Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Organizational culture and public sector reforms in a post–Washington consensus era: Lessons from Ghana’s good reformers

Reforming Africa’s public sector has been on the agenda of African governments and their development partners for decades and yet the problem persists. This failure can be attributed to two related factors: solutions to the ‘African public sector problem’ have been dictated by external interests, and the policies have ignored the experiences of organizations within those countries. This article contributes to the search for effective reform policies by making the case for inclusion of the experiences of organizations within each country. Using the concept of organizational culture as a framework, I propose an approach based on the following claims: In every country there are some public organizations that perform relatively well, given their constraints; there is the need to understand why and how there are poor and good performing organizations within the same country; and information from such analysis should form the basis of public sector reform policies. The applicability of the approach is demonstrated with a study of Ghana.
Martensitic Transformation and Plastic Deformation of TiCuNiZr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Composites

In this study, the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of TiCuNiZr-based bulk metallic glass (BMGs) composites were systematically investigated in order to optimize both the strength and the ductility of BMGs. By tailoring the glass-forming compositions, TiCuNiZr-based BMG composites with different volume fractions of B2 (Ti,Zr)(Cu,Ni) crystals precipitating in the glassy matrix exhibit not only macroscopic ductility but also high strength as well as work-hardening, which is due to the formation of multiple shear bands and martensitic transformation during deformation. Optimized mechanical properties can be achieved when the crystalline volume fraction is at least higher than 44 vol. %, which is attributed to the sizeable difference between Young’s moduli of the B2 (Ti,Zr)(Cu,Ni) crystals and the glassy matrix, and the precipitation of Ti2Cu intermetallic compounds at the B2 crystal boundaries. Our study provides a complementary understanding of how to tailor mechanical properties of TiCu-based BMG composites.
Racial differences in potassium homeostasis in response to differences in dietary sodium in girls.

BACKGROUND Racial differences in the renal disposition of potassium may be related to mechanisms for the greater susceptibility to hypertension in blacks than in whites. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to study the racial differences in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and in potassium balance in black and white girls consuming a controlled diet that was low in potassium with 2 amounts of sodium intake (low compared with high). DESIGN The studies reported here were performed in 40 black and 28 white girls, aged 11-15 y, under highly controlled metabolic conditions. The studies comprised 2 sessions of 20-d metabolic balance sessions, at 2 amounts of dietary sodium intake (58 and 170 mmol . L(-1) . d(-1)), in a crossover design and with a constant dietary potassium intake of 50 mmol . L(-1) . d(-1). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to test for racial differences in potassium output and retention by sodium intakes. RESULTS Thirty black and 20 white girls completed the study. Urinary potassium excretion was lower in blacks than in whites, regardless of sodium intake (P < 0.05), with no differences in fecal or sweat potassium excretion. Cumulative potassium retention was significantly higher in blacks while consuming the low sodium diet. Plasma aldosterone concentrations after upright posture were significantly lower in blacks than in whites but were similar when supine, as were urinary aldosterone excretion rates. On week 3, blood pressure, body weight, urinary volume, creatinine, and serum sodium and potassium were similar. CONCLUSION The well-known racial difference in urinary potassium excretion appears to be at least in part due to greater renal retention of potassium in black girls.
Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance in Gram-Negative Pathogens Isolated from Cancer Patients in Egypt.

