Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Globalization and Monetary Policy: An Empirical Analysis

This paper studies the evolution of comovement in monetary policy of the G-7 countries during the period 1980-2009. I estimate a Taylor rule for each country and use the residuals from the Taylor rule to estimate a Bayesian dynamic latent factor model allowing for common and Europe speci? c components. I quantify the importance of the G-7 factor in explaining the residual of the Taylor rule, and show that the G-7 factor plays a very important role during the period of globalization (1988- 2003). I esimate the time path of the importance of the G-7 factor using rolling sub-samples, and show that both trade-openness and ? nancial integration increase comovement in monetary policy.
A Reconceptualisation of Ambidexterity: How Subsidiaries Can Use Their Capabilities and Knowledge to Build Subsidiary Bargaining Power

The literature on subsidiaries to date has focused largely on analysing autonomy, knowledge flows and firm specific advantages (Argote and Ingram 2000; Harzing and Noorderhaven 2006; Meyer, Wright and Pruthi 2009). An emerging stream of literature recognises the potential complexity of intra-organisational power within the MNC as warranting further investigation (Andersson, Forsgren and Holm, 2007; Bouquet and Birkinshaw, 2008; Mudambi and Navarra, 2004). It is held that as subsidiaries develop dynamic tacit capabilities which can be leveraged, their scope to exert influence and exercise subsidiary bargaining power increases concurrently. This raises some important questions for subsidiary managers, firstly can subsidiaries utilise their resource base to exert influence, and if so, what internal, external and network determinants drive this process? Bargaining power emanates from subsidiaries acquiring more independence in their operations in conjunction with increased resource accessibility. This bargaining process not only influences subsidiary-headquarter relationships but also has implications for subsidiary-subsidiary relationships when intra-unit competition exists (Mudambi and Navarra, 2004). Subsidiary network embeddedness and interdependencies therefore constitutes a key area of analysis, as does a subsidiary‟s capacity to assimilate knowledge and reconfigure resources. In building upon this platform a model of subsidiary bargaining power is presented, informed by current theory and a program of semi-structured interviews with subsidiary management in the ICT sector. The model advanced suggests that subsidiary ambidexterity is key to understanding the roots and origins of subsidiary bargaining power within the MNC. The subsidiary demonstrating ambidexterity achieves alignment between its current operations and the adaptability needed to affectively compete amid changing environmental conditions. Ability to respond and scope to respond, as a dual construct, are presented as capturing the dynamic tenets of ambidexterity in a more robust manner than has been conceptualised to date. It is advanced that incorporating ambidexterity as an antecedent of bargaining power provides a new lens through which subsidiary influence can be examined. In addition, the linkages between adaption and the restructuring of resources facilitated through ambidexterity may provide further insight into the determinants and sources of strategic learning.
Towards An Online Individualized Multimedia Instruction Model for Engineering Education

The quest for effective teaching learning strategies and instructional approach in Engineering Education has been one among the challenges that continue to be of interest to educators in Jordan and throughout the world. The advancement of computers and communication technologies through out the past decade has had major effects on our daily life. Although computers and their applications have enhanced the quality of many classroom lectures and played crucial role within the improvement of Engineering Education, providing both teachers and students with a lot of options and flexibility in their learning teaching process, with the Internet and computer technology available to most teachers and students, educational technology becomes more and more necessary in the field of Engineering Education (19). The purpose of this paper is to develop a model of learning that caters for engineering learners with diverse pace of learning and backgrounds. The most challenge will be to implement this model on the engineering program. This study proposed an individualized multimedia instruction model for engineering education.
A short-term model of COPD identifies a role for mast cell tryptase (P3242)

Cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a life-threatening inflammatory disorder of the lung. The development of effective therapies for COPD has been hampered by the lack of an animal model that mimics the human disease in a short time-frame.We have created a mouse model of cigarette smoke-induced COPD that develops the hallmark features of the human condition in a short amount of time. Tightly controlled amounts of cigarette smoke were delivered to the airways of mice, and the development of the pathological features of COPD were assessed. The roles of macrophages and mast cell (MC) tryptase in pathogenesis were evaluated using depletion and in vitro studies and MC protease-6 deficient mice. After 8 weeks of smoke exposure, wild-type mice developed chronic inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, airway remodeling, emphysema, and reduced lung function. These characteristic features of COPD were glucocorticoid-resistant and did not spontaneously resolve. Systemic effects on skeletal muscle and the heart, and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections also were observed. We demonstrate here that macrophages and tryptase-expressing MCs were required for the development of COPD. Recombinant MC tryptase induced pro-inflammatory responses from cultured macrophages. This model can be used to better understand multiple aspects of COPD pathogenesis.
The poverty implications of high oil prices in South Africa

