Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PREDICTORS OF SELF REPORTED ADHERENCE TO ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICATION IN A NIGERIAN POPULATION

Objectives: Poor adherence to anti-hypertensive medication severely compromises the effectiveness of treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that are associated with poor adherence in a sample of hypertensive patients in Nsukka, Nigeria. Methods: The study employed a cross sectional, household survey to identify cases of hypertension in Nsukka. Adherence to antihypertensive medications was assessed on participants that have been previously detected of hypertension using patient's self report method. Study variables found to be correlated to adherence after adjusting for confounding variables were used in the multiple linear regression. Stepwise method was used to model the effect of predictor variables on adherence. Results: A total of seven hundred and fifty-six (756) participants were screened for hypertension. Prevalence of hypertension in the study population was 21.1 %. Detection of high BP among the participants with raised blood pressure was 30 %. Mean self reported adherence to hypertension medication(s) was 70.7 % ± 37.9 %. Educational status, making medication(s) a habit and experience of side effects were independently correlated to adherence. Multiple linear regression showed that for every increase in educational status, adherence increased by 12.1%. Also making medication a habit increased adherence by 35.1 %. However, experience of side-effect decreased adherence by 20.1%. Conclusion: Higher educational status and forming a habit of taking medication regularly increased adherence to hypertension medications while experience of a side-effect decreased adherence to medication. These fac tors identified as correlates of self reported adherence could be used to design interventions to improve adherence to hypertension medications in Nigeria.
Enhancement of beta-sheet assembly by cooperative hydrogen bonds potential

MOTIVATION The roughness of energy landscapes is a major obstacle to protein structure prediction, since it forces conformational searches to spend much time struggling to escape numerous traps. Specifically, beta-sheet formation is prone to stray, since many possible combinations of hydrogen bonds are dead ends in terms of beta-sheet assembly. It has been shown that cooperative terms for backbone hydrogen bonds ease this problem by augmenting hydrogen bond patterns that are consistent with beta sheets. Here, we present a novel cooperative hydrogen-bond term that is both effective in promoting beta sheets and computationally efficient. In addition, the new term is differentiable and operates on all-atom protein models. RESULTS Energy optimization of poly-alanine chains under the new term led to significantly more beta-sheet content than optimization under a non-cooperative term. Furthermore, the optimized structure included very few non-native patterns. AVAILABILITY The new term is implemented within the MESHI package and is freely available at http://cs.bgu. ac.il/ approximately meshi.
Dynamics of the mtDNA Haplotype Variability in a Drosophila subobscura Population Over a Two-Year Period~!2010-03-29~!2010-05-10~!2010-06-24~!

Restriction site analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was carried out on 607 isofemale lines, correspond- ing to monthly samples obtained over a two-year period, from a single geographic population of Drosophila subobscura to evaluate the possible changes in the action of the evolutionary forces with respect to the variation of the seasonal envi- romental conditions. The haplotype distribution pattern was: (1) two highly frequent haplotypes and (2) sporadic haplo- types that were almost never found again after a population bottleneck; similar to that observed for the entire range of this species on the European continent. We detected significant negative D-values for the entire population, reflecting an ex- cess of rare haplotypes. The results confirm that the coexistence of the main haplotypes in nature, and the rare ones, could be mainly caused by seasonal population expansions. However, the fact that the frequencies of the two major haplotypes are exchanged in some months, could indicate that the action of selection cannot be discarded, possibly acting upon gene arrangement associated with mtDNA haplotypes.
Too rich to do the dirty work ? Job quality , search and wealth

This paper uses panel data on jobs and windfalls to investigate the impact of wealth on job choices in a framework of multidimensional jobs. In a labour market characterised by informational frictions, windfalls (lottery wins, inheritance.) are expected to affect job durations differentially depending on job quality (here measured by subjective job satisfaction). The impact of unanticipated wealth shocks on the demand for job characteristics can be reconstructed to test the hypothesis that rich people are more interested in good quality jobs. Tracking transitions after wealth shocks (both between jobs and to non-participation) provides a new strategy for assessing demand for non-monetary job characteristics. A preliminary model allowing for endogenous changes in wealth (i.e. capital accumulation) in a qualitative labour market is sketched. The implications of allowing workers to save part of their earnings in a job search model are considered. (This is work in progress.) ∗Paris School of Economics, Université de Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne E-mail : Luke.Haywood@univ-paris1.fr. I would like to thank Jean-Marc Robin, Andrew Clark and seminar participants at SIMA (Paris) and the ”Job Satisfaction Revisited” workshop (Dubrovnik) for helpful discussions.
Chronic Ethanol Exposure during Adolescence in Rats Induces Motor Impairments and Cerebral Cortex Damage Associated with Oxidative Stress

