Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imagined Evidence and False Imperatives

Pressing questions about the merits of market accountability in K–12 education have spawned a large scholarly literature. Unfortunately, much of that literature is of limited relevance, and much of it is misleading. The studies most widely cited in the United States used intense scrutiny of a few small-scale, restriction-laden U.S. school choice programs, and a handful of larger, but still restriction-laden foreign school choice expansions, to assert general conclusions about the effects of “choice,” “competition,” and “markets. ” The most intensely studied programs lack most or all of the key elements of market systems, including profit, price change, market entry, and product differentiation—factors that are normally central to any discussion of market effects. The school choice literature is partly driven by a self-fulfilling prophesy. Large steps toward full-blown market accountability are widely seen as too radical to be worthy of study, especially in the absence of directly relevant data. The studies of small-scale school choice programs soft-pedal the large differences between the choices available now and those that could be available under conditions that are the norm in most of the economy and then compound the political feasibility problem by connecting market terminology to the modest effects of the small-scale programs. To address the need for credible evidence of effects of genuine education markets, scholars should look to simulation models, indirect evidence such as outcomes in similar industries, and school systems abroad that enjoy varying degrees of market accountability.
The Supply Side of Congressional Redistricting: Race and Strategic Politicians, 1972-1992

The goal of empowering minorities through redistricting has been attacked from all sides. The Supreme Court recently called the North Carolina redistricting plan "political apartheid" (Shaw v. Reno 1993) while critics on the left reject the approach because it merely provides descriptive rather than substantive representation (Guinier 1991a, 1134-53). This article offers a new perspective from which to assess the viability of this approach to black empowerment: the supply side of redistricting. Using a unique data set from the 1972, 1982, and 1992 congressional elections in black districts, we examine how individual politicians respond to the changing electoral context imposed by new district lines and how, in turn, their decisions shape the electoral choices and outcomes in a given district. We argue that individual politicians acting in their own self-interest may tip the balance of electoral power to black and white moderates in the district. We find that this outcome prevails in approximately half of the new districts electing candidates who embody a "politics of commonality. " This finding runs counter to the fear of the Supreme Court and others that new minority districts promote "political apartheid. "
Patronage factors of Malaysian local customers toward Islamic credit cards

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the probability of Islamic credit card usage intention among Islamic banks' customers. Financial cost, knowledge of Islamic credit card, attitude, financial recommendation and demographic items were examined in order to determine whether these factors are influencing the Islamic credit card usage intention or not. Design/methodology/approach - Drawing upon the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study proposes a conceptual model to examine the factors determining the Islamic credit card usage intention. The research model is evaluated using survey data from 354 respondents with the help of a questionnaire. Findings - The results reveal that “financial recommendation”, “knowledge on Islamic credit card”, “age (young)”, “marital status”, “religion” and “education level” are significantly affecting the Islamic credit card usage intention. The research also concludes that “attitude on Islamic credit card” appears to have no effect on the Islamic credit card usage intention. Research limitations/implications - The research has two limitations. The limitations however provide support for future researches in the area of Islamic credit card. Despite the limitations, the study contributes to the body of academic knowledge by shedding more light onto the factors affecting Islamic credit card usage intention. Practical implications - Insights reported from this study are of particular importance to bank managers, providing them with an improved understanding pertaining to the Malaysian bank customers' usage intentions for Islamic credit cards. The research helps them to better plan for Islamic credit card facilities, in order to cater for the financial needs of Malaysia bank customers. Originality/value - The contribution of the research lies in achieving a more profound understanding of Malaysia bank customers' usage intentions for Islamic credit cards. The research manages to discover the factors which particularly determine the use of Islamic credit cards. It also expands the literature on Islamic credit cards.
Bargaining for Security: Lessons for Employees from the World of Corporate Finance

The plight of employees who lose accrued entitlements when their corporate employers collapse is a matter of continuing political and industrial interest. After the National Textiles collapse in January 2000, the Howard government introduced the Employee Entitlements Support Scheme to provide a taxpayer-funded, minimum safety net to cushion employees from the worst effects of employer insolvency. Just prior to the 2001 federal election, a more generous General Employee Entitlement Redundancy Scheme was introduced. These are administrative solutions, susceptible to the fickle winds of political expediency. There have been many calls for longer term legislative solutions—through industry-wide or national insurance or guarantee-fund schemes. This article explores a further alternative: using existing long-standing commercial law principles and practices to bargain for security. If employee representatives were to examine the principles of corporate law, and adopt the practices of corporate financiers, they might bargain more effectively for better protection than may be offered long term by a welfare-based safety net.
Redox Regulation of Ephrin/Integrin Cross-Talk