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are the drugs of choice for prophylaxis of bacterial infections in immunocompromised cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate FQ resistance and the prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants in 239 Gram-negative isolates collected at a tertiary care cancer hospital in Cairo, Egypt. Disc diffusion and broth microdilution tests showed that 70.7% of the isolates were nonsusceptible to ciprofloxacin (MIC50 = 64 μg/ml). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that 53.6% of the isolates carried at least one PMQR determinant, of which 23.4% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. The most prevalent gene, aac(6')-Ib-cr, was identified in 36.8% of the isolates, while qnr genes were harbored by 31.0% (qnrS, 24.3%; qnrB, 7.1%, and qnrA, 0.4%). The oqxAB genes were only detected in Klebsiella sp. isolates (92.5%). PMQR determinants were more likely detectable among isolates recovered from pediatric patients than adults (59.3% vs. 43.8%) and were significantly associated with ceftriaxone and gentamicin resistance. A combined genetic analysis using random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR showed that most of the qnr-positive isolates were not clonal. Findings of the current study raised concerns about the efficacy of prophylactic use of FQs in cancer patients in our region. It also demonstrates the possible role of PMQR-positive ciprofloxacin-susceptible isolates in the dissemination of resistance to other antimicrobial agents and the urgent need to reconsider the existing FQ breakpoints defined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.
Physical Design Fundamentals of High-Performance Avalanche Heterophotodiodes with Separate Absorption and Multiplication Regions

Minimal value of dark current in reverse biased p −n junctions at avalanche breakdown is determined by interband tunneling. For example, tunnel component of dark current be‐ comes dominant in reverse biased p −n junctions formed in a number semiconductor ma‐ terials with relatively wide gap Eg already at room temperature when bias V b is close to avalanche breakdown voltage V BD (Sze, 1981), (Tsang, 1981). The above statement is ap‐ plicable, for example, to p −n junctions formed in semiconductor structures based on ter‐ nary alloy I n0.53Ga0. 47As which is one of the most important material for optical communication technology in wavelength range λ up to 1.7 μm (Tsang, 1981), (Stillman, 1981), (Filachev et al, 2010), (Kim et al, 1981), (Forrest et al, 1983), (Tarof et al, 1990), (Ito et al, 1981). Significant decreasing of tunnel current can be achieved in avalanche photo‐ diode (APD) formed on multilayer heterostructure (Fig. 1) with built-in p −n junction when metallurgical boundary of p −n junction (x =0) lies in wide-gap layer of heterostruc‐ ture (Tsang, 1981), (Stillman, 1981), (Filachev et al, 2010), (Kim et al, 1981), (Forrest et al, 1983), (Tarof et al, 1990), (Clark et al, 2007), (Hayat & Ramirez, 2012), (Filachev et al, 2011). Design and specification of heterostructure for creation high performance APD must be such that in operation mode the following two conditions are satisfied. First, space charge region (SCR) penetrates into narrow-gap light absorbing layer (absorber) and second, due to decrease of electric field E (x) into depth from x =0 (Fig. 1), process of avalanche multiplication of charge carriers could only develop in wide-gap layer. This concept is known as APD with separate absorption and multiplication regions (SAM-
Dose effects of dietary phytosterols on cholesterol metabolism: a controlled feeding study.

BACKGROUND Phytosterol supplementation of 2 g/d is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program to reduce LDL cholesterol. However, the effects of different intakes of phytosterol on cholesterol metabolism are uncertain. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effects of 3 phytosterol intakes on whole-body cholesterol metabolism. DESIGN In this placebo-controlled, crossover feeding trial, 18 adults received a phytosterol-deficient diet (50 mg phytosterols/2000 kcal) plus beverages supplemented with 0, 400, or 2000 mg phytosterols/d for 4 wk each, in random order. All meals were prepared in a metabolic kitchen; breakfast and dinner on weekdays were eaten on site. Primary outcomes were fecal cholesterol excretion and intestinal cholesterol absorption measured with stable-isotope tracers and serum lipoprotein concentrations. RESULTS Phytosterol intakes (diet plus supplements) averaged 59, 459, and 2059 mg/d during the 3 diet periods. Relative to the 59-mg diet, the 459- and 2059-mg phytosterol intakes significantly (P < 0.01) increased total fecal cholesterol excretion (36 +/- 6% and 74 +/- 10%, respectively) and biliary cholesterol excretion (38 +/- 7% and 77 +/- 12%, respectively) and reduced percentage intestinal cholesterol absorption (-10 +/- 1% and -25 +/- 3%, respectively). Serum LDL cholesterol declined significantly only with the highest phytosterol dose (-8.9 +/- 2.3%); a trend was observed with the 459-mg/d dose (-5.0 +/- 2.1%; P = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS Dietary phytosterols in moderate and high doses favorably alter whole-body cholesterol metabolism in a dose-dependent manner. A moderate phytosterol intake (459 mg/d) can be obtained in a healthy diet without supplementation. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00860054.
Romantic Breakup Distress, Betrayal and Heartbreak: A Review

