Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can Thinking Green and Sustainability Be an Economic Opportunity for ASEAN

ASEAN member states (AMS) are confronted by serious environmental problems that threaten to undermine future growth and regional stability. This paper considers four major environmental challenges that policymakers across ASEAN will need to address towards 2030: water management, deforestation and land degradation, air pollution, and climate change. We argue that these challenges, each unique in its own way, exhibit the characteristics of wicked problems. As developed in the planning literature, and now applied much more broadly, wicked problems are dynamic and complex, encompass many issues and stakeholders, and evade straightforward, lasting solutions. Detailed case studies are presented to illustrate the complexity and significance of these environmental challenges, as well as their nature as wicked problems. The most important implication of this finding is that there will be no easy or universal solutions to environmental problems across ASEAN, as Environmental Performance Indicators (EPI) illustrate. This is a caution against over-optimism for formulating sector-specific solutions. It is not, however, a counsel for despair. We suggest general principles which may be useful across the board to tackle the issues and accelerate green growth. These are: a focus on cobenefits; an emphasis on stakeholder participation; a commitment to scientific and technological research; an emphasis on long-term planning; pricing reform; tackling governance issues, in addition to generally bolstering institutional capacity with regard to environmental regulation; and a strengthening of regionally coordinated approaches and international support.
The hidden record at Torre d'en Galmés, Menorca. Accounts from soil micromorphological analysis

EnglishMenorca contains a wealth of archaeological sites dating to the Talayotic period (1st millennium BC) and occupied throughout the late Middle Ages. These sites have been the object of a number of excavations in the past decades. Most excavations have concentrated on revealing the architecture and traditional aspects of the archaeological record. Many facets of site formation and the stratigra­phic record, however, are often not visible, go unnoticed, or are largely under the radar. The main goal of this paper is to show how archaeological soil micromorphology can reveal information about human activities and site use within and between structures at Torre d’en Galmes that are virtually unseen in the field. As such, it more than supplements information derived from the ‘traditional’ archaeological record, which can be deficient in revealing what people were actually doing at the site, and should be viewed as part of the archaeological record. EnglishMenorca es rica en yacimientos arqueologicos construidos durante el primer milenio a.C. —cultura talayotica— y ocupados de manera intermitente hasta la Baja Edad Media. En las ultimas decadas, varios de estos yacimientos han sido objeto de intervenciones arqueologicas con proyectos de inves­tigacion centrados en el estudio de la arquitectura, ceramica, fauna y otros materiales recuperados durante la excavacion. Sin embargo, algunos aspectos del registro arqueologico no son visibles en el yacimiento. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es mostrar como la micromorfologia de suelos puede revelar informacion sobre actividades humanas y el uso del espacio en el yacimiento de Torre d’en Galmes, aunque sean invisibles durante los trabajos de campo. De esta manera, la micromorfologia complementa la informacion que se obtiene del registro arqueologico “tradicional”, que puede ser deficiente en el estudio de actividades humanas y estudio del pasado.
Objective Analysis of Retinal Function in HIV-positive Children Without Retinitis Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: To assess the retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in children with human immunodeficiency virus disease without cytomegalovirus retinitis or visual symptoms. Methods: Thirty-eight eyes of 19 human immunodeficiency virus-positive children (group A) with visual acuity of 20/20 or better, normal color vision testing and no ophthalmoscopically detectable disorders were prospectively examined. All subjects of group A had no history of cytomegalovirus retinitis and CD4 counts consistently above 100. Patients in group B (40 eyes of 21 patients) were human immunodeficiency virus-negative age-matched control subjects. Thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer along a 3.4-mm-diameter circle centered on the optic nerve head was evaluated using third-generation optical coherence tomography. CD8 T-lymphocyte count, presence of systemic infection, hemoglobin, hematocrit and serum β-microglobulin levels were also recorded. Results: The mean overall retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in groups A and B were 89.2 ± 24.01 μm and 102.82 ± 29.168 μm (SD) respectively. The difference was considered extremely significant (P < 0.0001). Group A had significantly thinner average nerve fiber layer in temporal, nasal, superior and inferior retinal areas. Conclusions: Significant retinal nerve fiber layer thinning occurs in human immunodeficiency virus-positive children with no visual impairment or ophthalmologic evidence or retinitis.
Determinants of cognitive outcomes of perinatal and childhood stroke: A review

