Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indispensable intermediaries. The role of informal caregivers in the discharge process of older relatives

Introduction and background: The early post-discharge period is a vulnerable time for older patients with complex care requirements. This paper identifies factors predicting a self-reported successful post-discharge outcome for patients aged 80 years and over by exploring factors related to the discharge process, the provision of formal home-care services, informal care and characteristics of the patients. Methods: The study reports results from survey interviews with patients admitted from home to 14 hospitals in Norway and later discharged home. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the impact of a number of factors on the likelihood that the patients would report that they managed well after discharge. Results: The odds of managing well after discharge were more than four times higher (OR=4.75, p=0.022) for patients reporting that someone was present at homecoming than for those who came home to an empty house. Patients who reported receiving adequate help from the municipality had an odds four times (OR=4.18, p=0.006) higher of reporting that everything went well after discharge than those who stated the help was inadequate. Conclusions: Having someone at home upon return from hospital and having adequate formal home-care services are significantly associated with patient-reported success in managing well.
CALL FOR PAPERS Biomarkers in Lung Diseases: from Pathogenesis to Prediction to New Therapies Elevated sputum BPIFB1 levels in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a longitudinal study

Elevated sputum BPIFB1 with obstructive pulmonary previous study involving a proteomic screen of induced sputum from smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) demon-strated elevated levels of bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold-containing protein B1 (BPIFB1). The aim of the present study was to further evaluate the association of sputum BPIFB1 levels with smoking and longitudinal changes in lung function in smokers with COPD. Sputum BPIFB1 was characterized by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. The expression of BPIFB1 in COPD was investigated by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry using sputum and lung tissue samples. BPIFB1 levels were also assessed in induced sputum from nonsmokers ( n (cid:2) 31), smokers ( n (cid:2) 169), and patients with COPD ( n (cid:2) 52) via an ELISA-based method. The longitudinal changes in lung function during the 4-year follow-up period were compared with the baseline sputum BPIFB1 levels. In lung tissue samples, BPIFB1 was localized to regions of goblet cell metaplasia. Secreted and glycosylated BPIFB1 was signiﬁcantly elevated in the sputum of patients with COPD compared with that of smokers and nonsmokers. Sputum BPIFB1 levels correlated with pack-years and lung function as measured by forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) % predicted and FEV 1 /FVC (forced vital capacity) at baseline and after the 4-year follow-up in all participants. The changes in lung function over 4 years were signiﬁcantly associated with BPIFB1 levels in current smokers with COPD. In conclusion, higher sputum concentrations of BPIFB1 were associated with changes of lung function over time, especially in current smokers with COPD. BPIFB1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of smoking-related lung diseases. Statistical analysis. The distribution of basic subject characteristics is summarized by mean and standard deviation (SD) values or with percentages. Intra-assay coefﬁcient of variation (CV) of the ELISA assay was calculated by averaging CV % values across CV % values for all samples within one assay, and interassay CV % were calculated by averaging the CV % values of the controls between the different plates. Because of the skew of the distribution of BPIFB1 the median values with interquartiles are reported for BPIFB1 measurements. Comparison between participant characteristics and sputum BPIFB1 among the study groups was evaluated by the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by a Mann-Whitney U -test, when appropriate. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to evaluate the associations of sputum BPIFB1 concentrations with other variables. IBM SPSS Statistics version 21 (SPSS) and GraphPad Prism version 6.00 (GraphPad Software) were used for the statistical analyses.
Experimental systems for studying Plasmodium/HIV coinfection

Coinfections with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Plasmodium, the causative agents of AIDS and malaria, respectively, are frequent and their comorbidity especially in sub‐Saharan Africa is high. While clinical studies suggest an influence of the two pathogens on the outcome of the respective infections, experimental studies on the molecular and immunological impact of coinfections are rare. This reflects the limited availability of suitable model systems that reproduce key properties of both pathologies. Here, we discuss key aspects of coinfection with a focus on currently established experimental systems, their limitations for coinfection studies and potential strategies for their improvement.
Re-localizing horticultural supply chains in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada : an exploratory study of market barriers and opportunities

iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii GLOSSARY ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Characterization of Lower Mainland Agriculture 3 Fraser Valley Regional District 5 Metro Vancouver 6 Horticultural Production 6 B.C.’s Lower Mainland and its Agricultural Capacity 8 Characterization of BC/Lower Mainland Horticultural Supply Chains 8 Problem Definition 10 Research Questions 14 Introduction to Research Methods 14 Scope of the Study and Geographical Delimitations 15 Research Limitations 16 Research Assumptions 17 Significance of the Study 17 Summary 19 A Guide to This Thesis 20 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 21 Main Impediments to Horticultural Re-localization 21 Globalization and Neo-Classical Economics 22 Agriculture Intensification 25 Consolidation of the Agri-food Sectors 27 Emerging Food System Vulnerabilities 36 Re-localization as a Food System Alternative 48 The ALR and a Potential Role for Localization 49 Climate Change and a Potential Role for Localization 49 Peak Oil and a Potential Role for Localization 51 Biosecurity and a Potential Role for Localization 52 The Prospect of Self Reliance in British Columbia 53 Food System Sustainability 55 The Need for Change in Farm Management 58
Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Impact on Financial Performance