Although romantic breakups, breakup distress and heartbreak are common among adults, they have occurred as early as the seventh grade [90], and most of the studies on these topics have been conducted with university students, as reflected by the literature reviewed in this paper. Romantic breakups occur in as many as twothirds of university samples [43, 104]. The breakups frequently lead to breakup distress which is often associated with depression, feelings of rejection and betrayal, heartbreak symptoms including chest pain and compromised immune function. This review summarizes some of that literature.
Flexion Relaxation and Its Relation to Pain and Function over the Duration of a Back Pain Episode

Background Relaxation of the erector spinae often occurs in healthy individuals as full trunk flexion is achieved when bending forward from standing. This phenomenon, referred to as flexion relaxation is often absent or disrupted (EMG activity persists) in individuals reporting low back pain (LBP). Methods and Results Self-reported pain and disability scores were compared to EMG measures related to the flexion relaxation (FR) phenomenon by 33 participants with LBP at up to eight sessions over a study period of up to eight weeks. Fourteen participants served as a control group. In the protocol, starting from standing participants bent forward to a fully flexed posture, and then extended the trunk to return to standing position. A thoracic inclinometer was used to measure trunk posture. Surface electrodes located at the L2 and L5 levels recorded EMG amplitudes of the erector spinae. Ratios of EMG amplitudes recorded during forward bending to amplitudes at full flexion, and ratios of extension to full flexion were calculated. EMG amplitudes and their ratios were compared between control and LBP groups at the initial visit. No significant differences between groups were found except at the L5 location at full flexion. Correlations of the ratios to pain and function scores recorded in repeated sessions over the LBP episode also were compared between LBP group participants classified as having transient, recurrent or chronic symptoms. In another analysis participants were grouped by whether their symptoms resolved over the study period. Conclusions The transient LBP group had significantly stronger correlations between pain and function to both ratios, than did those with more chronic LBP symptoms. Participants who experienced symptom resolution generally had stronger correlations of ratios to both pain and function than those with partial or no resolution. Improved understanding of these relationships may provide insight in clinical management of LBP.
The contribution of executive control to semantic cognition: Convergent evidence from semantic aphasia and executive dysfunction

Semantic cognition, as described by the controlled semantic cognition (CSC) framework (Rogers et al., 2015, Neuropsychologia, 76, 220), involves two key components: activation of coherent, generalizable concepts within a heteromodal ‘hub’ in combination with modality‐specific features (spokes), and a constraining mechanism that manipulates and gates this knowledge to generate time‐ and task‐appropriate behaviour. Executive–semantic goal representations, largely supported by executive regions such as frontal and parietal cortex, are thought to allow the generation of non‐dominant aspects of knowledge when these are appropriate for the task or context. Semantic aphasia (SA) patients have executive–semantic deficits, and these are correlated with general executive impairment. If the CSC proposal is correct, patients with executive impairment should not only exhibit impaired semantic cognition, but should also show characteristics that align with those observed in SA. This possibility remains largely untested, as patients selected on the basis that they show executive impairment (i.e., with ‘dysexecutive syndrome’) have not been extensively tested on tasks tapping semantic control and have not been previously compared with SA cases. We explored conceptual processing in 12 patients showing symptoms consistent with dysexecutive syndrome (DYS) and 24 SA patients, using a range of multimodal semantic assessments which manipulated control demands. Patients with executive impairments, despite not being selected to show semantic impairments, nevertheless showed parallel patterns to SA cases. They showed strong effects of distractor strength, cues and miscues, and probe–target distance, plus minimal effects of word frequency on comprehension (unlike semantic dementia patients with degradation of conceptual knowledge). This supports a component process account of semantic cognition in which retrieval is shaped by control processes, and confirms that deficits in SA patients reflect difficulty controlling semantic retrieval.
Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel for the treatment of pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma

: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and surgical resection offers the only chance of cure. Since the majority of patients have unresectable disease at presentation, the emphasis has been on identifying effective chemotherapy regimens to prolong survival and control tumor burden. Gemcitabine has been the cornerstone of treatment ever since it was discovered to be an active agent in advanced pancreatic cancer nearly two decades ago, but the overall prognosis in patients with metastatic disease remains dismal. A dense fibrotic stroma around the tumor devoid of vasculature and the resultant hypoxic tumor microenvironment are implicated in the chemotherapy-resistant nature of this malignancy. In recent years, a growing body of literature has further elucidated several aspects of pancreatic tumor biology, such as its ability to utilize albumin from the peritumoral tissues to support its metabolic needs. High-pressure homogenization of paclitaxel with nanoparticle albumin results in the formation of soluble 130 nm complexes with albumin acting as the carrier for the otherwise hydrophobic paclitaxel. Once these complexes reach the tumor milieu, they act by depleting the tumor stroma. In addition, paclitaxel is also transported into the tumor cell along with albumin, where it then exerts its antineoplastic activity. Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel also increases gemcitabine levels inside the tumor cells by inhibiting cytidine deaminase, the enzyme that degrades gemcitabine. This review focuses on proposed mechanisms of efficacy of nab-paclitaxel in pancreatic cancer and discusses the preclinical and clinical studies of relevance.
Genetic analysis of milk yield, fat and protein content in Holstein dairy cows in Iran: Legendre

Abstract. Data including 219 105 test day records of 22 569 first parity Holstein cows in 56 herds were analysed for milk yield, fat content and protein content. Legendre polynomials were used in a random regression model to explain traits curves, additive genetic and permanent environmental effects along days in milk (DIM). Legendre polynomials of order 3 were used to describe additive genetic effects on the traits. For permanent environmental effects, for milk the order of 6 and for fat and protein content the order of 4 were used. Heterogeneity of residual variance was considered. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) methodology was used to estimate the required parameters. Variations in genetic, permanent environment and residual effects and heritability changes along DIM were computed and illustrated. Daily heritability estimates averaged as 0.22, 0.14 and 0.23 for milk, fat and protein contents, respectively. Minimum correlations between DIM for additive genetic effects were as 0.49, −0.01 and 0.34 for milk, fat and protein contents. There were higher genetic correlations between test day milk yield and protein content compared to fat content. The genetic trend of milk yield has increased over the years from 1971 to 2005, while the genetic trend for fat and protein content declined.
The Use Of Chlorophyll Fluorescence To Identify Chemical And Environmental Stress In Leaf Tissue Of Three Oak (Quercus) Species

During their lifetime, urban trees are susceptible to a range of environmental and chemical stresses that can result in tree decline. Chlorophyll fluorescence has been used as a nondestructive and noninvasive means of quantifying damage to the leaf photosynthetic system of deciduous and evergreen trees. Aims of this investigation were to determine whether there were unique chlorophyll fluorescence profiles for different chemical (salt, herbicide) and environmental (heat) stresses in leaf tissue of three oak (Quercus) species. Results demonstrate that alterations in the OJIP curve as a measure of electron transport within the leaf plastoquinone pool of photosystem II could be used to identify tree decline due to herbicide and heat but not to salt damage. The benefits of this system to make rapid, stress-specific diagnosis in the field for professionals involved in urban tree management are discussed.
Multilevel Modelling with MultEcore: A Contribution to the MULTI 2017 Challenge

In the context of MULTI 2017, and as a means of fostering discussion and test the limits of the paradigm, the Bicycle Challenge [1] was proposed to tackle the issue that multilevel modelling still lacks a strong conceptual basis, consensus and focus. This paper presents one solution to that challenge, i.e. creating a multilevel hierarchy that represents the domain of bicycles as products composed of different parts and with different features, starting from very abstract concepts (components with weight and basic parts) and ending with one particular model of bicycle with brand-specific parts, which in turn is instantiated by a specific bicycle. We analyse and “fix” the requirements, discuss them, and present our solution using the MultEcore tool.
Semi-automatic selection of summary statistics for ABC model choice

