Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of overweight and obesity for urban adults in Cameroon

Background: The emergence of a nutrition transition in developing countries might lead to higher prevalence of obesity and related adverse health effects. In Cameroon, urbanization growth rate is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Such dramatic demographic change favours important modifications, notably in nutritional patterns. Aim: In this paper we examine the current prevalence of overweight and obesity in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon and search for possible causal factors. Detrimental consequences of overweight are also discussed. Material and methods: Samples of adults (519 women, 252 men) of all ages in all districts of Yaoundé were subjected to anthropometric and body composition measurements, blood pressure and resting heart rate determination, and interviewer-administered questionnaires on socio-demography, smoking habits, physical activity, self-perception of body weight and health status. Results: In both sexes body mass index (BMI) increases with age and peaks in the years of maturity. These changes are related to changes in adiposity. Prevalence rates of overweight (BMI ≥ 25) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) increase from 20 to 29 years and peak at 40-49 years in men and at 50-59 years in women before starting to decline. One woman in two is overweight and one woman in five is obese, whereas one-third of men are overweight and only 5% are obese. Obese subjects have a larger age-adjusted waist to hip ratio (WHR) than their non-overweight counterparts, attesting that fat gain is oriented towards a more abdominal fat mass distribution. The length of residence in Yaoundé, increasing education level, occupation, ethnicity, physical inactivity and smoking practices appear to influence early overweight and/or obesity. No parity effect is observed in women. From the present study, it appears that obesity, and especially obesity in women, could be less benign than that described in other studies in Africa. Conclusion: Research is needed in Cameroon, including aetiological and cohort studies aimed at the quantification of morbidity and mortality risks associated with overweight and obesity.
The influence of macroeconomic variables on Indian stock markets – An empirical study

This study has endeavoured to find out the relationships between BSE SENSEX and seven key macroeconomic variables, both in the long-run and short-run, by using descriptive statistics, correlation test results, ADF tests, Johansen and Juselius's cointegration test and Granger causality test. Monthly data has been used from April, 2007 to March, 2012 for all the variables, i.e., BSE SENSEX, index of industrial production, wholesale price index, crude oil prices, gold prices, money supply, exchange rate and foreign exchange reserve. ADF results showed that all the variables has contained a unit root and are integrated of order one. Johansen and Juselius's cointegration test pointed out at least one cointegration vector and long run relationships between BSE SENSEX with index of industrial production, gold prices, money supply and foreign exchange reserve. Granger causality test was then employed. The Granger causality test has found some short-run unilateral or bilateral causal relationships between BSE SENSEX with the macroeconomic variables.
Crystal structure prediction of ReN at high pressure: a new incompressible phase

ABSTRACT Based on the swarm-intelligence-based CALYPSO method the NbO, R3m and NiAs phases for ReN are predicted. The R3m phase of ReN at high pressure is firstly found. The structural, mechanical and electronic properties of ReN with the three phases are studied systematically. Moreover, it is also firstly found that pressure stimulated ReN to undergo twice phase transitions, from NbO to R3m phase at 43.3 GPa and from R3m to NiAs phase at 53.6 GPa. The three phases of ReN are verified to be mechanically stable and a promising low-compressible material at ambient conditions. According to the electron density of states and electron localization functions we have found that their structural stability and high hardness is on account of the strong covalent bonding of Re-N and N-N.
CD146 protein as a marker to predict postoperative liver metastasis in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE To study the expression and regulatory effects of CD146 protein in colorectal cancer and the correlation between CD146 protein expression and the prognosis of colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS The CD146 protein level was detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The relationship between CD146 expression and clinicopathological parameters of colorectal cancer was determined. RESULTS It was observed that 216 (20.00%) of the 1080 cases positively expressed CD146 protein. Univariate analyses indicated that CD146 expression was related to histological grade, Duke's stage, and liver metastasis (p=0.001, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Spearman correlation analysis showed that CD146 expression has line correlation to histological grade, Duke's stage, and liver metastasis (p=0.02, 0.01 and 0.001, respectively). After multivariate analysis, Duke's stage and CD146 were related to liver metastasis (p=0.01 and 0.001, respectively). In the Cox regression test, histological grade, Duke's stage, and CD146 were detected as the independent prognostic factors (p=0.045, 0.01, and 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS CD146 protein may be a potential biomarker for the postoperative liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Resource allocation for network security risk assessment: A non-cooperative differential game based approach

