Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moving from agenda to action: evaluating local climate change action plans

Climate change is conventionally recognised as a large-scale issue resolved through regional or national policy initiatives. However, little research has been done to directly evaluate local climate change action plans. This study examines 40 recently adopted local climate change action plans in the US and analyses how well they recognise the concepts of climate change and prepare for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The results indicate that local climate change action plans have a high level of ‘awareness’, moderate ‘analysis capabilities’ for climate change, and relatively limited ‘action approaches’ for climate change mitigation. The study also identifies specific factors influencing the quality of these local jurisdictional plans. Finally, it provides policy recommendations to improve planning for climate change at the local level.
Mechanical behavior of human trabecular bone after overloading

With the etiology of osteoporotic fractures as motivation, the goal of this study was to characterize the mechanical behavior of human trabecular bone after overloading. Specifically, we quantified the reductions in modulus and strength and the development of residual deformations and determined the dependence of these parameters on the applied strain and apparent density. Forty cylindrical specimens of human L1 vertebral trabecular bone were destructively loaded in compression at 0.5% strain per second to strains of up to 3.0% and then immediately unloaded to zero stress and reloaded. (An ancillary experiment on more readily available bovine bone had been performed previously to develop this testing protocol.) In general, the reloading stress‐strain curve had a short initial nonlinear region with a tangent modulus similar to Young's modulus. This was followed by an approximately linear region spanning to 0.7% strain, with a reduced residual modulus. The reloading curve always approached the extrapolated envelope of the original loading curve. Percent modulus reduction (between Young's and residual), a quantitative measure of mechanical damage, ranged from 5.2 to 91.0% across the specimens. It increased with increasing plastic strain (r2 = 0.97) but was not related to modulus or apparent density. Percent strength reduction, in the range of 3.6–63.8%, increased with increasing plastic strain (r2 = 0.61) and decreasing apparent density (r2 = 0.23). The residual strains of up to 1.05% depended strongly on applied strain (r2 = 0.96). Statistical comparisons with previous data for bovine tibial bone lend substantial generality to these trends and provide an envelope of expected behavior for other sites. In addition to providing a basis for biomechanical analysis of the effects of damage in trabecular bone at the organ level, these findings support the concept that occasional overloads may increase the risk of fracture by substantially degrading the mechanical properties of the underlying trabecular bone.
Do Peso Problems Explain the Returns to the Carry Trade?

We study the properties of the carry trade, a currency speculation strategy in which an investor borrows low-interest-rate currencies and lends high-interest-rate currencies. This strategy generates payoffs which are on average large and uncorrelated with traditional risk factors. We investigate whether these payoffs reflect a peso problem. We argue that they do. We reach this conclusion by analyzing the payoffs to the hedged carry trade, in which an investor uses currency options to protect himself from the downside risk from large, adverse movements in exchange rates
Leptin decreases apoptosis and alters BCL‐2 : Bax ratio in clonal rodent pancreatic beta‐cells

The adipocyte derived peptide hormone leptin is known to regulate apoptosis and cell viability in several cells and tissues, as well as having several pancreatic islet beta‐cell specific effects such as inhibition of glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion. This study investigated the effects of leptin upon apoptosis induced by serum depletion and on expression of the apoptotic regulators B‐cell leukaemia 2 gene product (BCL‐2) and BCL2‐associated X protein (Bax) in the glucose‐responsive BRIN‐BD11 beta‐cell line.
Action Learning - A Paradigm in Emergence: the Problems Facing a Challenge to Traditional Management Education and Development

SUMMARY This paper examines the proposition that action learning is a new paradigm in management education. Action learning is becoming widely accepted methodology for the development of managers and managerial competence. This is in both public and private sector organizations and within the context of certificated and organisationally based programmes. The paper seeks to use Kuhn's work on the nature of paradigms and change as a way of explaining the increase of interest in his approach. Importantly, although this approach promises to answer some of the problems of traditional management education, it is not without its own critics. Kuhn's criteria for a paradigm change are explained with reference to action learning literature and knowledge of practice. From this a framework is developed that compares a traditional approach to management education with an action learning approach on three levels. Our conclusion is that action learning is a new paradigm, but for the maximum benefit to be gained from the approach its application needs to be more carefully considered, particularly in relation to the provision of some wider external frameworks for the manager to use as‘tools for thinking’
Topical Anesthetic Abuse Keratopathy: A Commonly Overlooked Health Care Problem

