Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Economic Related Factors on Poverty among Farming Households: The Case of Nigeria

This study examined the influence of economic related factors on poverty among the farming households in Borno State, Nigeria. Using multistage sampling technique, 360 farming households were randomly from 12 villages spread across six local government areas of the three agro-ecological zones in the State. Primary data generated from farming household heads through well-structured sampled questionnaires were mainly used for this study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means, frequencies and percentages), and Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) P alpha measure of poverty. The monthly mean per adult equivalent household expenditure (MPAEHE) was />J2,972.77. A poverty line of />J1,982.84 was estimated. Based on the poverty line of />J1,982.84, the FGT measures showed that 62 per cent of the farming households of the study area were poor; the average depth of the poor households from the poverty line was 44 per cent of the poverty line, while 18 per cent of the poor farming households were critically or severely poor. It was evident from the study that poverty level was lower among households with more off-farm income and cultivilted more farm land. Similarly, households in the study area who had access to agricultural loans, improved farm inputs and possessed one or more assets had lower poverty level than those who had'110 access to agricultural loans or no assets. On the other hand households who travel more distance to market had higher poverty level . Based on these findings, the study recommended that efforts towards increasing farming households ' access to agricultural loans and inputs should be pursued. Farming households should also be encouraged to engage in off-farm economic activities as well as diversification of their agricultural activities.
A Qualitative Exploration of Sexual Risk and HIV Testing Behaviors among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Beirut, Lebanon

Men who have sex with men (MSM) may account for most new HIV infections in Lebanon, yet little is known about the factors that influence sexual risk behavior and HIV testing in this population. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 MSM living in Beirut, and content analysis was used to identify emergent themes. Mean age of the participants was 28.4 years, and all identified as either gay (77%) or bisexual (23%). Half reported not using condoms consistently and one quarter had not been HIV-tested. Many described not using condoms with a regular partner in the context of a meaningful relationship, mutual HIV testing, and a desire to not use condoms, suggesting that trust, commitment and intimacy play a role in condom use decisions. Condoms were more likely to be used with casual partners, partners believed to be HIV-positive, and with partners met online where men found it easier to candidly discuss HIV risk. Fear of infection motivated many to get HIV tested and use condoms, but such affect also led some to avoid HIV testing in fear of disease and social stigma if found to be infected. Respondents who were very comfortable with their sexual orientation and who had disclosed their sexuality to family and parents tended to be more likely to use condoms consistently and be tested for HIV. These findings indicate that similar factors influence the condom use and HIV testing of MSM in Beirut as those observed in studies elsewhere of MSM; hence, prevention efforts in Lebanon can likely benefit from lessons learned and interventions developed in other regions, particularly for younger, gay-identified men. Further research is needed to determine how prevention efforts may need to be tailored to address the needs of men who are less integrated into or do not identify with the gay community.
Salvage Surgery After Chemoradiotherapy in the Management of Esophageal Cancer: Is It a Viable Therapeutic Option?

PURPOSE The aim of this large multicenter study was to assess the impact of salvage esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy (SALV) on clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from consecutive adult patients undergoing resection for esophageal cancer in 30 European centers from 2000 to 2010 were collected. First, groups undergoing SALV (n = 308) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by planned esophagectomy (NCRS; n = 540) were compared. Second, patients who benefited from SALV for persistent (n = 234) versus recurrent disease (n = 74) were compared. Propensity score matching and multivariable analyses were used to compensate for differences in some baseline characteristics. RESULTS SALV versus NCRS groups: In-hospital mortality was similar in both groups (8.4% v 9.3%). The only significant differences in complications were seen for anastomotic leak (17.2% v 10.7%; P = .007) and surgical site infection, which were both more frequent in the SALV group. At 3 years, groups had similar overall (43.3% v 40.1%; P = .542) and disease-free survival (39.2% v 32.8%; P = .232) after matching, along with a similar recurrence pattern. Persistent versus recurrent disease groups: There were no significant differences between groups in incidence of in-hospital mortality or major complications. At 3 years, overall (40.9% v 56.2%; P = .046) and disease-free survival (36.6% v 51.6%; P = .095) were lower in the persistent disease group. CONCLUSION The results of this large multicenter study from the modern era suggest that SALV can offer acceptable short- and long-term outcomes in selected patients at experienced centers. Persistent cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy seems to be more biologically aggressive, with poorer survival compared with recurrent cancer.
Reelin expression during embryonic brain development in Crocodylus niloticus

