Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of a school-based safe water and hygiene programme on knowledge and practices of students and their parents: Nyanza Province, western Kenya, 2006

SUMMARY Safe drinking water and hygiene are essential to reducing Kenya's diarrhoeal disease burden. A school-based safe water and hygiene intervention in Kenya was evaluated to assess its impact on students' knowledge and parents' adoption of safe water and hygiene practices. We surveyed 390 students from nine schools and their parents at baseline and conducted a final evaluation of 363 students and their parents. From baseline to final evaluation, improvement was seen in students' knowledge of correct water treatment procedure (21–65%, P<0·01) and knowing when to wash their hands. At final evaluation, 14% of parents reported currently treating their water, compared with 6% at baseline (P<0·01). From 2004 to 2005, school absenteeism in the September–November term decreased in nine project schools by 35% and increased in nine neighbouring comparison schools by 5%. This novel programme shows promise for reducing school absenteeism and promoting water and hygiene interventions in the home.
Continued decline for ethnic minorities in the transition

Using three Bulgarian cross-sectional household surveys from 1986, 1993 and 1997, this essay shows that the mean log wage differential between ethnic Bulgarians and Turks increased from 0.1615 in 1986 to 0.2874 in 1993 and again to 0.4075 by 1997. Bulgarian gains over ethnic Turks in the early transition are related to both changes in the relative returns to skill and changes in the composition of demand for goods and services as the country moved toward a market economy. The Turks began the transition with fewer years of education than the Bulgarians, and began to close the education gap over this time. The Bulgarians, however, were more likely to have obtained more general secondary and university degrees than the ethnic Turks - degrees that, in contrast to technical or vocational degrees, are experiencing increased remuneration in the transition. With more of an asset that has become more valuable, the ethnic Bulgarians improved their relative position. Copyright (c) The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2003.
Exploding E-Cigarettes: A Battery Safety Issue

E-cigarettes have become popular as an alternative to traditional tobacco products. However, the safety of e-cigarettes is a significant issue, as there have been numerous incidents of Li-ion battery fires and explosions resulting in bodily injury and property damage. This paper presents a comprehensive review of publicly reported e-cigarette fire and explosion incidents, and then, identifies and discusses the key concerns, causes, and remedies.
Observations on Russia's Foreign Relations Under Putin

