Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pre-West Nile virus outbreak: perceptions and practices to prevent mosquito bites and viral encephalitis in the United States.

Mosquitoes can transmit over 100 of the viruses that can cause encephalitis, meningitis, and hemorrhagic disease in humans (Chin 2000; Gubler 1996; Monath 1989). While much is known about the ecology, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations of the arboviral encephalitides (Campbell et al. 2002; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1997; Gubler 1998; Hayes 1989; Hubálek and Halouzka 1999), little empirical research exists regarding the U.S. population's knowledge of mosquitoes and arboviral encephalitis, particularly prior to the U.S. outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in 1999. A nationally representative 55-item survey instrument was successfully administered to 1,500 adults in the United States and an additional 250 adults in six states in the Northeast (Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island) regarding mosquitoes and mosquito-borne viral encephalitis. A summary outcome measure for mosquito bite prevention was created. Analyses revealed that the following were statistically significant predictors of behaviors taken to prevent mosquito bites: being concerned about being bitten by mosquitoes, perceived effectiveness of staying indoors in late afternoon and early evening was protective, perceived effectiveness that mosquito repellent is not harmful to health, owning dogs and/or cats as pets, being married, and being > or = 18-44 years old. Being concerned about being bitten by mosquitoes was the most robust predictor of behavioral action to prevent mosquito bites (OR = 7.3; 95% CI = 4.3, 12.2). Observed misperceptions and inadequate knowledge regarding insect repellents suggest increased promotion of the safety and efficacy of DEET-containing insect repellents is warranted.
SEMI-NONPARAMETRIC ESTIMATES OF CURRENCY SUBSTITUTION BETWEEN THE CANADIAN DOLLAR AND THE U.S. DOLLAR

In this paper we investigate the issue of whether a floating currency is the right exchange rate regime for Canada or whether Canada should consider a currency union with the United States. In the context of the framework recently proposed by James L. Swofford, we use a semi-nonparametric flexible functional form—the asymptotically ideal model (AIM), introduced by William A. Barnett and A. Jonas—and pay explicit attention to the theoretical regularity conditions of neoclassical microeconomic theory, following the suggestions of William A. Barnett and William A. Barnett and Meenakshi Pasupathy. Our results indicate that U.S. dollar deposits are complements to domestic (Canadian) monetary assets, suggesting that Canada should continue the current exchange rate regime, allowing the exchange rate to float freely with no intervention in the foreign exchange market by the Bank of Canada.
Attitudes to risk and attitudes to uncertainty: experimental evidence

In a series of experiments the interactions among individual attitudes towards risk and uncertainty, the sign of the outcome domain, and the way uncertainty is represented are tested. This is done in a unified framework, eliciting individual values by means of a second price auction. Results confirm the presence of the well-known fourfold pattern of risk attitude (risk aversion for gains and risk seeking for losses at high probability, and risk seeking for gains and risk aversion for losses at low probability) and show that this pattern can also be extended to uncertainty. In the valuation of losses the modal pattern is decreasing risk and uncertainty aversion as the probability of loss increases, while increasing risk and uncertainty aversion is observed for gains. Moreover, it is found that the size of reaction to uncertainty does not depend on the outcome domain, and that it persists in the face of an incentive-compatible mechanism to elicit preferences.
Effects of systemic inhibition of Rho kinase on blood pressure and renal haemodynamics in diabetic rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The RhoA/Rho associated kinases (ROCK) pathway has been implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Early stages of diabetes are associated with renal haemodynamic changes, contributing to later development of DN. However, the role of RhoA/ROCK, known regulators of vascular tone, in this process has not been studied.
Distractor Interference in Selective Reaching: Dissociating Distance and Grouping Effects

Abstract In the present experiment, the authors sought to differentiate between a distance and a grouping explanation for the symmetric versus asymmetric patterns of distractor interference in selective reaching. Participants (N = 16) pointed to a green target that appeared either with or without a red distractor. Target-distractor separation was manipulated within an array of 5 closely grouped stimulus boxes, and distractor interference (difference in performance between trials with and trials without a distractor) was measured in reaction time, movement time, percentage errors, and movement endpoints. Small distances (5 mm) between target and distractor yielded a symmetric pattern of interference, whereas large distances (20 mm) yielded an asymmetric pattern, with more interference from near than from far distractors. Those findings support the distance account of distractor interference and refute the grouping account.
Implementation of a “DIVA“ Concept withspecific Elisa Kits; When Subunit H5 Avian Influenza Vaccine is used

