Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pension reform in small developing countries

The authors provide a framework in which small countries can assess the proper role for the state and the private sector in pension policy. Based on industrial organization theory and pension economics, this framework draws on experience in small countries. The authors identify how optimal pension policies can change in small countries (those with fewer than 1 million active contributors to pension funds), explore optimal pension reform design for small countries, and incorporate other stylized assumptions about small countries into the discussion: the relatively greater international mobility of labor and capital, the greater scarcity of human capital specialized in financial supervision and tax administration, fewer independent interests, and higher political volatility and risk over long time horizons. They conclude that: 1) For small countries the Chilean model should be modified to include greater reliance on international trade in financial services -- especially services that benefit from economies of scale and scope, such as collections, account processing, and benefit payments. Such an approach would require a greater harmonization of accounting and regulatory standards between small developing countries and the countries from which financial services are imported. 2) The unbundling of pension services is more advantageous in small than in large countries. 3) The collection of contributions and the payment of benefits (which are subject to substantial economies of scale for small countries) should be mandatorily unbundled from other pension services. 4) Those services should be provided separately to ensure competition in the selection of trustees and competitive investment management services. This type of pension system design may be preferable to having a foreign firm provide all pension services. 5) When other assumptions (such as susceptibility to large gross migration flows) are combined with the assumption of a small-country base, mandatory pension systems or fiscal incentives are found to be less effective in small than in large countries. Large countries have broader contribution bases and much smaller gross migration flows, making them demographically more stable. 6) The relatively greater international migration in small countries makes full funding of pension systems even more important in small than in large countries.
Taxonomies of logically defined qualitative spatial relations

This paper develops a taxonomy of qualitative spatial relations for pairs of regions, which are all logically defined from two primitive (but axiomatized) notions. The first primitive is the notion of two regions being connected, which allows eight jointly exhaustive and pairwise disjoint relations to be defined. The second primitive is the convex hull of a region which allows many more relations to be defined. We also consider the development of the useful notions of composition tables for the defined relations and networks specifying continuous transitions between pairs of regions. We conclude by discussing what kind of criteria to apply when deciding how fine grained a taxonomy to create.
Interaction between internal auditors and the audit committee: An analysis of expectations and perceptions

This study, based on six case studies within a Belgian context, provides a qualitative assessment of the interaction between internal auditors (IA) and audit committees (AC), by analysing their expectations and perceptions. It became clear that both groups have high expectations vis-a-vis each other, although perceptions of IA-AC interactions are not universally positive. Our empirical data indicate that audit committee members want internal auditors to be an important information provider. Therefore they expect internal auditors to demonstrate and communicate, as much as possible, their contribution to the monitoring and functioning of the organisation, and to play both an active and proactive role in risk management. It became clear that, in most cases, due to a mismatch of interests, there is an under-emphasis on the internal audit oversight role of the audit committee, which is more perceived by the internal auditors than by audit committee members. In order to reduce this mismatch, both parties should broaden their interests in a converging way, in conjunction with clear communication about the mission and roles of internal audit.
Teachers in Anglophone Africa: Issues in Teacher Supply, Training, and Management

Based on case studies of education systems and practices in eight English-speaking African countries, the publication closely examines issues of teacher supply, deployment, management and finance. The book suggests that these issues are closely interrelated. Low numbers of qualified teaching graduates may result in teacher shortages; these shortages may make it difficult to deploy teachers effectively. Problems with teacher deployment may result in inefficient utilization of the teachers available, and those teachers effectiveness may be further reduced by weak teacher management and support systems. The book identifies policies and practices that are working on the ground, noting their potential pitfalls and pointing out that policies designed to address one problem may make another problem worse. Teachers in Anglophone Africa offers a useful synthesis of the issues and draws together a series of promising practices, which can serve as positive suggestions for countries seeking to improve their teacher policies.
Activation of External Social Capital of Heterogeneous Entrepreneurial Team Based on SNA

To explore the activation mechanism of external social capital of entrepreneurial team, and improve the entrepreneurial success rate. We used case research to investigate three typical entrepreneurial teams, obtained data by tracking survey, and then used SNA method visually analyzed entrepreneurial teams’ network characteristics and evolution rules. Our results show that in the start-up stage, strong ties of team members are more effective than weak ties on the activation of the external social capital. With the deepening of the entrepreneurial process, the weak ties are becoming more effective on the activation of external social capital. Furthermore, personal social networks sharing and mastering more structural holes are favor for the acquisition and integration of external social capital. Keywords-entrepreneurial team; external social capital; heterogeneity; social network analysis; activation
Reducing switching activity in FIR filters by reordering the coefficients through the use of improved heuristic algorithm

