Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation et décomposition de l'efficacité économique des zones irriguées pour mieux gérer les inefficacités existantes

Dans le nouveau contexte de rarefaction de la ressource en eau et l'ouverture de l'economie tunisienne la problematique de l'eau en Tunisie est de plus en plus une question de repartition de la ressource entre usagers et zones qui valorisent differemment l'eau. Ainsi, afin d'assurer une meilleure valorisation globale de la ressource les considerations economiques s'imposent. Dans ce cadre, nous etudions le niveau de performance des zones irriguees au sein du bassin versant de Merguellil en Tunisie centrale. En adoptant une approche parametrique, les niveaux d'efficacite economique ont ete estimes et decomposes en efficacite allocative et technique a partir d'une frontiere stochastique de production. Des donnees de panel ont ete utilisees. L'analyse correspond a la periode 1994-2003. Les resultats empiriques montrent qu'il existe un differentiel d'efficacite entre les zones etudiees. En effet, les marges de manoeuvre en terme d'amelioration de la production et du profit a l'echelle du bassin sont donc importantes. Pour un niveau donne de production, il est possible d'accroitre le profit global d'environ 11 millions de dinars et d'ameliorer la valorisation de l'eau par rapport a la situation observee de 53% en eliminant les inefficacites existantes. Dans cet objectif, l'examen des determinants de l'efficacite economique montre que l'acces aux credits et l'economie de l'eau affectent celle-ci positivement alors que le poids des petites exploitations et le taux de diversification sont correles negativement avec le niveau d'efficacite. Ainsi, une politique fonciere d'attribution des titres de propriete aux agriculteurs pour acceder aux credits pourrait ameliorer le niveau global de l'efficacite economique. Soit, une augmentation du profit global d'environ un million de dinars et une amelioration de la valeur de l'eau de 0,031 DT/m3.
A comparison of human thenar motor-unit properties studied by intraneural motor-axon stimulation and spike-triggered averaging.

1. Measurements of twitch contractile properties of human motor units recorded by spike-triggered averaging may be distorted by partial fusion between twitches, because motor units seldom fire at rates below 8-10 Hz. The effects of this fusion were examined by comparing the responses of 27 human thenar motor units when their motor axons were stimulated at 1, 8, and 10 Hz. 2. Resultant forces were calculated from the abduction and flexion force components, together with various contraction and relaxation rate indexes as reported previously. Values for single twitches were compared to measurements made from the unfused force fluctuations ("apparent twitches") of the same units recorded during 8 and 10 Hz stimulation. 3. For all units, stimulation at 8 and 10 Hz caused partial twitch fusion. At 10 Hz, mean values for "apparent twitch" forces, contraction times (CT), and one-half relaxation times (1/2RT) were reduced to 44, 76, and 52% of the corresponding values measured from separate twitches evoked by 1 Hz stimulation. Similar but smaller reductions were seen at 8 Hz. 4. Slow units, with initial twitch CT greater than 60 ms, showed significantly more distortion of all "apparent twitch" parameters when stimulated at both 8 and 10 Hz, compared to fast units (less than 50 ms). 5. The potentiated abduction force component data were compared with abduction forces obtained previously by spike-triggered averaging from the same muscle group. Mean force obtained by spike-triggered averaging ("STA twitch" force: 21 mN) was significantly larger than that measured in abduction in response to either 1 or 10 Hz motor-axon stimulation (14 mN, 6 mN, respectively). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Response of human rheumatoid arthritis osteoblasts and osteoclasts to adiponectin.