I order to interpret Russian foreign policies under Putin, it is useful to begin with Gorbachev and Yel’tsin, and then to contrast both the context of international relations, and Moscow’s responses, under Putin. My argument will be that we can attribute to Gorbachev and Yel’tsin a common mentality—common cognitive and emotional frameworks—that distinguish both of them from the mentality that has informed Putin’s foreign policies. Specifically, with respect to cognition, the first two leaders perceived the Soviet Union/Russia to be operating from weakness in international relations; emotionally, they both experienced an overwhelming urge that their country be accepted by the West and be allowed to join the “Western” fraternity of nations. By contrast, Putin’s foreign policies have been informed by a perception of Russia’s new-found strength and by an emotion akin to ressentiment—a nationalism that is driven by a pervasive and strong sense of grievance. Under Gorbachev, the Soviet Union was initially a one-party state, managed by the Communist Party, and enforced by the KGB. Abroad, the USSR was: a feared superpower, brimming with nuclear weapons; a global power, with the capability to project Soviet conventional power throughout the world; a dominant regional power, subordinating to its will the governments of the Warsaw Pact in East Europe; and the organizational leader of the so-called World Communist Movement. Yet Gorbachev came to power convinced that this pattern was unsustainable. That perception (“we can’t go on like this”) led him to sponsor increasingly radical reforms of the political system; a decision no longer to send tanks into East Europe to prop up the communist regimes; a decision to cut Soviet losses in Afghanistan; and decisions ultimately to accede
Changing Trends in P. falciparum Burden, Immunity, and Disease in Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Prevention of reinfection and resurgence is an integral component of the goal to eradicate malaria. However, the adverse effects of malaria resurgences are not known. METHODS We assessed the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection among 1819 Mozambican women who delivered infants between 2003 and 2012. We used microscopic and histologic examination and a quantitative polymerase-chain-reaction (qPCR) assay, as well as flow-cytometric analysis of IgG antibody responses against two parasite lines. RESULTS Positive qPCR tests for P. falciparum decreased from 33% in 2003 to 2% in 2010 and increased to 6% in 2012, with antimalarial IgG antibody responses mirroring these trends. Parasite densities in peripheral blood on qPCR assay were higher in 2010-2012 (geometric mean [±SD], 409±1569 genomes per microliter) than in 2003-2005 (44±169 genomes per microliter, P=0.02), as were parasite densities in placental blood on histologic assessment (50±39% of infected erythrocytes vs. 4±6%, P<0.001). The malaria-associated reduction in maternal hemoglobin levels was larger in 2010-2012 (10.1±1.8 g per deciliter in infected women vs. 10.9±1.7 g per deciliter in uninfected women; mean difference, -0.82 g per deciliter; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.39 to -0.25) than in 2003-2005 (10.5±1.1 g per deciliter vs. 10.6±1.5 g per deciliter; difference, -0.12 g per deciliter; 95% CI, -0.67 to 0.43), as was the reduction in birth weight (2863±440 g in women with past or chronic infections vs. 3070±482 g in uninfected women in 2010-2012; mean difference, -164.5 g; 95% CI, -289.7 to -39.4; and 2994±487 g vs. 3117±455 g in 2003-2005; difference, -44.8 g; 95% CI, -139.1 to 49.5). CONCLUSIONS Antimalarial antibodies were reduced and the adverse consequences of P. falciparum infections were increased in pregnant women after 5 years of a decline in the prevalence of malaria. (Funded by Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance and others.).
Group Activity Recognition with Group Interaction Zone

In this paper, we address the problem of recognizing group activities that include interactions between human objects based on their motion trajectory analysis. In order to resolve the complexity and ambiguity problems caused by a large number of human objects, we propose a Group Interaction Zone (GIZ) to detect meaningful groups in a scene so as to be robust against noisy information. Two novel features, Group Interaction Energy feature and Attraction and Repulsion Features, are proposed to better describe group activities within a GIZ. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with other methods on the public BEHAVE dataset.
Structural equation modeling in pediatric psychology: overview and review of applications.

OBJECTIVE To describe the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (JPP) and to discuss the usefulness of SEM applications in pediatric psychology research. METHOD The use of SEM in JPP between 1997 and 2006 was examined and compared to leading journals in clinical psychology, clinical child psychology, and child development. RESULTS SEM techniques were used in <4% of the empirical articles appearing in JPP between 1997 and 2006. SEM was used less frequently in JPP than in other clinically relevant journals over the past 10 years. However, results indicated a recent increase in JPP studies employing SEM techniques. CONCLUSIONS SEM is an under-utilized class of techniques within pediatric psychology research, although investigations employing these methods are becoming more prevalent. Despite its infrequent use to date, SEM is a potentially useful tool for advancing pediatric psychology research with a number of advantages over traditional statistical methods.
Does problem‐based learning work? A meta‐analysis of evaluative research

The purpose of this review is to synthesize all available evaluative research from 1970 through 1992 that compares problem-based learning (PBL) with more traditional methods of medical education. Five separate meta-analyses were performed on 35 studies representing 19 institutions. For 22 of the studies (representing 14 institutions), both effect-size and supplementary vote-count analyses could be performed; otherwise, only supplementary analyses were performed. PBL was found to be significantly superior with respect to students' program evaluations (i.e., students' attitudes and opinions about their programs)–dw (standardized differences between means, weighted by sample size) = +. 55, CI.95 = +. 40 to +. 70 - and measures of students' clinical performance (dw = +.28, CI.95 = +.16 to +.40). PBL and traditional methods did not differ on miscellaneous tests of factual knowledge (dw = −.09, CI.95 = +.06 to -.24) and tests of clinical knowledge (dw = +.08, CI.95 = −.05 to +.21). Traditional students performed significantly better than their PBL counterparts on the National Board of Medical Examiners Part I examination–NBME I (dw = −.18, CI.95 = −.10 to -.26). However, the NBME I data displayed significant overall heterogeneity (Qt = 192.23, p < .001) and significant differences among programs (Qb = 59.09, p < .001), which casts doubt on the generality of the findings across programs. The comparative value of PBL is also supported by data on outcomes that have been studied less frequently, i.e., faculty attitudes, student mood, class attendance, academic process variables, and measures of humanism. In conclusion, the results generally support the superiority of the PBL approach over more traditional methods. Acad. Med. 68 (1993):550–563.
Factors influencing food consumption dagger Bahrain