The main goal of this paper is the switching activity reduction in FIR filters after the reordering of coefficients from both a heuristic algorithm named Anedma and its improved version. Due to the characteristics of these filters, which involve multiplications of input value with suitable coefficients, the best reordering of these operations can contribute for the reduction of the switching activity, what leads to the minimization of power consumption. The filters were synthesized using SYNOPSYS Design Compiler for the XFAB 180 nm technology, and the power estimation was realized at logic level with PrimeTime tools for sinusoidal vectors. The results show that it is possible to achieve average reduction in switching power of up to 13.18% after reordering the coefficients using the Anedma algorithm. By the results from its improved version it is also possible to notice that the Anedma algorithm is near to the optimal solution in terms of coefficients reordering.
Relevance of Balanced Scorecard for Performance Evaluation of Selected Indian Corporate Units

One of the hall-mark of leading edge organization- be they public or private has been the successful application for performance evaluation to gain insight into, and make judgments about the organization and the effectiveness-efficiency of its programmes, processes and people. In other words, they use performance measurement for managing their organizations. It is a common practice to evaluate a company’s performance in terms of financial measures like profitability, ROI, EVA. However, survival of company does not depend on financial matter alone. The financial measures alone in performance measurement and control system are inadequate for strategic decision making. There has been growing criticism for financial measures in performance as they are historic in nature and lack futuristic outlook. Their relevance in the information age, when the companies are building internal assets and capabilities, is questioned. The situation might be worse when the firm is compelled to pursue short term goals at the cost of the long term objectives. Manager in practice have learnt the hard way that an unequalled focus on the financial health of the organization results in several irreparable adverse consequences. Managers of successful companies do recognize that the financial measures are after-the-events or lagging indicators of performance which depend on numerous events that would have occurred months or years before and over which they do not have control at present. Thus, Non financial measures are equally important while measuring the performance of business units. Harvard’s Robert Kaplan and David Norton developed an innovative and multidimensional corporate performance evaluation tool known as Balanced Scorecard. The BSC is a useful approach for organizational measurement and improvement. The BSC is performance measurement system using a multi-dimensional scorecard to translate strategy into a balance of financial & non-financial performance measures. So many corporate firms are using the tool successfully throughout world. While in India, the Balanced Scorecard is also getting popularity.
Stability in Switched Cohen-Grossberg Neural Networks with Mixed Time Delays and Non-Lipschitz Activation Functions

The stability for the switched Cohen-Grossberg neural networks with mixed time delays and -inverse Holder activation functions is investigated under the switching rule with the average dwell time property. By applying multiple Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach and linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique, a delay-dependent sufficient criterion is achieved to ensure such switched neural networks to be globally exponentially stable in terms of LMIs, and the exponential decay estimation is explicitly developed for the states too. Two illustrative examples are given to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical results.
Medulloepithelioma of the Ciliary Body in the Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

A medulloepithelioma of the ciliary body in the right eye of a 1-year-old goldfish (Carassius auratus) had spindle and epithelial cells arranged either in columns or around a central lumen. Vitreous-like material was found within the tumor. A medulloepithelioma is a most unusual tumor in fish in which ocular tumors are rare.
Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Schedule Delays and Reengineering Weaknesses Increase Risks to DoD's Auditability Goals

Abstract : We conducted this audit in response to a congressional request. Our overall objective was to evaluate six Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that we identified as necessary for DoD to produce auditable financial statements. The six ERP systems experienced cost increases of $8.0 billion and schedule delays ranging from 1.5 to 12.5 years during system development and implementation. As a result of the schedule delays, DoD will continue using outdated legacy systems and diminish the estimated savings associated with transforming business operations through business system modernization. In addition, the impact of schedule delays increases the risk that DoD will not achieve an auditable Statement of Budgetary Resources by FY 2014 or accomplish its goal of full financial statement audit readiness by FY 2017. The DoD Deputy Chief Management Officer (DCMO) and the Chief Management Officers (CMO) of the Military Departments (DoD officials) did not verify that business processes were streamlined and efficient as required by Public Law 111-84, National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2010, Section 1072, Business Process Reengineering, October 28, 2009. This occurred because DoD officials relied on the Program Management Offices' self compliance assertions when they certified and approved funding of $302.7 million, instead of reviewing the business processes and verifying the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the Program Management Office submissions. As a result, there is an increased risk the ERP systems will incur additional delays and cost increases to ensure the systems are as streamlined and efficient as possible. We recommend that the DoD DCMO and CMOs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force develop procedures to review business processes and limit funding to programs that are not demonstrating adequate business process reengineering.
Evaluation of the Lubricating Properties of Palm Kernel Oil

