Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSESSING STUDENT ATTITUDES TOWARD ANIMAL WELFARE, RESOURCE USE, AND FOOD SAFETY

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a program addressing contemporary issues in animal agriculture had an effect on the students attitudes towards animal welfare, resource use, ' and food safety. The students in this study were participants in the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Agricultural Sciences (PGSAS). Within the five-week PGSAS program, students completed a two-week unit titled “Contemporary Issues in Animal Agriculture. " Three main issues were examined: animal welfare, resource use, and food safety as they relate to animal agriculture. The students ranked food safety as the primary concern with resource use second, and animal welfare third. Scholars with agricultural backgrounds rated specific issues as more beneficial to society than did scholars without agricultural backgrounds. Within the food safety area, both groups identified microbial contamination as the primary issue of concern. With regard to resource use, deforestation was ranked first, and in the animal welfare area, the pre-course issue of greatest concern was providing shelter. Upon completion of the course, within the animal welfare area, animal transportation became a topic of increased concern for both groups. Overall results showed decreased concern after the course by both groups of scholars.
Regulatory Uncertainty and Corporate Pollution Control Strategies: An Empirical Study of the ‘Pay for Permit’ Policy in the Tai Lake Basin

Frequent adjustments of environmental regulations usually cause business and investment risks, resulting in significant challenges for policy effectiveness. This paper examines how regulatory uncertainty affects decision making through an empirical study of the ‘Pay for Permit’ policy in the Tai Lake Basin in China. The results show that firms' willingness to decrease pollution is positively influenced by their perceived attitudes, social pressure, and perceived behavioural control. In addition, perceived regulatory uncertainty has significant impacts on social pressure and attitudes toward pollution control. Firms that perceive less regulatory uncertainty are more inclined to adopt antipollution strategies under the Pay for Permit policy. To reduce regulatory uncertainty, China's policy makers should maintain a consistent level of environmental regulations, set clear and reliable long-term policy targets, and strengthen policy enforcement.
Investment and Productivity in Canadian and U.S. Food Manufacturing

A restricted cost function model of Canadian and US. food manufacturing shows that productivity growth rates in Canada have remained well below those in the United States for the past decade and a half: At mean factor prices, output, and capital quantities, processing costs would be 22% lower in the U.S. than in Canada. Technical change in both countries has been labor-saving and material-using, although slightly more so in the US. than in Canada. The labor-saving bias of technical improvements puts Canada at a disadvantage to its southern neighbor, since food manufacturing wages in Canada tend to be lower and material prices higher than in the United States. Enhancing its competitiveness will require that Canada reduce raw food and packaging costs or invest more in research and development. L'estimation d'une function constraint de cout demontre que le taux de productivite du secteur de la transformation des aliments et boissons au Canada est demeure inferieuracelui des Etats-Unis depuis une quinzaine d'annees. En effet, a la moyenne du prix des intrants, du stock de capital et de la quantite produite, le cout de production americain est de 22 % inferieur a celui du Canada. Dans les deux pays, le changement technologique a permis de substituer le materiel a la main-d'oeuvre, et ceci de facon plus prononcee aux Etats-Unis. En bout de ligne, ceci desavantage le secteur canadien des aliments et boissons puisque les salaires sont generalement inferieurs au Canada alors que le materiet est plus couteux. Le Canada pourrait ameliorer sa competitivite face aux Etats-Unis en reduisant le prix des denrees et des entrees intermediaires ou en augmentant l'investissement dans la recherche et le developpement.
Corporate Capital Structure and How Soft Budget Constraints May Affect it

This survey paper examines existing theories of capital structure and related empirical tests with the aim to derive theoretical as well empirically testable predictions about the implications of the soft budget constraint for corporate capital structure. We show that the soft budget constraint syndrome is relevant for a variety of institutional environments, from central planning to capitalist economic systems, and consider features of company financing patterns in various institutional contexts. Special attention is paid to emerging and transition economies where, with the development of financial markets, companies reduce their financial dependence on the state and begin to borrow from a variety of sources. However, due to the persistence of soft budget constraints, corporate capital structure in transition and emerging economies may still deviate significantly from the capital structure of companies operating under hard budget constraints.
Deregulation and the stakeholder model

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyze how deregulation affects different stakeholder groups, such as customers, employees, suppliers, creditors, the community and the environment. A distinction has been made between industries with and without network structures.Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on literature review in order to formulate propositions.Findings – Deregulation has not always benefited the stakeholder groups analyzed. Consumers and employees have been able to profited from new entries, but the effect on prices and wages, respectively, is not always conclusive. Suppliers can increase their negotiating power, but on the other hand, creditors might find it difficult to get loans repaid. Deregulation in itself does not affect the environment, nor the ethical behavior of the firm.Originality/value – This study provides an insight on how deregulation affects different stakeholder groups. The regulator can benefit from the findings in order to improve the methods of deregul.
Wing inertia and whole-body acceleration: an analysis of instantaneous aerodynamic force production in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) flying across a range of speeds

