Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empowerment or marginalization: A debate in community forestry in Nepal

The impact of community forestry program in Nepal is debated around the potentials for empowerment and risk of marginalization. This article draws some evidences of both scenarios. Evidences in the filed show that community forest management process can be a forum for all users including women, poor and 'lower' castes on the one hand, and equally it can be a vehicle for the elite group of people to legitimize their interests by the unconscious consent of the users, on the other. This articles concludes with a recommendation for monitoring policy implementation and democratizing the Forest User Groups at local level in a way that enables the poor and marginalized to articulate their interests and needs to the decision making process of the forest resource management.
Time Travel with One Click: Effects of Digital Filters on Perceptions of Photographs

Today's digital photographs are being heavily "filtered. " By simple clicks on mobile apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram, users can easily apply digital filters to their pictures to create effects such as faux-vintage and light leaks. To understand the potential impacts of photo filters, we conducted an online experiment and investigated how the use of the black-and-white and film-style photo filters changed viewers' perceptions and descriptions of photographs. We found that photo filters substantially increased viewers' perceived temporal distances to photographs. Participants also tended to describe analogue-style photos more interpretively and tentatively than unfiltered ones, indicating an increase in construal levels. We suggest that the widely used photo filter is not just a tool to change aesthetics; it also adds a layer of history, meaning, and defamiliarization to photographs, allowing users to construct a mental distance in images that deviates from everyday experiences. We offer insights into the psychology of visual styles and implications for designing filter apps and photo-sharing platforms.
When Short Sellers and Corporate Insiders Agree on Stock Pricing

The authors propose a strategy that uses trading information of both short sellers and corporate insiders. They find that the strategy earns statistically significant and economically meaningful risk-adjusted returns for at least one year, stemming mainly from the information asymmetry between informed and uninformed investors. Based on this finding, they then show that the strategy works best in high-information-asymmetry environments and during economic expansion periods. The results have important implications for investment practitioners. Investors interested in high-information-asymmetry firms can refer to the information on short interest and insider demand when making investment decisions.
Association of homocysteine (but not of MTHFR 677 C>T, MTR 2756 A>G, MTRR 66 A>G and TCN2 776 C>G) with ischaemic cerebrovascular disease in Sicily

Summary Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism (MTHFR 677 C>T), a determinant of homocysteine plasma level (t-Hcys), with ischaemc cerebrovascular disease (iCVD) seems to be neutral in North Europe and North America. The association of 2756 A>G of methionine synthase (MTR), 66 A>G of methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) and 776 C>G of transcobalamin (TCN2) needs to be evaluated further. It was the objective of this study to evaluate the association of these polymorphisms, t-Hcys, vitamin B12 and folate levels with iCVD, in an Italian population from Sicily. We investigated the association of these polymorphisms, t-Hcys, vitamin B12 and folate with iCVD in 252 subjects, including 131 cases and 121 sexand agematched healthy controls. t-Hcys was higher in the iCVD group than in controls [15.3 (11.5–17.9) vs. 11.6 (9.4–14.5) µM; P=0. 0007] and also in subjects withTCN2 776CG genotype, compared to homozygous genotypes [13.5 (9.9± 16.9) vs. 11.7 (9.6 ± 14.4) µM; P=0. 0327]. The folate level in cases and controls was consistent with an adequate dietary intake [12.7 (9.0–15.3) vs. 12.5 (9.6–16.9) nM; P=0. 7203]. In multivariate analysis, t-Hcys was a significant independent predictor of iCVD with an odds ratio of 1.14 (95% C.I. : 1.06–1.24; P=0. 0006). No association was found between MTHFR, MTR, MTRR and TCN2 polymorphisms and iCVD risk. We have found an influence of t-Hcys and a neutral effect of MTHFR, MTR, MTRR and TCN2 on iCVD risk in Sicily. The neutral influence of these polymorphisms may be explained by adequate status in folate and vitamin B12. Other factors underlying the increased t-Hcys need further investigations.
Numeracy, Information Seeking, and Self-Efficacy in Managing Health: An Analysis Using the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)

This study examined the unique effects of numeracy on self-efficacy in managing health and on information-seeking experience, and explored the mediating role of information-seeking experience. The proposed model was tested using a national random-digit-dial sample (n = 4,092) of adults participating in the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey. Findings from multiple regression analyses revealed that higher numeracy was associated with higher self-efficacy in managing health and better (i.e., more positive) health information-seeking experience, and that better information-seeking experience partially mediated the association between higher numeracy and higher self-efficacy. Findings indicated that communication factors (e.g., information seeking) partially mediated the relationship between cognitive abilities (e.g., numeracy) and self-efficacy. Theoretical implications are discussed, along with practical implications for individuals, health care providers, and public health professionals.
Vietnam: The dragon that rose from the ashes

