Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diversity as valued and troubled: social identities and demographic categories in understandings of rapid urban growth in Vanuatu

This paper deals with the simultaneous mainstreaming and diversification of ni-Vanuatu social categories associated with the ways in which population growth is understood as a possible crisis in both demographic knowledge and everyday ni-Vanuatu knowledge. The author is interested in understanding the downplaying but primarily the amplification of difference with respect to place, generation and gender identities. The relationship between reproduction, social reproduction and the multiple meanings of modernity is at issue. In the expert knowledge of demography that proffers advice for the ni-Vanuatu state, it is the lack of modern development – in the form of adequate biomedical birth control, western education, and the equality of women – that is the implicit cause of population growth. Yet, many ni-Vanuatu see population growth as tied to the troubles that arise from the dilution of traditional social forms: there is too much modernity. In both demographic and ni-Vanuatu everyday narrations of the potential population crisis, diversification and mainstreaming take place and vulnerabilities are produced.
Vertical coopetition in entrepreneurial firms: theory and practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate vertical interfirm relationships with direct competitors – also referred to as vertical “coopetition” – in entrepreneurial firms. Specifically, this study explores the reasons for why entrepreneurial firms engage in vertical coopetition and how they manage this particular type of interfirm relationship. The paper also shed light on the causes for termination of such delicate relational arrangements. Design/methodology/approach – The research design is exploratory. The paper analyze data collected by a survey that was specifically designed for this study. Based on the findings, the paper developed theoretical propositions specifying the conditions under which entrepreneurial firms engage in coopetition, how it is managed, and how it can be sustained. Findings – The findings show that coopetition is a ubiquitous phenomenon for entrepreneurial firms, and mainly arises out of a deliberate strategy. In contrast to large firms, entrepreneurial firms tend to .
The Scottish Quality Management System: an interim evaluation

This paper reports a survey conducted with some 398 organisations that had been compelled to implement a TQM framework for business improvement that was subsequently audited. It records the initial results of an almost 70 per cent response rate from organisations with up to seven years’ experience of the system. Despite a significant dependency upon the system for their survival, the survey suggests that a very substantial majority of respondents have not espoused the TQM philosophy, or benefited from the process. Some parallels are drawn with the perceived and, in some cases, real compulsion that attaches to ISO 9000 and, in particular, the possible implications for ISO 9000‐2000.
The Relationship Between Price And Volume For The Russian Trading System

The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the Russian Trading System Index and trading volume for the Russian Trading System Index. We use daily closing price and trading volume for the data for the RTS Index from September 4, 1995 to November 8, 2011 . We find a positive statistically significant relationship between the natural logarithm of price volume changes and changes in the RTS Index and for the natural logarithm of price volume changes relative to a five-day average of price volume changes; thus the impact of trading volume is persistent.
Evaluating the changes in economic and social development of Lithuanian counties by multiple criteria methods

Abstract Under the conditions of the country's economy restructurization, the differences between economic and social development of various regions are becoming more prominent. To smooth these differences, a number of scientific and practical problems associated with the concepts of a region, regional policy and its aims, determination of the boundaries of a region and evaluation of its development, etc., should be thoroughly investigated. To solve such complicated problems, multicriteria evaluation methods have been recently used, which could take into consideration the major aspects of economic and social development of the regions, including the environmental problems, as well as multidimensional character of the criteria, different directions of their changing and significances. Quantitative evaluation of social and economic region's development allows us to determine the changes, taking place in this development. This, in turn, shows the effectiveness of the EU structural funds, national programmes .
Subclasses of external adenosine receptors.

Cell surface adenosine receptors mediate either stimulation or inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6. 1.1], and the receptors that mediate these different responses can be discriminated with selected adenosine analogs. 5'-N-Ethylcarboxamide-adenosine is a more potent agonist at stimulatory receptors (Ra) than is N6-phenylisopropyladenosine, whereas the reverse potency order is seen with inhibitory receptors (Ri). The potency of adenosine is intermediate between the potencies of these two analogs. The relative potencies of adenosine receptor agonists are maintained in physiological responses in intact cells, such as steroidogenesis and inhibition of lipolysis. As with adrenergic receptors, subclasses of adenosine receptors differ functionally and pharmacologically.
Insulin resistance and enhanced protein glycation in men with prehypertension

