Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agronomic considerations for urban agriculture in southern cities

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UA) provide a significant contribution to the total food requirements of cities, especially in southern cities of the developing world. Increasing food production in UA is therefore a necessity for increasing the food security of the urban poor. Urban environments are inherently different from rural environments and these differences in environmental conditions are expected to impact differently on crop growth. This review describes agronomic issues that are unique to UA and identifies possible interventions to address them. The constraints that can significantly differ include temperature, air quality, solar radiation and climate. The growth-limiting and growth-reducing factors that affect actual production in UA include water availability, nutrient supply, soil degradation, pests and soil pollution. The interventions addressing these constraints require action at both field level, and municipal or regional levels. The food security of the urban poor will therefore require coordinated efforts and cooperation between the farmers who produce food and the planners and policy makers who manage the supporting systems such as markets, inputs and land registration.
Marketing innovations in the agribusiness sector

Purpose The purpose of this article is to analyse the characteristics and determinants of marketing innovation in companies, using the agribusiness sector as a case study due its economic and social importance in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach Data refer to the VI Innovation Survey undertaken in Chile (2010), based on the OECD guidelines. The authors compare the determinants of innovation in marketing, first among the agribusiness sector and other sectors of the economy, and then comparing their determinants using logistic regressions on other types of innovations in the agribusiness sector. Findings There are differences in the determinants of marketing innovation between agribusiness and other economic sectors. Also, there are differences in relation to the organisational, process and product innovations in the agribusiness sector. Research limitations/implications The results imply the need for further study of marketing innovation and its relationship to other innovations considering diffe.
Aid, social policies and pro‐poor growth

Recent literature reports that foreign aid contributes to economic growth when economic policies are good. This paper claims that aid can contribute not just to growth but also to pro-poor growth, through increasing the responsiveness of social indicators to economic growth. The empirical evidence we present is in favour of this claim, suggesting that both aid itself and a recipient government's budget share allocated to social services tend to increase the (absolute) size of the income elasticity of poverty and infant mortality, and that, moreover, aid tends to increase this budget share. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New biologic therapeutics for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease

Introduction: Some inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients especially those with refractory Crohn's disease (CD) or relapsing ulcerative colitis (UC) do not respond to current therapies. The newly introduced biological drugs have got some interest due to their specificity and selectivity in modulation of inflammatory elements. Areas covered: In 46 included randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, the efficacy and safety of different biologic drugs have been evaluated in moderately to severely active CD or UC patients. Current investigated drugs include new anti-TNF drugs (adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, onercept and golimumab), anti-CD20 (rituximab), T-cell inhibitors (abatacept) and anti-α4 integrins (natalizumab and vedolizumab). Adalimumab, certolizumab, and golimumab showed significant efficacy in induction of remission and maintenance in CD and UC patients with a rate of adverse events similar to placebo in the major trials. Natalizumab and vedolizumab were effective in the treatment of moderately to severely active CD and UC patients. However, vedolizumab caused less adverse effects than natalizumab. onercept, etanercept, rituximab and abatacept were all well tolerated but were not effective in CD or UC patients. Expert opinion: Anti-TNF drugs, except for onercept and etanercept, and anti-α4 integrins exhibit beneficial therapeutic effects. Although they were all well tolerated, the incidence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated with natalizumab should not be missed.
Can balance in children with cerebral palsy improve through use of an activity promoting computer game?

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to evaluate if use of an activity promoting computer game, used in the home (Nintendo Wii Fit; Nintendo Co Ltd, Japan), could influence balance related outcome measures in children with cerebral palsy. METHOD Eighteen children with hemiplegic or diplegic cerebral palsy were recruited for the study. A randomised cross-over design was used with children tested at baseline, after five weeks of playing Wii Fit games and after five weeks without any intervention. Outcome measures of interest included: performance on the modified sensory organisation test, reactive balance test and rhythmic weight shift test. RESULTS No significant difference was observed between testing occasions for any of the balance measures investigated (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that use of a Nintendo Wii balance board and Wii Fit software for a minimum of thirty minutes per day in the patient's own home, over a five week period, is not effective as a balance training tool in children with cerebral palsy.
WCET-aware parallelization of model-based applications for multi-cores: The ARGO approach