Our understanding of cognitive and behavioral outcomes of perinatal and childhood stroke is rapidly evolving. A current understanding of cognitive outcomes following pediatric stroke can inform prognosis and direct interventions and our understanding of plasticity in the developing brain. However, our understanding of these outcomes has been hampered by the notable heterogeneity that exists amongst the pediatric stroke population, as the influences of various demographic, cognitive, neurological, etiological, and psychosocial variables preclude broad generalizations about outcomes in any one cognitive domain. We therefore aimed to conduct a detailed overview of the published literature regarding the effects of age at stroke, time since stroke, sex, etiology, lesion characteristics (i.e., location, laterality, volume), neurologic impairment, and seizures on cognitive outcomes following pediatric stroke. A key theme arising from this review is the importance of interactive effects among variables on cognitive outcomes following pediatric stroke. Interactions particularly of note include the following: (a) age at Stroke x Lesion Location; (b) Lesion Characteristics (i.e., volume, location) x Neurologic Impairment; (c) Lesion Volume x Time Since Stroke; (d) Sex x Lesion Laterality; and (e) Seizures x Time Since Stroke. Further, it appears that these relationships do not always apply uniformly across cognitive domains but, rather, are contingent upon the cognitive ability in question. Implications for future research directions are discussed.
Possible hepatotoxicity of chronic marijuana usage.

CONTEXT Hepatotoxicity is a potential complication from the usage of various illicit drugs, possibly consequent to their liver metabolism, but information on this is scarce in the medical literature. OBJECTIVE To study the occurrence of clinical and laboratory hepatic alterations in chronic marijuana users, from the use of marijuana on its own or in association with other legal or illicit drugs. TYPE OF STUDY transversal study SETTING Hospital Espírita de Marília, Marília, São Paulo, Brazil PARTICIPANTS The study was made among 123 patients interned in the Hospital Espírita de Marília from October 1996 to December 1998, divided into 3 groups: 26 (21%) using only marijuana, 83 (67.5%) using marijuana and crack, and 14 (11.4%) consuming marijuana and alcohol. PROCEDURES AND MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Patients were examined clinically with special emphasis on types of drugs used, drug intake route, age when consumption began, length and pattern of usage, presence of tattooing, jaundice, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Serum determinations of total proteins, albumin, globulin, total and fractions of bilirubin, aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamyltransferase and prothrombin activity were performed. RESULTS Among users of only marijuana, hepatomegaly was observed in 57.7% and splenomegaly in 73.1%, and slightly elevated AST (42.3%), ALT (34.6%) and AP (53.8%). The three groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and hepatosplenomegaly. The group using both marijuana and alcohol showed the highest prevalence of alterations and highest levels of aminotransferases. Mean AP levels were above normal in all groups. CONCLUSIONS Chronic marijuana usage, on its own or in association with other drugs, was associated with hepatic morphologic and enzymatic alterations. This indicates that cannabinoids are possible hepatotoxic substances.
Smoking during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder in a Finnish National Birth Cohort.

