Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development at the Peri-Urban Area and Its Impact on Agricultural Activities: An Example from the Seberang Perai Region, Penang State, Malaysia

Urban areas are expanding into the countryside, changing the rural landscape and lifestyle of rural communities, and forming an urban-rural interface at these peri-urban areas. New developments brought about by urbanization have important implications for the livelihoods and socioeconomic conditions of local communities. At the peri-urban area, the future of agriculture, farmland, and farmers, especially in the face of massive urbanization, has become a topic of increasing global debate. Concerns have been polarized between two camps: a pessimistic view that peri-urban agriculture is in danger and an optimistic view that, despite the challenges, agriculture is still in practice and in some cases even growing. Several studies have addressed the current trajectories of agriculture in peri-urban areas; however, most of these studies were undertaken in Western nations. In the context of Asian countries, like Malaysia, agricultural adaptation and persistence at peri-urban areas have not been examined. It has been taken for granted that urbanization always leads to the abandonment of agricultural land. The role of urbanization in generating alternative agricultural enterprises that benefit from nearby urban markets has largely been ignored. This article aims to investigate the challenges and opportunities generated by urbanization and recent developments that have taken place in Malaysia. Using the Seberang Perai region of Penang State as a case study, our analysis reveals that farmers have adopted a range of strategies that could be explained using both positive and negative adaptation of Johnston and Bryant's (1987) model. This study moves forward the literature on the future of agriculture in peri-urban areas, particularly in developing countries.
Sending your grandparents to university increases cognitive reserve: The Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project.

OBJECTIVE Increasing an individual's level of cognitive reserve (CR) has been suggested as a nonpharmacological approach to reducing the risk for Alzheimer's disease. We examined changes in CR in older adults participating over 4 years in the Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project. METHOD A sample of 459 healthy older adults between 50 and 79 years of age underwent a comprehensive annual assessment of current CR, neuropsychological function, and psychosocial factors over a 4-year period. The intervention group of 359 older adults (M = 59.61 years, SD = 6.67) having completed a minimum of 12 months part-time university study were compared against a control reference group of 100 adults (M = 62.49 years, SD = 6.24) who did not engage in further education. RESULTS Growth mixture modeling demonstrated that 44.3% of the control sample showed no change in CR, whereas 92.5% of the further education participants displayed a significant linear increase in CR over the 4 years of the study. These results indicate that older adults engaging in high-level mental stimulation display an increase in CR over a 4-year period. CONCLUSION Increasing mental activity in older adulthood may be a viable strategy to improve cognitive function and offset cognitive decline associated with normal aging. (PsycINFO Database Record
Steps measured by pedometry and the relationship to adiposity in college women.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between steps per day and adiposity among college women. METHODS This study was cross-sectional and included women ages 18-25. Participants wore a pedometer for 7 consecutive days. Body composition was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography. Height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were assessed. RESULTS The women took 10,119 ± 2836 steps per day. When divided into quartiles by steps, the top 2 quartiles of women in the study had significantly lower BMI, percent body fat, and waist and hip circumferences than the bottom quartile of women (P ≤ .05). Percent body fat was different between the bottom 2 quartiles and the top 2 quartiles (P ≤ .05). The odds of having a body fat of greater than 32% were reduced by 21.9% for every increase of 1,000 steps taken per day (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSIONS Steps per day are related to body composition in young adult women, but this relationship weakens with progressively higher step counts. A reasonable recommendation for steps in young adult women that is associated with the lowest BMIs and body fat seems to be between 10,000-12,000 steps per day.
The Catalysing Role of In-House R&D in Fostering Complementarity Among Innovative Inputs

While several studies have investigated the relationship between internal and external sources of innovation, no clear-cut result has emerged so far, suggesting the possibility that the nature of such interaction—far from being an absolute property of the innovative process—may instead be a relative one, contingent upon the nature and the level of innovative inputs a firm has invested in. Using microdata from the third Italian Community Innovation Survey, we test under what conditions the nature of the interactions between four different innovative inputs (internal and external R&D, embodied and disembodied technological acquisition) is one of complementarity or substitutability. Two are the main findings of our study: (i) internal R&D and embodied technological acquisitions turn out to be complementary only after a minimum threshold of in-house R&D expenditure has been overcome, being substitutive otherwise; (ii) investing in internal R&D also affects the nature of the relationships between alternative external sources of innovation, whose interaction proves to be complementary only for firms that invest in internal R&D.
Volatility Spillover in Australian Commercial Property