Binge drinking is common among adolescents, and this type of ethanol exposure may lead to long-term nervous system damage. In the current study, we evaluated motor performance and tissue alterations in the cerebral cortex of rats subjected to intermittent intoxication with ethanol from adolescence to adulthood. Adolescent male Wistar rats (35 days old) were treated with distilled water or ethanol (6.5 g/kg/day, 22.5% w/v) during 55 days by gavage to complete 90 days of age. The open field, inclined plane and the rotarod tests were used to assess the spontaneous locomotor activity and motor coordination performance in adult animals. Following completion of behavioral tests, half of animals were submitted to immunohistochemical evaluation of NeuN (marker of neuronal bodies), GFAP (a marker of astrocytes) and Iba1 (microglia marker) in the cerebral cortex while the other half of the animals were subjected to analysis of oxidative stress markers by biochemical assays. Chronic ethanol intoxication in rats from adolescence to adulthood induced significant motor deficits including impaired spontaneous locomotion, coordination and muscle strength. These behavioral impairments were accompanied by marked changes in all cellular populations evaluated as well as increased levels of nitrite and lipid peroxidation in the cerebral cortex. These findings indicate that continuous ethanol intoxication from adolescence to adulthood is able to provide neurobehavioral and neurodegenerative damage to cerebral cortex.
Measuring CEO Personality Using Machine-Learning Algorithms: A Study of CEO Risk Tolerance and Audit Fees

We rely on recent developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence and use the IBM Watson Personality Insights service to measure personality based on transcripts of Q&A sessions of conference calls made by CEOs. We obtain Big-five personality traits and compute a measure for risk tolerance. We conduct a number of validation tests to show that all personality traits are CEO-specific and not related to firm characteristics and firm performance. We then examine the relation between CEO risk tolerance and audit fees. We find that higher CEO risk tolerance is associated with significantly higher audit fees and that this association is consistent across several Big Five index components. Moreover, we find some evidence that the influence of the CEO’s risk tolerance on audit fees is greater when CEO power is greater. Consistent with upper echelons theory, our results suggest that CEO personalities have an incremental impact on auditors’ assessment of engagement risk.
The Dissemination of Mindfulness-based Therapies: A Pilot Study Training Clinicians to use the 3-Minute Breathing Space Practice

Bridging the gap between science and practice warrants the dissemination of empirically supported treatments such as mindfulness-based therapies. Online-based training modalities have been proposed as effective and scalable methods to train clinicians in empirically supported treatments. In the present study, we conducted a pilot RCT to assess the preliminary feasibility and effectiveness of training clinicians to use a core strategy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, the 3-Minute Breathing Space. Licensed clinicians were randomized to an online-based 3-Minute Breathing Space program, or the 3-Minute Breathing Space text based control. Although data collection is ongoing, preliminary results indicate that clinicians are more satisfied with the onlinebased program as compared to the text condition and demonstrate significantly greater increases in the self-reported mindfulness skill of non-reactivity. Although other predicted group differences in outcome were not statistically significant, descriptive patterns indicate strong overall interest in learning the 3-Minute Breathing Space, positive engagement with the training, regular home practice, positive evaluation of program usability and credibility, and strong mastery of program content at post-training. Findings are discussed with respect to study limitations and important directions for future research.
Tensions in constructions of quality in Australian early childhood education and care policy history

ABSTRACT In pronouncements of early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy the importance of quality appears as a seemingly irrefutable concept. Yet, attention to ECEC policy history reveals tensions between discourses that construct quality in ways that endure whereas other ways are ostensibly forgotten. Drawing on a Foucauldian-influenced post-structuralist framework this article problematises three prominent discourses – of community, markets and investment – that construct quality in diverse ways across 40 or so years of Australian ECEC policy history. Data are drawn from key government policy documents and interviews with influential policy actors engaged in policymaking circles between 1972 and 2009. Utilising Bacchi’s ‘what’s the problem represented to be? ’ approach to policy analysis reveals tensions between prominent discourses that identify instances of policy forgetting as important sites for policy learning. The article argues that examinations of policy history provide valuable insights about complex explanations of quality in contemporary ECEC policy.
Energy-efficiency in telecommunications networks: Link-by-link versus end-to-end grooming

The large share of energy consumption in telecommunication networks is expected to shift from access networks to core networks. Estimating the power consumption of core networks is not easy, as they vary a lot in size and topology. Using an exemplary but realistic core network, we estimate its power consumption for both a link-by-link grooming and an optical end-to-end grooming scenario. We show that optical end-to-end grooming consumes about half the power of the alternative scenario.
An exploratory study of the critical factors affecting the acceptability of e-learning in Nigerian universities

