Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attenuation of Cocaine's Reinforcing and Discriminative Stimulus Effects via Muscarinic M1 Acetylcholine Receptor Stimulation

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors modulate dopaminergic function in brain pathways thought to mediate cocaine's abuse-related effects. Here, we sought to confirm and extend in the mouse species findings that nonselective muscarinic receptor antagonists can enhance cocaine's discriminative stimulus. More importantly, we tested the hypothesis that muscarinic receptor agonists with varied receptor subtype selectivity can blunt cocaine's discriminative stimulus and reinforcing effects; we hypothesized a critical role for the M1 and/or M4 receptor subtypes in this modulation. Mice were trained to discriminate cocaine from saline, or to self-administer intravenous cocaine chronically. The nonselective muscarinic antagonists scopolamine and methylscopolamine, the nonselective muscarinic agonists oxotremorine and pilocarpine, the M1/M4-preferring agonist xanomeline, the putative M1-selective agonist (4-hydroxy-2-butynyl)-1-trimethylammonium-3-chlorocarbanilate chloride (McN-A-343), and the novel M1-selective agonist 1-(1-2-methylbenzyl)-1,4-bipiperidin-4-yl)-1H benzo[d]imidazol-2(3H)-one (TBPB) were tested as substitution and/or pretreatment to cocaine. Both muscarinic antagonists partially substituted for cocaine and enhanced its discriminative stimulus. Conversely, muscarinic agonists blunted cocaine discrimination and abolished cocaine self-administration with varying effects on food-maintained behavior. Specifically, increasing selectivity for the M1 subtype (oxotremorine < xanomeline < TBPB) conferred lesser nonspecific rate-suppressing effects, with no rate suppression for TBPB. In mutant mice lacking M1 and M4 receptors, xanomeline failed to diminish cocaine discrimination while rate-decreasing effects were intact. Our data suggest that central M1 receptor activation attenuates cocaine's abuse-related effects, whereas non-M1/M4 receptors probably contribute to undesirable effects of muscarinic stimulation. These data provide the first demonstration of anticocaine effects of systemically applied, M1 receptor agonists and suggest the possibility of a new approach to pharmacotherapy for cocaine addiction.
Adjusting to Trade Policy: Evidence from U.S. Antidumping Duties on Vietnamese Catfish

Abstract In 2003, after claims of dumping, the United States imposed heavy tariffs on Vietnamese catfish, which led to a collapse of imports. We use panel data to explore household responses in the catfish-producing Mekong delta between 2002 and 2004 and find that income growth was significantly slower among households relatively more involved in catfish farming in 2002. This is explained by a relative decline in both catfish income and revenues from other miscellaneous farm activities. Labor supply did not adjust, most likely because of off-farm employment limitations. Households more exposed to the shock reduced the share of investment assigned to catfish while substituting into agriculture.
Lung cancer risk by geologic coal deposits: A case–control study of female never‐smokers from Xuanwei and Fuyuan, China

Coal types vary around the world because of geochemical differences in their source deposits; however, the influence of coal emissions from different deposits on human health remains unexplored. To address this issue, we conducted the first study of the relationship between coal use from various deposits and lung cancer risk in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, counties in China where lung cancer rates are among the highest in the world among female never‐smokers due to use of bituminous (“smoky”) coal for heating and cooking. We conducted a population‐based case–control study of 1031 lung cancer cases and 493 controls among never‐smoking women in Xuanwei and Fuyuan. Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between coal use from various deposits across the lifecourse and lung cancer risk. There was substantial heterogeneity in risks by coal deposit (p = 7.8E‐05). Compared to non‐smoky coal users, risks by smoky coal deposit ranged from OR = 7.49 (95% CI: 3.43–16.38) to OR = 33.40 (95% CI: 13.07–85.34). Further, women born into homes that used smoky coal and subsequently changed to non‐smoky coal had a higher risk (OR = 10.83 (95% CI: 4.61–25.46)) than women born into homes that used non‐smoky coal and changed to smoky coal (OR = 4.74 (95% CI: 2.03–11.04, pdifference = 0.04)). Our study demonstrates that various sources of coal have considerably different impact on lung cancer in this population and suggests that early‐life exposure to carcinogenic emissions may exert substantial influence on health risks later in life. These factors should be considered when evaluating the health risks posed by exposure to coal combustion emissions.
Puzzling fluorescent emission from Orion

