Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taiwan's Textile and Clothing SME Response to Globalization

ABSTRACT A mixed-method research approach underpinned exploration of antecedents of strategies adopted by Taiwanese small medium-sized enterprises in the clothing and textiles industry to counter the negative economic effect of globalisation and the increasing competitive threat of lower-cost Chinese products. Primary data were collected from 10 case-companies. Phenomenological methods isolated the contingent variables, whereas positivistic statistical analysis quantified the extent of their perceived impact. A range of hypotheses developed from the literature framed the conceptual model. Although the limited data suggest some caution, findings show statistical significance between a perception of good performance and a range of deployed tactics that include: leadership with technical and innovative motivational style of management; horizontal and vertical industry networking, organisational culture underpinning continuous improvement; original equipment manufacture and original design initiatives; specialist staff recruitment; presence in key overseas markets; and integrated IS/IT. Government support initiatives were not regarded as useful. Whilst these empirical findings contribute to our theoretical understanding of strategic issues in this international sector, the results have implication for industrialists and policymakers alike.
CONTRASTING DYNAMICS OF A MUTATOR ALLELE IN ASEXUAL POPULATIONS OF DIFFERING SIZE

Mutators have been shown to hitchhike in asexual populations when the anticipated beneficial mutation supply rate of the mutator subpopulation, NUb (for subpopulation of size N and beneficial mutation rate Ub) exceeds that of the wild‐type subpopulation. Here, we examine the effect of total population size on mutator dynamics in asexual experimental populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although mutators quickly hitchhike to fixation in smaller populations, mutator fixation requires more and more time as population size increases; this observed delay in mutator hitchhiking is consistent with the expected effect of clonal interference. Interestingly, despite their higher beneficial mutation supply rate, mutators are supplanted by the wild type in very large populations. We postulate that this striking reversal in mutator dynamics is caused by an interaction between clonal interference, the fitness cost of the mutator allele, and infrequent large‐effect beneficial mutations in our experimental populations. Our work thus identifies a potential set of circumstances under which mutator hitchhiking can be inhibited in natural asexual populations, despite recent theoretical predictions that such populations should have a net tendency to evolve ever‐higher genomic mutation rates.
Labor Market Transitions of Young Women over the Early Life Course: A Multistate Life Table Analysis

Using detailed panel data on school, work, and family formation history of youth (i.e., NLSY 1979–1991), we examine the dynamic process of labor market transitions women make during young adulthood. Transitions between the states of the labor force (i.e., employment, unemployment, and out of the labor force) are analyzed using multistate life tables, in which labor market and family transitions are estimated simultaneously. The age-pattern, life-cycle variation, and racial differences in employment and nonemployment transitions are the main interests of this study. We find that black women in the aggregate are less likely to be employed (or in the labor force) and more likely to be nonemployed than white women during early adulthood (i.e., at ages 16–34). With first childbirth controlled, a higher proportion of black women than white women are in the labor force during the same period, as past studies have shown. But, we find that the proportion employed is actually lower among blacks than among whites because a higher proportion of blacks are unemployed. Even though the racial differential in employment decreases with age among women with more than a high school education, it persists among women with a high school education or less. By estimating the conditional probabilities of transitions between states of the labor force, this study shows that the major component of the racial differential in employment (or in nonemployment) is in the process of entering employment either from the unemployment or the out-of-the-labor-force state: black women, if in the labor force, are less likely to be employed and more likely to withdraw from the labor force, if unemployed, than their white counterparts. As a summary measure, our life table analysis shows that black women spend considerably more time nonemployed and less time employed than white women over the early life course. Labor Market Transitions of Young Women over the Early Life Course: A Multistate Life Table Analysis
Hepatitis C Infection Is Very Rarely Treated among Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with increased mortality among hemodialysis (HD) patients. Guidelines from Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes recommend that infected HD patients awaiting renal transplantation be treated for HCV and that clinicians decide whether to treat other infected patients on a case-by-case basis. We evaluated the extent and outcome of HCV therapy among HD patients. Methods: The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study is an observational study; 49,762 HD patients in 12 nations enrolled between 1996 and 2011. We reviewed HCV status, use of interferon or ribavirin, and survival over a median 1.4 years per study phase. Results: 4,735 patients (9.5%) were HCV+. Only 48 (1.0%) of the 4,589 HCV+ patients with prescription data were receiving antiviral medication. Among the subset of 617 HCV+ patients also known to be on a waiting list for renal transplantation, only 3.7% were receiving treatment. After restricting to HCV+ patients with overlapping propensity for antiviral treatment, 4 (9.5%) of 42 treated patients and 638 (21.0%) of 3,037 untreated patients died. The hazard ratio for adjusted mortality comparing treated patients with untreated patients was 0.47 (95% CI, 0.17-1.26). Conclusions: HD patients with hepatitis C infection very rarely receive antiviral therapy. Increased intervention might prolong survival for some patients and in particular might improve the prospects for those awaiting renal transplantation.
Towards a Paradigm of Democratic Participation: Citizen Participation and Co-Production of Personal Social Services in Sweden

