Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Model for Integrated Sustainable Tourism Development in Developing Countries : The Case of Rural Tourism in India

In his identification of the challenges of sustainable tourism development in the developing world, Tosun (2001) draws attention to an aspect often overlooked in tourism literature. He highlights that most models of sustainable tourism development have originated from developed countries and hence do not take into account the socioeconomic, political and legislative conditions of the developing world. This raises questions regarding the applicability of these conceptual models to the context of the developing world, where governments often view tourism development as a panacea to economic concerns. However, such a myopic orientation fails to account for the other significant issues involved in sustainable development, namely the human, socio-cultural and environmental categories of capital stock (Fletcher, 2005). In addition, the desire for short term economic benefits may lead to high expectations among the host communities. These expectations often turn to disappointment when enthusiasts realize the gap that often exists between reality and promise (Ribeiro & Marques, 2002).
Outcome signs, question frames and discount rates

This study explains why gain/loss discount rate differences reported in previous studies cannot be attributed to outcome sign alone, but rather, must be associated with particular outcome-sign/question-frame combinations. To do so, it extends Loewenstein's (1988) framing model of intertemporal choice to negative outcomes and uses the resulting predictions to interpret and integrate the results of three previous studies comparing subjective discount rates (Thaler 1981, Loewenstein 1988, Benzion et al. 1989). The new framework reveals previously unidentified linkages among outcome signs, question frames, and discount rates. To investigate whether losses and gains are, in fact, discounted differently, an experiment is conducted that includes a neutral-frame intertemporal choice scenario (no proposed change in outcome timing) for each outcome sign. The results show that subjective discount rates vary in a predictable way according to the outcome sign and question frame combination examined.
An Investigation into PhD Supervisory Management Styles: Development of a dynamic conceptual model and its managerial implications

There has been a substantial increase in the number of candidates enrolled in PhD programmes in the past decade. Whereas the literature is relatively informative with its advice to candidates and supervisors, there is little evidence of research related to supervisory styles and changes of style over the supervisory period. This paper attempts to close that research gap by examining 60 items from the literature related to PhD completion. Eighty key variables identified from the literature were used to build a four‐quadrant supervisory style management grid based on the Blake and Moulton Managerial Grid model. The grid was subjected to a verification study through the results obtained from 12 in‐depth interviews with supervisors. Further, a hypothetical model was developed to examine changes in supervisory style over time, along with the managerial implications for supervisors. The study was taken within an Australian context using the European style of PhD structural practices which do not necessarily reflect the contemporary American model. The study has significant implications for alternative dissertation completion approaches where high levels of supervision are required.
EFFECTIVE CAPACITY BUILDING IN KENYA: RE-THINKING THE CDM FINANCE APPROACH

A strategy is presented in this paper for how carbon finance’s potential could be better realized specifically to the Kenyan context. It offers detail and up to date insight into the present and current issues facing the carbon finance and carbon reduction project market. It concludes that there are clear opportunities for Kenya beyond what has been achieved so far. It suggests that internal issues with regards to the current finance regime, institutional structures and socio-political situation have hindered (but not stopped) project development so far, and presents a strategy for how these can be realistically overcome. The lessons for Kenya, and the region as a whole, are to foster a more accessible and competitive market landscape which places the national interests as the priority.
An Explorative Study on the Market Relation Between Online and Print Newspapers

A random-sample telephone survey was conducted in Austin, Texas, to investigate the public's response to local, regional, and national newspapers' print and online editions. Print readership was strongest among readers of that same newspaper's online edition. The substantial overlap of online and print readerships for the local daily suggests the potential of a complementary product relation. The print format was preferred-even among Internet users-when compared with the online edition, other things being equal.
Antipruritic Effect of Acupuncture in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: Feasibility Study Protocol for a Randomised, Sham-Controlled Trial

