Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emergence of Mobile Financial Services in Ghana: Concerns for Use among Informal Sector Women Entrepreneurs

Mobile financial services (MFS) have emerged in recent years as an indispensable tool to promote financial inclusion in emerging economies like Ghana. This article investigated the factors affecting MFS use among 300 women entrepreneurs in the informal sector in Ghana, using multinomial logit model. Knowledge of MFS, trust of services provided, nearness to agents and privacy of information are more likely to drive MFS use. In addition to embarking on aggressive radio and television advertisement, service operators should deploy more agents and invest in reliable infrastructure to build users’ trust to increase MFS use. JEL Classification: D12, G20
Monitoring of Vacuolar-Type H+ ATPase-Mediated Proton Influx into Synaptic Vesicles

During synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling, the vacuolar-type H+ ATPase creates a proton electrochemical gradient (ΔμH+) that drives neurotransmitter loading into SVs. Given the low estimates of free luminal protons, it has been envisioned that the influx of a limited number of protons suffices to establish ΔμH+. Consistent with this, the time constant of SV re-acidification was reported to be <5 s, much faster than glutamate loading (τ of ∼15 s) and thus unlikely to be rate limiting for neurotransmitter loading. However, such estimates have relied on pHluorin-based probes that lack sensitivity in the lower luminal pH range. Here, we reexamined re-acidification kinetics using the mOrange2-based probe that should report the SV pH more accurately. In recordings from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons, we found that re-acidification took substantially longer (τ of ∼15 s) than estimated previously. In addition, we found that the SV lumen exhibited a large buffering capacity (∼57 mm/pH), corresponding to an accumulation of ∼1200 protons during re-acidification. Together, our results uncover hitherto unrecognized robust proton influx and storage in SVs that can restrict the rate of neurotransmitter refilling.
The Relevance of Insomnia in the Diagnosis of Perinatal Depression: Validation of the Italian Version of the Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire

Background. Sleep disorders are common in perinatal women and may underlie or trigger anxiety and depression. We aimed to translate and validate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire (ISQ), in a sample of women during late pregnancy and 6-months postpartum according to the DSM-5 criteria. Methods. The ISQ was administered to 292 women prenatally along with other measures of sleep quality, depression, and anxiety, to examine its construct and convergent validity. Women were readministered the ISQ six months postdelivery to assess test–retest reliability. Women were divided into DSM-5 No-Insomnia (N = 253) and Insomnia (N = 39) groups. Results. The insomnia group had received more psychopharmacotherapy, had more psychiatric family history, increased rates of medically assisted reproduction, of past perinatal psychiatric disorders, and scored higher on almost all TEMPS-A dimensions, on the EPDS, HCL-32, PSQI, and on ISQ prenatally and postnatally. ISQ scores correlated with all scales, indicating adequate convergent and discriminant validity; furthermore, it showed antenatal–postnatal test–retest reliability, 97.5% diagnostic accuracy, 79.5% sensitivity, 94.9% specificity, 70.5% positive predictive power, and 92.8% negative predictive power. Conclusions. The ISQ is useful, valid, and reliable for assessing perinatal insomnia in Italian women. The Italian version showed equivalent properties to the original version.
Stretch‐activated non‐selective cation channels in the antiluminal membrane of porcine cerebral capillaries.

1. Single stretch‐activated (SA) channels have been studied in isolated brain capillary endothelial cells as well as in the antiluminal membrane of intact porcine cerebral capillaries using the patch‐clamp recording technique. 2. The SA channels were found to be cation selective and permeable to Na+, K+, Ba2+ and Ca2+. 3. With monovalent cations in the patch pipette, the channels showed inward rectification in cell‐attached patches with a single‐channel conductance of 37 pS at negative and 24 pS at positive clamp potentials. 4. With either 70 mM‐Ca2+ or Ba2+ in the patch pipette, the current‐voltage relation was linear with slope conductances of 16 and 19 pS, respectively. 5. Mean channel open probability increased with increasing pressure and with depolarizing clamp potentials. 6. Cell swelling induced by hypotonic shock activated the SA channels in cell‐attached experiments. 7. The SA channel may be involved in cell volume or blood flow regulation. The contribution of these channels to the regulation of cerebrospinal salt and water content, especially in brain oedema, is discussed.
An econometric analysis of spatial market integration and price formation in the Namibian sheep industry

