Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conceptualising entrepreneurship in a transition context

The paper sets out to review entrepreneurship in transition countries, assessing the extent to which theories and concepts of entrepreneurship developed in a market economy context can provide an appropriate interpretative framework. This is done in order to develop propositions for a model of entrepreneurship under transition conditions, which captures (1) the distinctive features of entrepreneurship, (2) the context for entrepreneurship in these countries and (3) the entrepreneurial process. The paper builds on previous papers by the authors, selectively using empirical evidence to support appropriate conceptualisation.
Noise versus Access: The Impact of an Airport in an Urban Property Market

The effects of a major airport are unlikely to exhibit a uniform spatial distribution. The benefits to industries and individual households may extend well beyond the local economy, whereas many of the costs are spatially concentrated in the immediate environment. In particular, the problems of noise and traffic generation can be expected to fall principally upon adjacent populations. This paper addresses the general question of whether the costs to local economies of airport proximity, which are in the nature of externalities, outweigh the benefits of access, employment and improved infrastructure. Based on data relating to Manchester airport and its surrounding areas, the specific approach adopted in the paper involves an investigation of the extent to which such proximity effects are capitalised into residential property prices. Our results provide some evidence to suggest that circumstances may exist where positive attributes, such as improved access and employment opportunities, may be more highly valued by local residents than the negative externality effects of airport proximity.
Severe odontogenic infections: epidemiological, microbiological and therapeutic factors.

OBJECTIVES A retrospective study is made of the odontogenic infections treated in La Paz University Hospital (Madrid, Spain) during 2007 and 2008, with an epidemiological and microbiological analysis of a large group of patients. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective descriptive study was made, involving the consecutive inclusion of all patients with odontogenic infection requiring admission to our hospital in the period between January 2007 and December 2008. RESULTS A total of 151 patients were included, with a mean age of 40.3 years and a balanced gender distribution. The most frequently affected teeth were those located in the posterior mandibular segments, caries being the main underlying cause. Most isolates comprised mixed flora, particularly viridans streptococci, different species of Prevotella, Micromonas micros, and different species of Actinomyces. Susceptibility analysis of the microbial isolates showed a high percentage resistance to clindamycin (42.8% of all isolates), particularly among Viridans Streptococci. CONCLUSIONS The use of antibiotics in head and neck infections requires updated protocols based not only on the existing scientific evidence but also on the epidemiological reality of each center. On the other hand, identification is required of the surgical factors determining infection and how they influence morbidity associated with this type of pathology.
Cost Estimating Certifications Offered by Professional Societies in the United States and Abroad

Many projects in industry and government go over budget and schedule. In most engineering economics courses, the emphasis is on how to compare alternatives and learn about time value of money and interest and inflation rates. The students are usually given the costs and asked to compare the alternatives. However, this is the easy part of the analysis. The hard part of real project evaluations is developing the cost and investment numbers to do the engineering economics analysis. In most engineering economic textbooks, there is at most one chapter on cost estimation. More and more companies and government organizations are concerned that their engineers don’t know how to do accurate cost and schedule estimates. Cost estimation is a critical element to doing engineering economic evaluations. For example, one of the authors has presented short courses on cost estimation and economic evaluation to over 10,000 professionals, mostly engineers and engineering managers who are in industry and government. Most of these engineers have taken engineering economics courses while in college, and they have a good grasp of the fundamentals of engineering economics. However, most practicing engineers lack the fundamentals to do accurate cost and schedule estimates. To keep projects from going over budget and schedule, more and more organizations are requiring their engineers and engineering managers to obtain certifications in cost estimation from professional societies. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current certifications offered so practicing engineers and engineering educators will know what is available and what is required to earn these certifications. The four major cost estimating certifications offered by professional societies in the United States are discussed. Eligibility and certification requirements along with examination information are presented. In addition, because many engineers are working on international projects, cost estimation certifications offered by professional societies in other countries are also summarized.
Yarrowia lipolytica: Safety assessment of an oleaginous yeast with a great industrial potential

Abstract Yarrowia lipolytica has been developed as a production host for a large variety of biotechnological applications. Efficacy and safety studies have demonstrated the safe use of Yarrowia-derived products containing significant proportions of Yarrowia biomass (as for DuPont’s eicosapentaenoic acid–rich oil) or with the yeast itself as the final product (as for British Petroleum’s single-cell protein product). The natural occurrence of the species in food, particularly cheese, other dairy products and meat, is a further argument supporting its safety. The species causes rare opportunistic infections in severely immunocompromised or otherwise seriously ill people with other underlying diseases or conditions. The infections can be treated effectively by the use of regular antifungal drugs, and in some cases even disappeared spontaneously. Based on our assessment, we conclude that Y. lipolytica is a “safe-to-use” organism.
The Puzzle of Ineffective Election Campaigning in Japan

