Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Body mass index, nocturnal fall in blood pressure and organ damage in untreated essential hypertensive patients

AimWe sought to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and parameters derived from 48-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) as well as organ damage in human hypertension. MethodsA total of 658 consecutive outpatients with grade 1 and 2 hypertension, never treated with antihypertensive medications underwent the following procedures: (i) routine examination, (ii) 24-h urine collection for microalbuminuria, (iii) ABPM over two 24-h periods within 4 weeks, (iv) echocardiography and (v) carotid ultrasonography. Each patient was classified as lean (BMI<25 kg/m2) or overweight/obese (≥25 kg/m2) and according to the consistency of the dipping or nondipping status in the first and second ABPM period, as dipper (DD), nondipper and variable dipper. ResultsMean 48-h, daytime and nighttime systolic BP or diastolic BP were superimposable in the lean (n=314) and overweight (n=344) group. Overweight patients had a reduced nocturnal BP drop compared with their lean counterparts; the prevalence of DD pattern, indeed, was 15% lower in the overweight group as a whole, with a 17% difference in men and 13% in women. The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy was higher in overweight than in lean patients (31.8 vs. 15.9% in men and 48.7 vs. 15.6% in women, P<0.01); this more pronounced cardiac involvement was associated with structural carotid alterations. ConclusionThis study, the first to investigate the relationship between BMI and nocturnal BP patterns as assessed by two ABPM sessions, shows that overweight hypertensive patients are more likely to have a reduced nocturnal fall in BP and a greater cardiac and extracardiac organ damage as compared with their lean counterparts despite a similar overall BP load.
Hotels as sites of power: tourism, status, and politics in Nepal Himalaya

This article is about the social and cultural significance of hotels in the Nepal Himalaya. Through a socio-semiotic approach, I analyse how the hotel in Himalayan tourism functions as an architectural form that mediates different social domains, and through the process embeds the ideology of ‘development’ in everyday life, producing the power relations that would in turn generate their very contestations. By treating the materiality of the hotel as an anthropological tool, we are thus able more fully to understand how a community's pursuit of development and intensive engagement with tourism have resulted in the creation of new forms of subjectivity as well as social and political relationships. Resume Le present article est consacrea la signification sociale et culturelle des hotels dans l'Himalaya nepalais. Grâce a une approche socio-semiotique, l'auteur analyse la maniere dont l'hotel fonctionne, dans le tourisme himalayen, comme une forme architecturale mediatrice de differents domaines sociaux. Il integre ainsi l'ideologie du « developpement » dans la vie de tous les jours, et cree des relations de pouvoir qui generent a leur tour leurs propres contestations. En traitant la materialite de l'hotel comme un outil anthropologique, on peut mieux comprendre comment la quete du developpement et l'engagement intensif d'une communaute dans le tourisme ont abouti a la creation de nouvelles formes de subjectivite et de relations sociales et politiques.
The Development and Use of an Instrument to Investigate Science Teachers’ Views on Indigenous Knowledge

Science teachers in South Africa and globally experience difficulties with the integration of indigenous knowledge into their science lessons—a requirement of many science curricula. One of the reasons for this may relate to the views teachers hold about indigenous knowledge. Such views can form a barrier against successful inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the science classroom. It was, therefore, deemed useful to investigate teachers’ views on indigenous knowledge. This article reports on the development of a theoretical framework, and a questionnaire derived from it, to investigate teachers’ views on indigenous knowledge. The researchers were informed by the framework developed by Lederman, Abd-El-Khalick, Bell and Schwartz regarding the nature of science (NOS) and their views-on-the-NOS questionnaire. A qualitative study was done to develop and validate the views-on-the-nature-of-indigenous-knowledge instrument (VNOIK). The findings indicate that the VNOIK instrument is suitable to determine a wide range of views of science teachers on the nature of indigenous knowledge. We found that South African science teachers held mainly a partially informed view on the nature of indigenous knowledge. The new instrument can be used to measure the effect of a short learning programme and to identify further development needs of science teachers in addressing the tenets of science and indigenous knowledge effectively in the classroom.
Predicting Urban Land Prices: A Comparison of Four Approaches

