Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Race and ethnicity family structure and high school graduation.

Using data from the 1979-1985 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth this paper focuses on 2 questions: 1) Can racial and ethnic differences in family structure and single parenthood account for differences in high school graduation rates of white and minority youth? 2) What explains the relationship between family structure and school achievement? The authors find that parental education is more important than family structure in accounting for differences among whites Mexican Americans Puerto Ricans and native Americans and that family structure and parental education are equally important in accounting for differences between whites and blacks. Family income moderates some of the impact of family structure on childrens graduation. Statistical control for the endogeneity of family structure suggest that not all of the family structure effect on school graduation is due to unmeasured heterogeneity. (authors)
A Novel Chewing Detection System Based on PPG, Audio, and Accelerometry

In the context of dietary management, accurate monitoring of eating habits is receiving increased attention. Wearable sensors, combined with the connectivity and processing of modern smartphones, can be used to robustly extract objective and real-time measurements of human behavior. In particular, for the task of chewing detection, several approaches based on an in-ear microphone can be found in the literature, while other types of sensors have also been reported, such as strain sensors. In this paper, performed in the context of the SPLENDID project, we propose to combine an in-ear microphone with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor placed in the ear concha, in a new high accuracy and low sampling rate prototype chewing detection system. We propose a pipeline that initially processes each sensor signal separately, and then fuses both to perform the final detection. Features are extracted from each modality, and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers are used separately to perform snacking detection. Finally, we combine the SVM scores from both signals in a late-fusion scheme, which leads to increased eating detection accuracy. We evaluate the proposed eating monitoring system on a challenging, semifree living dataset of 14 subjects, which includes more than 60 h of audio and PPG signal recordings. Results show that fusing the audio and PPG signals significantly improves the effectiveness of eating event detection, achieving accuracy up to 0.938 and class-weighted accuracy up to 0.892.
Developmental potential and chromosome constitution of strontium‐induced mouse parthenogenones

The brief exposure of recently ovulated mouse oocytes to M16 embryo culture medium supplemented with strontium chloride (M16 Sr2+) for 2–10 min was observed to induce a high incidence of parthenogenesis. A lower incidence of activation and a significant rate of oocyte degeneration was observed when oocytes were incubated in M16 Sr2+ medium for 20–60 min. The majority of the oocytes exposed to this agent for 2–10 min developed as single‐pronuclear haploid parthenogenones. The incidence of this parthenogenetic class was reduced as the duration of exposure to M16 Sr2+ was increased from 2 to 30 min. Under these conditions a greater proportion of the activated oocytes developed as two‐pronuclear diploid parthenogenones, due to failure of second polar body extrusion. The activation frequency and the proportionate incidence of the pathways of parthenogenetic development observed following the exposure of ovulated oocytes to calcium‐free M16 medium differed significantly from that induced by exposure to M16 Sr2+. Cytogenetic analysis of the single‐pronuclear haploid class of Sr2+‐induced parthenogenones at metaphase of the first‐cleavage mitosis has shown that this agent did not induce a significant increase in the incidence of chromosome segregation errors during the completion of the second meiotic division. Analysis of the developmental potential of the two‐pronuclear class of diploid Sr2+‐induced parthenogenones during the preimplantation stages of embryogenesis revealed that their cell number and rate of cell division were less than those of fertilised embryos retained either in vivo or in vitro. The novel methods of activating oocytes indicated in this study present new opportunities to improve the efficiency of embryo cloning techniques with the ruminant species.
The influence of the environment on adventure tourism: from motivations to experiences

Inherent in most definitions of adventure tourism is the fact that it takes place in natural outdoor settings. Yet, the influence of this setting on the behaviour of adventure tourism consumers has yet to be adequately addressed. This study, therefore, investigates the relative strength and nature of environmental influences on adventure tourists in both motivations for participation and in the context of the experience. The results are based on questionnaires collected from 459 participants in adventure tourism activities along the southern coast of South Africa. They show that, although the majority of research on adventure tourism focuses on the ‘thrill’ involved, the environment is increasingly recognized as influential. The assessment of motivations, using a push and pull factor approach, demonstrates that the environment not only plays an important role in attracting adventure tourists towards specific destinations, but that they also seek out interactions with nature. In addition, participants suggested that the environment is an especially significant component of their experiences. The fact that the findings demonstrate the importance of the environment in both the motivations and experiences of adventure tourism participants, means that such an approach would make a definite contribution to discussions, planning, and policy linked to the adventure tourism industry.
The origin and characterization of the primary signal, noise, and interference sources in the high frequency electrocardiogram

