Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tourism and poverty alleviation: perceptions and experiences of poor people in Sapa, Vietnam

This paper examines the perceptions and experiences of poor people in Sapa, Vietnam, regarding tourism as a means of poverty alleviation. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with local people and key informants. The paper indicates that local people perceive poverty as a lack of rice and/or income and attribute it to both internal and external causes. The local tourism sector has primarily benefited the non-poor and tour operators, resulting in conflicts of interest among community members. However, more local people consider tourism a contributor to poverty alleviation than those who do not. All interviewees wish to become homestay owners or tourist guides. The most important barrier to the former is the lack of capital, while foreign language proficiency is the main hindrance to the latter. It is concluded that while an appropriate approach is required to involve local people in tourism, alternative livelihoods other than tourism are also needed. The study suggests that poor people's interpretation of poverty may be substantially different from that of academics and policy-makers. It argues that by valuing the perspectives of those experiencing poverty we can establish more meaningful approaches to alleviating poverty through tourism that are more likely to succeed.
Characterizing Anxious Children with an Obsessive Difficult Temperament

This exploratory study sought to characterize anxious children displaying an Obsessive Difficult Temperament (ODT), and examined features that may differentiate them from anxiety disordered, non ODT children. Participants comprised 67 children, aged 4 to 7 years, consecutively referred to an anxiety disorders clinic at an urban children's hospital. Retrospective categorization of the participants' temperament profile was undertaken, with 21 children appearing to display ODT. Groups were compared on the bases of child functioning (parent and clinician rated), the presence of comorbid disorders (based on structured interview), and parental stress and symptomatology. Participants with ODT were found to display a specific profile of temperament traits. Compared to non ODT participants, they showed a significantly poorer social functioning, more comorbid externalizing disorders, elevated levels of maternal stress, and increased maternal psychiatric symptoms. To conclude, anxious children expressing ODT present with significant impairments in functioning and require further investigation. Associated parental stress and impaired maternal psychosocial functioning are evident.
Serial propagation of porcine enteric calicivirus-like virus in primary porcine kidney cell cultures

A porcine enteric calicivirus-like virus was adapted to serial propagation in primary porcine kidney cell cultures. Attempts to propagate this virus in primary porcine kidney cells in the presence of trypsin or pancreatin or without medium supplementation were unsuccessful. A low-pH medium (pH 6.8) was also ineffective in virus propagation. Successful serial propagation of the virus required the presence of an intestinal-content preparation, derived from uninfected gnotobiotic pigs, in the cell culture medium. The best results were obtained with six-well plate cultures which were centrifuged after virus inoculation. Infected cells were detected by immunofluorescent staining of cell monolayers or detached cells which were harvested by centrifugation. Infected cells were first detected at passage 4 (1% infected cells), and infectivity increased with successive passages, with as many as 80% of the cells infected by passage 16. Extensive cytopathic effects were observed in inoculated cell cultures, but not in uninoculated control cell cultures, at each passage level after passage 13. The infected cells became separated, rounded, and detached, forming holes in the cell monolayer. Only virus particles exhibiting the six-pointed star appearance or stain-filled, cup-shaped depressions characteristic of caliciviruses were detected in inoculated cell culture supernatants by immune electron microscopy. Attempts to determine the titer of the virus by a cell culture immunofluorescence assay or plaque assay were unsuccessful.
Maximizing the throughput of threshold-protected AES-GCM implementations on FPGA

In this paper, we push the limits in maximizing the throughput of side-channel-protected AES-GCM implementations on an FPGA. We present a fully unrolled and pipelined architecture that uses a Boolean masking countermeasure (specifically, threshold implementation) for first-order DPA resistance. Using a high-end Virtex-7 device, we obtain a throughput of 15.24 Gbit/s. Since masked implementations require a stream of random bits for each execution, a high-throughput masked implementation requires a high-throughput pseudorandom number generator as well. This work determines how fast random numbers should be generated in order for ultra-high throughput, threshold-protected AES-GCM implementations to be feasible on FPGAs.
Mercury‐induced oxidative stress in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

Mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is released to the environment in significant amounts by both natural processes and anthropogenic activities. No natural hyperaccumulator plant has been reported for mercury phytoremediation. Few studies have been conducted on the physiological responses of Indian mustard, a higher biomass plant with faster growth rates, to mercury pollution. This study investigated the phytotoxicity of mercury to Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and mercury‐induced oxidative stress in order to examine the potential application of Indian mustard to mercury phytoremediation. Two common cultivars (Florida Broadleaf and Longstanding) of Indian mustard were grown hydroponically in a mercury‐spiked solution. Plant uptake, antioxidative enzymes, peroxides, and lipid peroxidation under mercury stress were investigated. Antioxidant enzymes (catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD; and superoxide dismutase, SOD) were the most sensitive indices of mercury‐induced oxidative response of Indian mustard plants. Indian mustard effectively generated an enzymatic antioxidant defense system (especially CAT) to scavenge H2O2, resulting in lower H2O2 in shoots with higher mercury concentrations. These two cultivars of Indian mustard demonstrated an efficient metabolic defense and adaptation system to mercury‐induced oxidative stress. A majority of Hg was accumulated in the roots and low translocations of Hg from roots to shoots were found in two cultivars of Indian mustard. Thus Indian mustard might be a potential candidate plant for phytofiltration/phytostabilization of mercury contaminated waters and wastewater. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.
Derivatives, Volatility and Price Discovery