The food consumption pattern of Bahraini households is affected by many factors. Industrialization led to a decline in the agricultural and fishing products with the result of more dependence on imported foods. Income and prices of foods limited the purchasing power of the households, particularly low social classes. The high population growth and family size affect the quantity of food consumed by different household members. Educational level of housewife and husband has also a potent effect on the food consumption pattern. Immigrants have their influence too. They introduced many dishes which have become popular in the Bahraini community. Television advertising of food products and utensils also plays an important role in modifying the food consumption of Bahraini households. This paper discusses some of the factors influencing food consumption in Bahrain.
Conventional stepwise vs. vital capacity rapid inhalation induction at two concentrations of sevoflurane

Background and objective: A multicentre study was conducted to compare three methods of inhalation induction with sevoflurane in adult premedicated patients. Methods: One-hundred-and-twenty-five adult patients of ASA I-II were scheduled for short elective surgical procedures (<90 min) under general anaesthesia with spontaneous ventilation of the lungs via a laryngeal mask airway. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: conventional stepwise inhalation induction group (Group C) or vital capacity rapid inhalation induction groups at 4.5% (Group VC4.5) or at 8% sevoflurane (Group VC8). Before anaesthetic induction, fentanyl 1 μg kg−1 was given and the face mask applied with the anaesthetic breathing system primed with sevoflurane 4.5% or 8% in the respective vital capacity groups. Loss of eyelash reflex, time to cessation of finger tapping, laryngeal mask insertion, side-effects and adequacy of induction were recorded. Results: The time to loss of eyelash reflex was significantly shorter in both vital capacity groups vs. the control group: VC8: 68 ± 7 s; and VC4.5: 94 ± 6.5 s vs. C: 118 ± 6.4 s (P < 0.0001). Significant differences were found in all pairwise comparisons for time to cessation of tapping: Group VC8 (62 ± 7 s), Group VC4.5 (85 ± 6 s) and Group C (116 ± 6 s; P < 0.0001). The time to laryngeal mask insertion was significantly shorter in the Group VC8 (176 ± 13 s) compared with the other two groups, Group VC4.5 (219 ± 13 s) and Group C (216 ± 9 s). There were no significant differences in the incidence of side-effects between the three groups. Conclusions: Inhalation induction of anaesthesia with sevoflurane with the three techniques tested is safe, reliable and well accepted by the patients. The vital capacity rapid inhalation group primed with sevoflurane 8% was the fastest method with no relevant side-effects.
Confidence-Aware Matrix Factorization for Recommender Systems

Collaborative filtering (CF), particularly matrix factorization (MF) based methods, have been widely used in recommender systems. The literature has reported that matrix factorization methods often produce superior accuracy of rating prediction in recommender systems. However, existing matrix factorization methods rarely consider confidence of the rating prediction and thus cannot support advanced recommendation tasks. In this paper, we propose a Confidence-aware Matrix Factorization (CMF) framework to simultaneously optimize the accuracy of rating prediction and measure the prediction confidence in the model. Specifically, we introduce variance parameters for both users and items in the matrix factorization process. Then, prediction interval can be computed to measure confidence for each predicted rating. These confidence quantities can be used to enhance the quality of recommendation results based on Confidence-aware Ranking (CR). We also develop two effective implementations of our framework to compute the confidence-aware matrix factorization for large-scale data. Finally, extensive experiments on three real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework from multiple perspectives.
TQM ‐ a comparative approach