BACKGROUND Results of previous population-based studies examining associations between smoking during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are contradictory. Furthermore, there is a lack of population-based studies examining the relationship between smoking during pregnancy and the main diagnostic subtypes of ASD. METHODS We conducted a population-based nested case-control study based on the Finnish Prenatal Study of Autism (FIPS-A) among liveborn infants delivered in Finland between 1987 and 2005. Data on maternal smoking during pregnancy were available from the Finnish Medical Birth Register (FMBR) since October 1990. Data on ASD in the offspring were obtained from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR). RESULTS Among the three subtypes of ASD, maternal smoking during the whole pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) (odds ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval 1.0, 1.5). The increase in odds persisted after controlling for maternal age, mother's socio-economic and psychiatric status, and infant's weight for gestational age. However, smoking exposure limited to the first trimester was not associated with PDD or any of the other ASD subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Maternal smoking is related to a modest increase in risk of PDD, while no associations were observed for childhood autism and Asperger's syndrome.
Protective Effects of Ghrelin on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in the Isolated Rat Heart

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, has been reported to have beneficial effects on cardiac function. The authors used the Langendorff model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in isolated rat heart to determine whether ghrelin exerts direct cardioprotective effects. Also, the capacity of ghrelin to bind to sarcolemmal membrane fractions before and after ischemia and reperfusion was examined. Compared with vehicle administration, administration of ghrelin (100–10,000 p M) during the reperfusion period resulted in improvement in coronary flow, heart rate, left ventricular systolic pressure, and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Ghrelin also enhanced the rates of left ventricular contraction and relaxation after ischemia following reperfusion. Administration of ghrelin during reperfusion reduced myocardial release of lactate dehydrogenase and myoglobin, indicating protection against cardiomyocyte injury. In addition, ghrelin attenuated the depletion of myocardial ATP resulting from ischemia and reperfusion. A receptor-binding assay demonstrated that maximum binding capacity of ghrelin to sarcolemmal membranes was significantly increased after ischemia and was further increased after I/R. However, Scatchard analysis showed that the affinity of ghrelin for its receptor was not altered. The authors have concluded that administration of ghrelin during reperfusion protects against myocardial I/R injury. The cardioprotective effects are independent of growth hormone release and likely involve binding to cardiovascular receptors, a process that is upregulated during I/R.
Neuroprotective Strategies for Traumatic Brain Injury: Improving Clinical Translation

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces secondary biochemical changes that contribute to delayed neuroinflammation, neuronal cell death, and neurological dysfunction. Attenuating such secondary injury has provided the conceptual basis for neuroprotective treatments. Despite strong experimental data, more than 30 clinical trials of neuroprotection in TBI patients have failed. In part, these failures likely reflect methodological differences between the clinical and animal studies, as well as inadequate pre-clinical evaluation and/or trial design problems. However, recent changes in experimental approach and advances in clinical trial methodology have raised the potential for successful clinical translation. Here we critically analyze the current limitations and translational opportunities for developing successful neuroprotective therapies for TBI.
The frequency and amplitude of growth hormone secretory episodes as determined by deconvolution analysis are increased in adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and are unaffected by short‐term euglycaemia

OBJECTIVE High overnight plasma growth hormone (GH) levels in insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are reflected in both an increase in the GH pulse amplitude and elevated baseline GH concentrations. To determine whether these are a result of an increase in GH secretory episodes, we undertook deconvolution analysis of overnight GH profiles using previously determined half‐life data.
A Novel Approach to the Classification of the Transient Phenomena in Power Transformers Using Combined Wavelet Transform and Neural Network

The wavelet transform is a powerful tool in the analysis of the power transformer transient phenomena because of its ability to extract information from the transient signals simultaneously in both the time and frequency domain. This paper presents a novel technique for accurate discrimination between an intemal fault and a magnetizing inrush current in the power transformer by combining wavelet transforms with neural networks. The wavelet transform is first applied to decompose the differential current signals of the power transformer into a series of detailed wavelet components. The spectral energies of the wavelet components are calculated and then employed to train a neural network to discriminate an intemal fault from the magnetizing inrush current. The simulated results presented clearly show that the proposed technique can accurately discriminate between an intemal fault and a magnetizing inrush current in power transformer protection.
The Impact of Monetary Policies on the Exchange Rate: A GMM Approach

T his paper investigates the impact of monetary policies on the exchange rate of selected developing countries during the period 2001-2010. For this purpose, in addition to the theoretical explanation, dynamic panel data based on the generalized method of moments (GMM) have been used to estimate the model. Our findings indicate that the lag of exchange rate variable has a positive and significant effect on the exchange rate. This result reflects the dynamics of the exchange rate over time. Additionally, this paper indicates that the coefficient of liquidity as an indicator of monetary policy is positive and significant. Moreover, GDP, inflation, and exports of goods and services have negative, positive, and negative effects on the exchange rate, respectively, and all are statistically significant. Paying more attention to the exchange rate and the optimal control of liquidity in the economy is suggested as a policy recommendation in this research.
Mutations in the cytoplasmic domain of EGF receptor affect EGF binding and receptor internalization.

Binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to its receptor results in a cascade of events that culminate in cell division. The receptor is present on the cell surface in two forms of high and low affinity binding for EGF. EGF binding activates the receptor's intracellular tyrosine kinase activity and subsequently causes the receptor to be rapidly internalized into the cell via clathrin‐coated pits. We have cloned the EGF receptor cDNA into a retroviral expression vector and made mutations in vitro to investigate the function of different receptor domains. Deletion of cytoplasmic sequences abolishes high but not low affinity sites as well as impairing the ability of the protein to internalize into cells. Thus, cytoplasmic sequences must be involved in the regulation of high affinity sites and are required for EGF‐induced receptor internalization. A four amino acid insertion mutation at residue 708 abolishes the protein‐tyrosine kinase activity of the immunoprecipitated receptor. However, this receptor mutant exhibits both the high and low affinity states, internalizes efficiently and is able to cause cells to undergo DNA synthesis in response to EGF. Another four amino acid insertion mutation (residue 888) abolishes protein‐tyrosine kinase activity, high affinity binding, internalization and mitogenic responsiveness. Finally, a chimaeric receptor composed of the extracellular EGF binding domain and the cytoplasmic v‐abl kinase region transforms Rat‐I cells. This chimaeric receptor possesses intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity which cannot be regulated by EGF. Moreover, EGF fails to induce the internalization of the chimaeric receptor.
Skills for the First Job

This paper develops a model which provides a characterization of the joint distribution of the duration of search, accepted wages and skills with unobserved heterogeneity based on Eckstein and Wolpin (1995). We aim to estimate the effect of cognitive and socio-emotional skills on first job wages and duration of job search. Observed and unobserved heterogeneity are exploited as sources of identification. The data is drawn from the 2010 ENHAB which has not been used for this purpose before and which contains full retrospective information on first job outcomes and children. The model is estimated through a maximization of the joint Likelihood. Preliminary results regarding wages show that socio-emotional skills are the most valued among high skilled individuals, whereas cognitive skills are the most valued among low skilled individuals. Predicted wages for type I individuals are always above the observed wage, for every schooling level. Regarding duration of first job search, results show that the socio-emotional high skilled individual receives more job offers than the cognitive high skilled with the same schooling level.
Macroeconomic Determinants Of Non-Performing Loans (Npl): Evidence From Pakistan

This analytical study investigates the determinants of non-performing loan in Pakistan. Secondary data is used in this study. The data is collected through World Bank Databank, international financial statistics and various issues of economic survey of Pakistan. The issue of Non-Performing Loan is one of the clusters of financial problems in Pakistan. No one can deny the importance of financial sector in any economy. In this study we find the macroeconomic factor that surge the NPL. We also suggest some strategies to cutback the non-performing loans. Current study uses the time series data of Pakistan, ranging from 1990 to 2013. Ordinary least square (OLS) method is used to investigate the problem. The dependent variable is non-performing loan and independent variables are exchange rate, interest rate, GDP, share prices, energy crisis, exchange rate and energy crisis. GDP has significant relationship with NPL and interest rate, share prices have insignificant relationships with NPL. A positive link has established between non-performing loans and various independent variables like energy crisis, exchange rate, interest rate, share prices. But on the other hand a negative relationship has been found between dependent variable and GDP.
Tendency toward Mega Containerships and the Constraints of Container Terminals

