Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptation assessments for crop production in response to climate change in Cameroon

The Cameroonian agricultural sector, a critical part of the local ecosystem, is potentially vulnerable to climate change, thus raising concerns about food security in the country’s future. Adaptations policies may be able to mitigate some of this vulnerability. This article addresses the issue of selected adaptation options within the context of Cameroonian food production. A methodology is applied where transient diagnostics of two atmosphere-ocean general circulation models, the NASA/Goddard Institute GISS and the British HadCM3, are coupled to a cropping system simulation model (CropSyst). This methodology simulates current and future (2020, 2080) crop yields for selected key crops such as bambara nut, groundnut, maize, sorghum, and soybean, in eight agricultural regions of Cameroon. Our results show that for the future, substantial yield increases are estimated for bambara groundnut, soybean and groundnut, while little or no change or even decreases for maize and sorghum yields, varying according to the climate scenario and the agricultural region investigated. Taking the “no regrets” principle into consideration, we also explore the advantages of specific adaptation strategies specifically for three crops, maize, sorghum and bambara groundnut, under GISS A2 and B2 marker scenarios only. Here, changing sowing dates may be ineffective in counteracting adverse climatic effects because of the narrow rainfall band that strictly determines the timing of farm operations in Cameroon. In contrast, the possibility of developing later maturing new cultivars proved to be very effective in offsetting adverse impacts, giving the highest increases in productivity under different scenario projections without management changes. For example, under climate change scenario GISS A2 2080, a 14.6% reduction in maize yield was converted to a 32.1% increase; a 39.9% decrease in sorghum yield was converted to a 17.6% increase, and for bambara groundnut, yields were almost trebled due to increase length of growing period and the positive effects of higher CO2 concentrations. These results better inform wider studies and development strategies on sustainable agriculture in the area by providing an indication as to the potential direction in shifts in production capabilities. Our approach highlights the benefit of using models as tools to investigate potential climate change impacts, where results can supplement existing knowledge. The findings also provide useful guidance and motivation to public authorities and development agencies interested in food security issues in Cameroon and elsewhere.
Susceptibilidad al Pencycuron, de grupos de anastomosis de Rhizoctonia solani Kühn en ocho regiones paperas de México

La rizoctoniasis o costra negra es una enfermedad de la papa, producida por el hongo Rhizoctonia solani, el cual afecta la emergencia y el desarrollo de la planta, provoca la producción de una gran cantidad de tubérculos deformes, protuberantes, partidos y con costra negra, y finalmente, reduce el rendimiento del cultivo. Para el control de esta enfermedad, se usa Pencycuron, un fungicida no sistémico con acción protectora, sin embargo, para un control eficiente es necesario evaluar la susceptibilidad de los grupos de anastomosis (GA) de R. solani a este fungicida, por lo que el objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el nivel de susceptibilidad al Pencycuron de los GA de R. solani encontrados en ocho regiones productoras de papa en México. Se colectaron plantas de papa con síntomas de costra negra, de las que se aislaron 21 cepas de R. solani en medio de cultivo PDA. Se identificó a los GA: AG-3 y AG-4 (AG, por sus siglas en inglés) en una proporción de 52.4 y 47.6 % respectivamente, mediante la confrontación de hifas. En las muestras colectadas en Navidad, N. L. , Arteaga, Coah. , Ayahualulco, Ver. , Tapalpa, Jal. y Huatabampo, Son. , se encontró el AG-3; y en las colectadas en Aldama, Chih. , Mochis, Sin. , Guasave, Sin. y en Arteaga, Coah. se encontró el AG-4. Los resultados indicaron que las cepas de R. solani fueron inhibidas a una CI50 de 0.014 a 39209.5 mg i.a. /L, detectando un factor de resistencia (FR) muy elevado. El FR máximo para aislados del AG-3 fue de 145 y de 3920956 para los aislados pertenecientes al AG-4.
Climate Change and Sustainable Development Series Editor: Carlo Carraro Consumption and Precautionary Saving: An Empirical Analysis under Both Financial and Environmental Risks