It is sometimes suggested that trading in derivatives leads to excessive volatility in underlying asset prices relative to what would be called for by fundamental values. These effects are tested by comparing the variances of price changes over different time horizons before and after the start of organized derivatives trading. It is found that ratios of the variances of multi-day and daily price movements decline for bond prices in the United States and Germany and for stock indices in the US, Japan and the UK, though no such effect is found for Japanese bonds. Other indicators confirm that serial correlation has tended to decline since the introduction of derivatives. While these results offer strong grounds for rejecting predictions of the destabilizing effects of derivatives, an alternative view, that derivatives accelerate the price-discovery functions of cash markets, cannot be definitively confirmed, given ambiguous breakpoint results and the many other contemporaneous developments in financial technology. Copyright 1999 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
Changes of the aggregate supply conditions in Italy: a small econometric model of wages and prices dynamics

Through the estimation of a small econometric model of the nominal wages and prices dynamics in Italy, obtained within a cointegrated VAR framework, this paper intends to identify some changes that occurred in aggregate supply conditions from the seventies to the end of the nineties of the last century. The paper analyses the changes in the static equations of the demand and supply real wage and the sets of dynamic responses of nominal wages, prices, unemployment, productivity and real exchange rate. The analysis is based on a competing claims model inspired by a well-known work of Modigliani and Padoa Schioppa (1977). The empirical analysis makes it possible to evaluate the evolution of the Phillips curve in the three decades examined and to highlight some macroeconomic evidence of the tendency towards a more flexible labour market observed in the Eighties and Nineties.
Doxorubicin and dexamethasone followed by thalidomide and dexamethasone is an effective well tolerated initial therapy for multiple myeloma

Among the drug combinations designed for the initial treatment of multiple myeloma, none has been unequivocally shown to be superior. However, a regimen leading to a high response rate and a low incidence of adverse events is highly desirable. We report the results of a phase II clinical trial involving 45 patients with Durie–Salmon stage II and III multiple myeloma. Doxorubicin and dexamethasone were given for 2 or 3 months followed by thalidomide and dexamethasone for 2 months (AD–TD regimen) with prophylactic antibiotics and daily aspirin (81 mg/d). Among the 42 patients whose response could be assessed, 38 responded to therapy (90·5%). The intent‐to‐treat response rate was 84·4% with seven complete responses (CR 15·5%), nine near complete responses (nCR 20·0%), and 22 partial responses (PR 48·9%). Two patients had stable disease (4·4%), and two progression of disease (4·4%). Normalization of the free light chain ratio after one or two cycles of treatment was highly predictive of achievement of CR or nCR. Patients tolerated the treatment well although five patients developed thromboembolic complications (11%). AD–TD administered with low dose aspirin for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis was well tolerated and yielded a high response rate with minimal treatment‐related morbidity.
Intergenerational Risk Sharing and Labour Supply in Collective Funded Pension Schemes with Defined Benefits

Collective funded pension schemes with defined benefits (DB) raise welfare through intergenerational risk sharing, but may lower welfare through distortion of the labour-leisure decision. This paper compares the welfare gains with the welfare losses. In many countries, collective funded pension schemes with defined benefits (DB) are being replaced by individual schemes with defined contributions. Collective funded DB pensions may indeed reduce social welfare when the schemes feature income-related contributions that distort the labour-leisure decision. However, these schemes also share risks between generations and add to welfare if these risks cannot be traded on capital markets. Do the gains outweigh the losses? For answering this question, we adopt a two-period overlapping-generations model for a small open economy with risky returns to equity holdings. We derive analytically that the gains dominate the losses for the case of Cobb-Douglas preferences between labour and leisure. Numerical simulations for the more general CES case confirm these findings, which also withstand a number of other model modifications (like the introduction of a short-sale constraint for households and the inclusion of a labour income tax). These results suggest that collective funded schemes with well-organized risk sharing are preferable over individual schemes, even if labour market distortions are taken into account.
Experimental Hydrodynamics and Evolution: Function of Median Fins in Ray-finned Fishes1

