Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Motivates Municipal Governments? Uncovering the Institutional Incentives for Municipal Governance of Forest Resources in Bolivia

Several international treaties point to the advantages of a decentralized government structure for addressing environmental problems. Yet, little is known about the effects of decentralization reform on the conditions for local governance of natural resources. Even less is known about decentralization's effect on the condition of natural resources. This article raises concerns about the decentralization panacea and how it obscures a realistic assessment of municipal governments' role in decentralized natural resource management. The empirical analysis, based on field research in Bolivia's forestry sector, tests and discusses some of the conditions that are believed to be conducive to good decentralized governance of forest resources in developing countries. Specifically, the article examines what factors motivate Bolivian municipal governments to engage in forestry sector problem solving. Three institutional incentives appear to explain why municipalities in the Bolivian Lowlands would decide to invest in forestry, but these incentives are either weak or missing in most municipalities.
Whose marginalisation? Politics around environmental injustices in India's Chilika lagoon

The article examines marginalisation in small-scale fishing communities in a large lagoon system. It explores what marginalisation looks like from the fishers' point of view, and examines the extreme discrepancy between the official government account of the lagoon's resources, and the fishers' account. We analyse two major drivers of marginalisation: (1) role of aquaculture development in the loss of resource access rights and decline of local institutions, and (2) ecological displacement and livelihood loss brought about by the opening of a new (2001) “sea mouth”. We consider evidence collected through household- and village-level surveys combined with a host of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The fishers' point of view, and the data obtained using this point of view as a guide, presents a more complex, multidimensional concept of marginalisation, not simply as a state of being but as a process over time, impacting social and economic conditions, political standing, and environmental health.
Did the Community Renewal Tax Incentives Pirate Businesses From Other Places?

An early concern regarding place-based economic developments was that they might encourage business relocation into target neighborhoods at the expense of other places. To address this concern, when the U.S. Congress passed the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) program, it included an “antipirating” provision prohibiting use of grants for business relocation. Later iterations of the EZs and Renewal Communities (RCs) received tax incentives only. The RC program did not include an antipirating provision. Did businesses relocate? This study compares business moves within 1,000 feet inside a given RC/EZ with moves within 1,000 feet outside the RC/EZ before and after the intervention. Data are from the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) Database for California and Tennessee. Moves into some RC/EZs increased but so did moves out, leading to no statistically significant net change in numbers of firms. There were no obvious differences between RCs and EZs. The article concludes with policy recommendations.
Corporate Divestitures and Spinoffs in Singapore

This paper discusses the different forms of corporate divestitures, the motives for this corporate activity and the empirical findings about their economic outcomes. A sample of corporate divestitures is also used to identify the main motivations in the Singapore context. We conclude that divestitures are carried out to achieve operational efficiency, gain incremental profitability and liquidity. Using share price data around the event-dates, we show that announcements of divestitures generally lead to significant increases in the returns of the parent company. The positive abnormal returns are related to the relative size of the divestitures and the computed accounting gains. Overall, corporate divestiture is a value-increasing activity for Singapore companies.
Cross Cultural Leadership in Higher Educational Institutions – A Study with Special Reference to Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

This paper focuses on need and role of a Leader by exploring which one would be the most suited Leadership style in the cross cultural context for Higher Educational Institutions in Oman. The Leadership style explored and studied in this paper is - Transformational and Distributive Leadership styles. The paper highlights the Leadership roles of Heads of the institution for transformation in the cross cultural context. Keywords: Cross cultural context, Transformational and Distributive Leadership
Earnings Management and Analyst Following: A Simultaneous Equations Analysis

type="main"> We use a simultaneous equations system to examine the relationship between earnings management and analyst following. We find that analysts’ decisions to follow firms and managerial decisions to manage earnings are jointly determined. Firms with lower levels of accrual-based earnings management offer a better information environment to attract analyst following. Analyst following, in turn, has important monitoring effects on managerial behavior and results in lower levels of both accrual-based and real earnings management. The information intermediary effect on analyst following is much weaker for expected “suspect firms” that manage their earnings continuously.
Journal Impact Factor- Applicability and Alternative Indices

