Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring ecosystem-based adaptation in Durban, South Africa: “learning-by-doing” at the local government coal face

The lack of progress in establishing ambitious and legally binding global mitigation targets means that the need for locally based climate change adaptation will increase in vulnerable localities such as Africa. Within this context, “ecosystem-based adaptation” (EBA) is being promoted as a cost-effective and sustainable approach to improving adaptive capacity. Experience with the ongoing development of Durban’s Municipal Climate Protection Programme indicates that achieving EBA in cities means moving beyond the conceptualization of a uniform, one-size-fits-all layer of street trees and parks to a more detailed understanding of the complex ecology of indigenous ecosystems and their resilience under climate change conditions. It also means engaging with the role that this “bio-infrastructure” plays in improving the quality of life and socioeconomic opportunities of the most vulnerable human communities. Despite the long-term sustainability gains of this approach, implementation in Durban has been shown to be both technically challenging and resource intensive. The close association between human and ecological systems in addressing climate change adaptation has also led to the development of the concept of “community ecosystem-based adaptation”.
Crying and health

Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright, please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.
The Far-Reaching Implications of the Laval Quartet: The Case of the UK Living Wage

The decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Laval quartet called in question the diversity of labour law rules and industrial relations systems at national level and brought the issue of the interaction between economic freedoms and social rights in the EU into political focus. Among these cases, R�ffert signalled not only a change in the interpretation of the Posted Workers Directive but also provided evidence of some reconsideration by the CJEU of the incorporation of social clauses in public procurement. Against this context, the paper examines the implications of the CJEU case law for the UK Living Wage. While R�ffert and more recent developments in EU procurement law could have led to a retraction from the support of the campaign, there is evidence of significant consolidation and even further promotion of the living wage in the UK. This may be attributed to the concerted efforts of non-judicial actors to respond to the challenges to the campaign following R�ffert as well to recent developments in UK procurement law that provide for a more supportive reading of living wage clauses in public procurement.
Size does matter! The intra-industry effect of bank loan ratings

We observe an intra-industry effect following a bank loan rating downgrade announcement, which differs for large and small competitors. A significant negative market reaction occurs between smaller competitors and rated firms, indicating the presence of a contagion effect; while significantly positive market reactions for larger competitors of rated firms indicate a competitive effect is present. We compare the size of rated firms with a corresponding competitor at firm level instead of aggregating at an industry level. This approach indicates an intra-industry effect is present, which differs depending on the relative size of competitors to the announcing firm. Our results confirm that rating agencies offer valuable information to the marketplace.
Transformational Leadership in the Hospitality Industry

In recent years, the hospitality industry has undergone major changes both within the industry and in its operating environment. Researchers have posited that in an environment of change, as described above, a visionary, or leadership style, would be most appropriate. The study, reported here, compared the use of transformational leadership style with the more traditional transactional style, and examined the effects of transformationalleadership on individual and organizational outcomes in a hotel management organization. Results suggest that transforma tional leadership both impacts perceptions of leadership effectiveness and subordi nate satisfaction, and clarifies the direction and mission of the organization.
Earnings Inequality in Sri Lanka

This paper addresses the question of how greater equality by gender and race/ethnicity in the distribution of earnings would affect earnings inequality in Sri Lanka. The decomposition exercise of male-female earnings indicates the significant extent to which the gender disparity in earnings represents ‘discrimination’ against women. The findings showed that men had higher average earnings that attributed fully to discrimination in favour of male earners. Despite commendable achievements in social indicators, it is imperative to address persistent ethnic and gendered inequalities in order to maintain social and political cohesion.
The Effect of Corporate Governance Elements on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Private Commercial Banks of Bangladesh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting information of Bangladeshi listed commercial banks and explores the potential effects of corporate governance (CG) elements on CSR disclosures.Design/methodology/approach – The annual reports of all private commercial banks (PCB) for the year 2007‐2008 are examined to analyse the banks' CSR reporting practice using content analysis. It also considers three elements of CG such as non‐executive directors, existence of foreign nationalities and women representation in the board. The multiple regressions were used to measure the impact of CG elements on banks' CSR reporting initiatives.Findings – The results of the study demonstrate that though voluntary, overall CSR reporting by Bangladeshi PCB are rather moderate, however, the varieties of CSR items are really impressive. The results also displayed no significant relationship between the women representation in the board and CSR reporting. Conversely, n.
Expression of a foreign gene in a line of transgenic mice is modulated by a chromosomal position effect