Abstract The median fins of fishes consist of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins and have long been thought to play an important role in generating locomotor force during both steady swimming and maneuvering. But the orientations and magnitudes of these forces, the mechanisms by which they are generated, and how fish modulate median fin forces have remained largely unknown until the recent advent of Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) which allows empirical analysis of force magnitude and direction. Experimental hydrodynamic studies of median fin function in fishes are of special utility when conducted in a comparative phylogenetic context, and we have examined fin function in four ray-finned fish clades (sturgeon, trout, sunfish, and mackerel) with the goal of testing classical hypotheses of fin function and evolution. In this paper we summarize two recent technical developments in DPIV methodology, and discuss key recent findings relevant to median fin function. High-resolution DPIV using a recursive local-correlation algorithm allows quantification of small vortices, while stereo-DPIV permits simultaneous measurement of x, y, and z flow velocity components within a single planar light sheet. Analyses of median fin wakes reveal that lateral forces are high relative to thrust force, and that mechanical performance of median fins (i.e., thrust as a proportion of total force) averages 0.35, a surprisingly low value. Large lateral forces which could arise as an unavoidable consequence of thrust generation using an undulatory propulsor may also enhance stability and maneuverability. Analysis of hydrodynamic function of the soft dorsal fin in bluegill sunfish shows that a thrust wake is generated that accounts for 12% of total thrust and that the thrust generation by the caudal fin may be enhanced by interception of the dorsal fin wake. Integration of experimental studies of fin wakes, computational approaches, and mechanical models of fin function promise understanding of instantaneous forces on fish fins during the propulsive cycle as well as exploration of a broader locomotor design space and its hydrodynamic consequences.
Orientational ordering of confined hard rods: the effect of shape anisotropy on surface ordering and capillary nematization.

We examine the ordering properties of rectangular hard rods with length L and diameter D at a single planar wall and between two parallel hard walls using the second virial density-functional theory. The theory is implemented in the three-state Zwanzig approximation, where only three mutually perpendicular directions are allowed for the orientations of hard rods. The effect of varying shape anisotropy is examined at L/D=10,15,and20. In contact with a single hard wall, the density profiles show planar ordering, damped oscillatory behavior, and a wall-induced surface ordering transition below the coexisting isotropic density of a bulk isotropic-nematic (I-N) phase transition. Upon approaching the coexisting isotropic density, the thickness of the nematic film diverges logarithmically, i.e., the nematic wetting is complete for any shape anisotropy. In the case of confinement between two parallel hard walls, it is found that the continuous surface ordering transition depends strongly on the distance between confining walls H for HL. The minimal density at which a surface ordering transition can be realized is located at around H∼2D for all studied shape anisotropies due to the strong interference effect between the two hard walls. The first-order I-N phase transition of the bulk system becomes a surface ordered isotropic I_{B} to capillary nematic N_{B} phase transition in the slit pore. This first-order I_{B}-N_{B} transition weakens with decreasing pore width and terminates in a critical point for all studied shape anisotropies.
Do Germans Save to Leave an Estate? An Examination of the Bequest Motive

I investigate whether a bequest motive for savings influences the post-retirement wealth trajectories of German households. Two measures of the bequest motive are studied: the existence of children as the main group of potential heirs and the respondents' declared intention to bequeath. While having children has no significant impact on households' wealth trajectories, stated bequest intentions are associated with considerable heterogeneity in wealth holdings. The main conclusion from this study is that both the pure life-cycle model and the life-cycle model with bequest motives provide a valid basis for a theory of household wealth accumulation once the heterogeneity of preferences is acknowledged. Copyright 2001 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
Augmentation of methamphetamine‐induced toxicity in the rat striatum by unpredictable stress: contribution of enhanced hyperthermia

Stress is known to enhance the abuse of various drugs. Although the effects of chronic stress and the neurotoxicity of methamphetamine (METH) are influenced, in part, by hyperthermia, the role of hyperthermia in the hypothesized stress‐induced enhancement of METH‐induced dopamine (DA) and serotonin depletions and decreases in vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT‐2) immunoreactivity is unknown. Rats were exposed to 10 days of unpredictable stress and then challenged with METH (7.5 mg/kg, i.p., once every 2 h × 4 injections). There were no differences in the extracellular DA concentrations of stressed and non‐stressed rats administered METH. Prior exposure to chronic unpredictable stress augmented the acute METH‐induced hyperthermia, the decreases in VMAT‐2 immunoreactivity, and the depletions of striatal DA and serotonin content. Prevention of enhanced hyperthermia through cooling of chronically stressed rats to levels exhibited by non‐stressed but METH‐exposed rats blocked the enhanced depletions. This study reports the novel finding that chronic stress enhances METH toxicity through enhanced hyperthermia and suggests that this effect may be mediated by early METH‐induced decreases in VMAT‐2 immunoreactivity.
Complete Genome Sequence of Trueperella pyogenes, Isolated from Infected Farmland Goats