The Namibian government introduced the Small Stock Marketing Scheme (SSMS) for the sheep market in 2004. The SSMS is a quantitative export restriction. Quantitative export restriction policies decrease the tradable quantity of a commodity, and increases domestic supply of a commodity, causing a lack of equilibrium in spatial markets. This, therefore, has the capacity to hinder market integration. Moreover, a quantitative export restriction disrupts the domestic supply and demand, and ultimately the equilibrium prices. A policy such as the quantitative export restriction therefore determines the domestic price levels. The effect of the SSMS on spatial market integration and price formation remains unclear. A lack of empirical evidence on spatial sheep market integration and domestic price levels can create challenges for policy makers. This is because a lack of evidence could prevent policy makers from implementing evidence-based policies, which might buffer poor consumers and producers from adverse price shocks, and lead to improved resource allocation. This study hypothesises that the SSMS policy negatively affected the long-run equilibrium relationship and short-run dynamics between the Namibian and South African markets. The study further hypothesises that the policy negatively influenced the level of equilibrium prices. As a result, this study hence observes spatial price integration in the presence of the SSMS, by defining the long-run equilibrium and short-run dynamics. The spatial price integration analysis is evaluated by subdividing price series data into pre-
Antigenicity and transmissibility of a novel clade 2.3.2.1 avian influenza H5N1 virus.

A genetic variant of the H5N1 influenza virus, termed subclade 2.3. 2.1, was first identified in Bulgaria in 2010 and has subsequently been found in Vietnam and Laos. Several cases of human infections with this virus have been identified. Thus, it is important to understand the antigenic properties and transmissibility of this variant. Our results showed that, although it is phylogenetically closely related to other previously characterized clade 2.3 viruses, this novel 2.3. 2.1 variant exhibited distinct antigenic properties and showed little cross-reactivity to sera raised against other H5N1 viruses. Like other H5N1 viruses, this variant bound preferentially to avian-type receptors, but contained substitutions at positions 190 and 158 of the haemagglutinin (HA) protein that have been postulated to facilitate HA binding to human-type receptors and to enhance viral transmissibility among mammals, respectively. However, this virus did not appear to have acquired the capacity for airborne transmission between ferrets. These findings highlight the challenges in selecting vaccine candidates for H5N1 influenza because these viruses continue to evolve rapidly in the field. It is important to note that some variants have obtained mutations that may gain transmissibility between model animals, and close surveillance of H5N1 viruses in poultry is warranted.
School physical education: effect of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health.

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity is a risk behavior for cardiovascular and other diseases. Schools can promote public health objectives by increasing physical activity among youth. METHODS The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) was a multicenter, randomized trial to test the effectiveness of a cardiovascular health promotion program in 96 public schools in four states. A major component of CATCH was an innovative, health-related physical education (P+) program. For 2.5 years, randomly assigned schools received a standardized PE intervention, including curriculum, staff development, and follow-up. RESULTS Systematic analysis of 2,096 PE lessons indicated students engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in intervention than in control schools (P = 0.002). MVPA during lessons in intervention schools increased from 37.4% at baseline to 51.9%, thereby meeting the established Year 2000 objective of 50%. Intervention children reported 12 more min of daily vigorous physical activity (P = 0.003) and ran 18.6 yards more than control children on a 9-min run test of fitness (P = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS The implementation of a standardized curriculum and staff development program increased children's MVPA in existing school PE classes in four geographic and ethnically diverse communities. CATCH PE provides a tested model for improving physical education in American schools.
Does Marriage Make Us Healthier? Evidence from Middle-Aged and Older Japanese

This study investigated health premium of marriage among middle-aged and older Japanese. Using a unique longitudinal micro dataset for Japanese aged 45–80 years in 2007, we applied a dynamic panel data model and utilized both subjective and objective health indicators for 4,386 observations from 2008 to 2012. We found significant marriage–health premium among middle-aged Japanese, while the evidence for older Japanese was inconclusive. This is the first study addressing the endogeneity between marriage and health to confirm the protective effect of marriage on health for middle-aged and older people in Japan, which sounds an alarm for Japanese health policies facing the late marriage and rising divorce rates owing to the receding economy and shifting social norms.
Leadership Profiles of New Appointed Mexican School Leaders to Indigenous Schools Through the New System of Promotion

Article Info The purpose of this research was to explore the leadership identity development and preparedness for the role of new appointed school heads to Mexican primary schools that serve indigenous students. The research was framed as a qualitative study and used semi-structured interviews as the method for data collection with twelve appointed school heads by the new system of promotion implemented in 2015. The study was carried out to the highest ethical standards in educational research with anonymity, confidentiality, consent, and respect for the participants observed at all times. This research found that new appointed Mexican school heads in primary schools are assigned to the post with different levels of leadership development. Based on the previous experiences new appointed school heads bring to the job, three different profiles were identified: An Extended classroom teacher profile, a managerial profile, and in few cases a leadership for learning profile.
Risk factors and comorbidities in primary biliary cirrhosis: A controlled interview‐based study of 1032 patients