This paper focuses on the coping ability of the existing container terminals when mega containerships call at a port. The length of 30,000 TEU (Twenty Equivalent Unit) ships are predicted to be 453 m and occupy 498 m of a quay wall. As a result, the length of berth should be more than a minimum of 500 m. If a 25,000 TEU ship or 30,000 TEU ship call at a terminal, the outreach of QC (Quay Crane) should be a minimum 74.3 m or 81.0 m respectively. As mega ships are calling at the port, the ship waiting time, the available stacking area, and the number of handling equipment can be limited. The analysis reveals that larger ships wait for longer than the smaller ones because they have difficulty allocating the proper seat on berth. As a result of the survey in a terminal, the average occupancy is shown to be 60.4%, the minimum is 52.4%, and the maximum is 73.3%. Surveying the monthly equipment operation rate for 3 years, the average is 85.8%, the minimum is 80.1%, and the maximum is 90.1%. If a mega ship of more than 25,000 TEU appears, the rate will be excessively increased during peak time.
Focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma of the liver: differentiation with multiphasic helical CT.

OBJECTIVE Differences of attenuation and enhancement patterns in focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma were evaluated and quantified using triphasic single-slice helical CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-five histologically proven focal nodular hyperplasias in 27 patients and 18 hepatocellular adenomas in six patients were examined with helical CT. Quantitative evaluation included the following: attenuation of lesions, scar, and liver parenchyma during unenhanced, arterial (20 sec after injection), and portal venous phases (70 sec after injection); relative enhancement of lesions and liver (the ratio between attenuation in arterial phase and portal venous phase, respectively, and attenuation in unenhanced phase); and the prevalence of scar and its central vessel in focal nodular hyperplasia. RESULTS The study showed no significant difference between mean attenuation values of focal nodular hyperplasia (mean +/- SD, 51.2 +/- 5.9 H) and hepatocellular adenoma (mean +/- SD, 56.3 +/- 7.8 H) in the unenhanced phase. In the arterial phase attenuation values were significantly higher in focal nodular hyperplasia (mean +/- SD, 117.9 +/- 15.1 H) than in hepatocellular adenoma (mean +/- SD, 80.1 +/- 10.5 H). In the portal venous phase no significant differences in attenuation values were detected between focal nodular hyperplasia (mean +/- SD, 112.1 +/- 20.4 H) and hepatocellular adenoma (mean +/- SD, 110.2 +/- 12.9 H). For enhancement parameter thresholds separating focal nodular hyperplasia from hepatocellular adenoma, the following were found: the relative enhancement was higher in 100% of the focal nodular hyperplasias and lower than or equal to 1.6 (accuracy, 96%) in 87% of the hepatocellular adenomas. CONCLUSION Triphasic helical CT combined with quantitative evaluation of liver lesions offers the possibility of detecting differences in liver lesions that are visually similar on CT. The attenuation and relative enhancement in the arterial phase show significant differences that make accurate differentiation between focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma possible.
Risiken im Lebenszyklus Theorie und Evidenz

Der einzelne Mensch ist im Lebensverlauf erheblichen biometrischen, okonomischen, familiaren und politischen Risiken ausgesetzt. Viele meinen, diese waren in den letzten Jahren groser geworden. Haben wir die richtigen Institutionen, um diese Risiken effizient abzudecken? Unter Institutionen verstehen wir individuelles Sparen, familiare Hilfe, private Versicherungen und schlieslich den Staat mit seinen Sozialversicherungen. Wo und wann funktionieren diese Institutionen? Wo und wann nicht? Was muss man tun, um sie zu verbessern? Wie sieht modernes „Social Risk Management“ aus? Der erste Teil dieses Ubersichtsbeitrags skizziert die wirtschaftstheoretischen Grundlagen des Sparverhaltens, der Portefeuillewahl und der Versicherungsnachfrage. Im Hauptteil werden die empirischen Befunde gesammelt, um im dritten Teil wirtschaftspolitische Schlussfolgerungen zu ziehen.