Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlates of Bushmeat Hunting among Remote Rural Households in Gabon, Central Africa

Abstract: Hunted wild animals (i.e., bushmeat) are a main source of protein for many rural populations in the tropics, and the unsustainable harvest of these animals puts both human food security and ecosystem functioning at risk. To understand the correlates of bushmeat consumption, we surveyed 1219 households in 121 rural villages near three newly established national parks in Gabon. Through the surveys we gathered information on bushmeat consumption, income, and material assests. In addition, we quantified land cover in a 5‐km radius around the village center and distance of the village center to the nearest park boundary. Bushmeat was not a source of income for most households, but it was the primary animal protein consumed. Ninety‐seven percent of households consumed bushmeat at least once during a survey period of 12 days. Income or wealth, land cover, distance of village to the nearest park boundary, and level of education of the head of the household were among the factors that significantly related to the likelihood of consuming any of the 10 most commonly consumed species of bushmeat. Household size was the predictor most strongly associated with quantities of bushmeat consumed and was negatively related to consumption. Total bushmeat consumption per adult male equivalent increased as household wealth increased and decreased as distance of villages to park boundaries increased. Bushmeat consumption at the household level was not related to unit values (i.e., price estimates for a good that typically does not have a market value; estimates derived from willingness to sell or trade the good for items of known price) of bushmeat or the price of chicken and fish as potential substitutes. The median consumption of bushmeat at the village level, however, was negatively related to village mean unit values of bushmeat across all species. Our results suggest that a lack of alternative protein sources motivated even the wealthiest among surveyed households to consume bushmeat. Providing affordable, alternative protein sources to all households would likely reduce unsustainable levels of bushmeat consumption in rural Gabon.
Banking panics and business cycles

Using a century of newly constructed data, competing theories explaining banking panics are tested. The evidence shows that banking panics during the U.S. national banking era (1865-1914) were the products of revisions in the perceived risk of the banking system based on the arrival of new information. Panics were triggered by a leading indicator of recession. Whenever this variable reached a threshold level, there was a panic. Thus, panics were not random events. The panics of the 1930s, however, did not result from the same pre-Federal Reserve System pattern of behavior. Copyright 1988 by Royal Economic Society.
The influence of service quality and trade show effectiveness on post-show purchase intention

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an integrative services framework to investigate the role of perceived trade show effectiveness on overall trade show service outcome, conceptualised as the intention to purchase a related product after, rather than during, a show. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the services marketing and trade show literature, the authors test a model of trade show effectiveness with data collected from 592 attendees at a major automotive trade show in a large metropolitan centre. Findings Results show that improving trade show visitors' perceived service quality positively affects visitor perceptions of trade show effectiveness. Furthermore, both trade show effectiveness and service quality directly influence future purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Employing a services theoretical framework to evaluate trade show visitor experiences provides an alternative to the traditional marketing communications approach. By viewing such visits as service encounters, managers must inevitably consider the effects of service quality and service outcomes in determining the likely success of their shows. The study primarily focuses on one large consumer show and therefore does not constitute a complete, nor necessarily representative, sample of the trade show industry. Originality/value The original contribution of the paper stems from the paucity of research conceptualising trade shows as services and the comparative lack of emphasis placed on visitors rather than exhibitors in the literature. The research not only has utility for trade show organisers but also provides necessary theory-based research in the trade show domain.
Breakthrough Technologies High Throughput Cellular Localization of Specific Plant mRNAs by Liquid-Phase in Situ Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction of Tissue Sections 1

Advances in high throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatic gene discovery far outpace our ability to analyze gene function, necessitating development of more efficient means to examine expression at the cellular level. Here we present a polymerase chain reaction-based method to detect mRNA species in situ in which essentially all of the steps are carried out in liquid phase in a 96-well microtiter tray and only the final signal detection is performed on a microscope slide. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the method by the cellular localization of mRNA for the Tkn2 transcription factor in a wide variety of plant tissues, and its selectivity in discriminating a single gene family member by the in situ localization of rbcs3 transcripts. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of the in-well in situ method in detecting FDL and IFL1 transcripts in Arabidopsis sections, thus establishing the method as a tool to determine spatial expression pattern of sequences obtained from genomic sequencing projects. Being amenable to robotic processing, in-well in situ reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction permits a great enhancement in the number of tissue samples that can be processed. Consequently, this method may become a powerful tool for functional genomics studies, permitting the cellular site of transcription of large numbers of sequences obtained from databases to be rapidly established.
Surgical Versus Nonoperative Treatment of Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis 211 Patients Documented by Intravenous Angiography