ABSTRACT Trueperella pyogenes is a significant pathogen of livestock, causing diverse diseases, such as mastitis, liver abscessation, and pneumonia. In this study, we have reported the genome sequence of Trueperella pyogenes 2012CQ-ZSH. Moreover, several genes coding for virulence factors were found, such as pyolysin (PYO), nanH, nanP, cbpA, fimC, and fimE.
Do's and don'ts in the search for faculty talent

The maximisation of recruiting efforts is often inexact and cloaked in mystery. In order to demystify this process and use scarce resources wisely, universities must become more creative and open to new recruiting methods. Through an examination of various recruiting methods and a study of recruiting techniques used by Alabama public universities, recommendations are offered to search committees for finding the best candidate for their next faculty search.
A New Spatial Index Structure for GIS Data

With the development of information technology, spatial data plays an increasingly important part in both people’s daily life and industrial manufacture. The demand of spatial data processing and retrieving is challenging traditional database technology. The emergence of spatial database has greatly raised the efficiency of spatial data handling. As the key component of spatial database, spatial index technology got a booming development in the past few years; kinds of new index structure is being developed, improved, and eliminated. This article pays attention to the spatial index structure; we first give a survey on the mesh index structure, present the classical R-tree index structure and its variations, then according to the nature of GIS data, we develop a new spatial index structure for GIS data composing the advantage of mesh index and R-tree index, and verify its high efficiency experimentally.
Abdominal obesity is strongly associated to blood pressure in young Mexicans.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine associations between abdominal obesity (AOb) and the other components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in young Mexicans in a cross-sectional survey completed during a 4 year period. Methods: This cross-sectional study reports on components and prevalence of MetS by using Alberti et al. (16) criteria, as well as association between AOb and elevated blood pressure (BP) of 2,993 Mexican university students, ages 17 to 25 years (66% women) from central and northern Mexico, over a 4-year survey (2010-2013). Results: The most prevalent MetS components in the total sample were low HDL-C concentration (43.6%) and AOb (41.1%). MetS prevalence was 11.8%, more men than women were classified with MetS (14.3% vs. 10.5%, p < 0.01). BP was the MetS component with the lowest prevalence (8.6%). A strong association between AOb and altered BP with in both men and women was found (OR 4.3, IC95% 2.5-7.4). Conclusions: Even BP was the component with the lowest prevalence, AOb was more strongly associated with it. This fact, could explain the prevalence of hypertension among young Mexican adults.
Bargaining, Openness, and the Labor Share

This paper investigates determinants of changes of the labor share in developed countries with a focus on Western Europe. Using a country-industry panel that covers the private sector, the paper focuses on long and short-run changes within industries. The results show a large and time-persistent impact of increasing globalization on the labor share, especially if the within-industry changes are con- sidered. Openness seems to be the driving force for downward movements in the industry level labor shares while technological and institutional forces impact these shares positively. Furthermore, while investments into information and communi- cation technology (ICT) increase productivity of workers, it has a negative impact on the labor share as it enables higher economic integration which lowers the labor share. Economic integration has stronger impact on the polarization in Western European labor markets than ICT.
Fast Local Scrubbing for FPGA ’ s Configuration Memory

Memory scrubbing is used to mitigate Single Event Upsets (SEUs) on susceptible devices. In the case of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), configuration memory scrubbing is generally used in conjunction with Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) to increase reliability in spaceborne applications. Current solutions require a subsystem able to read and write from the configuration memory and retrieve a safely stored golden bitstream for scrubbing whenever an error is detected. An alternative to this solution is to implement error detection and correction codes. These codes usually require redundant information to be embedded within the data that is being protected. This is particularly difficult in the case of a configuration bitstream which is automatically created by Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools. In this paper we present an alternative error correction and detection solution that overcomes such difficulties and allows fast, local scrubbing without the need to store a golden bitstream somewhere safe. This solution is a processing peripheral tied to a scrubber -labeled Femtocurrently implemented in a Radiation Hardened (RH) by design Structured Application Specific Integrated Circuit (S-ASIC).
Risk Analysis of Tillage Alternatives with Government Programs

Stochastic dominance analysis of two tillage systems, conventional tillage and no-tillage, for five crop rotations, wheat-fallow, grain sorghum-fallow, continuous wheat, continuous grain sorghum, and wheat-grain sorghum-fallow, shows that risk-averse managers prefer a conventional tillage wheat-sorghum-fallow system. Small changes in production costs or yields lead to indifference between this system and the no-tillage wheat-sorghum-fallow and no-till and conventional wheat-fallow systems. Participation in the basic government commodity program generally increases average net returns and lowers variation of returns. Government commodity program payments calculated under a variety of scenarios do not generally encourage the use of no-till practices for grain sorghum and wheat in the central Great Plains.