In this paper, we propose a non-cooperative differential game theory based resource allocation approach for the network security risk assessment. For the risk assessment, the resource will be used for risk assess, including response cost and response negative cost. The whole assessment process is considered as a differential game for optimal resource control. The proposed scheme can be obtained through the Nash Equilibrium. It is proved that the game theory based algorithm is applicable and the optimal resource level can be achieved based on the proposed algorithm.
An index method for measurement of knowledge awareness of construction industry outputs: gender perceptions

This study sought to investigative the knowledge of high school students on what constitutes as the products of the construction industry and whether gender has an influence on the knowledge awareness. The research uses a postal survey questionnaire for primary data collection. Literature review is used to identify the products (outputs) of the construction industry, which are then incorporated into the design of the survey instrument. The questionnaire is administered via a postal survey and information was collected from 599 male and 491 female high school students in the Western Cape Province. Survey response data is subjected to descriptive statistics and subsequently parametric tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Of the 18 construction industry outputs, students rated houses, schools, hotels, factories and airports as the predominant features of construction industry whereas taxi ranks, dams, oil refineries and night clubs (discos) were less likely to be linked to the construction industry. The findings further suggest that there are significant differences between male and female high school students on what constitutes as construction outputs with males demonstrating a higher knowledge awareness level than the females. The research limitation of the cross-sectional data made it difficult to generalise the findings. In terms of originality, the paper identifies the student's knowledge base of the construction industry outputs. The findings indicate that those structures such as school, hotels and factories that involve stakeholders other than typical building contractors were more likely to be linked to the construction industry than the dams, oil refineries and harbours. These installations by their nature are typically large and complex and seen less frequently being erected. The study makes a significant contribution as there are few studies which try to investigate the construction industry outputs knowledge awareness of high school students in an African environment. This study contributes to bridging that gap.
The responsiveness of isolated human hand vein endothelial cells in normal pregnancy and in pre‐eclampsia

1 Human hand vein endothelial cells were isolated from blood obtained by traumatic venepuncture. Cells were identified as endothelial by staining with endothelium‐specific antibodies. The subject groups studied were (i) non‐pregnant, (ii) pregnant (mean, 35 weeks gestation) and (iii) pre‐eclamptic women (mean, 36 weeks gestation). 2 Fura‐2 was used to measure agonist‐induced responses in intracellular Ca2+ in single endothelial cells isolated and maintained in vitro. All of the cells examined responded to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with a large transient increase in Ca2+ followed by a sustained plateau. 3 The responses to ATP were significantly larger in the cells from pregnant women than in those from non‐pregnant and pre‐eclamptic women, but no other differences were observed. The amplitudes of the responses to ATP were (means ± s.e.m.) 0.56 ± 0.04, 1.42 ± 0.24 and 0.65 ± 0.09 fura‐2 ratio units for cells from non‐pregnant, pregnant and pre‐eclamptic subjects, respectively. 4 In cells isolated from non‐pregnant subjects, the amplitude of the responses to carbachol, histamine and bradykinin were all smaller than those activated by ATP: 5.1, 13.9 and 4.4 %, respectively. Not all cells responded to these agonists: 25 % responded to carbachol, 70.5 % responded to histamine and 12.5 % responded to bradykinin. Sixty‐five per cent of the cells from normotensive pregnant subjects responded to bradykinin compared with 25 % in the non‐pregnant and 13.9 % in the pre‐eclamptic subjects. 5 These data suggest that there may be differences in the responsiveness of venous endothelial cells in pregnancy and that pre‐eclamptic cells behave differently.
Lyapunov Dimension of Attractors of the Lorenz-Like Differential Equations