Fluorescent X-ray emission offers a rare possibility for studying cool material surrounding active, young stars in the X-ray regime. In this work, we develop a new method to search for fluorescent emission and analyze its temporal behavior, which we apply to a sample of 106 young, active stars in Orion. Our analysis yields a sample of 23 X-ray sources with fluorescent emission, including 6 objects already reported on in an earlier study. The fluorescent sources show a wide variety of temporal behavior. While the fluorescent emission is associated with soft X-ray flares in some cases, it sometimes appears as a (quasi) persistent feature, or is seen during truly quiescent periods. We conclude that fluorescent X-ray emission can be observed in a much higher fraction of young, active stars than previously believed. Whether photoionization alone is the excitation mechanism of fluorescent X-ray emission or if electronic collisional excitation also contributes remains debatable. The temporal variability is often hard to reconcile with the photoionization model, which remains plausible if we allow for suitable geometries. Photoionization is preferred to electronic, collisional excitation mainly because the energetics of the latter challenge our current physical understanding.
Entrepreneurship Development as a Strategy for Poverty Alleviation among Farming Households in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria

DOI: 10.15580/GJAS.2013. 10.100613883 The emergence of the free market economies globally, has resulted in the development of a new spirit of enterprise and the increased farmer’s need for more responsibility in running their farm business. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select a total of 120 respondents used for the study. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used to achieve the objectives of the study. Results showed that the farmers are within the average productive age of 44 years and an average household size of 6 persons. Meanwhile, despite the participation of the farming households in entrepreneurial activities, its development has not been fully embraced. Hence, at 0.05 (P=0.05) level of significance of entrepreneurial development has not contributed much in reducing poverty among the farming household in the area. The development and acquisition of entrepreneurship skills among the farmers were constrained by inadequate market opportunities, poor access to credit facility, inadequate market information, poor managerial skills, inadequate power supply, high taxation, and poor government policies on entrepreneurial development. Despite the problems confronting the development of entrepreneurship among the farming households, the study concluded that entrepreneurial development has contributed in poverty reduction in the area. The study however, recommended adequate entrepreneurship development programmes for farmers while addressing factors that hinder its growth and development as a way of actualising the current transformation agenda of the present federal government of Nigeria on poverty eradication through farming activities. Submitted: 10/06/2013 Accepted: 22/10/2013 Published: 29/10/2013
Efficacy and Safety of Carbetocin in Comparison to Oxytocin in the Active Management of Third Stage of Labour Following Vaginal Delivery: An Open Label Randomized Control Trial

