Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subsistence patterns and blood pressure variation in two rural Caboclo communities of Marajó Island, Pará, Brazil

Blood pressure (BP) increases with age in westernized societies, is higher in men, and is correlated with the body mass index (BMI). Traditional societies present more variable patterns of BP. In 1991, BP and anthropometric data from two “Caboclo” (rural populations of mixed ancestry) groups from Marajó Island, Brazil, were collected: The Paricatuba group, (N = 20;12 women), with a subsistence base of fishing, collection of palm fruits, and traditional gardening; and the Praia Grande group (N = 26; 14 women), where subsistence is based on mechanized agriculture. In Paricatuba, mean BP is 109/74 mmHg in men and 101/70 mmHg in women. There are no significant differences between BP of men and women, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) increases with age. Both SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are associated with weight, but only DBP is associated with the BMI, while SBP is associated with stature. In Praia Grande, mean BP is 120/76 mmHg in men and 118/70 mmHg in women, with no significant differences between the sexes. In Praia Grande, SBP is higher than in Paricatuba, and both SBP and DBP are associated with age. Compared with urban groups, both Caboclo samples have low BP. Still, differences in BP and body habitus between the two groups support a hypothesis that degree of westernization influences mean levels of BP in rural Amazonian populations. Further, the results also may be interpreted as suggesting that associations of sex, age, and BMI with BP, commonly reported in urban samples, are a byproduct of westernization rather than a result of genetic factors. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Academic Attributional Style, Self-Efficacy and Gender: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

The relationships between academic attributional style (AAS), self-efficacy, gender and culture were investigated in this study. Three research questions “Is AAS influenced by self-efficacy, gender and culture? ”, “Does AAS operate in the same way in two different cultures? ”, and “How do AAS dimensions (internality, stability, globality) vary? ” were examined with a sample of 261 university students studying in Turkey and Britain. Regression results showed that gender and culture were separately significant predictors of pessimistic AAS. However, self-efficacy did not add significantly to the prediction of AAS. Regarding AAS dimensions, MANOVA revealed a significant main effect of culture, suggesting that British students have more pessimistic attributional styles characterized by the internality dimension in explanations of negative events. Suggestions for future studies are discussed.
A Study of Sub-pixel Motion Estimation using Phase Correlation

We propose a method for obtaining high-accuracy sub-pixel motion estimates using phase correlation. Our method is motivated by recently published analysis according to which the Fourier inverse of the normalized cross-power spectrum of pairs of images which have been mutually shifted by a fractional amount can be approximated by a two-dimensional sinc function. We use a modified version of such a function to obtain a sub-pixel estimate of motion by means of variable-separable fitting in the vicinity of the maximum peak of the phase correlation surface. We demonstrate that our method outperforms, in terms of sub-pixel accuracy, not only other surface fitting techniques but also the state-of-the-art in motion estimation using phase correlation including the technique that motivated our work in the first place. Furthermore our method performs particularly well in the presence of artificially induced additive white Gaussian noise and also offers better motion vector coherence in terms of zero-order entropy.
Health Behaviour Change following Persuasive Communication