In 1963 E.Lorenz discovered strange attractors, which correspond to the turbulence in liquids and atmosphere. In the second half of the 20-th century these attractors were described in electromechanical and electronical systems. In this time the well-known scientists created the methods of estimates of attractor dimension in the theory of dynamical systems and differential equations. Lyapunov function has been introduced in the estimates of this attractors in the last two decades. In this paper new classes of Lyapunov functions for the Lorenz-like systems are constructed and Lyapunov dimension formulas are obtained.
The Social Context of After-School Programs in Michigan

State University, the Julian Samora Research Institute (JSRI) is committed to the generation, transmission, and application of knowledge to serve the needs of Latino Communities in Michigan and the Midwest. JSRI was established to honor the legacy of the Latino Research Pioneer Julian Samora, who was also a cofounder of the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization.
Sink-Free Audio-on-Demand over Wireless Sensor Networks

Audio represents one of the most appealing yet least exploited modalities in wireless sensor networks, due to the potentially extremely large data volumes and limited wireless capacity. Therefore, how to effectively collect audio sensing information remains a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a new paradigm of audio information collection based on the concept of audio-on-demand. We consider a sink-free environment targeting for disaster management, where audio chunks are stored inside the network for retrieval. The difficulty is to guarantee a high search success rate without infrastructure support. To solve the problem, we design a novel replication algorithm that deploys an optimal number of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$O(\sqrt{n})$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="chen-ieq1-2451643.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> replicas across the sensor network. We prove the optimality of the energy consumption of the algorithm. We implement a sink-free audio-on-demand (SAoD) WSN system, and conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance and efficiency of our design. The experimental results show that our design can provide satisfactory quality of audio-on-demand service with short startup latency and slight playback jitter. Extensive simulation results show that this design achieves a search success rate of 98 percent while reducing the search energy consumption by an order of magnitude compared with existing schemes.
HALKLA İLİŞKİLER UYGULAMACILARI İÇİN EDİRNE İLİ TANITIM MATERYALLARİ

Şehirler; tum dunyada siyasi, ekonomik, sosyal ve tarihsel acidan degerlendirmeye alinmaktadir. Bu degerlendirmeyi yapan hedef kitleler icinde cok cesitli gruplar (hukumetler, yabanci ulke hukumetleri ve vatandaslari, ulke vatandaslari hatta sehrin kendi vatandaslari) bulunmaktadir. Yapilan bu degerlendirmeler sehrin ekenomik gelecegini ve refah duzeyini etkileyecek, sehirde yasayanlar acisindan istihdam kosullarini belirleyecektir. Bu anlamda sehrin ozelliklerinin neler oldugunun iyi tespit edilmesi ve etkilenmek istenen hedef kitlelere anlatilmasi halkla iliskiler calismalari araciligi ile etkili hale gelecektir. Bu calismada bir cok ozelligi yani sira Turk Tarihi acisindan da onemli bir yere sahip olan Edirne Ili icin kullanilacak halkla iliskiler materyalleri belirlenmistir
Ambulatory 24-h colonic manometry in healthy humans.

