Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Perceived Value of Passive Animal Health Surveillance: The Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Vietnam

Economic evaluations are critical for the assessment of the efficiency and sustainability of animal health surveillance systems and the improvement of their efficiency. Methods identifying and quantifying costs and benefits incurred by public and private actors of passive surveillance systems (i.e. actors of veterinary authorities and private actors who may report clinical signs) are needed. This study presents the evaluation of perceived costs and benefits of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) passive surveillance in Vietnam. Surveys based on participatory epidemiology methods were conducted in three provinces in Vietnam to collect data on costs and benefits resulting from the reporting of HPAI suspicions to veterinary authorities. A quantitative tool based on stated preference methods and participatory techniques was developed and applied to assess the non‐monetary costs and benefits. The study showed that poultry farmers are facing several options regarding the management of HPAI suspicions, besides reporting the following: treatment, sale or destruction of animals. The option of reporting was associated with uncertain outcome and transaction costs. Besides, actors anticipated the release of health information to cause a drop of markets prices. This cost was relevant at all levels, including farmers, veterinary authorities and private actors of the upstream sector (feed, chicks and medicine supply). One benefit associated with passive surveillance was the intervention of public services to clean farms and the environment to limit the disease spread. Private actors of the poultry sector valued information on HPAI suspicions (perceived as a non‐monetary benefit) which was mainly obtained from other private actors and media.
Performance Evaluation of Virtualization Technologies for Databases in HPC Environments

Modern database systems are applications that have a variable workload demanding a great share of the available resources during peak periods. To avoid sub utilization of resources during periods of low load, virtualization technology allows this type of application to be provisioned dynamically. This technique has improved in the last decades and new approaches are emerging to improve performance, like operating system level database virtualization. This paper analyzes the characteristics of this approach compared to traditional virtualization techniques.
Post-Familial Families and the Domestic Division of Labor: A View from Australia

This paper takes as its starting point recent claims by Beck-Gernsheim that we are living in an era of “post-familial families. ” Beck-Gernsheim argues that our lives are no longer structured as they once were by tradition, class, religion and kin. Instead the family has become a transitional phase as individuals strive for fulfillment of personal goals and personal life projects. The demographic evidence to support these claims is clearly evident in relation to changing patterns of family formation and dissolution, as well as the movement of married women into paid employment. But what is less evident is a decline in traditional patterns of gender stratification within families. This paper uses recent national data from Australia to examine the relationship between post-familial status, as indicated by marital status and employment, and time spent on housework. The results show that gender is still a clear predictor of time spent on housework, but that within gender there is evidence that gender inequality may be declining in non-traditional households.
Trade and market congestion: An explanation for widening skilled–unskilled wage differential

A model of trade with monopolistic competition is set up to explain unidirectional movements in skilled–unskilled wage differential observed in most parts of the world. With trade, an individual firm faces a higher number of competitors. This rise in the number of market participants requires each firm to spend higher amount of a skill intensive resource to survive in the global market consequently raising the relative demand for skilled labor and thereby increasing the skilled–unskilled wage ratio.
Race and Human Capital

While human capital has been used with some success to analyze recent changes in racial income differences, scholars have repeatedly pointed to a major empirical problem that appears to severely limit the historical relevanlce and scope of skill-based theories as applied to racial questions. The challenge they raise is legitimate. Put simply, if measured skill disparities between the races narrowed throughout the twentieth century, why did income ratios first begin to converge in the 1960's? In this paper, I address this question relying on some unexploited census data by race on education, literacy, occupations, and income. Using these data that begin with the 1890 Census, I present new estimates of agespecific relative income positions of black men for all postslavery birth cohorts. In addition to reconciling the apparently inconsistent skill and income series, these income ratios offer a very different historical record than many economists believe to have been the case. To cite a prominent example, Gunnar Myrdal's classic work (1944) saw the economic position of his contemporary black America not only as dismal, but made even more so by its sense of hopelessness, given the absence of any hint of progress or change. While Myrdal's pessimism is understandable, it appears that even in his day seeds had long been sown that were already permanently altering and improving the relative economic status of black men.
Expression of active Akt protects against tamoxifen‐induced apoptosis in MCF‐7 Cells