This paper investigates forecasting accuracy of four different hedonic approaches, when vacant urban land prices are predicted in local markets. The investigated hedonic approaches are: 1) ordinary least squares estimation, 2) robust MM‐estimation, 3) structural time series estimation and 4) robust local regression. Post‐sample predictive testing indicated that more accurate predictions are obtained if the unorthodox methods of this paper are used instead of the conventional least squares estimation. In particular, the predictive unbiassness can significantly be improved when using the unconventional hedonic methods of the study. The paper also studied the structure of urban land prices. The most important attribute variables in explaining land prices were permitted building volume, house price index, northing and easting. The influence of parcel size variable and different indicator variables on land prices were much weaker.
Sustainable development of low income countries through investment in tertiary education

To counterbalance the challenges of globalization, raising the superiority of our tertiary education to global standard is very significant. Tertiary education is the essential enabler of the human capital of the twenty-first century that demands a set of new competencies. It draws lessons for developing countries where policy makers have set out procedure to build a tertiary education in which higher priorities and future strategies would form the center of the sustainable development strategy. In the case of low-income economies, which are keen to invest in tertiary levels of education but the government budget is constrained, this study recommends the formation of financing sources. In addition, it is necessary to develop an effective lifelong learning system to provide continuing higher education and skill upgrading to persons after they have left higher education in order to provide the changing skills necessary to be competitive in the new global economy. This paper analyses the importance of investment in tertiary education with low-income economies to ensure a gradual sustainable development over the years. It is apparent that Bangladesh will acquire potential gains from investment in tertiary education.
Informational Externalities, Strategic Delay, and Optimal Investment Subsidies

This paper examines optimal government policy when private investment generates information, but investors cannot internalize the informational value their actions have to others. Equilibrium exhibits inefficient delay, as investors adopt a wait-and-see approach. The government can alter incentives via an investment subsidy, but complications arise, since future subsidies may induce investors to disregard current policy initiatives. The paper shows that the government achieves its desired outcome only when the the investment subsidy is financed by a non-distortionary, lump-sum tax. When taxation is distortionary, the government faces a time inconsistency problem that may prevent effective policy.
Associations between family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations in tumors

A family history of colorectal cancer has been consistently associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer. However, there is limited information on the association between family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations that occur in colon tumors. In this study, we evaluate the association among genetic alterations of Ki‐ras and p53, microsatellite instability and having a family history of colorectal cancer in a study of incident colon cancer cases (n = 1993) and population‐based controls (n = 2,410). Although there was a slight nonsignificant increase in risk of having an unstable tumor among those with a family history of colorectal cancer, this increase in risk disappeared after excluding those people with a known mutation in either of the mismatch repair genes hMLH1 or hMSH2. A family history of colorectal cancer was not associated with Ki‐ras mutations overall, although those with a G to T mutation of the second base of codon 12 were more likely to have a family history of colorectal cancer than were those without this specific type of Ki‐ras mutation. Cases with p53 mutations were less likely to have a family history of colorectal cancer than were cases without a p53 mutation. We believe that, given the general lack of association between having a family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations in tumors, these alterations are acquired through disease pathways that involve exposure from diet, lifestyle or other environmental factors. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
PTSD and the Experience of Pain: Research and Clinical Implications of Shared Vulnerability and Mutual Maintenance Models

It is common for individuals with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to present with co-occurring pain problems, and vice versa. However, the relation between these conditions often goes unrecognized in clinical settings. In this paper, we describe potential relations between PTSD and chronic pain and their implications for assessment and treatment. To accomplish this, we discuss phenomenological similarities of these conditions, the prevalence of chronic pain in patients with PTSD, and the prevalence of PTSD in patients with chronic pain. We also present several possible explanations for the co-occurrence of these disorders, based primarily on the notions of shared vulnerability and mutual maintenance. The paper concludes with an overview of future research directions, as well as practical recommendations for assessing and treating patients who present with co-occurring PTSD or chronic pain symptoms.
Rice Producer‐Processor Networks in CÔte d'ivoire*

ABSTRACT. Pressured by structural adjustment loan conditions, Côte d'Ivoire reduced state support for rice production and processing during the 1990s. In this article we examine how various actors in the rice commodity chain adapted to the macroeconomic reforms. Following a brief history of the rice sector, we present the results of fieldwork based on interviews conducted in 2002 of farmers, millers, traders, and workers in the state extension service and nongovernmental organizations. We found that, in the absence of state supports for farmers, private millers became the focal point of regional producer‐processor rice networks. The four networks identified became the sole source of domestic commercial rice when the state removed subsidies for fertilizer and modern seeds, privatized extension, and liberalized prices and imports. To increase their role in the national rice supply, the rice networks may need support through microlending and a focus on niche markets.
Flexible LDPC decoder architecture for high-throughput applications

