Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer preferences for beans in Malawi and its influence on price [on line]

The common bean Phaseolus vulgaris is one of the most important food legumes grown by smallholder farmers in Malawi where it is commonly eaten as an accompaniment to maize, the main staple food. Farmers usually grow a wide range of bean varieties (both bush and climbing types) that vary tremendously in grain size, colour, and shape. Over the years, there has been much investment in bean research for development. Farmers’ landrace varieties were crossed with new bean varieties from South America to produce improved bean varieties (with better yields, resistance to drought and pests and diseases) adapted to local conditions. Such efforts have resulted in the release of several improved bean varieties in Malawi, (nine by Bunda College of Agriculture and eight by Chitedze Agricultural Research Station) for the benefit of smallholder farmers. Bean varieties have different characteristics (colour, shape, size) that determine their attractiveness to consumers. Farmers sell part of their produce in local markets, but very little is known about consumer preferences. A study was undertaken to assess some of the social factors that determine choice of beans on the market, and how that relates to the price of beans.
RNA polymerase II subunit composition, stoichiometry, and phosphorylation

RNA polymerase II subunit composition, stoichiometry, and phosphorylation were investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by attaching an epitope coding sequence to a well-characterized RNA polymerase II subunit gene (RPB3) and by immunoprecipitating the product of this gene with its associated polypeptides. The immunopurified enzyme catalyzed alpha-amanitin-sensitive RNA synthesis in vitro. The 10 polypeptides that immunoprecipitated were identical in size and number to those previously described for RNA polymerase II purified by conventional column chromatography. The relative stoichiometry of the subunits was deduced from knowledge of the sequence of the subunits and from the extent of labeling with [35S]methionine. Immunoprecipitation from 32P-labeled cell extracts revealed that three of the subunits, RPB1, RPB2, and RPB6, are phosphorylated in vivo. Phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of RPB1 could be distinguished; approximately half of the RNA polymerase II molecules contained a phosphorylated RPB1 subunit. These results more precisely define the subunit composition and phosphorylation of a eucaryotic RNA polymerase II enzyme.
Specific Expression and Regulation of Hepassocin in the Liver and Down-regulation of the Correlation of HNF1α with Decreased Levels of Hepassocin in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma*

Hepassocin (HPS), is a liver-specific gene with mitogenic activity on isolated hepatocytes. It is up-regulated following partial hepatectomy and down-regulated frequently in heptocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, very little is known about the HPS transcription regulation mechanism. In this study, we identified HNF1α (hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α) as an important liver-specific cis-acting element for HPS using in vivo luciferase assays. Deletion of the HNF1 binding site not only led to a complete loss of HPS promoter activity in vivo but also abolished the induction of the HPS promoter by HNF1α. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that HNF1α interacted with the HPS gene promoter in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that HNF1α interacted with HMGB1 and CREB-binding protein, and all of them were recruited to the HPS promoter in vivo. Moreover, HNF1α expression was lower in HCC cell lines and tissues and correlated significantly with the down-regulation of HPS expression. Re-expression of HNF1α in human hepatoma HepG2 cells reinduced HPS expression. In contrast, knockdown of endogenous HNF1α expression by small interfering RNA resulted in a significant reduction of HPS expression. Furthermore, we found that partial hepatectomy and IL-6 significantly induced promoter activity of HPS, depending on STAT3 and HNF1 binding sites in the HPS promoter. These results demonstrate that the HNF1 binding site and HNF1α are critical to liver-specific expression of HPS, and down-regulation or loss of HNF1α causes, at least in part, the transcriptional down-regulation of HPS in HCC.
Middle school parents' perceptions of career and technical education

MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION Virginia R. Powers Jones Old Dominion University, 2009 Director: Dr. John M. Ritz This study explored middle school parents' perceptions of the contributions career and technical education could make to their child's educational or workforce plans. It also examined what actions parents undertake to influence their child's plans, specifically the impact of the career exploration tool, Coin Career Community®, on their actions. Last, the study explored the correlation between the course choices students made in ninth grade relative to their parents' perceptions. This study took place at Halifax County Middle School, located in South Boston, Virginia, in spring 2009. This school was the only middle school in the county with a student population of 1,337 students in grades 6-8. Halifax County is located in Southside Virginia. The researcher distributed the survey to the entire population. The participants were parents of the 435 students in the eighth grade at Halifax County Middle School. All parents received a survey at the end of March shortly after the registration process for high school courses. The researcher extracted pre-existing data of student demographics and course requests from the School Administration Student Information System (SASI®), Halifax County Public Schools' student database. The Coin Career Community® provided preexisting data on student career interests and skill assessments. The researcher distributed a survey to all parents. The survey covered three major sections of parental influences
On shallow-water bottom reverberation frequency dependence