An analysis technique was developed that enabled accurate measurement of the spectral and spatial characteristics of the predominant signal, noise, and interference components in high frequency electrocardiograms. A selective sampling technique, utilizing the isoelectric interval during the T-P segments, enabled the charactetistics of the internally generated noise and external interference to be obtained independently of the heart signal. Using this sampling technique, it was found that the electrical activity of skeletal muscles was the major source of noise in the high frequency electrocardiogram. The amounts of skdetal muscle noise present in the high frequency electrocardiograms of resting patients were measured quantitatively through the use of anesthetics and muscle relaxant drugs. In the normal resting state, the electrical activity of skeletal muscles contributed up to 15 dB of random noise to the spectra of waveforms generated by the electrical activity of the heart. Moderate, voluntary contraction of small groups of skeletal muscles increased their electrical output by 15 to 20 dB. Spectral analysis of high frequency electrocardiograms indicated that a dynamic range of approximately 66 dB is requized to adequately measure the signal and noise components present. Power spectra of high frequency electrocardiograms indicated that the 60-Hz power lines were the major source of interference Harmonics of the 60-Hz power line added significant interference components at frequencies as high as 1 kHz. The magnitude-squared coherence function between pairs of electrocardiographic leads, in conjunction with segment sampling and analysis techniques, was used to measure the spatial coherence of waveforms from electrical source associated with heart and skeletal muscle activity. The high values of spatial coherence of heart signal waveforms indicated that the body spatial transfer functions for electrical sources associated with heart activity acted as linear, noiseless transmission channels. The low spatial coherence of the waveforms generated by the electrical activity of skeletal muscles indicated that the body spatial transfer functions for electrical sources associated with skeletal muscle activity acted as noisy (nondeterministic) transmission channels. The spatial coherence of isoelectric interval waveforms was inversely proportional to both the distance between measurement sites and the amount of skeletal muscle activity.
Agricultural rent in land-use models: comparison of frequently used proxies

ABSTRACT Agricultural rent in land-use models: comparison of frequently used proxies. Spatial Economic Analysis. This paper compares the performance of econometric land-use models based on three proxies for agricultural land rent: farmers’ revenues, land prices and shadow land prices derived from a mathematical programming model. We consider different land-use classes (agriculture, pasture, forest, urban and other), different determinants (economic, physical and demographic) of land-use shares and different spatial econometric specifications. It is found that the inclusion of spatial components significantly improves the quality of predictions. In terms of economic interpretation, the shadow land prices provide the most stable and intuitive results.
Oligomerization, F-actin Interaction, and Membrane Association of the Ubiquitous Mammalian Coronin 3 Are Mediated by Its Carboxyl Terminus*

Coronin 3 is a ubiquitously expressed member of the coronin protein family in mammals. In fibroblasts and HEK 293 cells, it is localized both in the cytosol and in the submembranous cytoskeleton, especially at lamellipodia and membrane ruffles. The carboxyl terminus of all coronins contains a coiled coil suggested to mediate dimerization. We show here that in contrast to other coronin homologues, the recombinant human coronin 3 carboxyl terminus forms oligomers rather than dimers, and that this part is sufficient to bind to and cross-link F-actin in vitro. The carboxyl terminus alone also conferred membrane association in vivo, and removal of the coiled coil abolished membrane localization but notin vitro F-actin binding. Coronin 3 is exclusively extracted as an oligomer from both the cytosol and the membrane fraction. Because oligomerization was not reported for other coronins, it might be a key feature governing coronin 3-specific functions. Cytosolic coronin 3 showed a high degree of phosphorylation, which is likely to regulate the subcellular localization of the protein.
Collaboration across private and public sector primary health care services: benefits, costs and policy implications

Ongoing care for chronic conditions is best provided by interprofessional teams. There are challenges in achieving this where teams cross organisational boundaries. This article explores the influence of organisational factors on collaboration between private and public sector primary and community health services involved in diabetes care. It involved a case study using qualitative methods. Forty-five participants from 20 organisations were purposively recruited. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and from content analysis of documents. Thematic analysis was used employing a two-level coding system and cross case comparisons. The patterns of collaborative patient care were influenced by a combination of factors relating to the benefits and costs of collaboration and the influence of support mechanisms. Benefits lay in achieving common or complementary health or organisational goals. Costs were incurred in bridging differences in organisational size, structure, complexity and culture. Collaboration was easier between private sector organisations than between private and public sectors. Financial incentives were not sufficient to overcome organisational barriers. To achieve more coordinated primary and community health care structural changes are also needed to better align funding mechanisms, priorities and accountabilities of the different organisations.
Design of multiband parallel strip patch antenna for DCS/WLAN/WIMAX and RFID applications

In this paper a simple multiband parallel strip patch antenna for DCS/WLAN/ WiMAX and RFID applications is designed and fabricated. The designed antenna operates at 1.81 GHz, 3.10 GHz, 5.15 GHz and 5.82 GHz respectively. There are different shapes of an antenna but our focus is on parallel key shaped antenna design. The this antenna is design in such way to support the above resonant frequency. In order to make the proposed antenna more accurate and efficient, Computer Simulation Technology CST Microwave studio software is used especially for the structure calculations. The antenna is implemented on TLC 30 (TACONIC) substrate to obtain satisfactory performances. The calculated and experimented results, match very closely with the operating bandwidth. A parametric study of the design is carried out and a mechanism to obtain a multiband parallel strip patch antenna is described.
Homologous recombination in the Dictyostelium alpha‐actinin gene leads to an altered mRNA and lack of the protein.