This study aims to test the feasibility of a randomised clinical trial to evaluate how acupuncture affects atopic dermatitis (AD) symptoms and quality of life and to explore potential biomarkers that may be associated with AD. It is a sham-controlled trial in which 30 eligible patients will be randomly allocated in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio to one of three groups: verum acupuncture (VA) group 1 (3 times weekly for 4 weeks); VA group 2 (twice weekly for 4 weeks); or sham acupuncture group (SA; twice weekly for 4 weeks). SA will consist of nonpenetrating acupuncture. Outcome measures will include the Visual Analogue Scale for itch, SCORing Atopic Dermatitis, and Eczema Area and Severity Index to evaluate AD symptoms improvement along with the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure and Dermatology Life Quality Index to assess quality of life. Measures will be collected at baseline, once weekly during the treatment period, and after a 4-week follow-up period. Blood collection will be at baseline and 4 and 8 weeks after treatment and compared with healthy controls. Illumina sequencing will be used to profile microRNA expression in each group to explore candidate microRNA biomarkers for specific effects of acupuncture in patients with AD. This trial is registered via US National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) on 15 July 2016, identifier: NCT02844452.
Determination of Optimal Hedging Strategy for Index Futures: Evidence from Turkey

This paper aims to determine optimal hedge strategy for the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE)-30 stock index futures in Turkey by comparing hedging performance of constant and time-varying hedge ratios under mean-variance utility criteria. We employ standard regression and bivariate GARCH frameworks to estimate constant and time-varying hedge ratios respectively. The Turkish case is particularly challenging since Turkey has one of the most volatile stock markets among emerging economies and the turnover ratio as a measure of liquidity is very high for the market. These facts can be considered to highlight the great risk and, therefore, the extra need for hedging in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE). The empirical results from the study reveal that the dynamic hedge strategy outperforms the static and the traditional strategies.
Meps as Representatives: Individual and Institutional Roles

Although the European Parliament (EP), as the sole directly-elected institution of the EU, has often been accorded prominence in discussions of ‘democracy’ and ‘representation’ within the Union, relatively little attention has been paid to the attitudes of EP members to the practice of representation in the EU. This article develops our understanding of MEPs' attitudes in two important areas. First, we examine how MEPs view their role as individual representatives, and their priorities within that role. Second, we explore parliamentarians' attitudes to their collective position within the EU by considering their opinions on the powers of the EP itself. Drawing on data from a recent survey of MEPs, we assess the extent to which their views on these questions are predicted by individual, institutional and political sources of explanation; our findings indicate that all three significantly, but far from exclusively, shape MEPs' views.
Cultural factors associated with racial disparities in lung cancer care.

RATIONALE Minority patients with lung cancer are less likely to receive stage-appropriate treatment. Along with access to care and provider-related factors, cultural factors such as patients' lung cancer beliefs, fatalism, and medical mistrust may help explain this disparity. OBJECTIVES To determine cultural factors associated with disparities in lung cancer treatment. METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer were recruited from four medical centers in New York City from 2008 to 2011. Using validated tools, we surveyed participants about their beliefs regarding lung cancer, fatalism, and medical mistrust. We compared rates of stage-appropriate treatment among blacks, Hispanics, and nonminority patients. Multiple regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used to assess whether cultural factors are associated with and/or mediate disparities in care. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of the 352 patients with lung cancer in the study, 21% were black and 20% were Hispanic. Blacks were less likely to receive stage-appropriate treatment (odds ratio [OR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.93) compared with whites, even after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, insurance, income, comorbidities, and performance status. No differences in treatment rates were observed among Hispanics (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.53-2.07). Structural equation modeling showed that cultural factors (negative surgical beliefs, fatalism, and medical mistrust) partially mediated the relationship between black race and lower rates of stage-appropriate treatment (total effect: -0.43, indirect effect: -0.13; 30% of total effect explained by cultural factors). CONCLUSIONS Negative surgical beliefs, fatalism, and mistrust are more prevalent among minorities and appear to explain almost one-third of the observed disparities in lung cancer treatment among black patients. Interventions targeting cultural factors may help reduce undertreatment of minorities.
Concepts of Equilibrium Exchange Rates

This paper explains what is meant by the concept of equilibrium exchange rates. It argues that a variety of equilibrium exchange rates can be defined and their behaviour will vary according to different definitions of the exchange rate, and over short, medium and long-term horizons. It emphasises that the relevance of each type will depend on the question at hand. The behaviour of different measures of the equilibrium exchange rate is explained with reference to a range of theoretical models. The paper explicitly addresses the circumstances under which purchasing power parity, a commonly adopted benchmark for long-run exchange rate movements, is appropriate. The most important purpose of the paper is to provide a taxonomy of the different empirical measures of equilibrium exchange rates that have been derived in the literature. It offers a comprehensive guide to the bewildering array of related acronyms that has sprung up and explains the different contexts in which different equilibrium measures might prove informative.
Farm Labor: Key Conceptual and Measurement Issues on the Route to Better Farm Cost and Return Estimate