This paper studies the empirical relationship between consumption and saving under two different sources of uncertainty: financial risk and environmental risk. The analysis is carried out using time series data for six advanced economies in the period 1965-2007. The results support the theoretical conclusions that both financial risk alone and the interaction between financial and environmental risks affect consumption. Moreover, we suggest a solution to some shortcomings which concern the empirical analysis performed with one-argument utility functions. Finally, we provide new estimates of indexes of relative risk aversion and relative prudence, and relative preference of environmental quality.
Discrete Wavelet Transform VLSI Architecture for Image Processing

In this paper, we propose an improved version of lifting based 3D Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) VLSI architecture which uses bi-orthogonal 9/7 filter processing. This is implemented in FPGA by using VHDL codes. The lifting based DWT architecture has the advantage of lower computational complexities transforming signals with extension and regular data flow. This is suitable for VLSI implementation. It uses a cascade combination of three 1-D wavelet transform along with a set of in-chip memory buffers between the stages. These units are simulated, synthesized and optimized by Xilinx 12.1 and MATLAB 7.9 tools.
Basic fibroblast growth factor‐stimulated ex vivo expansion of haematopoietic progenitor cells from human placental and umbilical cord blood

Summary. We investigated whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is effective in inducing ex vivo expansion of CD34+ haematopoietic progenitor cells derived from human placental and umbilical cord blood. bFGF significantly promoted the clonal growth of various haematopoietic progenitor cells, including granulocyte–macrophage colony‐forming units (CFU‐GM), mixed colony‐forming units (CFU‐Mix) and megakaryocyte colony‐forming units (CFU‐Meg) under semisolid culture conditions, with an optimal bFGF concentration of 30 ng/ml. CD34+ cells were then cultured in serum‐free liquid medium containing various combinations of early‐acting cytokines, including thrombopoietin (TPO), stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin 3 (IL‐3) and flt3‐ligand (FL), with or without bFGF, for 6 and 12 d. Without bFGF, TPO + IL‐3, TPO + SCF + FL and TPO +SCF + IL‐3 + FL dramatically increased the total numbers of erythroid progenitors, CFU‐GM and CFU‐Mix by d 12 of culture respectively. However, the addition of bFGF did not promote further proliferation of these progenitors, except for the erythroid progenitors, by d 6 when stimulated with all four cytokines. In contrast, total CFU‐Meg numbers were approximately doubled when these cultures were supplemented with bFGF, producing 100‐ to 120‐fold increases compared with the baseline control cultures. These results suggest that bFGF is effective in supporting the generation of megakaryocytic progenitor cells during ex vivo expansion.
Displacement and urban restructuring in Amsterdam; following relocatees after demolition of social housing

Over the past decade, urban restructuring of segregated neighbourhoods has transformed many urban districts, in the Netherlands and elsewhere; middle class households have entered neighbourhoods which were previously inhabited by lower class. Some argue that this influx of middle class has happened at the expense of the displaced original population. We investigated this process of (forced) relocation from restructured neighbourhoods. In contrast with earlier studies, individual level data have been provided directly by one of the Amsterdam housing associations involved in this process. This offered the opportunity to analyse population data, not a sample, of all relocatees from four particular urban restructuring projects in Amsterdam. We investigated location preferences before relocation as well as actual residential location behaviour per household and relocatee type and compared characteristics of their old and new dwellings and neighbourhoods. One of the findings is that forced relocation often parallels preferences expressed by the displaced.
Permanent supportive housing: assessing the evidence.

OBJECTIVES Permanent supportive housing provides safe, stable housing for people with mental and substance use disorders who are homeless or disabled. This article describes permanent supportive housing and reviews research. METHODS Authors reviewed individual studies and literature reviews from 1995 through 2012. Databases surveyed were PubMed, PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, Published International Literature on Traumatic Stress, the Educational Resources Information Center, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. The authors chose from three levels of evidence (high, moderate, and low) on the basis of benchmarks for the number of studies and quality of their methodology. They also described the evidence of service effectiveness. RESULTS The level of evidence for permanent supportive housing was graded as moderate. Substantial literature, including seven randomized controlled trials, demonstrated that components of the model reduced homelessness, increased housing tenure, and decreased emergency room visits and hospitalization. Consumers consistently rated this model more positively than other housing models. Methodological flaws limited the ability to draw firm conclusions. Results were stronger for studies that compared permanent supportive housing with treatment as usual or no housing rather than with other models. CONCLUSIONS The moderate level of evidence indicates that permanent supportive housing is promising, but research is needed to clarify the model and determine the most effective elements for various subpopulations. Policy makers should consider including permanent supportive housing as a covered service for individuals with mental and substance use disorders. An evaluation component is needed to continue building its evidence base.
Competition between carnosine and other peptides for transport by hamster jejunum in vitro.