This study was undertaken to assess the impact of a persuasively presented academic course in Health Psychology on students' health behaviour. Ninety-eight students attending a third-year optional course in Health Psychology at the University of Cape Town volunteered to participate in the study. The students completed a self-report Lifestyle Evaluation Questionnaire (LEQ) at the beginning of the six-week course, at the completion of the course and at an eight-month follow-up. A Lifestyie Beliefs Questionnaire (LBQ) based on the Health Belief Model was also filled out at the follow-up date. The results showed a statistically significant change in the exercise health behaviour, improving as the study progressed. LEQ factors of food and care improved significantly from the beginning to the completion of the course, with the care factor also maintaining a significant change from beginning to follow-up. Analysis of the LBQ indicated that the benefits component predicted exercise and drug use, the barriers component predicted exercise behaviour, and the susceptibility component predicted drug use. It was concluded that persuasive communication had a motivating effect on young, healthy adults to practise positive health behaviours.
Effects of Adiponectin on Calcium-Handling Proteins in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background—Despite the increasing prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in humans, there remains no therapeutic options for HFpEF. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine, exerts cardioprotective actions, and its deficiency is implicated in the development of hypertension and HF with reduced ejection fraction. Similarly, adiponectin deficiency in HFpEF exacerbates left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and HF. However, the therapeutic effects of adiponectin in HFpEF remain unknown. We sought to test the hypothesis that chronic adiponectin overexpression protects against the progression of HF in a murine model of HFpEF. Methods and Results—Adiponectin transgenic and wild-type mice underwent uninephrectomy, a continuous saline or D-aldosterone infusion and given 1.0% sodium chloride drinking water for 4 weeks. Aldosterone-infused wild-type mice developed HFpEF with hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and diastolic dysfunction. Aldosterone infusion increased myocardial oxidative stress and decreased sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase protein expression in HFpEF. Although total phospholamban protein expression was unchanged, there was a decreased expression of protein kinase A–dependent phospholamban phosphorylation at Ser16 and CaMKII (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II)-dependent phospholamban phosphorylation at Thr17. Adiponectin overexpression in aldosterone-infused mice ameliorated left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction, lung congestion, and myocardial oxidative stress without affecting blood pressure and left ventricular EF. This improvement in diastolic dysfunction parameters in aldosterone-infused adiponectin transgenic mice was accompanied by the preserved protein expression of protein kinase A–dependent phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16. Adiponectin replacement prevented the progression of aldosterone-induced HFpEF, independent of blood pressure, by improving diastolic dysfunction and by modulating cardiac hypertrophy. Conclusions—These findings suggest that adiponectin may have therapeutic effects in patients with HFpEF.
Fisher College of Business Working Paper Series Investor Inattention and the Underreaction to Stock Recommendations Investor Inattention and the Underreaction to Stock Recommendations

Investors' reaction to stock recommendations is often incomplete so that there is a predictable post-recommendation drift. I investigate whether investor inattention contributes to this drift by using turnover as a proxy for investor attention. I find that the recommendation drift of firms with low prior turnover is more than double in magnitude compared to that of firms with high prior turnover. Additional proxies for attention, such as analyst coverage, institutional ownership, days with few distracting news events, or a measure of residual turnover that controls for liquidity and uncertainty, produce similar results. Volume reactions around the recommendation event show that investors fail to react promptly to recommendations on low attention stocks. Together, the evidence suggests that investor inattention is a plausible explanation for investors' underreaction to stock recommendations.
Measuring teacher effectiveness: Some methodological reflections

Teacher effectiveness is an issue that has received increased attention in recent years, as researchers have become aware of limitations in models that see the school as the key arena for improving pupil learning outcomes. This renewed interest makes it timely to look again at the methods used in teacher effectiveness research. This article presents an overview of some key issues in researching teacher effectiveness from a process-product perspective. The choice of outcome measure is a first key area. Traditionally most teacher effectiveness research has utilised externally published standardised tests. However, it will be argued that this is too limited in the light of societal demands on education. Actually measuring teacher factors is an issue the difficulty of which has often been underestimated. Classroom observation, surveys of teachers and students, and qualitative methods such as interviews have been most frequently employed. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. In the final section, the main analysis methods suitable for teacher effectiveness research are outlined.
The Relation between Child-Rearing Beliefs and the Home Environment in a Sample of Adolescent Mothers.

This study addresses two questions. First do adolescent mothers differ from older mothers with similar educational backgrounds in terms of the quality of care they provide for their toddlers? Secondly can material child-rearing beliefs be used to predict which mothers are providing the most supportive care for their toddlers? The older mothers are found to have higher (more favorable) Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scores than the younger mothers. Both older and younger mothers who provide their toddlers with the most supportive care have beliefs about appropriate child-rearing practices that differ from the beliefs of their peers who provide less supportive care. (authors)
A student teamwork induction protocol

Faulty group processes have harmful effects on performance but there is little research about intervention protocols to pre-empt them in higher education. This naturalistic experiment compared a control cohort with an inducted cohort. The inducted cohort attended a workshop, consultations, elected a leader and used tools (a group log and group contract) designed to minimize social loafing, optimize coordination (by boosting good information sampling) and orient group dynamics towards the task. In the absence of inductions, a faulty system of processes was in play and this had a significant impact on group performance. In contrast, the inductions created a buffer. Structural equation modeling showed that the intervention made both group cohesion and conflict beneficial to group performance. The induction protocols enhanced students' individual accountability, a sense of unique responsibility and dissent during group decision-making (which improved its quality). The implication is that inductions help optimize the processes within student teamwork.
Transduction of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Vectors Lacking Encapsidation and Dimerization Signals