In this paper, we present a flexible high-throughput LDPC decoder architecture that can support different code rates and block sizes in wireless applications such as IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.16e, and IEEE 802.15. 3c standards. Several flexible LDPC decoders have been presented in the literature but their throughput (less than 640 Mbps) is limited due to block-serial scheduling of the decoding computations. The proposed architecture is based on a block-parallel scheduling scheme using a layered decoding method. To achieve higher throughput, check node-based processes are implemented in a fully parallel architecture and the memory is partitioned into a number of banks. System flexibility is achieved by allowing the check node-based units and the memory banks to be configured according to the code rate and block size of the LDPC code of interest.
Research on the Cost Forecast of China's Photovoltaic Industry

Global energy and environmental problems are increasing in severity. Countries worldwide are more concerned about and are paying greater attention to strengthening their energy‐saving and emissions‐reduction efforts, protecting the environment and promoting the development of new energy. Solar energy is becoming the mainstream of the global power industry because of its significant resources and low cost. This paper provides an overview of the current state‐of‐the‐art of photovoltaic electricity technology (‘photovoltaic’ or PV) in China and addresses its potential for future cost reductions. This paper analyses the relationship between current renewable energy costs and cumulative production, development and demonstration expenditures, and other institutional influences. The theoretical framework of a learning curve offers a complete methodology for examining the underlying capital cost trajectory when developing electricity cost estimates used in energy policy planning models. The cumulative production needed to achieve ‘break‐even’ (the point at which PV is competitive with conventional alternatives) is estimated for a range of learning curve parameter values. The social cost (pollution costs and value‐added tax considered) of PV is calculated, and the question of whether and how the ‘cost cap’ can be bridged is posed, the latter being the difference between what this cumulative production will cost and what it would cost if it could be produced at a currently competitive level. We also estimate how much PV could gain if the external costs (attributable to environmental and health damage) of energy were internalised, such as through an energy tax. We use the simulated results to provide suggestions for relevant PV industrial policymaking.
Danish low‐rise housing

In other countries industrialized housing is dominated by multi‐storey buildings. In Denmark, however, the low‐rise housing has become predominant. During the past 20 years the development has changed from large, monotonous high‐rise housing estates to small, varying low‐rise housing units. The research on “low‐dense housing” performed by the Danish Building Research Institute (SBI) since 1970 has largely contributed to this development. And it has been of major importance to the penetration of this research that it has taken place in close cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and with the social housing corporations, the building industry and the practising architects and engineers. Research on low‐dense housing is interdisciplinary, and the successive members of the research team are not only architects and engineers, but also sociologists, psychologists and economists. Nor is this research confined to technical conditions alone; it also deals with the well‐being and comfort of the user and with cit.
Molecular Identification of Cytosolic, Patatin-Related Phospholipases A from Arabidopsis with Potential Functions in Plant Signal Transduction1

Rapid activation of phospholipase A (PLA) by auxin or plant-pathogen interaction suggests a function in signal transduction for this enzyme, but the molecular identification of a cytosolic PLA carrying out this function remains open. We isolated four cDNA sequences from Arabidopsis (ecotype Columbia), AtPLA I,AtPLA IIA, AtPLA IVA, andAtPLA IVC, which are members of the patatin-related PLA gene family in plants and which are homologous to the animal Ca2+-independent PLA2 gene family. Expression was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, andAtPLA I transcripts were found preferentially in shoots,AtPLA IIA and AtPLA IVA in roots, andAtPLA IVC in flowers. Transient expression of the four PLA-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves showed they were located in the cytosol and not in the vacuoles. Surprisingly,AtPLA::green fluorescent protein was also localized to chloroplasts. The enzymatic activity of the purified recombinant AtPLA IVA toward phosphatidylcholine was dependent on Ca2+, saturated at 0.5 mm, and had a pH optimum of about 7.0. It had both PLA1 and PLA2 specificity. The enzyme showed in vitro highest sensitivity toward the PLA2 inhibitors palmitoyltrifluoromethyl ketone (PACOCF3,K i approximately 30 nm), arachidonyltrifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3,K i approximately 25 μm), and tetrahydro-3-(1-naphtalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one (K i approximately 200 nm) and was also sensitive to other previously used inhibitors 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (K iapproximately 3 μm) and nordihydroguajaretic acid (K i approximately 15 μm). The influence of these PLA2 inhibitors on elongation in etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings was tested, and tetrahydro-3-(1-naphtalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid inhibited hypocotyl elongation maximally at concentrations close to theirK i in vitro.
Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma mansoni: Identification of Common Proteins by Comparative Proteomic Analysis