The expression of reelin mRNA and protein was studied during embryonic brain development in the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In the forebrain, reelin was highly expressed in the olfactory bulb, septal nuclei, and subpial neurons in the marginal zone of the cerebral cortex, dorsal ventricular ridge, and basal forebrain. At early stages, reelin mRNA was also detected in subventricular zones. In the diencephalon, the ventral lateral geniculate nuclei and reticular nuclei were strongly positive, with moderate expression in the habenula and focal expression in the hypothalamus. High expression levels were noted in the retina, the tectum, and the external granule cell layer of the cerebellum. In the brainstem, there was a high level of signal in cochleovestibular, sensory trigeminal, and some reticular nuclei. No expression was observed in the cortical plate or Purkinje cells. Comparison with reelin expression during brain development in mammals, birds, turtles, and lizards reveals evolutionarily conserved, homologous features that presumably define the expression profile in stem amniotes. The crocodilian cortex contains subpial reelin‐positive cells that are also p73 positive, suggesting that they are homologous to mammalian Cajal‐Retzius cells, although they express the reelin gene less intensely. Furthermore, the crocodilian cortex does not contain the subcortical reelin‐positive cells that are typical of lizards but expresses reelin in subventricular zones at early stages. These observations confirm that reelin is prominently expressed in many structures of the embryonic brain in all amniotes and further emphasize the unique amplification of reelin expression in mammalian Cajal‐Retzius cells and its putative role in the evolution of the cerebral cortex. J. Comp. Neurol. 457:250–262, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On Best Proximity Point Theorems for New Cyclic Maps

In this paper, we first introduce the concept of MT − K condition. Some best proximity point theorems for mappings satisfying MT − K condition instead of K-cyclic mappings are established in metric spaces. Our results generalize and improve some main results in [5] and references therein. Mathematics Subject Classification: 54H25
Naive and Yet Enlightened: From Natural Frequencies to Fast and Frugal Decision Trees

An evolutionary view of rationality as an adaptive toolbox of fast and frugal heuristics is sometimes placed in opposition to probability as the ideal of enlightened rational human inference. Indeed, this opposition has become the cornerstone of an ongoing debate between adherents to theories of normative as opposed to bounded rationality. On the one hand, it has been shown that probability provides a good approximation to human cognitive processing for tasks involving simple inferences, and humans actually are able to reason the Bayesian way when information is presented in formats to which they are well adapted (Gigerenzer & Hoffrage, 1995). On the other hand, it is clear that probabilistic inference becomes infeasible when the mind has to deal with too many pieces of information at once. Coping with resource limitations, the mind—as Gigerenzer, Todd and the ABC Research Group (1999) claim— adopts simple inference heuristics, often based on just one-reason decision making. Our aim is to present a unifying framework, based on the systematic use of trees for knowledge representation, both for fully Bayesian and for fast and frugal decisions.
The Distribution of Satellite Galaxies in a Lambda-CDM Universe

We compute the locations of satellite galaxies with respect to their hosts using the Lambda-CDM GIF simulation. If the major axes of the hosts' images are perfectly aligned with the major axes of their projected mass, the satellites are located preferentially close to the hosts' major axes. In this case, the degree of anisotropy in the satellite locations is a good tracer of the flattening of the hosts' halos. If all hosts have luminous circular disks, the symmetry axes of the projected mass and light are not perfectly aligned, and the locations of the satellites depend upon how the hosts' disks are placed within their halos. If the disk angular momentum vectors are aligned with the major axes of the halos, the satellites show a pronounced "Holmberg effect". If the disk angular momentum vectors are aligned with the intermediate axes of the local large scale structure, the distribution of satellite locations is essentially isotropic. If the disk angular momentum vectors are aligned with either the minor axes or with the net angular momentum vectors of the halos, the satellites are distributed anisotropically about their hosts, with a preference for being found nearby the hosts' major axes. This agrees well with the observation that satellite galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey tend to be found nearby the major axes of their hosts, and suggests that the mass and light of SDSS host galaxies must be fairly well aligned in projection on the sky.
Earlier Onset of Complications in Youth With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the risk of complications in youth with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Population-based cohorts of 342 youth (1–18 years of age) with prevalent type 2 diabetes, 1,011 youth with type 1 diabetes, and 1,710 nondiabetic control youth were identified between 1986 and 2007 from a clinical registry and linked to health care records to assess long-term outcomes using ICD-9CM and ICD-10CA codes. RESULTS Youth with type 2 diabetes had an increased risk of any complication (hazard ratio 1.47 [95% CI 1.02–2.12]). Significant adverse clinical factors included age at diagnosis (1.08 [1.02–2.12]), HbA1c (1.06 [1.01–1.12]), and, surprisingly, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor use (1.75 [1.27–2.41]). HNF-1α G319S polymorphism was protective in the type 2 diabetes cohort (0.58 [0.34–0.99]). Kaplan-Meier statistics revealed an earlier diagnosis of renal and neurologic complications in the type 2 diabetes cohort, manifesting within 5 years of diagnosis. No difference in retinopathy was seen. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were rare; however, major complications (dialysis, blindness, or amputation) started to manifest 10 years after diagnosis in the type 2 diabetes cohort. Youth with type 2 diabetes had higher rates of all outcomes than nondiabetic control youth and an overall 6.15-fold increased risk of any vascular disease. CONCLUSIONS Youth with type 2 diabetes exhibit complications sooner than youth with type 1 diabetes. Younger age at diagnosis is potentially protective, and glycemic control is an important modifiable risk factor. The unexpected adverse association between RAAS inhibitor use and outcome is likely a confounder by indication; however, further evaluation in young people is warranted.
Differential Expression of Cytokines and Chemokines in Human Monocytes Induced by Lipid Formulations of Amphotericin B

