Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental responsibility: internal motives and customer expectations of a winter sport provider

Mountain resorts that offer winter sporting opportunities are facing sustainability issues ranging from public criticisms to the deterioration of the natural environment. To gain perspective on the issue of environmental responsibility (ER) in this particular context, a mixed-method study regarding a single mountain resort was undertaken. The first research phase utilized qualitative methods to examine message framing and motivations for communicating ER to consumers. Findings demonstrate that framing ER was strategically motivated albeit marginally performed. The second research phase employed a scale development approach to investigate the revealed ER effects on consumer attitudes and expectations. Results demonstrated that consumers held moderate levels of environmental awareness and that their behavioral intentions were mildly impacted by the organizations ER initiatives. Overall, the study demonstrated that for organizational employees, framing environmental messages caused dissonance but consumers were influenced by the ER activities.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 in Pancreatic Juice for Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) has an activity to degrade type IV collagen and is associated with invasion angiogenesis of malignant tumor. Aim A diagnostic value of MMP-2 in pancreatic juice was studied in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Methodology Using gelatin zymography, active MMP-2 and proMMP-2 were determined in pancreatic juice obtained endoscopically from 12 patients with pancreatic cancer, 11 with chronic pancreatitis, and 7 control subjects. Results ProMMP-2 was detected in 12 of 12 patients (100%) with pancreatic cancer, 6 of 11 (54.5%) with chronic pancreatitis, and 3 of 7 (42.9%) controls. Active MMP-2 was detected in 11 patients (91.6%) with pancreatic cancer, 2 (18.2%) with chronic pancreatitis, and none of the control subjects. An activation ratio of MMP-2 (active MMP-2/total MMP-2) in pancreatic juice is significantly higher in pancreatic cancer (23.4 ± 4.4%, mean ± SE) than in chronic pancreatitis (2.1 ± 1.7%) and controls (0%) (p < 0.01). Active MMP-2 was also detected in pancreatic juice from three cases of small pancreatic cancer (tumor <2 cm in diameter). Conclusion Our observation suggests that detection of active MMP-2 in pancreatic juice using gelatin zymography may be useful for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
Dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon in some British rivers

Rivers transport both organic and inorganic carbon from their sources to the sea. Results of -800 organic and inorganic analyses from various British rivers of contrasting size and land use are presented here: (1) the headwater River Tern, a rural river of 852 km2 catchment; (2) the Ouseburn, a small urban 55 km2 catchment; (3) the River Tyne, a larger river system of -3000 km2 catchment; (4) a spatial survey from 205 sample sites on -60 rivers from SW England. We found that, with the exception of peat-rich headwaters, DIC concentration is always greater than DOC. DIC is primarily in the form HCOj, with DIC concentrations highest in highly urbanised catchments, typically greater than those observed in catchments with carbonate bedrock, demonstrating a significant and previously unrecognised anthropogenic inorganic carbon input to urban rivers.
Professional Development That Supports the Teaching of Cognitive Reading Strategy Instruction

In this article, we describe and report on the results of a study in Texas that tested 2 models of professional development for classroom teachers as a way of improving their practices and increasing the reading achievement of their students. To meet this goal, 44 participating teachers in grades 2–8 learned to teach their students cognitive reading strategies through 1 of 2 models of professional development. One group attended a traditional 2-day summer in-service; the second attended the workshop and received classroom-based support from a reading coach. Using a random-effects, multilevel, pretest-posttest comparison group design and a multilevel modeling analytic strategy, we determined the effects of these 2 models. The full intervention group (teachers who were coached) outperformed the partial intervention group (workshop only) in all the teacher observation and student achievement measures. This study demonstrates the potential of coaching as a viable model of the professional development of reading teachers.
Molecular evidence for a single evolutionary origin of domesticated rice

Asian rice, Oryza sativa, is one of world's oldest and most important crop species. Rice is believed to have been domesticated ∼9,000 y ago, although debate on its origin remains contentious. A single-origin model suggests that two main subspecies of Asian rice, indica and japonica, were domesticated from the wild rice O. rufipogon. In contrast, the multiple independent domestication model proposes that these two major rice types were domesticated separately and in different parts of the species range of wild rice. This latter view has gained much support from the observation of strong genetic differentiation between indica and japonica as well as several phylogenetic studies of rice domestication. We reexamine the evolutionary history of domesticated rice by resequencing 630 gene fragments on chromosomes 8, 10, and 12 from a diverse set of wild and domesticated rice accessions. Using patterns of SNPs, we identify 20 putative selective sweeps on these chromosomes in cultivated rice. Demographic modeling based on these SNP data and a diffusion-based approach provide the strongest support for a single domestication origin of rice. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses implementing the multispecies coalescent and using previously published phylogenetic sequence datasets also point to a single origin of Asian domesticated rice. Finally, we date the origin of domestication at ∼8,200–13,500 y ago, depending on the molecular clock estimate that is used, which is consistent with known archaeological data that suggests rice was first cultivated at around this time in the Yangtze Valley of China.
Changes in platelet aggregatory responses to collagen and 5‐hydroxytryptamine in depressed, schizophrenic and manic patients