The search for renewable energy resources continues to attract attention in recent times as fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas, which are been used to meet the energy needs of man are associated with negative environmental impacts such as global warming. Biodiesel offered reduced exhaust emissions, improved biodegradability, reduced toxicity and higher carotene rating which can improve performance and clean up emissions. Standard methods were used to determine the physical and chemical properties of the oil, which includes the Density, Viscosity, flash/fire point, carbon residue, volatility and Specific Gravity were determined by chemical experimental analysis. The flash/fire points of the Heavy duty oil (SAE 40) and Light duty oil (SAE 30) is 260/300(°C) and 243/290(°C) respectively while the pour points of the samples are 22°C for palm kernel oil while 9°C and 21°C for SAE 40and SAE 30 respectively.
An update on the blood vessel in migraine

Purpose of reviewThe cranial blood vessel is considered an integral player in the pathophysiology of migraine, but its perceived role has been subject to much discussion and controversy over the years. We will discuss the evolution in our scientific understanding of cranial blood vessels (primarily arteries) in migraine. Recent findingsRecent developments have clarified the role of cranial blood vessels in the trigemino-vascular system and in cortical spreading depression. An underlying theme is the intimate relation between vascular activity and neural function, and we will emphasize the various roles of the blood vessel that go beyond delivering blood. We conclude that migraine cannot be understood, either from a research or clinical point of view, without an understanding of the vascular derangements that accompany it. SummaryMigraine is accompanied by significant derangements in vascular function that may represent important targets for investigation and treatment.
Exploring Privacy Management and Disclosure on Facebook: A Communication Privacy Management Theory Approach

This study applied Communication Privacy Management theory (CPM, Petronio, 2002) to the context of Facebook. It explored how gender and potential profile viewers influence the privacy management tendencies of Facebook profile owners. Results showed that women were more stringent in the information they shared with profile viewers than men in general. Participants indicated different level of self-disclosure and privacy concern, and reported to reveal different amount of information based on the potential viewer. Participants revealed the least amount of information when they think a stranger is viewing their profile. They disclosed the most amount of information when the classmate is the viewer. These findings support two of Petronio’s (2002) criteria for boundary rules: gender and motivation, and provide practical implications for Facebook. By using CPM as a lens for interpreting the results, the present study broadens the field of utilizing CPM as an evaluative tool for social networking sites.
Synthesis of a novel polymer bile salts-(polyethylene glycol)2000-bile salts and its application to the liver-selective targeting of liposomal DDB

Purpose: The objective of this study was to achieve a sustained and targeted delivery of liposome to the liver, by modifying the phospholipid [phosphatidylcholine (PC)/cholesterol (10 : 1) liposomes with a novel polymer bile salts-(polyethylene glycol)2000-bile salts (BP2B). Methods: First, we generated a novel BP2B by N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/4‐dimethylaminopyridine esterification method and confirmed by Fourier transform infraredand 1H‐NMR spectra. Second, we prepared the BP2B-modified liposomes (BP2BL) that included BP2B, and the effect of the weight ratios of BP2B/PC on entrapment efficiency was investigated and BP2B/PC = 3% (w/w) was determined as the optimum ratio for the 4,4′-dimethoxy-5,6,5′,6′-bi (methylenedioxy)-2,2′-bicarbomethoxybiphenyl liposomes. And then, the ability of the liver target of BP2BL was studied by calculating the targeted parameters. Results and Discussion: All the results revealed that the introduction of polyoxyethylene chains could control interactions of bile salt moieties on liposome surfaces with the receptor compared with traditional liposomes (CL), marking BP2BL as a suitable carrier for hepatic parenchymal cell-specific and sustained targeting. It was suggested that liposomes containing such novel BP2B have great potential as drug delivery carriers for the liver-selective targeting that has targeted and sustained drug delivery.
Topical diclofenac patch in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of a diclofenac hydroxyethylpyrrolidine (DHEP) patch in the treatment of symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint. METHODS A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was carried out on 103 outpatients for 2 weeks. The main efficacy parameters were spontaneous pain and Lequesne's Index. Secondary endpoints were walking time over a standard distance, global assessment of efficacy and tolerability, and paracetamol consumption. RESULTS The active treatment group showed a significant improvement in pain, Lequesne's Index, and the physician's and patient's global assessment of efficacy. For these parameters the difference between groups was statistically significant in favour of the DHEP patch. Adverse reactions were seen in a small number of probands and were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS The results of this trial suggest that the DHEP patch appears to be an effective and safe treatment for patients suffering from symptomatic knee OA.
Modeling of Cellular Metabolism and Microcirculatory Transport