1. This paper reports the results of experiments on competition for transport by hamster jejunum in vitro between carnosine (β-alanyl-l-histidine) and other peptides and amino acids. Carnosine was chosen because this dipeptide is taken up intact with very little hydrolysis, which simplifies interpretation of the results. 2. Jejunal uptake of carnosine was inhibited by equimolar glycylglycine, glycylglycylglycine, glycylsarcosine, glycylproline, methionylmethionine and prolylhydroxy-proline but not by the equivalent free amino acids, or by a mixture of β-alanine and histidine. Inhibition of carnosine uptake by glycylproline was shown to be competitive. It is suggested that carnosine and the dipeptides inhibiting its uptake enter the mucosal cells by a common mechanism which is independent of the entry mechanisms for amino acids. Uptake of carnosine was not inhibited by N -acetylglycylglycine or by glycylglycine amide, suggesting that these substitutions prevent glycylglycine utilizing the dipeptide-uptake mechanism. 3. Carnosine uptake was not inhibited by equimolar lysyllysine or α-glutamylglutamic acid, nor did lysyllysine and α-glutamylglutamic acid affect uptake of each other. Though these results are compatible with the existence of multiple dipeptide-uptake systems in the intestinal mucosa, the evidence at present available is insufficient to permit any conclusion on this point.
Fundamentals of qualitative analysis in family medicine

The primary purpose of this article is to provide family physician researchers interested in conducting a qualitative research study a concise guide to the analysis. Drawing from approaches outlined in popular research methodology textbooks and employing an exemplar from a minority health disparities research study, this article outlines specific steps useful for researchers and practitioners in the field of family medicine. This process of qualitative data analysis is situated within the larger framework of qualitative research to better position those new to qualitative designs to more effectively conduct their studies. A 10-step process useful for guiding qualitative data analysis is provided. The 10 steps include (1) assembling data for analysis, (2) refamiliarising oneself with the data, (3) open or initial coding procedures, (4) generating categories and assigning codes to them, (5) generating themes from categories, (6) strategies of validation, (7) interpreting and reporting findings from the participants, (8) interpreting and reporting findings from the literature, (9) visual representations of data and findings, and (10) strengths, limitations, delimitations and suggestions for future research. This work provides clear and accessible guidelines for conducting qualitative data analysis for emerging researchers that is applicable across a wide array of topics, disciplines and settings.
Effect of training on interaction between insulin and exercise in human muscle.

Exercise adds to the effect of maximal insulin on whole body glucose uptake. Training increases contraction-induced glucose transport measured in vitro but not glucose utilization in human muscle exercising during normoinsulinemia. We studied whether exercise adds to the effect of maximal insulin in human muscle and whether trained (T) and untrained (UT) muscle differ. Six healthy men [23 +/- 0.4 (SE) yr] trained one leg for 10 wk, 6 days/wk, 30 min/day at 70% of one-legged maximal O2 uptake while keeping the other leg sedentary. At 16 h after the last training bout, both femoral veins and a radial artery were catheterized and 150-min hyperinsulinemic (480 mU.min-1.m-2) euglycemic clamp was performed. During the final 30 min, subjects performed two-legged bicycling at 76 +/- 0.3% of maximal heart rate. During exercise, blood flow (597 +/- 45 vs. 572 +/- 37 ml.min-1.kg-1), O2 uptake (74 +/- 6 vs. 68 +/- 6 ml O2.min-1.kg-1), and carbohydrate oxidation (88 +/- 10 vs. 81 +/- 7 mg.min-1.kg-1) increased similarly (P > 0.05) in T and UT legs, respectively. Arteriovenous glucose difference decreased (P < 0.05) during exercise but tended to remain higher in T (0.47 +/- 0.04) than in UT (0.41 +/- 0.05 mol/l) (P < 0.1). Glucose uptake increased with exercise, the increase being higher in T than in UT (change: 28 +/- 5 vs. 23 +/- 5 mg.min-1.kg-1; P < 0.05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The simulation technique for large-scale tree structured interconnects

