Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forests, Governance, and Sustainability: Common Property Theory and its Contributions

This paper examines the contributions of scholars of commons to forest governance. It outlines the domain of the research on forest-based commons by examining how ownership rights in relation to forests are broadly distributed in different parts of the world. It reviews theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars of forest-based commons by keeping in mind that much of the research on forest-based commons contributes directly to an understanding of policy concerns related to forest governance. Analyzing the contributions of the research on forest-based commons helps identify the importance of property rights arrangements, local levels of use and management, and communal relationships that often frame local governance. The review also assesses gaps related to data, theory, and methods in the study of forest-based commons. The conclusion to the paper outlines some pressing and exciting new areas for future research.
Motivation-behavior relations: An empirical analysis for playing experience on social network games

This paper is aimed at analyzing the behaviors of Social Network Services (SNSs) game users in relation to community-targeting Social Network Games (SNGs), and the motivations that give rise to those behaviors. Previous research has focused on the study and utilization of game production technologies, rarely dealing with motivations of game users. Generally, this research has been limited to observations of user behavior in relation to achieving certain goals or themes of a game, such as upgrading a character's level or obtaining rewards. Rather than analyzing SNS game user behavior simply from this problem-solving perspective, this paper considers a wider variety of human motivations. In order to accomplish this goal, this paper first analyzes the motivation theory of SNS users and Lazzaro's ‘People Fun’ model. Next, experimental data collected from users playing 13 different SNGs is presented and classified by game events and functional actions. Finally, based on these results, the primary behaviors of SNG users will be generalized into 8 different types and distinct motivation-behavior patterns will be analyzed.
Genetic variations in inflammatory mediators influence lung disease progression in cystic fibrosis

The clinical course of cystic fibrosis (CF) varies considerably among patients carrying the same CF‐causing gene mutation. Additional genetic modifiers may contribute to this variability. As airway inflammation is a key component of CF pathophysiology, we investigated whether major cytokine variants represent such modifiers in young CF patients. We tested 13 polymorphisms in 8 genes that play a key role in the inflammatory response: tumor necrosis factor, lymphotoxin alpha, interleukin (IL) 1B, IL1 receptor antagonist, IL6, IL8, IL10 and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), for an association with lung disease progression and nutritional status in 329 CF patients. Variants in the TGFB1 gene at position +869T/C demonstrated a significant association with lung function decline. A less pronounced rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were observed in patients heterozygous for TGFB1 +869 (+869CT), when compared to patients carrying either TGFB1 +869TT or +869CC genotypes. These findings support the concept that TGFB1 gene variants appear to be important genetic modifiers of lung disease progression in CF. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2008; 43:1224–1232. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Oil impregnated paper condition assessment using time spectroscopy method

The condition assessment of power transformers insulation using dielectric spectroscopy in frequency domain is a very useful method. Unfortunately, this method has a main deficiency due to the long measurement time, especially at low electric field frequencies and also to the expensive cost of the equipments. Another easier method which also permits to obtain the complex relative permittivity components and loss factor is the time spectroscopy method, which is based on the absorption/resorption currents measurements. This paper presents a study concerning the assessment of mineral oil impregnated paper condition using the time spectroscopy method. The values of complex permittivity components and loss factor for oil impregnated paper samples subjected to accelerated thermal stresses (at T = 135 °C and 155 °C) were determined and used to evaluate the insulation condition. Moreover, the condition of aged samples was analyzed using other parameters like polymerization degree and water content.
Hedging Energy Revenues With Quantity-Triggered Puts

This paper offers a low-cost alternative for hedging energy producers revenues. The hedging instrument exploits the less than perfectly positive correlation between energy output, or usage demand, and revenue. We provide a valuation formula for the instrument and demonstrate its ability to more effectively minimize a producers value-at-risk when output uncertainty prevails.
Does Urban Consciousness Help Understand The Citizens' Role in Planning?

Planning theories and concepts have been evolved from the classical planning to post-modern planning. Which planning theory is appropriate to which community under which circumstances is still a matter of debate to be accentuated, particularly in developing countries. However, planning practice in Turkey is based on comprehensive planning theory, which is a bureaucratic and top-down approach. On the contrary, the contemporary planning approach espouses participation of the local citizens and locale. Public participation as a planning tool has not yet taken its place in Turkish planning rules and laws. So, public participation depends on the goodwill of local planning authorities and is practiced at a limited level. Having limited participation should be closely related with the quality of participants, recognition of planning site or community, awareness of problems of that community and the level of being. So, the following assumptions are of interest of this paper which is thought to be important in planning. Whether urban consciousness is a possessed merit or acquired afterwards, could citizens be enlightened in this matter. Whether being urban and having urban consciousness contribute to the solution of the urban problems through participation in the planning and plan-implementation processes. Whether the level of being urban is similar throughout the community or in the city. Whether being urban is related to the place where people live and to their social status, and if yes, whether being urban could be mapped/charted. Elaboration on the above assumptions/questions is the essence of this paper and the analytical parts of the study will clarify them.
An empirical test of the purchasing power parity for transition economies: Panel SURADF tests