Compares the scientific management, human resources and socio‐technological systems approaches to management to identify the fundamental characteristics, and limitations, of each. It shows that changes in society, and corresponding expectations of workers, render each of these approaches obsolete. Attempts to show that TQM adopts the best features of each and synthesizes them into a more complete and coherent way of managing processes and people.
Immune Protection of Rhoptry Protein 21 (ROP21) of Toxoplasma gondii as a DNA Vaccine Against Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry proteins (TgROPs) are the major targets as key molecules for immunodiagnosis as well as immunoprophylaxis because of their initial presentation to the host immune system. In this work, it was aimed at evaluating the protection effect of TgROP21 DNA vaccine on experimental mice subjected to T. gondii challenge. The gene sequence encoding TgROP21 was inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX I, and western blotting indicates that the lysate of BHK cells transfected with pVAX-TgROP21 was specifically recognized as a band of about 82.6 kDa by serum obtained from a T. gondii infected chicken. The efficacy of intramuscular vaccination of BALB/c mice three times at weeks 0, 2, and 4 with pVAX-ROP21 was analyzed. The levels of IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a among pVAX-ROP21 vaccinated animals were integrally increased. It was uncovered by cytokine profile analyses that IFN-γ was significantly increased, while no significant changes were detected in interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Additionally, we found that immunization with pVAX-ROP21 significantly prolonged survival time (13.50 ± 1.65 days) after challenge infection with the virulent T. gondii RH strain, in comparison to those of control animals (died within 10 days). Moreover, the number of brain cysts (1475 ± 163) in the animals subjected to pVAX-TgROP21 vaccination decreased remarkably (P < 0.05) compared to the blank control mice (2333 ± 473), and the size of brain cysts in pVAX-TgROP21 group was significantly smaller than the groups of blank, PBS and pVAXI. It was indicated that intense cell-mediated and humoral immunity was triggered and defense against T. gondii was partially induced after vaccination by TgROP21.
Towards a New Conceptual Framework: Presentations at the Accounting in Europe and European Accounting Association Financial Reporting Standards Committee Symposium

Abstract A symposium at the European Accounting Association (EAA) Annual Meetings on Friday 23 May 2014 in Tallinn, organised by Accounting in Europe and the EAA's Financial Reporting Standards Committee (FRSC), brought together leading respondents to the Discussion Paper and the International Accounting Standards Board to debate the issues surrounding the new Conceptual Framework. This paper reproduces the presentations from the panellists: Mario Abela, Leader, Research and Development, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC); Richard Barker, Saïd Business School, Oxford University & EAA FRSC; Rasmus Sommer, Senior Technical Manager, European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG); and Alan Teixeira, Senior Director – Technical Activities, International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The panel was chaired by Paul André, ESSEC Business School & Editor Accounting in Europe.
Short-run Demand for Residential Electricity in Rural Electric Cooperatives Franchise Area

A short-run demand model for residential electricity is estimated for households served by the Rural Electric Cooperatives using data from the 1997 Family Income and Expenditure Survey. The results support earlier findings that the short-run residential demand for electricity is income and price inelastic. The results also show that household size, urban location, age and educational level of the household head have significant positive effects on household electricity consumption. JEL classification: C2, Q2, R2
Metodologías de valorización de instrumentos de deuda: bonos

El artículo presenta las cuatro metodologías de valorización de instrumentos de deuda o bonos. Se pone énfasis en el uso de la curva cupón cero para determinar el valor de un bono, resaltando sus ventajas comparando con otras metodologías, así como los casos cuando no se dispone de información de precios o tasas de mercado.
The Psychology of Environmental Decisions