— The main objective of this study was to demonstrate that differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA) strategy using different ELISA tests is possible when a subunit vaccine (Haemagglutinin protein) is used to prevent Avian influenza. Special emphasis was placed on the differentiation in the serological response to different components of the AIV (Nucleoprotein, Neuraminidase, Haemagglutinin, Nucleocapsid) between chickens that were vaccinated with a whole virus kill vaccine and recombinant vaccine. Furthermore, the potential use of this DIVA strategy using ELISA assays to detect Neuraminidase 1 (N1) was analyzed as strategy in countries where the field virus is H5N1 and the vaccine used is formulated with H5N2. Detection of AIV’s antibodies to any component in serum was negative for all animals on the study days 0-13. At study day 14 the titers of antibodies against Nucleoprotein (NP) and Nucleocapsid (NC) rose in the experimental groups vaccinated with Volvac® AI KV and were negatives during all the trial in the experimental groups vaccinated with a subunit H5; significant statistically differences were observed between these groups (p < 0.05). The seroconversion either Haemagglutinin or Neuraminidase was evident after 21 days post-vaccination in the experimental groups vaccinated with the respective viral fraction. Regarding the main aim of this study and according with the results that were obtained, use a combination of different ELISA test as a DIVA strategy is feasible when the vaccination is carry out with a subunit H5 vaccine. Also is possible to use the ELISA kit to detect Neuraminidase (either N1 or N2) as a DIVA concept in countries where H5N1 is present and the vaccination programs are done with H5N2 vaccine.
A Framework for the Event-Triggered Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems

Event-triggered control consists of closing the feedback loop whenever a predefined state-dependent criterion is satisfied. This paradigm is especially well suited for embedded systems and networked control systems since it is able to reduce the amount of communication and computation resources needed for control, compared to the traditional periodic implementation. In this paper, we propose a framework for the event-triggered stabilization of nonlinear systems using hybrid systems tools, that is general enough to encompass most of the existing event-triggered control techniques, which we revisit and generalize. We also derive two new event-triggering conditions which may further enlarge the inter-event times compared to the available policies in the literature as illustrated by two physical examples. These novel techniques exemplify the relevance of introducing additional variables for the design of the triggering law. The proposed approach as well as the new event-triggering strategies are flexible and we believe that they can be used to address other event-based control problems.
Preservation of the functional advantage of human time structure

Upon exposure to sustained and synchronized diurnal activity, most human variables exhibit rhythms with a 24 h period. The best‐fitting cosine curve to the data with a selected period (24 h) may yield parameters like acrophase (estimated peak time), amplitude, and mesor (rhythm adjusted mean). The sequential array of the rhythms' acrophases constructs the temporal order. Analyzing 168 different human rhythms revealed a time‐dependent distribution with regard to the number of acrophases/h and to the clustering of variables according to function. Rhythms' amplitude/mesor ratios yielded a five modal distribution. The modes occurred at those clock times where repetitive habitual signals are anticipated. It is assumed that these specific features evolved to optimize the adaptive value of the temporal order. —Ticher, A. , Ashkenazi, I. E. , Reinberg, A. E. Preservation of the functional advantage of human time structure. FASEB J. 9, 269–272 (1995)
Effect of testosterone on input received by an identified neuron type of the canary song system: a Golgi/electron microscopy/degeneration study

Combinations of the Golgi stain, anterograde degeneration, and electron microscopy are used to further characterize the hormone-sensitive “type IV” neuron of the forebrain nucleus robustus archistriatalis (RA) of adult female canaries. Anterograde degeneration was used to “stain,” at the electron-microscopic level, the axon terminals of neurons projecting to RA from hyperstriatum ventralis, pars caudalis (HVc) and from the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (L- MAN). The HVc neurons projecting to RA type IV cells form synapses predominantly on the dendritic spines of those cells, while L-MAN neurons that project to RA type IV cells form a 2.5:1 mixture of shaft and spine synapses. There were about 1000 synapses from HVc neurons (about 30% of all spine synapses) on typical type IV cells and about 50 synapses from L-MAN neurons. Earlier work had shown that in female canaries the dendrites of type IV neurons of the avian song control nucleus RA increase in total length after systemic testosterone treatment, and that this increase in dendritic length was accompanied by the development of malelike song. We now show that testosterone treatment also increases the number of dendritic spines present in type IV neurons. Presumably this is accompanied by an increase in the number of synaptic inputs received by type IV cells. Earlier evidence suggested that the testosterone-induced addition of extra dendritic length to type IV cells occurred at existing dendritic tips. We tested the hypothesis that these added peripheral ends received a special subset of inputs, which might then account for the change in behavior, and found it to be false. Mapping and counts of degenerating synapses resulting from lesion of HVc and L-MAN suggest that under the influence of hormone, new synapses are added throughout the dendritic tree, with no special distribution or change in ratio of inputs occurring at the tip of dendrites. Under the influence of testosterone, each type IV cell may receive only “more of the same” inputs it received before onset of treatment. We speculate on how such changes in circuitry may relate to song stability and learning.
Housing subsidies and taxation in six EU countries