The changes in the aggregatory response of platelet rich plasma obtained from a group of depressed, schizophrenic and manic patients fulfilling the DSM-III-R criteria were compared with age and sex matched control subjects. The 5-hydroxtryptamine induced aggregatory responses were significantly decreased in the depressed and schizophrenic patients during the active phase of their illness but returned to normal following clinical recovery. The collagen induced aggregatory responses were decreased in the schizophrenic and manic patients and remained decreased despite clinical recovery. No changes were found in the aggregatory responses to adenosine diphosphate, noradrenaline or adrenaline. The results of this study suggest that changes in the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of the platelet membrane (collagen effect) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine type 2 receptor (5-HT effect) may occur in these major psychiatric disorders.
Educating physicians prepared to improve care and safety is no accident: it requires a systematic approach

While most newly qualified physicians are well prepared in the science base of medicine and in the skills that enable them to look after individual patients, few have the skills necessary to improve care and patient safety continuously. We apply a systems analysis from the field of human error to identify ways in which medical school education can increase the number of graduates prepared to reflect on and improve professional practice. Doing so requires a systematic approach involving entrance requirements, the curriculum, the organizational culture of training environments, student assessment, and program evaluation.
Chapter VII: Teaching of Mathematics in Senior High School and Junior College

S E V E R A L INVESTIGATORS have considered problems centering about the teaching of logical or "critical" thinking. Lazar (16) made an analytical and historical study of the terms "converse," "inverse," and "contrapositive" in geometry and their applications in textbooks. He formulated new definitions of these concepts and illustrated them with propositions from plane geometry. Smith (26) published data obtained in 1932 on errors made on a series of diagnostic tests by a group of 114 pupils having a mean IQ (Terman) of 118. He noted the extent to which, under ordinary conditions, students fail to comprehend the "if-then relationship" and the meaning of proof. He also showed how slight changes in the details and complexity of construction exercises increase the number of errors made by pupils. In 1939, with a group of 74 pupils so selected that the mean and the standard deviation of IQ's were the same as those of the 1932 group, the procedure was repeated except that methods of teaching were designed especially to emphasize and facilitate analysis and generalization by the pupils. A comparison of error counts revealed statistically significant reductions. This investigation provided data on the extent to which transfer fails to take place even within a narrow field unless it is facilitated by appropriate instructional methods. Fawcett (9) sought to develop general concepts and abilities related to proof. He emphasized the necessity for clearly defined terms, for assumptions or unproved propositions, and for realizing that no demonstration proves anything beyond the limits set by the assumptions. The majority of his experimental group of 25 pupils was in the eleventh grade, having a median IQ (Otis) of 115. These students were given a course in which the primary features were (a) the development of geometric concepts and principles by individuals and by group discussion, without the aid of a textbook, and with unusual emphasis upon a creative type of logical thinking; and (b) the utilization of nongeometric reasoning situations for introducing, clarifying, and applying logical concepts and abilities. The organization and content of the course accordingly departed markedly from the traditional. Test results indicated that the pupils made a statistically significant gain in the ability to analyze nonmathematical material, while pupils in several other groups used for comparison did not. Fawcett recorded numerous instances of "transfer of training" apart from his tests. Although achievement of geometric knowledge was not the major objective, the median score made by the experimental group
Wavelets on manifolds: An optimized construction

A key ingredient of the construction of biorthogonal wavelet bases for Sobolev spaces on manifolds, which is based on topological isomorphisms is the Hestenes extension operator. Here we firstly investigate whether this particular extension operator can be replaced by another extension operator. Our main theoretical result states that an important class of extension operators based on interpolating boundary values cannot be used in the construction setting required by Dahmen and Schneider. In the second part of this paper, we investigate and optimize the Hestenes extension operator. The results of the optimization process allow us to implement the construction of biorthogonal wavelets from Dahmen and Schneider. As an example, we illustrate a wavelet basis on the 2-sphere.
Performance of Eudragit Coated Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator-Based Immunosensors