ABSTRACT The encapsidation signal (Ψ) and the nested dimerization initiation site are important for efficient packaging of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genomic RNA dimers. Consequently, these signals are included in all HIV-1 vectors. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that these elements in such vectors are not absolutely required for vector transduction. In single-cycle infection assays, vectors with Ψ deleted (ΔΨ) were transduced with only a two- to fivefold reduction compared to the wild type. The transduction of ΔΨ showed typical products of reverse transcription and vector integration; however, in vitro and in vivo dimerization assays demonstrated the lack of normal dimerization of the ΔΨ vector. The reduction in transduction reflected a similar reduction in packaging. Nevertheless, a relatively high specificity of packaging was retained, as the ΔΨ vector was encapsidated at a level 4 orders of magnitude higher than that for overexpressed, nonretroviral cellular mRNA and 15 orders of magnitude higher than that for a murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vector, all containing the same reporter gene, suggesting a Ψ-independent mechanism of packaging. The fact that HIV-1 and MLV vectors were encapsidated with a much higher level of efficiency than the cellular RNA suggests that the genomic RNAs of different retroviruses share common features and/or pathways that target them to encapsidation. Overall, these results formally demonstrate that packaging and dimerization signals are not required for the early stages of infection and can be deleted without risking a total loss of vector transduction. Deletion of these signals should enhance the safety of these vectors.
Progressive Increase of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has reached epidemic levels. It is a multisystem disease associated with elevated systemic inflammatory and hypercoagulable states. Most concerning are the cardiovascular risks associated with all stages of kidney disease. It is difficult to assess kidney disease stage progression and cardiovascular risk with current indicators such as estimated glomerular filtration rate and conventional cardiovascular risk factors. However, the use of biomarkers to assess the underlying pathological disease state may bridge the gap. This study evaluated biomarkers of inflammation including C-reactive protein, d-dimer, neuron-specific enolase, neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin, tumor necrosis factor receptor I, and thrombomodulin in 3 groups of patients: CKD stages 2-4, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and age-matched controls. The study demonstrated a statistically significant progressive upregulation in mean concentration of all markers when comparing controls to CKD and ESRD. Therefore, biomarkers may be able to evaluate the inflammatory state in kidney disease and potentially predict the cardiovascular risk.
Ground-state energies for the helium isoelectronic series.

Variational calculations are reported for the ground state of the helium isoelectronic series. An ansatz is introduced and it achieves an accuracy comparable to that hitherto achieved only with basis functions containing logarithmic terms. Energies accurate to better than one part in 10[sup 14] are obtained for the ground states of He through Ne[sup 8+] using 308-term expansions, and the ground state of H[sup [minus]] using 455 terms.
Mutation-optimised subdomains for test data generation and program analysis

Software testing is an important part of the development process - it consumes a large proportion of the labour resources required to produce a working program. Yet it is not usually possible to show that a program is completely free from faults. Instead, techniques are applied to assess the effectiveness of software testing; they provide confidence in its adequacy and act as a benchmark for its improvement. One such technique (mutation analysis) uses small changes in the program code to simulate actual faults. Mutation analysis has been shown to be more stringent than other testing techniques and a good predictor of the real fault-finding capability of a test suite. This thesis introduces new techniques for identifying, evolving and selecting input subdomains that can be sampled at random to produce efficient test suites which achieve a high level of mutation adequacy, and so are expected to be efficient at finding faults. Previous research into software testing has focussed on producing suites of individual test cases. This thesis represents the first attempt to optimise subdomains for each parameter to the program under test. The resulting subdomains can easily be comprehended by a human test engineer, so may be used to provide information about the software under test and design further highly efficient test suites.
WIDTHS OF SUBGROUPS

We say that the width of an infinite subgroup H in G is n if there exists a collection of n essentially distinct conjugates of H such that the intersection of any two elements of the collection is infinite and n is maximal possible. We define the width of a finite subgroup to be 0. We prove that a quasiconvex subgroup of a negatively curved group has finite width. It follows that geometrically finite surfaces in closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds satisfy the k-plane property for some k.
‘Support our networking and help us belong!’: listening to beginning secondary school science teachers

