Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women empowerment through Self Help Groups-A case study of Barhampur Development Block in Nagaon District of Assam.

A self-help is a small, economically homogeneous and attractive group of 10-20 rural poor people which comes together to save small amounts regularly. It generally performs various types of economic activities with the help of their small savings. Women Self-help groups are informal association of women. The main purpose of such an association is to enable members to gain economic benefits out of mutual help, solidarity and social responsibility. Generally, the economic benefit includes mobilization of savings and credit facilities and to pursue group based economic activities. SHG approach is the group based approach, which helps the poor women members of each SHG to accumulate capital by way of small saving and helping them to get credit facilities from their funds. Presently, the poor women of the society are facing the financial problem to start business or to undertake different economic activities to become self-employed and self-reliant. The SHG can empower poor women by providing facilities like savings and credit in the economic development process of the society
Very large long–term effective population size in the virulent human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

It has been proposed that the virulent human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum underwent a recent severe population bottleneck. In order to test this hypothesis, we estimated the effective population size of this species from the patterns of nucleotide substitution at 23 nuclear protein–coding loci, using a variety of methods based on coalescent theory. Both simple methods and phylogenetically based maximum–likelihood methods yielded the conclusion that the effective population size of this species has been of the order of at least 105 for the past 300 000—400 000 years.
Online reviews credibility and website quality: implications on travellers’ decision making

The online travel sales represent a considerable market share and a continued growth is predicted in the coming years. With the evolution of information and communication technologies, the online platforms emerge as important information sources for an increasingly informed and demanding tourist. Actually, the number of tourists who prefer and trust in websites with amateur reviews is growing. Giving the emergence of this social interaction process nowadays part of the power of marketing lies in consumers. Social media and the new digital form of word-of-mouth (eWOM) are receiving a significant attention by researchers, especially in the context of the tourism sector. However, there is a need to further explore the subject, trying to understand how the online reviews influence the choice of a given hotel, and find the best way to use social media to interact with actual and potential customers. On the other hand, website quality and customer satisfaction emerge as critical business concerns, especially in an e-commerce perspective, due to the low percentage of website visitors that purchase from it. Accordingly, there is a lack of research on the assessment and satisfaction degree of tourists regarding websites targeted for booking accommodation online. This research aims to increase knowledge concerning these subjects. The study develops the ReWebility framework that explores the website’s quality and the credibility of online reviews, and their influence on tourist’s decision-making process, especially tourist’s loyalty to those websites. In this research we follow a quantitative approach, resorting to an online questionnaire. The sample consists of 351 internet users who have already booked accommodation through online platforms. Initially we proceeded to a descriptive analysis using SPSS software, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model (SEM). The results confirm that tourists read online reviews before choosing a hotel, and consider them as trusted, credible and accurate. The proposed model suggests a chain between online reviews credibility, company reputation, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty, which might be the basis for further investigations related to consumer behaviour in online settings. The perceived value of the hotel reviewed and booked is the most influential determinant for a satisfactory online booking experience. In order to induce tourists to book online the website should ensure the best price, but not necessary the lowest one. At the end we will discuss the theoretical contributions and the practical implications, some suggestions, and future research lines.
Uncovering patterns of technology use in consumer health informatics

Internet usage and accessibility has grown at a staggering rate, influencing technology use for healthcare purposes. The amount of health information technology (Health IT) available through the Internet is immeasurable and growing daily. Health IT is now seen as a fundamental aspect of patient care as it stimulates patient engagement and encourages personal health management. It is increasingly important to understand consumer health IT patterns including who is using specific technologies, how technologies are accessed, factors associated with use, and perceived benefits. To fully uncover consumer patterns it is imperative to recognize common barriers and which groups they disproportionately affect. Finally, exploring future demand and predictions will expose significant opportunities for health IT. The most frequently used health information technologies by consumers are gathering information online, mobile health (mHealth) technologies, and personal health records (PHRs). Gathering health information online is the favored pathway for healthcare consumers as it is used by more consumers and more frequently than any other technology. In regard to mHealth technologies, minority Americans, compared with White Americans utilize social media, mobile Internet, and mobile applications more frequently. Consumers believe PHRs are the most beneficial health IT. PHR usage is increasing rapidly due to PHR integration with provider health systems and health insurance plans. Key issues that have to be explicitly addressed in health IT are privacy and security concerns, health literacy, unawareness, and usability. Privacy and security concerns are rated the number one reason for the slow rate of health IT adoption. WIREs Comput Stat 2013, 5:432–447. doi: 10.1002/wics.1276
Absorptive Capacity in Optimum Internal Utilization of Foreign Direct Investment in Pakistan

