Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving the credibility and effectiveness of non-governmental organizations

As a part of the third-sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are faced with issues of trust and accountability. Questions are increasingly being raised about how to make NGOs more accountable for the funds they receive and how to enhance their effectiveness and performance. This article examines the issues of trust and credibility of NGOs. The article identifies a number of factors that would help improve NGOs’ credibility, effectiveness and performance. Implications for third-sector organizations are discussed.
Minimizing Conditional Value-at-Risk under Constraint on Expected Value

Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) measures the expected loss amount beyond VaR. It has vast advantage over VaR because of its property of coherence. This paper gives an analytical solution in a complete market setting to the risk reward problem faced by a portfolio manager whose portfolio needs to be continuously rebalanced to minimize risk taken (measured by CVaR) while meeting the reward goal (measured by expected return). The optimal portfolio is identified whenever it exists, and the associated minimal risk is calculated. An example in the Black-Scholes framework is cited where dynamic hedging strategy is calculated and the efficient frontier is plotted.
Parent Training Occupational Therapy Program for Parents of Children with Autism in Korea

Attitudes and beliefs about parent participation in occupational therapy are shifting toward family-centered practice worldwide. However, adopting a family-centered approach in a society such as Korea, where a Confucian culture of hierarchical roles is reflected in a strong medical model, can prove to be very difficult. A parent training program was developed at the HOPE Center, a pediatric occupational therapy center, to bridge the gap between the traditional medical model and the ideal family-centered model. This study examined the effectiveness of the parent training and gauged parents' perceptions and experiences of a more family-centered approach to therapy. Four parent-child dyads living with autism participated in five months of parent training at the HOPE center. The results on the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure showed that the parent training improved the occupational performance of both children and parents. Six open-ended questions were used to investigate parents' perceptions and experiences of parent training. Two broad themes emerged: improved self-efficacy and the cultural reality of living with autism in Korea. This study demonstrates that building parent training into an occupational therapy program may optimize the effectiveness of any therapy and introduce a more family-centered approach to therapy while maintaining cultural integrity.
Measuring quality of omnidirectional high dynamic range content

Although HDR content processing, coding and quality assessment have been largely addressed in the last few years, little to no work has been concentrating on how to assess quality in HDR for 360° or omnidirectional content. This paper is an attempt to answer to various questions in this direction. As a minimum, a new data set for 360° HDR content is proposed and a new methodology is designed to assess subjective quality of HDR 360° content when it is displayed on SDR HMD after applying various tone mapping operators. The results are then analyzed and conclusions are drawn.
Use of blended learning to enhance the student learning experience and engagement in property education

Purpose – This paper aims to report the detailed findings of a Centre for Education in the Built Environment (CEBE) funded study into good practice in the use of blended learning in property education. “Blended learning” is a combination of face‐to‐face learning experiences and online learning experiences which aim to complement each other in order to support and enhance student learning. The aim of this paper is to examine the benefits that blended learning provides to students' learning experience and engagement in property education. It also seeks to discuss lessons learnt from academics who deliver Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) accredited property‐related courses, in developing blended learning and students' interaction with the blended learning environment.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the research findings from interviews and questionnaire surveys of RICS and CIOB accredited property‐related course providers and the stu.
Angiotensin (1-7) Receptor Antagonism Equalizes Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension in Male and Female Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Females are less sensitive to the hypertensive effects of angiotensin II compared with males, although the molecular mechanisms responsible are unknown. We hypothesize that differential activation of angiotensin II, angiotensin (1-7), angiotensin II type 1, angiotensin II type 2, and mas levels in the renal cortex of male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats contribute to sex differences in the blood pressure response to angiotensin II infusion. Males had a greater increase in blood pressure after angiotensin II infusion than females (males: 150±2 to 186±3 mm Hg; females: 137±3 to 160±4 mm Hg; P<0.05). Angiotensin II infusion resulted in comparable increases in plasma and renal cortical angiotensin II levels in both sexes. Renal cortical angiotensin (1-7) levels were higher in female rats under basal conditions (195±10 versus 67±11 ng/g of cortex; P<0.05) and after angiotensin II infusion (281±25 versus 205±47 ng/g of cortex; P<0.05) compared with male rats. In the renal cortex of male rats, angiotensin II infusion decreased angiotensin II type 1 protein expression and increased angiotensin II type 2 expression with no change in mas expression. In female rats there was an increase in mas receptor protein expression with angiotensin II infusion, although angiotensin II type 1 and angiotensin II type 2 expressions were unchanged. Male and female rats were then treated with the angiotensin (1-7) mas receptor antagonist A-779 in the absence and presence of angiotensin II. A-779 equalized the blood pressure response to angiotensin II in males and females (blood pressure at the end of treatment: males, 166±4 mm Hg; females, 164±5 mm Hg). In conclusion, angiotensin (1-7) contributes to the sex difference in angiotensin II-induced increases in blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Government Ownership of Banks, Institutions and Economic Growth