Parallel architectures are nowadays not only confined to the domain of high performance computing, they are also increasingly used in embedded time-critical systems. The ARGO H2020 project1 provides a programming paradigm and associated tool flow to exploit the full potential of architectures in terms of development productivity, time-to-market, exploitation of the platform computing power and guaranteed real-time performance. In this paper we give an overview of the objectives of ARGO and explore the challenges introduced by our approach.
A metastatic neuroblastoma model in SCID mice

Neuroblastoma (NB), a neural crest derived tumor in children, shows a characteristic pattern of dissemination that includes adrenal glands, local lymph nodes, bone, liver, skin, and bone marrow. We have reconstructed a similar metastatic pattern in SCID mice following tail vein injection of human NB cells. HTLA230, an NB cell line isolated from a patient with advanced disease, and its NGF receptor (trkA) expressing derivative (18–10) cells, consistently disseminated to the liver, the adrenal gland, and the bone marrow, but not the lungs. Metastases in the different organs showed a characteristic hemorrhagic histopathology, and tumors in the bone marrow presented as syncytia‐like cell aggregates, typically seen in patients. Cell lines reestablished from 18–10 derived liver and bone marrow metastases maintained their cellular morphology, growth behavior, N‐myc overexpression, trkA expression, and functionally responded to NGF treatment, leading to growth arrest and neurite outgrowth. Hence, circulating human NB cells in SCID mice show a similar organ‐specific metastatic potential as seen in patients, independent of trkA expression. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Do horizontal relationships matter to production and operations managers?

This paper shifts the focus of production, operations and supply chain management business relationships from the vertical to the horizontal side and calls for more research on this issue. The main intent is to provide managerially oriented arguments regarding the linkages between the achievement of operations-related goals and decisions related to horizontal business relationships. Specifically, we address the following research question: Does a linkage exist between production and operations objectives and the decisions a company makes about horizontal agreements, particularly horizontal governance mode choice? To answer this research question, we develop literature-based hypotheses and collect data from 4316 agreements of mergers and acquisitions and alliances and joint venture announced and completed between 2000 and 2010 by 88 of the first 100-ranked members of the Fortune 500 in the year 2000. We then test the hypotheses through a binary logistic regression model. This study brings interesting results and findings in terms of how and why production management considerations should play a crucial role in the type of strategic decisions that are usually reserved for finance and strategy managers. Operations managers should be fully involved in such decisions if they are to be well acquainted about how their choices impact on operational objectives.
Market and Price Developments in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), operating since January 2005, demonstrates that it is possible to create a market for carbon dioxide (CO2) even when there is a degree of confusion and chaos in the initial allocation and implementation process. Through this emissions trading scheme, the Ehas succeeded in producing a price signal—via the trading price for European Union Allowances (EUAs)—that does, in some limited sense, reflect the scarce capacity of the earth's atmosphere to absorb more greenhouse gas emissions. This paper focuses on the key factors that have influenced the development and functioning of the EUA market. We first describe the institutional and legal framework for the EU ETS, the scheme's main design features and provisions, and how these factors are likely to affect the EUA market. Next, we discuss how the EUA market has developed and operated since the establishment of the EU ETS. In particular, we describe the intermediaries that have entered the market to facilitate EUA trading, and how the size and frequency of trades have changed over time; identify the key factors that appear to have affected EUA prices; and discuss the trends in EUA trading volumes and prices. The paper also discusses the outlook for the EU ETS in the Kyoto Phase and beyond.
Neighborhood Deprivation, Neighborhood Acculturation, and the Retail Food Environment in a US–Mexico Border Urban Area

Retail food environments, which can be characterized by the availability of supermarkets and other food stores, provide an important context for dietary choices. Retail food environments in border metropolitan areas may not exhibit the same patterns of those observed in other areas and may influence dietary acculturation patterns. The availability of different types of food stores within a geographic information system (GIS) to test whether neighborhood deprivation and neighborhood acculturation were correlated with food store availability. After controlling for population density and neighborhood acculturation, high levels of neighborhood deprivation were associated with having 86% fewer chain supermarkets. In contrast, neighborhood acculturation was a more influential determinant in grocery and specialty store availability. Future research should examine the role of border retail food environments in shaping dietary acculturation patterns.
The Impact of Management and Board Ownership on Profitability in Banks with Different Strategy