INTRODUCTION Sohail Farooq1 Ijaz Ahmad2 Muhammad Akram Gilal3 Abdul Rahman Nizamani4 1Hazara University Mansehra Pakistan 2Hazara University Mansehra Pakistan 3University of Sindh, Jamshoro Pakistan E-mail akram.gilal@usindh.edu. pk 4University of Sindh, Jamshoro Pakistan FDI refers to long-term investment made by residents of foreign countries in a host country. It results in the transfer of technology, managerial skills and improvement in production techniques. FDI can be horizontal or vertical, horizontal FDI takes place when multinational companies' start same production techniques and activities in multiple countries and is driven by market seeking motives. Whereas Vertical FDI, on the other hand, refers to multinational company investing in a foreign firm doing the same kind of business that multinational operates domestically. FDI inflows to a majority of countries are vertical in nature due to lack of well-established markets and institutions and are driven by rent or efficiency seeking motives FDI has been considered an engine of economic growth for developing economies (Borensztein, De Gregorio and Lee, 1998; De Mello 1999; Chandana and Parantap 2002; Liu et al. 2002; Akinlo 2004; Eller, Haiss and Steiner, 2005; Moses 2011; Tintin 2012; Hussain and Haque 2016; Choi and Baek 2017; Ridzuan, Ismail and Hamat (2017) and has potential to generate employment opportunities, increase productivity, transfers latest managerial skills and modern technology, promote exports and contribute to host country economic development. It acts as a medium for transforming and mobilizing real and intangible resources and can result in economic growth of the country beyond imagination (Bosworth and Collins, 1999). JEL Classification: E22, E31, J24, O34.
Alterations in serum lipid profile patterns in oral cancer

Background: Alterations in serum lipids have long been associated with cancer as lipids play an important role in maintenance of cell integrity. Aims: To evaluate alterations in plasma lipid profile in oral cancer patients, to compare and correlate the serum lipid profile in different grades of carcinoma and to evaluate the correlation of serum lipid profile between the tobacco habituates and non-habituates. Materials and Methods: Among 75 study subjects, 50 individuals were oral carcinoma patients and 25 individuals were healthy controls. The parameters assessed included total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides (TGL). These groups were subdivided into subjects with no habit of tobacco (NHT) and subjects with habit of tobacco (WHT). Stastical Analysis Used: Evaluation of results and statistical analysis was carried out using Student's t-test and one-way Analysis of Variance. Results: There was a significant decrease in TC, HDLC and TGL in the oral cancer group as compared with the control group. The lipid profile levels between histological grading of the oral cancer and between WHT and NHT had no statistical significance. Conclusions: There was an inverse relationship between serum lipid profile and oral cancer. The lower serum lipid status may be considered a useful indicator for initial changes occurring in the neoplastic cells.
Exploring New Supply Chain Strategies in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Within the pharmaceutical industry, several recent environmental changes have led companies to put into practice SCM initiatives. This article investigates the implementation of improvement initiatives that pharmaceutical companies undertake to obtain better supply network performance. It reports on four networks whose central firms are leading pharmaceutical companies. The SCM improvement initiatives implemented in the analysed pharmaceutical cases mainly concern redesign of the supply network configuration, with the intent of exploiting production scale economies, and the adoption of supplier and demand integration initiatives. Using the theory of trade-offs in strategic management, the article seeks to explore the reasons why leading pharmaceutical companies select particular mixes of SCM initiatives.
The nutritional status of older Rwandan refugees

Abstract Objective: To assess the nutritional status of older people in an unstable situation. Design: Anthropometric and socioeconomic data were collected cross-sectionally. Body mass index (BMI), arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA) were calculated to evaluate nutritional status. For 41 subjects with kyphosis, height was estimated from arm span using sex-specific regression equations from the non-kyphotic group. Setting: The study was carried out in the post-emergency phase in a Rwandan refugee camp in Karagwe district, north-west Tanzania. Subjects: Measurements were obtained from 413 men and 415 women aged 50–92 years. Results: The prevalence of undernutrition (BMI < 18.5) was 19.5% in men and 13.1% in women and was higher above age 60 years in both sexes: in men the prevalences were 23.2% and 15.0% (P < 0.05) and in women 15.1% and 10.9% for the older and younger age groups respectively. AMA, which is important in relation to the ability to remain active and independent, was also significantly lower in older age groups. No difference was found in AFA. The proportion with low BMI was much higher in the group with kyphosis. Conclusions: Even in this population of older Rwandans who managed to reach the camp and survive in exile for more than a year, undernutrition does occur and is more prevalent at an advanced age. The higher prevalence of undernutrition in kyphotic people illustrates the importance of including this group in nutritional status assessments.
Further postmortem autoradiographic studies of AMPA receptor binding in schizophrenia