SUMMARY We used a combination of high-speed 3-D kinematics and three-axis accelerometer recordings obtained from cockatiels flying in a low-turbulence wind tunnel to characterize the instantaneous accelerations and, by extension, the net aerodynamic forces produced throughout the wingbeat cycle across a broad range of flight speeds (1–13 m s–1). Our goals were to investigate the variation in instantaneous aerodynamic force production during the wingbeat cycle of birds flying across a range of steady speeds, testing two predictions regarding aerodynamic force generation in upstroke and the commonly held assumption that all of the kinetic energy imparted to the wings of a bird in flapping flight is recovered as useful aerodynamic work. We found that cockatiels produce only a limited amount of lift during upstroke (14% of downstroke lift) at slower flight speeds (1–3 m s–1). Upstroke lift at intermediate flight speeds (7–11 m s–1) was moderate, averaging 39% of downstroke lift. Instantaneous aerodynamic forces were greatest near mid-downstroke. At the end of each half-stroke, during wing turnaround, aerodynamic forces were minimal, but inertial forces created by wing motion were large. However, we found that the inertial power requirements of downstroke (minimum of 0.29±0.10 W at 7 m s–1 and maximum of 0.56±0.13 W at 1 m s–1) were consistent with the assumption that nearly all wing kinetic energy in downstroke was applied to the production of aerodynamic forces and therefore should not be added separately to the overall power cost of flight. The inertial power requirements of upstroke (minimum of 0.16±0.04 W at 7 m s–1 and maximum of 0.35±0.11 W at 1 m s–1) cannot be recovered in a similar manner, but their magnitude was such that the power requirements for the upstroke musculature (minimum of 54±13 W kg–1 at 7 m s–1 and maximum of 122±35 W at 1 m s–1) fall within the established range for cockatiel flight muscle (<185 W kg–1).
Does the Fed Control Interest Rates?

To what extent does TF, the target Federal funds rate set by the Fed, influence other rates? There is lots of variation in rates unrelated to TF, and any effects of TF on rates dissipate quickly for longer maturities. For short rates, all the tests have interpretations in terms of: (i) a Fed that has the power to control rates and uses it, and (ii) a Fed that has little power over rates or chooses not to exercise its power. In the end, there is no conclusive evidence (here or elsewhere) on the role of the Fed versus market forces in the long-term path of interest rates.
Cytologic artifacts and pitfalls of thyroid fine‐needle aspiration using ThinPrep®

The ThinPrep® Processor has gained popularity as a collection and preparation technique for fine‐needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Specific cytologic criteria to evaluate ThinPrep preparation (TP) may differ from those of conventional preparation (CP). The authors retrospectively reviewed the quality, cytologic features, and pitfalls of TP versus CP in thyroid FNABs and addressed the cytomorphologic criteria used to evaluate TP specimens.
Youth Work in Ireland: The Struggle for Identity

Hilary Jenkinson, Lecturer in Social Policy, Department of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork, Ireland. e-mail-Hjenkinson@ucc.ie This paper discusses the struggle the youth work sector in Ireland has experienced in forming a conceptual and practicebased identity . Youth work in the Irish context is a relatively new discipline both in theoretical and practical terms and its • deve~opment on the ground has been severely hindered by "the erratIc and fitful evolution of policies . insecure employment conditions, inadequate resources and a constant search for funding from a bewildering array of sources" (Gilligan 1991 p.89). This article outlines some central principles that are fundamental to youth work practice, and identifies practice contexts which adhere to these tenets. The article provides an overview of agencies in Ireland that work with young people, and locates the voluntary youth work sector within this broader context. Factors influencing the development of this sector are explored and the article concludes with a brief outline of the background and aims of three voluntary youth organisations. 106 Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, Vol 2, No.2. 2000
Heavy Viewing: Emergent Frames in Contemporary News Coverage of Obesity

In the last 10 years, rising rates of obesity in the United States have drawn significant and increasing public attention from various quarters, which has led to commensurately increased news coverage of the issue. A handful of scholars to date have examined how obesity has been “framed” in the news, given that news framing of issues has proven effects on cultural and political attitudes, practices, and policies as regards the subject of coverage. Consistent with these studies, this qualitative framing analysis assesses how obesity is framed in more recent mainstream news coverage. Framing patterns identified in this analysis represent a notable departure from those identified in earlier studies, specifically as relevant to troubling the individual/environmental attribution binary that historically has characterized public discourse around obesity, in particular, and health more broadly. These findings signal important shifts for contemporary cultural attitudes toward obesity and, accordingly, public health policies designed to redress the issue. Further, the findings suggest a reconsideration and elaboration of established tenets of framing theory.
X;Y translocation revealed by chromosome microdissection and FISH in fertile XY females in the Brazilian rodent Akodon montensis