From 1980 through 1982, intravenous extracranial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed in 6684 patients at the Cleveland Clinic. Of these, 211 previously unoperated patients had prior transient ischemie attacks (TIA) or strokes in conjunction with >50% carotid stenosis on unequivocal DSA studies. Nonopcrative management was employed in 126 patients, including 120 (84%) who received antiplatelct therapy or formal anticoagulation. The remaining 85 patients underwent carotid endartercctomy. During a mean follow-up interval of 36 months, there was no overall difference in survival, late TIA, or stroke between the nonoperated and surgical cohorts. However, parity was maintained in these groups only because of the prevalence of intermediate (50–69%) stenotic lesions and stable internal carotid occlusions in the nonoperated group. Carotid endarter-ectomy provided superior stroke prevention for patients with >70% unilateral stenosis (p = 0.04), for those with >50% bilateral stenosis (p = 0.004), and for those with internal carotid occlusions associated with >50% contralateral stenosis (p = 0.03). The special risk of such discrete subsets should be recognized in order to plan appropriate treatment at the present time, as well as to conduct safe clinical trials in the future.
Improved Lipid and Lipoprotein Profile, Hepatic Insulin Sensitivity, and Glucose Tolerance in 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Null Mice*

Excess tissue glucocorticoid action may underlie the dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance of the metabolic syndrome. 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD-1) catalyzes conversion of circulating inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone into active corticosterone, thus amplifying local intracellular glucocorticoid action, particularly in liver. The importance of 11β-HSD-1 in glucose homeostasis is suggested by the resistance of 11β-HSD-1−/− mice to hyperglycemia upon stress or obesity, due to attenuated gluconeogenic responses. The present study further investigates the metabolic consequences of 11β-HSD-1 deficiency, focusing on the lipid and lipoprotein profile. Ad lib fed 11β-HSD-1−/− mice have markedly lower plasma triglyceride levels. This appears to be driven by increased hepatic expression of enzymes of fat catabolism (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I, acyl-CoA oxidase, and uncoupling protein-2) and their coordinating transcription factor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα). 11β-HSD-1−/− mice also have increased HDL cholesterol, with elevated liver mRNA and serum levels of apolipoprotein AI. Conversely, liver Aα-fibrinogen mRNA levels are decreased. Upon fasting, the normal elevation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α mRNA is lost in 11β-HSD-1−/− mice, consistent with attenuated glucocorticoid induction. Despite this, crucial oxidative responses to fasting are maintained; carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I induction and glucose levels are similar to wild type. Refeeding shows exaggerated induction of genes encoding lipogenic enzymes and a more marked suppression of genes for fat catabolism in 11β-HSD-1−/− mice, implying increased liver insulin sensitivity. Concordant with this, 24-h refed 11β-HSD-1−/− mice have higher triglyceride but lower glucose levels. Further, 11β-HSD-1−/− mice have improved glucose tolerance. These data suggest that 11β-HSD-1 deficiency produces an improved lipid profile, hepatic insulin sensitization, and a potentially atheroprotective phenotype.
Inhibition of androgen receptor signaling by selenite and methylseleninic acid in prostate cancer cells: two distinct mechanisms of action

The development of prostate cancer and its progression to a hormone-refractory state is highly dependent on androgen receptor (AR) expression. Recent studies have shown that the selenium-based compound methylseleninic acid (MSeA) can disrupt AR signaling in prostate cancer cells. We have found that selenite can inhibit AR expression and activity in LAPC-4 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells as well but through a different mechanism. On entering the cell, selenite consumes reduced glutathione (GSH) and generates superoxide radicals. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, a GSH precursor, blocked the down-regulation of AR mRNA and protein expression by selenite and restored AR ligand binding and prostate-specific antigen expression to control levels. MSeA reacts with reduced GSH within the cell; however, N-acetylcysteine did not effect MSeA-induced down-regulation of AR and prostate-specific antigen. The superoxide dismutase mimetic MnTMPyP was also found to prevent the decrease in AR expression caused by selenite but not by MSeA. A Sp1-binding site in the AR promoter is a key regulatory component for its expression. Selenite decreased Sp1 expression and activity, whereas MSeA did not. The inhibition of Sp1 by selenite was reversed in the presence of N-acetylcysteine. In conclusion, we have found that selenite and MSeA disrupt AR signaling by distinct mechanisms. The inhibition of AR expression and activity by selenite occurs via a redox mechanism involving GSH, superoxide, and Sp1. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(8):2078–85]
Costly Information, Informed Investors and the Use of Sophisticated Capital Budgeting Techniques