Abstract Background: Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia have been reported among patients with hypertension. However, little is known about insulin sensitivity in subjects with prehypertension. The aim of this study was to assess whether the metabolic characteristics of insulin resistance syndrome are present in prehypertensive subjects. Methods: Plasma fasting glucose, lipid profile, glycated hemoglobin, fructosamine and insulin concentrations were evaluated in 35 prehypertensive subjects and in 30 healthy controls. Results: Prehypertensive subjects had significantly higher levels of plasma insulin and triglycerides compared with normotensive subjects. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly lower in prehypertensive subjects compared with controls. There was no significant difference in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The levels of glycated hemoglobin and fructosamine were also significantly higher in prehypertensive subjects compared with controls. Plasma insulin levels were positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure in prehypertensive subjects. Similarly, plasma insulin was significantly positively correlated with triglyceride and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions: The present study indicates that prehypertensive non-diabetic subjects have higher insulin resistance and protein glycation compared to normotensive subjects, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of prehypertension. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:1457–61.
The human pattern ERG: alteration of response properties with aging.

The influence of aging on both the amplitude and the latency of transient and steady-state pattern electroretinograms (PERG's) was studied in 80 healthy participants ranging from 25 to 77 years of age (mean age, 55.3 years). Responses to counterphasing checkerboard patterns were recorded for each of 7 test conditions in which the spatial (i.e., check sizes 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, and 2.00 degrees) and temporal characteristics (i.e., counterphasing at either 2, 4, 8, or 16 rps) of the stimuli were varied. For both the transient and steady-state PERG's amplitude was inversely related to age (p less than 0.05 for each test condition). In general, PERG latency directly correlated with age, but this effect was less robust (p less than 0.05 for one transient condition and three of the four steady-state conditions). The influence of age on the spatial tuning of the PERG was minimal; the decrease in PERG amplitude and the increase in PERG latency as a function of age were essentially the same for all test conditions. However, the magnitude of the age-related reduction in PERG amplitude was observed to vary with temporal frequency, being largest for the steady-state condition (16 rps). The results from an experiment in which young subjects were tested while wearing opaque contact lenses with 2-mm artificial pupils suggest that senile miosis is a significant factor contributing to the age-related PERG amplitude and latency changes, but it does not fully account for the observed changes.
High-resolution Plasma Display Panel (PDP)

We have developed two types of high-resolution plasma display panels (PDPs): a 25-inch SXGA (1280 × 1024) panel for engineering workstations (EWSs) and personal computers (PCs), and a 42-inch 1024 × 1024 panel for HDTV. First, this paper investigates the discharge characteristics of small PDP cells. Then, this paper describes some of the features of the new panels, for example, the improved characteristics of their cells and their unique Alternate Lighting of Surfaces (ALIS) discharge method, which improves both the resolution and the brightness of the panels.
Segmentaton for a Mutini Resturant Operaton

As new restaurants enter the market and franchise operations continue to expand, restaurant owners and managers recognize that customers can vary greatly from one geographic market to another. Market segmentation is necessary to distinguish not only between regional locations but also between specific locations within local markets. This study examines the differences among restaurant customers dining at a downtown location compared to those dining at a similar restaurant in a suburb of the same city. Differences were found in patrons' average age, discretionary in come, reasons for dining out, loyalty, advertising-vehicle effectiveness, and the relative importance of restaurants' desirable attributes as defined by customers. Downtown diners tended to be younger with lower average annual incomes than suburban diners, but often used employers' money to purchase meals. Downtown diners desire good-quality food delivered in a convenient, timely fashion, while those in the suburbs want good service and value. Suburban diners tend to be more loyal over time and, more so than downtown patrons, are likely to take advantage of advertising vehicles that offer discounts and specials.
Nationwide outbreak of listeriosis due to contaminated meat

We used molecular subtyping to investigate an outbreak of listeriosis involving residents of 24 US states. We defined a case as infection with Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b yielding one of several closely related patterns when subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Patients infected with strains yielding different patterns were used as controls. A total of 108 cases were identified with 14 associated deaths and four miscarriages or stillbirths. A case-control study implicated meat frankfurters as the likely source of infection (OR 17·3, 95% CI 2·4–160). The outbreak ended abruptly following a manufacturer-issued recall, and the outbreak strain was later detected in low levels in the recalled product. A second strain was recovered at higher levels but was not associated with human illness. Our findings suggest that L. monocytogenes strains vary widely in virulence and confirm that large outbreaks can occur even when only low levels of contamination are detected in sampled food. Standardized molecular subtyping and coordinated, multi-jurisdiction investigations can greatly facilitate detection and control of listeriosis outbreaks.
Employment Density Variation in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area