In a Brazilian population of the neotropical rodent Akodon montensis we found five sex-reversed XY females. These animals were cytogenetically analyzed by chromosome painting using species-specific DNA probes from the Y chromosome, generated by chromosomal microdissection and subsequent use of the degenerate oligonucleotide-primed polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR). The results showed a chromosome complement with an apparently normal Y chromosome and an X chromosome carrying a translocation that encompasses a large portion of the Y chromosome (seemingly the entire Y). Ovarian histology suggested that these females are fertile. Amplification of the SRY HMG box sequence by PCR shows that at least one copy of the Sry gene is present in the A. montensis XY females. Based on our findings, we suggest that the breakpoint of the X;Y translocation probably altered an X-linked sex-determining locus (or loci), blocking testicular organogenesis in the XY females. Further studies are necessary to determine the precise location and role of this putative sex-determining chromosomal region. Genetic mechanisms of XY sex reversal in A. montensis populations are discussed.
[Activities of clofazimine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro and in vivo].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antituberculous activities of clofazimine. METHODS The MIC of clofazimine against H(37)Rv and 30 MDR-TB clinical strains were determined by microplate Alamar blue assays. Female BALB/c mice were infected with M. tuberculosis H(37)Rv (10(5) CFU/mouse). The infected mice were divided into the following groups: a control group, treated with saline 5 times per week; isoniazid treatment group, 25 mg/kg, 5 times per week; clofazimine 20 mg/kg group, 5 times per week; clofazimine 10 mg/kg group, 5 times per week, and another clofazimine 20 mg/kg group, but the drug was given twice weekly. The drugs and saline were administered by gavage, and the treatment lasted for 30 days after infection. Five mice from each group were assessed for bacterial CFU count and organ weights of the lung and spleen on day 30. RESULTS The MIC of clofazimine against M. tuberculosis H(37)Rv was 0.12 - 0.24 microg/ml, and the MIC against 30 MDR-TB clinical strains ranged from 0.12 to 1.92 microg/ml. In the murine model, clofazimine treatments decreased the CFU by 1.39 - 2.92 lg as compared to that of the control group on day 30. CONCLUSIONS Clofazimine has in vitro and in vivo activities against M. tuberculosis.
Years of potential life lost and productivity costs due to premature cancer-related mortality in Iran.

BACKGROUND Cancer is recently one of the major concerns of the public health both in the world and Iran. To inform priorities for cancer control, this study estimated years of potential life lost (YPLL) and productivity losses due to cancer-related premature mortality in Iran in 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS The number of cancer deaths by sex for all cancers and the ten leading causes of cancer deaths in Iran in 2012 were obtained from the GLOBOCAN database. The life expectancy method and the human capital approach were used to estimate the YPLL and the value of productivity lost due to cancer-related premature mortality. RESULTS There were 53,350 cancer-related deaths in Iran. We estimated that these cancer deaths resulted in 1,112,680 YPLL in total, 563,332 (50.6%) in males and 549,348 (49.4%) in females. The top 10 ranked cancers accounted for 75% of total death and 70% of total YPLL in the males and 69% for both death and YPLL in the females. The largest contributors for YPLL in the two genders were stomach and breast cancers, respectively. The total cost of lost productivity due to cancer-related premature mortality discounted at 3% rate in Iran, was US$ 1.93 billion. The most costly cancer for the males was stomach, while for the females it was breast cancer. The percentage of the total costs that were attributable to the top 10 cancers was 67% in the males and 71% in the females. CONCLUSIONS The YPLL and productivity losses due to cancer-related premature mortality are substantial in Iran. Setting resource allocation priorities to cancers that occur in younger working-age individuals (such as brain and central nervous system) and/or cancers with high incidence and mortality rates (such as stomach and breast) could potentially decrease the productivity losses and the YPLL to a great extent in Iran.
Acquisitions, Overconfident Managers and Self-Attribution Bias

We examine whether acquisitions by overconfident managers generate superior abnormal returns and whether managerial overconfidence stems from self-attribution. Self-attribution bias suggests that overconfidence plays a greater role in higher order acquisition deals predicting lower wealth effects for higher order acquisition deals. Using two alternative measures of overconfidence (1) high order acquisition deals and (2) insider dealings we find evidence supporting the view that average stock returns are related to managerial overconfidence. Overconfident bidders realise lower announcement returns than rational bidders and exhibit poor long-term performance. Second, we find that managerial overconfidence stems from self-attribution bias. Specifically, we find that high-order acquisitions (five or more deals within a three-year period) are associated with lower wealth effects than low-order acquisitions (first deals). That is, managers tend to credit the initial success to their own ability and therefore become overconfident and engage in more deals. In our analysis we control for endogeneity of the decision to engage in high-order acquisitions and find evidence that does not support the self-selection of excessive acquisitive firms. Our analysis is robust to the influence of merger waves, industry shocks, and macroeconomic conditions.
The complexity of scheduling in practice