This paper examines methods frequently used by agricultural economists to measure the cost of farm labor, including operator and other unpaid, and to provide insights for improving them. The tradition is broken of treating labor and management separately, and labor is defined as encompassing all the productive activities of individuals or human agents used in a business, including farming. Conceptual issues are first addressed: (1) the nature of economic cost and the cost of unpaid labor and (2) time allocation in agricultural household models where an individual's annual time endowment is allocated potentially to leisure, farm work, and off- farm work. Measurement issues are addressed second: (1) specific methods for improving the measurement of the cost of farm labor and (2) specific procedures for estimating the opportunity cost of operator and unpaid farm labor. The overall goal is to obtain better farm cost and return estimates.
Machine learning for hand gesture recognition using bag-of-words

Human Computer Interaction received a great deal of attention this last decade. Last researches has turned to more natural interaction systems like gestural human machine interfaces. Recent works are attempting to solve the problem of hand gestures recognition using machine learning methods. Some of them are pretending to achieve very high performance. However, few of them are taking into account mandatory requirements to apply the workflow of a learning model, mainly data unbalance, model selection and generalization performance metric choice. In this work, we proposed a machine learning method for real time recognition of 16 gestures of user hands using the Kinect sensor that respects such requirements. The recognition is triggered only when there is a moving hand gesture. The method is based on the training of a Support Vector Machine model on hand depth data from which bag of words of SIFT and SURF descriptors are extracted. The data was kept balanced and the model kernel and parameters were selected using cross validation procedure. The method achieved 98% overall performance using the area under the ROC curve measure.
A Data Set of OCL Expressions on GitHub

In model driven engineering (MDE), meta-models are the central artifacts. As a complement, the Object Constraint Language (OCL) is a language used to express constraints and operations on meta-models. The Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) provides an implementation of OCL, enabling OCL-annotated meta-models. Existing empirical studies of the OCL have been conducted on small collections of data. To facilitate empirical research into the OCL on a larger scale, we present the first publicly available data set of OCL expressions. The data set contains 9188 OCL expressions originating from 504 EMF meta-models in 245 systematically selected GitHub repositories. Both the original meta-models and the generated abstract syntax trees are included, allowing for a variety of empirical studies of the OCL. To illustrate the applicability of this data set in practice, we performed three case studies.
Taxation and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows: Time Series Evidence from the US

Abstract This study investigates long run and short run relationships between the corporate income tax rate and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to the US. The tax rate is found to exert a significant negative effect on total FDI and transfer fund inflows in the long run. A 1% decrease in the tax rate would increase total FDI by 2.4% and transfer funds by 4.2%. Collectively, results suggest that the US can use tax policies to attract FDI from abroad. Concern over the possibility of tax competition among countries to attract foreign capital is warranted.
Suicide Mortality in Canada and Quebec, 1926-2008: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis

Suicide rates raise with age has remained consistent for more than 150 years but over the last 50 years major changes occurred. We examined Age-Period-Cohort (APC) effects on suicide mortality rate by gender in Canada and in Quebec from 1926 to 2008. Durkheim theoretical framework is used to interpret our findings. Descriptive analysis and APC models relating to the Intrinsic Estimator (IE) were used to assess these effects. IE model shows suicide net age effect for men in Canada and Quebec as death rate increased until 25 years old before reaching a plateau. For women it’s an inverted "U" shape peaking at mid-adulthood. While period effect differs, a net cohort effect is found for men born in 1941, and women in 1981 until most recent cohorts.
The Beginnings of Metallurgy: A New Look