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) for transition economies is tested using Panel Seemingly Unrelated Regressions Augmented Dickey–Fuller (SURADF) tests of Breuer et al. (2001) for the period of January 1995 to December 2008. Although the other panel-based unit-root tests are joint tests of a unit root for all members of the panel and are incapable of determining the mix of I(0) and I(1) series in the panel setting, the Panel SURADF tests test a separate unit-root null hypothesis for each individual panel member and therefore identify how many and which series in the panel are stationary processes. The PPP hypothesis is not confirmed for all the nine transition countries except Estonia and Romania when Breuer et al.’s Panel SURADF tests are conducted.
Anticipation, External Crises, and Output Growth in Emerging Market Economies

This paper examines the relative effect of anticipated and unanticipated components of external crises on growth cycles in emerging market economies. The external crises considered are currency crises and current account reversals. Unlike the negative effect of current account reversals on gross domestic product growth, which can be attributed to unsound development and existing imbalance in the domestic economy, the likely negative effect of the currency and joint crises is due to both an unsound domestic economy and unanticipated external shocks, such as contagion from other economies, owing to regional homogeneity.
ECONOMÍAS EXTERNAS Y PRODUCTIVIDAD DEL TRABAJO

El objetivo de este trabajo es cuantificar el impacto a corto y largo plazo de las economias externas tecnologicas en el crecimiento de la producti- vidad aparente del trabajo de las regiones espanolas en el periodo 1980- 1994, desde una perspectiva sectorial y temporal. En el se consideran las variables tradicionales en la literatura para medir dichas externalidades: la especializacion y la diversidad sectorial en la actividad economica de cada region. Las aportaciones del presente trabajo implican, por una parte, el tratamiento de la informacion mediante tecnicas de datos de panel, metodologia que permite analizar el problema desde un punto de vista sectorial-regional y temporal. Ademas, la contrastacion de las hipo- tesis asumidas en el modelo permite obtener estimadores consistentes y eficientes, bajo problemas de simultaneidad de las variables explicativas y existencia de correlacion serial en los residuos. Con todo ello se consi- gue determinar cual es el efecto de las economias externas en el creci- miento regional en Espana, como una de las posibles fuentes del mismo. Palabras clave: desigualdades regionales, productividad sectorial, econo- mias externas, metodo generalizado de momentos para panel dinamico. Clasificacion JEL: R11, C33.
Research capacity building through twinning: experiences from a Danish–Malaysian twinning project

Twinning and its contribution to institutional capacity building in developing countries is the theme of an ongoing debate in Public Administration and Development. Unlike earlier contributions this article focuses on twinning in the context of research capacity enhancement. Using a 3 year Danish–Malaysian twinning research project as case our objective is to evaluate whether the general premises regarding a twinning project, as formulated by the Danish Development Cooperation Agency (Danida), appropriately support the twinning ambitions when the capacities in focus concern research. Besides institutional capacity building, twinning is expected to favour local ownership, involvement of the Danish resource base and continuing of cooperation after termination of funding. From 21 semi-structured interviews with project participants it was found that although new research capacities had been gained, the prospects on continued cooperation are rather discouraging, both sides pointing to the lack of truly joint research experiences as the main reason. To care for this important incentive, the twinning premises are recommended to be modified to allow for the Northern resource base to advance its own research, and for Southern partner to demonstrate in-house research capacities. Further, the North–South balance in project management needs to be more equal. This apart, the twinning premises appear sound. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on forage intake, site of digestion, in situ degradability, and duodenal amino acid flow in steers grazing cool-season pasture.