Our aim was to investigate motor activity of the healthy, relatively unprepared colon in the ambulatory state. Twenty-five age- and gender-matched adults had a six-sensor solid-state probe inserted into the proximal transverse colon without sedation. Subjects ambulated freely and ate standard meals. In 528 h of recording, we found a lower (P < 0.05) area under the curve during the night. Waking induced a threefold increase in motility, whereas meals induced a twofold increase. Women showed less activity (P < 0.05) in the transverse/descending colon than men. The transverse/descending colon showed more (P < 0.05) activity than the rectosigmoid colon. Seven patterns were recognized; predominantly, they were simultaneous, propagated, or periodic bursts of 3-cycles/min (cpm) waves. A specialized propagating pressure wave with a high amplitude (>105 mmHg) and a prolonged duration (>14 s) occurred in all subjects (mean 10/day), mostly after waking, after meals, or with defecation. A 3-cpm motor activity was seen in the rectosigmoid region predominantly at night. The colon exhibits a wide spectrum of pressure activity around the clock, with gender and regional differences and circadian rhythm. This comprehensive study provides qualitative and quantitative normative data for colonic manometry.
Modulation of vascular inflammation in vitro and in vivo by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma activators.

BACKGROUND Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) is expressed in atherosclerotic plaques and in endothelial cells. The possible effects of PPARgamma activators on endothelial activation and inflammatory response within the plaque are currently unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We tested the hypothesis that PPARgamma activators inhibit vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) expression in cultured endothelial cells (evaluated by flow cytometry) and homing of monocyte/macrophages to atherosclerotic plaques in vivo. In endothelial cells, the PPARgamma agonists troglitazone at 100 micromol/L and 15-deoxy-(Delta12,14)-prostaglandin J(2) (15d-PGJ2) at 20 micromol/L markedly attenuated the tumor necrosis factor-induced expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. A significant inhibition of VCAM-1 expression was also evident at 5 and 10 micromol/L 15d-PGJ2 and 20 micromol/L troglitazone. Expression of E-selectin and PECAM-1 was not altered. To confirm the biological relevance of these results, we assessed the effects of troglitazone on monocyte/macrophage homing to atherosclerotic plaques in apoE-deficient mice. A 7-day treatment with troglitazone (400 mg/kg) significantly reduced monocyte/macrophage homing to atherosclerotic plaques (236+/-77 versus 177+/-43 macrophages, P=0.03); an even more striking inhibition was found at 3200 mg/kg troglitazone (344+/-76 versus 172+/-83 macrophages, P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS PPARgamma activators inhibit expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 in activated endothelial cells and significantly reduce monocyte/macrophage homing to atherosclerotic plaques. These findings suggest that PPARgamma activators, currently used in treatment of type II diabetes, may have beneficial effects in modulating inflammatory response in atherosclerosis.
The cytoplasmic membrane is a primary target for the staphylocidal action of thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal protein

Thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal protein (tPMP-1) is a small, cationic peptide released from rabbit platelets exposed to thrombin in vitro. tPMP-1 is microbicidal against a broad spectrum of bloodstream pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus. Preliminary evidence suggests that tPMP-1 targets and disrupts the staphylococcal cytoplasmic membrane. However, it is not clear if the cytoplasmic membrane is a direct or indirect target of tPMP-1. Therefore, we assessed the in vitro activity of tPMP-1 versus protoplasts prepared from logarithmic-phase (LOG) or stationary-phase (STAT) cells of the genetically related S. aureus strains 19S and 19R (tPMP-1 susceptible and resistant, respectively). Protoplasts exposed to tPMP-1 (2 microg/ml) for 2 h at 37 degrees C were monitored for lysis (decrease in optical density at 420 nm) and ultrastructural alterations (by transmission electron microscopy [TEM]). Exposure to tPMP-1 resulted in substantial lysis of LOG but not STAT protoplasts of 19S, coinciding with protoplast membrane disruption observed by TEM. Thus, it appears that tPMP-1-induced membrane damage is influenced by the bacterial growth phase but is independent of the staphylococcal cell wall. In contrast to 19S, neither LOG nor STAT protoplasts of 19R were lysed by tPMP-1. tPMP-1-induced membrane damage was further characterized with anionic planar lipid bilayers subjected to various trans-negative voltages. tPMP-1 increased conductance across bilayers at -90 mV but not at -30 mV. Once initiated, a reduction in voltage from -90 to -30 mV diminished conductance magnitude but did not eliminate tPMP-1-mediated membrane permeabilization. Therefore, tPMP-1 appears to directly target the staphylococcal cytoplasmic membrane as a primary event in its mechanism of action. Specifically, tPMP-1 likely leads to staphylococcal death, at least in part by permeabilizing the bacterial membrane in a voltage-dependent manner.
HIV interactions with dendritic cells: has our focus been too narrow?