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, often associated with other autoimmune conditions. Controlled studies have so far provided conflicting data on risk factors and comorbidity rates in PBC. We enrolled patients with PBC (n = 1032) from 23 tertiary referral centers for liver diseases in the United States and random‐digit‐dialed controls (n = 1041) matched for sex, age, race, and geographical location. Patients and controls were administered a modified version of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES III) questionnaire by trained personnel to evaluate associations between PBC and social, demographic, personal and family medical histories, lifestyle, and reproductive factors and the rates of comorbidity in affected individuals. Data indicate that having a first‐degree relative with PBC (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 10.736; 95% confidence interval 4.227‐27.268), history of urinary tract infections (AOR 1.511, 95% CI 1.192‐1.915), past smoking (AOR 1.569, 95% CI 1.292‐1.905), or use of hormone replacement therapies (AOR 1.548, 95% CI 1.273‐1.882) were significantly associated with increased risk of PBC. The frequent use of nail polish slightly increased the risk of having PBC. Other autoimmune diseases were found in 32% of cases and 13% of controls (P<0.0001). In conclusion, environmental factors, possibly including infectious agents through urinary tract infections or chemicals contained in cigarette smoke, may induce PBC in genetically susceptible individuals. Exogenous estrogens may also contribute to explain the female predominance of the disease. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:1194–1202.)
Simple and complex spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells during active and passive movements in the awake monkey.

Two Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained to pursue a target light signal by moving the hand at the wrist joint. Additionally, a d.c. motor could be attached to the lever in order to perform similar passive movements. During performance of the task, single Purkinje cells were recorded from the intermediate part of the cerebellar anterior lobe. Electromyographic activity of the flexor and extensor muscles of the forearm was recorded simultaneously. Passive hand movements evoked changes in the complex spike and simple spike discharge of Purkinje cell. The complex spike responded most sensitively to the beginning of the movement; the activity pattern had phasic character and could be related specifically to the movement direction. The simple spike response was usually weak and hence revealed‐less specific relations. During active movements the simple spike frequency change was generally stronger than during passive movements and reached a maximum (or minimum) at the beginning of hand deflexion. The complex spike activity during active movements was characterized by a contrast between the time phases before and after the movement onset. In most of the cases, where a phase of increased activity stopped at the movement onset, the sensory feed‐back signal seen during passive movements was cancelled. The possible consequences of the convergence of the complex and simple spike signal for the motor control function of the cerebellum are discussed.
mTOR and HIF-1α-mediated tumor metabolism in an LKB1 mouse model of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a familial cancer disorder due to inherited loss of function mutations in the LKB1/ STK11 serine/threonine kinase. PJS patients develop gastrointestinal hamartomas with 100% penetrance often in the second decade of life, and demonstrate an increased predisposition toward the development of a number of additional malignancies. Among mitogenic signaling pathways, the mammalian-target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway is hyperactivated in tissues and tumors derived from LKB1-deficient mice. Consistent with a central role for mTORC1 in these tumors, rapamycin as a single agent results in a dramatic suppression of preexisting GI polyps in LKB1+/− mice. However, the key targets of mTORC1 in LKB1-deficient tumors remain unknown. We demonstrate here that these polyps, and LKB1- and AMPK-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts, show dramatic up-regulation of the HIF-1α transcription factor and its downstream transcriptional targets in an rapamycin-suppressible manner. The HIF-1α targets hexokinase II and Glut1 are up-regulated in these polyps, and using FDG-PET, we demonstrate that LKB1+/− mice show increased glucose utilization in focal regions of their GI tract corresponding to these gastrointestinal hamartomas. Importantly, we demonstrate that polyps from human Peutz-Jeghers patients similarly exhibit up-regulated mTORC1 signaling, HIF-1α, and GLUT1 levels. Furthermore, like HIF-1α and its target genes, the FDG-PET signal in the GI tract of these mice is abolished by rapamycin treatment. These findings suggest a number of therapeutic modalities for the treatment and detection of hamartomas in PJS patients, and potential for the screening and treatment of the 30% of sporadic human lung cancers bearing LKB1 mutations.
Sostenibilidad ambiental de las exportaciones agroalimentarias: los casos de Chile, Colombia, el Ecuador y el Uruguay

Los productores y exportadores del sector agroalimentario de America Latina estan incorporando cada vez mas la sostenibilidad ambiental como un aspecto relevante de su competitividad internacional. Con ello dan respuesta a las demandas de los mercados internacionales, particularmente de paises desarrollados, y apoyan la generacion de programas o normas nacionales que permiten mejorar el desempeno ambiental de los sectores agricola, pesquero, acuicola, pecuario e industrial. En este documento se presentan diversas experiencias que incorporan la sostenibilidad ambiental en las estrategias de exportacion de productos agroalimentarios de Chile, Colombia, el Ecuador y el Uruguay. El foco esta puesto en aquellas iniciativas desarrolladas a partir de alianzas publico-privadas y en su evolucion, de manera de identificar buenas practicas que puedan ser ilustrativas para otros paises en relacion con las diversas variantes que puede tomar la sostenibilidad ambiental de las exportaciones. Estos esfuerzos incluyen enfoques multidisciplinarios, que van desde la investigacion y los cambios en las practicas agricolas o pesqueras hasta la promocion en los mercados externos. No es posible abarcar todos estos aspectos a traves de una sola institucion o de manera simultanea. Por esta razon, las estrategias que se revisan se han desarrollado a lo largo de varios anos y han involucrado la participacion de diversos actores.
An overview of stability analysis of systems with delay dependent coefficients