Abstract In Japan, electoral campaigning in plurality districts often appears strangely ineffective to observers. In their explanations, political scientists have so far fallen back on the proximate cause, namely the strict Public Office Election Law (Kōshoku senkyo-hō), claiming that it is this law that prohibits different and more effective campaigning. This study, however, is based on the assumption that such an explanation could be insufficient since even those campaign tactics legally allowed are often executed and/or selected in an apparently ineffective way in terms of their appeal to voters. Especially when looked at from the perspective of structural learning theory, which assumes that actors adapt their behavior within stable structures by learning what works well and what does not, these observations invite further investigation. As a first step, participant observation was used to identify types of apparently ineffective campaigning. In the second step, these types were discussed in qualitative interviews with candidates and other practitioners. The results show that next to appealing to voters there are other campaign goals that can determine the choice of electoral instruments: motivating campaign staffers, maintaining good working relationships with external helpers, presenting political convictions and personal determination. This explains part of the assumed ineffectiveness, but not all of it. When seen through the lens of structural learning theory research findings suggest that the lack of clear feedback regarding the impact of campaign activities on voters inhibits the learning processes of candidates. In combination with constraints regarding time, place and/or resources, these factors shape election campaigning to a considerable degree. Consequently, this study suggests that explanations need to take more factors into account than just the Public Office Election Law in order to solve the puzzle of ineffective campaigning in Japan.
Business Process Modeling-A Comparative Analysis 1

Jan Recker Faculty of Science and Technology Queensland University of Technology j.recker@qut.edu. au Michael Rosemann Faculty of Science and Technology Queensland University of Technology m.rosemann@qut.edu. au Many business process modeling techniques have been proposed over the last decades, creating a demand for theory to assist in the comparison and evaluation of these techniques. A widely established way of determining the effectiveness and efficiency of modeling techniques is by way of representational analysis. This paper comparatively assesses representational analyses of 12 popular process modeling techniques in order to provide insights into the extent to which they differ from each other. We discuss several implications of our findings. Our analysis uncovers and explores representational root causes for a number of shortcomings that remain in process modeling practice, such as lack of process decomposition and integration of business rule specification. Our findings also serve as motivation and input to future research in areas such as context-aware business process design and conventions management.
Stated Economic and Social Motivations of Farm Tourism Operators

Farm tourism enterprises combine the commercial constraints of regional tourism, the nonfinancial features of family businesses, and the inheritance issues of family farms. They have theoretical significance in regional tourism geography and economics, family tourism business dynamics, and rural diversification. We examined motivations of farm tourism operators throughout Australia using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In contrast to Europe and the United States, social motivations are marginally more important overall than economic motivations. For most operators, however, both are important; and different motivations are dominant for different types of farm landholders and at different stages in farm, family, and business lifecycles. For some families, tourism is a critical component of income streams to keep the current generation on the family property and provide opportunities for succeeding generations. For others it combines social opportunities with retirement income. Tourism, agricultural, or rural initiatives, including farm tourism, need to incorporate this diversity.
Genetic evaluation for TOR 1-A ( DYT 1 ) in Brazilian patients with dystonia Avaliação genética para TOR 1-A ( DYT 1 ) em pacientes brasileiros com distonia

Several genes have been mapped in families or in sporadic cases of dystonia. TOR1-A (DYT1) gene was linked to isolated dystonia. Objective: To associate clinical information of patients with dystonia with the TOR1-A gene mutations. Method: Eighty-eight patients with dystonia in cervical area (focal, segmental, multifocal and generalized) were recruited at Movement Disorders Clinic of Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Paraná between June of 2008 and June of 2009. They were submitted to the clinical evaluation. DNA was extract from blood and submitted at analysis to TOR1-A mutations by PCR according standard protocols. Results: Two patients had c.907GAGdel mutation on TOR1-A gene. These patients, with familial history of dystonia, started his symptoms by legs and had secondary generalization. Conclusion: We can suggest that analysis for TOR1-A mutations should be performed only in patients with early onset, generalized and familial dystonia.
Comparison of fronto‐frontal and temporo‐parietal unilateral ECT