Although few in number, dendritic cells (DCs) are heterogeneous, ubiquitous, and are crucial for protection against pathogens. In this review, the different DC subpopulations have been described and aspects of DC biology are discussed. DCs are important, not only in the pathogenesis of HIV, but also in the generation of anti‐HIV immune responses. This review describes the roles that DC are thought to play in HIV pathogenesis, including uptake and transport of virus. We have also discussed the effects that the virus exerts on DCs such as infection and dysfunction. Then we proceed to focus on DC subsets in different organs and show how widespread the effects of HIV are on DC populations. It is clear that the small number of studies on tissue‐derived DCs limits current research into the pathogenesis of HIV.
Hippocampal volumes in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease with and without dementia, and in vascular dementia

Hippocampal atrophy detected by volumetric MRI is a sensitive feature of early Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there are no studies evaluating hippocampal atrophy by MR volumetry in other dementing diseases. We therefore compared hippocampal volumes in a total of 113 subjects: 50 patients with mild to moderate AD, 9 patients with vascular dementia (VaD), 12 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) without dementia, 8 patients with PD and dementia (PDD), and 34 elderly control subjects. Thin, coronal, contiguous images were obtained by a 1.5-T MR imager. All patient groups had significantly smaller volumes of the hippocampus compared with the control group. In the PDD group, the absolute volumes were even smaller than in the AD group. In the PD group, the volumes were diminished to a lesser but significant extent. The volumes in the VaD group varied: of nine patients, two had no atrophy, three had unilateral, and four had bilateral atrophy. We postulate that hippocampal atrophy does not seem to be a specific phenomenon of dementia in AD but also occurs in VaD and PDD, and even in PD when no dementia is present. However, coexistence of AD pathology in our PD and VaD patients cannot be ruled out. Further studies with access to neuropathologic data are needed.
Pharmacotherapeutic options for hepatitis B

ABSTRACT Introduction: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the driving force of disease progression in chronic hepatitis B. Patients with active HBV replication and/or significant liver disease require timely treatment. Currently, pegylated interferon-α (PEG IFN), entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) are the preferred first-line drugs.Areas covered: A finite course IFN-based therapy has modest response and may reduce cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma development. Nucleos(t)ide analogs (Nuc) have excellent safety profile, cumulative or maintained response and long-term efficacy in terms of reduction or reversal of fibrosis, decrease in development of cirrhosis and its adverse sequalae. The optimal duration of Nuc therapy is unknown and a feasible stopping rule with off-therapy monitoring plan has been developed.Expert opinion: Choosing a drug to initiate therapy in a right patient at a right time should be primarily based on the prospect and likelihood for improved outcomes. Nuc is the only choice for patients with hepatic decompensation, pregnant women and those about to receive immune/chemotherapy or organ transplantation. IFN-based therapy is preferred in patients with compensated liver disease, particularly in young patients, females of childbearing age. The development of new drugs and new strategies is the highest priority in further improving the outcomes of treatment.
Design and implementation of an autonomous hybrid vehicle

This paper outlines the design strategy for the University of Johannesburg's (UJ's) hybrid vehicle entry into the South African Solar Challenge (SASC) 2010. The SASC is a biennial event focused on alternative energies and showcasing various automotive technologies. The SASC is broken up into different classes; UJ entered in the Greenfleet Technology class. This paper presents the design principles and strategies used to implement a working prototype vehicle which is hybrid (propelled by multiple energy sources) and autonomous (able to operate without human assistance).