This study takes as its starting point what Gunnar Myrdal had to say about Vietnam in the context of his seminal work, Asian Drama: An Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations, published in 1968. Myrdal pointed to the decisive nature of the Vietnamese people; and subsequent developments, which are explained in detail in this paper, demonstrate that amply. Vietnam adopted a dogged and, in retrospect, very costly position on economic policy and management from 1976. At the same time, when the approach taken did not produce the hoped-for results, an effective course correction was initiated in 1986 in the context of a comprehensive, domestically owned reform programme known as Doi Moi. Since then, Vietnam has come a very long way; the last three decades have witnessed one of the best performances in the world in terms of both economic growth and poverty reduction. People’s living standards have improved significantly, and the country’s socio-economic achievements are impressive from a human development perspective. Wide-ranging institutional reform has been introduced, including a greater reliance on market forces in the allocation of resources and the determination of prices. The shift from an economy completely dominated by the state and cooperative sectors, to one where the private sector and foreign investment both play key and dynamic roles. Significant strides have been made to further the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, without giving up strategic leadership and influence by the state.
Cornelia de Lange syndrome: Parental preferences regarding the provision of medical information

We surveyed 57 caregivers of children with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) using a self‐report questionnaire designed to elicit their experiences with receiving information regarding health complications associated with this multisystem disorder. Their most frequent sources of information at the time of diagnosis were a health care provider (86%) and the CdLS Foundation (72%). Although most caregivers (82%) indicated a desire to receive information about all possible CdLS related health complications, on average they recalled receiving information on only 64% of their child's current or future health complications. For two of the top three complications (as ranked by caregivers), information was available to fewer than half of the caregivers at diagnosis. Only 40% of caregivers were satisfied with the amount of information received at diagnosis, while only 45% felt that the information they received was useful. Caregivers indicated a preference for receiving information in written format (59%) or verbally (39%). Our results indicate that caregivers of children with CdLS report a high need for information at diagnosis, regarding their child's actual or potential health complications. Dissatisfaction may result both from a deficiency in information provided, as well as a mismatch between issues mentioned and those that caregivers deem most important. Caregivers may benefit maximally from receiving information in person at the time of diagnosis as well as having an additional written source of information. These findings highlight the importance of complementary sources of information for caregivers and are likely to be relevant for other multisystem disorders. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The ICU Trial: A new admission policy for cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation*

Objective:Cancer patients requiring mechanical ventilation are widely viewed as poor candidates for intensive care unit (ICU) admission. We designed a prospective study evaluating a new admission policy titled The ICU Trial. Design:Prospective study. Setting:Intensive care unit. Patients:One hundred eighty-eight patients requiring mechanical ventilation and having at least one other organ failure. Interventions:Over a 3-yr period, all patients with hematologic malignancies or solid tumors proposed for ICU admission underwent a triage procedure. Bedridden patients and patients in whom palliative care was the only cancer treatment option were not admitted to the ICU. Patients at earliest phase of the malignancy (diagnosis <30 days) were admitted without any restriction. All other patients were prospectively included in The ICU Trial, consisting of a full-code ICU admission followed by reappraisal of the level of care on day 5. Measurements and Main Results:Among the 188 patients, 103 survived the first 4 ICU days and 85 died from the acute illness. Hospital survival was 21.8% overall. Among the 103 survivors on day 5, none of the characteristics of the malignancy were significantly different between the 62 patients who died and the 41 who survived. Time course of organ dysfunction over the first 6 ICU days differed significantly between survivors and nonsurvivors. Organ failure scores were more accurate on day 6 than at admission or on day 3 for predicting survival. All patients who required initiation of mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, or dialysis after 3 days in the ICU died. Conclusions:Survival was 40% in mechanically ventilated cancer patients who survived to day 5 and 21.8% overall. If these results are confirmed in future interventional studies, we recommend ICU admission with full-code management followed by reappraisal on day 6 in all nonbedridden cancer patients for whom lifespan-extending cancer treatment is available.
Oxidation State of the Lithospheric Mantle below the Massif Central, France