This study, drawing on the voice of beginning teachers, seeks to illuminate their experiences of building professional relationships as they become part of the teaching profession. A networking perspective was taken to expose and explore the use of others during the first three years of a teacher’s workplace experience. Three case studies, set within a wider sample of 11 secondary school science teachers leaving one UK university’s PostGraduate Certificate in Education, were studied. The project set out to determine the nature of the networks used by teachers in terms of both how they were being used for their own professional development and perceptions of how they were being used by others in school. Affordances and barriers to networking were explored using notions of identity formation through social participation. The focus of the paper is on how the teachers used others to help shape their sense of belonging to this, their new workplace. The paper develops ideas from network theories to argue that membership of the communities are a subset of the professional inter‐relationships teachers utilise for their professional development. During their first year of teaching, eight teachers were interviewed, completing 13 semi‐structured interviews. This was supplemented in Year 2 by a questionnaire survey of their experiences. In the third year of the programme, 11 teachers (including the original sample of eight) were surveyed using a network mapping tool in which they represented their communications with people, groups and resources. Finally, three of the teachers (common to both samples) were then interviewed specifically about their networking practices and experiences using the generation of their network map as a stimulated recall focus. The implications of the analysis of these accounts are that these beginning teachers did not perceive of themselves wholly as novices and that their personal aspirations to increase participation in practical science, develop a career or work for pupils holistically did not always sit comfortably with the school communities into which they were being accommodated. While highlighting the importance of trust and respect in establishing relationships, these teachers’ accounts highlight the importance of finding ‘peers’ from whom they can find support and with whom they can reflect and potentially collaborate towards developing practice. They also raise questions about who these ‘peers’ might be and where they might be found.
Intra-frame depth image compression based on anisotropic partition scheme and plane approximation

3D video can be represented by color 2D video sequence accompanied by gray-scale dense depth map (depth image) sequence. In this paper, we describe a novel method for intraframe compression of the depth modality of such representation. Our method takes into account specific features of depth images, i.e. the presence of large smooth regions delineated by sharp discontinuities (edges). For such images, conventional transform-based coders produce undesirable artifacts which impede the subsequent rendering of virtual views. Instead of block transforms, the proposed method employs horizontal-vertical anisotropic partition scheme which yields a tree-structured decomposition of non-overlapping rectangular blocks adapted to the depth map content. Each block in the decomposition is approximated by plane described by the block corner pixels. The codestream consists of the coded partition scheme and the coded error of prediction of quantized corner pixels. The scheme substantially reduces the amount of artifacts around edges and yields an improvement of several dB in PSNR for typical compression ratios compared with the best transform-based coders. Other advantages of the designed coder are its simplicity and fast decompression, and the possibility to control the ratedistortion performance.
The Relationship Between Psychic and Cultural Distance and Business Ethicality Attitudinal Values of Future Business Leaders

ABSTRACT Psychic distance and cultural distance between countries are phenomena that can affect a company's entry strategy into foreign markets, as can differences in levels of business ethicality. The author examines the use of three measures of psychic and/or cultural distance (Brewer, 2007; Ellis, 2008; Fletcher & Bohn, 1998) and assesses the extent to which they are related to business ethicality values. A two-stage sampling design was used to survey undergraduate business students in 23 countries regarding their business-related ethics attitudes. This study had 13 countries in common with the Brewer (2007) and Fletcher and Bohn (1998) studies and 12 countries in common with Ellis (2008). Comparisons were made between the index values of the countries and their average scores on a scale of business ethicality by correlation analysis. Correlations were not statistically significant. The results suggest that none of the measures of distance examined is a good indicator of business ethicality and vice versa. Thus, one cannot assume a priori that a country that is culturally or psychically close to one's own country will have similar business ethicality values.
Eph/Ephrin signalling maintains eye field segregation from adjacent neural plate territories during forebrain morphogenesis

During forebrain morphogenesis, there is extensive reorganisation of the cells destined to form the eyes, telencephalon and diencephalon. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate region-specific behaviours and that maintain the coherence of cell populations undergoing specific morphogenetic processes. In this study, we show that the activity of the Eph/Ephrin signalling pathway maintains segregation between the prospective eyes and adjacent regions of the anterior neural plate during the early stages of forebrain morphogenesis in zebrafish. Several Ephrins and Ephs are expressed in complementary domains in the prospective forebrain and combinatorial abrogation of their activity results in incomplete segregation of the eyes and telencephalon and in defective evagination of the optic vesicles. Conversely, expression of exogenous Ephs or Ephrins in regions of the prospective forebrain where they are not usually expressed changes the adhesion properties of the cells, resulting in segregation to the wrong domain without changing their regional fate. The failure of eye morphogenesis in rx3 mutants is accompanied by a loss of complementary expression of Ephs and Ephrins, suggesting that this pathway is activated downstream of the regional fate specification machinery to establish boundaries between domains undergoing different programmes of morphogenesis.