Objective(S): This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbetocin in comparison to oxytocin in the active management of third stage of labour following vaginal delivery. Methods: A randomized-controlled trial was conducted in the Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH), Dhaka, Bangladesh over a period of nine months from January to September, 2015. Patients who got admitted in ICMH with labour pain were assessed by general examination, abdominal examination and labour status was confirmed by per vaginal examination. On the basis of selection criteria total 94 pregnant women who had undergone vaginal delivery were randomized for two groups of drugs. According to computer generated randomization sequential number was allocated for cases. One group of patients received intravenous 100 micro gram carbetocin and another group of patients received intramuscular 10 IU oxytocin in third stage of labour. Outcome measures such as amount of blood loss in 24 hours, primary PPH, massive blood loss, need of fundal massage, need for additional uterotonic therapy, blood transfusions as well as other adverse effects were all documented. Results: In this study, massive blood loss did not occur in any of patients in carbetocin group. But massive blood loss occurred in 8.5% women of oxytocin group. Further fundal massage, immediate blood transfusion and additional uterotonics were not needed by any patient in carbetocin group. In oxytocin group, fundal massage required in 10.6% of women, blood transfusion was needed for 6.4% patients and additional uterotonics was needed for 10.6% women. Average amount of blood loss were 64 ml less in carbetocin group and adverse effects of drugs were almost similar in both groups. Primary PPH was developed 6.4% in oxytocin group but none of patients developed PPH in carbetocin group. Conclusion: Carbetocin appears to be an effective new drug in the active management of third stage of labour in vaginal delivery. A single dose of 100 microgram IV carbetocin is more effective than oxytocin for maintaining adequate uterine tone, less blood loss and preventing postpartum bleeding in women undergoing vaginal delivery. So, carbetocin can be considered as a good alternative to oxytocin in the active management of third stage of labour in vaginal delivery Bangladesh J Obstet Gynaecol, 2015; Vol. 30(1) : 3-9
Synthesis of Pyramid-Shaped NiO Nanostructures using Low-Temperature Composite- Hydroxide- Mediated Approach

Composite-hydroxide-mediated (CHM) approach was used to synthesize NiO nanocrystals. The proposed method makes use of molten composite hydroxides; providing reaction media and lower the process temperature. Processing temperature and reaction time are the two potential parameters to control the growth of a nanomaterial. The method was used at temperatures in the range of 180-250°C and formation of the nanomaterial was monitored using XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The produced nanomaterial was purely polycrystalline with an average crystallite size in the range of 23.71-36.92 nm. Method suggested formation of pyramid shaped NiO nanocrystals in the temperature range 220-250°C. Evidence on the elemental composition, purity, and chemical bonding were obtained from EDX and FTIR analysis respectively. Estimation on direct bandgap was made from the optical analysis and found to be in the range 4.0-4.8 eV. The method is attractive and seems a cost effective route for the growth of transition metal oxides for research purpose. For further efficacy, the approach can be examined for other technologically significant nanostructures.
The Impact of the Business Week and U.S. News & World Report Rankings on the Business Schools They Rank

Excerpt] This paper examines the widely popular Business Week and U.S. News &World Report rankings of the top business schools to determine their impact on the admissions outcomes, pricing policies, and career placement outcomes of the business schools they rank. The analysis indicates that both ranking systems have a significant impact on students and administrators in the short term and long term, but employers are only impacted by long-term changes in ranking. While both ranking systems are shown to have significant effects, some evidence indicates that Business Week’s ranking is slightly more influential with students and significantly more influential with recruiters. In general, a fall in either ranking system leads a school to become less selective because its applicant pool shrinks and declines in quality, and a smaller percentage of applicants who are accepted matriculate. In addition, administrators are forced to either cut tuition or increase grant and scholarship aid to attract more students from its declining applicant pool. A more favorable ranking allows a school to become more selective as it attracts higher quality students who are more eager to attend the university, and the school can then decrease its grant and scholarship aid or slightly raise its tuition. Employers do not respond to yearly changes in rank, but a prolonged change in a school’s ranking by either system leads employers to change their behavior. A long-term increase in a program’s ranking leads to more of its students obtaining job offers, higher salaries for these offers, and more offers per student, in addition to an overall increase in the value of the MBA (as measured by change in salary). Similarly, a program which encounters a long-term decline in rank will see fewer of its students obtain lower-paying jobs, fewer options for each student, and a devaluing of the program’s MBA.
Osseointegrated Percutaneous Prosthetic System for the Treatment of Patients With Transfemoral Amputation: A Prospective Five-year Follow-up of Patient-reported Outcomes and Complications