An accurate and efficient method for modeling and analysis of on-chip interconnects is presented in this paper. The proposed technique is based on circuit decomposition approach and provides the recursive calculation of 7-tree transfer function. The symbolic expressions of voltage transfer functions of the large-scale integrated interconnect structures are determined. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed method, lumped 7-tree networks of different levels for the microelectronic interconnect application are simulated. Excellent agreement between the modeling results and SPICE-computations is found both in frequency- and time-domains.
The Natural History of Idiopathic Scoliosis Before Skeletal Maturity

A retrospective review of 326 female patients with untreated idiopathic scoliosis was performed to determine what factors might be useful in predicting the risk of curve progression. Components such as family history, height-weight ratio, lumbosacral transitional anomalies, kyphosis, lordosis, and trunk balance were not found to be significant. Predictive indicators included gender, curve patterns, and severity and growth potential.
The use of everyday technology by people with dementia living alone: Mapping out the difficulties

While the technological development available to society is taking quantum leaps, we have little knowledge of how people with mild dementia manage to cope with familiar technology at home, such as television and electronic household machines, or new technology, such as remote controls, cell phones and computers. As this technology represents a potential problem area, the aim of this qualitative, exploratory study was to identify and characterize difficulties with and hindrances to using everyday technology, as they appeared in data, for persons with early stage dementia. Eight participants with dementia were included in an extensive data collection consisting of repeated interviews and observations made in the home; the data were analyzed adopting a constant comparative approach. The results exhibit a taxonomy of difficulties in four domains, encompassing conditions that interfere with the use of the technology, deficiencies in knowledge and in the communication between users and their technology, and limitations in the use of instructions. Typically, difficulties appeared in complex combinations. They arose when familiar technology was being used, and not only when new technology was to be used. This raised concerns about the need these people have for support in home and in society. Further research is needed to validate the findings.
The correlation between the depth extent of Tuohy epidural needle with body mass index (BMI) to achieve loss of resistance in patients undergoing epidural anesthesia

Background: Anesthesia management in obesity is quite challenging. Epidural anesthesia become one of the choices. The attention should be addressed in order to prevent the misidentification of epidural space. The estimation of the depth extent of epidural space becomes crucial, especially in obese patients due to an accumulation of subcutaneous and epidural adipose tissue, which consequently complicate the epidural catheter insertion. This study aimed to analyze the correlation of the depth extent of Tuohy epidural needle to achieve loss of resistance between normal-weighted and obese patients. Method: This study was conducted with 56 adult patients aged 17 to 65 years who underwent elective surgery by epidural anesthesia inserted at level L2-L3 or L3-L4 interspace. Subjects are divided into normal and obese groups. Shapiro-Wilk and chi-square tests were used in the normality test. For normally distributed data, an independent t-test was used to test the hypothesis, otherwise, we used MannWhitney test Results: The results showed that the loss of resistance in epidural needle insertion procedures was 60 mm in a patient with BMI more than 30 kg/m2 and 50 mm in those with BMI <30 kg/m2 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The loss of resistance depth in epidural Tuohy needle insertion is significantly determined by BMI.
PREÇOS DE ALIMENTOS E DINÂMICA INFLACIONÁRIA NO BRASIL: UMA APLICAÇÃO DO MODELO DE VETORES AUTOREGRESSIVOS (VAR)