Oxidation state is a sensitive indicator of geochemical processes within the upper mantle. Here we report results of a regional study of the oxidation state of spinel peridotite xenoliths from 45 volcanic centers distributed over ∼20 000 km2 in the Massif Central, France. The Δlog fO2 values relative to the fayalite–magnetite–quartz oxygen buffer (FMQ) were determined from the equilibrium between the Fe-bearing components in olivine, orthopyroxene and spinel, with the Fe3+ content of spinel measured either by Mossbauer spectroscopy or by electron microprobe using secondary spinel standards. For the entire suite of samples, Δlog fO2 values range between FMQ – 0·47 and FMQ + 1·66. Our data confirm the presence of two distinct lithospheric mantle domains, previously reported in the literature, lying north and south of 45°30'N, respectively. The northern domain, with its refractory bulk composition, tends to record more oxidized conditions, having Δlog fO2 values mostly at or above FMQ + 1. The Δlog fO2 in the southern domain is more variable, including values below FMQ. Assuming that increasing equilibration temperatures among xenoliths reflect increasing depths of origin, samples from the northern domain suggest that the shallower part of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) is somewhat more oxidized than at deeper levels. On the other hand, such a general observation cannot be made for the southern domain. The high Δlog fO2 values of harzburgites suggest that they are more sensitive to resetting of their oxidation state by metasomatism than lherzolites. In terms of modally metasomatized xenoliths, the ‘melt’ leading to the addition of clinopyroxene apparently had a higher oxidation state (Δlog fO2 > FMQ + 1) than the agent responsible for crystallization of amphibole (Δlog fO2 ∼ FMQ + 0·6). Furthermore, amphibole-bearing and amphibole-free peridotites exhibit the same range in fO2. Cryptic metasomatism can also reset oxidation state, sometimes very effectively. Metasomatic processes are probably the reason why the xenolith suite from the Massif Central records relatively high Δlog fO2 values compared with ‘normal’ non-cratonic SCLM. This study demonstrates the utility of using oxidation state to help characterize and delineate domains in the lithospheric mantle.
INVERSELY RELATED APOSEMATIC TRAITS: REDUCED CONSPICUOUSNESS EVOLVES WITH INCREASED TOXICITY IN A POLYMORPHIC POISON‐DART FROG

Prevailing theory contends that aposematic coloration evolves in tandem with toxicity so that the evolution of increased toxicity will accompany the evolution of greater conspicuousness. Although variation in aposematic coloration within single species should be selectively constrained, because individuals varying from a predator‐recognized warning signal will incur greater risk of predation, several species of poison‐dart frogs display remarkable phenotypic variation. This variation may have evolved to match different levels of toxicity, and these species provide excellent opportunities to examine the evolution of aposematic coloration. Here, I test whether increased conspicuousness in the granular poison‐dart frog evolved in tandem with increased toxicity. Contrary to classical predictions, toxicity assays, spectral reflectance measurements, and phylogenetic reconstruction reveal that the less conspicuous color morphs are actually significantly more toxic than the brightest, most conspicuous phenotypes and that the more toxic, less‐conspicuous form evolved from a less toxic, more conspicuous ancestor. Through gas chromatography—mass spectrometry analysis of toxin profiles, I traced the increase in toxicity in the less‐conspicuous populations to an acquisition of specific alkaloids, some of which are proven convulsants. These results challenge the tenet that increased conspicuousness always evolves with increased toxicity and support the idea that once aposematism has been established in a species, phenotypic variation may evolve from brightness and toxicity becoming decoupled.
Critical period for estrogen‐dependent motoneuron dendrite growth is coincident with ERα expression in target musculature

The spinal cord of rats contains the sexually dimorphic, steroid‐sensitive motoneurons of the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB). In males, SNB dendrite growth is dependent on gonadal steroids: dendrite growth is inhibited after castration, but supported in androgen‐ or estrogen‐treated castrated males. Furthermore, estrogenic support of SNB dendrite growth is mediated by estrogen action at the target musculature, inhibited by estrogen receptor (ER) blockade at the muscle and supported by local estradiol treatment. However, this estrogenic support is restricted to the early postnatal period, after which the morphology of SNB dendrites is insensitive to estrogens. To test if the developmentally restricted effects of estrogens on SNB dendrite growth coincide with the transient expression of ER in the target musculature, ERα expression was assessed during development and in adulthood. ERα expression in extra‐Muscle fiber cells was greatest from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P14 and declined after P21. Because this pattern of ERα expression coincided with the period of estrogen‐dependent dendrite growth, we tested if limiting hormone exposure to the period of maximal ERα expression in extra‐muscle fiber cells could fully support estrogen‐dependent SNB dendrite growth. We restricted estradiol treatment in castrated males from P7 to P21 and assessed SNB dendritic morphology at P28. Treating castrates with estradiol implants at the muscle from P7 to P21 supported dendrite growth to normal levels through P28. These data suggest that the transient ERα expression in target muscle could potentially define the critical period for estrogen‐dependent dendrite growth in SNB motoneurons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2013
Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in elderly patients with unipolar depression – case control analysis