We investigated the effect of constitutive active Akt expression on anti‐proliferative and apoptotic effect of tamoxifen in MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells. Forced expression of AktDD (T308D, S473D) resulted in increased phosphorylation of GSK3β, a physiological substrate of Akt. When estrogen receptor (ER) mediated transcription was determined by luciferase assays, there was more than 2‐fold increase in estradiol‐dependent transcription in MCF‐7 cells overexpressing AktDD (MCF‐7 AktDD) compared to vector control cells (MCF‐7 vec). MCF‐7 AktDD cells showed increased proliferation in a medium containing charcoal stripped serum supplemented with estradiol. When the cell cycle profiles were examined, there was an increase in S‐phase and a reduction in G1 phase in MCF‐7 AktDD cells as compared to MCF‐7 vec cells. Overexpression of AktDD also attenuated tamoxifen‐mediated apoptosis. These results suggest that Akt could confer resistance to anti‐estrogen mediated cell death and inhibition of proliferation. iubmb Life, 58: 664 ‐ 669, 2006
Role of Motivation and Attitude in Introduction and Learning of English as a Foreign Language in Libyan High Schools

The acceptance of English as an international language has encouraged many nations to introduce curriculums that cater for teaching of English. Learning of English in many nations has been very successful because of the cooperation that educational stake holders have provided to students and teachers. However, in other nations with very strong attachment to their native languages such as Libya, introduction of English as a new language has been a tasking process. Such nations consider introduction of English in their education curriculum as a form of neo colonialism thus very considerate in accommodating the leaning programmes. On the other hand poor motivation and negative attitude on the part of teachers and students has contributed greatly to the poor acceptance of English learning in these nations. Introducing a new language in a nation where there is an already effective and established language requires total motivation and positive attitude from the trainers and students.
Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Fairness on Salivary Cortisol

Research on cooperation has contributed to a better understanding of the foundations of human social behavior. Most studies, however, have not considered fundamental social parameters such as an individual’s position in a social hierarchy. As a first step, this study investigates the modulating effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on behavior and the physiological stress response. Study participants (n = 83) played a cooperative game with computerized coplayers of four categories: similar or higher SES in combination with either high or low fairness in behavior (i.e., willingness to cooperate). All participants showed a significant increase in saliva cortisol after the game compared to a control group. Only when paired with higher SES coplayers, however, did participants show a significant subsequent decrease in cortisol concentrations. Participants’ behavior in response to a coplayer’s decisions was only affected by the degree of fairness, but not the SES, of respective coplayers. Physiologically, playing this cooperation game was a big challenge for participants as measured by salivary cortisol. Yet, the high recovery rate when playing with cooperative, higher status individuals showed the stress-protective effects of positive social interactions in the framework of social hierarchies.
Patterns and predictors of nut consumption: results from the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey

Regular nut consumption is associated with reduced CVD risk. Insight into nut consumption patterns provides important information to help design strategies to encourage intake. The present study aimed to describe nut consumption in terms of the percentage of consumers, mean grams eaten among the population and nut consumers, and to identify the predictors of nut consumption. Data from the 24 h dietary recalls of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey (n 4721) were used to measure nut consumption. On the recall day, the percentages of consumers of whole nuts, nut butters and nuts from hidden sources were 6·9 % (n 240), 7·2 % (n 346) and 19·2 % (n 732), respectively (28·9 % (n 1167) combined (total)). The mean grams consumed by the population were relatively low for whole nuts (2·8 g/d), nut butters (0·9 g/d), nuts from hidden sources (1·5 g/d) and total nuts (5·2 g/d). Among consumers, the mean daily grams of whole nuts, nut butters, nuts from hidden sources and total nuts eaten were 40·3, 12·9, 7·8 and 17·9 g/d, respectively. Those aged 15–18 years had the lowest whole nut consumption, but had the highest nut butter consumption. The consumption of total nuts was positively associated with education and socio-economic status, while whole nut consumption was inversely associated with BMI. In conclusion, the low percentage of nut consumers is of concern and new strategies to increase nut consumption are required. Future public health initiatives should be mindful of these patterns and predictors. In particular, different forms of nuts may appeal to different age and socio-economic groups.
Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Misinformation Effects and Hindsight Bias

ABSTRACT. The present study examined individual differences in susceptibility to two similar forms of memory distortion: the misinformation effect and hindsight bias. The misinformation effect occurs when individuals witness an event, are provided with misinformation, and recall the original event as containing elements of the misinformation. Hindsight bias occurs when individuals make judgments, are provided with feedback, and recall their original judgments as being more similar to the feedback than they actually were. Seventy-five participants completed a misinformation task, a hindsight bias task, and several individual difference measures related to memory distortions. Working memory capacity was negatively correlated with the misinformation effect and hindsight bias, and the misinformation effect and hindsight bias were negatively correlated with one another. Although the misinformation effect and hindsight bias are measured with similar designs, and both are predicted by working memory capacity, the negative correlation between them suggests these phenomena result from somewhat different processes.
Ruminant and industrial sources of trans-fat and cardiovascular and diabetic diseases