We put forward a modern version of the ‘developmental’ view of government-owned banks which shows that the combination of information asymmetries and weak institutions creates scope for such banks to play a growth-promoting role. We present new cross-country evidence consistent with our theoretical predictions. Specifically, we show that during 1995–2007 government ownership of banks has been robustly associated with higher long run growth rates. Moreover, we show that previous results suggesting that government ownership of banks is associated with lower long run growth rates are not robust to conditioning on more ‘fundamental’ determinants of economic growth.
Fibre type‐specific increase in passive muscle tension in spinal cord‐injured subjects with spasticity

Patients with spasticity typically present with an increased muscle tone that is at least partly caused by an exaggerated stretch reflex. However, intrinsic changes in the skeletal muscles, such as altered mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix or the cytoskeleton, have been reported in response to spasticity and could contribute to hypertonia, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we examined the vastus lateralis muscles from spinal cord‐injured patients with spasticity (n= 7) for their passive mechanical properties at three different levels of structural organization, in comparison to healthy controls (n= 7). We also assessed spasticity‐related alterations in muscle protein expression and muscle ultrastructure. At the whole‐muscle level in vivo, we observed increased passive tension (PT) in some spasticity patients particularly at long muscle lengths, unrelated to stretch reflex activation. At the single‐fibre level, elevated PT was found in cells expressing fast myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms, especially MyHC‐IIx, but not in those expressing slow MyHC. Type IIx fibres were present in higher than normal proportions in spastic muscles, whereas type I fibres were proportionately reduced. At the level of the isolated myofibril, however, there were no differences in PT between patients and controls. The molecular size of the giant protein titin, a main contributor to PT, was unchanged in spasticity, as was the titin : MyHC ratio and the relative desmin content. Electron microscopy revealed extensive ultrastructural changes in spastic muscles, especially expanded connective tissue, but also decreased mitochondrial volume fraction and appearance of intracellular amorphous material. Results strongly suggest that the global passive muscle stiffening in spasticity patients is caused to some degree by elevated PT of the skeletal muscles themselves. We conclude that this increased PT component arises not only from extracellular matrix remodelling, but also from structural and functional adaptations inside the muscle cells, which alter their passive mechanical properties in response to spasticity in a fibre type‐dependent manner.
E-cadherin and β-catenin Loss of Expression Related to Bone Metastasis in Prostate Cancer

ObjectivesE-cadherin and β-catenin are adhesion molecules responsible for the maintenance of normal epithelial cell phenotype. A disturbance in epithelial cell adhesion, which leads to a more invasive and metastatic phenotype, is a hallmark of tumor progression. Several immunohistochemical studies have reported a strong correlation between loss of their expression to higher stage and grade in prostate carcinoma, but their influence in metastatic process is not yet known. The aim of this study is to verify the role of adhesion molecules in the progression of prostate cancer (PC), assessing the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in bone metastasis. Materials and MethodsTwenty-eight bone metastases of prostate carcinoma were submitted to immunohistochemistry analysis for E-cadherin and β-catenin expression. In 6 patients, we were able to assess the expression of the adhesion molecules in the primary tumors and their respective metastases. The definition of normal expression for both antibodies was strong and diffuse expression in more than 70% of tumor cells. ResultsIn bone metastases, there was loss of expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in 86% and 82%, respectively. Among the primary tumors, E-cadherin and β-catenin expression was normal in 83% and 50% cases, respectively. Considering the 6 patients with paired primary and bone metastasis, we found loss of expression for both E-cadherin and β-catenin in most of the cases. ConclusionsComparing primary PC and its metastasis, we showed persistent loss of E-cadherin and β-catenin expression. This phenomenon may be related to metastatic potential in PC, because we have shown underexpression for E-cadherin and β-catenin in 86% and 82% of bone metastases.
A second chance for the flexible specialisation with robotics? Ageing society in Korea as a case

The theory of flexible specialisation has been offering a challenging alternative to mass production system since its debut. Despite the attractiveness of the theory, practical applicability of the theoretical content has been weak. As time passes by, however, new momentum has been building up from the robotics and its related technology development, which can really open up the possibilities for flexible specialisation. Especially the advent of ageing society can be an impetus to change the industrial paradigm, due to labour shortage. This paper, noting the symptoms of change, has endeavoured with empirical data of Korea to see which industrial sectors are likely to start up this industrial change in the future.
Deletion in chromosome region 22q11 in a child with CHARGE association