Abstract A central statistical goal is to choose between alternative explanatory models of data. In many modern applications, such as population genetics, it is not possible to apply standard methods based on evaluating the likelihood functions of the models, as these are numerically intractable. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a commonly used alternative for such situations. ABC simulates data x for many parameter values under each model, which is compared to the observed data xobs. More weight is placed on models under which S(x) is close to S(xobs), where S maps data to a vector of summary statistics. Previous work has shown the choice of S is crucial to the efficiency and accuracy of ABC. This paper provides a method to select good summary statistics for model choice. It uses a preliminary step, simulating many x values from all models and fitting regressions to this with the model as response. The resulting model weight estimators are used as S in an ABC analysis. Theoretical results are given to justify this as approximating low dimensional sufficient statistics. A substantive application is presented: choosing between competing coalescent models of demographic growth for Campylobacter jejuni in New Zealand using multi-locus sequence typing data.
Salivary Alpha-Amylase Reactivity in Breast Cancer Survivors

The two main components of the stress system are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axes. While cortisol has been commonly used as a biomarker of HPA functioning, much less attention has been paid to the role of the SAM in this context. Studies have shown that long-term breast cancer survivors display abnormal reactive cortisol patterns, suggesting a dysregulation of their HPA axis. To fully understand the integrity of the stress response in this population, this paper explored the diurnal and acute alpha-amylase profiles of 22 breast cancer survivors and 26 women with no history of cancer. Results revealed that breast cancer survivors displayed identical but elevated patterns of alpha-amylase concentrations in both diurnal and acute profiles relative to that of healthy women, F (1, 39) = 17.95, p < 0.001 and F (1, 37) = 7.29, p = 0.010, respectively. The average area under the curve for the diurnal and reactive profiles was 631.54 ± 66.94 SEM and 1238.78 ± 111.84 SEM, respectively. This is in sharp contrast to their cortisol results, which showed normal diurnal and blunted acute patterns. The complexity of the stress system necessitates further investigation to understand the synergistic relationship of the HPA and SAM axes.
Impact of an animal-assisted therapy programme on physiological and psychosocial variables of paediatric oncology patients

The objective of this study was to propose an intervention and safety protocol for performing animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and evaluating its efficacy in children under outpatient oncological treatment based on psychological, physiological, and quality of life indicators for the children and caregivers. The sample consisted of 24 children diagnosed with leukaemia and solid tumours (58% girls with a mean age of 8.0 years) who underwent an AAT programme consisting of three 30-min sessions in an open group. Two dogs (one Labrador retriever and one golden retriever) were used, and activities such as sensory stimulation, gait training, and socialization were conducted. The exclusion criteria were severe mental problems, inability to answer the questions included in the instruments used, allergy to animals, unavailability/lack of interest, isolation precaution, surgical wound, use of invasive devices, ostomy, no current blood count for evaluation, neutropaenia, infection, fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, respiratory symptoms at the beginning of the intervention or 1 week before the intervention, hospitalization or scheduled surgery, and non-completion of the AAT programme. The variables analysed using validated self or other evaluations were stress, pain, mood, anxiety, depression, quality of life, heart rate, and blood pressure. A quasi-experimental study design was used. We observed a decrease in pain (p = 0.046, d = –0.894), irritation (p = 0.041, d = –0.917), and stress (p = 0.005; d = –1.404) and a tendency towards improvement of depressive symptoms (p = 0.069; d = –0.801). Among the caregivers, an improvement was observed in anxiety (p = 0.007, d = –1.312), mental confusion (p = 0.006, d = –1.350), and tension (p = 0.006, d = –1.361). Therefore, the selection criteria and care protocols used for the AAT programme in the oncological context were adequate, and the programme was effective.