The various positional isomers of oleic acid (18 : 1Δ9c or 9c-18 : 1) may have distinct biological effects. Detrimental effects of consumption of industrial trans-fatty acids (TFA) (elaidic acid; 18 : 1Δ9t) from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on CVD risk factors are well documented. In addition, epidemiological data suggest that chronic consumption of industrial sources of TFA could alter insulin sensitivity and predispose for type 2 diabetes. However, intervention studies on this issue have remained inconclusive. Moreover, very little information is available on the effect of natural sources of TFA (vaccenic acid; 18 : 1Δ11t) coming from dairy products and ruminant meat on the development of CVD and type 2 diabetes. The review focuses on the impact of the consumption of ruminant TFA in relation to cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation and type 2 diabetes.
The international aid system and the non-governmental organisations: a new research agenda

NGO researchers have rarely understood the reasons for the growth of NGOs across the world. This paper sets out the parameters for an improved framework for NGO research. Beginning with a short description of the history of the international aid system, the paper then argues that a set of concepts are needed that can establish a greater analytical distance for NGO research from a policy area that has for decades enjoyed an unusually high degree of moral and political legitimacy. In conclusion, the article argues that the institutional architecture and world views developed within this policy field will need to be integrated analytically in narratives of the general historical development of societies in the era of globalisation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustainable leadership: management control systems and organizational culture in Novo Nordisk A/S

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how top managers seek to provide the necessary leadership inside an organisation when sustainability is a primary strategic objective, and the paper seeks to ask to what extent it is possible to influence sustainability at the operational level by contemporary management control systems as it proposes to integrate the perspective of organizational culture.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a single case study of Novo Nordisk A/S.Findings – The paper concludes by asking questions to managerial practice as well as to theory, concerning to what extent sustainability practices are measured by concurrent management control systems, and to what extent organizational culture perspective is a necessary prerequisite to manage and control sustainable leadership practice.Research limitations/implications – Future research should engage in exploring informal and organizational cultural aspects of how managers control the integration of sustainabil.
Who cares? Determinants of the fathers' use of parental leave in Germany

The aim of this study is the identification of socio-economic and workplacerelated determinants of the fathers' use of parental leave after the introduction of the Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act in Germany in 2007. This reform implied a strong paradigm shift in German family policy and led to a strong increase in the share of leaves taken by fathers. Using the 2007 German Microcensus as a data basis, three logistic models are estimated. The main results include a strong positive influence of the female partner's employment status and income as well as of variables that are related to the job security of both spouses. Overall, the findings are partly in line with German studies that have been conducted under the former family policy regime and partly with Scandinavian studies.
Utilization of citrate and lactate through a lactate dehydrogenase and ATP‐regulated pathway in boar spermatozoa

Incubation of boar spermatozoa in Krebs–Ringer–Henseleit medium with either 10 mM lactate or 10 mM citrate induced a fast and robust increase in the intracellular levels of ATP in both cases, which reached a peak after 30 sec of incubation. Utilization of both citrate and lactate resulted in the export of CO2 to the extracellular medium, indicating that both substrates were metabolized through the Krebs cycle. Incubation with citrate resulted in the generation of extracellular lactate, which was inhibited in the presence of phenylacetic acid. This indicates that lactate is produced through the pyruvate carboxylase step. In addition, there was also a significant increase in tyrosine phosphorylation induced by both citrate and lactate. Boar sperm has a sperm‐specific isoform of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), mainly located in the principal piece of the tail. Kinetic studies showed that boar sperm has at least two distinct LDH activities. The major activity (with an estimated Km of 0.51 mM) was located in the supernatants of sperm extracts. The minor LDH activity (with an estimated Km of 5.9 mM) was associated with the nonsoluble fraction of sperm extracts. Our results indicate that boar sperm efficiently metabolizes citrate and lactate through a metabolic pathway regulated by LDH. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bound by Chains of Carbon: Ecological–Economic Geographies of Globalization

