0.433, P < 0.05) and the total quality score (TQS) positively correlated with concentrations of chl a, chl b and chl (r = 0.517–0.533, P < 0.01). The perceived taste score and TQS positively correlated with the concentration of total free amino acid (r = 0.514, 0.694, P < 0.01) and theanine (r = 0.500, 0.684, P < 0.01). The volatile composition and their quantities varied widely among oolong tea samples. Nerolidol, indole, benzeneacetaldehyde, linalool, linalool oxide I, hexanal, benzyl nitrile, geraniol and 1-penten-3-ol were prevailing volatile compounds detected in most of oolong tea samples. Principal component analysis screened ten principal components with the first three (glutamic acid, total catechins and benzeneacetaldehyde) explaining 27.86%, 20.00% and 14.46% of the total variance, respectively. Regression analysis upon the ten principal components formulated a prediction model on the total quality score with 78.5% probability. The result showed that oolong teas could be partially classified by cluster analysis based on principal components.
Talking About Rape on A College Campus

Follow this and additional works at: http://publish.wm. edu/honorstheses Part of the Anthropological Linguistics and Sociolinguistics Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Discourse and Text Linguistics Commons, Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons, Education Policy Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Linguistic Anthropology Commons, Other Linguistics Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, and the Social Work Commons
Overexpressed Id-1 is associated with patient prognosis and HBx expression in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Id-1 is a member of the helix-loop-helix protein family and is involved in multiple biological processes, including development, proliferation, angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. However, the role of Id-1 in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. In this study, Id-1 expression in 96 tumor specimens of HBV-related HCC was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The relationship between the Id-1 expression grade and patient clinicopathological features was studied. In addition, the relationship between Id-1 expression and disease-free and overall survival times was analyzed. Colocalization of Id-1 and HBx was investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The effect of HBx on Id-1 expression was studied in vitro using the HepG2 HCC cell line. Overexpression of Id-1 was found in 64.6% (62/96) of tumor specimens and was correlated with the histological grade, portal vein invasion, lymph node metastasis, HBsAg and Child-Pugh classification. Patients with Id-1 overexpression had both shorter disease-free and overall survival times. Besides, colocalization of Id-1 and HBx was found by paired IHC and confocal study. The expression of Id-1 was positively correlated to that of HBx. In vitro ectopic expression of HBx in HepG2 cells significantly increased Id-1 mRNA and protein expression. To our knowledge, this is the first report suggesting that Id-1 expression is at least partially regulated by HBx and may serve as a potential prognostic marker for HBV-related HCC.