ABSTRACT The immunomodulatory effects of liposomal amphotericin B (LAMB), amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), and amphotericin B colloidal dispersion (ABCD) on mRNA and protein profiles of five cytokines and chemokines expressed by human monocyte-enriched mononuclear leukocytes (MNCs) were comprehensively evaluated by semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; they were compared to those of deoxycholate amphotericin B (DAMB). mRNAs of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP-1β) were assessed after treatment of MNCs with each drug for 0.5, 2, 6, and 22 h. The cytokine protein profiles were obtained after incubation of MNCs with the drugs for 2 h (TNF-α) or 6 h (all the others). In the mRNA studies, DAMB resulted in an early increase of inflammatory cytokines or chemokines IL-1β, TNF-α, MCP-1, and MIP-1β (2 to 6 h) and in a late increase of anti-inflammatory IL-1ra (22 h). ABCD showed a general similar trend of inflammatory gene up-regulation. LAMB and ABLC decreased or did not affect IL-1β and TNF-α, whereas ABLC additionally decreased MIP-1β. In protein measurement studies, DAMB and ABCD up-regulated production of IL-1β (P < 0.05), decreased the IL-1ra/IL-1β ratio, and up-regulated the production of MCP-1 and MIP-1β. In comparison, LAMB and ABLC down-regulated or did not affect the production of these cytokines/chemokines compared to untreated MNCs; furthermore, ABLC tended to increase the IL-1ra/IL-1β ratio. These studies demonstrate that amphotericin B formulations differentially affect gene expression and release of an array of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines that potentially may explain the differences in infusion-related reactions and dose-dependent nephrotoxicity as well as modulation of the host immune response to invasive fungal infections.
On Portfolio Optimization : How Do We Benefit from High-Frequency Data ?

In this paper, I consider the problem faced by a professional investment manager who wants to track the return of the S&P 500 index with 30 DJIA stocks. The manager constructs many covariance matrix estimators, based on daily returns and high-frequency returns, to form his optimal portfolio. Although prior research has documented that realized volatility based on intraday returns is more precise than daily return constructed volatility, the manager will not switch from daily to intraday returns to estimate the conditional covariance matrix if he rebalances his portfolio monthly and has past 12 months of data to use. He will switch to intraday returns only when his estimation horizon is shorter than 6 months or he rebalances his portfolio daily. 1 Department of Financial Economics and Institutions, College of Business Administration , University of Hawaii, 2404 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822. E-mail:Qliu@cba.hawaii. edu. I am extremely grateful to Torben Andersen and Ravi Jagannathan for their valuable suggestions and guidance. I would also like to thank Kent Daniel, Kathleen Hagerty, Vadim Linetsky, Robert Korajczyk, Todd Pulvino, Ghon Rhee, Robert Schwartz, Richard Spady and all seminar participants at Northwestern University, City University of New York at Baruch, and University of Hawaii for their helpful comments. All mistakes are mine.
Functional restitution of cardiac control in heart transplant patients.

Cardiovascular control is fundamentally altered after heart transplantation (HT) because of surgical denervation of the heart. The main goal of this work was the noninvasive characterization of cardiac rate control mechanisms after HT and the understanding of their nature. We obtained 25 recordings from 13 male HT patients [age = 28-68 yr, time after transplant (TAT) = 0.5-62.5 mo]. The control group included 14 healthy men (age = 28-59 yr). Electrocardiogram, continuous blood pressure (BP), and respiration were recorded for 45 min in the supine position and then during active change of posture (CP) to standing. The signals were analyzed in the time domain [mean and variance of heart rate (HR) and rise time of HR in response to CP] and the frequency domain [low and high frequency (LF and HF)]. Our principal finding was the consistent pattern of evolution of the HR response to standing: from no response, via a slow response (>40 s, TAT > 6 wk), to a fast increase (<20 s, TAT > 24 mo). HR response correlated with TAT (P < 0.001). LF correlated with HR response to CP (P < 0.0001); HF and HR did not. An important finding was the presence of very-high-frequency peaks in the power spectrum of HR and BP fluctuations. Extensive arrhythmias tended to appear at the TAT that corresponds to the transition from slow to fast HR response to CP. Our results indicate a biphasic evolution in cardiac control mechanisms from lack of control to a first-order control loop followed by partial sympathetic reinnervation and, finally, the direct effect of the old sinoatrial node on the pacemaker cell of the new sinoatrial node. There was no indication of vagal reinnervation.
Expert Status and Performance