In the 9 years since my first survey of early metallurgy appeared in this journal (65) metallurgy has become a major battleground between those who argue independent invention and those who argue diffusion in the evolution of urban civilization. In this new article I contend that: 1) The upland belt and debouching river valleys of southwestern Asia have a clear priority in the beginnings of copper metallurgy and extractive metallurgy generally, suggesting that the forces of urbanization contributing to the rise of metallurgy there were more massive, widespread, and better integrated than elsewhere. 2) The trend to polymetallism, against the background of pyrotechnology generally and the other important technologies of urbanism, established a necessary sequence to early metallurgy. This sequence was a prerequisite to the coming of the Iron Age, which was uniquely contained at first within the environment of Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean and spread outward from there. 3) The course of metallurgy and possibly of the other urbanizing technologies can best be understood through a process of diffusion and multiple innovation interrelating metallurgical evolution over much of Eurasia, but with the area defined by the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Red Sea, and the eastern Mediterranean as its center. Only in this fashion can we place metallurgy in its proper role as an important subsystem in the rise of civilization.
Negative pressure wound treatment with polyvinyl alcohol foam and polyhexanide antiseptic solution instillation in posttraumatic osteomyelitis

In a retrospective, case–control cohort study an assessment was made of the clinical outcome of patients with osteomyelitis treated with a new modality of negative pressure wound therapy, so called negative pressure instillation therapy. In this approach, after surgical debridement, a site of osteomyelitis is treated with negative pressure of at least 300 mmHg applied through polyvinyl alcohol dressing. The polyvinyl alcohol foam is irrigated through the tubes three times a day with a polyhexanide antiseptic solution. In 30 patients (14 males; mean age 52 [range, 26–81]) admitted between 1999 and 2003 with osteomyelitis of the pelvis or lower extremity, we assessed time to wound closure, number of surgical procedures and rate of recurrence of infection as well as need for rehospitalizations. For comparison, a control group of 94 patients (males, 58; mean age 47 [range, 9–85]), matched for site and severity of osteomyelitis, was identified in hospital records between 1982 and 2002. These patients underwent standard surgical debridement, implantation of gentamicin polymethylmethacrylate beads and long‐term intravenous antibiotics. In the Instillation group the rate of recurrence of infection was 3/30 (10%), whereas 55/93 (58.5%) of the controls had a recurrence (p<0.0001). Moreover, in those treated with instillation the total duration of hospital stay was shorter and number of surgical procedures smaller as compared with the controls (all p<0.0001). We conclude that in posttraumatic osteomyelitis negative pressure instillation therapy reduces the need for repeated surgical interventions in comparison with the present standard approach.
The Politics of Agenda-Building: An Alternative Perspective for Modern Democratic Theory

The fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Nazi and fascist movements in the first half of the twentieth century sent out tremors that were to shake the very foundations of democratic thought. As a simple act of faith, democratic theorists had assumed that the common man had both the right and the ability to participate in his own governance. If given the opportunity, the overwhelming majority of people in any polity would presumedly be reasonable, relatively rational, and responsible political actors. Hitler's rise to political power in a constitutional system that had been scrupulously constructed to be a showpiece of democracy, coupled with the historically unparalleled rise of mass movements hroughout the world, called this traditional democratic faith and trust in the common man seriously into question.
The Development of an International Regime on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Benefit Sharing in a Context of New Technological Developments

To begin with, an important unsolved and often overlooked problem over the years, relates to definitions and to what is known as the “fallacy of equivocation”. Basically, a valid argument is constructed (in formal terms), but results in a false conclusion because it is built on false premises. In the context of ABS, arguments being proposed at present, are based on an inaccurate and limited understanding of the subject matter “genetic resources”, as well as on the forms of research undertaken over them. This situation has important implications, as the possibilities of adequate management of genetic resources are constrained, as is the generation of optimum public policies. Furthermore, the possibilities for the development and implementation of regulations related to ABS are also curtailed.
Unique CD8+ T cell‐rich lymphoid aggregates in human uterine endometrium

Using confocal scanning laser microscopy of viable tissue sections, we have demonstrated organized lymphoid aggregates (LA), that have a unique structure, in the stratum basalis of uterine endometrium. These LA consist of a core of B cells surrounded by more numerous T cells and an outer halo of monocytes/macrophages. The T cells in the LA were almost exclusively CD8+CD4‐. These CD8+ LA, in terms of both their T cell and B cell components, were either small or absent during the early proliferative stage of the menstrual cycle, significantly larger in size at mid‐cycle and during the secretory phase, and absent in post‐menopausal women, suggesting that their development is hormonally influenced. This new finding of a menstrual cycle‐dependent, phenotypically unique, organized immune cell structure may lead to new insights into the mechanisms by which the endometrium accepts a semiallogeneic graft while providing resistance to infectious organisms. J. Leukoc. Biol. 61: 427–435; 1997.