The journal impact factor at present is considered a yard stick for measuring the relative quality and significance of a journal. It is defined as the frequency with which the ‘average article’ in a journal has been cited in a particular year or period. For long, impact factor has been criticized as an inaccurate measurement. Though till now impact factor is used to compare journals, one should be open-minded and cautious bearing in mind the inherent limitations of impact factor. Using impact factor of journals to evaluate individual articles and authors should be avoided. Limitations of impact factor led to the development of some alternative indices to measure impact of journals, articles and authors such as H-index, Y-factor, Eigen Factor, PageRank etc. Some of these alternatives may be more accepted than impact factor.
Validation of Cutaneous Pressure Threshold Measurements for the Evaluation of Hand Function

The relationship of measures of pressure perception to hand function was evaluated by correlating the results of the Mayo Dexterity Test and a timed object recognition test with the one- and two-point static and moving touch thresholds for the index finger pulp of 44 hands. The Mayo Dexterity Test permits the use of vision, while the object recognition test does not. Quantitative sensory testing was done with the Pressure-specifying Sensory Device. Cutaneous pressure threshold measurements with this device had a statistically significant correlation with the small-object subset of the Mayo Dexterity Test (p < 0.006) and with the object recognition test (p < 0.001), demonstrating that the Pressure-specifying Sensory Device is a valid tool for evaluating the sensory aspect of hand function.
HLA-A, B, Cw, DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQB1 in German patients suffering from rapidly progressive periodontitis (RPP) and adult periodontitis (AP).

BACKGROUND/AIM There is growing indication that differences in host response determine susceptibility and resistance to periodontal disease. Particularly, the effect of histocompatibility antigens (HLA) on early onset periodontitis (EOP) has been studied. As most of the results are not conclusive and to date no report has been done on German patients, the aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of HLA alleles in a group of 50 German RPP patients and 102 German AP patients and to compare them to 102 control probands without periodontitis. METHODS Diagnosis was established according to standardised clinical criteria. HLA typing was performed using serologic and molecular biologic (PCR-SSP) techniques. RESULTS Compared to the controls, RPP patients had a significantly higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*13 and a significantly lower frequency of HLA-DRBblank*(non-DRB3/4/5). AP patients showed a significantly increased occurrence of HLA-B*14 and -Cw*08 as well as a significantly decreased frequency of HLA-A*03. In both patient groups HLA-A*11 and -A*29 had an increased frequency and HLA-A*31 and -A*30/31 were decreased. These differences were statistical significant in the whole patient group (RPP + AP). CONCLUSIONS Based on modern DNA techniques the present study shows an association of HLA to both RPP and AP. Certain HLA alleles seem to be associated with susceptibility or resistance to periodontitis in general. However, before this knowledge can be used for differential diagnosis or prognosis, further investigations are necessary.
Structure activity relationship studies on antileishmanial steroidal alkaloids from Sarcococca hookeriana

The search for antileishmanial constituents from the medicinal plant Sarcococca hookeriana (Buxaceae) of Nepalese origin has resulted in the isolation of 17 (1–17) active steroidal alkaloids. Compounds 1, 2, and 10 were subjected to derivatization and five chemically derived derivatives (1a, 2a, 10a, 10b, 10c) were also obtained. All these natural compounds and derivatives were found to have potent to mild antileishmanial properties. The IC50 values were found to be in the range of 0.20–61.44 µg mL−1 (IC50 value of standard drug amphotericin B = 0.12 µg mL−1). The structure activity relationship indicated that the varieties of functionalities present in ring A of the steroidal alkaloids were found to play a characteristic role to increase the antileishmanial activity.
Resting‐State Functional Brain Networks in Parkinson's Disease

The network approach is increasingly being applied to the investigation of normal brain function and its impairment. In the present review, we introduce the main methodological approaches employed for the analysis of resting‐state neuroimaging data in Parkinson's disease studies. We then summarize the results of recent studies that used a functional network perspective to evaluate the changes underlying different manifestations of Parkinson's disease, with an emphasis on its cognitive symptoms. Despite the variability reported by many studies, these methods show promise as tools for shedding light on the pathophysiological substrates of different aspects of Parkinson's disease, as well as for differential diagnosis, treatment monitoring and establishment of imaging biomarkers for more severe clinical outcomes.
Mobile TV White Space with Multi-Region Based Mobility Procedure