Whispering gallery mode resonators (WGMR) are an efficient tool for the realization of optical biosensors. A high Q factor preservation is a crucial requirement for good biosensor performances. In this work we present an Eudragit®L100 coated microspherical WGMR as an efficient immunosensor. The developed resonator was morphologically characterized using fluorescence microscopy. The functionalization process was tuned to preserve the high Q factor of the resonator. The protein binding assay was optically characterized in terms of specificity in buffer solution.
Minimally Invasive Motor Nerve Conduction Study of the Rat Sciatic and Tail Nerves

Summary Human and veterinary scientific researchers widely use rats as experimental animals. The rat nerves conduction studies are used for investigations of neural tissue injury, neural regeneration, peripheral neuropathies etc. in experimental models. Nerve conduction studies on animals do not follow strict rules, as studies in humans. Various methods and lack of the single recognized technique of nerve conduction study on the animals often lead to difficulties in the interpretation and comparison of the results of similar studies. In the present study, we have described the minimally invasive motor nerve conduction study on the rat sciatic and tail nerves. Electrophysiological examination including nerve conduction velocity and compound muscle action potential amplitudes measurements were performed on six normal growing male adult Wistar Albino rats. The mean motor nerve conduction velocity of the sciatic nerves was 58.90±5.07 m/s and of the tail nerves was 40.23±2.39 m/s. The mean compound muscle action potential amplitudes of the sciatic and tail nerves were 17.91±6.75 mV and 1.89±0.49 mV, respectively. Similar results of previous in vitro and in vivo studies prove the objectivity and reliability of our nerve conduction technique by bipolar needle electrodes on the non-exposed nerves.
Insulin-Receptor Activity in Nondiabetic and Diabetic Urbanized South African Black Women

Objective To evaluate insulin receptor binding characteristics of urbanized South African black women with normal glucose tolerance and of patients with newly diagnosed untreated non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (N1DDM). Research Design and Methods Four groups of 10 subjects each were selected by the following criteria: group A, young (20-39 yr) nonobese (body mass index [BMI] 19.0-24.9 kg/m2) nondiabetic women; group B, middleaged (40–60 yr) nonobese nondiabetic women; group C, middle-aged obese (BMI>30.0 kg/m2) nondiabetic women; and group D, middle-aged obese newly diagnosed but untreated female patients with NIDDM. Insulin binding to monocyte receptors was determined by radioreceptor assay. Fasting plasma samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, C-pep tide, and nones terified fatty acids. Results In the four groups studied, maximum specific binding and receptor concentration were highest in group A, with a progressive and significant decrease in values through groups B and C to group D. Significant inverse correlations were obtained between maximum specific binding, 50% inhibition dose, and total receptor concentration on the one hand and glucose, insulin, and NEFA on the other. Conclusions Our study of urban South African black women showed decreasing insulin-receptor activity with obesity and glucose intolerance. In patients with NIDDM, hyperglycemia and (β-cell dysfunction were associated with a reduction in receptor concentration. In this regard, our findings in South African blacks are consistent with results of similar studies of NIDDM in other communities.
A conceptual framework for cyber-security awareness and education in SA

The Internet is becoming increasingly interwoven in the daily lives of many individuals, organisations and nations. It has, to a large extent, had a positive effect on the way people communicate. It has also introduced new avenues for business; and it has offered nations an opportunity to govern online. Nevertheless, although cyberspace offers an endless list of services and opportunities, it is also accompanied by many risks, of which many Internet users are not aware. As such, various countries have developed and implemented cyber-security awareness and education measures to counter the perceived ignorance of the Internet users. However, there is currently a definite lack in South Africa (SA) in this regard; as there are currently, little government-led and sponsored cyber-security awareness and education initiatives. The primary research objective of this paper, therefore, is to propose a cyber-security awareness and education framework for SA that would assist in creating a cyber-secure culture in SA among all of the users of the Internet. This framework will be developed on the basis of key factors extrapolated from a comparative analysis of relevant developed countries.
Blood pressure and socioeconomic status in low-income women in Mexico: a reverse gradient?

Objectives: In the developed world, there is a well-established inverse association between socioeconomic status (SES) and blood pressure. In the developing world, however, these relationships are not as clear, particularly in middle-income countries undergoing epidemiological and nutritional transition. Methods: A house-to-house cross-sectional survey was conducted in low-income regions of rural Mexico in 2003. A sample of women (n = 9362) aged 18–65 years (mean 35.2, SD 10.4) was assessed. Measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and body mass index (BMI) were obtained using standardised techniques and equipment. Interviews were conducted to collect information about SES, both objective (education, income, housing and assets, occupation) and subjective (perceived social status). Results: Household income, housing and assets were positively and strongly associated with age-adjusted SBP; the associations were attenuated somewhat with the inclusion of BMI. SBP was also positively associated with perceived social status within one’s community. In contrast, age and BMI-adjusted SBP was negatively associated with educational achievement. There was a significant education by BMI interaction; at equivalent values for BMI, women who had received at least some secondary education had lower SBP than those who had received less education. Conclusions: In contrast to traditional assumptions about the associations between SES and health, women in low-income rural populations who are at the upper end of the income spectrum within their community were found to be more likely to have higher SBP, as were those who perceived that they had higher status in the community. These results challenge standard assumptions about the association of SES and health.
Red Meat Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Swedish Women