Interactions linking the Eph receptor tyrosine kinase and ephrin ligands transduce short-range repulsive signals regulating several motile biological processes including axon pathfinding, angiogenesis and tumor growth. These ephrin-induced effects are believed to be mediated by alterations in actin dynamics and cytoskeleton reorganization. The members of the small Rho GTPase family elicit various effects on actin structures and are probably involved in Eph receptor-induced actin modulation. In particular, some ephrin ligands lead to a decrease in integrin-mediated cell adhesion and spread. Here we show that the ability of ephrinA1 to inhibit cell adhesion and spreading in prostatic carcinoma cells is strictly dependent on the decrease in the activity of the small GTPase Rac1. Given the recognized role of Rac-driven redox signaling for integrin function, reported to play an essential role in focal adhesion formation and in the overall organization of actin cytoskeleton, we investigated the possible involvement of oxidants in ephrinA1/EphA2 signaling. We now provide evidence that Reactive Oxygen Species are an integration point of the ephrinA1/integrin interplay. We identify redox circuitry in which the ephrinA1-mediated inhibition of Rac1 leads to a negative regulation of integrin redox signaling affecting the activity of the tyrosine phosphatase LMW-PTP. The enzyme in turn actively dephosphorylates its substrate p190RhoGAP, finally leading to RhoA activation. Altogether our data suggest a redox-based Rac-dependent upregulation of Rho activity, concurring with the inhibitory effect elicited by ephrinA1 on integrin-mediated adhesion strength.
Fatal methanol poisoning

Methanol poisoning has become a considerable problem in Iran. Liver can show some features of poisoning after methanol ingestion. Therefore, our concern was to examine liver tissue histopathology in fatal methanol poisoning cases in Iranian population. In this study, 44 cases of fatal methanol poisoning were identified in a year. The histological changes of the liver were reviewed. The most striking features of liver damage by light microscopy were micro-vesicular steatosis, macro-vesicular steatosis, focal hepatocyte necrosis, mild intra-hepatocyte bile stasis, feathery degeneration and hydropic degeneration. Blood and vitreous humor methanol concentrations were examined to confirm the proposed history of methanol poisoning. The majority of cases were men (86.36%). In conclusion, methanol poisoning can cause histological changes in liver tissues. Most importantly in cases with mean blood and vitreous humor methanol levels greater than 127 ± 38.9 mg/dL more than one pathologic features were detected.
Primary care, self-rated health, and reductions in social disparities in health.

OBJECTIVE To examine the extent to which good primary-care experience attenuates the adverse association of income inequality with self-reported health. DATA SOURCES Data for the study were drawn from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored 1996-1997 Community Tracking Study (CTS) Household Survey and state indicators of income inequality and primary care. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional, mixed-level analysis on individuals with a primary-care physician as their usual source of care. The analyses were weighted to represent the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the continental United States. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Principal component factor analysis was used to explore the stricture of the primary-care indicators and examine their construct validity. Income inequality for the state in which the community is located was measured by the Gini coefficient, calculated using income distribution data from the 1996 current population survey. Stratified analyses compared proportion of individuals reporting had health and feeling depressed with those with good and bad primary-care experiences for each of the four income-inequality strata. A set of logistic regressions were performed to examine the relation between primary-care experience, income inequality, and self-rated health. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Good primary-care experience, in particular enhanced accessibility and continuity, was associated with better self-reported health both generally and mentally. Good primary-care experience was able to reduce the adverse association of income inequality with general health although not with mental health, and was especially beneficial in areas with highest income inequality. Socioeconomic status attenuated, but did not eliminate, the effect of primary-care experience on health. In conclusion, good primary-care experience is associated not only with improved self-rated overall and mental health but also with reductions in disparities between more- and less-disadvantaged communities in ratings of overall health.
Efficiency and Accuracy of Alternative Implementations of No-Arbitrage Term Structure Models of the Heath-Jarrow-Morton Class

Models of the term structure of interest rates play a central role in the modern theory of pricing bonds and other interest rate claims. Term structure models based on the principle of no-arbitrage, especially those of the Heath-Jarrow-Morton (1992) class, have become very popular recently, both with academics and practitioners. Surprisingly however, although the implied volatility function plays a crucial role in these no-arbitrage term structure models, there is little systematic evidence to guide optimal model specification within this broad class. We study the implied volatility in the Heath-Jarrow-Morton framework using Eurodollar futures options data. We estimate a daily time series of forward rates within the HJM framework such that, by construction, the predicted futures prices from our model exactly match the observed futures prices. Next, we estimate a daily time series of volatility parameters such that the sum of squared errors between futures options prices predicted by the model and observed futures options prices is minimized. We use the six different volatility specifications suggested by Amin and Morton (1994) within the HJM class of models to price interest rate claims. Since the volatilities are the only unobservables, we use these models to infer the volatilities from the market prices of Eurodollar futures options over the 1987-1998 periods. The minimized sum of squared errors in the option prices is used as the measure of accuracy of each specific model. Each model differs from the others in its ability to match the market option prices and the time required for the computation. We compare the performances of the six volatility specifications in the accuracy-versus-computation time tradeoff. We document the
Reforming higher education in the Netherlands and Norway: the role of the state and national modes of governance