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the main characteristics of the housing taxation and subsidy systems in six European Union countries. The structure of this support over the past two decades, before and after the global financial crisis has been investigated and its total effective dimensions have been approximated. Design/methodology/approach – Official national data and existing literature on housing policy expenses have been analysed and the authors add their own estimations of missing data, where possible. Latest changes in housing policy guidelines and expenses were interpreted. Findings – It was found that state support for housing is heavily underestimated by official data in most countries, mainly due to missing estimates for the value of imputed rents tax relief, reduced VAT rates and low real estate and capital gains taxation. Our estimates suggest that total public support for the housing sector reaches more than 3 per cent of the gross domestic product in three of the six countries, and ab.
A creative multidisciplinary approach towards the development of food gardening

The Mangaung-University of the Orange Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) is a comprehensive health care project established in April 1991 in the Free State province. It is largely funded by the W. F. Kellogg Foundation, United States. The partnership is a triumvirate consisting of the Mangaung community, the University of the Orange Free State (UOFS) and the Department of Health of the Free State province. The Food Garden Management Programme is a very important programme in MUCPP. In 1996, the MUCPP food garden was awarded 'Peace Garden of the Year' in the corporate class of a national competition. The definition of a food garden in this article is a piece of land ( - 100 m 2 ) at the back of a resident's house that is used for the production of vegetables, chickens and rabbits, mainly for own consumption. The focus here will be primarily on vegetable gardening and its influence on community development programmes.
Export-led growth and the Four Little Dragons

This paper examines the hypothesis of export-led growth for the ‘Four Little Dragons' in Asia. The framework of analysis is a five-variable vector autoregressive model. The relationship between exports and output is evaluated through the computation of variance decompositions, impulse response functions, and cointegration. The variance decompositions indicate significant feedback relations between exports and output. The impulse response functions indicate significant, positive feedback effects in the short run. The cointegration test, however, does not yield similar results for the long-run relations. The results are at odds with the export-led growth hypothesis, but the short-run results appear consistent with the feedback model in which export promotion and economic growth reinforce each other in the process of economic development.
Women and Self-Promotion: A Test of Three Theories

Although self-promotion (communicating one’s past accomplishments and positive characteristics) is important for obtaining career and educational opportunities, women feel uncomfortable when doing it, which limits their self-promotion success. This study tested which of the three possible theoretical mechanisms explained women’s limited self-promotion success: (1) cognitive dissonance, (2) stereotype threat, and (3) backlash avoidance. In this experiment, college women (N = 123) wrote a scholarship application essay and the ownership of the essay was varied experimentally. The essays were evaluated by the authors themselves and independent judges. The results were most consistent with a backlash avoidance mechanism whereby women feel uncomfortable self-promoting due to perceived social consequences.
High-performance induction generator-wind turbine connected to utility grid

This work proposes a wind generation system connected to a grid using self-excited induction generator (SEIG). The stator currents of the induction generator (IG) are optimally controlled using indirect orientation control (IFOC) according to the generator speed in order to maximize the generated power from the wind turbine. The IG is controlled by the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) below the base speed and the maximum energy can be captured from the wind turbine. The paper presents an IFOC for IG with rotor flux to maintain the DC-link voltage at constant value. During voltage buildup, the variation of the magnetizing inductance is taken into consideration. The DC-link power is transferred to the gird via inverter with vector control. By using the vector controller and the synchronous frame current regulators both the input and output currents of the integrated system are characterized with fast current response and low harmonic distortion. The complete system has been simulated with different wind velocities. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed MPPT wind energy system.
Insertion Based Packets Scheduling for providing QoS guarantee in switch systems

In this paper we propose the Insertion Based Packets Scheduling (IBPS), a novel packet scheduling method which can significantly reduce the maximum packet delay and delay jitter of high priority real-time data in packet switch systems. Traditional packet-by-packet scheduling will block a packet of real-time service in the packet queue until the transmission of a long non-real-time packet is finished if the real-time packet arrives after the beginning of the non-real-time packetpsilas transmission, and therefore has a bad effect on the delay and delay variation of the real-time service. While, in order to provide a better QoS for real-time services, the IBPS allows a real-time packet to be inserted into a non-real-time packet when the latter is being transmitted. IBPS can be applied with any existing packet scheduling algorithm, such as PQ (Priority Queuing) and WFQ etc. We build a prototype switch system, which can use both the IBPS based PQ and traditional packet-by-packet based PQ for packets scheduling, to evaluate the performance of IBPS. Test results of this prototype system show that IBPS based packets schedulers can achieve significantly lower maximum packet delay and delay jitter of real-time service.
A General Equilibrium Analysis of the Optimal Number of Firms in a Polluting Industry