Previous research indicated an increased binding of AMPA receptor ligand [3H]CNQX at 50 nM in the caudate nucleus of schizophrenics and suicides relative to normal and neuroleptic‐treated controls. The current work aimed to replicate this finding in a larger, independent sample of schizophrenics and controls. In addition to neostriatal structures, the hippocampal region and amygdala were also studied. Postmortem frozen sections from 15 schizophrenics (four suicides), 15 normal controls, 15 bipolars (eight suicides), and 15 unipolar nonpsychotic depressed (seven suicides) subjects were studied with quantitative autoradiographic procedures at 5, 20, and 50 nM [3H]CNQX in the striatum and at 20 nM in medial temporal structures. [3H]KA (kainic acid) binding was also examined. Instead of an expected increase, schizophrenics in this sample have a lower degree of [3H]CNQX binding in caudate and nucleus accumbens at 20 nM and in the nucleus accumbens at 50 nM, with suicided schizophrenics having higher binding than nonsuicided schizophrenics at the 20 nM concentration of [3H]CNQX in the caudate. [3H]CNQX binding was uniform across diagnostic categories at 5 nM in the striatum and at 20 nM in amygdala and hippocampal structures. KA receptor binding also did not differ among groups in any structures examined. These assays in a larger sample at three different concentrations do not support the previously reported increase in binding to AMPA receptors in schizophrenia but rather indicate an abnormal decrease in binding to this receptor in this sample. Possible explanations for the disparity in results between the two studies are considered. The data continue to indicate pathology of AMPA glutamate receptors in striatal structures in schizophrenia; however, it may be variable and its precise nature remains to be clarified. Synapse 45:250–258, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reorganizing Power Markets: A Reliability Insurance Business Model for Utilities

A market in which individuals pursue their own self-interest normally maximizes aggregate economic well-being. But households that install Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in order to obtain savings in their electricity bill, impose an external cost on other customers. At scale, their actions can lead to higher electricity tariffs for utility customers and, in the extreme case, a utility death spiral. In this paper, we propose a market mechanism that may ameliorate this potential distortion based on the creation of a market for risk. Utilities would provide reliability insurance services to households to protect them against the failure of their own DER systems. Creating such an insurance market would allow customers to choose a premium according to their preference for reliability. It could also limit the potential utility death spiral efficiently, as the path would be driven by market mechanisms that arise after reassigning property rights and liabilities between utilities and their customers.
The hen or the egg? Which comes first--antisocial emotional disorders or reading disability?

Summary. The sequential relationship of antisocial emotional disorders and reading difficulties was examined in a longitudinal study of a sample of 198 boys in their first two years at school. Teachers completed behaviour questionnaires at school entry and at the end of Primary One and Two. The children were tested for reading readiness at school entry and for reading performance at the end of Primary One and Two. Antisocial deviance was shown to precede later reading difficulties, but was associated at school entry with poor performance on the tests of reading readiness. An examination of the predictive effects of low performance on reading readiness tests and the reading test at the end of Primary One indicated that later antisocial deviance was not related at this stage of school to earlier poor performance. These results call into question, for this age group, the suggestion that reading backwardness leads to antisocial emotional disorders.
Maturation and topography of the auditory evoked response of the prematurely born infant.

The behavioral, EEG, and auditory responses have been studied during the maturation of prematurely born infants. It was found that: (1) The less mature the infant, the less time spent in a quiet sleep state. As the infants matured, periods of quiet sleep occurred for longer durations and interrupted the active sleep phase more frequently. (2) The EEG pattern of young infants (23–26 weeks estimated conceptional age [ECA]) consisted almost entirely of an “intermittent” pattern. As maturation progressed, this “intermittent” pattern became more closely associated with periods of quiet sleep. The continuous pattern appearing at approximately 29 to 31 weeks (ECA) was increasingly associated with an active sleep phase; by 34 to 35 weeks (ECA), the correspondence between EEG pattern and sleep state was more constant. (3) All infants regardless of conceptional age responded to the auditory stimulus from all recorded areas of the scalp. A sequence of wave patterns of the auditory evoked response was noted as a function of maturation. The young infants had a large, negative, long-latency (180–270 msec) wave diffusely over the scalp. As maturation progressed, a series of negative-positive-negative components was recognized. The evoked response patterns changed wave latency-amplitude relation as a function of both age and scalp topography. (4) The latency of the evoked response waves N1 and P2 were consistently greater during the intermittent, compared to the continuous EEG pattern in infants 34 to 40 weeks age post conception. (5) A small, (early ∼ 15 msec) auditory evoked response was recorded from the ear electrode and is probably of muscle origin. This early muscle response was augmented when the baby was awake and crying, intermediate in amplitude during an active sleep period, and barely detectable or absent during quiet sleep.
Comparison of chemistry analytes between 2 portable, commercially available analyzers and a conventional laboratory analyzer in reptiles.