An intraindividual double‐blind cross‐over comparison of the anterograde effect on memory of unilateral non‐dominant fronto frontal (FF) and temporo‐parietal (TF) ECT was performed in connection with the second and third treatment of an ECT‐series, the electrode placement being alternated at random. Treatment technique was standardized and seizure duration was measured by means of EEG. Memory functions were tested after treatments by means of four memory tests: the 30 Word‐Pair Test, the 30 Figure Test, the 30 Geometrical Figure Test and the 30 Face Test. Three operationally defined memory variables, immediate memory (IMS, 3 hours after ECT), delayed memory (DMS, 3 hours after IMS), and their difference, forgetting, were scored.
Autoimmunity and lymphomagenesis

For more than 50 years, links between autoimmunity and lymphomas have been described based on human and animal studies. Over the last 3 decades, many studies have addressed specific hypotheses about these associations using population level data. This has been accomplished by assessing previous autoimmune history in case–control studies of patients with lymphoma (mainly non‐Hodgkin lymphoma) and myeloma, and by following cohorts of patients with various autoimmune diseases for subsequent development of lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In this article, we review our recently published series of association studies based on data from Scandinavia and from US Veterans and other relevant findings. We also discuss what these associations have revealed about the mechanisms and pathways underlying both autoimmunity and lymphoma. Finally, we discuss the future directions involving a combination of population and molecular studies that are needed to better define underlying biological mechanisms. Published 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predictive value of the rome criteria for diagnosing the irritable bowel syndrome

Objective:Our aim was to examine the predictive value of the Rome criteria and absence of so-called “red flags” of clinical practice for diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome. Red flags were relevant abnormalities on physical examination, documented weight loss, nocturnal symptoms, blood in stools, history of antibiotic use, and family history of colon cancer.Methods:In retrospective studies, 98 patients who had one or more Rome criteria and lacked red flags were identified by chart review of a 1-yr period. In prospective studies, 95 patients were identified who met the Rome criteria and lacked red flags. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of Rome criteria, and absence of red flags were determined. Consultant's final diagnosis was the gold standard. Investigations before and after referral were recorded and reason for referral was determined in prospective studies.Results:In the retrospective series, the Rome criteria and absence of red flags had a sensitivity of 65%, specificity of 100%, and positive predictive value of 100%. None of these patients required revision of their diagnosis during a 2-yr follow-up. In the prospective study, the positive predictive value was 98%. More than 50% of the patients in this group had been referred because of diagnostic uncertainty and 24% had had an abdominal ultrasound; 66% of those <45 yr old underwent at least partial colonic evaluation.Conclusion:These findings suggest that the Rome criteria combined with a lack of red flags have a very high predictive value for diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome. Application of these diagnostic criteria has the potential to alter utilization of health care resources.
Effect of AC inductance on a phase shifted DC-DC bridge converter

Phase shifted DC-DC converters are a well established topology for producing an isolated DC output supply. However, the conventional topology with a DC output LC filter has some practical difficulties when issues such as diode reverse recovery effects, diode voltage ratings for wide ranging input voltages, and common mode EMI caused by the switched transformer output are considered. In many applications, these difficulties can be mitigated by moving the output filter inductor to the AC side before the bridge rectifier. However, this leads to alternative constraints of increased filter series voltage drop and higher filter capacitor current ripple. This paper presents design equations and a design process to determine which of these alternative filter arrangements better suits a particular DC-DC converter application.
Evaluation of an Education Program for Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy

The acquisition of knowledge is presumed to be part of the coping process for women facing increased stress because of a breast cancer diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an education program on the perceived adequacy of knowledge of patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy. Second, the intent was to investigate the patients’ preferences regarding involvement in decision making, amount and type of information wanted, and preferred information-seeking activities. A priori quota sampling was planned to ensure that at least 20 subjects were recruited to each of 3 age categories, assumed to represent premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer receiving radiaiton therapy. Subjects (N = 79) completed questionnaires before and after the evidence-based education program. The education consisted of a 20-minute interactive video (first session); individualized education, including technical procedures and self-care (second session); and a 1-hour class (third session). Individual teaching as required was provided afterward during radiation therapy. Significant increases in perceived adequacy of knowledge scores indicate that the program was effective, especially with information concerning disease and treatment for postmenopausal subjects. Subjects’ participation in 7 of the information-seeking strategies suggests that many had actively sought information before undergoing radiation therapy. Preferences for information that may be indicative of individual coping patterns were similar for more than half of the subjects. The majority preferred as many details as possible, as much information as possible (good and bad), and to participate in decision making. However, not all subjects wanted complete information, except for the information on all side effects. Findings from this study suggest that individual patients’ information preferences, priority information needs, and preferred information-seeking activities should be identified early and incorporated within educational programs to target resources and maximize the likelihood that positive patient outcomes will result.
Dual-band rectenna for ambient RF energy harvesting at GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz

This paper presents a novel dual-band rectenna for RF energy harvesting system. This rectenna is created from a dual-band antenna and a dual-band rectifier which operates at GSM bands (900 MHz and 1800 MHz). The printed monopole antenna is miniaturized by two meander-lines. The received signal from the receiving antenna is rectified by a voltage doubler using Schottky diode SMS-7630. The rectifier is optimized for low input power level of −20dBm using harmonic balance. Prototype is designed and fabricated. The simulation is validated by measurement with power conversion efficiency of 20% and 40.8% (in measurement) at the input power level of −20dBm. The proposed rectenna has output voltage from 183–415 mV. From the measured results, this rectenna provides the possibility to harvest the ambient electromagnetic energy for powering low-power electronic devices.
Trade Liberalization and Wage Inequality in Mexico

During the 1980s in Mexico the wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers widened. The authors assess the extent to which this increased wage inequality was associated with Mexico's sweeping trade reform in 1985. Examining data on 2,354 Mexican manufacturing plants for 1984–90 and Mexican Industrial Census data for 1965–88, they find that the reduction in tariff protection in 1985 disproportionately affected low-skilled industries. Goods from that sector, the authors suggest, may have fallen in price because of increased competition from economics with reserves of cheap unskilled labor larger than Mexico's. The consequent increase in the relative price of skill-intensive goods could explain the increase in wage inequality.
Development without Democracy in the Arab World

Modernization theory states that democratization follows economic development. And indeed, while in many regions of the world a positive correlation between socio-economic development and democratization may be observed, by and large, this has not been the case in the Arab region. The central question that this lecture addresses is: what are the major reasons for the persistence of the Arab democracy deficit? Recent cross-country (econometric) work complemented by country case studies point to two general explanatory factors—namely oil wealth and regional wars, and particularly the Arab/Israeli conflict. Supplementary country-specific factors include the dominance of the public sector, co-option of business and other elites by the regime in power, religious fractionalization, fear of fundamentalist Islamist groups, persistence of colonial legacies after independence, and direct and indirect interventions by foreign powers. The deepening of the democratization process in the Arab region appears to be contingent on the just resolution of the Palestinian question, alongside political and institutional reforms that will lead to more open, accountable and representative institutions.
Intangible Resources and Plural Form as Drivers of Franchise Internationalization: Examination within a Two‐Country Perspective

This study focuses on drivers of franchise network internationalization, namely, intangible resources and plural form. Intangible resources refer to those that the franchisor acquires over time and are deemed instrumental to firm success, namely, brand name, monitoring, and know‐how transfer abilities. Plural form refers to the coexistence of franchised outlets and company‐owned outlets within the same network. The empirical study involves 853 U.S. and rench networks. Findings indicate that the percentage of company‐owned outlets in international networks is lower than that in purely domestic networks, and this holds for both the combined data sample (nited tates and rance) and the U.S. sample on its own. Moreover, U.S. franchisors are shown to be much more internationalized, with a smaller percentage of company‐owned outlets than their rench counterparts. The intangible resource that most strongly affects franchise internationalization is brand‐name recognition, whereas there is partial support for the impact of two other intangible resources, namely, monitoring and know‐how transfer ability. The results of the logistic regression models underscore the importance of intangible resources in franchise network internationalization as well as the significant and negative impact of percentage of company‐owned outlets. Finally, the drivers of internationalization are not found to be statistically different between both countries.
A Perspective on the Critical Success Factors for Information Systems Deployment in Islamic Financial Institutions

Successful deployment of new information systems is vital for efficient business operations. Empirical and conceptual research papers have provided various success factors for IS implementation in various type of organizations. There is very limited focus on the success factors in the context of Islamic financial institutions, which is now regarded as one of key players of global financial landscape. Successful adoption to new IS applications and tools is paramount in creating and sustaining growth for financial institutions including Islamic financial institutions. This paper presents some of the critical success factors that need to be considered during or before implementing IS applications and tools in Islamic financial institutions.