Purpose – Education delivery via electronic media is becoming relevant in Nigeria educational systems, especially the universities. In spite of this, there are hindrances affecting the total acceptability of this technology.Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, we investigated these critical factors by analyzing the questionnaires collected from three sampled universities in Nigeria: private, public and state owned universities.Findings – The results obtained indicated that mass unawareness, low computer literacy level and cost were identified as the critical factors affecting the acceptability of the technology.Originality/value – Analysis herein has shown the factors affecting the acceptability of e‐learning in Nigeria. The results obtained will assist policy makers by finding solutions to literacy problems in Nigeria.
A model of psychological well-being among international students*

Abstract This study aims to investigate the relationship between acculturation attitude (i.e. adjustment and attachment attitudes) and individuals’ psychological adaptation (i.e. life satisfaction, depression and self-esteem). Additionally, the relationship between the dimensions of psychological adaptation with psychological well-being and their mediation effect are examined. Data were collected from 974 randomly selected international students pursuing their Master or Doctoral level studies in six Malaysian public universities using a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to examine the relationships in the research model. The results revealed that both adjustment and attachment attitudes are significantly related to life satisfaction and self-esteem while only adjustment attitude associates with depression. All the three dimensions of psychological adaptation are significantly related to psychological well-being. Moreover, the mediation effect of life satisfaction, self-esteem and depression are supported for the relationship between adjustment attitude and psychological well-being. Study implications and contributions are presented.
Galactic distribution of merging neutron stars and black holes – prospects for short gamma-ray burst progenitors and LIGO/VIRGO

We have performed a detailed population synthesis on a large number (2 x 10 7 ) of binary systems in order to investigate the properties of massive double degenerate binaries. We have included new important results in ourinput physics in order to obtain more reliable estimates of the merging time-scales and relative formation rates. These improvements include refined treatment of the binding energy in a common envelope, helium star evolution and reduced kicks imparted to new-born black holes. The discovery and observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows and the identification of host galaxies have allowed comparisons of theoretical distributions of merger sites with the observed distribution of afterglow positions relative to host galaxies. To help investigate the physical nature of short- and long-duration gamma-ray bursts, we compute the distances of merging neutron stars (NS) and/or black holes (BH) from the centres of their host galaxies, as predicted by their formation scenario combined with motion in galactic potentials. Furthermore, we estimate the formation rate and merging rate of these massive double degenerate binaries. The latter is very important for the prospects of detecting gravitational waves with LIGO/VIRGO. We find that the expected detection rate for LIGO II is ∼850 yr - 1 for galactic field sources and that this rate is completely dominated by merging double black hole (BHBH) binaries. Even LIGO I may detect such an event (∼0.25 yr - 1 ). Our preferred model estimates the Galactic field double neutron star (NSNS) merger rate to be ∼1.5 × 10 - 6 yr - 1 . For BHBH systems this model predicts a merger rate of ∼9.7 x 10 - 6 yr - 1 . Our studies also reveal an accumulating numerous population of very wide-orbit BHBH systems which never merge (τ >> τ H u b b l e ).
Theories of fear acquisition: The development of needle phobia in children

Fear is a normal emotional response to a perceived threatening stimulus, and is a common feature of early development. Developmental fears, including fear of the dark, strangers, and loud noises, are typically transitory and usually resolve in childhood (Mineka & Ohman, 2002). In some cases however, intense fear of certain situations or objects may continue throughout adolescence and remain problematic into adulthood. When fear becomes excessive beyond that which is justified by external threat and markedly interferes with the individual’s ability to function optimally, these fears may then meet criteria for an anxiety spectrum disorder such as Specific Phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, 2000; see also Barlow & Durand, 2005). Needle phobia is categorized under Specific Phobia blood-injection-injury subtype in DSM-IV, a cluster of phobias that also includes fear of blood, injury, or any invasive medical procedure. Blood-injection-injury phobia has been linked to serious consequences including refusal of insulin injections for diabetes, and avoidance of life-saving surgery for cancer (Marks, 1988). Epidemiological studies have reported that identifiable needle phobia has a median age of onset at 5.5 years (Bienvenu & Eaton, 1998) and remains quite common in adulthood (Nir et al., 2003). For instance, in a sample of young adult travellers attending a vaccination clinic, 21.7% reported that they were afraid of injections and 8.2% described their fear as excessive (Nir et al., 2003). In an early epidemiological study, fear of blood and injury was found to be present in approximately one-third of children 6 to 12 years old (Lapouse & Monk, 1959). However, epidemiological studies on blood-injection-injury phobia have been hampered by a lack of precise definition for the disorder. The most recent prevalence rate based on the DSM-IV criteria for blood-injection-injury phobia indicates that this disorder is present in approximately 3% in the adult population (Bienvenu & Eaton, 1998). This commentary provides a critical overview of proposed pathways for fear acquisition, with particular emphasis on the etiology of needle phobia. The pathways of fear acquisition will be considered within two broad frameworks: (1) the environmental learning pathways (e.g. direct conditioning, vicarious learning, and negative information), and (2) the non-associative pathways (e.g. biological preparedness, genetic mechanisms). The literature has been drawn from work in both pediatric and adult samples because studies focusing principally on needle fear in children are limited. Therefore, etiological inferences had to be drawn from studies on general fear and other specific fear (e.g. fear of spiders) in children and adults.
Contour-based recognition

Contour is an important cue for object recognition. In this paper, built upon the concept of torque in image space, we propose a new contour-related feature to detect and describe local contour information in images. There are two components for our proposed feature: One is a contour patch detector for detecting image patches with interesting information of object contour, which we call the Maximal/Minimal Torque Patch (MTP) detector. The other is a contour patch descriptor for characterizing a contour patch by sampling the torque values, which we call the Multi-scale Torque (MST) descriptor. Experiments for object recognition on the Caltech-101 dataset showed that the proposed contour feature outperforms other contour-related features and is on a par with many other types of features. When combing our descriptor with the complementary SIFT descriptor, impressive recognition results are observed.
The role of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the internal structure of relativistic outflows. The case of the jet in 3C 273

Context. Relativistic outflows represent one of the best-suited tools to probe the physics of AGN. Numerical modelling of internal structure of the relativistic outflows on parsec scales provides important clues about the conditions and dynamics of the material in the immediate vicinity of the central black holes in AGN. Aims. We investigate possible causes of the structural patterns and regularities observed in the parsec-scale jet of the well-known quasar 3C 273. Methods. We present here the results from a 3D relativistic hydrodynamics numerical simulation based on the parameters given for the jet by Lobanov & Zensus (2001, Science, 294, 128), and one in which the effects of jet precession and the injection of discrete components have been taken into account. We compare the model with the structures observed in 3C 273 using very long baseline interferometry and constrain the basic properties of the flow. Results. We find growing perturbation modes in the simulation with similar wavelengths to those observed, but with a different set of wave speeds and mode identification. If the observed longest helical structure is produced by the precession of the flow, longer precession periods should be expected. Conclusions. Our results show that some of the observed structures could be explained by growing Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in a slow moving region of the jet. However, we point towards possible errors in the mode identification that show the need of more complete linear analysis in order to interpret the observations. We conclude that, with the given viewing angle, superluminal components and jet precession cannot explain the observed structures.
K Giants in Baade's Window. II. The Abundance Distribution

This is the second in a series of papers in which we analyze spectra of over 400 K and M giants in Baade's Window, including most of the stars with proper motions measured by Spaenhauer et al. [AJ, 103, 297 (1992)]. In our first paper, we measured line--strength indices of Fe, Mg, CN and H$\beta$ and calibrated them on the system of Faber et al. [ApJS, 57, 711 (1985)]. Here, we use the $\langle{\rm Fe}\rangle$ index to derive an abundance distribution in [Fe/H] for 322 stars with effective temperatures between 3900 K and 5160 K. Our derived values of [Fe/H] agree well with those measured from high--resolution echelle spectra (e.g., McWilliam \& Rich [ApJS, 91, 749 (1994)]) for the small number of stars in common. We find a mean abundance $\langle{\rm [Fe/H]}\rangle = -0.11 \pm 0.04$ for our sample of Baade's Window K giants. More than half the sample lie in the range $-0.4 <$ \feh\ $<+0.3$. We estimate line--of--sight distances for individual stars in our sample and confirm that, in Baade's Window, most K giants with $V 16$ belong to the bulge. We also compare the metallicities derived from the CN and Mg$_2$ indices to those from iron. Most of the metal--rich stars in our sample appear to be CN--weak, in contrast to the situation in metal--rich globular clusters and elliptical galaxies. The metal--poor half of our sample ([Fe/H] $< 0$) shows evidence for a mild Mg overenhancement ([Mg/Fe] $\sim +0.2$); but this is not seen in the more metal--rich stars ([Fe/H] $\geq$ 0). The K giants in Baade's Window therefore share some, but not all, of the characteristics of stars in elliptical galaxies as inferred from their integrated light.