Many countries in Europe are now searching for new ways to engage citizens and involve the third sector in the provision and governance of social services in order to meet major demographical, political and economic challenges facing the welfare state in the 21st Century. Co-production provides a model for the mix of both public service agents and citizens who contribute to the provision of a public service. Citizen participation involves several different dimensions: economic, social, political and service specific. The extent of citizen participation varies between different providers of welfare services, as too does user and staff influence. Empirical materials from a recent study of childcare in Sweden will be used to illustrate these points. However, the role of citizens and the third sector also varies between countries and social sectors. Third sector providers facilitate citizen participation, while a glass ceiling for participation exists in municipal and for-profit providers. Moreover, co-production takes place in a political context, and can be crowded-in or crowded-out by public policy. These findings can contribute to the development of a new paradigm of participative democracy.
Trade and Foreign Policy Attitudes

Does trade influence whether individuals view other states as friendly or threatening? Liberal theory implies that it should, but the individual-level implications of the liberal argument are rarely tested. Trade should influence individual attitudes more strongly where trade is more economically important. International trade also creates both winners and losers within the trading states, and the foreign policy attitudes of these winners and losers should differ. The authors test hypotheses drawn from this line of argument using a forty-seven-country survey conducted by the Pew Global Attitudes project. They find some evidence that exports but not imports reduce hostile foreign policy attitudes. They find little support for the claim that the trade interests indicated by factor ownership influence attitudes toward trading partners in this broad cross-national sample. On the other hand, attitudes toward trade and foreign direct investment are correlated with broader foreign policy attitudes in the way liberal theory suggests. The authors conclude that there is reason to believe that trade influences individual foreign policy attitudes but that factor ownership does not provide an adequate account of individual interests in international trade in most cases.
Influence of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Response of Endothelial Cells to Laminar Flow and Shear Stress

The interactions between endothelial cells (ECs) and smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in a complex hemodynamic environment play an important role in the control of blood vessel function. Since autologous SMCs are not readily available for the tissue engineering of a blood vessel substitute, a substitute for SMCs, such as human adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), is needed. The objective of this study was to use a three-dimensional coculture model of the blood vessel wall, comprised of ECs and MSCs, to determine how the presence of MSCs affects EC function. Two vascular coculture models with an EC monolayer were created using type I collagen. All models were exposed to steady laminar flow with a shear stress of 15 dyn/cm2 for up to 48 h. ECs in both the MSC and SMC coculture models expressed up-regulated EC-specific markers compared to the EC-only control model. The most dramatic difference observed between the two coculture models was in the experiments assessing monocyte adhesion. Here, fewer monocytes bound after laminar shear compared to static conditions; however, the number of bound monocytes was much lower for the EC-MSC coculture model than the EC-SMC coculture model for both static and shear conditions. These results suggest the feasibility of developing a tissue-engineered blood vessel substitute using MSCs as a substitute for SMCs.
Best Practice in Temporary Labour Migration for Development: A Perspective from Asia and the Pacific

The dominant mode of international migration in Asia and the Pacific is temporary contract migration of low-skilled workers. The potential for such migration to deliver significant development dividends to origin communities is substantial because of its large scale and the fact that most migrant workers return to their home community. However, there are a number of barriers that are intervening to dampen these potential positive effects, such as high transaction costs, high costs of sending remittances, and the fact that some areas of origin lack the infrastructure and potential for productive investment. Moreover, destination countries have been very welcoming of high skill temporary migrants but highly restrictive in their attitudes toward their low skill counterparts. This paper discusses the lessons of best practice in temporary labour migration programmes in the region, which can help to overcome these obstacles reducing the positive development impacts of migration. It assesses, in turn, best practice separately for each stage of the labour migration process -- recruitment and selection, and pre-departure preparation -- at the destination and on return. In conclusion, a number of the barriers which impinge on Asian Pacific countries’ ability to introduce and sustain best practice are discussed. These include the need for capacity building, lack of cooperation between origin and destination countries, lack of data, poor governance of labour migration a failure among governments to recognise the significance of migration and the need for more “development friendly” migration policies in destinations.
Post-Stroke Immunodeficiency: Effects of Sensitization and Tolerization to Brain Antigens