Unusual aberrant expression of a foreign gene in a particular transgenic mouse line is often attributed to chromosomal position effect, although proof of this is lacking. An alternative explanation is that expression has been modified by the arrangement of multiple copies of the foreign gene at the insertion site or by mutation or gene rearrangement. We have distinguished between these explanations in the case of one particular transgenic line by recovering the aberrantly expressed foreign DNA and reintroducing it into the mouse genome to produce secondary transgenic mice. The expression pattern of the gene in the secondary transgenic mice was normal, showing that this case of aberrant expression is due to a chromosomal position effect.
Tests of the CAPM with Time-Varying Covariances: A Multivariate GARCH Approach

This paper examines an asset pricing model in which the Sharpe-Lintner capital asset pricing model and the zero-beta capital asset pricing model are special cases. The model allows the ratio of expected market risk premium to market variance, the conditional expected excess returns, and the risks to change over time. The results are found to be sensitive to the choice of the portfolio formation techniques. Significant time variability is shown in the conditional expected excess asset returns and risks and also in the reward-to-risk ratio. Copyright 1991 by American Finance Association.
Financial Liberalization and Economic Growth: A Theoretical Analysis of the Transforming Chinese Economy

We conduct a theoretical investigation into how financial reforms are affecting the long-run economic performance of the partially reformed Chinese economy. In a model with a dual structure in commodity production and financial repression, allowing the co-existence of a state banking system and an informal credit market and introducing heterogeneity in the transaction technologies of individuals, we examine the interactions between the state banking system and the informal credit market, and the effects of various measures of financial liberalization on individuals' optimal portfolio choices and the macroeconomic aggregates. Copyright 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Relationship between Species Co-Occurrence and Rate of Morphological Change in Percina Darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae)

When the morphological diversity of a clade of species is quantified as the among-species variance in morphology, that diversity is a joint consequence of the phylogenetic structure of the clade (i.e., temporal pattern of speciation events) and the rates of change in the morphological traits of interest. Extrinsic factors have previously been linked to variation in the rate of morphological change among clades. Here, we ask whether species co-occurrence is positively correlated with the rate of change in several ecologically relevant morphological characters using the North American freshwater fish clade Percina (Teleostei: Etheostomatinae). We constructed a time-calibrated phylogenetic tree of Percina from mtDNA sequence data, gathered data on eight morphological characters from 37 species, used a principal components analysis to identify the primary axes of morphological variation, and analyzed 16,094 collection records to estimate species co-occurrence. We then calculated standardized independent contrasts (SIC) of the morphological traits (rate of change) at each node, estimated ancestral species co-occurrence, and quantified the correlation between species co-occurrence and rate of morphological change. We find that morphology changes more quickly when co-occurrence is greater in Percina. Our results provide strong evidence that co-occurrence among close relatives is linked to the morphological diversification of this clade.
Industrial engineering priorities for improved demand chain performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to exploit site‐based research evidence from a range of value streams so as to prioritise the industrial engineering (IE) foci necessary to move towards the goal of a seamless demand chain.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 40 real‐world value streams have been audited to produce codified scores assessing the usage of 12 Simplicity Rules leading to streamlined material flow. The rules are partitioned into “local” (Internal) and “holistic” (External) actions. Exploratory statistics are used to explore the different uptake of these two groups.Research limitations/implications – The sample is neither random nor fully representative of all supply chain scenarios. This paper confirms, via site based research, the validity of first actioning the improvements necessary to enable “our process” to deliver efficiently and effectively, in response to internal demands.Practical implications – Expending effort into effective engineering of “our process(es)” as first priori.
Membership duration in a Spanish union: A survival analysis

This article presents an analysis of the characteristics that are associated with union membership duration using data from the membership registers of the largest Spanish trade union: Comisiones Obreras (CCOO, Workers’ Commissions). Making use of survival analysis techniques, the results indicate that the shortest membership durations and the highest risks of leaving are associated with workers with poor employment conditions, mainly youth and foreigners, as well as those in firms, economic sectors, and territories where the union has a rather weak presence. As workers in these situations represent the majority of both current joining and leaving rates, the article concludes that retention policies should focus on the early stages of union membership.
Maternal Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy Are Associated with Child Growth in the First 3 Years of Life.