Abstract Aim: C-reactive protein (CRP) is the major acute-phase plasma protein. Studies show that patients with depression have elevated levels of CRP. The aim of the study was to determine differences in CRP serum level in elderly patients with unipolar depression (DEP) compared with non-depressed elderly patients (nonDEP) using case-control analysis. Methods: Serum level of CRP was measured in 404 (DEP: n = 202, nonDEP: n = 202) Caucasian inpatients aged ≥60 (350 women, 86.7%; mean age = 76.7 years). Results: Mean CRP level in the study groups was: DEP 2.67 ± 2.56 mg/dL, nonDEP 2.41 ± 2.19 mg/dL, the difference was not significant (p = 0.96). The overall rate of being above the high level of CRP (set at 3.0 mg/L) was 33.2% for DEP and 29.2% for nonDEP groups (p = 0.39). It was also found that, in the whole study group, CRP level was not correlated with age (p = 0.10). Conclusions: Elderly patients with depression have no increased CRP levels. A high percentage (∼30%) of all subjects had a CRP level >3 mg/L, which is the cut-off point for increased cardiovascular risk.
Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey (1980–2014)

Abstract This study analyzed the macroeconomic and institutional determinants of total factor productivity (TFP) in the MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey) countries during the period 1980–2014. Annual data covering the period between 1980 and 2014 were used. Data on real gross domestic product (real GDP), labor force, gross fixed capital formation, foreign direct investment (FDI), human capital, and inflation were sourced from the World Development Indicators published by the World Bank. Also, data on corruption, government stability, and law and order were obtained from the database of International Country Risk Guide. Panel autoregressive distributed lag (PARDL) regression technique was used to estimate the model. Results showed that TFP growth rate declined on average by 1.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent in Mexico and Turkey, respectively, while Indonesia and Nigeria did not experience productivity growth on the average. Results also showed that in the long run, human capital and government stability had positive and significant effects on TFP, while FDI and corruption had negative but significant effects on TFP. In the short run, there existed a significant negative relationship between TFP and inflation. However, the effects of human capital and corruption on TFP were positive and significant. The study concluded that human capital and corruption were key drivers of TFP in the MINT countries both in the long run and short run.
Dual Mechanisms for Repression of the Monomeric Orphan Receptor Liver Receptor Homologous Protein-1 by the Orphan Small Heterodimer Partner*

The orphan nuclear hormone receptor liver receptor homologous protein-1 (LRH-1; NR5A2, also known as FTF), an unusual receptor that binds DNA as a monomer, is an essential regulator of expression of a rate-limiting enzyme in bile acid formation, cholesterol 7-α-hydroxylase. In a classic negative feedback loop that is a crucial component of the complex regulation of cholesterol metabolism, cholesterol 7-α-hydroxylase expression is decreased when bile acid levels are high. This repression is thought to be based on the bile acid-dependent induction of expression of the orphan receptor small heterodimer partner (SHP) NR0B2, which inhibits the activity of LRH-1. We have explored the molecular basis for this important regulatory effect by characterizing the mechanisms by which mouse and human SHP inhibit LRH-1-mediated transactivation. Both SHP proteins specifically interact with the AF-2 transactivation domain of LRH-1 both in vivo and in vitro. This domain is a common target for coactivator interaction, and the SHP proteins can compete with p160 coactivators for binding to LRH-1. In addition to the N-terminal receptor interaction domain, SHP includes a C-terminal domain with autonomous repression function. Neither a deletion nor a point mutation specifically affecting this domain blocked the ability to interact with LRH-1 to compete for coactivator binding or to repress LRH-1 transactivation. However, the relative ability of these mutants to inhibit LRH-1-mediated transactivation was markedly decreased. We conclude that the proposed central role of SHP in cholesterol metabolism is based on a two-step mechanism that is dependent on both coactivator competition and direct transcriptional repression.
Assessing the Impact of Moodle LMS for Teaching Scientific English at Khartoum University on Home Science Students` Attitudes towards Learning English Language

The present study aimed at investigating attitudes of home science students at Khartoum University toward using the MOODLE Learning Management System as electronic resource in teaching English for Science. English for Science is an 8 hour university required curriculum taught to all university science students. A group of 39 students registered for their first university required courses in the second semester of the university year 2012/2013 in the Faculty of Education were asked to assess their skills and attitudes, before using Moodle as an open source learning management system, internetbased resources in learning English for Scientific & Academic Purposes and after 14 weeks experience. The results show that participants have positive towards using technology for learning English language ; moreover the teaching methodology which integrates face-to-face teaching and Moodle Environments have positive impacts on changing participants` attitudes towards using technology for teaching English at Khartoum University. The study concluded that using and integrating virtual learning environments will accelerate the educational process and enhance better affective learning outcomes.