BACKGROUND Advantages of handheld and small bench-top biochemical analyzers include requirements for smaller sample volume and practicality for use in the field or in practices, but little has been published on the performance of these instruments compared with standard reference methods in analysis of reptilian blood. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare reptilian blood biochemical values obtained using the Abaxis VetScan Classic bench-top analyzer and a Heska i-STAT handheld analyzer with values obtained using a Roche Hitachi 911 chemical analyzer. METHODS Reptiles, including 14 bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), 4 blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua gigas), 8 Burmese star tortoises (Geochelone platynota), 10 Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans), 5 red-tailed boas (Boa constrictor), and 5 Northern pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus), were manually restrained, and a single blood sample was obtained and divided for analysis. Results for concentrations of albumin, bile acids, calcium, glucose, phosphates, potassium, sodium, total protein, and uric acid and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase obtained from the VetScan Classic and Hitachi 911 were compared. Results for concentrations of chloride, glucose, potassium, and sodium obtained from the i-STAT and Hitachi 911 were compared. RESULTS Compared with results from the Hitachi 911, those from the VetScan Classic and i-STAT had variable correlations, and constant or proportional bias was found for many analytes. Bile acid data could not be evaluated because results for 44 of 45 samples fell below the lower linearity limit of the VetScan Classic. CONCLUSIONS Although the 2 portable instruments might provide measurements with clinical utility, there were significant differences compared with the reference analyzer, and development of analyzer-specific reference intervals is recommended.
Natural Suppression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication Is Mediated by Transitional Memory CD8+ T Cells

ABSTRACT HIV replication is suppressed in vitro by a CD8+ cell noncytotoxic antiviral response (CNAR). This activity directly correlates with an asymptomatic clinical state. The objective of this study was to identify the phenotype of CD8+ cell subsets having strong CNAR activity. CD8+ cell subset frequencies and CNAR levels were measured for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected individuals and three groups of HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals: asymptomatic individuals with low-level viremia (vHIV), antiretroviral-drug-treated subjects with undetectable virus levels (TxHIV), and therapy-naïve aviremic elite controllers (EC). CD8+ cells from the vHIV individuals exhibited the highest HIV-suppressing activity and had elevated frequencies of CD45RA− CD27+ and PD-1+ (CD279+) cells. Functional assessments of CD8+ cells sorted into distinct subsets established that maximal CNAR activity was mediated by CD45RA− CCR7− CD27+ and PD-1+ CD8+ cells. T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire profiles of CD8+ cell subsets having strong CNAR activity exhibited increased perturbations in comparison to those of inactive subsets. Together, these studies suggest that CNAR is driven by HIV replication and that this antiviral activity is associated with oligoclonally expanded activated CD8+ cells expressing PD-1 and having a transitional memory cell phenotype. The findings better describe the identity of CD8+ cells showing CNAR and should facilitate the evaluation of this important immune response in studies of HIV pathogenesis, resistance to infection, and vaccine development.
Capsular Type and Antibiotic Resistance in Streptococcus agalactiae Isolates from Patients, Ranging from Newborns to the Elderly, with Invasive Infections

ABSTRACT Streptococcus agalactiae isolates (n = 189) from patients with invasive infections were analyzed for capsular type by PCR, for antimicrobial susceptibility, and for the presence of resistance genes. In contrast to the predominance of capsular type III in children, types Ib and V were most common among adults. All 45 levofloxacin-resistant strains had two amino acid substitutions, Ser81Leu in the gyrA gene and Ser79Phe in the parC gene, and showed similar pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns.
Bacillus subtilis chemotaxis: a deviation from the Escherichia coli paradigm

In Escherichia coli, chemotactic sensory transduction is believed to involve phosphoryl transfer for excitation, and changes in receptor methylation for adaptation. In Bacillus subtilis, changes in degree of receptor methylation do not bring about adaptation. Novel methylation reactions are believed to be involved in excitation in B. subtillis. The main chemotaxis proteins of E. coli—CheA, CheB, CheR, CheW and CheY—are present in B. subtilis but play somewhat different roles in the two organisms. Several unique chemotaxis proteins are also present in B. subtilis. Some of the properties of B. subtilis chemotaxis are also seen in Halobacterium halobium, suggesting that there may be a similar underlying mechanism that predates the evolutionary separation of the bacteria from the archaea and eucarya.