Current regulations require that portable unlicensed devices operating in TV white space perform a channel availability query (CAQ) before transmitting whenever they move more than 100m. Since this mobility constraint gives rise to frequent CAQs, the Federal Communications Commission allows a region-based mobility procedure (RMP) to help reduce the number of CAQs. Since the performance of the RMP cannot be precisely evaluated based only on the number of CAQs, in this letter, we formulate an achievable throughput in terms of the average number of available channels, the effective data transmission time, and the TV band database fees. We discover that the achievable throughput for the conventional single RMP is degraded when the radius of the region is not properly determined. In order to alleviate this performance degradation, we propose a multi-RMP using multiple radii in order to obtain multiple available channel lists. Simulation results show that the proposed multi-RMP can mitigate the performance degradation. In addition, the use of multi-RMP enhances the maximum throughput compared to the single RMP.
Are Foreign Institutions More or Less Informed? Evidence from China's Stock Markets

We compare the trading activities of foreign institutions in China's B-share market to those of domestic institutions in the A-share market before the same private information was released to both markets. Our findings show that both types of institutions were informed about which firms would implement the share structure reform in the next batch of reform. Foreign institutions bought even more shares than domestic ones in the days closely preceding reform announcements. Furthermore, both of them traded aggressively with large trades to profit from their private information. We can calculate the impact of large buy trades initiated by foreign and domestic institutional investors in each day. The impact increased in days before the Share Structure Reform for both foreign and domestic institutional investors. In addition, we find that the impact of large buy trades initiated by foreign institutions on price changes increased in days before the Share Structure Reform more than those initiated by domestic ones in the same days.
Transmission of Lacrosse virus (California encephalitis group) by the mosquito Aedes triseriatus.

The mosquito ‘ Aedes triseriatus ’ proved highly efficient in transmitting the LaCrosse serotype of the California encephalitis group to suckling mice after ingesting virus from viremic golden hamsters in quantities from 1.0 to 3.7 (log10) TCID50 per 0.1 ml. This strengthens epidemiologic evidence that this mosquito is the major vector of this virus in the upper Mississippi Valley.
Disease and Carrier Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis Cause G1 Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Epithelial Cells

ABSTRACT Microbial pathogens have developed several mechanisms to modulate and interfere with host cell cycle progression. In this study, we analyzed the effect of the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis on the cell cycle of epithelial cells. Two pathogenic isolates, as well as two carrier isolates, were tested for their ability to adhere to and invade into the epithelial cell lines Detroit 562 and NP69 and to modulate the cell cycle. We found that all isolates adhered equally well to both Detroit 562 and NP69 cells, whereas the carrier isolates were significantly less invasive. Using propidium iodide staining and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine pulse-labeling, we provide evidence that meningococcal infection arrested cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle at 24 h postinfection. In parallel, a significant decrease of cells in the S phase was observed. Interestingly, G1-phase arrest was only induced after infection with live bacteria but not with heat-killed bacteria. By Western blotting we demonstrate that bacterial infection resulted in a decreased protein level of the cell cycle regulator cyclin D1, whereas cyclin E expression levels were increased. Furthermore, N. meningitidis infection induced an accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI) p21WAF1/CIP1 that was accompanied by a redistribution of this CKI to the cell nucleus, as shown by immunofluorescence analysis. Moreover, the p27CIP1 CKI was redistributed and showed punctate foci in infected cells. In summary, we present data that N. meningitidis can interfere with the processes of host cell cycle regulation.
Population aging and the use of office-based physician services.

KEY FINDINGS From 1998 to 2008, the proportion of physician office-based visits in the United States became increasingly concentrated on those aged 45 and over. The intensity of physician office visits, as measured by medications prescribed or continued, imaging tests ordered or provided, and time spent with physicians, also became increasingly concentrated on those aged 45 and over. Although most physicians accept Medicare patients, acceptance of Medicare was higher among ophthalmologists and general surgeons than among general or family practitioners, internists, and psychiatrists. Over the past 30 years, the specialty concentration of visits has shifted significantly. In 1978, 62 percent of visits by patients aged 65 and over were to primary care physicians compared with 45 percent in 2008. The percentage of visits to physicians with a medical or surgical specialty increased from 37 percent to 55 percent.
Dermal and Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems: Current and Future Prospects