Determinations of bottom scattering strength in the decade below 1 kHz under downward refracting conditions have been made using acoustic reverberation and transmission data from the 2001 East China Sea Asian Seas International Acoustic Experiment (ASIAEX). The measurements were performed using explosive sources and receiving hydrophones in ship-suspended vertical-line arrays. The focus of this paper has been the dependence of bottom scattering strength on the frequency and characterization of the uncertainties associated with the extraction of scattering strength from reverberation. The derived bottom scattering strength gradually rises with frequency from 100-300 Hz and then more rapidly above 300 Hz. A potential explanation suggests that the frequency variation results from two scattering mechanisms, rough layer scattering at the low end of the band and sediment near-surface volume scattering at the high end. The spatial extrapolation of these results is explored by comparing them with similarly derived scattering strengths using data obtained under the Navy's Harsh Environments Program at a somewhat separated site (56 km) under environmental conditions similar to those during ASIAEX. In the ASIAEX analysis, it has been found that the largest source of uncertainty in the scattering-strength frequency dependence arises from persistence of finite-amplitude effects associated with the source signal
Religiosity and Tax Compliance: Evidence from U.S. Counties

ABSTRACT The intention of this paper is to analyse religiosity as a factor that potentially affects tax compliance. Studies in the 1990s have shown that the puzzle of tax compliance is ‘why so many individuals pay their taxes’ and not ‘why people evade taxes. ’ It has been noted that compliance cannot be entirely explained by the level of enforcement. Countries set the levels of audit and penalty so low that most individuals would evade taxes if they were rational, because it is unlikely that cheaters will be caught and penalized. Nevertheless, a high degree of compliance is observed. Therefore, studies that analyse a variety of factors other than detection and punishment are need. Religiosity can play an important role in determining one’s tax compliance decision. We use religious adherence data from the American Religious Data Archive and measure tax compliance as a discrepancy in reported income between Internal Revenue Service and Census data to analyse independent effects of church adherence rates on tax compliance in the United States at the county level. To our knowledge, this paper is the first study that analyzes the effect of religiosity on actual tax compliance behaviour.
Sequence Analysis of 203 Kilobases from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Chromosome VII

The nucleotide sequences of five major regions from chromosome VII of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been determined and analysed. These regions represent 203 kilobases corresponding to approximately one‐fifth of the complete yeast chromosome VII. Two fragments originate from the left arm of this chromosome. The first one of about 15·8 kb starts approximately 75 kb from the left telomere and is bordered by the SKI8 chromosomal marker. The second fragment covers the 72·6 kb region between the chromosomal markers CYH2 and ALG2. On the right chromosomal arm three regions, a 70·6 kb region between the MSB2 and the KSS1 chromosomal markers and two smaller regions dominated by the KRE11 marker and another one in the vicinity of the SER2 marker were sequenced.
Observations on dystocia in a Romney flock.

Summary The mating and lambing records for 1964–1972 of a Romney stud that had been experiencing a serious dystocia problem were investigated. Until 1970 between 20 and 31% of ewes required assistance at lambing but this level then fell to 18% in 1971, 11% in 1972, 3.3% in 1973 and 4.0% in 1974. The decline in dystocia evident in the latter years of the investigation is considered to have been brought about largely by the culling of ewes that were repeatedly assisted at parturition and by the selection of rams that sired lambs of lower birth weight. Dystocia in this flock was highly correlated with the mean birth weight of single lambs ( r =0.84, p<0.01). Fifty nine percent of assisted single lambs were males; ram lambs were heavier at birth than ewe lambs. Apart from the year 1966, primiparous ewes required no more assistance than older ewes and, except for that year, ewes bearing singles required the same levelof assistance as those bearing twins. An effect of the sire on the incidence of dystocia was d.
Long-term vitamin A supplementation at therapeutic doses induces mitochondrial electrons transfer chain (METC) impairment and increased mitochondrial membrane-enriched fraction (MMEF) 3-nitrotyrosine on rat heart

Abstract The aim of the present study was to compare electrons flux and oxidative/nitrosative stress parameters on the heart among rats supplemented with vitamin A and one not supplemented long-term. Vitamin A has important roles for the cardiovascular system as well as antioxidant properties. However, pro-oxidant properties have been reported. Male adult rats were treated with four different doses of retinyl palmitate (1000–9000 IU/Kg/day) or saline (control) for 28 days and the heart was removed for analysis. Electrons flux and oxidative/nitrosative stress parameters were evaluated and statistics were conducted with Anova one-way followed by Dunnet's post hoc and significance level of p<0.05. The supplementation induced increase on lipids/proteins oxidation and mitochondrial 3-nitrotyrosine content, an imbalance on enzymatic activity and a decrease on respiratory chain complexes activities. The results suggest that vitamin A induces oxidative/nitrosative stress and mitochondrial impairment on a cardiac level.
Metagility: Managing Agility for competitive advantage in new product development