This paper overviews the literature pertaining to the stability analysis of systems with delay-dependent coefficients, which can arise from various scientific and engineering applications. Research on Stability analysis for systems with a single delay is first reviewed, followed by a discussion of some techniques also applicable to the multiple-delay case. We attempt to provide the main ideas of various stability analysis methods, the insight gained from them as well as their specific advantages and limitations. Potential directions for future research are suggested.
The Dynamics of Size, Composition, and Fiscal Authority in Government Expenditures: Examining The Effects of Social Disturbance

This dissertation investigates changes in size, composition, and fiscal authority of government expenditure brought on by social disturbance by examining the effects of German reunification on government spending. This research tests several hypotheses using data on total spending and six major sub-policy spending categories between 1972 and 2006. First, this study identifies strong evidence of a large upward displacement effect following reunification, with a particular emphasis on social security spending. Second, this study finds a strong and positive correlation between per capita GDP and total spending as well as social security, education, and public safety spending, which confirms Wagner‘s Law. Results also reveal that unemployment rate is strongly and positively related to total spending and several sub policy categories both before and after reunification. Additionally, this study finds that the proportions of the youth and elderly populations are negatively associated with total spending after reunification. However, the proportion of the youth population is positively associated with per capita education spending, as the proportion of elderly population with social security spending. The results also show that economic openness has a strong positive impact on both total spending and economic services spending; however, the relationship between economic openness and social security, education, and health spending after reunification is negative. The right party control variable has no significant impact on total spending after reunification, though party control does seem to influence social security and defense spending. Furthermore, the election variable does not have a significant impact on spending except for a positive and significant impact on social security spending after reunification. On the other hand, the coalition government and the proportion of public employees variables have strong and positive impacts on total spending and several sub-policy categories after reunification. The deficit ratio variable is found to have a positive and significant impact on total spending and public safety spending after reunification. Lastly, using a traditional expenditure ratio and a composite ratio to measure fiscal decentralization, this study finds that after reunification there is a trend towards fiscal centralization in total spending and social security, economic services, health, and public safety spending.
Trends in prenatal screening for and diagnosis of Down's syndrome: England and Wales, 1989-97

The National Down Syndrome Cytogenetic Register holds data on 10651 cases of prenatally or postnatally diagnosed Down's syndrome occurring in England and Wales from 1 January 1989 to 31 December 1997 (93% of all eligible cases) (J Morris, personal communication). We used these data to investigate the trends in prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome between 1989 and 1997. All clinical cytogenetic laboratories in England and Wales notify the register anonymously of trisomy 21 or related karyotypes, together with the date, place of and indications for referral, parental age, and family history. Most send a copy of the notification to the referring physician for confirmation and completion.1 The outcome of the pregnancy is requested for all cases diagnosed prenatally (but may not be known for several months) and is known for 91% of registered prenatal diagnoses overall. In 1989 registrations numbered 1081; in 1993, 1144; and in 1997, 1336 (table). In contrast, …
Effects of Perinatal Testosterone on Infant Health, Mother–Infant Interactions, and Infant Development

Objective: Many researchers and health care providers have noticed male vulnerability in infant health, mother–infant interactions, and some infant cognitive development, especially among very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. However, factors beyond gender that could explain these observed differences have not been clear. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the subject and to introduce a conceptual framework relating these factors. Discussion: According to gender-difference theories, prenatal exposure to high levels of testosterone may influence infant health and mother–infant interactions by negatively affecting infant cognitive/motor/language development. We constructed a conceptual framework based on the associations among biological (perinatal testosterone), stress-related (perinatal and maternal cortisol), and developmental (infant cognitive/motor/language skills) factors. If research establishes these biological, environmental, and developmental associations in mother–VLBW preterm pairs, the results will highlight the importance of addressing gender differences in nursing research and encourage the development of nursing interventions designed to reduce stress among mothers of VLBW preterm infants, particularly male infants. Conclusion: From a psychobiosocial perspective, combining biophysiological factors such as perinatal testosterone and cortisol with socioenvironmental factors such as the quality of mother–infant interactions and infant temperament may provide a broader view of gender differences in infant health and development.