Successful implementations of scheduling techniques in practice are scarce. Not only do daily disturbances lead to a gap between theory and practice, but also the extent to which a scheduling technique can adequately model the processes on the shopfloor, and the extent to which the optimization goal of a technique matches the organizational goal are not great enough. Further, the schedulers’ actions may play an important role in the fulfilment of the generated schedules. The organizational structure with its different responsibilities and conflicting goals may also result in the poor performance of scheduling techniques. Besides these, there is the problem of measuring the quality of a schedule. Discusses the causes for these gaps and illustrates the solutions to improve scheduling by way of a case study.
Employee Perceptions of Job Influence and Organizational Participation Employee Perceptions

An analysis using British matched employer-employee data finds that workers in establishments operating employee participation schemes feel that they have greater influence over their jobs. Schemes involving broader forms of participation, such as representative participation and briefing groups, are shown to be more strongly associated with greater influence than those of a more focused type, such as quality circles and work teams. There is little evidence of a strong positive interaction between these types of schemes.
Teacher Identity in English-Medium Instruction

177 Resumé på dansk . 178 Bibliography . 179 Appendices . 197 Appendix A: Post-Observation Stimulated Recall Protocal . 198 Appendix B: Semi-Structured Interview Schedule . 199 Appendix C: Card Sorting Activity 1 Prompts in English & Danish: Prompts listed alphabetically in English . 202 Appendix D: Card Sorting Activity 2 Prompts in English & Danish Prompts listed alphabetically in English . 203 Appendix E: Request for Participation in the Study: E-mail text. 204 Appendix F: Consent Form . 205 Appendix G: (CD-ROM) . 207
C5b-9 Terminal Complement Complex Protects Oligodendrocytes from Death by Regulating Bad Through Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt Pathway1

Apoptosis of oligodendrocytes is induced by serum growth factor deprivation. We showed that oligodendrocytes and progenitor cells respond to serum withdrawal by a rapid decline of Bcl-2 mRNA expression and caspase-3-dependent apoptotic death. Sublytic assembly of membrane-inserted terminal complement complexes consisting of C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9 proteins (C5b-9) inhibits caspase-3 activation and apoptotic death of oligodendrocytes. In this study, we examined an involvement of the mitochondria in oligodendrocyte apoptosis and the role of C5b-9 on this process. Decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt activities occurred in association with cytochrome c release and caspase-9 activation when cells were placed in defined medium. C5b-9 inhibited the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in oligodendrocytes, as shown by decreased cytochrome c release and inhibition of caspase-9 activation. Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase and Akt activities were also induced by C5b-9, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase inhibitor LY294002 reversed the protective effect of C5b-9. Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate kinase activity was also responsible for the phosphorylation of Bad at Ser112 and Ser136. This phosphorylation resulted in dissociation of Bad from the Bad/Bcl-xL complex in a Giα-dependent manner. The mitochondrial pathway of oligodendrocyte apoptosis is, therefore, inhibited by C5b-9 through post-translational regulation of Bad. This mechanism may be involved in the promotion of oligodendrocyte survival in inflammatory demyelinating disorders affecting the CNS.
Low-Profile, Wideband Dual-Polarized Antenna With High Isolation and Low Cross Polarization

A wideband dual-polarized antenna with high isolation and low cross polarization is presented. A pair of orthogonal planar printed dipoles, with a reflector ground plane, are used to obtain the two linear polarizations. Slots cut at the dipole's corners and shorted connections between the orthogonal dipoles are used to improve the isolation and cross polarization. Measured results show that the antenna achieves a VSWR <; 1.5 from 575-722 MHz (22.7% bandwidth). The isolation between the two polarizations is better than 35 dB, and the cross-pol level is 30 dB below the co-pol level over the entire band. The overall height of the antenna is 80 mm, which is about 0. 15λ at 575 MHz.
What affects implementation of green buildings? : an empirical study in Hong Kong

This paper examines the factors affecting the implementation of green buildings for the local construction industry. Questionnaire surveys and structural interviews were conducted to investigate the economical and social factors in the implementation of green buildings. From the survey results, the industry strongly believes that green building implementation is environment-friendly and can improve social values to the consumers. However, material costs, construction and transportation for green materials and green building features are more expensive than those for the conventional buildings. Four major factors affecting the existing limited implementation of green buildings were also discussed. Recommendations to improve the implementation of green buildings were also explored. This study can bring insights locally and around the world on how green buildings can be implemented to achieve environment-friendly, long-term cost saving and being recognized by the society and the consumers to reduce difficulties and burden encountered in the implementation.