abstract: It is not unusual to find common molecules among parasites of different species, genera, or phyla. When those molecules are antigenic, they may be used for developing drugs or vaccines that simultaneously target different species or genera of parasite. In the present study, we used a proteomic-based approach to identify proteins that are common to adult Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma mansoni. Whole-worm extracts from each parasite were separated by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), and digital images of both proteomes were superimposed using imaging software to identify proteins with identical isoelectric points and molecular weights. Protein identities were determined by mass spectrometry. Imaging and immunoblot analyses identified 28 immunoreactive proteins that are common to both parasites. Among these molecules are antioxidant proteins (thioredoxin and glutathione-S-transferase), glycolytic enzymes (glyceraldehyde 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and enolase), proteolytic enzymes (cathepsin-L and -D), inhibitors (Kunitz-type, Stefin-1), proteins with chaperone activity (heat shock protein 70 and fatty acid–binding protein), and structural proteins (calcium-binding protein, actin, and myosin). Some of the identified proteins could be used to develop drugs and vaccines against fascioliasis and schistosomiasis.
Effect of Temperature on the Floral Scent Emission and Endogenous Volatile Profile of Petunia axillaris

The floral scent emission and endogenous level of its components in Petunia axillaris under different conditions (20, 25, 30, and 35 °C) were investigated under the hypothesis that floral scent emission would be regulated by both metabolic and vaporization processes. The total endogenous amount of scent components decreased as the temperature increased, the total emission showing a peak at 30 °C. This decrease in endogenous amount was compensated for by increased vaporization, resulting in an increase of floral scent emission from 20 °C to 30 °C. The ambient temperature differently and independently influenced the metabolism and vaporization of the scent compounds, and differences in vapor pressure among the scent compounds were reduced as the temperature increased. These characteristics suggest the operation of an unknown regulator to change the vaporization of floral scent.
Internationalization of Family Businesses: Evidence from Northwest Ohio, U.S.A

This study determines the extent of internationalization (i.e., global business attitudes and activities) of family businesses. A survey of 187 family businesses from northwest Ohio finds that family businesses do not regularly monitor the international marketplace or integrate global developments into domestic decisions. Although a small pool of businesses currently has ties with family businesses in foreign countries, many more would like to develop such ties. The study finds that if a family business does not get involved in foreign markets in the first and second generations, it is unlikely to do so in later generations. The majority of family businesses does not develop sources in foreign countries. The family businesses that do source from overseas markets do so mostly for cost and quality benefits. Approximately half of family businesses sold their products in foreign markets primarily via exporting and joint ventures.
Physicians’ and patients’ adherence to antiretroviral prophylaxis after sexual exposure to HIV: results from South-Eastern France

Abstract French national guidelines for the management of HIV non-occupational post-exposure (nPEP) were issued in 1998 and updated in 2003. NPEP is available and free of charge in all emergency or AIDS care units of French hospitals. A regional survey was carried out to study physicians’ adherence to national guidelines, and determinants of adherence to nPEP follow-up in individuals sexually exposed to HIV. The survey was based on retrospective data collection of all consultations for nPEP made in the three AIDS information centers in South-Eastern France (January 2001–December 2002). Information included personal data, type of exposure, and treatment at the first visit after exposure and during follow-up. Exposures were classified into high risk (treatment highly recommended), moderate risk (treatment possibly recommended) and negligible risk (treatment never recommended) categories, according to the level of HIV risk of sexual transmission as indicated by the French national nPEP guidelines. Among the 910 sexual exposures, 56%, 37%, and 4% were classified as cases with high, moderate, and no risk respectively. NPEP was prescribed to 85% of cases. HIV risk of sexual exposure was significantly associated with nPEP receipt though more than half of the cases with negligible risk received nPEP. Independent characteristics associated with non-adherence to nPEP follow-up were younger age, being referred to hospital by a physician, sexual exposure with a casual partner or sexual assault, and “moderate risk” exposure. Better information should be provided to physicians prescribing nPEP to limit over-prescription while new strategies should be implemented to improve follow-up of individuals receiving nPEP, especially those who are younger or survivors of sexual assault.