Due to globalization processes and technological development, companies are receiving more influence on global society than ever. Therefore, business misconduct causes enormous harm to individuals, communities, environments, and stakeholders, whereas ethical behavior is considered to increase the shareholdersvalue. This confidence has sparked a worldwide call for sustainable, responsible and ethical corporate behavior that gives companies a competitive advantage and greater social and, eventually, economical value. Despite an extensive analysis of the field, there is no consensus in the scientific literature regarding whether corporate social responsibility leads to higher company value in the eyes of financial market participants. The main goal of this paper is to examine the impact of a companys corporate social responsibility on its financial performance. In order to achieve the objective of the research, quantitative analysis is used; in particular the event study method is applied for assessing the financial impact of new information on company's stock price. An event study is employed to examine the relationship between positive and negative statements and changes in a selected stocks returns on a daily basis, using the concept of abnormal returns as a key measure. The transparency of the events mentioned is ensured using the FTSE4Good Index. The results of the event study are verified by analyzing a portfolio.
p53 is associated with p34cdc2 in transformed cells.

The normal functioning of p53 is thought to involve p53 target proteins. We have previously identified a cellular 35 kd protein associated with p53 and now report evidence identifying this 35 kd protein as p34cdc2, product of the cell cycle control cdc2 gene. The association between p53 and p34cdc2 was detected in SV3T3 and T3T3 cell lines, both expressing the wild‐type p53 phenotype, and in 3T3tx cells, expressing ‘mutant’ p53 phenotype. Binding of the mutant p53 phenotype with p34cdc2 was greatly reduced relative to wild‐type. Complexes of p53‐p34cdc2 may represent inactivation or activation of either component. The p34cdc2 kinase functions at cell cycle control points and is necessary for entry and passage through mitosis. It also operates in G1 and is involved in the commitment of cells into the proliferative cycle. Since we were unable to detect p53‐p34cdc2 complexes in mitotic cells we propose that the interaction between p53 and p34cdc2 may be functional in cell growth control, possibly to promote or to suppress cell proliferation.
In Utero Exposure to a Cardiac Teratogen Causes Reversible Deficits in Postnatal Cardiovascular Function, But Altered Adaptation to the Burden of Pregnancy.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common birth anomaly and while many resolve spontaneously by 1 year of age, the lifelong burden on survivors is poorly understood. Using a rat model of chemically induced CHD that resolve postnatally, we sought to characterize the postnatal changes in cardiac function, and to investigate whether resolved CHD affects the ability to adapt to the increased the cardiovascular (CV) burden of pregnancy. To generate rats with resolved CHD, pregnant rats were administered distilled water or dimethadione (DMO) [300 mg/kg b.i. d. on gestation day (gd) 9 and 10] and pups delivered naturally. To characterize structural and functional changes in the heart, treated and control offspring were scanned by echocardiography on postnatal day 4, 21, and 10-12 weeks. Radiotelemeters were implanted for continuous monitoring of hemodynamics. Females were mated and scanned by echocardiography on gd12 and gd18 during pregnancy. On gd18, maternal hearts were collected for structural and molecular assessment. Postnatal echocardiography revealed numerous structural and functional differences in treated offspring compared with control; however, these resolved by 10-12 weeks of age. The CV demand of pregnancy revealed differences between treated and control offspring with respect to mean arterial pressure, CV function, cardiac strain, and left ventricular gene expression. In utero exposure to DMO also affected the subsequent generation. Gd18 fetal and placental weights were increased in treated F2 offspring. This study demonstrates that in utero chemical exposure may permanently alter the capacity of the postnatal heart to adapt to pregnancy and this may have transgenerational effects.
A new design of mixed-voltage I/O buffers with low-voltage-thin-oxide CMOS process

A novel circuit of mixed-voltage I/O buffer is proposed in this work. The new buffer uses NMOS driver transistors instead of PMOS-driver, which is commonly used in the prior designs. With the help of a bootstrapped circuit, the buffer is free of the threshold voltage loss problem originated from NMOS driver. The proposed buffer can overcome the problem of leakage current paths and gate-oxide reliability issue. Simulation results show that the new buffer operates successfully when used in 1.8 V/3.3 V I/O interface.
Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among students of public secondary schools in Ilorin, Nigeria

Introduction Unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion pose a major reproductive health challenge to adolescents. Emergency contraception is safe and effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess the student's knowledge and use of emergency contraception. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in Ilorin, Nigeria, using multi-stage sampling method. Data was collected using pre-tested semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Knowledge was scored and analysed. SPSS version 21.0 was used for data analysis. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results 27.8% of the respondents had good knowledge of emergency contraception. Majority of respondents (87.2%) had never used emergency contraception. Majority of those who had ever used emergency contraception (85.7%) used it incorrectly, using it more than 72 hours after sexual intercourse (p=0.928). Conclusion Knowledge about Emergency contraception and prevalence of use were low. Contraceptive education should be introduced early in the school curriculum for adolescents.
Analysis of dietary fibre.