Abstract An energy-focused macro-micro approach is used to assess the poverty implications of government policy response to increases in international oil prices in South Africa. The first scenario assumes that increases in international oil prices are passed on to end users with no changes in government policy instruments. In this scenario, poverty indicators increase. The second scenario assumes that the world price increases are nullified by a price subsidy by the government. This scenario still leads to an increase in poverty as the beneficial price effect is cancelled out by a decline in households’ income induced by the financing method used. While revenue generated from a 50 per cent tax on windfall profit of the petroleum industry helps to minimize the loss in government revenue, it does not contribute to mitigating the increasing poverty trend, since the decline in saving and investment under this scenario restricts the country's growth, employment and income distribution perspectives.
IDENTIFICAÇÃO DO USO PROBLEMÁTICO DE JOGOS ELETRÔNICOS EM ESTUDANTES EM UMA ESCOLA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL

A pratica de jogos eletronicos e uma alternativa de entretenimento, mas estudos tem associado isto a um transtorno psiquiatrico, caracterizado pelo uso problematico de jogos eletronicos. Como no Brasil ha poucas informacoes a esse respeito, em adolescentes, nosso estudo procurou identificar individuos com problemas e caracterizar as mudancas em suas rotinas. Para tanto, aplicamos, em ambiente escolar, a escala Problem Video Game Playing (PVP) e um questionario anonimo de autopreenchimento. Verificamos que 20,7% dos adolescentes com problemas dedicam-se a pratica por 0-2h; 17,04% por 2-6h e 4.4%, por 6-12h, a cada 24h, enquanto 57,8% nao problematicos, por 0-2h, a cada 24h. Os Adolescentes problematicos compartilharam do mesmo conjunto de motivos que os levam a pratica: assumir novos papeis; prazer no controle do mundo simulado e jogar com amigos virtuais. Como os problematicos dedicam mais tempo por seccao de jogo, durante o dia e a madrugada, isto limita o desempenho de outras atividades, dificultando a evolucao de habilidades. Esses jovens responderam positivamente aos mesmos itens da escala PVP correspondentes aos criterios que identificam dependencia, e isto pode ser um forte indicio de problemas associados a pratica. Embora nossos resultados apontem para uma relacao entre aplicabilidade da escala e mudancas na rotina diaria, ha necessidade de novos estudos que evidenciem a validade de instrumentos, como a escala PVP, para que se chegue a um diagnostico preciso sobre os efeitos dessa pratica.
International cooperation for sale

This paper shows that strong asymmetry among countries warrants a change in the rules of the game of global public goods provision, with the consequence that cooperation by some countries is bought by others and aggregate welfare is increased, perhaps substantially. Side payments on their own have virtually no e! ect on the outcomes that can be sustained by self-enforcing cooperative agreements. But when the rules of the game are changed by strong asymmetry } when some countries are e! ectively &committed' to being non-signatories to an agreement eschewing money transfers } side payments become the vehicle for increasing participation in a cooperative agreement. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights as a Source of Recommendations on Fight against Corruption: Prospects for Interdisciplinary Research

In the article it is stipulated that some judgments of the European Court of Human Rights not only detect gaps inlegislation as well as in practice of the fight against corruption crimes existing in Russia and other countries, butactually offer methodological recommendations for law enforcement authorities. Therefore, the purpose of thisarticle is to single out, distinctly formulate and make interpretation of this kind of recommendations, particularly– for the criteria of legality of the undercover police operations aimed at exposing the corruptionists, forprovisions on how to implement these measures avoiding illegal provocations and instigating actions. Inconclusion of the study, it is noted that to increase the efficiency of detection and investigation of corruptioncrimes it is necessary to consolidate efforts of Russian and foreign scientists – the representatives of sciences ofanti-crime cycle, in the first place – the penal law, criminalistics as well as operational and search activity.Notwithstanding the significant differences in legal regulation of respective legal relations in Russia, the UnitedStates of America, Great Britain and other countries, the effective methodologies on struggle against corruptionhave much in common in different countries.
Is certification for sustainable tourism complementary to ISO 9000 certification? The case of the Parque del Lago Hotel in Costa Rica