Oxygen and other substrates, waste products, hormone messengers, and cells and other particles of the immune system are all transported in a closed‐loop circulatory system in vertebrates, within which pumped blood travels to within diffusion distances of practically every cell in the body. Exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the pulmonary capillaries and absorption of nutrients in the gut provide the circulating blood with biochemical reactants to sustain bioenergetic processes throughout the body. Inputs and outputs transported by the microcirculation are necessary to drive the open‐system nonequilibrium chemical reactions of metabolism that are essential for cellular function. In turn, metabolically derived signals influence microcirculatory dynamics. Indeed, the microcirculation is the key system that ties processes at the whole‐body level of the cardiovascular system to subcellular phenomena. This tight integration between cellular metabolism and microcirculatory transport begs for integrative simulations that span the cell, tissue, and organ scales.
Testing Heterogeneity within the Euro Area Using a Structural Multi-Country Model

In this paper, we investigate the sources of heterogeneity within the euro area. For this purpose, we build an optimization-based multi-country model (MCM) that allows different sources of heterogeneity across countries, both in terms of behavior of economic agents and in terms of asymmetry of shocks. Using Bayesian techniques, we estimate the MCM and several constrained versions of this model. We then test different sources of heterogeneity within the euro area. We show that the main source is the asymmetry of shocks affecting the different economies. In contrast, the heterogeneity of behaviors does not seem to be of empirical relevance for the euro area.
INVs' Choice of Entry Mode in Emerging Markets

The rapid growth and development of emerging markets have made them noteworthy actors in todays globalized world. These markets are no longer restricted to resourceful MNCs. The potential these markets represent has also been captured by an increasing number of opportunity seeking INVs. Meanwhile, INVs are different from MNCs. Hence, what influences the entry mode decision of MNCs may not be the case for INVs. Furthermore, studies on INVs present a dilemma between alternative governance structures and FDIs. The objective of this paper is therefore to examine how the different factors influence the entry mode decision of INVs in emerging markets. The factors considered are taken from the conceptual model of Lin (2000). These are entering firm, market environment, partner factor, transaction-specific factor, and competitive strategy. This paper performs qualitative research by conducting semi-structured interviews with four INVs from different emerging markets to address the objective. The findings of this paper support the use of HRC modes, especially wholly-owned subsidiaries, in emerging markets. This decision is mostly influenced by transaction-specific and competitive strategic concerns. Knowledge-based INVs have to protect against leakages and expropriation of their valuable assets. This is why partner factors are of less significance when deciding on an entry mode. The risk of losing knowledge to partners is considered greater than the benefits of sharing risks. Furthermore, local presence signifies long-term commitment and makes it easier to seize emerging opportunities. Moreover, entering firm variables are also significant influencers of the decision. An international orientation is vital for the firm to risk using complex modes in highly uncertain markets. The market environment factor is therefore of less significance because the firms acknowledge that emerging markets are inevitable for niche-serving INVs. Considering the entry mode dilemma for INVs, this paper supports the use of FDIs. INVs need to take strategically optimal choices, despite their being start-ups. Alternative governance structures are not supported due to transaction-specific and competitive strategic variables. The argument supporting alternative governance structures, namely resource and power constraints, can be overcome through leveraging on other sources. The financial constraints are also of less significance due to the low-cost nature of emerging markets. Efficiency and context-specific knowledge can be learnt over time. Meanwhile, control is important in uncertain environments marked by unpredictable conditions. Hence, extant research on this area supporting the use of alternative governance structures is discarded due to the conflicting findings, especially when considering emerging markets. However, this field needs further research to support the findings of this study. Researchers eager to explore this relatively untouched field have more than enough to keep themselves occupied with.