In this study I combine the ownership and diversification literature and show that the agency problem varies across traditional, diversified and non-traditional banks. In a sample of European banks, I find that management ownership has a positive impact on profitability in non-traditional banks, whereas board ownership has a positive impact on profitability in traditional banks. These findings indicate that management ownership is important in opaque banks, which are difficult to monitor, whereas board ownership is important in banks where the government guaranteed safety-net reduces the monitoring incentive of depositors, but which are not too complex or opaque for the board to monitor.
Intervening in youth problem behavior in Sweden: a pragmatic cost analysis of MST from a randomized trial with conduct disordered youth

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 194-205 (C) 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation (C) 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare. Within the context of a randomized trial, this study assessed the costs of treating conduct disorder with multisystemic therapy (MST) or treatment as usual (TAU) for 156 youth in Sweden. From the perspective of the municipal Social Welfare Administration, all intervention costs were collected for the 6-month period starting at randomization. MST was found to cost, on average, US$8,847 per youth. A course of intervention including MST was found to cost significantly more (US$5,038 per youth) than TAU. Although MST was found to reduce the use of and costs associated with non-placement interventions, MST was not found to reduce the use of or costs associated with placement interventions. This is contrary to findings reported from studies undertaken in the USA. Intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment-of-treated (TOT) analyses are presented.
Unilateral Cervical Facet Fractures With Subluxation: Injury Patterns and Treatment

Study Design This is a retrospective study of patients with unilateral cervical facet fractures from a Level I academic trauma center. Objective We sought to examine fracture patterns involving only the facets, to examine the incidence of associated neurologic and vascular injuries, and to determine optimum management strategies for these injuries. Summary of Background Data Most of the literature regarding unilateral cervical facet injuries has resulted from studies evaluating dislocated locked facets, “fracture-dislocations,” or fractures of the lateral mass and pedicle. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our experience with unilateral fractures of the facets, identifying 25 cases over a 5-year period. Presenting history, neurologic examination, imaging findings, method of reduction, interval to surgery, type of surgery, and evaluation for vascular injuries were recorded. Fusion was assessed by plain radiographs and computed tomography scans at follow-up. Results All 25 patients were treated operatively. Ten of the fractures involved the superior articular process, 13 involved the inferior articular process, and 2 cases involved both. The most commonly affected level was at C6/7. Twenty-one of the 25 patients underwent anterior stabilization, 3 underwent posterior stabilization, and 1 underwent anterior-posterior stabilization. Eleven patients underwent diagnostic 4-vessel angiography, revealing 2 patients with vertebral artery injuries. Average follow-up was 11.5 months. There were no identifiable nonunions. Conclusions We conclude the following: (a) anterior discectomy and fusion with a static (constrained) plating system is appropriate treatment for this type of injury, (b) in the absence of significant neurologic deficit with residual canal or foraminal stenosis, preoperative closed reduction is not necessary, (c) a small percentage of these patients will have vertebral artery injury, thus warranting screening with 16-slice computed tomographic angiography.
Taxation Policy and Gender Employment in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A Comparative Analysis of Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia

Empirical evidence suggests that women are more vulnerable to chronic poverty and gender inequality is likely to condition the impacts of policies on the rest of the economy and consequently on poverty itself. While gender-responsive budgeting has made significant headway into economic policy, taxation has lagged behind. Because tax policy is the most economically direct way by which governments can influence individual behavior, requests have been made for gender-responsive tax policy that promote gender equality. This study applied to Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia aims to contribute to this debate by assessing the induced gender employment bias of current taxation policies in these countries. It explores the pattern of male and female employment and discusses the indirect tax distortions across sectors within each country and between countries. The possible impact of the indirect tax distortion on male and female employment is quantitatively assessed using a gender-focused computable general equilibrium model. The analysis reveals that indirect taxes, in particular import duties, are biased for female employment in Algeria and Egypt, but not in Morocco and Tunisia. Female laborâ€“intensive industries in Algeria and Egypt are highly protected in the benchmark and are not competitive internationally so that removing protection would increase competition with cheaper import substitutes and cause the sector to contract and lay off workers. In contrast, the same female laborâ€“intensive industries are less protected in Morocco and Tunisia. Hence, removal of indirect taxes in these countries would result in quasi-neutral effects between male and female salary and wage earnings. The taxation policies in the Middle East and North Africa region have changed over the last decade and may undergo significant changes in the coming years. In light of this unpredictability, an assessment of the tax-related relative price bias on men and women constitutes a crucial step toward providing adequate guidance to planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
Socioeconomic Conditions and Risk of Mental Depression: An Empirical Analysis for Brazilian Citizens