O objetivo deste trabalho e investigar os impactos da alta dos precos dos alimentos e variacoes nos precos das commodities agricolas sobre a dinâmica da inflacao no Brasil, de 2001 a 2012. O modelo sugere a selecao de variaveis que estao diretamente ligadas ao comportamento da inflacao brasileira como: taxa de juros, taxa de câmbio, PIB e inflacao esperada. A estrategia empirica adota o modelo de vetores autoregressivos para captar e isolar os efeitos das variaveis em estudo por meio da decomposicao da previsao da variância e a funcao de respostas aos impulsos. Os resultados, tanto para a funcao de impulso-resposta quanto para a decomposicao da variância, mostraram que a dinâmica da inflacao e fortemente afetada pela propria inflacao, pela inflacao dos alimentos e pelas expectativas inflacionarias, o que enfatiza o carater inercial da alta de precos. Os precos das commodities tambem apresentaram participacao significativa na evolucao da inflacao brasileira.
Base Excision Repair Intermediates Induce p53-independent Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Responses*

DNA alkylation damage is primarily repaired by the base excision repair (BER) machinery in mammalian cells. In repair of the N-alkylated purine base lesion, for example, alkyl adenine DNA glycosylase (Aag) recognizes and removes the base, and DNA polymerase β (β-pol) contributes the gap tailoring and DNA synthesis steps. It is the loss of β-pol-mediated 5′-deoxyribose phosphate removal that renders mouse fibroblasts alkylation-hypersensitive. Here we report that the hypersensitivity of β-pol-deficient cells after methyl methanesulfonate-induced alkylation damage is wholly dependent upon glycosylase-mediated initiation of repair, indicating that alkylated base lesions themselves are tolerated in these cells and demonstrate that β-pol protects against accumulation of toxic BER intermediates. Further, we find that these intermediates are initially tolerated in vivo by a second repair pathway, homologous recombination, inducing an increase in sister chromatid exchange events. If left unresolved, these BER intermediates trigger a rapid block in DNA synthesis and cytotoxicity. Surprisingly, both the cytotoxic and genotoxic signals are independent of both the p53 response and mismatch DNA repair pathways, demonstrating that p53 is not required for a functional BER pathway, that the observed damage response is not part of the p53 response network, and that the BER intermediate-induced cytotoxic and genotoxic effects are distinct from the mechanism engaged in response to mismatch repair signaling. These studies demonstrate that, although base damage is repaired by the BER pathway, incomplete BER intermediates are shuttled into the homologous recombination pathway, suggesting possible coordination between BER and the recombination machinery.
COMPARISON OF IN VITRO ACTIVITIES OF AMPHOTERICIN, CLOTRIMAZOLE, ECONAZOLE, MICONAZOLE, AND NYSTATIN AGAINST FUSARIUM OXYSPORUM

The inhibitory activity of amphotericin B, clotrimazole, econazole, miconazole and nystatin was compared against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. radiciscucumerinum. The most efficient antifungal agent against the growth of Fusarium oxysporum was econazole, followed by clotrimazole, miconazole, amphotericin and nystatin. The ED5 0 and ED9 0 values were 0.053 and 1.002 ppm for econazole, 0.088 and 1.100 ppm for clotrimazole, 0.173 and 3.210 ppm for miconazole, 0.713 and greater than 48 ppm for amphotericin and 3.860 and 16.702 ppm for nystatin. The ED5 0 values of nystatin and amphotericin against spore germination of Fusarium oxysporum were determined at 3.1427 ppm and 8.3990 ppm respectively, nystatin was 2.76 times more effective than amphotericin, while no effect was observed after the addition of econazole, clotrimazole and miconazole. The tested azoles were more effective than amphotericin and nystatin on growth inhibition of Fusarium oxysporum but amphotericin and nystatin acted significantly better on spore germination of Fusarium.
Les botnets et la supervision à large échelle

Alors que le nombre d'equipements a superviser ne cesse de croitre, le passage a l'echelle de la supervision des reseaux et services est un veritable enjeu. Un tel challenge semble avoir ete par le passe surmonte par les botnets connus actuellement pour etre une des principales menaces sur Internet car un attaquant peut controler des milliers de machines (formant le botnet) a travers le monde malgre les pare-feux, les detecteurs d'intrusions ou les autres equipements de securite. D'un point de vue technique, il serait tres utile de les utiliser dans le cadre de la supervision des reseaux. Ce papier propose une nouvelle solution de supervision basee sur les botnets et evalue les performances associees grâce a un modele analytique.