Humanity faces an unprecedented set of global environmental problems. We argue that to promote pro-environmental decisions and to achieve public consensus on the need for action we must address individual and collective understanding (cognition) of environmental problems, as well as individual and collective commitments to take action to mitigate or prevent those problems. We review literature pertaining to psychological predispositions, mental models, framing, psychological distance, and the social context of decisions that help elucidate how these goals of cognition and commitment can be achieved. This article reveals the complex and multiply determined nature of environmental decisions. However, we argue that this complexity points to opportunities to reduce the inherent uncertainty surrounding global environmental challenges via appeals to the psychological mechanisms that underpin our decisions.
The Dutch Famine, 1944–1945, and the Reproductive Process. II. Interrelations of Caloric Rations and Six Indices at Birth

Extract: Effects of maternal exposure to famine during the prenatal period were compared among six indices of reproduction by the use of Z scores. Maternal weight was affected soonest, then birthweight and placental weight. Length and head size at birth were affected relatively less and only after exposure to more severe nutritional deprivation. Path models were constructed of the interrelations of caloric rations, length of gestation, maternal weight, and fetal dimensions. Above a threshold value of 1,500 Cal daily average official food rations available to mothers in the third trimester, a model in which the placenta is treated as a fetal dimension (or organ) seemed most appropriate. Below the threshold value, a model in which the placenta is treated as a transmitter of nutrients seemed most appropriate.Speculation: With severe nutritional deprivation, a pregnant mother interposes a buffer that protects the fetus until her nutrient reserves are exhausted. Under normal conditions the growth of the placenta is determined by the growth of the fetus. Under conditions of severe nutritional deprivation, the needs of the placenta are supplied first, and the placenta may thus restrict fetal growth.
In Situ Staining and Laser Capture Microdissection of Lymph Node Residing SIV Gag-Specific CD8+ T cells—A Tool to Interrogate a Functional Immune Response Ex Vivo

While a plethora of data describes the essential role of systemic CD8+ T cells in the control of SIV replication little is known about the local in situ CD8+ T cell immune responses against SIV at the intact tissue level, due to technical limitations. In situ staining, using GagCM9 Qdot 655 multimers, were here combined with laser capture microdissection to detect and collect SIV Gag CM9 specific CD8+ T cells in lymph node tissue from SIV infected rhesus macaques. CD8+ T cells from SIV infected and uninfected rhesus macaques were also collected and compared to the SIV GagCM9 specific CD8+ T cells. Illumina bead array and transcriptional analyses were used to assess the transcriptional profiles and the three different CD8+ T cell populations displayed unique transcriptional patterns. This pilot study demonstrates that rapid and specific immunostaining combined with laser capture microdissection in concert with transcriptional profiling may be used to elucidate phenotypic differences between CD8+ T cells in SIV infection. Such technologies may be useful to determine differences in functional activities of HIV/SIV specific T cells.
The significance of employee skill in flexible work organizations

Pressures for flexibility among enterprise employees have been explained in previous studies to be largely the result of exogenous factors driven by market pressures for improved product variety, quality and service. This paper derives new insights into the concept of flexibility based on the premise that manufacturing systems based on traditional hierarchical control have significantly given way to enterprise practices that stress a direct connection between employee skill enhancement, market outcomes and rewards. Through an analysis of the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WER98) the study provides a more substantive explanation of the variables associated with flexibility, which have become significant in the transition process towards modern enterprise practices. Flexibility is demonstrated to be not only market driven but also dependent on endogenous factors directly promoted by management that stress workforce participation, collaborative working and multifaceted skills development. We provide empirical support for these arguments from an analysis of WERS98.
Algae Biofuels Production Processes, Carbon Dioxide Fixation and Biorefinery Concept

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms capable to produce lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins as major biomass fractions. Each of these has been studied to produce biofuels. As example biodiesel, bio ethanol, biogas, biooil and bio hydrogen by different processes and conditions. In addition, microalgae are considered an alternative for CO2 emissions fixation since this gas is used by their metabolism. Based on this sustainable alternative, microalgae are considered feedstock to integrate a Bio-refinery, in which different products can be obtained from biofuels to food. In this article, in addition to the literature revision for biofuels production from microalgae, drawbacks and bottlenecks from microalgae technologies are discussed.