The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is any relationship between socioeconomic factors and mental depression, specifically in connection with family income and education. Our empirical model was estimated using the database of three National Household Sampling Surveys (1998, 2003, and 2008) and their special supplements on the health status of the Brazilian population. Analyses for men and women were conducted separately. Family income proved to be a protective factor against depression for both men and women. With regard to the effects of education, the estimates indicate that the maximum risk of depression occurs when women have approximately four years of schooling and men have about eight. Above these levels, the risk decreases as schooling years increase.
Contribution of Education and Innovation to Productivity among Mexican Regions: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis

A dynamic panel data (DPD) model is estimated to assess the contribution of the average schooling years, the education expenditure and the inventive coefficient—as an approximation for innovation—to the increased productivity of the Mexican states. The potential difficulties of endogeneity and serial correlation are controlled by adopting system General Method of Moments (GMM) procedures. The findings are compatible with the theory. The importance of the lags is confirmed and the positive and significant impacts on productivity tend to vary according to the income level and the geographical location of the regions. Innovation is an important contributor to northern, central and richer states’ productivity, but education expenditure is important for the poorer states and scholarly attainment stands out in the southern states. The analysis emerging from the model concludes that these regional differences should be seen as a potential opportunity for designing customized policies capable of increasing the productivity and not as a weakness.
Thromboprophylaxis in medical inpatients reduces pulmonary embolism, increases the risk of major haemorrhage and does not reduce total mortality, producing questionable net clinical benefit

Commentary on: Lederle FA, Zylla D, MacDonald R, et al. Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in hospitalized medical patients and those with stroke: a background review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Practice Guideline. Ann Intern Med 2011;155:602–15. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Effective pharmacological prophylaxis reduces venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk medically-ill patients.1 But the net benefit of VTE prevention strategies in unselected medical patients is not established. Lederle et al conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of available clinical trials. Articles were identified by searching MEDLINE from 1950 through April 2011 and the Cochrane Library. A comprehensive search strategy was provided including details of searches for unpublished material, with good attention to study quality and a data extraction protocol. Studies providing separate data for medical patients or stroke patients in acute or intermediate care, healthcare facilities were included. The analysis included data from randomised trials that provided clinical outcomes and evaluated therapy with heparins or mechanical devices. Studies were included … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DAnnals%2Bof%2BInternal%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DANN%2BINTERN%2BMED%26rft.issn%253D0003-4819%26rft.aulast%253DLederle%26rft.auinit1%253DF. %2BA. %26rft.volume%253D155%26rft.issue%253D9%26rft.spage%253D602%26rft.epage%253D615%26rft.atitle%253DVenous%2Bthromboembolism%2Bprophylaxis%2Bin%2Bhospitalized%2Bmedical%2Bpatients%2Band%2Bthose%2Bwith%2Bstroke%253A%2Ba%2Bbackground%2Breview%2Bfor%2Ban%2BAmerican%2BCollege%2Bof%2BPhysicians%2BClinical%2BPractice%2BGuideline. %26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.7326%252F0003-4819-155-9-201111010-00008%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22041949%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.7326/0003-4819-155-9-201111010-00008&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=22041949&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F17%2F5%2F154.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=000296612400005&link_type=ISI
Bond Yields, Ratings, and Financial Information: Evidence from Public Utility Issues

This study investigates the relative roles of bond ratings and financial information in the setting of bond yields. Structural equation modeling techniques are used to learn whether ratings determine yields or whether both ratings and yields are determined by a concurrent set of economic and financial factors. Tests of alternative structural model configurations provide evidence regarding the associations between bond ratings, financial information, and bond yields. Both ratings and financial information are found to play an important role in determining bond yields. In addition, yields are consistent with the higher rating in cases of split ratings. Copyright 1991 by MIT Press.