In partial equilibrium competitive models in which emissions are proportional to output, the optimal output of individual firms in a polluting industry is the same with or without a Pigouvian tax. The same holds in general equilibrium only if the production function of those firms is homothetic. The Pigouvian tax increases the price of the polluting good, reducing industry output, and, as a consequence, the relative price of the input in which polluting firms are relatively intensive. They will adjust their input ratios accordingly, and if production functions are non-homothetic, this will either increase or decrease the level of output at which the total profit of the individual firm is zero. Une analyse en equilibre general du nombre optimal de firmes dans une industrie polluante. Dans les modeles concurrentiels en equilibre partiel, la production optimale des firmes individuelles dans une industrie polluante est identique qu'il y ait ou non une taxe a la Pigou. On obtient le meme rdsultat en equilibre general si la fonction de production de ces firmes est homothetique. La taxe 'a la Pigou augmente le prix du produit polluant, reduit le niveau de production de l'industrie, et par voie de consequence le prix relatif de l'intrant employe de fa9on relativement intensive par les firmes polluantes. Ces firmes vont ajuster les ratios d'intrants en consequence. Si les fonctions de production ne sont pas homothetiques, ces ajustements vont augmenter ou reduire le niveau de production qui correspond a un profit total nul pour la firme individuelle.
Geometric finiteness in negatively pinched Hadamard manifolds

In this paper, we generalize Bonahon's characterization of geometrically infinite torsion-free discrete subgroups of PSL(2, $\mathbb{C}$) to geometrically infinite discrete torsion-free subgroups $\Gamma$ of isometries of negatively pinched Hadamard manifolds $X$. We then generalize a theorem of Bishop to prove that every such geometrically infinite isometry subgroup $\Gamma$ has a set of nonconical limit points with cardinality of continuum.
Omacetaxine mepesuccinate in chronic myeloid leukemia

Introduction: Homoharringtonine (HHT) and other alkaloid esters were originally isolated from the Cephalotaxus evergreen tree and have been used in traditional Chinese medicine since the 1970s to treat a variety of malignancies. Although HHT was investigated for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the 1990s with good results, the advent of BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) at that time rapidly established a new standard of care for CML. Omacetaxine mepesuccinate is a semisynthetic derivative of HHT with known clinical activity in relapsed or refractory CML following TKI therapy. Areas covered: In this review, we summarize the biologic effects of HHT and its derivative, omacetaxine, in CML. Additionally, we analyze the concepts learned from the early trials using these drugs. Data from clinical trials resulting in drug approval are also reviewed. Expert opinion: Omacetaxine has a clear role in the CML armamentarium for patients in chronic and accelerated phase who have failed or were intolerant to two or more TKIs.
The Meaning of Nonprofit Organization: Insights from Classical Institutionalism

The paper explores the way the work of classic institutionalist authors can inform modern nonprofit economics. From the Veblenian perspective, nonprofit organization is explained as an institutional consequence of the pecuniary-industrial dichotomy. The Ayresian theoretical system is used to highlight nonprofit organization as a particular form of the progressive weakening of the institution of private property in response to technological imperatives. Based on these arguments, the societal meaning of nonprofit organization is shown to be in realizing instrumental value that is unattainable through pecuniary ceremonial behavior embodied in the for-profit sector. At the same, in line with the Veblenian analysis of American universities, the ability of nonprofit firms to attain instrumental value is recognized as potentially limited by the corrupting effects of the embedding pecuniary culture.
Diuranl water relations of walnut trees: implications for remote sensing

Leaflet water content ( WC), relative water content (RWC), and water potential were measured as indicators of diurnal change in tree water status in an experimental wal- nut orchard receiving two irrigation treatments: 100 and 33% of potential evapotranspiration (PET). Diurnal change was greatest in Pll throughout the experimental period with minima occurring each day in early to mid-afternoon and maxima be- tween midnight and sunrise. Leaflet Pll was more variable in the 100% PET than the 33% PET treatment. Leaflet WC and RWC were also lower in the afternoon than at night, but had greater variability so that the diurnal pattern was not as clear. Comparison between the pattern of qIl and dielectric constants (DC) measured from probes inserted 2 cm into a tree bole showed that both declined nearly in parallel in the morning; however, PI, recovered more rapidly than DC in the afternoon. This temporal discrepancy could be caused by cavitation of xy- lem elements in the vicinity of the DC probe. Microwave back- scatter for L- and X-bands also measured diurnal variation that had local minima in the afternoon, but the pattern among wavelength and polarization signatures was complex. From these data it appears that radar backscatter can respond to diurnal changes in plant water status. Interpretation of diurnal patterns using a satellite sensor will require models that ac- count for multiple sources of canopy and soil variance, includ- ing canopy architecture and soil moisture and more precise un- derstanding of the basis of diurnal patterns in backscatter.