Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Editorial: The Breadth of Ocean and Coastal Economics

Economists in other fields sometimes see the study of marine resource economics as a narrowly focused niche specialization. Virtually everyone else has a different reaction. Colleagues in other scientific disciplines, family, friends, neighbors, and random strangers are struck by the sheer breadth and reach of ocean and coastal economics. Other scientists are keenly aware that the oceans regulate the earth’s climate and provide an abundant supply of healthy protein from seafood. They understand that these services both contribute economic value and are threatened by economic activity. My twelve-year-old son knows that the oceans cover over two thirds of the planet, so it is obvious to him that the economics of those two thirds is important. Many friends are devoted to the local food movement and others are skeptics, but most know that much of what they consume arrived in this country on an ocean-going container ship. My home in Durham, North Carolina is a three-hour drive from the coast, but I can look in any direction from my side porch and spot a neighbor who recently spent time at the beach—angling, swimming, boating, surfing, sunning themselves, or just staring at the roiling Atlantic from an oceanfront rental. When strangers in the airport, at the grocery store, or at a party hear what I do, they ask me, “Should I eat fish? ” and “Which fish should I eat? ” They intuitively grasp the tradeoffs, and economics is the science of tradeoffs. As I reach the end of my term as editor-in-chief of Marine Resource Economics, discourse about the oceans echoes the economic, social, and political issues of our times. Nations around the world are debating the merits of trade liberalization and economic integration versus isolationist policies. The stakes are amplified in the global seafood trade. A large share of the world’s fish protein is traded internationally, with substantial net flows of product from developing to industrialized countries. How can we quantify winners and losers from this globalization? Do the benefits of export income for developing-country fisheries and lower prices for consumers in industrialized countries (often seeking healthy protein to stave off diseases of affluence) outweigh the costs to industrialized-country fisheries facing competition from imports and higher prices for seafood consumers in developing countries with protein deficits? Sea-level rise, coastal storm strikes, and changing coastal landforms pose massive economic risks to coastal communities, but attributing these threats to anthropogenic climate change is politically contested. How we use economic analysis to quantify damages and plan for future coastal climate adaptation forces us into this disputed territory. Even in the very specific fisheries economics world of property rights-based fisheries management, growing economic inequality within societies and broad public attention to this challenge exert influence. While economists continue to study the design
The Rakai Project counselling programme experience

During the initial survey (April 1999–January 2000) of an ongoing Community HIV Epidemiological Research (CHER) study, adults aged 15–49 years in 56 study communities were enrolled into the study. Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour, Practice questionnaires were administered and blood was obtained from 77.6%. HIV testing was performed using two different enzyme immunosorbent assays with Western blot confirmation of discordant results and first time positives. All those who gave blood had free and unlimited access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), and were free to participate as individuals or couples. HIV results were provided in people's homes by trained and certified project resident counsellors. Ninety per cent of those who were bled requested their HIV results, while 64.6% of those who requested their HIV results received them. The proportion of people receiving HIV results has almost doubled in the last 6 years (1994–2000) from about 35% in 1994/1995 to 65% in 1999/2000. These data indicate high proportions of acceptance and receipt of VCT in this rural population‐based cohort, suggesting that home delivery of VCT could offer a unique opportunity for people in the rural areas to access counselling and testing services, given adequate resources.
Nonretinotopic visual processing in the brain

Abstract A basic principle in visual neuroscience is the retinotopic organization of neural receptive fields. Here, we review behavioral, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging evidence for nonretinotopic processing of visual stimuli. A number of behavioral studies have shown perception depending on object or external-space coordinate systems, in addition to retinal coordinates. Both single-cell neurophysiology and neuroimaging have provided evidence for the modulation of neural firing by gaze position and processing of visual information based on craniotopic or spatiotopic coordinates. Transient remapping of the spatial and temporal properties of neurons contingent on saccadic eye movements has been demonstrated in visual cortex, as well as frontal and parietal areas involved in saliency/priority maps, and is a good candidate to mediate some of the spatial invariance demonstrated by perception. Recent studies suggest that spatiotopic selectivity depends on a low spatial resolution system of maps that operates over a longer time frame than retinotopic processing and is strongly modulated by high-level cognitive factors such as attention. The interaction of an initial and rapid retinotopic processing stage, tied to new fixations, and a longer lasting but less precise nonretinotopic level of visual representation could underlie the perception of both a detailed and a stable visual world across saccadic eye movements.
Perivascular cells regulate endothelial membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase activity.

Angiogenic stimuli selectively induced expression of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) transcripts and protein in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Pro-MMP-2 activation was blocked by treatment with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2), but not by TIMP-1 or inhibitors of other proteinase classes. Anti-MT1-MMP antibodies abrogated recombinant pro-MMP-2 activation by plasma membranes, indicating that MT1-MMP is the main mediator of pro-MMP-2 activation in HUVECs. Cocultures of HUVECs with smooth muscle cells (SMC) or pericytes (PC) resulted in the suppression of HUVEC pro-MMP-2 activation. Treatment of A10 SMC conditioned media with a neutralising anti-TIMP-2 antibody prevented the suppression of HUVEC pro-MMP-2 activation. Inhibition of HUVEC MT1-MMP function by PC and SM3 SMC correlated with elevated TIMP-3 expression. Thus, perivascular supporting cells regulate the functions of proangiogenic MMPs elaborated by endothelial cells via selective expression of TIMPs. This interplay may be important for maintenance of blood vessel architecture and neovascularisation.
Clinical Perspectives on the Role of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine in the Prevention of Cancer

The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the genesis of cervical cancer has been well documented, and an increasing body of literature exists with regard to the role of HPV in other cancers, including cancers of the head and neck. With the recent expansion of the United States Food and Drug Administration's approval of the quadrivalent HPV virus‐like particle vaccine to include men and boys and approval of the bivalent vaccine this year, the controversies regarding who should be vaccinated, at what age is vaccination most appropriate, and the limitations of the available HPV vaccines are increasing. Health care providers are challenged with evaluating the current, but continually changing, clinical evidence when making critical decisions for their patients. A literature search of MEDLINE and SciVerse Scopus was conducted for articles published from 1998–April 2010 regarding HPV, HPV‐related cancers, and HPV vaccines. Although both HPV vaccines were greater than 90% effective in the prevention of cervical cancer precursors in an according‐to‐protocol cohort, both vaccines were significantly less effective in the intent‐to‐treat population. In patients who achieved seroconversion, the geometric mean titers decrease dramatically within the first 2 years after vaccination, and then continue to decline at a slower rate. No effective antibody titer has been defined for either vaccine, and no studies have been conducted with documented HPV exposure after vaccination. With low efficacy rates in an intent‐to‐treat population and the potential for waning immunity, it is imperative for women to continue to receive regular Pap tests and gynecologic examinations. Although vaccine administration was shown to be cost‐effective when administered to adolescent girls, many of these simulations overestimated the durability of protection, efficacy rates in sexually active women, impact of incomplete vaccination, or necessity of boosters in the future. Whereas the introduction of the HPV vaccine was an enormous advancement in the cancer prevention research arena, optimization of its clinical use is still needed.
Experimental validation of common-mode filtering performances of planar electromagnetic band-gap structures

An experimental validation of an electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) based common mode filter is given in this paper. The proposed layout technique is based on planar EBG structures altered by removing the connecting bridges between adjacent patches. The patches are properly dimensioned for ensuring the presence of frequency notches at the frequencies that should be filtered in the common-mode transfer function. The notch frequency is associated with the first resonant mode of the patch.
Financialization of government debt? European government debt management approaches 1980–2007

The aim of this article is to explore the strategies European government debt managers used in response to the growing demand for credit by governments since the 1980s and how the introduction of the common currency area influenced the nature of government debt management. The analysis indicated that in the 1980s, a paradigm shift emerged as bilateral debt relationships became negligible, while the role of financial market principles became much stronger. A financialization of the relationship with private investors took place, although still highly regulated. The introduction of the euro resulted not only in the new European rules but also in the financialization of the regulatory framework. The participating governments lost the privilege to encapsulate their markets. Because of these two processes, managing government debt in the common currency area meant developing a strategy to successfully issue in a transnational market without support from public authorities at least until the crisis.
Identification of additional genes belonging to the LexA regulon in Escherichia coli

Exposure of Escherichia coli to a variety of DNA‐damaging agents results in the induction of the global ‘SOS response’. Expression of many of the genes in the SOS regulon are controlled by the LexA protein. LexA acts as a transcriptional repressor of these unlinked genes by binding to specific sequences (LexA boxes) located within the promoter region of each LexA‐regulated gene. Alignment of 20 LexA binding sites found in the E. coli chromosome reveals a consensus of 5′‐TACTG(TA)5CAGTA‐3′. DNA sequences that exhibit a close match to the consensus are said to have a low heterology index and bind LexA tightly, whereas those that are more diverged have a high heterology index and are not expected to bind LexA. By using this heterology index, together with other search criteria, such as the location of the putative LexA box relative to a gene or to promoter elements, we have performed computational searches of the entire E. coli genome to identify novel LexA‐regulated genes. These searches identified a total of 69 potential LexA‐regulated genes/operons with a heterology index of < 15 and included all previously characterized LexA‐regulated genes. Probes were made to the remaining genes, and these were screened by Northern analysis for damage‐inducible gene expression in a wild‐type lexA+ cell, constitutive expression in a lexA(Def) cell and basal expression in a non‐inducible lexA(Ind−) cell. These experiments have allowed us to identify seven new LexA‐regulated genes, thus bringing the present number of genes in the E. coli LexA regulon to 31. The potential function of each newly identified LexA‐regulated gene is discussed.
A Nanocurrent Power Management IC for Low-Voltage Energy Harvesting Sources

This paper presents the nanopower design of an integrated 1-μW-to-5-mW power management circuit. The circuit integrates a boost converter with maximum power point tracking, a low drop-out voltage regulator (LDO), and a start-up circuit for battery-less activation from discharged states. The IC implements a dynamic two-way power routing policy that ensures a fast start-up from discharged states even with very large energy storage capacitors. In order to reduce the intrinsic power, asynchronous control logic was adopted. The circuit was implemented in a STMicroelectronics 0.32-μm microelectronic technology. The power conversion section and the LDO draw, respectively, stand-by currents of 121 and 414 nA in the active modes. The circuit achieves a peak conversion efficiency of 77.1% and a minimum start-up voltage of 223 mV.
Defining the Learning Curve for Paramedic Student Endotracheal Intubation

Background. Proficiency in endotracheal intubation (ETI) is assumed to improve primarily with accumulated experience on live patients. While the National Standard Paramedic Curriculum recommends that paramedic students (PSs) perform at least five live ETIs, these training opportunities are limited. Objective. To evaluate the effects of cumulative live ETI experience, elapsed duration of training, andclinical setting on PS ETI proficiency. Methods. The authors used longitudinal, multicenter data from 60 paramedic training programs over a two-year period. The PSs reported outcomes (success/failure) for all live ETIs attempted in the operating room (OR), the emergency department (ED), the intensive care unit (ICU), andother hospital or prehospital settings. Fixed-effects logistic regression was used to model up to 30 consecutive ETI efforts by each PS, accounting for per-PS clustering. For each patient, the authors evaluated the association between ETI success andthe PS's cumulative number of ETIs, adjusted for clinical setting, elapsed number of days from the first ETI encounter, andthe interaction (cumulative ETIs × elapsed days). Predicted probability plots were constructed depicting the “learning curve” overall andfor each clinical setting. Results. Between one and74 ETIs (median 7; IQR 4–12) were performed by each of 802 PSs. Of 7,635 ETIs, 6,464 (87.4%) were successful. Stratified by clinical setting, 6,311 (82.7%) ETIs were performed in the OR, 271 (3.6%) in the ED, 64 (0.8%) in the ICU, 86 (1.1%) in other in-hospital settings, and903 (11.8%) in the prehospital setting. For the 7,398 ETIs included in the multivariate analysis, cumulative number of ETI was associated with increased adjusted odds of ETI success (odds ratio 1.067 per ETI; 95% CI: 1.044–1.091). ETI learning curves were steepest for the ICU andprehospital settings but lower than for other clinical settings. Conclusions. Paramedic student ETI success improves with accumulated live experience but appears to vary across different clinical settings. Strategies for PS airway education must consider the volume of live ETIs as well as the clinical settings used for ETI training. Key words: intubation; intratracheal; emergency medical services; learning; allied health personnel.
Connected Motherhood: Social Support for Moms and Moms-to-Be on Facebook.

BACKGROUND Research addressing online social support, especially for new mothers, has typically focused on forums and dedicated Web sites, and not on social networking sites like Facebook. Here we expand on this existing body of work by addressing a Facebook page, Ask the Chicks, themed around questions and answers related to motherhood. Using the uses and gratification lens, we explore motivations for participation as they relate to engagement with the page. MATERIALS AND METHODS Individuals were recruited to participant in an online survey through posts on the Ask the Chicks Facebook page made by the page owner over a 1-week period. To be eligible to complete the survey, participants had to be 18 years old or older, female, and pregnant or have at least one child under the age of 5 years. RESULTS Analyses of survey data collected from users of the page (n=647) revealed that engagement has a positive relationship with the motives of relaxing entertainment, expressive information sharing, social interaction, and information seeking. CONCLUSIONS Online support groups, and especially Facebook, appear to be a more convenient method than traditional online support groups for people who want to obtain information about certain topics, in this case, about motherhood and raising kids. Having this type of social support tool is important, as social support has been found to reduce levels of stress, which can improve overall health and quality of life. This study provides a better understanding of why people use this type of social support group for questions about parenting.
Alternaria Toxins: Potential Virulence Factors and Genes Related to Pathogenesis

Alternaria is an important fungus to study due to their different life style from saprophytes to endophytes and a very successful fungal pathogen that causes diseases to a number of economically important crops. Alternaria species have been well-characterized for the production of different host-specific toxins (HSTs) and non-host specific toxins (nHSTs) which depend upon their physiological and morphological stages. The pathogenicity of Alternaria species depends on host susceptibility or resistance as well as quantitative production of HSTs and nHSTs. These toxins are chemically low molecular weight secondary metabolites (SMs). The effects of toxins are mainly on different parts of cells like mitochondria, chloroplast, plasma membrane, Golgi complex, nucleus, etc. Alternaria species produce several nHSTs such as brefeldin A, tenuazonic acid, tentoxin, and zinniol. HSTs that act in very low concentrations affect only certain plant varieties or genotype and play a role in determining the host range of specificity of plant pathogens. The commonly known HSTs are AAL-, AK-, AM-, AF-, ACR-, and ACT-toxins which are named by their host specificity and these toxins are classified into different family groups. The HSTs are differentiated on the basis of bio-statistical and other molecular analyses. All these toxins have different mode of action, biochemical reactions and signaling mechanisms to cause diseases. Different species of Alternaria produced toxins which reveal its biochemical and genetic effects on itself as well as on its host cells tissues. The genes responsible for the production of HSTs are found on the conditionally dispensable chromosomes (CDCs) which have been well characterized. Different bio-statistical methods like basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) data analysis used for the annotation of gene prediction, pathogenicity-related genes may provide surprising knowledge in present and future.
[Prognostic significance of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in primary breast carcinoma].

The plasminogen activator system plays a key role in the proteolysis of malignant tumours. In 155 patients with primary breast cancer levels from PAI-1 and uPA were measured in cytosol with monoclonal antibodies and by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. 35 tumour tissue samples form benign breast were also examined. Malignant tumours contain higher levels of PAI-1 (8.6 ng/mg) than benign tumours (1.28 ng/mg) (p < 0.01). Also the median level of uPA was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in malignant tissue (2.38 ng/mg) in comparison to benign disease (0.54 ng/mg). No correlation was found between the proteases and the classical prognostic parameters like axillary lymph node involvement, tumour size and menopausal status. However, a significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found in tumours with lymphangiosis carcinomatosa, negative hormone receptors, grade III tumour cells and high S-phase fractions (> 5%). After a median follow-up of 46 months we found that high levels of PAI-1 correlated with short DFS (p = 0.0005) and OAS (p = 0.003). However, in the Cox multivariate regression analysis only PAI-1 was significantly independent for OAS and could therefore give additional information. We conclude that levels from PAI-1 antigen measured in cytosol of primary breast cancer is an independent prognostic parameter to identify patients with high and low risk for relapse and for individualised treatment.
Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the early origins of obesity

Purpose of reviewThe incidence of obesity and its related metabolic disorders has increased significantly over the past 3 decades, culminating in the current global epidemic of metabolic disease and leading to the search for contributing factors. Exposure of the developing foetus/neonate to a typical Western diet increases their risk of obesity and metabolic disorders throughout the life-course, creating an intergenerational cycle of metabolic disease. In Western countries, this epidemic of metabolic disease has coincided with a marked increase in the intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 PUFA), leading to suggestions that the two may be causally related. Recent findingsRecent studies have emphasized the proadipogenic properties of the omega-6 PUFA, and provided evidence that rodents fed on diets with omega-6 PUFA contents similar to the typical US diet (6–8% energy) have an increased fat mass. Importantly, recent studies have shown that perinatal exposure to a high omega-6 PUFA diet results in a progressive accumulation of body fat across generations. SummaryThis review highlights the recent evidence supporting the role of the omega-6 PUFA in the early life origins of obesity and metabolic disease, the need for more clinical studies and the potential need for health agencies to re-evaluate current recommendations to further increase omega-6 PUFA intakes.
Multistage Security-Constrained HVAC/HVDC Transmission Expansion Planning With a Reduced Search Space

This paper proposes a new method to solve the multistage security-constrained transmission expansion planning problem, incorporating lines based on high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) alternatives. A novel mixed-integer linear programming model, which incorporates transmission losses using a piecewise linearization, is presented. An efficient method to reduce the search space of the problem is developed to help in the solution process. Garver's 6-bus system and a modified Southern Brazilian system are used to show the precision and efficiency of the proposed approach. The tests are performed for cases with and without HVDC links and transmission losses. The results indicate that better expansion plans can be found by considering HVDC proposals in the expansion process. The promising trend of using HVDC lines in future networks to improve the reliability in the system is demonstrated.
Dual-tree complex wavelet transform-based feature extraction for brain computer interface

The dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is good at time-frequency analysis and has shift-invariance property. In this paper, we propose a feature extraction method based on DTCWT, which employs the DTCWT to reconstruct the brain computer interface (BCI) signals in each level and overcome the frequency aliasing in wavelet transform. The experimental dataset come from the BCI competition, the mutual information and classify accuracy are used as evaluation criteria. The results show that the DTCWT-based feature extraction method improves the mutual information and accuracy compared to others.