Traditional density models have used a single gradient to depict the employment distribution over metropolitan space. However, different processes have characterized city and suburban development, and suburban gradients are not simple extensions of central city ones. Analysis of employment data for the Baltimore standard metropolitan statistical area in 1974 indicates that differences in markets and transportation costs help to account for observed differences in city-suburban density gradients.
The centrosome and mitotic spindle apparatus in cancer and senescence

Altered cell division is associated with overproliferation and tumorigenesis, however, mitotic aberrations can also trigger antiproliferative responses leading to postmitotic cell cycle exit. Here, we focus on the role of the centrosome and in particular of centrosomal TACC (transforming acidic coiled coil) proteins in tumorigenesis and cellular senescence. We have compiled recent evidence that inhibition or depletion of various mitotic proteins which take over key roles in centrosome and kinetochore integrity and mitotic checkpoint function is sufficient to activate a p53-p21WAF driven premature senescence phenotype. These findings have direct implications for proliferative tissue homeostasis as well as for cellular and organismal aging.
CSR in Japanese Companies: Perspectives from Managers

Increasingly, corporations are expected to be more socially and environmentally responsible in the communities and society where their operations are located. This is more so with ever growing sensitivity towards social and environmental issues, and demands from various stakeholders expecting corporations to do more for society. This study examines managers' actual CSR perceptions and practices in Japan. The paper reports on an empirical study carried out in Japan in 2012, where 12 Japanese global companies were interviewed about their CSR and sustainability strategy and practices. Results reveal that companies that participated in the study are keen to demonstrate that CSR is integral to their business strategy and have various projects and initiatives to support their position and commitment. For example, the tsunami disaster in March 2011 demonstrates how Japanese companies pulled their resources together to support the victims. However, there are other areas such as volunteering, diversity in the workplace and work–life balance that require more business attention. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Federal Labor-Management Relations Reforms Under Bush

The Bush administration is promoting radical change to the labor-management relations status quo in the federal sector. Provisions of the 1978 Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute already leave the federal employee unions in a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis management. The changes by President Bush would tip the balance of power even further in favor of management. Are those changes an attempt to expand presidential control over the bureaucracy, or do they simply represent an alternative, promanagement philosophy of workplace relations? The conclusion here is that Bush has adopted a political management model of governance in which operational considerations are subordinate to control considerations.
The Ecology and Macroecology of Mammalian Home Range Area

Although many studies employ allometric relationships to demonstrate possible dependence of various traits on body mass, the relationship between home range size and body mass has been perhaps the most difficult to understand. Early studies demonstrated that carnivorous species had larger home ranges than herbivorous species of similar mass. These studies also argued that scaling relations (e.g., slopes) of the former were steeper than those of the latter and explained this in terms of the distribution of food resources, which are more uniformly distributed for most herbivores than for carnivores. In contrast to these studies, we show that scaling relations of home ranges for carnivorous mammals do not differ significantly from those of herbivorous and omnivorous species and that all three exhibit slopes that are significantly steeper than predicted on the basis of energetic requirements. We also demonstrate that home range size is constrained to fit within a polygonal constraint space bounded by lines representing energetic and/or biophysical limitations, which suggests that the log‐linear relationship between home range area and mass may not be the appropriate function to compare against the energetically predicted slopes of 0.75 or 1.0. It remains unclear, however, why the slope of the relationship between home range area and body mass, whether based on raw data or on constraint lines, always exceeds that predicted by the energetic needs hypothesis.
Price-endogenized Input–Output Model: A General Equilibrium Analysis of the Production Sector of the Japanese Economy

This paper considers a generalization of the open Leontief model, by endogenizing the input coefficients on the basis of the neoclassical multi-sectoral produc-tion function. The adopted production function is of the two-level CES type, which is quite effective for avoiding the multi-collinearity problem. As a result, the estimates obtained are quite stable, satisfying the quasi-concavity conditions of the production function for all the sectors. Comparative statics based on the Jacobian of the excess supply function for each commodity market reveal that, owing to the factor substitution the effect of an increase in the final demand on the level of the production is significantly smaller than that which occurs in the open Leontief model with fixed input coefficients.
Revisiting the Convergence Hypothesis of Tourism Markets: Evidence from South Africa