Mutation of the alpha‐actinin gene in Dictyostelium has been achieved by transforming cells with the Dictyostelium transformation vector pDNeoII containing a 1.2 kb fragment of the alpha‐actinin gene. Transformants deficient in alpha‐actinin, an actin‐binding protein, produced an altered mRNA that lacked the 3′ portion of the coding region. The defect in alpha‐actinin production was not due to integration of the vector within the gene, but was apparently caused by errors produced during homologous recombination between the introduced alpha‐actinin sequence and its complementary sequence in the coding region of the endogenous gene.
Analysis of multi-carrier PWM methods for back-to-back HVDC systems based on modular multilevel converters

This paper analyzes two multi-carrier pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques (N+1 and 2N+1) of the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) used in a back-to-back configuration under conventional dq-frame control. The PWM method applied to the MMC has an effect not only on the output waveforms and number of levels derived out of a given configuration of the MMC but also on the DC-link voltage and arm currents of the converter. As the number of sub-modules in the phase-leg increases, the 2N+1 modulation becomes more attractive as it provides improved waveforms without significantly affecting the operation of the converter. The simulation results show the application and good performance of both methods and the advantages of utilizing the 2N+1 modulation as the number of sub-modules increases.
Research on automated rollbackability of intrusion response

The rollbackable automated intrusion response mechanism, a method whereby an intrusion response can be treated by in the context of the detection/response life-cycle. The idea derives from the observation that most intrusion responses have negative effects. To decrease the cumulative response cost, response rollback could be carried out at some suitable time, for example when the attack has terminated or the attack 'detection' is proved to be a false positive. Additionally, technologies supporting automated response are proposed, such as the structure of a response policy and the way the automated response might be implemented. A proposed implementation structure of rollbackable automated intrusion response system (RAIRS) is also given. With the quantified response cost, the result of our experiments shows that response rollback is promising as a way to decrease the expected cumulative intrusion response cost.
Secretory structures and essential oil composition in Stachys officinalis (L.) Trevisan subsp. officinalis (Lamiaceae) from Italy

Abstract The secretory structures and the volatile fraction of Stachys officinalis (L.) Trevisan subsp. officinalis (Lamiaceae) from Italy were studied for the first time. Peltate and small capitate trichomes were observed on the whole plant (leaves and inflorescences). In the peltate trichomes, an unusual polyphenols content was evidenced by the histochemical methods. The volatile fraction was obtained by a solvent extract from the distillation water of leaves and inflorescences and analysed by GC-MS. Forty-four constituents for leaves, representing 94.1% of the total volatiles, and 57 compounds for flowers, accounting for 90.1% of the total volatiles, were identified. (E)-caryophyllene (20.1%), (E)-nerolidol (14.3%), caryophyllene oxide (6.1%) and γ-cadinene (5.7%) were recognised as the main constituents for the leaf volatile fraction, while caryophyllene oxide (16.5%), (E)-nerolidol (15.4%), humulene epoxide II (9.2%) and α-pinene (7.0%) were the main compounds for the flower volatile fraction.
The glycine transport inhibitor sarcosine is an NMDA receptor co‐agonist that differs from glycine

Sarcosine is an amino acid involved in one‐carbon metabolism and a promising therapy for schizophrenia because it enhances NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function by inhibiting glycine uptake. The structural similarity between sarcosine and glycine led us to hypothesize that sarcosine is also an agonist like glycine. We examined this possibility using whole‐cell recordings from cultured embryonic mouse hippocampal neurons. We found that sarcosine is an NMDAR co‐agonist at the glycine binding site. However, sarcosine differed from glycine because less NMDAR desensitization occurred with sarcosine than with glycine as the co‐agonist. This finding led us to examine whether the physiological effects of NMDAR activation with these two co‐agonists are the same. The difference in desensitization probably accounts for rises in intracellular Ca2+, as assessed by the fluorescent indicator fura‐FF, being larger when NMDAR activation occurred with sarcosine than with glycine. In addition, Ca2+‐activated K+ currents following NMDAR activation were larger with sarcosine than with glycine. Compared to glycine, NMDAR‐mediated autaptic currents decayed faster with sarcosine suggesting that NMDAR deactivation also differs with these two co‐agonists. Despite these differences, NMDAR‐dependent neuronal death as assessed by propidium iodide was similar with both co‐agonists. The same was true for neuronal bursting. Thus, sarcosine may enhance NMDAR function by more than one mechanism and may have different effects from other NMDAR co‐agonists.
Targeting ALDHbright Human Carcinoma–Initiating Cells with ALDH1A1-Specific CD8+ T Cells