In the literature on system level governance of higher education, deregulation and the stepping back of government are regarded as effective measures for strengthening institutional autonomy. Based on an analysis of reforms in higher education in the Netherlands and Norway from the mid-1980s onwards, this article discusses how institutional autonomy is conditioned by reform implementation and the regulatory frameworks intended to enhance autonomy. It is argued that institutional autonomy is conditioned by the existence of systematic dialogue between the government and higher education institutions combined with regulations restricting the scope of strategic action by the institutions.
FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMENGARUHI KETEPATWAKTUAN PENYAMPAIAN LAPORAN KEUANGAN

ABSTRAK Penelitian ini dilakukan pada industri perbankan di Bursa Efek Indonesia. Penelitian dilakukan untuk melihat adakah hubungan antara leverage , profitabilitas, ukuran perusahaan, kepemilikan manajerial dan komite audit terhadap ketepatwaktuan penyampaian laporan keuangan. Purposive sampling digunakan sebagai metode pengambilan sampel dan didapatkan jumlah sampel sebanyak 22 perusahaan. Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis linear berganda. Hasil dari penelitian ini menemukan bahwa hipotesis mengenai pengaruh positif ukuran perusahaan terhadap ketepatwaktuan penyampaian laporan keuangan diterima. Hipotesis mengenai pengaruh leverage , profitabilitas, reputasi kantor akuntan publik, kepemilikan manajerial dan komite audit pada ketepatwaktuan penyampaian laporan keuangan ditolak Kata kunci: ketepatwaktuan, leverage, profitabilitas, struktur kepemilikan
The audit expectations gap and the role of audit education: the case of an emerging economy

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of audit education in reducing the audit expectations gap (AEG) in an emerging economy, namely Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach - Mann-Whitney test results of questionnaire survey responses indicate the presence of a significant AEG between auditors, bankers, and students, especially in the area of audit responsibility. Findings - The paper finds evidence that audit education significantly reduces the AEG, especially in the area of audit reliability. However, results also indicate that although the introduction of accounting scandal cases in the auditing curricula creates interest amongst the students, it also creates some unreasonable expectation regarding audit responsibility. Originality/value - The paper contributes to the existing literature by presenting evidence of the effects of both traditional and case-based auditing education on reducing the AEG in an emerging economy context.
EVALUATION OF ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES OF HEARTWOOD OF Caesalpinia sappan

Objectives: To evaluate the anti-cancer potential of the heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan. Methods: The extraction of the plant material was done using ethyl acetate, methanol and water. Cytotoxicity evaluated using MTT assay. Apoptosis potential was evaluated by cell cycle analysis and Hoechst staining techniques. In vivo anticancer evaluation performed by the Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma model and anti-inflammatory study performed using Carrageenan induced rat paw edema method. Results: Methanol and water extracts exhibited marked cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines such as HeLa, MDA MB, A 549, and HCT-15 in the MTT assay. An evaluation of the apoptotic potential of the water extract on HeLa cells also was performed using flow cytometry and Hoechst staining techniques. The DNA histograms obtained from the cell cycle analysis were apoptotic in nature and the fluorescent microscopic picture revealed the condensation and fragmentation of the nuclei in the treated cells. The in vivo study in albino mice using Ehrlich ascites carcinoma model resulted in an increase in the life span. Conclusion: The water extract obtained from the heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan has shown promising cytotoxic and apoptotic potential. The in vivo anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract were also promising.
Determinants of herbicide use in rice production in the Philippines

This study identifies farm-specific and market factors affecting the adoption of herbicides and the level of herbicide use by rice farmers in the Philippines. This requires the application of a modified version of Heckman's two-step method to estimate a random-effects double-hurdle model for unbalanced panel data. The age of the farmer, household size, and irrigation use are significant determinants of the decision of farmers to adopt herbicides as an alternative to manual weeding, while economic variables such as the price of herbicides, total income, and access to credit determine the level of herbicide use. Determinants of both adoption and level are land ownership, farm area, and the method of crop establishment. These results are potentially relevant when designing policies to reduce excessive herbicide use or to encourage the adoption of alternative weed control methods such as integrated weed management.
Size at birth and resilience to effects of poor living conditions in adult life: longitudinal study