The purpose of this article is to examine the convergence hypothesis in South Africa’s tourism markets over the period January 2000–December 2011. To check the existence of convergence, the study follows existing papers by applying a unit root test on the difference series and a cointegration test on the original series of visitor arrivals. Premised on geographical dimension, we further investigate cluster-based convergence within African and overseas source markets in South Africa. The results provide evidence for long-run convergence in tourism markets. Furthermore, the findings of cluster-based convergence provide greater support for the convergence within African and overseas source markets, respectively. These findings imply that previous policies aimed at boosting total visitor arrivals in South Africa have been successful, and maintaining such (or similar) strategies may continue to enhance international visitor arrivals in the country. JEL Classification: L83, O47, O55
Swm 1 / Apc 13 Is an Evolutionarily Conserved Subunit of the Anaphase-Promoting Complex Stabilizing the Association of Cdc 16 and Cdc 27

The anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) is a large ubiquitin-protein ligase which controls progression through anaphase by triggering the degradation of cell cycle regulators such as securin and B-type cyclins. The APC/C is an unusually complex ligase containing at least 10 different, evolutionarily conserved components. In contrast to APC/C’s role in cell cycle regulation little is known about the functions of individual subunits and how they might interact with each other. Here, we have analyzed Swm1/Apc13, a small subunit recently identified in the budding yeast complex. Database searches revealed proteins related to Swm1/Apc13 in various organisms including humans. Both the human and the fission yeast homologues are associated with APC/C subunits, and they complement the phenotype of an SWM1 deletion mutant of budding yeast. Swm1/Apc13 promotes the stable association with the APC/C of the essential subunits Cdc16 and Cdc27. Accordingly, Swm1/Apc13 is required for ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro and for the timely execution of APC/C-dependent cell cycle events in vivo.
The maximum‐leaf spanning tree problem: Formulations and facets

The Maximum Leaf Spanning Tree Problem (MLSTP) is to find a spanning tree in a given undirected graph, whose number of leaves (vertices of degree 1) is maximum. In this article, we consider an integer programming approach to the MLSTP. We provide two formulations of the MLSTP and study the facial structure of polytopes arising from the formulations. Moreover, several relaxation problems are compared. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Community Environmental Policing: Assessing New Strategies of Public Participation in Environmental Regulation

This paper evaluates a new form of public participation in environmental monitoring and regulation advanced through local “bucket brigades,” which allow community members to sample air emissions near industrial facilities. These brigades represent a new form of community environmental policing, in which residents participate in collecting, analyzing, and deploying environmental information, and more importantly, in an array of public policy dialogues. Use of this sampling technology has had marked effects on local residents' perceptions and participation in emergency response and citizens' right-to-know. However, when viewed through the lens of the more developed literature on community policing, the bucket brigades are currently limited in their ability to encourage “co-production” of environmental protection between citizens and the state. Means are examined to strengthen the bucket brigades and to more broadly support community participation in environmental regulation. © 2003 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Targeted investments in elite sport funding: wiser, more innovative and strategic?

Targeting funds to a select ‘few’ organisations is an increasingly recognised principle of government funding distributions for elite sport. This paper explores the principles of performance-based targeting in sport and traces its historical development alongside New Public Management reforms. Drawing from data in New Zealand, it is suggested that targeting schemes generate unintended consequences including: (a) the paradoxical tendency for the central agency to be blamed for having too much control over sport and for not being sufficiently accountable for results and (b) the propensity for National Sport Organisations (NSOs) to become less innovative over time due to increased accountability requirements and tighter monitoring. Each carries implications. The former reminds us that broader political risks cannot be ruled out, and may effectively negate targeting's promise of allocative efficiency and responsiveness. The latter warns that such regimes may hinder organisational learning and induce NSOs to follow ‘best practice’ at the expense of developing new best practice.
Normalizing and Converting Image DC Data Using Scatter Plot Matching

Abstract: Remote sensing image data from sources such as Landsat or airborne multispectral digital cameras are typically in the form of digital count (DC) values. To compare images acquired by the same sensor system on different dates, or images acquired by different sensor systems, it is necessary to correct for differences in the DC values due to sensor characteristics (gain and offset), illumination of the surface (a function of sun angle), and atmospheric clarity. A method is described for normalizing one image to another, or converting image DC values to surface reflectanceThis method is based on the . identification of pseudoinvariant features (bare soil line and full canopy point) in the -scatter plot of red and near-infrared image pixel values. The method, called “scatter plot matching” (SPM), is demonstrated by normalizing a Landsat-7 ETM+ image to a Landsat-5 TM image, and by converting the pixel DC values in a Landsat-5 TM image to values of surface reflectance. While SPM has some limitations, it represents a simple, straight-forward method for calibrating remote sensing image data.