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical course, treatment modality, factors affecting the epithelization period, and visual outcome in patients with topical anesthetic abuse keratopathy. Methods: The medical records of 19 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of topical anesthetic abuse keratopathy were retrospectively examined; occupation, initiating event, biomicroscopic findings, treatment modality, epithelization period, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were noted. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare BCVA before and after treatment; P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In all, 26 eyes in 19 men aged 21-44 (mean age: 31 ± 6) years were included. Initiating events included exposure to arc welding flash (8 patients), metallic foreign body injury (8 patients), and chemical injury (3 patients). On admission to hospital, 10 patients (52.6%) reported that they were using topical anesthetics. Upon admission to the hospital, 10 patients (52.6%) self reported that they were using topical anesthetics. The remaining 9 subjects were discovered to be using topical anaesthetic drops during hospitalization. Twelve patients (63.2%) were found to continue using these agents during their hospitalization. Oval corneal epithelial defect, stromal infiltrate, ring-shaped keratitis, and hypopyon were noted in 100%, 46.2%, 57.7%, and 42.3% of the eyes, respectively. Topical antibiotics (fluoroquinolones or combined fortified cephalosporins and aminoglycosides), preservative-free lubricants/autologous serum, and bandage contact lens/eye patches were used for treatment. Mean epithelization period was 19.96 ± 11.16 days (range: 6-50 days). Mean pretreatment and posttreatment BCVA was 0.12 ± 0.16 (range: 0.001-0.7) and 0.66 ± 0.30 (range: 0.0-1.0), respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Ophthalmologists should be suspicious of topical anesthetic abuse keratopathy in young male manual laborers specialized in welding business and foundry work presenting with persistent epithelial defects, ring-shaped keratitis, and accompanying severe ocular pain.
Evaluation of surface and near-surface melt characteristics on the Greenland ice sheet using MODIS and QuikSCAT data

[1] The Greenland ice sheet has been the focus of much attention recently because of increasing melt in response to regional climate warming and can be studied using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) data. To improve our ability to measure surface melt, we use remote sensing data products to study surface and near-surface melt characteristics of the Greenland ice sheet for the 2007 melt season when record melt extent and runoff occurred. MODIS daily land surface temperature (LST), MODIS daily snow albedo, and a special diurnal melt product derived from QuikSCAT (QS) scatterometer data, are all effective in measuring the evolution of melt on the ice sheet. These daily products, produced from different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, are sensitive to different geophysical features, though QS- and MODIS-derived melt generally show excellent correspondence when surface melt is present. Values derived from the MODIS daily snow albedo product drop in response to melt and change with apparent grain size changes. For the 2007 melt season, the MODIS LST and QS products detect 766,184 km2 ± 8% and 862,769 km2 ± 3% of melt, respectively. The QS product detects about 11% greater melt extent than is detected by the MODIS LST product probably because QS is more sensitive to surface melt and can also see subsurface melt. The consistency of the response of the different products demonstrates unequivocally that physically meaningful melt/freeze boundaries are detected. We have demonstrated that when these products are used together we can improve the precision in mapping surface and near-surface melt extent on the Greenland ice sheet.
Long-Term Population Projections and the US Social Security System

According to a report recently issued by the Technical Panel for the US Social Security Administration, the long-term financial outlook for the system is worse than previously thought. The worsening projected by the panel in the long-run funding imbalance of the Social Security System is mostly due to the recommendation by the panel to add an extra four years to the currently projected increase in life expectancy by 2075: from 81.8 years to 85.9 years. The panel recommended no change in the current intermediate projected long-run TFR of 1.9 and net immigration of 900,000 persons per year. The recommendation to increase the projected gains in life expectancy was based on international trends as well as on historical trends in the United States and the absence of biological evidence ruling out such gains. Industrial countries have a history of under-predicting the growth of their elderly population, and it is expected that large mortality adjustments may be needed in the projections for public pension programs also in industrial countries other than the United States. Copyright 2000 by The Population Council, Inc.
Regulation of Dendritic Cell Differentiation by Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Abstract: Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) involved in the defense of the body and in the maintenance of the immune tolerance. The regulation of their maturation, migration, and expression of stimulatory and costimulatory molecules has major consequences on the immune response. The endogenous factors that regulate DC function are poorly known. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neuropeptide with potent anti‐inflammatory actions. This anti‐inflammatory profile is maintained partially through effects on DC differentiation/function. Thus, VIP has differential effects on DCs, depending on the differentiation and stimulatory states. Immature DCs treated with VIP exhibit increased CD86 expression and induce CD4+ T cell proliferation. In addition, the CD4+ T cells activated in vitro or in vivo by VIP‐treated iDCs exhibit a Th2 phenotype. In contrast, VIP reduces both CD86 and CD80 expression on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated DCs, and inhibits the capacity of DCs to induce in vitro or in vivo T cell proliferation. However, addition of VIP in the early states of DC differentiation results in the generation of DCs that cannot mature following inflammatory stimuli that exhibit a tolerogenic phenotype, characterized by low expression of costimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80, and CD86), low production of proinflammatory cytokines, increased production of IL‐10, and capacity to induce regulatory T cells with suppressive actions. The effect of VIP on the DC‐Treg axis represents an additional mechanism for their general anti‐inflammatory role, particularly relevant in autoimmunity and transplantation.
Is Higher Prevalence of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in Women With Lupus Due to Immunosuppression?

