Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Economic Impact of Climate Change on Crop Production in Ethiopia: Evidence from Cross-section Measures

This study used the Ricardian approach that captures farmer adaptations to varying environmental factors to analyze the impact of climate change on crop farming in Ethiopia. By collecting data from farm households in different agro-ecological zones of the county, net crop revenue per hectare was regressed on climate, household and soil variables. The results show that these variables have a significant impact on the net crop revenue per hectare of farmers under Ethiopian conditions. The seasonal marginal impact analysis indicates that marginally increasing temperature during summer and winter would significantly reduce crop net revenue per hectare whereas marginally increasing precipitation during spring would significantly increase net crop revenue per hectare. Moreover, the net crop revenue impact of predicted climate scenarios from three models (CGM2, HaDCM3 and PCM) for the years 2050 and 2100 indicated that there would be a reduction in crop net revenue per hectare by the years 2050 and 2100. Moreover, the reduction in net revenue per hectare by the year 2100 would be more than the reduction by the year 2050 indicating the damage that climate change would pose increases with time unless this negative impact is abated through adaptation. Additionally, results indicate that the net revenue impact of climate change is not uniformly distributed across the different agro-ecological zones of Ethiopia. Copyright 2009 The author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for the Study of African Economies. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Topiramate in adolescents with juvenile bipolar disorder presenting weight gain due to atypical antipsychotics or mood stabilizers: an open clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Many children and adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD) do not adhere to the pharmacological treatment due to weight gain. This investigation aims to describe response, side effects, and weight changes in a sample of youths with BPD while receiving topiramate for 11 weeks during the treatment maintenance phase. METHODS Ten consecutive outpatients with BPD (11-17 years) using a single mood stabilizer and/or an antipsychotic presenting weight gain over 5% of their baseline weight were enrolled in this 11-week protocol. Their medication was switched to topiramate during the first 4 weeks. The Young Mania Rating Scale (Y-MRS) was the main outcome measure to assess response to the treatment in a weekly basis. Side effects and weight were also assessed weekly. RESULTS In repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA), we found a significant reduction in both the YMRS scores (F = 10.21; p ,0.01) and in weight (F = 8.04; p ,0.01) during the trial. CONCLUSIONS These initial findings suggesting antimanic effects for topiramate during the treatment maintenance phase associated with weight reductions indicate the need of randomized clinical trials assessing this clinical relevant issue.
Is Diversity Management Related to Financial Performance in Family Firms?

Policies and practices designed to foster diversity in organizations are now well integrated into a firm’s corporate strategy. In this article, we examine the role diversity management policies play in the financial performance of family firms, based on the premise that family firms have unique goals and governance structures that may affect the adoption of such policies. Using a longitudinal data set covering 952 publicly listed firms and multidimensional measures for diversity and financial performance, our empirical analyses suggest that family firms underperform nonfamily firms on diversity performance indicators. Interestingly, however, we find that the weaker diversity management practices of family firms may contribute to their robust financial performance.
Ganglia of the flexor tendon sheaths in the hand.

1. The features of ganglia of the flexor tendon sheaths of the hand are described. 2. A high incidence in typists is discussed in relation to etiology and pathogenesis. 3. The suggestion is made that needle rupture is the method of choice, with surgical excision in case of recurrence.
Off‐farm investment of farm households: A logit analysis

This investigation considers factors affecting off‐farm investment of farm households. A national farm‐level survey was used to evaluate the effects of various farm and operator characteristics on the likelihood of off‐farm investment. Results suggest differences in level of education, age of the operator, off‐farm income, household net worth, leverage, farm size, farm diversification, management skills, and location influence off‐farm investment decisions.
Robust TCP Reassembly with a Hardware-Based Solution for Backbone Traffic

There is a growing interest in designing high-speed network devices to perform packet processing at stream layer. However, variety kinds of out-of- sequence packets in real traffic will make trouble for hardware-based TCP reassembly system which is less flexible for exceptional processing. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of behavior characteristic of out-of-sequence packets in real backbone traffic and propose a hardware-based solution for TCP reassembly based on the results of analysis. This solution could reassemble a TCP stream with concurrent multi discontinuous out-of-order data segments and provide a robust buffer management strategy for out-of-order data. We have also assessed the memory size and bandwidth required for reassembling real 10G traffic. The simulation result shows that the system can process over 99% of the 10G backbone traffic using reasonable storage resources. A FPGA-based prototype is also implemented for evaluation.
MANAGERIAL AND OWNERSHIP SUCCESSION AND CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING: THE CASE OF MANAGEMENT BUY‐INS*

This paper addresses the effects on corporate restructuring of changing management and ownership. First, it synthesises a number of perspectives on corporate restructuring which involve managerial succession, voluntary restructuring, agency theory, incentives and entrepreneurship, to obtain insights into the relative impact of simultaneously changing either, neither or both management and ownership. Second, it uses case study evidence from management buy‐ins to examine the effects of changing both management and ownership. the evidence suggests that whilst management may be adequately incentivized, problems may arise in respect of information asymmetries, difficulties in matching entrepreneurs to the context and monitoring by venture capitalists, and implementation of strategies.
FHR-1 Binds to C-Reactive Protein and Enhances Rather than Inhibits Complement Activation

Factor H–related protein (FHR) 1 is one of the five human FHRs that share sequence and structural homology with the alternative pathway complement inhibitor FH. Genetic studies on disease associations and functional analyses indicate that FHR-1 enhances complement activation by competitive inhibition of FH binding to some surfaces and immune proteins. We have recently shown that FHR-1 binds to pentraxin 3. In this study, our aim was to investigate whether FHR-1 binds to another pentraxin, C-reactive protein (CRP), analyze the functional relevance of this interaction, and study the role of FHR-1 in complement activation and regulation. FHR-1 did not bind to native, pentameric CRP, but it bound strongly to monomeric CRP via its C-terminal domains. FHR-1 at high concentration competed with FH for CRP binding, indicating possible complement deregulation also on this ligand. FHR-1 did not inhibit regulation of solid-phase C3 convertase by FH and did not inhibit terminal complement complex formation induced by zymosan. On the contrary, by binding C3b, FHR-1 allowed C3 convertase formation and thereby enhanced complement activation. FHR-1/CRP interactions increased complement activation via the classical and alternative pathways on surfaces such as the extracellular matrix and necrotic cells. Altogether, these results identify CRP as a ligand for FHR-1 and suggest that FHR-1 enhances, rather than inhibits, complement activation, which may explain the protective effect of FHR-1 deficiency in age-related macular degeneration.
Trends in China’s domestic tourism development at the turn of the century

China’s domestic tourism has developed quickly in the past 20 years. This article briefly reviews the scale of expansion in domestic tourism in China and summarizes three important factors contributing to that great change. In search of development trends, the article examines the main products of domestic tourism and government policy changes that influence tourism development. The conclusion is that China’s domestic tourism has shifted to the 3H (high input, high risk and high output) pattern. Besides intermediate‐long‐haul sightseeing and business tourism, domestic tourists frequently take medium‐short‐distance sightseeing trips and short‐distance weekend vacations, which forms ReBAM (Recreational belt around metropolis), a new tourist spatial pattern.
The nation-state and economic globalization: soft geo-politics and increased state autonomy?

Abstract Many social scientists contend that the nation-state is experiencing a loss of power and autonomy in the era of economic globalization. In contrast, this article argues that as advanced capitalist nation-states actively promote economic globalization and its associated political institutions, they gain increased power and autonomy in this contemporary phase of their ongoing historical development. Economic globalization is theorized, first, as a ‘soft’ geo-politics, with which states use economic means to acquire international geo-political hegemony. More importantly, globalization represents a strategy with which advanced capitalist states – along with members of their capitalist classes – shift the politics of accumulation away from domestic citizenries to gain increased control over their political-economies and greater insulation from intra-national contestation. It is states' increased autonomy that provides them leverage to dissolve relationships of reciprocity, obligation, and shared determination that have embedded accumulation within the territorially rooted nation and that partly constitute the foundations of nation-hood and participatory citizenship. Individual states' ability to use globalization toward these ends depends upon their relative power within the inter-state system and their indigenous subaltern groups' capacity to retain partial control over economic decision-making, through collective action.
Renouncing Personal Names: An Empirical Examination of Surname Change and Earnings

We study the effects of surname change to Swedish‐sounding or neutral names on earnings for immigrants from Asian/African/Slavic countries. To estimate this effect, we exploit the variation resulting from different timing of name changes across individuals during the 1990s. The results imply that there is a substantial increase in annual earnings after a name change, no effects on earnings prior to a name change, and no positive general effects of a new name for other groups that renounced a foreign name. Based on these findings, we argue that these effects are due to name change as a response to discrimination.
Explaining Location Patterns of Suburban Offices

Suburban office markets exhibit a pattern of variegated clustering that is little explained by the conventional theories of urban form based on agglomeration effects and the cost of distance. To explain the pattern, this paper introduces industry economies of scale for "Class A" offices. Empirical tests for industry economies of scale are reported, based on data from the office market of Houston, Texas. The models presented, under conditions typical of North American cities in recent decades, imply the patterns of variegated clustering that are observed. They suggest a sequence of clusters, increasing in size and distance from the central business district. Further, they imply the potential for mass movement by tenants from older clusters to new. Copyright 2003 by the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association
Securing biometric authentication using DNA sequence and Naccache Stern Knapsack cryptosystem

Naccache Stern Knapsack (NSK) cryptosystem is a public key cryptosystem which overcomes the drawbacks in the existing RSA system. The proposed system is capable of factoring large integers. The proposed biometric is Deoxyribonucleic Nucleic Acid (DNA) which helps in secure transmission of huge amount of data. It has a structure capable of saving enormous amount of data and also has a unique feature among individuals. DNA provides high security level, long term stability, user acceptance and is intrusive. Combining Naccache Stern Knapsack and DNA sequence, a novel biometric authentication scheme is proposed.
INVESTIGATING SLIM DISK SOLUTIONS FOR HLX-1 IN ESO 243-49

The hyperluminous X-ray source HLX-1 in the galaxy ESO 243-49, currently the best intermediate-mass black hole (BH) candidate, displays spectral transitions similar to those observed in Galactic BH binaries, but with a luminosity 100–1000 times higher. We investigated the X-ray properties of this unique source by fitting multi-epoch data collected by Swift, XMM-Newton, and Chandra with a disk model computing spectra for a wide range of sub- and super-Eddington accretion rates assuming a non-spinning BH and a face-on disk (i = 0°). Under these assumptions we find that the BH in HLX-1 is in the intermediate-mass range (∼2 × 104 M☉) and the accretion flow is in the sub-Eddington regime. The disk radiation efficiency is η = 0.11 ± 0.03. We also show that the source does follow the LX ∝ T4 relation for our mass estimate. At the outburst peaks, the source radiates near the Eddington limit. The accretion rate then stays constant around 4 × 10−4 M☉ yr−1 for several days and then decreases exponentially. Such “plateaus” in the accretion rate could be evidence that enhanced mass-transfer rate is the driving outburst mechanism in HLX-1. We also report on the new outburst observed in 2011 August by the Swift X-Ray Telescope. The time of this new outburst further strengthens the ∼1 year recurrence timescale.
Bringing theory to practice: how to extract value from corporate social responsibility

Purpose – This contribution aims to clarify the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an issue of governance and a strategic tool more than a mere communication activity, with a potential impact on both organizations and their economic and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview of the literature contribution on CSR and its impact on value, offering a new conceptual model useful both for managers and relevant stakeholders in assessing, through an integrated approach, the company performance. Findings – The analysis focuses on how CSR investments can create value for companies and for stakeholders in general. This can occur if the related benefits exceed the related costs, generating a favorable balance toward what we called the virtuous cycle of CSR. This cycle is made up of four steps – decision, design, action and result – that define a potential value creation path that a responsible firm can take, assuming that it integrates a social agenda into i.
Resolution of granulomatous rosacea after eradication of Helicobacter pylori with clarithromycin, metronidazole and pantoprazole

The aetiopathogenetic role of Helicobacter pylori in rosacea remains controversial. We report a 27-year-old man with a 4-year history of intractable rosacea. Histopathology showed epithelioid granulomas. H. pylori infection was proven directly on gastroscopy and by serological testing. Treatment with clarithromycin, metronidazole and pantoprazole eradicated H. pylori. Skin changes were markedly improved by the end of this therapy and had resolved completely 2 months later. The patient has been followed up, and has remained free of symptoms for 3 years. We suggest that H. pylori may be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of granulomatous rosacea.
Applying Market Solutions to Public Services

Political fragmentation in metropolitan regions makes equitable and efficient delivery of public services difficult. Regionalism, although promoted as more equitable and rational, has found limited political support. Public choice theory argues, against regionalism, that political fragmentation can promote competition and efficiency by creating markets for public services. The authors assess the efficacy of market solutions for metropolitan public service provision by comparing privatization with intermunicipal cooperation and evaluating each on efficiency, equity, and democracy grounds. Using probit regression analysis of a national survey of local government service delivery from 1992 and 1997, the authorsfind that both alternatives promote efficiency, but equity and voice are more associated with intermunicipal cooperation than privatization.
How (and Why) Is This Time Different? The Politics of Economic Crisis in Western Europe and the United States

This article compares government responses to the Great Recession of 2008–2009 with government responses to recessions and other economic challenges in the period 1974–1982. We focus on five countries: France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Across these countries, we observe two broad shifts in crisis responses. First, governments have in the recent period eschewed heterodox crisis policies and relied more exclusively on fiscal stimulus. Second, tax cuts have become a more important component of fiscal stimulus while spending cuts have featured more prominently in governments' efforts to consolidate their fiscal position. We argue that crisis responses reflect the interests and power of domestic actors as well as external constraints and the nature of the economic problems at hand.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Carriage in 10 Nursing Homes in Orange County, California

Nursing home residents have multiple risk factors for acquiring mefhicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including diabetes, hemodialysis, frequent hospitalization, and sharing rooms and common areas. Previous studies showed MRSA prevalence ranged 5%-40%, but few studied entire regions or explained this variation. '" We measured MRSA prevalence among nursing homes within 1 county and identified factors predicting carriage. We measured MRSA carriage in residents of 10 nursing homes in Orange County, California, from October 2008 through November 2009. At each facility, we obtained nares swab samples from 100 residents during point prevalence screening and 50 consecutive residents on admission. The Institutional Review Board of the University of California Regents approved this study. Bilateral nares swab samples (BD Culture Swabs; Fisher Scientific) were cultured for MRSA. Isolates were tested for susceptibility to oxacillin, vancomycin, linezolid, quinupristin-dalfopristin, rifampin, tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, clindamycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, and mupirocin. Nursing home characteristics were derived from public sources, including the proportion of residents who were male, less than 65 years old, of Hispanic ethnicity, or Medicaidinsured. For each swabbed resident, we recorded the nursing home day of swab collection, whether residents shared a room, and whether residents had a history of MRSA. We tested the correlation between MRSA admission and point prevalence using the Pearson coefficient. We performed paired t tests comparing mean MRSA admission in relation to point prevalence, length of stay for MRSA-positive residents compared with length of stay for MRSA-negative residents, and facility proportions of isolates nonsusceptible to specific antibiotics at admission and corresponding proportions at point prevalence. We tested associations of resident and facility-level characteristics with individual MRSA carriage at point prevalence. We performed x tests on several variables: admission prevalence, annual admissions, residence in shared rooms, MRSA history, nursing home day of swab collection, and the proportion of residents who were male, less than 65 years old, nonwhite, Hispanic, Medicaid-insured, or resident for more than 3 months. Variables with P< A entered an individual-level generalized linear mixed model clustered by facility (ProcGLIMMIX; SAS, version 9.2; SAS Institute). For multiple-occupant rooms, we included the first 2 swabbed residents per room in multivariate analyses.
Where have all the poor gone? : Cambodia poverty assessment 2013

Over the seven years from 2004 through 2011, Cambodian economic growth was tremendous, ranking amid the best in the world. Moreover, household consumption increased by nearly 40 percent. And this growth was pro-poor, not only reducing inequality, but also proportionally boosting poor people's consumption further and faster than that of the non-poor. As a result, the poverty rate dropped from 52.2 to 20.5 percent, surpassing all expectations. However, the majority of these people escaped poverty only slightly: they remain highly vulnerable, even to small shocks, which could quickly bring them back into poverty. The main drivers of poverty reduction were better prices of rice for farmers, better wages for agricultural workers, increases in salary jobs for the urban labor force, and better income for non-agricultural businesses for rural households. Improvements in health and education, as well as government investment in infrastructure, provided a favorable environment for the poor, allowing many of them to pull themselves out of poverty. Looking forward, some of these drivers of poverty reduction are likely to stall. Coupled with increased vulnerability, the present conditions create new challenges for the Royal Government of Cambodia. Furthermore, most of the improvements in Cambodia originated at very low values, thus leaving much work to better the well-being of many Cambodian households. Outstanding gains have been achieved, but it will take focus and further actions to maintain Cambodia's future growth. Most poverty in Cambodia is found in the countryside: about 90 percent of Cambodia's poor live in rural areas. To generate the maximum impact, government policies should concentrate on the productivity of the rural poor's major assets: their labor and their land.
Why are New Teachers Leaving the Profession? Results of a Canada-Wide Survey

This article focuses on new teachers who leave the profession in Canada. Using a questionnaire targeting drop-out teachers and other education actors who witnessed the events surrounding the teachers’ resignation, the research objectives were to: 1) determine professional aspirations to enter the teaching profession; 2) identify the main reasons for new teachers to leave the profession; and 3) identify the individuals to whom new teachers turn when problems arise. Results confirm a number of drop-out factors reported in the literature and provide a deeper understanding of how they interact.