Background and Purpose— High red meat consumption has been associated with increased risk of some cancers and may also be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, epidemiological studies of red meat consumption in relation to risk of stroke are very limited. Our objective was to examine the association between red meat consumption and stroke incidence in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Methods— We prospectively followed 34 670 women without cardiovascular disease and cancer at baseline. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on diet and other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in 1997. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% CI. Results— During a mean follow-up of 10.4 years, we ascertained 1680 incident cases of stroke, comprising 1310 cerebral infarction, 154 intracerebral hemorrhage, 79 subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 137 unspecified stroke. Total red meat and processed meat consumption was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of cerebral infarction, but not of total stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The multivariable RR of cerebral infarction for the highest versus the lowest quintile of consumption were 1.22 (95% CI, 1.01–1.46) for red meat and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.04–1.49) for processed meat. Fresh (unprocessed) meat consumption was not associated with total stroke or with any stroke subtype. Conclusion— Findings from this study suggest that red and processed meat consumption may increase the risk of cerebral infarction in women.
Clinical‐grade preparation of human natural regulatory T‐cells encoding the thymidine kinase suicide gene as a safety gene

Human CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ natural regulatory T‐cells (nTreg) have a great therapeutic potential for the induction of tolerance in allo‐transplanted patients or for the control of severe auto‐immune diseases. However, clinical‐grade production of nTreg remains difficult to achieve because of the absence of a truly specific surface marker and of their low frequency that implies a need for their ex vivo expansion. Furthermore, safety issues should be taken into consideration due to the risk of either uncontrolled nTreg‐induced immunosuppression or uncontrolled proliferation of autoreactive contaminating T‐cells particularly in an auto‐immune context.
Dual-Specific Interaction to Detect DNA on Gold Nanoparticles

An approach to selectively and efficiently detect single strand DNA is developed by using streptavidin coated gold nanoparticles (StAuNPs) as efficient quenchers. The central concept for the successful detection is the combination the of streptavidin-biotin interaction with specific probe-target DNA hybridization. Biotin labeled probe DNAs act as “bridges” to bring Cy5 labeled targets to the particle surface and the fluorophore dye can be rapidly and efficiently quenched by StAuPNs. By measuring the changes of photoluminescence intensity of Cy5, an efficient, selective, and reversed detection of DNA hybridization is realized. The methodology may pave a new way for simple and rapid detections of biomolecules.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis and outpatient management of fever and neutropenia in adults treated for malignancy: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline.

PURPOSE To provide guidelines on antimicrobial prophylaxis for adult neutropenic oncology outpatients and on selection and treatment as outpatients of those with fever and neutropenia. METHODS A literature search identified relevant studies published in English. Primary outcomes included: development of fever and/or infections in afebrile neutropenic outpatients and recovery without complications and overall mortality in febrile neutropenic outpatients. Secondary outcomes included: in afebrile neutropenic outpatients, infection-related mortality; in outpatients with fever and neutropenia, defervescence without regimen change, time to defervescence, infectious complications, and recurrent fever; and in both groups, hospital admissions, duration, and adverse effects of antimicrobials. An Expert Panel developed guidelines based on extracted data and informal consensus. RESULTS Forty-seven articles from 43 studies met selection criteria. RECOMMENDATIONS Antibacterial and antifungal prophylaxis are only recommended for patients expected to have < 100 neutrophils/μL for > 7 days, unless other factors increase risks for complications or mortality to similar levels. Inpatient treatment is standard to manage febrile neutropenic episodes, although carefully selected patients may be managed as outpatients after systematic assessment beginning with a validated risk index (eg, Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer [MASCC] score or Talcott's rules). Patients with MASCC scores ≥ 21 or in Talcott group 4, and without other risk factors, can be managed safely as outpatients. Febrile neutropenic patients should receive initial doses of empirical antibacterial therapy within an hour of triage and should either be monitored for at least 4 hours to determine suitability for outpatient management or be admitted to the hospital. An oral fluoroquinolone plus amoxicillin/clavulanate (or plus clindamycin if penicillin allergic) is recommended as empiric therapy, unless fluoroquinolone prophylaxis was used before fever developed.