Background:Cervical cancer (CC) is still the second in prevalence and mortality among women. In spite of previously observed higher incidence of cervical dysplasia among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, few studies have considered the influence of classic risk factors and the use of immunosuppressors (IM). Objectives:To study cervical dysplasia prevalence among SLE patients submitted or not to immunosuppression and to evaluate its association with classic risk factors. Methods:A group of 171 SLE patients including 87 who were receiving IM continuously for at least 1 year was compared with 222 age- and sociocultural-paired women (control group) submitted to routine cervical cytopathology. Statistical methods included univariate and multivariate analysis, besides parametric and nonparametric tests. Results:The prevalence of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, low-grade and high-grade intraepithelial lesions were significantly increased in SLE patients (12.8%, 5.8%, and 3.5%, respectively) compared with controls (3.1%, 0.9%, and none, respectively, P = 0.0001), although they presented significantly fewer classic risk factors for CC. Multivariate analysis showed that SLE women had a 7-fold higher prevalence of cervical dysplasia (OR: 7.23, 95% IC: 3.40–15.38) and an 11-fold higher prevalence of premalignant cervical dysplasia (OR: 11.36, 95% IC: 2.57–50.10) compared with controls. SLE patients with long-term use of IM presented even higher prevalence of low-grade and high-grade intraepithelial lesions in comparison with those without long-term use of these agents (68.7% vs. 31.1%, P = 0.03). Conclusions:This study provides evidence that even though not presenting the classic risk factors for CC, SLE patients, especially those exposed to long-term immunosuppression, have increased chances of presenting more premalignant lesions than the general population and they probably need to follow a more stringent CC prevention program.
Commercial‐in‐Confidence: An Obituary to Transparency?

This article addresses the issue of accountability and transparency in relation to the use of commercial-in-confidence clauses to withhold information. The issue is contentious. On the one hand some like the Senate Finance and Public Administration Reference Committee (SFPARC) argue that: 'Put simply there can be no accountability if there is no information' (SFPARC 2000). On the other hand, an alternative view is: 'I think that the sanctity of contract. [is] a fundamental pillar of our legal system, and if private businesses enter into contracts with governments that specify confidentiality, then that ought to be respected' (Paterson 1999). This paper is an abridged version of a keynote address to CPA Australia (Queensland Division) Audit Intensive Day 2000, Brisbane Hilton, 10 November 2000.
Subcellular distribution of peptides associated with gastric mucosal healing and neoplasia

The trefoil peptides pS2 and human spasmolytic peptide are putative growth factors, particularly associated with mucus‐producing cells of the gastrointestinal tract including those of the stomach. The receptor for transforming growth factor alpha (TGF α) takes its name from one of its alternative ligands, epidermal growth factor and is called the epidermal growth factor receptor. Although there is immunoreactive epidermal growth factor in the stomach, it is TGF α and the epidermal growth factor receptor that are abundant. Immunolabelling at electron microscope level allows for subcellular localisation of antigens; pS2 and human spasmolytic peptide co‐localise to cytomembranes, including the Golgi apparatus, and thecae of surface/pit mucous cells. TGF α is abundant on the membranes of tubulovesicles of parietal cells and is also present in chief cells: in mucous producing cells it can be detected but not in association with mucous. The distribution of the epidermal growth factor receptor mimics that of TGF α but with preferential clustering on the basolateral membranes of gastric cells. The trefoil peptides are associated with healing and probably act, together with mucus, to protect the gastric mucosa and maintain a viable environment. TGF α, transduced via the epidermal growth factor receptor, inhibits gastric acid secretion, thus aids the trefoils in the maintenance of a gastric microenvironment conducive to healing after damage. TGF α, however, is also a potent mitogen; while this property plays a vital part in repairing mucosal defects, if this peptide or indeed its receptor are overexpressed, the result can be neoplasia. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Producer Organizations, Family Farms and Market Connection

Producer organizations (POs) are often recognized as a pathway to boost rural development by enhancing farmers' access to market opportunities. Smallholder production and marketing of new crops (such as those for biodiesel feedstock) are constrained as farmers and buyers face high transaction costs. By investigating cases of POs outside the biofuel industry, the authors explore the extent to which POs could reduce transaction costs. The findings indicate that POs are capable of linking farmers effectively to markets in cases in which high value is added to farm products and/or farmers are highly specialized. However, the scope for POs in linking farmers to biodiesel markets is limited due to organization-specific characteristics, the low value added of the feedstock, plus multiple trade-offs with current farm activities.
The Costs and Returns of Human Migration