Agile methodologies have become a popular and widely accepted method for managing software development. Since the inception of the Agile Manifesto over ten years ago, agile development techniques have superseded waterfall methods in many, if not most, software development organizations. Despite its apparent success, many companies have struggled with the adoption and implementation of agile, and exactly what level of adoption provides the most agility. Agility is commonly held in the literature to be constructed of elements external to a company or project but may in fact be composed of both external and internal elements. The exact relationship of the adoption of agile development techniques and their relationship to the actual agility of a business remain unclear. A primary contributor to this uncertainty is the somewhat amorphous definition of agile itself. In academic literature, the concept is still relatively young and loosely defined. In practice, organizations have largely opted for a hybrid approach to agile, mixing its concepts and methods with existing Stage Gate or waterfall methodologies. This has made the management of agile even more complex. Crucially, there is no definition or criterion available to determine the appropriate mix of agile and waterfall processes in an embedded software development context nor is there a method to determine the impact of one against the other. This paper examines the results of an interpretive case study as to how stakeholders manage both market and process agility in an embedded systems context via a hybrid agility implementation and product genesis to achieve “true agility”. Thus, we provide the notion of agile vorticity, as the point at which market and process agility collide to produce business momentum at a specific point of innovation within the agile business vortex.
THE IMPACT OF OIL PRICE SHOCKS ON ISLAMIC FINANCIAL MARKET IN MALAYSIA

This research will focus on the impact of oil price shocks and macroeconomic variables on Islamic stock market in Malaysia. The objective of this research is to evaluate the relationship between oil price, macroeconomic indicators and Islamic stock market in Malaysia using an estimation of Vector Auto Regression (VAR) method. The variables involved in this research are Crude Oil Price (COP), Industrial Production Index (IPI), Consumer Production Index (CPI), Aggregate Money Supply (M3), Islamic Interbank Rate (IIR), Exchange Rate of Malaysian Ringgit-United States Dollar (MYR) and FTSE Bursa Malaysia Emas Shariah Index (FBMES). This research used monthly data from January 2007 to December 2011 taken from authorized sources. The findings showed that Islamic stock prices are co-integrated with oil price and selected macroeconomic variables. Based on cointegration relationship analysis, the Islamic stock price is related positively and significantly with IPI, CPI and COP variables but related inversely and significantly with M3, IIR and MYR variables. From the Granger causality view, only inflation variable Granger cause for Islamic stock return in Malaysia.
Dynamics of Methane Production, Sulfate Reduction, and Denitrification in a Permanently Waterlogged Alder Swamp

The dynamics of sulfate reduction, methane production, and denitrification were investigated in a permanently waterlogged alder swamp. Molybdate, an inhibitor of sulfate reduction, stimulated methane production in soil slurries, thus suggesting competition for common substrates between sulfate-reducing and methane-producing bacteria. Acetate, hydrogen, and methanol were found to stimulate both sulfate reduction and methane production, while trimethylamine mainly stimulated methane production. Nitrate addition reduced both methane production and sulfate reduction, either as a consequence of competition or poisoning of the bacteria. Sulfate-reducing bacteria were only slightly limited by the availability of electron acceptors, while denitrifying bacteria were seriously limited by low nitrate concentrations. Arrhenius plots of the three processes revealed different responses to temperature changes in the slurries. Methane production was most sensitive to temperature changes, followed by denitrification and sulfate reduction. No significant differences between slope patterns were observed when comparing summer and winter measurements, indicating similar populations regarding temperature responses.
Imprint cytology of the chromophobe renal cell carcinoma: Correlation with the histological and ultrastructural features

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (ChRCC) is a unique entity of renal cell carcinoma and has a low malignant potential. A correct cytological diagnosis can help to decide the suitable management and operation. I present here a case with an imprint cytology of ChRCC focusing on the correlation with the histological and ultrastructural features. A 69-year-old male underwent partial nephrectomy and imprint cytology. The cellular smear consisted of predominantly granular eosinophilic cells with round nuclei, a well-defined cytoplasmic membrane and accentuated cell borders. The cytoplasm was characterized by variable granularity with reticulated clearing or vague perinuclear vacuolization. Distinct perinuclear halos were infrequently noted. The histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings were compatible with ChRCC.
National Culture and Corporate Innovation

In this paper, we examine how cultural norms along the dimensions of individualism-collectivism and uncertainty-avoidance affect corporate innovation. Using a comprehensive sample across 41 countries, we find that firms located in countries with higher levels of individualism generate more and higher impact patents, and are more efficient in converting R&D into innovative output. In contrast, we find that firms located in countries with higher levels of uncertainty-avoidance produce fewer and less significant patents, and are less efficient with their R&D expenditure. Taken together, our findings show that national culture plays an important role in influencing corporate innovation around the world.
Consumers’ Use of Nutrition Information When Eating Out