An analytical procedure for the determination of dietary fibre in food is described. The method consists of an enzymic in vitro digestion with pepsin, pancreatin arid glucoamylase. Insoluble fibres are recovered by centrifuging and soluble fibres by precipitation with ethanol. The method has been applied to 19 cereal fibres, vegetables and fruits and compared to the neutral and acid detergent methods. The soluble fibres accounted for 4–60% of the total dietary fibre. The component sugars and uronic acids of several fibre fractions have been quantitatively determined. The mild biochemical treatment of the samples makes it possible to study further physical properties of dietary fibres important for their physiological action.
PROBLEMS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA

Women owned businesses are highly increasing in the economies of almost all countries. I n India, although women constitute the half of the total population, the entrepreneurial world is still a male dominated one. Women in advanced nations are recognized and are more prominent in the business world. But the Indian women entrepreneurs are faci ng some major constraints. Development of women e ntrepreneurship is an essential part of human resource development. Compared to other countries the development of women entrepreneurship is very low in India, especially in the rural areas. Income generatin g activities are not merely viewed as a tool for economic needs of women. It is equally a powerful instrument to enable women to determine their own lives. Women are culturally well equipped to run their business due to skill developed through managing hou seholds, raising children etc. Therefore, shift from family management to enterprise management may be easier than a shift from paid employment to self - employment. This article focuses on the nature and status of women entrepreneurs in India. In the next p art the problems of women entrepreneurs encountered and in last part some government schemes supporting to women entrepreneurs and suggestive measures to overcome the problems women entrepreneurs in India.
Immunocytochemical expression of Chromogranin A in mast cells in the canine paranal sinus

The granin family (Chromogranin A (CgA), 4 Chromogranin B (CgB), Secretogranin (Sg) II, and the less well studied Secretogranins III-VII) comprises a group of acidic proteins that are present in the secretory granules of a wide variety of endocrine and neuro-endocrine cells [6, 22]. There is evidence that granins may be associated to the precursors of biologically active peptides [11, 12, 17]. However, granins cannot be considered simply as precursors of granule cargo. They may act as helper proteins in the packaging of peptide hormones and neuro-peptides [11, 12, 17].
Strategic Effectiveness of e-Learning: A Pilot Study

This paper presents a pilot study of a group of e-learning initiatives within six Asian tertiary educational institutions. This is the 2 Phase of a study initiated in 2010. In Phase I, based on review of literature within the last decade, a model for strategic evaluation of e-learning solutions was established. In Phase II, a pilot study was completed – to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and to establish a first impression of reality of value added by e-learning solutions. The outcome of Phase II confirms that the model can be used effectively. The six e-learning initiatives analysed suggest that in this small focus group of institutions, there is no conclusive evidence having achieved strategic gains as defined by the model.
Biologically active metal-independent superoxide dismutase mimics.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme that detoxifies superoxide (O2.-), a potentially toxic oxygen-derived species. Attempts to increase intracellular concentrations of SOD by direct application are complicated because SOD, being a relatively large molecule, does not readily cross cell membranes. We have identified a set of stable nitroxides that possess SOD-like activity, have the advantage of being low molecular weight, membrane permeable, and metal independent, and at pH 7.0 have reaction rate constants with O2. - ranging from 1.1 x 10(3) to 1.3 x 10(6) M-1 s-1. These SOD mimics protect mammalian cells from damage induced by hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase and H2O2, although they exhibit no catalase-like activity. In addition, the nitroxide SOD mimics rapidly oxidize DNA-FeII and thus may interrupt the Fenton reaction and prevent formation of deleterious OH radicals and/or higher oxidation states of metal ions. Whether by SOD-like activity and/or interception of an electron from redox-active metal ions they protect cells from oxidative stress and may have use in basic and applied biological studies.
Characterization of the Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus RNA Replication by Nonnucleosides