BACKGROUND Child obesity is a major problem in the United States. Identifying early-life risk factors is necessary for prevention. Maternal diet during pregnancy is a primary source of fetal energy and might influence risk of child obesity. OBJECTIVE We prospectively investigated the influence of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy on child growth in the first 3 y of life in 389 mother-child pairs from the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition study. METHODS Dietary patterns were derived with the use of latent class analysis (LCA) based on maternal diet, collected with the use of a food-frequency questionnaire at 26-29 wk gestation. Associations between maternal dietary patterns and child body mass index (BMI)-for-age z score and overweight or obesity were assessed with the use of linear regression and log-binomial regression, respectively. We used linear mixed models to estimate childhood growth patterns in relation to maternal dietary patterns. RESULTS Three patterns were identified from LCA: 1) fruits, vegetables, refined grains, red and processed meats, pizza, french fries, sweets, salty snacks, and soft drinks (latent class 1); 2) fruits, vegetables, baked chicken, whole-wheat bread, low-fat dairy, and water (latent class 2); and 3) white bread, red and processed meats, fried chicken, french fries, and vitamin C-rich drinks (latent class 3). In crude analyses, the latent class 3 diet was associated with a higher BMI-for-age z score at 1 and 3 y of age and a higher risk of overweight or obesity at 3 y of age than was the latent class 2 diet. These associations were not detectable after adjustment for confounding factors. We observed an inverse association between the latent class 3 diet and BMI-for-age z score at birth after adjustment for confounding factors that was not evident in the crude analysis (latent class 3 compared with latent class 2-β: -0.41; 95% CI: -0.79, -0.03). CONCLUSION In this prospective study, a less-healthy maternal dietary pattern was associated with early childhood weight patterns.
Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Detection of the JP2 Clone of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in Subgingival Plaque

ABSTRACT We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification method that detects the JP2 clone of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, which induces aggressive periodontitis in adolescents of North and West African descents. Being independent of special equipment, this specific and sensitive method offers significant advantages for screening of patients on a population basis and in clinical settings.
Exchange Rate Volatility & Macroeconomic Variables in Pakistan

Role of exchange rate in affecting the macroeconomic performance of any country is of leading nature. This study has been conducted to investigate whether uncertainty or fluctuations in exchange rate affect the macroeconomic variables in Pakistan. If so, what the direction of this effect will be? Although, there are large number of macroeconomic variables, but out of these only four variables i.e, GDP, FDI, growth rate and trade openness have been included in this study. These variables have been taken as dependent variables and real exchange rate volatility has been selected as an independent variable. GARCH model has been applied in this study to calculate volatility of real exchange rate and Ordinary Least Square regression technique has been used to investigate the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Finding of this study confirmed the impact of exchange rate volatility on macro economic variables in Pakistan. It is also concluded that exchange rate volatility positively affects GDP, Growth rate and trade openness and negatively affects the FDI.
The determinants of environmental innovation: the impacts of environmental policies on the Nordic pulp, paper and packaging industries

Innovations may have positive societal effects such as improved environmental performance, and they are often portrayed as solutions to environmental problems. However, the mechanisms through which innovations develop and the ways in which public incentives support improved environmental performance of innovations are complex. This paper uses empirical cases to examine how environmental policies, market factors and technological push affect process and product innovations in the Nordic pulp, paper and packaging industries. The results show that environmental improvements in technologies and products are simultaneously driven by all three of these factors. Environmental innovations are often developed in anticipation of future policy or as side-effects of existing policies. However, while environmental policy directly influences process innovations, its connection to product innovations is less clear. The study points towards the importance of gradually tightening and predictable environmental policies that are flexible enough to allow the exploration of new technological developments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Environmental Regulations and New Plant Location Decisions: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis

Stricter environmental regulations are often opposed on the grounds that they will alter equilibrium capital flows. Empirical evidence in this area remains largely unresolved, mainly due to the quite disparate results found in the literature. This paper takes a positive look at the relationship between new manufacturing plant location decisions and environmental regulations by examining data from 11 studies that provide more than 365 observations. One major result from our meta-analysis is that methodological considerations play a critical role in shaping the body of received estimates. Our empirical estimates also lend insights into future research that is necessary before any robust conclusions can be made regarding the effects of environmental regulations on capital flows.
Understanding the nutritional chemistry of lupin (Lupinus spp.) seed to improve livestock production efficiency

Abstract In their raw, unprocessed form, lupins have many desirable characteristics for feeding both ruminants and single-stomached animals. An emphasis on these desirable characteristics when formulating diets, combined with an advanced knowledge of how components of lupins can influence nutritional value, will ensure they make a cost-effective contribution to livestock diets. The main lupin species used in livestock diets include Lupinus albus, L. angustifolius and L. luteus. Supplementation of ruminant diets with lupins has been shown to have many positive effects in terms of growth and reproductive efficiency, comparable with supplements of cereal grain. The true value of lupins in ruminants, however, can only be determined following a better definition of animal requirements and a closer match of ration specifications. Pigs can effectively utilize L. angustifolius and L. luteus, but detailed research has yet to reveal the reason for poor utilization of diets containing L. albus. Poultry can tolerate high levels of lupins in their diets but levels are often restricted to avoid problems associated with excess moisture in the excreta. Variable responses to enzymes have been observed when attempting to rectify this problem. Lupins have unique carbohydrate properties characterized by negligible levels of starch, high levels of soluble and insoluble NSP, and high levels of raffinose oligosaccharides, all of which can affect the utilization of energy and the digestion of other nutrients in the diet. In addition to carbohydrates, an understanding of lupin protein, lipid and mineral composition together with a knowledge of potential anti-nutritional compounds is required if the use of this legume is to be optimized.
‘Global warming is not a crisis!’ – Studying climate change skepticism on the Web

This article makes a contribution to the study of the climate controversy by using Web data to research the status of skepticism within the climate debate. In March 2008 the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based libertarian public policy think-tank, organised the first international conference for climate change skeptics with the theme ‘Can You Hear Us Now? Global Warming is Not a Crisis! ’ The event format was that of a traditional scientific conference with three days of parallel sessions and keynote speakers as well as online proceedings. In his opening remarks Heartland’s president Joseph L. Bast stressed that the conference featured talks by over 200 scientists and other experts from leading universities and organisations from all over the world.
Particle Filtering Approximation of Kriegspiel Play with Opponent Modeling

Kriesgpiel, or partially observable chess, is appealing to the AI community due to its similarity to real-world applications in which a decision maker is not a lone agent changing the environment. This paper applies the framework of interactive POMDPs to design a competent Kriegspiel player. The novel element proposed here is a way to handle complexity in I-POMDPs by using the notion of quantal response developed in behavioral game theory. This allows us to model only one (or a few) prototypical opponents while representing a whole ensemble of possible levels of expertise of the opponent’s evaluation functions. The model is used to predict the opponent’s likely moves. The moves of our own player can then be computed based on these predictions. Furthermore, we explore practical considerations when approximating I-POMDP solutions. Due to the immense number of possible states in a game of chess, we approximate the distribution over states using a sampling of possible states. We show the practical viability of our approach by testing a Kriegspiel playing agent against human players.
The Effects of Quantitative Easing on Bank Lending Behavior

The paper shows that banks' exposure to large scale asset purchases, as measured by the relative prevalence of mortgage-backed securities on their books, plays an important role in their lending behavior following unconventional monetary policy shocks. Using both bank- and loan-level regressions that control for demand shocks, this paper finds very strong and significant effects of QE3 on the credit given out by highly affected commercial banks, with the former group increasing lending by about 2.8%-3.3% relative to its counterparts. The results reveal no significant impact of QE2, which is consistent with its exclusive focus on securities that are sparsely held by banks. As a likely by-product of the crisis, QE1 had a strong and significant but quantitatively smaller impact on lending than QE3. The mechanisms point to the importance of both mark-to-market equity improvements as well as additional reserve inflows for the highly exposed banks. The study concludes that banks' exposure to MBS is an important determinant of the bank-level intensity of the lending channel. The type of asset being targeted by QE has key implications for bank lending.