El valor de este trabajo radica en el hecho de que proporciona un analisis comparativo entre las normas ISO 9000:2000 y las normas de sostenibilidad de Costa Rica CST. Su objetivo es obtener las diferencias y similitudes entre ambos sistemas de certifi cacion, a partir de su comparacion y del analisis de su contribucion a la gestion empresarial y la sostenibilidad. El analisis destaca que los deben realizarse cambios organizativos en la empresa para lograr la efi ciencia y garantizar la satisfaccion del cliente.
Risk factors for prediabetes in overweight and obese pre-teens and adolescents

Abstract We looked for easy-to-use and predictable tools for identifying early risk of prediabetes (PD) and preventing the natural course to diabetes in overweight and obese pre-teens and adolescents. In 89 children (9-18 years) family history, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), acanthosis nigricans, blood pressure (BP), lipids, HbA1c, fasting glucose and oral glucose tolerance test were determined. We found 69 (77.5%) obese (BMI≥95th percentile) and 20 (22.5%) overweight children (BMI 85th-95th percentiles); thirty-six (41.4%) had PD; two had type 2 diabetes mellitus; two had metabolic syndrome. PD was associated with obesity (RR 5.1), HbA1c>5.5% (RR 2.5), acanthosis nigricans (RR=1.9), male gender (RR = 1.9), total cholesterol ≥170 mg/dL (RR=1.8), high BP (RR=1.7), urban area (RR = 1.6). BMI, WC, HbA1c and acanthosis nigricans are the major predictors for PD in this population. All blood values are both easy to measure and to accept by children, using finger prick method.
HIGH FIELD TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTORS

HIGH FIELD TRANSPORT PHENOMENA IN WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTORS Cem Sevik M.S. in Physics Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Ceyhun Bulutay September, 2003 The Ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) method is widely used in the field of computational electronics related to the simulation of the state of the art devices. Using this technique our specific intention is to scrutinize the high-field transport phenomena in wide bandgap semiconductors (Such as GaN, AlGaN and AlN). For this purpose, we have developed an EMC-based computer code. After a brief introduction to our methodology, we present detailed analysis of three different types of devices, operating under high-field conditions, namely, unipolar n-type structures, avalanche photodiodes (APD) and finally the Gunn diodes. As a testbed for understanding impact ionization and hot electron effects in sub-micron sized GaN, AlN and their ternary alloys, an n−n−n channel device is employed having a 0.1 μm-thick n region. The time evolution of the electron density along the device is seen to display oscillations in the unintentionally doped n-region, until steady state is established. The fermionic degeneracy effects are observed to be operational especially at high fields within the anode n-region. For AlxGa1−xNbased systems, it can be noted that due to alloy scattering, carriers cannot acquire the velocities attained by the GaN and AlN counterparts. Next, multiplication and temporal response characteristics under a picosecond pulsed optical illumination of p-n-n GaN and n-type Schottky Al0.4Ga0. 6N APDs are analyzed. For the GaN APD, our simulations can reasonably reproduce the available measured data without any fitting parameters. In the case of AlGaN, the choice of a Schottky contact APD is seen to improve drastically the field confinement resulting in satisfactory gain characteristics. Moreover, alloy scattering is seen to further slow down the temporal response while displacing the gain threshold to higher fields. Finally, the dynamics of large-amplitude Gunn domain oscillations from 120 GHz to 650 GHz are studied in detail by means of extensive EMC simulations. The basic operation is checked under both impressed single-tone sinusoidal bias and external tank circuit conditions. The width of the doping-notch is observed to iii
Acquisition and Registration of Human Point Cloud Based on Depth Camera

Registration of human cloud points is a key step in 3D human reconstruction. So,this paper proposes using depth camera to acquire human point cloud. Then,using feature matching and PnP (Perspective-n-Point) to solve the camera pose.Finally, use least square to optimize camera pose and implement point cloud registration. Experimental results show the effectiveness of this method.
The Subject and Power

The ideas which I would like to discuss here represent neither a theory nor a methodology. I would like to say, first of all, what has been the goal of my work during the last twenty years. It has not been to analyze the phenomena of power, nor to elaborate the foundations of such an analysis. My objective, instead, has been to create a history of the different modes by which, in our culture, human beings are made subjects. My work has dealt with three modes of objectification which transform human beings into subjects. The first is the modes of inquiry which try to give themselves the status of sciences; for example, the objectivizing of the speaking subject in grammaire generale, philology, and linguistics. Or again, in this first mode, the objectivizing of the productive subject, the subject who labors, in the analysis of wealth and of economics. Or, a third example, the objectivizing of the sheer fact of being alive in natural history or biology. In the second part of my work, I have studied the objectivizing of the subject in what I shall call "dividing practices. " The subject is either
HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: A RICH SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