Ten ruminally and duodenally cannulated (326 +/- 28 kg) and four esophageally fistulated (394 +/- 23 kg) steers grazing cool-season pasture throughout the growing season were used to evaluate the influence of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract (AO) supplementation on intake, forage nutrient utilization, and duodenal amino acid flow. Steers grazed a predominantly smooth brome (Bromus inermis L.) pasture, and measurements were taken in three periods (June, July, and August). Steers were dosed daily at 0700 via the ruminal cannula with AO (2 g of AO per steer daily; DM basis) or not supplemented with AO. Each period consisted of 18 d for adaption to AO and 7 d for collection. Forage N was greater, and ADF was lower (P < .10), in June than in July and August. Ruminal pH, ammonia, total VFA concentration, and VFA proportions were not affected (P > .10) by AO supplementation. In vitro DM digestibility (percentage) and forage OM intake (grams/kilogram of BW) were greater (P < .10) for steers supplemented with AO. Ruminal and total tract NDF and ADF digestibilities were lower in June and greater during July (P < .10) in steers supplemented with AO. Total tract percentage of N disappearance was lesser during June and greater (P < .10) during July for steers receiving AO. Total, essential, and nonessential amino acid flows were increased (P < .10) by both AO supplementation and advancing season. In situ rate of ruminal CP degradation was not affected (P < .10) by treatment during any period. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The unreliability of the Kato‐Katz technique limits its usefulness for evaluating S. mansoni infections

The Kato‐Katz technique, a (semi) quantitative stool examination technique, is generally recommended for diagnosis and evaluation of Schistosoma mansoni infection by schistosome experts. However, egg counts are subject to important variability. In order to quantify the reproducibility of egg counts using the Kato‐Katz technique, field data of 1255 observations on 299 subjects infected with Schistosoma mansoni were analysed. Agreement between repeated observations was assessed both categorically (kappa statistic) and continuously (analysis of variance). The day‐to‐day variation of egg counts was much greater than the variation due to different observers or different slides. The quantitative reproducibility was low: the weighted kappa statistic was 0.39 between specimens of different days, 0.62 between slides of the same specimen and 0.81 between observers of the same slide. Therefore the classification of individual patients into groups based on egg counts, used as a measure of morbidity, must be interpreted with great care, especially in longitudinal studies. Usefulness of the Kato‐Katz technique appears limited. Its reproducibility is low. It cannot be recommended as a routine test in a primary health care setting or in a hospital laboratory because safety and detection of other parasites are better assured by other techniques. It can be used in epidemiological studies and evaluation of schistosomiasis control programmes, but here too, other techniques might be preferred.
Substitution, technical change and returns to scale in British Columbian wood products industries

The size and quality of timber in British Columbia declined steadily through the 1960s and 1970s. This paper presents estimates of factor substitution, technical change and returns to scale for four British Columbian wood products industries – interior and coast sawmills and planing mills, shingle mills and plywood and veneer mills – using pooled cross-section time-series data, 1963–79. Estimates of capital stocks are not available for these industries, so estimates of capital services are computed from aggregate capital stock and energy consumption data. The estimated cost functions are well behaved and show that all the inputs (capital services, materials and labour) are substitutes. Thus, capital services and labour can be substituted for the increasingly scarce natural resource. The input demand functions slope down and are inelastic. Interior sawmills exhibit constant returns to scale while the other industries show increasing returns to scale. The technical change is capital services using, labour s.
Measuring Systemic Risk in the Polish Banking System by Means of the Risk-Based Balance Sheets Method

Abstract The complex connections, spillovers and feedbacks of the global financial crisis remind how important it is to improve the analysis of risk modeling. This article introduces a new framework for mitigating systemic risk by using a risk-adjusted balance sheet approach. In this regard, the analysis of individual banks in Poland shows potential risk which could threaten all the financial system. Traditional banking models do not adequately measure risk position of financial institutions and cannot be used to understand risk within and between balance sheets in the financial sector. A fundamental subject is that accounting balance sheets do not indicate risk exposures, which are forward-looking. The paper concludes new directions for measuring systemic risk by using Merton’s model. It shows how risk management tools can be applied in new ways to measure and analyze systemic risk in the Polish banking system.
Influence of Transistors With BTI-Induced Aging on SRAM Write Performance