AbstractExtensive real estate studies have demonstrated the linkages between direct property and capital assets, particularly REITs by emphasising on the common movements in prices. However, the study of volatility spillover between these assets is relatively limited. This study aims to investigate the volatility linkages between Australian commercial property and capital assets by utilising generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and Exponential GARCH (EGARCH) over the study period 1985-2006. The results reveal that direct commercial property is strongly influenced by LPTs and bonds. It is also shown that direct property is asymmetric to negative and positive news. These findings have provided additional insights into the knowledge base of real estate risk and portfolio management.
From Stammtisch to Party: Nazi Joiners and the Contradictions of Grass Roots Fascism in Weimar Germany

In an important collection of essays on European fascism, Juan Linz argued that 'isociological explanation should not focus on the individual joining or voting for the party, but on the process by which the intermediary structure was taken over by the Nazis. 'l Hans Mommsen wrote in the same volume that "the conquest of the bourgeois infrastructure," in combination with Nazi propaganda and bureaucratic party organization, "was one of the most important social preconditions" for the rise of Nazism up to mid-1932.2 Both statements summed up more than twenty years of historical research on the social context of Nazism. It was now possible to build a cross-disciplinary paradigm that fully replaced influential "mass society" theories of the first two postwar decades. The new focus, Linz stated, shifted analytical weight away from "isolated mass mens' to "the gaining of control by devoted activists of a complex pre-existing set of networks. "3 Evidence for this approach is compelling at first glance.4 Yet closer examination reveals a surprisingly thin empirical foundation for discussing the relationship of Nazism and prior social networks. Despite a continued outpouring of literature on National Socialism no com-
Bladder cancer and occupation: a report from the Belgian case-control study on bladder cancer risk.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to add to the data on associations between occupation and bladder cancer thereby strengthening the case for focused research on specific occupational categories. METHODS Two hundred two cases and 390 controls participated in this population-based case-control study. Age, sex, smoking, and education adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for each occupation by unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS The occupational group of domestic helpers, cleaners, and launderers exhibited a significantly elevated risk of bladder cancer. Elevated non-significant risks (OR > 1.5) were observed for painters and varnishers, electronic equipment assemblers, general laborers, building finishers, carpenters and joiners, architects and engineers, and textile and garment workers. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that domestic helpers, cleaners, and launderers probably experience an increased risk of bladder cancer. Although no other occupations showed significantly increased risks, the non-significantly elevated risks for painters, carpenters, and textile workers could be confirmed by results from earlier studies.
Descriptive Analysis of Emergency Hospital Admissions of Patients With Alzheimer Disease

The aim of this project was to study the underlying reasons for emergency hospital admission of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and their characteristics. This prospective 4-month study identified 118 patients with DAT, most of whom were referred to the two emergency departments of the Toulouse University Hospital. The two main reasons for admission were behavioral problems (26.3%) and falls (18.6%). Patients were generally at an advanced stage of the disease process and had substantial evidence of poor nutritional status and loss of activities of daily living ability. About one third of patients had already been admitted to the hospital for the same reasons in the preceding months. Psychotropic drugs predominated (71%) among the current medications taken by the patients and were mainly anxiolytics and neuroleptics. Finally, the discharge report indicated that medications were a contributing factor in the disorders of 25% of patients. We believe that improved information for caregivers and early management and treatment are essential to respond adequately to the problems raised by this population.
Evaluation of optimal cluster size in heterogenous energy wireless sensor networks

The use of cluster-based networks is a well known technique to prolong the lifetime of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In a cluster-based network, a node can be partitioned into a number of small groups called clusters. Each cluster has a cluster-head (CH) node which transmits data collected by each member to the sink node. One of the important issues in cluster-based networks are determining the optimal number of clusters (k). Without identifying the optimal number of clusters, the energy consumption of the network becomes inefficient and degrades the network quickly. A majority of previous studies has focused on the k values for homogeneous WSNs. Few studies have measured the k values for heterogeneous WSNs. Therefore, in this paper we derived the k value by considering the energy consumption for each iteration. The analytical simulation shows the relationship of energy consumption per iteration, the k value and distance of CH to the sink node. The analytical simulation was verified by the Three Level Heterogeneous Energy (TLHE) protocol simulations. The simulations indicate that the k value for a three-level heterogeneous network is 4.
150 × 120 Gb/s unrepeatered transmission over 333.6 km and 389.6 km (with ROPA) G.652 fiber

A record capacity of 15 Tb/s unrepeatered transmission has been demonstrated over 333.6 km (55.4 dB) and 389.6 km (64.3 dB) with ROPA. All transmission results have been achieved with G.652 fiber using forward and backward distributed Raman amplification.
of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization

We study the price response of national brands to the development of private labels. Using monthly data from a consumer survey, we show that prices of national brands increase with the development of private labels. However, we also show that the price increase in national brand products is explained by a strategy of product differentiation. Finally, price reaction of national brands differs with the type of private labels they are facing.
ECFIN's effective tax rates.Properties and comparisons with other tax indicators

The assessment and monitoring of the effects of various tax reforms in Member States has become a key policy concern in the Community. In the Presidency Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council on 23-24 March 2000, the European Council requested the Council and the Commission to assess â€œthe contribution of public finances to growth and employment, and assessing, on the basis of comparable data and indicators, whether adequate concrete measures are being taken in order to â€¦ alleviate the tax pressure on labour â€¦â€ . Such an evaluation needs an accurate, timely and comparable system of tax indicators enabling the Commission and the Council to quantify the early impact of tax reforms on the tax rates on labour, capital and consumption. This paper presents a proposal for such a system, discusses its properties and compares it with other available sets of tax rates.
Modulation of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Function by Na+/K+ Pump Inhibitors with Different Toxicity: Digoxin and PST2744 [(E,Z)-3-((2-Aminoethoxy)imino)androstane-6,17-dione Hydrochloride]

Objective: To gain some insight on the lesser arrhythmogenic properties of PST2744 [(E,Z)-3-((2-aminoethoxy)imino)androstane-6,17-dione hydrochloride] compared with digoxin, we compared modulation of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics by the two agents. Methods: SERCA (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase) activity and Ca2+ leak rate were measured in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles from guinea pig ventricles. Membrane current, intracellular Ca2+, and twitch amplitude were evaluated in guinea pig ventricular myocytes with or without blockade of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. Results: In SR vesicles, PST2744 (30–300 nM), but not digoxin, increased SERCA activity; digoxin only (≥0.1 nM) increased SR Ca2+ leak. In myocytes with blocked Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, Ca2+ reloading of caffeine-depleted SR was enhanced by PST2744 and slightly inhibited by digoxin. In myocytes with functioning Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, both agents increased diastolic Ca2+, SR Ca2+ content, the gain of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, the rate of cytosolic Ca2+ decay, twitch amplitude, and relaxation rate. Consistent with the observations in SR vesicles, the effects on SR Ca2+ content and Ca2+ decay rate were significantly larger for PST2744 than for digoxin. Conclusions: In isolated SR vesicles, PST2744 and digoxin directly affected SR function in opposite ways; this could be reproduced in myocytes during Na+/Ca2+ exchanger blockade. Under physiological conditions (functioning Na+/Ca2+ exchanger), the two agents affected Ca2+ dynamics in the same direction, as expected by their Na+/K+ pump inhibition; however, differential SR modulation was still expressed by quantitative differences. Thus, the more favorable inotropy-to-toxicity ratio previously described for PST2744 appears to be associated with direct SERCA stimulation and/or lack of enhancement of Ca2+ leak.
Regeneration Policies for Peripheral Housing Estates: Inward- and Outward-looking Approaches

Over the past 10±15 years, peripheral social housing estates in England and Scotland have come to be recognised as sites of multiple deprivation, rivalling inner-city areas for the attention of policy-makers and planners. The aim of this paper is to review the range of regeneration policies which have been applied since the mid 1980s. A process of policy learning and change emerges from this review. Regeneration policies for peripheral estates re ̄ ect, and are re ̄ ected in, changes in the wider urban policy arena. The review is based primarily on literature, with examples drawn from regeneration attempts in Scotland and a preliminary analysis of a few successful Round One (1995/96) Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Bids. It will be argued that regeneration policies have tended to focus on solving ` internal’ problems, which are related to the nature of the estate, and have ignored ` external’ problems, which are related to structural factors and the relationship between the estate and the city. Such approaches are labelled as ` inward-looking’ ,stressing housing improvements, tenant participation and community stabilisation, local economic initiatives, and estate-based area-targeting and institutional structures. They are contrasted with emerging `outward-looking’ approaches, which seek to overcome physical and social isolation directly, improve access to employment, and place more emphasis on strategic, city-wide or ` linked’ partnerships. Although these approaches should complement each other, there are contradictions and tensions between them. The paper is structured in three sections. In the ® rst section, the nature and causes of the problems of peripheral estates are discussed. The issue of peripherality is explored separately. The second section identi® es the four main elements which comprise the inward-looking policy approach, and contrasts these with the emerging outward-looking approach. In the third and concluding section, the inwardand outward-looking approaches are formally compared, and the future of regeneration policies for the peripheral estates is discussed in the light of the outward-looking approach.
The Dynamics of Government-to-Government Contracts

This paper explores the dynamics of government-to-government contracting at the local level in order to examine how governments' shared organizational characteristics, notably a governance structure based on political accountability, potentially make them more attractive vendors for services that risk contract failure. Relying on panel data from the 1992 and 1997 International City/County Manager Association's (ICMA) Alternative Service Delivery surveys along with data from the U. S. Census and other sources, this paper identifies service areas in which governments most frequently turn to government vendors. In particular, a comparison of public works and transportation services—a service area with low risks of opportunism leading to contract failure—and health and human services—a service area with high risks of opportunism leading to contract failure—shows that contracting governments are more likely to utilize governments over private firms and nonprofits for high-risk services. This is not the case for low-risk services, suggesting that governments view other governments as trusted contract vendors.
Analysis of the ITER  ${\hbox{Nb}}_{3}{\hbox{Sn}}$ SULTAN Sample Test Conditions With Different Joint Technologies

This paper presents the models of three new-generation high-performance samples of ITER full-size Nb3Sn Cable-in-Conduit conductors (CICCs). These samples were recently tested in SULTAN, at CRPP (Switzerland), and demonstrated the technical feasibility of CICCs that satisfy the ITER specifications. The improvements of these samples regard not only the cable strand and the cabling parameters, but also the manufacturing details of their SULTAN samples. A set of changes have been adopted on the SULTAN sample termination and joint, to try to achieve a more uniform current distribution among the strands and a more accurate measurement of the strand longitudinal voltages. This paper presents a comparative numerical analysis of the effects that these different joint technologies have on the DC current distribution among the strands of the SULTAN samples cable. A correlation between the current distribution in the sample and the resistance distribution at the joint is also shown and discussed.
Explaining constitutional change: making sense of cross-national variation among European Union member states

ABSTRACT This study examines how European Union member states have undertaken constitutional change to adjust to the new conditions that follow from membership in this supranational organization. The article seeks to explain what factors determine why constitutional reform induced by EU membership is sometimes brought about by changing the wording of the constitutional document (explicit change), and sometimes by changing the meaning of the constitution while leaving the constitutional text itself unaltered (implicit change). The current study provides new insights regarding constitutional change by formulating and testing a number of rival hypotheses about what explains cross-national variation in the use of different methods for achieving constitutional reform. The results show that three factors stand out as important determinants for EU-induced constitutional change: constitutional rigidity; public opinion; and the number of cabinet parties.
Stock market reaction to auditor opinions – Italian evidence

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine investor reactions to auditor opinions containing qualifications or an emphasis of matter paragraph related to going concern uncertainty or financial distress. In particular, abnormal returns are analyzed around audit report dates. Design/methodology/approach - – The event study methodology, focusing on a short event window, was used to determine whether there is an immediate market reaction to the audit report announcement, as might be expected assuming efficient stock markets. Findings - – Overall, this analysis shows that the audit reports investigated have information content for investment decisions. In particular, the qualifications expressed in the audit report have a negative effect on stock prices. It is also shown that an unqualified opinion with an emphasis of matter paragraph regarding going concern uncertainty or financial distress has a positive effect on stock prices. These results also elucidate the distinction between different types of opinions in the Italian context. Research limitations/implications - – This paper has attempted to limit the possible concurrent effects on stock prices using a short window event study methodology. However, the possibility that some other event may have occurred during this event window cannot be excluded. Among the policy implications coming from this research, it is argued that the authorities should regulate the public disclosure of audit reports, so that the information becomes available to the audited company and the other stakeholders on the same day, which, in theory, would be the day that the audit process concludes with the signing of the audit report. Originality/value - – The findings of this paper show the relevance of audit reports, distinguishing the different impacts based on the types of audit opinions issued in a specific jurisdiction (qualified and unqualified with an emphasis of matter paragraph).
Over the Long-Run? Short-Run Impact and Long-Run Consequences of Stakeholder Management

The stakeholder view of the firm has been justified under instrumental and normative bases. Whereas the instrumental basis argues that “enlightened stakeholder management” is a necessary precondition to seek shareholders’ value maximization, the normative basis relies on the observance of ethical norms by managers and the notion that the stakeholders should be treated as “ends. ” Some scholars argue that both views actually converge. However, this article provides empirical evidence of the negative effects of stakeholder management in shareholders’ value in the short run and the positive effects over the long run, using a longitudinal database of 658 U.S. firms. Given the difficulties of anticipating the instrumental long-term financial effects of short-run decisions affecting the different stakeholders, the authors’ findings support the view of the normative basis for stakeholder theory based on ethics, norms, and heuristic criteria as a way to solve conflicts among the claims of different stakeholders.