Until recently, many restaurants and fast-food places did not offer nutrition information at the point of purchase. This is expected to change because the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires that nutrition information be posted in many of these venues. Once the law is fully implemented, it will be important to understand how it has affected consumer behavior. To establish a baseline against which to measure changes in the use of onsite nutrition information about food away from home (FAFH), we examine the demographic characteristics and dietary behaviors of U.S. consumers of FAFH before passage of the law, based on responses to the 2007-08 and 2009-10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In particular, we examine the characteristics of consumers who use nutrition information and of those who express interest in using the information when they eat out in the future.
Highly active antiretroviral therapies among HIV-1-infected children in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Objective: To describe the effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-1-infected African children. Study design: Observational ANRS 1244 cohort of 159 children with HIV between October 2000 and September 2002; 78 children (49%) receiving HAART were followed for a mean duration of 21 months. Methods: Weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ), height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ), CD4 lymphocyte count and HIV-1 RNA viral load were measured before initiating HAART and every 6 months during treatment. Probability of survival and incidences of pneumonia and acute diarrhoea were calculated. Results: Values before and after 620 days of HAART, respectively, were −2.02 and −1.39 for mean WAZ, (P < 0.01); −2.03 and −1.83 for mean HAZ (P = 0.51); 0.07 and 0.025/child-month (P = 0.002) for incidence of pneumonia; and 0.12 and 0.048/child-month for incidence of acute diarrhoea (P < 0.001) (incidence changes statistically significant only in children < 6.5 years). Overall, the probability of survival under HAART was 72.8% at 24 months for children with < 5% CD4 cells versus 97.8% in children with ⩾ 5% (P < 0.01). At HAART initiation, median viral load and CD4 cell percentage were 5.41 log10 copies/ml and 7.7%, respectively. After 756 days of HAART, on average, 50% of patients had undetectable viral load and 10% had 2.4–3.0 log10 copies/ml. The median CD4 percentage was 22.5%. Conclusion: In resource-limited setting, it is possible to use HAART to treat African children. This treatment appears as effective as in developed countries.
Evaluating the Effects of Educational Policies

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This thesis focuses on identifying educational policies that work. This is important for several reasons. First, recent experience has shown us that the introduction of new policy measures has not always been a clear success. The parliamentary investigation committee on education reform, chaired by the current Dutch Minister of Finance Jeroen Dijsselbloem, evaluated some of the most significant educational policy changes in the Netherlands in the 1990s.1 The committee concluded that the Dutch government had neglected its task to ensure the provision of high-quality education (Parliamentary investigation committee on education reform, 2008). Among other things, the committee noted the implementation of several - potentially counteracting - changes at the same time, policy choices that were chiefly based on financial motives, and the lack of a thorough problem analysis and scientific foundation that legitimized the reforms. One of the advices for future improvement concerns the use of policy evaluations to scientifically validate new measures. The committee recommends implementing a new policy instrument on a small scale first to assess its impact in case it lacks the necessary scientific basis.
Role of Oviposition Preference in an Invasive Crambid Impacting Two Graminaceous Host Crops

Abstract Oviposition preference studies of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), on sugarcane, Saccharum spp. , and rice, Oryza sativa L. , showed that drought stressed sugarcane was 1.8-fold more attractive based on egg masses/plant than well watered sugarcane. The E. loftini susceptible sugarcane cultivar LCP 85–384 was 1.6-fold more attractive than HoCP 85–845 based on numbers of eggs per egg mass. Egg masses were 9.2-fold more abundant and 2.3-fold larger on sugarcane than on rice. Rice, however, was preferred to sugarcane on a plant biomass basis. Oviposition on sugarcane occurred exclusively on dry leaf material, which increased under drought stress. Egg masses per plant increased on drought stressed sugarcane and were correlated with several foliar free amino acids essential for insect growth and development. The more resistant (based on injury) but more attractive (based on oviposition) rice cultivar XL8 had higher levels of several free amino acids than the susceptible cultivar Cocodrie. The association of host plant characteristics to oviposition preference is discussed. Projected oviposition patterns relative to sugarcane and rice production areas were estimated for Texas and Louisiana based on the availability of each host in different regions of each state. These results suggest that, where sugarcane and rice co-occur, the majority of eggs would be found on sugarcane early in the season, because of this crop’s substantially greater biomass compared with rice. Abundance later in the season would also favor sugarcane; however, the abundance on rice would be greater than expected solely based on host availability, largely because of the greater preference per gram of rice plant dry weight.