ABSTRACT The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is necessary for the replication of viral RNA and thus represents an attractive target for drug development. Several structural classes of nonnucleoside inhibitors (NNIs) of HCV RNA polymerase have been described, including a promising series of benzothiadiazine compounds that efficiently block replication of HCV subgenomic replicons in tissue culture. In this work we report the selection of replicons resistant to inhibition by the benzothiadiazine class of NNIs. Four different single mutations were identified in separate clones, and all four map to the RNA polymerase gene, validating the polymerase as the antiviral target of inhibition. The mutations (M414T, C451R, G558R, and H95R) render the HCV replicons resistant to inhibition by benzothiadiazines, though the mutant replicons remain sensitive to inhibition by other nucleoside and NNIs of the HCV RNA polymerase. Additionally, cross-resistance studies and synergistic inhibition of the enzyme by combinations of a benzimidazole and a benzothiadiazine indicate the existence of nonoverlapping binding sites for these two structural classes of inhibitors.
Anti Money Laundering Software Framework for Ethiopian Banks and Financial Agents

x Chapter One: Introduction . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem . 3 1.3 Objectives . 3 1.4 Methodology . 4 1.5 Application of Results. 5 1.6 Scope and Limitations. 5 1.7 Organization of the Thesis . 6 Chapter Two: Literature Review . 7 2.1 The Concept of Money Laundering . 7 2.1.1 The Origin and Meaning of Money Laundering . 7 2.1.2 Who are Money Launderers? 8 2.1.3 Damage of Money Laundering . 9 2.1.4 What is Anti Money Laundering? 9 2.2 Financial Action Task Force and Financial Intelligence Center . 10 2.2.1 Financial Action Task Force . 10 2.2.2 Financial Intelligence Center . 10 2.3 Countries and their ML Controlling Mechanisms . 12 2.3. 1 South Africa . 12 2.3. 2 Republic of Kenya . 14 2.4 Financial Action Task Force Recommendations for Ethiopia . 15 2.5 Know Your Customer and Customer Due Diligences . 16 2.6 Ethiopian Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism Proclamation . 18 2.7 AML in Ethiopia . 19
Marketing and Public Sector Management

Examines the development of marketing in the public service and presents a short discussion of the growth of marketing in public service organizations over the last 20 years. A critical analysis of marketing as applied to the public service, argues that, if it is applicable, it needs to be adapted to the particular character of the public realm. Gives an analysis of how an approach to marketing that is appropriate to the public service might be developed. This implies not so much the application of marketing as it exists, but the development of a new form of marketing. The management of the public sector is political management, and marketing, if it is to be effective, will need to be politically informed.
Parvovirus B19 induced red cell aplasia in myelofibrosis

Summary. A 38–year‐old female presented with moderate anaemia and a leucoerythroblastic blood film. Subsequent investigation showed myelofibrosis in cellular phase. Her haemoglobin quickly and spontaneously recovered with concurrent serological evidence of recent parvovirus B19 infection. This is the first report in the literature of parvovirus causing red cell aplasia in myelofibrosis.
Service Quality in Retail Banking: An Indian Perspective

This paper highlights and measures the quality of services provided by commercial banks in India. The perceptions of borrowers regarding service quality dimensions are composed and service quality of banks regarding credit schemes is measured. In this study, total service quality is measured in the selected dimensions with the help of a structured questionnaire filled by borrowers of selected banks. Borrowers’ perceptions of the service quality are analyzed to measure service quality in the Indian Commercial banks. The SERVPERF model is used for the measurement of service quality in banks.
The AML 1-ETO fusion protein promotes the expansion of human hematopoietic stem cells

The acute myelogenous leukemia–1 (AML1)–ETO fusion protein is generated by the t(8;21), which is found in 40% of AMLs of the French-American-British M2 subtype. AML1-ETO interferes with the function of the AML1 (RUNX1, CBFA2) transcription factor in a dominant-negative fashion and represses transcription by binding its consensus DNA–binding site and via protein-protein interactions with other transcription factors. AML1 activity is critical for the development of definitive hematopoiesis, and haploinsufficiency of AML1 has been linked to a propensity to develop AML. Murine experiments suggest that AML1-ETO expression may not be sufficient for leukemogenesis; however, like the BCR-ABL isoforms, the cellular background in which these fusion proteins are expressed may be critical to the phenotype observed. Retroviral gene transfer was used to examine the effect of AML1-ETO on the in vitro behavior of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Following transduction of CD34 cells, stem and progenitor cells were quantified in clonogenic assays, cytokine-driven expansion cultures, and long-term stromal cocultures. Expression of AML1-ETO inhibited colony formation by committed progenitors, but enhanced the growth of stem cells (cobblestone area-forming cells), resulting in a profound survival advantage of transduced over nontransduced cells. AML1-ETO–expressing cells retained progenitor activity and continued to express CD34 throughout the 5-week long-term culture. Thus, AML1-ETO enhances the self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells, the physiological target of many acute myeloid leukemias. (Blood. 2002;99:15-23)