Introduction: Direct skeletal attachment of prostheses has previously been shown to improve patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of individuals with transfemoral amputation (TFA) at 2-year follow-up. This prospective study reports the outcomes at 5-year follow-up. Methods: A total of 51 patients (55 legs) with TFA were included in a prospective study. Complications, success rate, and PRO measures were followed for 5 years. Results: The cumulative fixture survival rate at 5 years was 92%, and the revision-free survival rate was 45%. Thirty-four patients had 70 superficial infections. Eleven patients had 14 deep infections. Fifteen patients had mechanical complications. Four fixtures were removed (ie, one deep infection and three loosening). PRO measures showed significant improvements including more use of the prosthesis, better mobility, fewer issues, and improved physical health-related quality of life (all P < 0.0001) compared with baseline. Conclusion: Individuals with TFA at 5-year follow-up had significant improvement in PRO measures, but increases in deep infections and mechanical complications are concerning.
Wear Characteristics of Hybrid Composites Based on Za27 Alloy Reinforced With Silicon Carbide and Graphite Particles

A B S T R A C T The paper presents the wear characteristics of a hybrid composite based on zincaluminium ZA27 alloy, reinforced with silicon-carbide and graphite particles. The tested sample contains 5 vol.% of SiC and 3 vol.% Gr particles. Compocasting technique has been used to prepare the samples. The experiments were performed on a “block-on-disc” tribometer under conditions of dry sliding. The wear volumes of the alloy and the composite were determined by varying the normal loads and sliding speeds. The paper contains the procedure for preparation of sample composites and microstructure of the composite material and the base ZA27 alloy. The wear surface of the composite material was examined using the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Conclusions were obtained based on the observed impact of the sliding speed, normal load and sliding distance on tribological behaviour of the observed composite. © 2014 Published by Faculty of Engineering
Dependence of the spectra of fluctuations in inflationary cosmology on trans-Planckian physics

We calculate the power spectrum of metric fluctuations in inflationary cosmology starting with initial conditions which are imposed mode by mode when the wavelength equals some critical length $\ell_{_{\rm C}}$ corresponding to a new energy scale $M_{_{\rm C}}$ at which trans-Planckian physics becomes important. In this case, the power spectrum can differ from what is calculated in the usual framework (which amounts to choosing the adiabatic vacuum state). The fractional difference in the results depends on the ratio $\sigma_0$ between the Hubble expansion rate $H_{\rm inf}$ during inflation and the new energy scale $M_{_{\rm C}}$. We show how and why different choices of the initial vacuum state (stemming from different assumptions about trans-Planckian physics) lead to fractional differences which depend on different powers of $\sigma_0$. As we emphasize, the power in general also depends on whether one is calculating the power spectrum of density fluctuations or of gravitational waves.
Entry Earnings of Canadaâ€™s Immigrants over the Past Quarter Century: the Roles of Changing Characteristics and Returns to Skills

We examine whether the factors associated with the rise in the Canadian born - immigrant entry earnings gap played different roles in the 1980s, the 1990s, and the early 2000s. We find that for recent immigrant men, shifts in population characteristics had the most important effect in the 1980s when their earnings gap expanded the most, but this â€œcompositionalâ€ effect diminished in the 1990s and early 2000s. The effect of changes in returns to Canadian experience and education was small for men, but stronger for women in all three periods. During the early 2000s the IT bust, combined with a heavy concentration of immigrants in IT-related occupations, was the primary explanation of the increase in their earnings gap. Furthermore, returns to foreign experience declined in the 1980s and 1990s, but recovered moderately in the early 2000s. In contrast, the relative return to immigrant education declined in the early 2000s.
Exploring the Linkages between Poverty, Marine Protected Area Management, and the Use of Destructive Fishing Gear in Tanzania