The basic ingredients used to make the Italian soffritto were studied in order to define the polyphenol, antioxidant capacity and lycopene content of homemade or commercial tomato sauces, as well as their contribute in whole wheat or refined wheat pasta. The addition of aromatic herbs to sauces increased polyphenols and antioxidant capacity, with basil providing the biggest boost, whereas ready-made commercial tomato sauces showed the lowest antioxidant values. Cooked whole wheat pasta with homemade tomato sauce offers an enormous amount of antioxidants, which could protect against oxidative stress.
A study of different metaheuristics to solve the urban transit crew scheduling problem

This paper explores different local search methods associated with the metaheuristic Iterated Local Search (ILS) to solve the Crew Scheduling Problem (CSP) of a Public Transportation System. The results from ILS were compared to those obtained in a previous work from the same authors that used the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS). Initially, both metaheuristics were implemented using, as local search, the classical First Improvement Method, performing "guided" reallocation and exchange of crew tasks. The guided reallocation/exchange replaces random components from the classical method by searching the best position to insert the task. Further, the Very Large-scale Neighborhood Search (VLNS) technique was used as a local search procedure in the metaheuristics. This technique has substantially more neighbors than the 2-opt neighborhoods, since it performs a chain exchange of tasks from different crews. Both versions of metaheuristics were applied to a set of real data from a company operating in the city of Belo Horizonte, producing more economical schedules than those adopted by the company. The results are presented and discussed in this work.
Portfolio Choice and Asset Pricing in a Status Conscious Economy

I examine the impact of status-seeking considerations on investors’ portfolio choices and asset prices in a general equilibrium setting. The economy I study consists of traditional ("Markowitz") investors as well as status seekers who are concerned about relative wealth. The model highlights the strategic and interdependent nature of portfolio selection in such a setting: low-status investors look for portfolio choices that maximize their chances of moving up the ladder while high-status investors look to maintain the status quo and hedge against these choices of the low-status investors. In equilibrium, asset returns obey a novel two-factor model in which one factor is the traditional market factor and the other is a particular "high volatility factor" that does not appear to have been identied
NOx from lightning 1. Global distribution based on lightning physics

This paper begins a study on the role of lightning in maintaining the global distribution of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the troposphere. It presents the first global and seasonal distributions of lightning-produced NOx (LNOx) based on the observed distribution of electrical storms and the physical properties of lightning strokes. We derive a global rate for cloud-to-ground (CG) flashes of 20–30 flashes/s with a mean energy per flash of 6.7×109 J. Intracloud (IC) flashes are more frequent, 50–70 flashes/s but have 10% of the energy of CG strokes and, consequently, produce significantly less NOx. It appears to us that the majority of previous studies have mistakenly assumed that all lightning flashes produce the same amount of NOx, thus overestimating the NOx production by a factor of 3. On the other hand, we feel these same studies have underestimated the energy released in CG flashes, resulting in two negating assumptions. For CG energies we adopt a production rate of 10×1016 molecules NO/J based on the current literature. Using a method to simulate global lightning frequencies from satellite-observed cloud data, we have calculated the LNOx on various spatial (regional, zonal, meridional, and global) and temporal scales (daily, monthly, seasonal, and interannual). Regionally, the production of LNOx is concentrated over tropical continental regions, predominantly in the summer hemisphere. The annual mean production rate is calculated to be 12.2 Tg N/yr, and we believe it extremely unlikely that this number is less than 5 or more than 20 Tg N/yr. Although most of LNOx, is produced in the lowest 5 km by CG lightning, convective mixing in the thunderstorms is likely to deposit large amounts of NOx, in the upper troposphere where it is important in ozone production. On an annual basis, 64% of the LNOx, is produced in the northern hemisphere, implying that the northern hemisphere should have natural ozone levels as much as 2 times greater than the southern hemisphere, even before anthropogenic influences. The amount of O3 produced from this NOx is expected to exceed the stratospheric source by a factor of 1.5, and thus the hemispheric asymmetry in LNOx would lead to a significant excess of northern hemisphere O3 even in the preindustrial troposphere. (The monthly climatologies for LNOx on a 1°×1° latitude-longitude grid can be obtained by e-mail to cprice@flash.tau.ac.il).