Purpose: Cancer-initiating cells (CIC) are considered to represent the subpopulation of tumor cells that is resistant to conventional cancer treatments, highly tumorigenic in immunodeficient mice, and responsible for tumor recurrence and metastasis. Based on an elevated aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity attributable to ALDH1/3 isoforms, ALDHbright cells have been identified and isolated from tumors and shown to have characteristics of CIC. The ALDH1A1 isoform was previously identified as a tumor antigen recognized by CD8+ T cells. This study examines the ability of ALDH1A1-specific CD8+ T cells to eliminate ALDHbright cells and control tumor growth and metastases. Experimental Design: ALDHbright cells were isolated by flow cytometry using ALDEFLUOR from HLA-A2+ human head and neck, breast, and pancreas carcinoma cell lines and tested for their tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mice. ALDH1A1-specific CD8+ T cells were generated in vitro and tested for their ability to eliminate CICs in vitro and in vivo by adoptive transfer to immunodeficient mice bearing human tumor xenografts. Results: ALDHbright cells isolated by flow cytometry from HLA-A2+ breast, head and neck, and pancreas carcinoma cell lines at low numbers (500 cells) were tumorigenic in immunodeficient mice. ALDHbright cells present in these cell lines, xenografts, or surgically removed lesions were recognized by ALDH1A1-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro. Adoptive therapy with ALDH1A1-specific CD8+ T cells eliminated ALDHbright cells, inhibited tumor growth and metastases, or prolonged survival of xenograft-bearing immunodeficient mice. Conclusions: The results of this translational study strongly support the potential of ALDH1A1-based immunotherapy to selectively target CICs in human cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 17(19); 6174–84. ©2011 AACR.
Effect of corporate governance characteristics on strategic management accounting in Thailand

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships between corporate governance characteristics and strategic management accounting (SMA). The relationships provide insight into a debatable issue of whether corporate governance characteristics affect applications of SMA in Thailand. SMA is supporting tools for an organization to effectively execute its management strategies aiming for business success. Design/methodology/approach - This study analyzes primary data from survey and corporate governance data from year 2011 to 2013 of companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Findings - Results show that corporate governance characteristics significantly affect SMA in two aspects, namely, participation and usage. This study finds some results that, on the one hand, separation of CEO’s role and chairmanship, size of independent board, and frequency of audit committee meetings positively affect both participation and usage. On the other hand, an independent chairman and board size negatively affect both participation and usage. Originality/value - Findings confirm framework of enterprise governance issued by the International Federation of Accountants that not only does corporate governance provides assurance control, but it also provides strategic governance through behavioral applications of SMA tools and supports.
Morphological and pharmacological evidence for the role of peripheral prostaglandins in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain

Inflammatory mediators produced in the injured nerve have been proposed as contributing factors in the development of neuropathic pain. Prostaglandins (PGs) are probably included in these important inflammatory mediators. In the present study, 2 and 4 weeks following partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL), we observed a dramatic increase in the prostaglandin synthesizing enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX)2‐immunoreactive (IR) cell profiles in the injury site and adjacent region. Some of these COX2‐IR cells were identified as macrophages because they coexpressed ED1. None of these COX2‐IR cell profiles coexpressed the Schwann cell marker S100. In the contralateral sciatic nerve and sciatic nerve from normal rats, we failed to observe any of these COX‐IR cell profiles. We also observed COX1‐IR cell profiles (presumably Langerhans cells) in the epidermis of the footpad of both normal and PSNL rats. Interestingly, a greater number of COX1‐IR cell profiles were observed in the epidermis of the ipsilateral footpad of PSNL rats. Local injection of ketorolac, a nonselective COX inhibitor, into the ipsilateral plantar side or into the injury site of the sciatic nerve, effectively reversed the tactile allodynia induced by PSNL for > 5 days. Intraperitoneal or intramuscular injection of ketorolac had a similar but shorter antiallodynic effect. Intraplantar or peri‐neural injection of ketorolac dramatically suppressed the PSNL‐induced increase in the phosphorylation of a transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of L4 and L5 spinal cord of PSNL rats. Intraplantar or peri‐neural injection of ketorolac at the time of lesion did not prevent mechanical hypersensitivity but reduced it with a slow onset 3 weeks after lesion. Our data suggest that PSNL induces over‐production of PGs in peripheral tissues and that PGs probably sensitize nociceptors and are involved in central plasticity and sensitization at the spinal cord level, thus contributing to the maintenance of tactile allodynia.