Acute onset of cerebrovascular diseases seems to be related to a number of immunological alternations. After the initial pro-inflammatory response to brain ischemia accompanied by systemic inflammatory response syndrome, stroke interferes with function of the innate and the adaptive immune cells, resulting in systemic immunosuppression. Although post-stroke immunodeficiency could predispose patients to life-threatening infections, it could potentially protect brain via reducing autoimmune reaction to the brain antigens. In this paper, we review current knowledge on the immunological alterations after brain ischemia, particularly effects of infection for stimulation of autoimmune response against brain antigens.
Decreased frontal lobe function in people with Internet addiction disorder

In our previous studies, we showed that frontal lobe and brainstem functions were abnormal in on-line game addicts. In this study, 14 students with Internet addiction disorder and 14 matched healthy controls underwent proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure cerebral function. Results demonstrated that the ratio of N-acetylaspartate to creatine decreased, but the ratio of cho-line-containing compounds to creatine increased in the bilateral frontal lobe white matter in people with Internet addiction disorder. However, these ratios were mostly unaltered in the brainstem, suggesting that frontal lobe function decreases in people with Internet addiction disorder.
Joint Energy and Economic Optimization: A Proposition

This article gives some analytical results of an attempt to optimize economic and thermodynamic efficiency simultaneously. The attempt to impose complete mathematical rationality and consistency on the pricing of energy commodities fails. since it is not possible to weigh consistently purely physical efficiency measures. much less social factors. This means that energy or entropy theories of value must suffer the fate of other single-factor theories. such as the labor theory of value. Such a single-factor theory cannot adequately handle such questions as fixed capital, subjective utility. and contradictory constraints on economic choice.
Anticorruption effects of information communication and technology (ICT) and social capital

This article examines the argument that Information Communication and Technology (ICT) and social capital serve as major factors to reduce corruption. ICT has the potential to reduce unnecessary human intervention in government work processes, thus reducing the need to monitor corrupt behavior. Furthermore, citizens living in a society with a high level of social capital are more likely to become actively involved in the political decision-making process, increasing the likelihood that public employees' corrupt behaviors will be exposed to the densely connected public. We also examined the relationship between social capital and ICT. Our statistical analysis, which used panels of datasets obtained from various sources, revealed that (1) ICT is an effective tool for reducing corruption; (2) social capital also has positive effects on anti-corruption, but various dimensions of social capital may have different impacts; and (3) the relationship between social capital and ICT is inconclusive. Points for practitioners The theoretical model and empirical results of this article shed light on the potential impacts of ICT on corruption, thereby providing practitioners with the opportunity to consider ICT as a useful and practical policy tool for reducing corruption in addition to traditional methods, i.e. administrative reform and law enforcement. Further, although our research findings on the relationship between ICT and social capital were inconclusive, social capital was found to have anticorruption effects independent of ICT, which implies that policies designed to foster trust networks in a society can contribute to the reduction of corruption.
Exports, R&D and Productivity: A test of the Bustos-model with German enterprise data

This paper presents the first empirical test with German firm level data of a hypothesis derived by Bustos (AER 2011) in a model that explains the decision of heterogeneous firms to export and to engage in R&D. Using a non-parametric test for first order stochastic dominance it is shown that, in line with this hypothesis, the productivity distribution of firms with exports and R&D dominates that of exporters without R&D, which in turn dominates that of firms that neither export nor engage in R&D. These results are in line with findings for Argentina. The model, therefore, seems to be useful to guide empirical work on the relation between exports, R&D and productivity.
Worlds of welfare services and transfers

The discussion on the existence and nature of the welfare regimes of Western democracies has been ongoing for more than 15 years, and many significant contributions have been made. The scholarly work has, however, had a tendency to focus on the transfer component of welfare states, thereby losing sight of the welfare service component. This article argues two aspects. First, the transfer component and welfare service component are two distinct dimensions of welfare regimes. Second, great differences exist between health care and social care services; health care is characterized by very uniform levels of expenditure across countries, while expenditure on social care services conforms to the regime typology of Esping-Andersen. This is taken to indicate that the welfare service component consists of two different types of services distinguished by the importance of the two ideological dimensions of familiarism and statism during the formative years of these welfare service sectors.
Economic Costs of Caring for Children with Disabilities in Canada