This paper aims to explain why firms do not use NPV for all capital budgeting decisions. Differential usage is attributed to the cost of information and the incomplete dissemination of knowledge of evaluation techniques. Analysis of Australian survey data indicates that 34% of informed managers switch to naive techniques for smaller dollar projects - a cost of information effect. We find 40% of organisations with large capital expenditures do not use NPV, suggesting a lack of knowledge of the NPV technique. Thus significant proportions of large Australian organisations lack detailed knowledge of DCF techniques while others fail to use those techniques for reasons of excessive cost. We also find, after controlling for cost and mandatory considerations, that many large firms with sophisticated capital budgeting procedures actually accept projects that do not meet threshold criteria. The explanation appears to lie in the recognition that projects have strategic and growth options, but an apparent inability amongst managers to factor these values into their project evaluation criteria such as NPV.
The Preferred Theme Park

s Since early 1900s, theme park has gradually evolved into a major type of tourist attraction. For certain location, it is the main reason for visitations. Design and construction of such successful theme park requires outstanding creativity, and professional knowledge of logistics and operational requirements. These, however, can easily drive the development of new parks into product oriented rather than market oriented establishments. While it is difficult and premature to draw any conclusion on whether it is appropriate or preferred, there seems to be crucial to understand more about the desires, requirements and preferences of the guests. After all, it is the satisfaction level of the guest that determines their visit and re-visit propensity. It is also important to take note that once the park is built, alternations will be difficult and costly. Another consideration given to the study is that while the existing literature on theme park is rather scant, knowledge about the oriental markets are even less available. On top of this, the market is undergoing a process of changes. One of which would be the aging of the population which indicated the necessity to approach an elder group of visitors and to satisfy the needs and wants of this adult non-family group. For this conference, an exploratory study is used to identify the key attributes for a theme park to be successful and experience that is preferred. It would adopt a qualitative approach and employ in-depth interview as the major mode for data collection.
To What Extent Are Cities Influenced by Rural Urban Relationships in Africa

If rural-urban relationship is treated as an open and unregulated process, cities serve as a sink for rural population, meaning that higher proportions of rural people migrate from rural areas to stay permanently in the cities. This process, which is commonly referred to as rural urban migration can be more evident if the urban system is maintained as an open system. This holds key to interpreting how cities attract and retain their populations, a process that is critical to understand the causes of deterioration of most cities in developing countries that still draw much of their population inputs from rural areas, as it is the case with Africa. Deducing from South African experience, if policies that regulate movement of people between rural areas and cities are politically inclined they tend to give a particular character to the evolution and development of cities. This has been found to be true for two sets of policies implemented inSouth Africa. Ones that were implemented during Apartheid, while they encouraged the migration of unskilled laborers from rural to urban areas, failed to promote settlement and adaptation of African communities in the cities and this led to an upsurge of informal settlements around many cities ofSouth Africa. One that have been implemented since the advent of Democracy, due to their relaxed nature have led to an influx of people of African descent into the city centers and the effect of this has been the deterioration of these areas. With these findings this study cautions that urban system needs to be treated as open, that is, be allowed to regulate itself through economic success and failures of people who aspire to live in urban areas by choosing to settle in the cities.
Biallelic inactivation of the thyroid hormone receptor beta1 gene in early stage breast cancer.