OBJECTIVES Adiponectin is an effector molecule in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis, e.g. by inducing cytokines and matrix degrading enzymes in synovial fibroblasts. There is growing evidence that adiponectin affects osteoblasts and osteoclasts although the contribution to the aberrant bone metabolism in rheumatoid arthritis is unclear. Therefore, the adiponectin effects on rheumatoid arthritis-derived osteoblasts and osteoclasts were evaluated. METHODS Adiponectin and its receptors were examined in bone tissue. Primary human osteoblasts and osteoclasts were stimulated with adiponectin and analysed using realtime polymerase chain-reaction and immunoassays. Effects on matrix-production by osteoblasts and differentiation and resorptive activity of osteoclasts were examined. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry of rheumatoid arthritis bone tissue showed adiponectin expression in key cells of bone remodelling. Adiponectin altered gene expression and cytokine release in osteoblasts and increased IL-8 secretion by osteoclasts. Adiponectin inhibited osterix and induced osteoprotegerin mRNA in osteoblasts. In osteoclasts, MMP-9 and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase expression was increased. Accordingly, mineralisation capacity of osteoblasts decreased whereas resorptive activity of osteoclasts increased. CONCLUSIONS The results confirm the proinflammatory potential of adiponectin and support the idea that adiponectin influences rheumatoid arthritis bone remodelling through alterations in osteoblast and osteoclast.
Experiences of Japanese patients with colorectal cancer during the first six months after surgery.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To investigate the dynamic experience of patients who recently experienced the stressful situation of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer and undergoing surgery. RESEARCH APPROACH A qualitative and inductive inquiry. SETTING General hospitals in Japan. PARTICIPANTS 12 patients who had undergone colorectal cancer surgery and had been discharged in the previous six months. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH To inductively elicit the findings from patients' real experiences, interviews and qualitative analysis were used. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Experience of patients with colorectal cancer. FINDINGS Three domains that symbolized experiences of patients with colorectal cancer during the first six months after surgery emerged: types of burdens, steps in accepting the cancer diagnosis, and way of living a normal life. Burdens included vulnerability, lack of control, asking for assistance or support, and a "why has this happened to me? " attitude. Way of living a normal life included resisting vulnerability, constructing a daily living routine, and asking for help. CONCLUSIONS Although patients faced many and varied burdens, they were able to take several actions to gradually accept their cancer diagnoses and resume normal lives. INTERPRETATION Some of the patients were sincere and skillful in asking for help to live normal lives, but others found that difficult. The present findings are significant in helping nurses provide interventions to enable patients to make use of assistance or support.
Differential Effects of Isoflurane on High-frequency and Low-frequency &ggr; Oscillations in the Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus in Freely Moving Rats

Background:Cortical &ggr; oscillations are thought to play a role in conscious cognitive functions. Suppression of 40-Hz &ggr; activity was implicated in the loss of consciousness during general anesthesia. However, several experimental studies found that &ggr; oscillations were preserved in anesthesia. The authors investigated the concentration-dependent effect of isoflurane on spontaneous &ggr; oscillations in two frequency bands and three distinct brain regions in the rat. Methods:Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically implanted with epidural and coaxial depth electrodes to record cortical field potentials in frontal cortex, visual cortex, and hippocampus in waking and at steady-state isoflurane concentrations of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2%. The &ggr; power was calculated for the frequency bands 30–50 and 70–140 Hz. Temporal variation and interregional synchrony of &ggr; activity were analyzed using wavelet transform. Loss of consciousness was indexed by the loss of righting reflex. Results:Rats lost their righting reflex at 0.8 ± 0.1% isoflurane. High-frequency &ggr; power was decreased by isoflurane in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.001, 50% decrease at 0.8% isoflurane) in all brain regions. Low-frequency &ggr; power was unaffected by isoflurane. The duration and interregional synchrony of high-frequency &ggr; bursts was also reduced (P l < 0.001, 40% decrease at 0.8% isoflurane). Conclusions:Distinction between high- and low-frequency &ggr; bands is important when evaluating the effect of general anesthetics on brain electrical activity. Spontaneous 40-Hz &ggr; power does not indicate the state of consciousness. The attenuation and interregional desynchronization of high-frequency &ggr; oscillations appear to correlate with the loss of consciousness.
ERCC1 as a risk stratifier in platinum-based chemotherapy for nonsmall-cell lung cancer

Purpose of review Cisplatin-based chemotherapy remains the treatment of choice in advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer. The development of predictive biomarkers able to identify lung-cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from cisplatin-based chemotherapy would be a powerful tool. Many reports have explored the role of ERCC1 expression in the repair mechanism of cisplatin-induced DNA adducts in cancer cells. Recent findings Using immunohistochemistry in resected tumors, the International Adjuvant Lung Cancer Trial showed that high ERCC1 protein expression was associated with improved survival in patients who did not receive chemotherapy. In contrast, the benefit of adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy was more profound in patients with low ERCC1 expression. Other investigators studying mRNA expression in tumor biopsies from patients treated with cisplatin and gemcitabine showed that patients with low ERCC1 mRNA expression have a longer median survival compared to those with high expression. Summary High ERCC1 expression is predictive of resistance to platinum-based therapy. Thus, there is solid evidence to support ERCC1 as a useful marker of clinical resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting of nonsmall-cell lung cancer. Meanwhile, optimization of methodology and standardization of technical procedures seem necessary before larger prospective studies can address the same question.
How Fast Will China Grow Towards 2030

Historical data for the last fifty years shows that there is a surprisingly strong correlation between the growth rate of a nationâ€™s GDP per person and its income level. The growth rate declines linearly with income, and this relationship can be used to estimate the future growth rate of a nationâ€™s economy. Using the same method it is also possible to forecast the share of GDP in agriculture, industry, and services â€“ and to demonstrate the continuing decline of the share in industry as a nation get very rich. This article concludes with a discussion of the likely impact of robotisation and greening on GDP growth.
ANALISIS TINGKAT FINANCIAL LITERACY DAN FINANCIAL BEHAVIOR MAHASISWA S-1 FAKULTAS EKONOMI UNIVERSITAS ISLAM INDONESIA