The protective function of human skin imposes physicochemical limitations to the type of permeant that can traverse the barrier. For a drug to be delivered passively via the skin it needs to have adequate lipophilicity and also a molecular weight <500 Da. These requirements have limited the number of commercially available products based on transdermal or dermal delivery. Various strategies have emerged over recent years to optimize delivery and these can be categorized into passive and active methods. The passive approach entails the optimization of formulation or drug carrying vehicle to increase skin permeability. Passive methods, however do not greatly improve the permeation of drugs with molecular weights >500 Da. In contrast active methods that normally involve physical or mechanical methods of enhancing delivery have been shown to be generally superior. Improved delivery has been shown for drugs of differing lipophilicity and molecular weight including proteins, peptides, and oligonucletides using electrical methods (iontophoresis, electroporation), mechanical (abrasion, ablation, perforation), and other energy-related techniques such as ultrasound and needless injection. However, for these novel delivery methods to succeed and compete with those already on the market, the prime issues that require consideration include device design and safety, efficacy, ease of handling, and cost-effectiveness. This article provides a detailed review of the next generation of active delivery technologies.
The Resonant Interaction of Intrinsic Josephson Junctions With Standing Waves

IV-characteristics of shunted microbridges made of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 (TBCCO) were measured. The TBCCO films were grown epitaxially on 20° misaligned LaAlO3 substrates and then covered by the gold shunting layer. Each of the microbridges consisted of about 360 shunted intrinsic Josephson junctions. Self-induced resonant particularities with a main period of about 17 mV were found on IV-curves. We showed that these particularities did not depend on the characteristics of the individual junctions and that they were connected with the geometrical dimensions of the system. The origin of particularities was the interaction of Josephson generation with the standing wave appeared in the system. We modeled this interaction considering radiation of junctions into the transmission line and found that the model described the main resonant structure of IV-characteristics. Strong synchronization of junctions appeared in the vicinity of the first particularity.
Emerging science of the human microbiome

The human gastrointestinal tract hosts a large number of microbial cells which exceed their mammalian counterparts by approximately 3-fold. The genes expressed by these microorganisms constitute the gut microbiome and may participate in diverse functions that are essential to the host, including digestion, regulation of energy metabolism, and modulation of inflammation and immunity. The gut microbiome can be modulated by dietary changes, antibiotic use, or disease. Different ailments have distinct associated microbiomes in which certain species or genes are present in different relative quantities. Thus, identifying specific disease-associated signatures in the microbiome as well as the factors that alter microbial populations and gene expression will lead to the development of new products such as prebiotics, probiotics, antimicrobials, live biotherapeutic products, or more traditional drugs to treat these disorders. Gained knowledge on the microbiome may result in molecular lab tests that may serve as personalized tools to guide the use of the aforementioned products and monitor interventional progress.
Corporate equity and fi nancial stability: An approach based on net worth at risk

This article is based on a study conducted jointly by the Deutsche Bundesbank, the Banco d’Espana, the Centrale dei Bilanci (Italy) and the Banque de France under the aegis of the European Committee of Central Balance Sheet Offi ces.1 It looks at companies’ resilience in the event of an exceptional cyclical shock. The article starts by outlining the economic role of equity capital, which lies at the heart of the relationship between risk and return. It can be examined from two main angles, either as a financing instrument or as a buffer in the event of a shock. This study focuses on this second function, looking at it from a meso-economic perspective for which the use of central balance sheet offices is particularly well suited. It sets out to describe the implications of a crisis situation in terms of minimum capital requirements. A comparison is drawn between the situation of manufacturing sector companies in the four countries under review over the period 1987-2002 by means of several traditional indicators (income, equity capital), which resulted in the computation of a Net Worth at Risk (NWaR) indicator. The NWaR figures are calibrated on the basis of an analysis of the distribution of accounting losses (in particular at the 90th and 95th percentiles) calculated using company samples. They indicate the minimum capital that would be required in order to absorb any losses in the event of very unfavourable economic conditions. The difference between NWaR and the observed level of equity capital gives us an indication of the number of companies for which the default rate is likely to increase significantly in a crisis situation. The proportion of companies that appear fragile in the event of a severe economic downturn is around 40%, as against 20% in a “normal” situation. However, this statistical analysis needs to be put into perspective. In practice, only a minority of companies default, since the majority of them benefit from protective measures implemented by their shareholders, managers and creditors to enable them to weather the downturn and revive their activity. In spite of the limitations of this indicator (which are also discussed in the study), these findings will draw the attention of bank and company managers to the need to make financial projections and credit risk assessments both in normal business conditions and crisis situations. An approach based on net worth at risk sheds light on the determinants of a sound financing structure and encourages the development of an active approach to preventing corporate financing problems.