We present a female child with features of the CHARGE association including iris coloboma, large ventricular septum defect (VSD), external ear abnormalities, severe growth retardation and moderate mental delay. A submicroscopic deletion in chromsome 22q11 was detected by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using probe D0832. The clinical features in this child compromise characteristics of both the velo‐cardio‐facial syndrome (VCFS) and the cat‐eye syndrome. This may suggest the presence of a more complex rearrangement of 22q, with a deletion‐duplication.
Effects of Exposure to Organic Solvents on Menstrual Cycle Length

Toinvestigate the association between organic solvent exposure and menstrualdisturbance, we conducted a cross-sectional study among 1408 petrochemicalworkers in China. Based on an industrial hygiene evaluation, we classified theworkshops according to the presence or absence of organic solvents (benzene,styrene, toluene, or xylene). We used logistic regression to estimate oddsratios and 95% confidence intervals for prolonged menstrual cycle length(oligomenorrhea: average cycle length >35 days during the previous year)associated with the exposure. After adjustment for confounders, eachadditional year of work in an exposed workshop was associated with a 7%increase in oligomenorrhea (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to1.14). Compared with no exposure, 3 or more years of exposure was associatedwith a 53% increase in oligomenorrhea (odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidenceinterval, 1.00 to 2.34). We concluded that exposure to organic solvents isassociated with a trend toward increased frequency ofoligomenorrhea.
Migration With a Composite Amenity: The Role of Rents

An attempt is made to analyze the phenomenon of migration using rent as the single variable that could serve as a proxy for the many amenities that might affect migration patterns. A theoretical treatment of the implications of rent capitalization for migration is first outlined. Empirical results indicating the usefulness of this approach are then presented. The geographic focus of the study is on the United States.
Seamless Multiscale Modeling of Coagulation Using Dissipative Particle Dynamics

We propose a new multiscale framework that seamlessly integrates four key components of blood clotting namely, blood rheology, cell mechanics, coagulation kinetics and transport of species and platelet adhesive dynamics. We use transport dissipative particle dynamics (tDPD), which is the extended form of original DPD, as the base solver, while a coarse-grained representation of blood cell’s membrane accounts for its mechanics. Our results show the dominant effect of blood flow and high Peclet numbers on the reactive transport of the chemical species signifying the importance of membrane bound reactions on the surface of adhered platelets. This new multiscale particle-based methodology helps us probe synergistic mechanisms of thrombus formation, and can open new directions in addressing other biological processes from sub-cellular to macroscopic scales.
Caspase 1-independent activation of interleukin-1beta in neutrophil-predominant inflammation.

OBJECTIVE Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is a key cytokine linked to the pathogenesis of acute arthritis. Caspase 1, neutrophil elastase, and chymase all process proIL-1beta to its biologically active form. This study was undertaken to examine the potential contributions of each of these proteases in experimental models of inflammatory arthritis. METHODS Caspase 1-deficient (Casp1-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice were tested for their response to arthritogenic K/BxN serum transfer for induction of arthritis or injection of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals for induction of peritonitis. All mice were prophylactically treated with inhibitors of neutrophil elastase or chymase. Arthritic paws were tested for the presence of IL-1beta protein by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blotting. Neutrophils and mast cells from WT and mutant mice were tested for their ability to secrete IL-1beta after in vitro stimulation, in the presence of protease inhibitors. RESULTS Casp1-/- and WT mice developed paw swelling to the same extent in the K/BxN serum transfer-induced arthritis model. MSU crystal injection into Casp1-/- mice also resulted in neutrophil influx and production of measurable peritoneal IL-1beta protein. Both of these responses were attenuated with neutrophil elastase inhibitors. K/BxN serum transfer-induced arthritis was also reduced by treatment with a chymase inhibitor. Casp1-/- neutrophils and mast cells, when exposed to MSU crystals, secreted similar amounts of IL-1beta protein upon in vitro stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, albeit at lower levels than that secreted by WT cells. Elastase and chymase inhibitors reduced the amount of IL-1beta released by these cells. CONCLUSION The production of IL-1beta by neutrophils and mast cells is not exclusively dependent on caspase 1, and other proteases can compensate for the loss of caspase 1 in vivo. These pathways might therefore compromise the caspase 1-targeted therapies in neutrophil-predominant arthritis.
Modelling of surface chemistry on an inhomogeneous interstellar grain