Migration research has dealt mainly with the forces which affect migration and how strongly they have affected it, but little has been done to determine the influence of migration as an equilibrating mechanism in a changing economy. The movements of migrants clearly are in the appropriate direction, but we do not know whether the numbers are sufficient to be efficient in correcting income disparities as they emerge. There is a strong presumption that they are not.
Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity and Oropharynx: Validity of the Current AJCC Staging System and New Statistical Tools for the Prediction of Subclinical Neck Disease

The 1983 and 1988 AJCC T- and N-staging systems were compared using the case records of 531 patients with primary epidermoid malignancies of the oral cavity. All patients had a minimum followup of 5 years. There were 390 patients with early stage (T1, T2) disease and 141 with advanced stage (T3, T4) lesions according to both the 1983 and 1988 T-definitions: 342 patients manifested no clinical nodes (NO), 189 had clinically evident nodes (N1-N3), and none had metastatic disease. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the 1983/1988 T-stage definitions differentiated survival successfully (p < 0.001). The 1988 staging system for nodal disease showed a highly significant separation of N2 and N3 when compared with the 1983 system (p < 0.001). Of the 342 patients who were staged NO, 154 had primary neck dissection. Logistic regression predicted the incidence of subclinical disease according to the site and the T-stage of the primary tumor with a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 95%. We conclude that the 1988 N-stage definition is a better prognosticator of survival than the 1983 definition. Furthermore, a logistic regression model can be used to predict the probability of subclinical disease in primary oral cavity cancers.
Type III Interferon (IFN) Induces a Type I IFN-Like Response in a Restricted Subset of Cells through Signaling Pathways Involving both the Jak-STAT Pathway and the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

ABSTRACT Type III interferon (IFN) is a novel member of the interferon family. Type III IFN utilizes a receptor complex different from that of type I IFN, but both types of IFN induce STAT1, STAT2, and STAT3 activation. Here we describe a detailed comparison of signal transduction initiated by type I and type III IFN. Gene expression array analysis showed that IFN types I and III induced a similar subset of genes. In particular, no genes were induced uniquely by type III IFN. Next, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis to investigate the promoter activation by types I and III IFN. The ChIP assays demonstrated that stimulation of cells with both type I and type III IFN resulted in the recruitment of ISGF3 transcription factor components to the promoter region of responsive genes and in an increase of polymerase II loading and histone acetylation. Whereas IFN type I signaling was observed for a broad spectrum of cell lines, type III IFN signaling was more restricted. The lack of IFN type III signaling was correlated with a low expression of the IL28Ra component of the IFN type III receptor, and IL28Ra overexpression was sufficient to restore IFN type III signaling. We also tested the activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases by type III IFN and found that type III IFN relies strongly upon both p38 and JNK MAP kinases for gene induction.
Community Attitudes Toward Wildlife and Protected Areas in Ethiopia

Across Africa, national policies that established protected areas (PAs) typically limited local use of wildlife and other resources. Over time, these policies have raised tensions with rural communities and today threaten to undermine conservation goals. This article examines community–PA relationships at four important sites in Ethiopia—a country of rich tradition with an unusual colonial past. Using focus groups and household surveys, we found that despite local tensions, most respondents held positive views toward wildlife and nearby PAs. Factors influencing positive views included receiving PA benefits, good relations with PA staff, higher education levels, being older, having a large family, diversified income sources, owning fewer livestock, and fewer incidents of wildlife conflicts. In contrast, the devolved control of PAs from federal to regional levels has not influenced community–PA relations as intended. Our results suggest that relations could be improved through involving communities in co-management arrangements, honoring resource tenure and use rights, providing benefits, and implementing conservation education programs.
Optimal Mechanisms for the Control of Fiscal Deficits

This paper shows that a simple two-stage voting mechanism may implement a constrained optimal state dependent decision about the size of the fiscal deficit. I consider a setup with strategic fiscal deficits a la Tabellini and Alesina (1990). Three groups of voters are informed about the productivity of current public spending. Voters differ in their preferences for public goods and swing voters' preferences may change over time. The current government decides on the current spending mix and it has an incentive to strategically overspend. Under certain conditions, a simple two-stage mechanism in which a deficit requires the approval by a supermajority in parliament implements a constrained optimal decision. When the current majority is small, political bargaining may further increase social welfare. However, when the current majority is large, a supermajority mechanism with bargaining leads to a biased spending mix and reduces welfare whereas the laissez faire mechanism may yield the first best. An appropriately adjusted majority threshold can deal with this problem.