Coastal resources in Tanzania have come under increasing pressure over the past three decades, which has led to a significant decline in the biodiversity and productivity of coastal ecosystems. The livelihoods of coastal communities that directly depend on these resources are consequently under increasing threat and vulnerability. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one tool for managing coastal and marine resources that have been increasingly used in Tanzania. Promotion of alternative income generating activities (AIGAs) is often a component of MPA management strategies to reduce fishing pressure and address poverty concerns. However, empirical evidence on whether these AIGAs are successful in reducing pressure on fisheries, or their impact on poverty, is scarce and inconclusive. This paper seeks to contribute to this debate by investigating the linkages between household characteristics, MPA activities, and household choice of fishing gear. The empirical analysis is based on household survey data from a sample of villages located along the coast of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. The author finds that some aspects of poverty increase the likelihood of using destructive fishing gear. MPAs do not directly affect household choice of fishing gear. However, households participating in AIGAs are less likely to use destructive fishing gear, suggesting that MPA support to these activities in Tanzania has a positive influence on household choice of fishing gear. The author also finds the use of destructive fishing gear is associated with higher consumption levels, whereas participation in AIGAs does not significantly affect household consumption levels.
Flow and Heat Transfer over two Bluff Bodies from Very Low to High Reynolds Numbers in the Laminar and Turbulent Flow Regimes

Flow structure and heat transfer characteristics around two-equal in-tandem square cylinders in the two dimensional laminar and turbulent flow regimes are simulated numerically for Reynolds and Prandtl numbers, Re=1-1×10 5 , Pr=0.71, respectively. The investigation is based on an implicit finite volume scheme for integrating the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations and use of standard κ-e model to Reynolds stresses and scalar fluxes terms modelling. In this study, the instantaneous and mean streamlines, vorticity and isotherm patterns for different Reynolds numbers and distance between the cylinders are presented and discussed. In addition, the global quantities such as drag coefficients, RMS lift and drag coefficients, Strouhal number and Nusselt number are determined. An interesting phenomenon has been observed in the flow patterns depending upon the Reynolds number and the distance between the cylinders. A switch over in the nature of the fluctuations of the lift and drag coefficients has been also observed with the increase of Reynolds number and the distance between the cylinders. The numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental and numerical data available in the literature
Mg / Ca and δ 18 O in living planktic foraminifers from the Caribbean , Gulf of Mexico and Florida Straits

Past ocean temperatures and salinities can be approximated from combined stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) and Mg /Ca measurements in fossil foraminiferal tests with varying success. To further refine this approach, we collected living planktic foraminifers by net sampling and pumping of sea surface water from the Caribbean Sea, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. Analyses of δ18O and Mg /Ca in eight living planktic species (Globigerinoides sacculifer, Orbulina universa, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, Globorotalia menardii, Globorotalia ungulata, Globorotalia truncatulinoides and Globorotalia tumida) were compared to measured in situ properties of the ambient seawater (temperature, salinity and δOseawater) and fossil tests of underlying surface sediments. “Vital effects” such as symbiont activity and test growth cause δ18O disequilibria with respect to the ambient seawater and a large scatter in foraminiferal Mg /Ca. Overall, ocean temperature is the most prominent environmental influence on δOcalcite and Mg /Ca. Enrichment of the heavier 18O isotope in living specimens below the mixed layer and in fossil tests is clearly related to lowered in situ temperatures and gametogenic calcification. Mg /Ca-based temperature estimates of G. sacculifer indicate seasonal maximum accumulation rates on the seafloor in early spring (March) at Caribbean stations and later in the year (May) in the Florida Straits, related to the respective mixed layer temperatures of ∼ 26 C. Notably, G. sacculifer reveals a weak positive linear relationship between foraminiferal derived δOseawater estimates and both measured in situ δOseawater and salinity. Our results affirm the applicability of existing δ18O and Mg /Ca calibrations for the reconstruction of past ocean temperatures and δOseawater reflecting salinity due to the convincing accordance of proxy data in both living and fossil foraminifers, and in situ environmental parameters. Large vital effects and seasonally varying proxy signals, however, need to be taken into account.