This paper uses the child sample of Statistics Canada’s 2001 Participation and Activity Limitations Survey to study the economic costs of caring for children with disabilities in Canada. Both explicit out-of-pocket expenditures and implicit costs in the form of foregone labour market opportunities are considered. Results indicate that, despite universal health insurance in Canada, a majority of families of children with disabilities incur significant economic costs. Additional financial support might be offered, particularly when the child’s condition is severe, and costly therapy and specialized aids could be covered. Our results also support the need for respite as well as help in balancing work and caregiving for Canadian parents of children with disabilities.
Successful Supply‐Chain Management

The supply chain is the flow of both information and material through a manufacturing company, from the supplier to the customer. Traditionally the flow of material has been considered only at an operational level, but this approach is no longer adequate. It is now essential for businesses to manage the supply chain in order to improve customer service, achieve a balance between costs and services, and thereby give a company a competitive advantage. Managers must work to integrate the supply chain – i.e. to ensure that all the functions and activities involved in the chain are working harmoniously together. To develop an integrated supply chain means managing material flow from three perspectives: strategic, tactical and operational. At each of these levels, the use of facilities, people, finance and systems must be co‐ordinated and harmonised as a whole. The article describes how this can be achieved in practice by working through three phases: (1) evaluation of the competitive environment; (2) diagnostic review of the supply chain; (3) development of the supply chain, which involves functional integration, internal integration and finally external integration. Companies which develop an integrated supply chain, with all that this involves, will benefit hugely in the marketplace. Those that do not will get left behind in the struggle for survival.
Comparative analysis of agile methods and iterative enhancement model in assessment of software maintenance

The software industry is moving swiftly towards agile methodology to ensure quality, reliability and scalability of software products delivered since it provides alternatives to the traditional project management techniques. Moreover, the agile approach also helps in business to address the problem of unpredictability. Scrum is the most commonly used agile method applied to the projects having fast changing requirements. Development in this method is implemented through a series of iterations known as sprints. The current study provides insight into the impact of the agile framework using Scrum on the deliverables as compared to the Iterative Enhancement Model (IEM). In this study, same product is developed using Scrum methods as well as IEM Method and various metrics were used to compare both the products such as the stage of software development life cycle (SDLC) when the defect was identified, number of defects identified, time when the defects were identified, number of change requests received, time when the error got detected and the features rolled out using both methods. All these metrics are carefully selected as they are significant while analyzing the maintainability of any given software. It clearly emerges that agile methodology encourages better planning due to the customer involvement thus more amenable to accommodate the desired changes easily. Agile methodology is also beneficial as it overtly emphasizes on highly interactive and frequent communication between developers and customers. This method also ensures dynamic development and facilitates quick delivery with a scope of continuous enhancement because the product is very flexible in nature. Defects are identified at early stages of SDLC thereby avoiding any cost overrun.
Marketing of Crop Products in Poland

The paper examines the hitherto existing institutions and workings of the crop product marketing system in Poland, and shows the nature, direction and scope of the changes the system is undergoing currently, as a result of the decentralization, demonopolization and privatization endeavours. The succeeding stages of: (a) farm production, (b) processing, (c) distribution and (d) consumption of crops products are explored, and the recent changes in each of this stages discussed. It is hoped that the general picture of the crop product marketing system given in the paper will help non-Polish readers better understand both the challenges and opportunities created in this sphere by the recent political and economic transformation of Poland.
Analytical Foundations of Marxian Economic Theory

Professor Roemer's goal in this book is to give a rigorous view of classical Marxian economic theory by presenting specific analytic models. The theory is not extended to deal with new problems, but it is deepened: Marxian theory is given micro-foundations and upon those foundations the author begins to rebuild a tightly constructed Marxian economics. The book begins, after a methodological introduction, with an examination of the Marxian notion of equilibrium and the theory of exploitation, and goes on to deal with the theory of the falling rate of profit. The next section explores one of the points made in the first section of the book, that the Marxian theory of exploitation can be constructed completely independently of the labor theory of value as a theory of exchange. Technical study of this problem allows comment on various issues, such as the relative importance of 'marginal utilities' and 'class struggle' in determining relative prices. The final part examines models of various Marxian concepts.