Expert judgements are essential when time and resources are stretched or we face novel dilemmas requiring fast solutions. Good advice can save lives and large sums of money. Typically, experts are defined by their qualifications, track record and experience [1], [2]. The social expectation hypothesis argues that more highly regarded and more experienced experts will give better advice. We asked experts to predict how they will perform, and how their peers will perform, on sets of questions. The results indicate that the way experts regard each other is consistent, but unfortunately, ranks are a poor guide to actual performance. Expert advice will be more accurate if technical decisions routinely use broadly-defined expert groups, structured question protocols and feedback.
The Euro-changeoverand Euro-inflation: Evidence from Eurostat's HICP

Though anecdotal evidence suggests that retail price inflation increased temporarily in January 2002 when Euro notes and coins were introduced, the evidence from official statistics largely refutes this. We test for the presence of a sudden temporary increase in inflation for Euro-changeover countries. We use the countries that did not join the Euro: Denmark, Sweden and the UK; as a control group. Though the results are sensitive to the estimation method, we do uncover weak evidence of a minor increase in aggregate inflation in January 2002 for the countries that did join the Euro. Similar tests for the Restaurant sector find a strong Euro-changeover effect on temporary inflation. Summary tests for 129 other price sub-categories are also discussed.
Experience With Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy at a Secondary Training Hospital: Operation Time, Treatment Outcomes, and Complications With the Accumulation of Experience

Purpose To investigate the learning curve and outcomes of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) performed by a relatively lower volume surgeon at a secondary training hospital. Materials and Methods The medical records and the surgery video recordings of 100 patients who underwent RALP by a single surgeon between March 2010 and January 2013 were reviewed. The first 10 cases were grouped into period 1, cases 11 to 40 into period 2, cases 41 to 70 into period 3, and cases 71 to 100 into period 4. The interval between the operations, the operative time for each step of the surgery, the total console time, and the operative outcomes were investigated. Results The mean interval between surgeries was 10.6±9.3 days. The console time decreased progressively after the first 10 cases and reached under 3 hours after 75 cases. The time taken to begin dissection of the dorsal vein complex, for the division of the bladder neck, for lateral dissection with neurovascular bundle preservation, and for apex dissection decreased significantly with experience, although the time for vesicourethral anastomosis did not. The margin-positive rate of stage T2 patients was 27.4% (20/73), and the transfusion rate was 50% in period 1 patients and 3.3% in period 4 patients. No major complications occurred. Conclusions It is difficult to shorten the learning curve of surgeons in secondary training hospitals owing to the smaller number of cases and the irregular surgical intervals. Although the operation time was relatively longer, the surgical outcome and complication rates were comparable with those of surgeons at larger hospitals.
The O Antigen Is a Critical Antigen for the Development of a Protective Immune Response to Bordetella parapertussis

ABSTRACT Despite excellent vaccine coverage in developed countries, whooping cough is a reemerging disease that can be caused by two closely related pathogens, Bordetella pertussis and B. parapertussis. The two are antigenically distinct, and current vaccines, containing only B. pertussis-derived antigens, confer efficient protection against B. pertussis but not against B. parapertussis. B. pertussis does not express the O antigen, while B. parapertussis retains it as a dominant surface antigen. Since the O antigen is a protective antigen for many pathogenic bacteria, we examined whether this factor is a potential protective antigen for B. parapertussis. In a mouse model of infection, immunization with wild-type B. parapertussis elicited a strong antibody response to the O antigen and conferred efficient protection against a subsequent B. parapertussis challenge. However, immunization with an isogenic mutant lacking the O antigen, B. parapertussis Δwbm, induced antibodies that recognized other antigens but did not efficiently mediate opsonophagocytosis of B. parapertussis. The passive transfer of sera raised against B. parapertussis, but not B. parapertussis Δwbm, reduced B. parapertussis loads in the lower respiratory tracts of mice. The addition of 10 μg of purified B. parapertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which contains the O antigen, but not B. parapertussis Δwbm LPS drastically improved the efficacy of the acellular vaccine Adacel against B. parapertussis. These data suggest that the O antigen is a critical protective antigen of B. parapertussis and its inclusion can substantially improve whooping cough vaccine efficacy against this pathogen.