Loss of heterozygosity within the short arm of chromosome 3 is a common molecular event in several types of solid tumors. In breast cancer, 3p loss of heterozygosity occurs in invasive tumor cells as well as in morphologically normal terminal ductal lobular units adjacent to carcinoma in some cases [G. Deng et al., Science (Wash. DC), 274: 2057-2059, 1996. ]. The most frequent region of allelic loss at 3p24.3 in morphologically normal terminal ductal lobular units encompasses the thyroid hormone receptor beta1 (TRbeta1) gene. Here we have observed a variable degree of TRbeta1 promoter hypermethylation in all 11 cases of primary breast cancer examined. Moreover, hypermethylation occurred at the same CpG sites in nonmalignant tissue peripheral to carcinoma in 4 of 11 cases. The lack of TRbeta1 nuclear staining, a likely result of biallelic gene inactivation, was observed in 25% (22 of 85) of primary tumors. This is a first demonstration of promoter hypermethylation and a concurrent reduction of TRbeta1 transcripts in breast cancer cell lines, although specific CpG sites targeted for gene silencing remain to be determined. Gene expression was restored by treatment with 5-aza-deoxycytidine in such cases. The observation of early, frequent, and multiple mechanisms of TRbeta1 inactivation suggests a potential role for this gene in the suppression of breast tumorigenesis.
Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis subgingival presence, species-specific serum immunoglobulin G antibody levels, and periodontitis disease recurrence.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The biological and clinical effects of antibody against periodontal pathogenic bacteria are incompletely understood. This study evaluated the inter-relationships among periodontal levels of cultivable Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, species-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels, and periodontitis disease activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-three adults who had previously been treated for periodontitis and who also harbored cultivable A. actinomycetemcomitans or P. gingivalis were evaluated semiannually for clinical disease recurrence over a 36-month period. Each patient provided subgingival microbial samples, for the recovery of A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis, from the two deepest pockets in each dentition sextant. A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis serum IgG antibody levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), together with whole-cell sonicate extracts from A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a-c and P. gingivalis ATCC 33277. Data were analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel chi-square and Fisher exact two-tailed tests. RESULTS Eighteen (60.0%) of 30 A. actinomycetemcomitans-positive subjects, and 10 (76.9%) of 13 P. gingivalis-positive subjects, exhibited recurrent periodontal breakdown within 36 months of periodontal therapy. Nineteen (67.9%) of the 28 patients with active periodontitis had A. actinomycetemcomitans or P. gingivalis serum antibody levels below designated threshold values. In comparison, 10 (66.7%) of 15 culture-positive clinically stable subjects showed A. actinomycetemcomitans or P. gingivalis serum antibody levels above threshold values. The difference between specific antibody levels in periodontitis-active and periodontitis-stable patients was statistically significant (p = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS Serum levels of IgG antibodies against A. actinomycetemcomitans or P. gingivalis in periodontitis-stable patients were higher than those in patients with active periodontitis. The results suggest that elevated levels of IgG antibody against A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis have a detectable protective effect against periodontal infections with these microorganisms.
The Role of Age in Social Cognition: Comparison of New, Middle-Aged and Elderly In Understanding Sarcasm

The present study aimed at investigating the association between age and social cognition. The sample consisted of 72 persons between 20 and 82 years of age, equally distributed to three age groups, the “Young Adults” (M=25 years, SD=3.7 years), the “Middle-aged Adults” (M=51.2 years, SD=7.5 years) and the “Older Adults” (M=72.1 years, SD=4.9 years). The three groups were matched according to gender and educational level. The participants were examined with the test “Social Inference (Minimal) - SI (M): Part 2 of the TASIT (McDonald, Flanagan, Rollins, & Kinch, [1])”, which examines whether the participant understands sarcasm and is able to differentiate sarcasm from sincerity. Moreover, the Mini Mental State Examination-MMSE (MMSE, Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh,[2], Greek adaptation: Fountoulakis, Tsolaki, Chatzi & Kazis, [3]) and the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15, Yesavage, et al ., [4], Greek adaptation: Fountoulakis et al. [5]) were administered to older adults. The results for older adults showed that the lower the performance on the MMSE and the higher the performance on the GDS-15, the lower the performance on the SI (M). Concerning the whole sample, the results showed that age is negatively associated with sarcasm understanding, and self-reported hypercholesterolemia plays an aggravating role in the aforementioned relation.
Topical betamethasone for prevention of radiation dermatitis.

BACKGROUND Although acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) is a common side-effect of radiotherapy (RT), currently there is no general consensus about its prevention or treatment of choice. AIMS The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prophylactic use of topical betamethasone 0.1% can prevent ARD caused by chest wall irradiation. METHODS Fifty-one patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer and were going to receive RT, were randomly assigned to receive topical betamethasone 0.1%, petrolatum or none during RT. The frequency and severity of ARD (measured using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group acute radiation morbidity scoring criteria) were recorded at the end of each week during RT and two weeks after its completion. Clinical outcomes were analyzed by relevant statistical methods. RESULTS All patients developed some degree of ARD, the frequency and severity of which increased with time and reached the maximum at the end of the seventh week for all groups. Patients receiving betamethasone had less severe ARD than the other two groups throughout the course of the study, but this difference was significant only at the end of the third week (p = 0.027). No significant difference was observed between the petrolatum and control arms. CONCLUSION Prophylactic and ongoing use of topical betamethasone 0.1% during chest wall RT for breast cancer delays occurrence of ARD but does not prevent it. Petrolatum has no effect on the prevention of ARD in these patients.