Write time is a critical component of memory performance, which often defines cycle time. In order to accurately predict static random access memory (SRAM) performance, it is also important to take temporal degradation effects into account. This paper investigates the influence of bias temperature instability induced transistor degradation on a dynamic write performance of 20 nm bulk CMOS SRAM. The circuit simulations are based on the comprehensive physical simulation of the aging process and on a very accurate statistical compact model extraction and generation technology. Several scenarios, which differ based on aging pattern of the cell, are investigated to identify the most important transistors and the corresponding critical aging conditions. Mismatch between the two inverters results in an imbalance of the cell, which enlarges the difference in write time between 0 and 1. Finally, we show a response surface of changes in write margin in response to different degradation levels in the ON and OFF transistors.
Testosterone therapy in men with androgen deficiency syndromes: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to update the guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of androgen deficiency syndromes in adult men published previously in 2006. PARTICIPANTS The Task Force was composed of a chair, selected by the Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee of The Endocrine Society, five additional experts, a methodologist, and a medical writer. The Task Force received no corporate funding or remuneration. CONCLUSIONS We recommend making a diagnosis of androgen deficiency only in men with consistent symptoms and signs and unequivocally low serum testosterone levels. We suggest the measurement of morning total testosterone level by a reliable assay as the initial diagnostic test. We recommend confirmation of the diagnosis by repeating the measurement of morning total testosterone and, in some men in whom total testosterone is near the lower limit of normal or in whom SHBG abnormality is suspected by measurement of free or bioavailable testosterone level, using validated assays. We recommend testosterone therapy for men with symptomatic androgen deficiency to induce and maintain secondary sex characteristics and to improve their sexual function, sense of well-being, muscle mass and strength, and bone mineral density. We recommend against starting testosterone therapy in patients with breast or prostate cancer, a palpable prostate nodule or induration or prostate-specific antigen greater than 4 ng/ml or greater than 3 ng/ml in men at high risk for prostate cancer such as African-Americans or men with first-degree relatives with prostate cancer without further urological evaluation, hematocrit greater than 50%, untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea, severe lower urinary tract symptoms with International Prostate Symptom Score above 19, or uncontrolled or poorly controlled heart failure. When testosterone therapy is instituted, we suggest aiming at achieving testosterone levels during treatment in the mid-normal range with any of the approved formulations, chosen on the basis of the patient's preference, consideration of pharmacokinetics, treatment burden, and cost. Men receiving testosterone therapy should be monitored using a standardized plan.
Female Participation and Labor Market Attachment in Rural Canada

This article explores the reasons for differences in female rural-urban participation rates by estimating a dynamic model of participation allowing for unobserved heterogeneity and state dependence using Canadian panel data. The results suggest that overall observed differences in rural-urban participation rates are primarily due to differences in observed socioeconomic characteristics. However, for women resident in low-income households, there is evidence that the operation of rural labor markets effectively lowers their participation rates. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
PRICE‐EXPECTATIONS EFFECTS ON INTEREST RATES

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN the expected rate of change of prices and the level of interest rates enjoys special status in economic theory. The positive relationship hypothesized long ago by Irving Fisher is widely accepted by students of economic theory, while its existence for United States experiences has, it appears, yet to be conclusively demonstrated. The absence of measurement of the relationship seems, however, not to have detracted greatly from its theoretical acceptability. Empirical verification of price-expectations effects warrants more attention, not only to substantiate the theory but also as a guide in formulating and evaluating national economic policy. A combination of monetary and fiscal policies which brings about prolonged inflation should by doing so tend also to increase market interest rates. These interest rate increases have important implications for saving and investment behavior and for the demand for money. If we are to assess the importance of these effects, we need some idea of their magnitude and timing, and this paper attempts such an estimation. In the next section the theoretical formulation of the price-expectations effect will be reviewed, while section III presents new evidence on the effects for U.S. data, and section IV concludes the paper.
The happiness of customer cocreation

In postmodern world, customers are not satisfied with passively receiving products or services; on the contrary, they show more and more interests on actively cocreating the products with firms. However, marketing literature still lacks powerful explanations to understand why customers enjoy the cocreation process although they need to input much of their time and effort in it. This study builds a framework of customer cocreation based on eudaimonic (the pleasure of self-actualization) vs. hedonic (the pleasure of needs fulfillment) theory, and further tests the relevant hypotheses by using real DIY products as experiment stimuli. Results show that eudaimnoic happiness and hedonic happiness have powerful explanation to the customer perception of cocreation process and the type of firm's facilitation can moderate the effect of customer cocreation on eudaimonic happiness, hedonic happiness and customer satisfaction. Theory contributions and managerial implications are discussed in the end.
The Research on Impact Factors of Perceived Online Review Usefulness

Online review has become a research focus of marketing researchers recently, especially on its impacting on consumers’ purchasing decision. But considering the questionnaire research method and ignorance of influencing mechanism research, this study is established to study the detail impact factors of online reviews of usefulness. The study uses text mining method to collect valid data on Yelp.com, the biggest online review platform over the world. Results indicate that online reviews depth, review humor marked by other users, reviewers’ historic comments amount, reviewers’ rank, reviewers’ centrality of social network and others’ responds all have significant impact on the perceived online reviews usefulness. And the product involvement of review receiver plays moderating role in influencing the content of information and sources of information on the perceived online reviews usefulness.