Context. Many interstellar molecules are formed through grain surface reactions. These reactions are usually modelled using rate equations, while considering a homogeneous grain with only one type of binding site for each species. However, amorphicity and the irregular character of interstellar dust grains make inhomogeneous grain surfaces much more likely. Aims. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of surface inhomogeneity on surface reaction rates. The formation of molecular hydrogen is here taken as an example. Methods. The continuous-time random-walk Monte Carlo method is used to study the dependence of the H 2 formation rate on surface size, fraction of strong binding sites and the distribution of these sites for different temperatures and bond strengths. Classical rate equations and modified rate equations are applied to try to reproduce these results. Results. The H 2 formation efficiency is strongly affected by the introduction of a second type of binding site. This effect depends on the strength of the binding energy and the fraction of strong binding sites. The way in which the sites are distributed can change the formation rate by as much as four orders of magnitude. Classical rate equations fail to reproduce the formation rate for all tested situations. Modified rate equations are able to obtain a reasonable agreement with the Monte Carlo results for inhomogeneous surfaces with randomly distributed sites consisting of less than 30% strong sites. Conclusions. Since the different types of binding sites on interstellar grains are probably randomly distributed, we recommend the use of modified rate equations in gas grain models to include the effect of surface inhomogeneity. This method reproduces the most important features while being computationally inexpensive.
New concept of nurse education for service innovation- a perspective of internal marketing

In this empirical study, we draw on concepts of internal marketing to provide nursing managers of hospitals with an effective education method for healthcare service innovation. A cross-sectional study was used. Subjects for this study were nurses at two district hospitals in Taiwan. Internal marketing practices significantly affect service innovation. In particular, service training, rewarding employee performance, and a clear organizational vision are positively correlated with service innovation. To increase a hospital's internal resource capacity, education and training are often used to positively influence the innovative ability of employees. Nursing managers of hospitals could apply education and training strategies derived from internal marketing practices to increase nurses' knowledge, improve their nursing care and innovation skills and improve the quality of service to patients.
Microeconomic Foundation of Lender of Last Resort from the Viewpoint of Payments

We construct a model to clarify the mechanism by which the lender of last resort (LLR) can prevent bank runs. In our model, a bank has both the function of facilitating payments in which inside money is settled using outside money and the function of financial intermediation using a deposit contract. The deposit contract might lead to a bank run, and might even contribute to an efficient allocation. Therefore, to consider the liquidity supply by the LLR, we introduce the deposit contract as a factor of instability in the banking model. We show that the LLR can assist in the recovery of both the efficiency and stability of the financial system.
Are Lower Income Households Willing and Able To Budget for Fruits and Vegetables

Households have a number of needs and wants that all compete for scarce resources. Given this situation, are low-income households, in particular, generally willing and able to budget for healthful foods like fruits and vegetables, or are other goods and services, including other foods, more of a priority? For six out of seven selected types of food, we find that households with an income below 130 percent of the poverty line spend less money than higher income households. However, we also find that these households, when given a small increase in income, will allocate more money to only two out of the seven products, beef and frozen prepared foods. These foods may be priorities for reasons of taste and convenience. For additional money to be allocated to fruits and vegetables, a household’s income needs to be slightly greater than 130 percent of the poverty line.
Grants and cost shifting in outpatient clinics

Cost shifting for a non-profit, revenue maximizing healthcare provider which faces a constraint that profit must be non-negative is examined, focusing on fixed payment programmes like Medicare. In addition, how grant money affects cost shifting and extend the empirical analysis of cost shifting to outpatient clinics, using data from publicly funded clinics in California is explored. The results are consistent with cost shifting, and indicate that the cause may be that the Medicare payment system cuts revenues more than costs, forcing clinics to subsidize the care of Medicare patients by increasing prices to other patients.
Tunable Low-Frequency Noise in Dual-Gate MoS2 Transistors

We have systematically studied the effect of the back-gate voltage on the low-frequency noise properties of the MoS<sub>2</sub> transistors from 300 to 20 K in this work. The results show that the performance of the top-gate MoS<sub>2</sub> transistor can be effectively tuned by the back-gate voltage <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {bg}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. When <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {bg}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> increases to 20 V, the maximum on-current increases up to 588 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>/<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for the 1-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> channel length device, as well as five times reduction of the low-frequency noise and two times reduction in contact resistance. The Fermi-level modulation by adjusting <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {bg}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> turns out to be an effective way of improving contact resistance and low-frequency noise for future high-quality MoS<sub>2</sub> metal-oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors.