Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Authoritarian Monarchies as an Epistemic Community Diffusion, Repression, and Survival during the Arab Spring

During the Arab Spring, revolutionary insurrections targeted republican dictatorships while largely bypassing the eight ruling monarchies. Popular domestic explanations for such royal exceptionalism, such as cultural legitimacy and economic wealth, not only lack analytic validity but also ignore the most pertinent reason for monarchical persistence-more effective strategies of opposition management. Presidential regimes reacted against protests with mass coercion, which radicalized opposition and mobilized further resistance, while most ruling kingships refrained from systematic violence and neutralized dissent through nonrepressive means, such as co-optation. What accounts for such striking policy convergence? This essay suggests an innovative answer: the royal leaderships atop the Arab monarchical regimes constitute an epistemic community, one predicated on not just a collective perception of threat from regional democratization, but also shared normative beliefs regarding their historical rarity and dynastic superiority. Under this framework, dense communal ties facilitated the diffusion of noncoercive strategies of opposition management, and helped enshrine promises of mutual security within existing institutions such as the Gulf Cooperation Council. Based upon a combination of historical analysis and fieldwork, this essay argues that such transnational circulation of ideas and strategies did not merely aim to prevent democracy, but specifically promoted a special subtype of authoritarianism-ruling monarchism-as a viable type of political order.
Hrunið og fæðingaorlof: Áhrif á foreldra og löggjöf

One of the effects of the bank crash that hit Iceland in 2008 was a severe cut in welfare spending. Parental leave was one of the spheres that were affected. In this article we will explain the origins and characteristics of the law on parental leave from 2000 and show how fathers and mothers used it. Then we discuss the changes that were made in the aftermath of the economic crisis, such as the cuts in economic compensation, and ask what effects this may have had on the uptake of parental leave and the situation of families with small children. This is based on data from the Parental Leave Fund on the one hand and, on the other hand, on the results from a survey among parents who had their first child in 2009. Finally, we discuss the changes in the laws on parental leave adopted by the Icelandic parliament in December 2012 where it was decided to extend in steps the individual rights of both parents to parental leave. Meðal afleiðinga bankahrunsins a Islandi arið 2008 var verulegur niðurskurður a morgum sviðum velferðarmala. Faeðingarorlof var einn þeirra þatta sem fekk að kenna a niðurskurðarhnifnum. I þessari grein verður fjallað i stuttu mali um tilurð og einkenni laga um faeðingar- og foreldraorlof fra arinu 2000, nýtingu orlofsins fra setningu laganna og til 2007 og hvað einkenndi hana. Þa er fjallað um breytingar sem gerðar voru i kjolfar efnahagskreppu, m.a. um niðurskurð a hamarki greiðslna, og spurt hvaða ahrif þaer kunna að hafa haft a tilhogun faeðingarorlofs og hag barnafjolskyldna. Byggt er annars vegar a gognum fra Faeðingarorlofssjoði og hins vegar niðurstoðum rannsoknar sem framkvaemd var sumarið 2012 meðal foreldra sem eignuðust sitt fyrsta barn arið 2009. I lokakafla verður fjallað um þaer breytingar sem Alþingi samþykkti i desember 2012 a logum um faeðingarorlof þar sem akveðið var að auka i afongum rett beggja foreldra til faeðingarorlofs.
Egocentric Object Manipulation in Virtual Environments: Empirical Evaluation of Interaction Techniques

The acceptance of virtual environment (VE) technology requires scrupulous optimization of the most basic interactions in order to maximize user performance and provide efficient and enjoyable virtual interfaces. Motivated by insufficient understanding of the human factors design implications of interaction techniques and tools for virtual interfaces, this paper presents results of a formal study that compared two basic interaction metaphors for egocentric direct manipulation in VEs, virtual hand and virtual pointer, in object selection and positioning experiments. The goals of the study were to explore immersive direct manipulation interfaces, compare performance characteristics of interaction techniques based on the metaphors of interest, understand their relative strengths and weaknesses, and derive design guidelines for practical development of VE applications.
Huikahi Restorative Circles: A Public Health Approach for Reentry Planning

The Huikahi Restorative Circle is a group process for reentry planning that involves the incarcerated individual, his or her family and friends, and at least one prison representative. The process was originally called Restorative Circles, but was renamed Huikahi Restorative Circles to distinguish Hawaii’s reentry planning process from other restorative processes. In Hawaiian, hui means group, and kahi means individual. Together the word huikahi, for purposes of this process, signifies individuals coming together to form a covenant.
Fast Vesicle Recycling Supports Neurotransmission during Sustained Stimulation at Hippocampal Synapses

High-frequency induced short-term synaptic depression is a common feature of central synapses in which synaptic responses rapidly decrease to a sustained level. A limitation in the availability of release-ready vesicles is thought to be a major factor underlying this phenomenon. Here, we studied the kinetics of vesicle reavailability and reuse during synaptic depression at hippocampal synapses. High-intensity stimulation of neurotransmitter release was induced by hyperosmolarity, high potassium, or action potential firing at 30 Hz to produce synaptic depression. Under these conditions, synaptic transmission rapidly depressed to a plateau level that was typically 10–40% of the initial response and persisted at this level for at least 5 min regardless of the developmental stage of synapses. This nondeclining phase of transmission was partly sustained by fast recycling and reuse of synaptic vesicles even after minutes of stimulation. Simultaneous electrical recording of postsynaptic responses and styryl dye destaining showed that after an initial round of exocytosis, vesicles were available for reuse with a delay between 1 and 3 sec during 30 Hz action potential or hypertonicity-induced stimulation. During these stimulation paradigms, there was a limited mobilization of vesicles from the reserve pool. During 10 Hz stimulation, however, the extent of vesicle reuse was minimal during the first 20 sec. These results suggest a role for fast vesicle recycling as a functional homeostatic mechanism that prevents vesicle depletion and maintains synaptic responses in the face of intense stimulation.
Identification of Sympathetic Premotor Neurons in Medullary Raphe Regions Mediating Fever and Other Thermoregulatory Functions

Sympathetic premotor neurons directly control sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPNs) in the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the thoracic spinal cord, and many of these premotor neurons are localized in the medulla oblongata. The rostral ventrolateral medulla contains premotor neurons controlling the cardiovascular conditions, whereas rostral medullary raphe regions are a candidate source of sympathetic premotor neurons for thermoregulatory functions. Here, we show that these medullary raphe regions contain putative glutamatergic neurons and that these neurons directly control thermoregulatory SPNs. Neurons expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGLUT3) were distributed in the rat medullary raphe regions, including the raphe magnus and rostral raphe pallidus nuclei, and mostly lacked serotonin immunoreactivity. These VGLUT3-positive neurons expressed Fos in response to cold exposure or to central administration of prostaglandin E2, a pyrogenic mediator. Transneuronal retrograde labeling after inoculation of pseudorabies virus into the interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) or the tail indicated that those VGLUT3-expressing medullary raphe neurons innervated these thermoregulatory effector organs multisynaptically through SPNs of specific thoracic segments, and microinjection of glutamate into the IML of the BAT-controlling segments produced BAT thermogenesis. An anterograde tracing study further showed a direct projection of those VGLUT3-expressing medullary raphe neurons to the dendrites of SPNs. Furthermore, intra-IML application of glutamate receptor antagonists blocked BAT thermogenesis triggered by disinhibition of the medullary raphe regions. The present results suggest that VGLUT3-expressing neurons in the medullary raphe regions constitute excitatory neurons that could be categorized as a novel group of sympathetic premotor neurons for thermoregulatory functions, including fever.
ISOLATION OF NUCLEOLI OF THE WALKER CARCINOSARCOMA AND LIVER OF THE RAT FOLLOWING NUCLEAR DISRUPTION IN A FRENCH PRESSURE CELL.

Summary A method is presented for the isolation of nucleoli of the rat liver and the Walker tumor in which the tissues were initially homogenized in a solution containing 0.25 m sucrose and 0.005 m CaCl 2 and then were compressed and rapidly decompressed in a French pressure cell. Approximately 60 minutes after homogenization the sample was subjected to 5000–7000 p.s. i. in a French pressure cell. The product was layered over discontinuous gradient consisting of 1.5 and 2.2 m sucrose solutions and was centrifuged at 64,000 × g for periods of time ranging from 5 to 25 minutes. Under optimal conditions the recoveries of nucleoli in the sediment were 75 and 55 per cent in the tumor and liver, respectively. The average protein, RNA, and DNA contents of the nucleoli of the Walker tumor were 7.8, 1.3, and 1.1 pg. and in the nucleoli of the liver were 5, 0.3, and 0.15 pg. , respectively. These data support previous analytical studies (5) that showed there was a significantly greater content of nucleic acids and protein in nucleoli of the Walker tumor than in nucleoli of rat liver cells.
A new analysis of the red giant branch ‘tip’ distance scale and the value of the Hubble constant

The theoretical evaluations of the red giant branch tip (TRGB) luminosity presented previously by Salaris &38; Cassisi are extended to higher metallicities, and compared with analogous independent results recently published. The present sets of stellar models agree quite well in the determination of the TRGB brightness. Relations between TRGB bolometric and l (Cousins) magnitude and zero-age horizontal branch (ZAHB) V magnitude with respect to the metallicity are provided by adopting empirical, semi-empirical and theoretical evaluations of bolometric corrections, after a careful calibration of the zero-point of the bolometric correction scales. The comparison between our ZAHB and TRGB distance scales for galactic globular clusters presented in Paper I is now supplemented with a comparison with the Hipparcos distance scale set by local subdwarfs with accurate parallax determinations. The overall agreement between ZAHB and Hipparcos distances is quite good. The TRGB distances for globular clusters are compatible with the ZAHB distances in the limit of the small sample of red giants observed. The ZAHB and TRGB distances to resolved galaxies are in good agreement, whereas the comparison between TRGB and Cepheid distances, computed by using the calibration suggested earlier by Madore &38; Freedman, reveals a systematic discrepancy of the order of 0.12 mag. The TRGB distances are systematically longer in comparison with the Cepheid ones. This result supports the case for a revision of the zero-point of the Cepheid distance scale, as already suggested by other authors on the basis of Hipparcos parallaxes. We do not find any clear correlation of the difference between TRGB and Cepheid distances with metal content. The application of our TRGB distance scale to NGC 3379 provides a distance to the Leo I group that is about 8 per cent higher than the one obtained recently by Sakai et al. adopting the TRGB–metallicity calibration by Lee, Freedman &38; Madore. Our distance to the Leo I group, coupled with recent independent determinations of the Coma cluster–Leo I distance, obtained differentially by means of secondary distance indicators, provides a determination of H0 at the Coma cluster in the range H0 = 60 ± 11 km s−1 Mpc−1. For choices of Ω in agreement with the observations (0.3 ≤ Ω ≤ 1) and cosmological constant equal to zero, our derived H0 value is compatible with the most recent determinations of galactic globular cluster ages, thus removing the long-standing conflict between the Hubble age and the age of the oldest stars in the Galaxy.
Two Novel Mitogen-Activated Protein Signaling Components, OsMEK1 and OsMAP1, Are Involved in a Moderate Low-Temperature Signaling Pathway in Rice1

Rice (Oryza sativa) anther development is easily damaged by moderately low temperatures above 12°C. Subtractive screening of cDNA that accumulated in 12°C-treated anthers identified a cDNA clone, OsMEK1, encoding a protein with features characteristic of a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase. The putative OsMEK1 protein shows 92% identity to the maize (Zea mays) MEK homolog, ZmMEK1. OsMEK1transcript levels were induced in rice anthers by 12°C treatment for 48 h. Similar OsMEK1 induction was observed in shoots and roots of seedlings that were treated at 12°C for up to 24 h. It is interesting that no induction of OsMEK1transcripts was observed in 4°C-treated seedlings. In contrast, ricelip19, encoding a bZIP protein possibly involved in low temperature signal transduction, was not induced by 12°C treatment but was induced by 4°C treatment. Among the three MAP kinase homologs cloned, only OsMAP1 displayed similar 12°C-specific induction pattern as OsMEK1. A yeast two-hybrid system revealed that OsMEK1 interacts with OsMAP1, but not with OsMAP2 and OsMAP3, suggesting that OsMEK1 and OsMAP1 probably function in the same signaling pathway. An in-gel assay of protein kinase activity revealed that a protein kinase (approximately 43 kD), which preferentially uses myelin basic protein as a substrate, was activated by 12°C treatment but not by 4°C treatment. Taken together, these results lead us to conclude that at least two signaling pathways for low temperature stress exist in rice, and that a MAP kinase pathway with OsMEK1 and OsMAP1 components is possibly involved in the signaling for the higher range low-temperature stress.
Sraffa and ecological economics: review of the literature

References to Sraffa and to the neo-Ricardian school is something quite customary in ecological economics. By looking at contributions in this area since the beginning of ecological economics and at contributions on environmental problem from the neo-Ricardian school, we see that a connection between both school still has to be made. This connection should be articulated around the initial aim of Sraffa: to develop a new paradigm, competing against the neoclassical one. Only then it will be possible to develop a real eco-Sraffian approach able to pursue the analysis of the sustainability of the economic system. This review of the literature is divided in three sections. Section 1 describes the part of the literature engaged in the “valuation of nature” debate; section 2 the works of researchers trying to develop a neo-Ricardian approach of ecological conflicts; and section 3 several works trying to use the neo-Ricardian knowledge in the analysis of physical interdependence between processes, in particular for the assessment of CO2 emissions. In each of these last sections, works are presented in a (more or less) chronological way.
Serial Evaluation of Children With ALF With Advanced MRI, Serum Proinflammatory Cytokines, Thiamine, and Cognition Assessment

Objectives: This prospective, sequential study was done to understand changes in cerebral edema (CE) on magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, liver functions, and neurocognitive testing (NCT) in children with acute liver failure (ALF). Methods: A total of 11 ALF and 8 healthy controls were evaluated with advanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, blood proinflammatory cytokines (PCs), thiamine levels, liver functions, and NCT. Reevaluation was done at 43.5 ± 26.9 days (first follow-up, n = 8) and 157.3 ± 52.3 days (second follow-up, n = 6) after discharge. Results: At diagnosis, patients with ALF had vasogenic and cytotoxic CE, raised brain glutamine (23.2 ± 3.4 vs 15.3 ± 2.7), and serum PCs (tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-&agr; 40.1 ± 8.9 vs 7.2 ± 2.7 pg/mL, interleukin [IL]-6 29.2 ± 14.4 vs 4.7 ± 1.2 pg/mL). The mammillary bodies (MBs) were smaller, and brain choline (1.9 ± 0.36 vs 2.6 ± 0.6) and blood thiamine (55.2 ± 6.7 vs 81.8 ± 10.2 nmol/L) were lower than controls. At first follow-up, the brain glutamine and CE recovered. Brain choline and MBs volume showed improvement and thiamine levels normalized. Significant reduction in TNF-&agr; and IL-6 was seen. The patients performed poorly on NCT, which normalized at second follow-up. Liver biochemistry and thiamine levels were normal and TNF-&agr; and IL-6 showed further reduction at second follow-up. Conclusions: Patients with ALF have CE contributed by raised brain glutamine and PCs. MBs are small because of thiamine deficiency and show recovery in follow-up. CE and brain glutamine recover earlier than normalization of NCT and liver functions. Persistence of raised cytokines up to 6 months after insult suggests possible contribution from liver regeneration.
The sociocultural self-creation of a natural category

Following the recent recognition that humans are an active force in nature that gave rise to a new geological epoch, this article explores the implications of the shift to the Anthropocene for social theory. The argument assumes that the emerging conditions compel an expansion and deepening of the timescale of the social-theoretical perspective and that such an enhancement has serious repercussions for the concept of human agency. First, the Anthropocene is conceptualized as a nascent cognitively structured cultural model rather than simply a geological epoch. Second, the vast and deep timescale, in the light of which the new time unit and its generative agency alone make sense, is analysed along with the human world’s objective, sociocultural and subjective axes. Finally, the elements of the concept of agency are recomposed in their temporal and relational contexts. At the reflexive level throughout, the need for social theory to develop a cognitive-theoretical approach in conjunction with a weak naturalistic ontology is suggested.
A typology of families with parental alcohol or drug abuse

Abstract Objectives To estimate the prevalence of parental alcohol abuse (PAA) or parental drug abuse (PDA), to compare families with PAA/PDA to non-PAA/PDA families, and to identify different types of families with PAA/PDA in terms of mental disorders in parents, family separation, financial difficulties and educational level. Methods Register-based data from a complete birth cohort of children born in 1991 in Finland (N = 62,751), and their biological parents. Data were derived from Finnish administrative registers from 1991 to 2009. Latent class analysis was used to construct typology of families with PAA/PDA. Results 10.5% of families were affected by PAA or PDA before the children’s 18th birthday. Of these families, five family types were identified. The most common type was characterised by father’s alcohol abuse but had no other detectable problems besides parental separation. The second type was a family where the father had a drinking or drug problem, had financial difficulties and had moved away from the family’s home. The two less common family types were characterised by the mother’s drinking or drug abuse and mental disorders. The mothers of these family types were rather commonly living with their children. In the fifth family type, child typically did not live with either of the parents, both parents had alcohol/drug abuse and accumulated problems. Conclusions Early prevention and treatment are needed to avoid the accumulation of parental problems in PAA/PDA families. As both biological parents rather rarely were substance abusers, the parental role of the non-substance abusing parent should be supported and strengthened.
Rufibacter immobilis sp. nov., isolated from a high-altitude saline lake.

Two pinkish-red, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile aerobic bacterial strains (MCC P1(T) and MCC P2), capable of growing at low temperatures (15 °C), were isolated from water of a saline lake located in the western Himalayas of India. The strains were capable of growth in the presence of 0-2.0% NaCl and at pH 6.5-9.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed the closest similarity of 96.3% to the type strain of the only species of the genus Rufibacter , Rufibacter tibetensis CCTCC AB 208084(T). Strains MCC P1(T) and MCC P2 shared 99.0% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 88.6% DNA-DNA relatedness. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C17 : 1ω6c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c/C16 : 1ω7c) and summed feature 4 (anteiso-C17 : 1 B/iso-C17 : 1 I). Predominant polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The respiratory quinone was MK-7. The DNA G+C content of the strains was 52.6-52.8 mol%. Based on morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomical and molecular characteristics, strains MCC P1(T) and MCC P2 represent a novel species of the genus Rufibacter , for which the name Rufibacter immobilis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MCC P1(T) ( =MCC 2268(T) =CCTCC AB 2013351(T)).
Motivational Factors Influencing Women to be the Members of Self-help Groups

Self-help groups play a tremendous role in empowering women through providing an excellent platform to improve the self- confidence, leadership, communication skills, decision making capacity, social recognition, standard of living etc. The glorious side of the coin reflects that SHGs are very powerful tool for empowerment but the other side imbibes a lot of many constraints and threats which affect the sustainability, remunerativesness and suitability of SHG activities to the local conditions. There were total 8 SHG associated with College of Home Science, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand with the strength of 90 members working therein. A purposive sampling technique was used with combination of deliberate random sampling for the selection of total sample. The data were collected personally through interview technique with the help of pre-structured questionnaire. All the groups were working at least since five and more years and contributed a lot to its members. Majority of members enjoyed decision making power in functioning of their SHG. They were not having membership of any group or organization before joining the self-help group. All the SHG members maintained attendance register and kept the records and were able to give their contribution regularly as well as make extra savings. The inspirational sources for joining SHG include NGOs, banks, friends, neighbours, university staff and students. Among these factors, university staff and students and other successful working SHG had been reported as major sources of inspiration. The major primary motivational factors to join self-help groups included desire to work independently, to spend time fruitfully, to be self-dependent and to improve financial condition of the family. Being the members of self-help groups, majority of respondents reported an increase in self-confidence, self esteem and participation in decision making, capacity building, improvement in psychological and social aspects.