This study aims to examine the level of financial literacy and the factors that influence undergraduate student and also how financial literacy affect financial behavior of college student at Economic Faculty of Indonesia Islamic University. Data analysis methods used by this research were descriptive statistic,independent ttest, Anova, and Chi Square.The result revealed that there was a significant difference of financial literacy based on gender, age, class rank, and GPA, but this study did not find the difference of student's financial behavior based on their level of financial literacy.
Resistance to infection with Eimeria vermiformis in mouse radiation chimeras is determined by donor bone-marrow cells

The course of infection with Eimeria vermiformis was determined in BALB/b, BALB/c, and C57BL/10ScSn (B10) mice and in radiation chimeras prepared from the H-2-compatible BALB/b and B10 mice. The BALB strains, irrespective of H-2 haplotype, were resistant, the B10 mice were susceptible, and in the chimeras infection was characterized by the genotype of the donated bone-marrow cells and not by the phenotype of the recipient. Thus, the genetic control of relative resistance or susceptibility to infection with this parasite is expressed through bone-marrow-derived cells.
Managing Retail Budget Allocation between Store Labor and Marketing Activities

The performance of a retail store depends on its ability to attract customer traffic, match labor with incoming traffic, and convert the incoming traffic into sales. Retailers make significant investments in marketing activities (such as advertising) to bring customers into their stores and in‐store labor to convert that traffic into sales. Thus, a common trade‐off that retail store managers face concerns the allocation of a store's limited budget between advertising and labor to enhance store‐level sales. To explore that trade‐off, we develop a centralized model to allocate limited store budget between store labor and advertising with the objective of maximizing store sales. We find that a store's inherent potential to drive traffic plays an important role, among other factors, in the relative allocation between advertising and store labor. We also find that as advertising instruments become more effective in bringing traffic to stores, managers should not always capitalize this effectiveness by increasing their existing allocations to advertising. In addition, we discuss a decentralized setting where budget allocation decisions cannot be enforced by a store manager and present a simple mechanism that can achieve the centralized solution. In an extension, we address the budget allocation problem in the presence of marketing efforts to shift store traffic from peak to off peak hours and show that our initial findings are robust. Further, we illustrate how the solution from the budget allocation model can be used to facilitate store level sales force planning/scheduling decisions. Based on the results of our model, we present several insights that can help managers in budget allocation and sales force planning.
An RNAi Screen for Genes Involved in Nanoscale Protrusion Formation on Corneal Lens in Drosophila melanogaster

The “moth-eye” structure, which is observed on the surface of corneal lens in several insects, supports anti-reflective and self-cleaning functions due to nanoscale protrusions known as corneal nipples. Although the morphology and function of the “moth-eye” structure, are relatively well studied, the mechanism of protrusion formation from cell-secreted substances is unknown. In Drosophila melanogaster, a compound eye consists of approximately 800 facets, the surface of which is formed by the corneal lens with nanoscale protrusions. In the present study, we sought to identify genes involved in “moth-eye” structure, formation in order to elucidate the developmental mechanism of the protrusions in Drosophila. We re-examined the aberrant patterns in classical glossy-eye mutants by scanning electron microscope and classified the aberrant patterns into groups. Next, we screened genes encoding putative structural cuticular proteins and genes involved in cuticular formation using eye specific RNAi silencing methods combined with the Gal4/UAS expression system. We identified 12 of 100 candidate genes, such as cuticular proteins family genes (Cuticular protein 23B and Cuticular protein 49Ah), cuticle secretion-related genes (Syntaxin 1A and Sec61 ββ subunit), ecdysone signaling and biosynthesis-related genes (Ecdysone receptor, Blimp-1, and shroud), and genes involved in cell polarity/cell architecture (Actin 5C, shotgun, armadillo, discs large1, and coracle). Although some of the genes we identified may affect corneal protrusion formation indirectly through general patterning defects in eye formation, these initial findings have encouraged us to more systematically explore the precise mechanisms underlying the formation of nanoscale protrusions in Drosophila.
Isolation and Characterization of MC3T3‐E1 Preosteoblast Subclones with Distinct In Vitro and In Vivo Differentiation/Mineralization Potential

A series of subclonal cell lines with high or low differentiation/mineralization potential after growth in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) were derived from murine MC3T3‐E1 cells. Subclones were characterized in terms of their ability to mineralize a collagenous extracellular matrix both in vitro and in vivo and express osteoblast‐related genes. When compared with nonmineralizing cells, mineralizing subclones selectively expressed mRNAs for the osteoblast markers, bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), and the parathyroid hormone (PTH)/parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) receptor. In contrast, alkaline phosphatase mRNA was present in certain nonmineralizing as well as mineralizing subclones, suggesting that its expression may be subject to different controls from other osteoblast markers. Only highly differentiating subclones exhibited strong AA‐dependent induction of a transiently transfected OCN promoter‐luciferase reporter gene, indicating that there was a good correlation between mRNA levels and transcriptional activity. Consistent with its postulated role in biomineralization, BSP as measured by Western blotting was only present in mineralizing subclones. After implantation into immunodeficient mice, highly differentiating subclones formed bone‐like ossicles resembling woven bone, while poorly differentiating cells only produced fibrous tissue. Interestingly, subclones with both high and low differentiation potential produced similar amounts of collagen in culture and expressed comparable basal levels of mRNA encoding Osf2/Cbfa1, an osteoblast‐related transcription factor. Although some strongly differentiating cells exhibited a modest AA‐dependent up‐regulation of Osf2/Cbfa1 mRNA, there was no clear relationship between levels of this message and induction of mRNAs for other differentiation markers. Thus, the mere presence of Osf2/Cbfa1 in a subclone was not sufficient for osteoblast differentiation. These subclones will be very useful for studying critical events in osteoblast differentiation and mineralization.
Female body odour is a potential cue to ovulation

Human body odours have been reported to influence female mate choice. Women prefer the odours of immunocompatible men and, during their fertile period, judge the body odours of men with symmetrical bodies—which is indicative of genetic quality—as sexy and pleasant. The reproductive success of men largely depends on mating with fertile women, but it is not known whether men can detect a woman's fertile period. We asked women who had regular menstrual cycles and who were not using hormonal contraceptives to wear a T–shirt for three consecutive nights during their late follicular (ovulatory) phase and another T–shirt during the luteal (non-ovulatory) phase of their menstrual cycle. Male raters judged the odours of T–shirts worn during the follicular phase as more pleasant and sexy than odours from T–shirts worn during the luteal phase. The odour differences between the follicular and luteal phases did not dissipate quickly over time as male raters were able to detect and judge follicular phase body odours as more pleasant and sexy than the odours from the luteal phase even after the T–shirts were kept at room temperature for one week. These findings suggest that ovulation may not be concealed and that men could use ovulation–linked odours in their mate selection.
Quantification of muscle choline concentrations by proton MR spectroscopy at 3 T: technical feasibility.

OBJECTIVE The quantification of choline in musculoskeletal tissues has several potential uses, including characterizing malignancy, but has not been previously achievable. We present a method of measuring the absolute concentration of choline by proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) in skeletal muscle at 3 T. MATERIALS AND METHODS At 3 T, choline measurements were performed in phantoms and healthy volunteers using proton MRS (point-resolved spectroscopy sequence [PRESS]; TR/TE, 2,000/135). In vitro choline concentrations were measured in three phantom solutions (10, 5, 1.25 mmol). Choline T1 and T2 relaxation times were measured in the muscles of five healthy subjects. In vivo choline concentrations were measured using water as an internal reference and average T1 and T2 relaxation times in 20 muscle locations (quadriceps, hamstring, adductor) of seven healthy subjects (four men, three women). Descriptive statistics are reported. RESULTS In vitro, the average measured choline concentrations of the 10-, 5-, and 1.25-mmol solutions were 9.91, 5.03, and 1.22 mmol, respectively. In vivo, the average T1 and T2 relaxation times of choline were 1,372+/-57 (SD) and 134+/-11 milliseconds, respectively. The average choline concentrations in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles were 10.0+/-0.4 (SD) and 8.0+/-2.9 mmol/kg. Interindividual variation existed in the choline concentrations (quadriceps range, 6.7-13 mmol/kg), but there was little variation by patient sex. CONCLUSION In the musculoskeletal system, the measurement of choline concentration by proton MRS at 3 T is feasible using water as an internal reference. These data provide a quantitative basis for future investigations of metabolite concentrations in normal and diseased musculoskeletal tissues.
Trajectory tracking of four-wheel steered mobile robots by an image-based fuzzy controller

Although four-wheel steered mobile robots have less turning ability, compared to two-independent wheeled mobile robots, there is an advantage that they are fit for improvement in the movement speed. Note however that since the wheel slippage is increased due to its advantage, four-wheel steered mobile robots cannot apply a popular dead-reckoning method by using rotary encoders. This paper describes a method for tracking a straight line using four-wheel steered mobile robots by applying an image-based control method, which controls such robots without referring to self positions. A fuzzy controller that is one of model-free controllers is adopted, because a relationship between the movement of a robot and the image that is captured by a camera attached on the robot cannot be modeled easily. The proposed method is evaluated through some simulations and real experiments.