In an era of globalization, how are we to associate carbon emissions with particular places or peoples? Contemporary environmental science and policy often debate between assigning emissions to the territories where they are emitted and assigning emissions to the consumers they ultimately benefit. In this article, I employ a postpositivist, relational approach to construct a broader set of quantitative perspectives, each of which takes a different standpoint within global circuits of capital to narrate how regions could be connected with seemingly distant carbon emissions. By constructing, analyzing, and mapping tens of millions of global connections in empirical portraits of interrelations between regions, economies, and carbon emissions in 2004, I demonstrate that our understandings of carbon and its geographies are extremely sensitive to which standpoint we adopt. For example, I estimate that most emissions in the world supported capital accumulation in countries other than where those emissions occurred. Emissions from emerging economies such as China might also be regarded as far more implicated in the supply chains that satisfy the demands of European and American consumers than has been recognized. Many such approaches—past and proposed herein—to narrating the more-than-human geographies of carbon emissions under globalization are necessarily local epistemologies, providing partial perspectives whose findings that have a degree of mutual incommensurability. This article thus explores challenges of engaging productively with pluralism not only in qualitative approaches but in quantitative research as well. An understanding of the geography of carbon emissions that is adequate to an era of globalization will require theoretical subtlety as much as additional empirical research.
Energy Balance Modulates Mouse Skin Tumor Promotion through Altered IGF-1R and EGFR Crosstalk

Obesity, an established risk factor for epithelial cancers, remains prevalent in the United States and many other countries. In contrast to positive energy balance states (overweight, obesity), calorie restriction (CR) has been shown to act as a universal inhibitor of tumorigenesis in multiple animal models of human cancer. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying the enhancing effects of obesity or the inhibitory effects of CR on cancer etiology remain elusive. Here, we evaluated the impact of dietary energy balance manipulation on epithelial carcinogenesis and identified several potential mechanisms that may account for the differential effects of obesity and CR on cancer. Obesity enhanced tumor promotion during epithelial carcinogenesis, in part, due to altered insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R)/EGF receptor (EGFR) crosstalk and downstream signaling to effectors such as Akt/mTOR. Obesity-induced changes in cellular signaling subsequently led to altered levels of cell-cycle proteins that favored enhanced epidermal proliferation during tumor promotion. In contrast, CR reduced susceptibility to tumor promotion, attenuated IGF-1R/EGFR crosstalk and downstream signaling, and altered levels of cell-cycle proteins that favored reduced epidermal proliferation during tumor promotion. Collectively, these findings suggest potential targets for the prevention of epithelial cancers, as well as for reversal of obesity-mediated cancer development and progression. Cancer Prev Res; 5(10); 1236–46. ©2012 AACR.
Gender Roles and Human Capital Investment: The Relationship between Traditional Attitudes and Female Labour Market Performance

This paper investigates the relationship between the labor market behavior of females and their attitudes towards traditional gender roles. An attitudes index is constructed by employing individuals' responses to statements related to the role of women and examined to determine whether it is correlated with individual characteristics. The paper examines whether these attitudes influence human capital attainment and whether they are weakly exogenous to educational attainment. It also focuses on the impact of these traditional attitudes upon labor supply and the return to education. The results are dramatic. It is found that females' attitudes towards working women are developed in their youth and result in substantial reductions in their human capital investment, labor supply and rates of return to education. Furthermore, it is found that these attitudes are determined outside the educational process. Copyright 1994 by The London School of Economics and Political Science.
Bank of Canada Banque du Canada Working Paper 97-2 / Document de travail 97-2 Fads or Bubbles ?

Acknowledgements We would like to thank O. Blanchard and anonymous referees as well as seminar participants comments. Dr. Schaller thanks the Financial Research Foundation of Canada and the SSHRC for their financial support and the Operations Research Center at MIT for providing a pleasant environment in which to pursue this research. Any errors are our own. We are solely responsible for the views expressed here; no responsibility for them should be attributed to the Bank of Canada. Abstract This paper tests between fads and bubbles using a new empirical strategy (based on switching-regression econometrics) for distinguishing between competing asset-pricing models. By extending the Blanchard and Watson (1982) model, we show how stochastic bubbles can lead to regime-switching in stock market returns. By incorporating state-dependent heteroscedasticity into the Cutler, Poterba, and Summers (1991) fads model, we show that it can also lead to regime-switching. Two main features of the bubbles model distinguish it from the fads model. First, the bubbles model implies that returns are drawn from two distinct regimes. Second, the bubbles model implies that deviations from fundamental price will help predict regime switches. Using U.S. data for 1926-89, we find evidence that is consistent with the fads model even when we allow for variation in expected dividend growth rates and expected discount rates. However, the restrictions that the fads model implies for a more general switching model are rejected. The rejections point in the direction of the bubbles model, although not all the implications of the bubbles model are supported by the data. suppose ne soient pas toutes corroborées par les données.