Abstract Objective: To determine whether men who grew slowly in utero or during infancy are more vulnerable to the later effects of poor living conditions on coronary heart disease. Design: Follow up study of men for whom there were data on body size at birth and growth and social class during childhood, educational level, and social class and income in adult life. Setting: Helsinki, Finland. Participants: 3676 men who were born during 1934-44, attended child welfare clinics in Helsinki, were still resident in Finland in 1971, and for whom data from the 1980 census were available. Main outcome measures: Hospital admission for or death from coronary heart disease. Results: Men who had low social class or low household income in adult life had increased rates of coronary heart disease. The hazard ratio among men with the lowest annual income (<£8400) was 1.71 (95% confidence interval 1.18 to 2.48) compared with 1.00 in men with incomes above £15 700. These effects were stronger in men who were thin at birth (ponderal index <26 kg/m3): hazard ratio 2.58 (1.45 to 4.60) for men with lowest annual income. Among the men who were thin at birth the effects of low social class were greater in those who had accelerated weight gain between ages 1 and 12 years. Low social class in childhood further increased risk of disease, partly because it was associated with poor growth during infancy. Low educational attainment was associated with increased risk, and low income had no effect once this was taken into account. Conclusion: Men who grow slowly in utero remain biologically different to other men. They are more vulnerable to the effects of low socioeconomic status and low income on coronary heart disease. What is already known on this topic People who grow slowly in utero and during infancy remain biologically different through their lives Such people are at increased risk of coronary heart disease What this study adds Among men who were thin at birth the risk of coronary heart disease is further increased if they have poor living standards in adult life Other men tend to be resilient to the adverse effects of poor living standards
Taking Stock: Assessing and Improving Performance Budgeting Theory and Practice

ABSTRACT Since the passage of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993, the past 20 years represent one of the most remarkable eras for performance budgeting initiatives in the United States. As a result, many studies about this tool have been conducted and published. Based on a systematic review of articles on research related to performance budgeting in major journals in the ten years between 2002 and 2011, this study assesses how performance budgeting research has evolved over time, reviews its accomplishments, and suggests a few directions for future study, such as the need to control for different intervening factors to establish causality, the need for more coherent theoretical frameworks to guide empirical work and structure the relationship between causal factors, and the need for methodological diversity. We also present a few long-standing questions about performance budgeting that future studies may revisit carefully.
Could Changes in the Agricultural Landscape of Northeastern China Have Influenced the Long-Distance Transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5Nx Viruses?

In the last few years, several reassortant subtypes of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAI H5Nx) have emerged in East Asia. These new viruses, mostly of subtype H5N1, H5N2, H5N6, and H5N8 belonging to clade 2.3. 4.4, have been found in several Asian countries and have caused outbreaks in poultry in China, South Korea, and Vietnam. HPAI H5Nx also have spread over considerable distances with the introduction of viruses belonging to the same 2.3. 4.4 clade in the U.S. (2014–2015) and in Europe (2014–2015 and 2016–2017). In this paper, we examine the emergence and spread of these new viruses in Asia in relation to published datasets on HPAI H5Nx distribution, movement of migratory waterfowl, avian influenza risk models, and land-use change analyses. More specifically, we show that between 2000 and 2015, vast areas of northeast China have been newly planted with rice paddy fields (3.21 million ha in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning) in areas connected to other parts of Asia through migratory pathways of wild waterfowl. We hypothesize that recent land use changes in northeast China have affected the spatial distribution of wild waterfowl, their stopover areas, and the wild-domestic interface, thereby altering transmission dynamics of avian influenza viruses across flyways. Detailed studies of the habitat use by wild migratory birds, of the extent of the wild–domestic interface, and of the circulation of avian influenza viruses in those new planted areas may help to shed more light on this hypothesis, and on the possible impact of those changes on the long-distance patterns of avian influenza transmission.
Relationships between Travel Information Search and Travel Product Purchase in Pretrip Contexts

This study adds to understanding the relationships between travel information search and product purchase behaviors by examining online and offline information search and purchase behaviors. A conceptual model of travel planning was developed from case-based vacation planning theory. Results indicated travel information search and product purchase commitments in the pretrip stage are different, travel information search and product purchase vary by travel product categories in the pretrip stage, and travel experiences influence travel information search and product purchase for certain travel products in the pretrip stage. This study suggests that travel-planning theory is strong in explaining complex travel behaviors.