Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theoretical underpinnings and future directions of European Union research policy: a paradigm shift?

Emerging tendencies in research policy call forth the cohesion–competitiveness dichotomy and implicitly advocate the hollowing out of cohesion objectives from future European Union (EU) research policy design. We trace the origins of this debate to the incomplete paradigm shift from the ‘mechanistic’ to the ‘systemic’ construal of technological change in policy discourse, manifest in the decisive influence the former still exercises on the objectives and instrumentalities of EU research policy. We look at some indications of this influence and we claim that they draw largely on reductionist conceptual schemes and sparse empirical evidence. We also examine the rationale for public intervention in the innovation process in two contrasting theoretical contexts, the neoclassical and the neo-Schumpeterian. We argue that the new tendencies in EU research policy stem from a mechanistic conception of cohesion and competitiveness as antagonistic notions and a normatively biased interpretation of neo-Schumpeterian arguments, and we scrutinise their inconsistencies.
A Canadian Programme for Early Intervention in Non-Affective Psychotic Disorders

Objectives: To provide a brief overview of the development of clinical services and research for early intervention in psychotic disorders in Canada; to describe components of a comprehensive clinical/research programme for nonaffective psychotic disorders; and to present a summary of results of clinical and social outcomes achieved. Method: This is a descriptive paper providing some details of how clinical services are being developed in Canada and concentrating on one particular early intervention programme, Prevention and Early intervention Programme for Psychoses (PEPP) London, Ontario, which is using a historical control design to evaluate the impact of an assertive approach to community case detection. Components of a phase-specific treatment programme and early case detection are described followed by results based on clinical and psychosocial data collected according to a defined protocol. Results: One year outcome for patients treated in PEPP shows use of low dose, predominantly novel antipsychotics and high (81.5%) retention and remission (75%) rates. Highly significant improvements were also reported for self-rated quality of life and cognition. Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and premorbid adjustment were associated with improvement in positive and negative symptoms, respectively. Systemic changes to improve access to the service resulted in substantial increases in number of cases treated and a < 50% decline in DUP. Conclusions: Phase-specific treatment approach and case identification strategies to reduce delay in treatment are likely to substantially improve outcome in nonaffective psychotic disorders compared with what has been reported with traditional approaches.
First molecular identification of Entamoeba moshkovskii in Malaysia

SUMMARY Entamoeba moshkovskii and Entamoeba dispar are microscopically indistinguishable from the pathogenic species Entamoeba histolytica. Although sporadic cases of human infection with E. moshkovskii have been reported, the amoeba is still considered primarily as a free-living amoeba. A cross-sectional study was carried out among Orang Asli communities in 3 different states of Peninsular Malaysia. Fecal samples were examined by formalin-ether sedimentation and trichrome staining techniques and then single-round PCR assay was used to detect E. moshkovskii. Out of 500 fecal samples examined microscopically, 93 (18·6%) samples were positive for E. histolytica/E. dispar/E. moshkovskii complex cysts and/or trophozoites. PCR products were detected in 106 fecal samples. E. moshkovskii isolates were detected in 13 (12·3%) fecal samples. Of the 13 E. moshkovskii-positive samples, 5 were of single isolation of E. moshkovskii, 6 were also positive for E. dispar, and only 2 samples were positive for E. dispar and E. histolytica. Moreover, 3 E. moshkovskii-positive samples were collected from symptomatic individuals while the remaining 10 samples were from asymptomatic subjects. This is the first report on the identification of E. moshkovskii in Malaysia. Further studies are needed to confirm the pathogenicity of E. moshkovskii infection and determine the epidemiology among Orang Asli communities in Malaysia.
Simulation of the Performance of Graphene FETs With a Semiclassical Model, Including Band-to-Band Tunneling

We assess the analog/RF intrinsic performance of graphene FETs (GFETs) through a semiclassical transport model, including local and remote phonon scattering as well as band-to-band tunneling generation and recombination, validated by comparison with full quantum results over a wide range of bias voltages. We found that scaling is expected to improve the fT, and that scattering plays a role in reducing both the fT and the transconductance also in sub-100-nm GFETs. Moreover, we observed a strong degradation of the device performance due to the series resistances and source/drain to channel underlaps.
Use of sulodexide in patients with peripheral vascular disease

Sulodexide is a highly purified glycosaminoglycan containing a combination of heparan sulfate with affinity for antithrombin III and dermatan sulfate with affinity for heparin cofactor II. This antithrombotic and antithrombin activity is of great pharmacologic interest and makes sulodexide a suitable drug for the prophylaxis and treatment of arterial and venous peripheral diseases. In arterial pathology, changes in the Winsor Index, improvement in peripheral blood flow, and reduction in pain-free walking distance confirm that treatment with oral sulodexide is effective. Lipid components linked to the genesis of peripheral vascular processes, including triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein fractions, as well as plasma and blood viscosity, are reduced by the administration of sulodexide, whereas the high-density lipoprotein fraction increases. Sulodexide inhibits aggregation and adhesion of platelets at the level of the vascular wall, reduces plasma fibrinogen concentrations, reduces plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and increases tissue plasminogen activator, as well as systemic fibrinolytic and thrombolytic activity, thereby demonstrating efficacy in the treatment of thromboembolic disease. There is no interaction between sulodexide and other drugs used as long-term treatment for peripheral vascular disease. It is well tolerated, and the adverse reactions described after oral administration are related mainly to transient gastrointestinal intolerance, ie, nausea, dyspepsia, and minor bowel symptoms. Sulodexide may become the treatment of choice when dealing with vascular diseases and their complications, as well as for the prevention of venous thromboembolic disease, being particularly indicated in elderly patients, due to its good tolerability and ease of management.
Ozone therapy for the treatment of dental caries.

BACKGROUND Dental caries is a bacterially mediated disease characterised by demineralisation of the tooth surface, which may lead to cavitation, discomfort, pain and eventual tooth loss. Ozone is toxic to certain bacteria in vitro and it has been suggested that delivering ozone into a carious lesion might reduce the number of cariogenic bacteria. This possibly could arrest the progress of the lesion and may, in the presence of fluoride, perhaps allow remineralisation to occur. This may in turn delay or prevent the need for traditional dental conservation by 'drilling and filling'. OBJECTIVES To assess whether ozone is effective in arresting or reversing the progression of dental caries. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 7 November 2003); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2003); MEDLINE and PREMEDLINE (OVID, 1966 to November 2003); EMBASE (OVID, 1980 to November 2003); CINAHL (OVID, 1982 to November 2003); AMED (OVID, 1985 to November 2003). Quintessence was handsearched through 2002 and KaVo were contacted as manufacturers of the HealOzone apparatus for any additional published or unpublished trials. SELECTION CRITERIA Inclusion was assessed independently by at least two reviewers. Trials were only included if they met the following criteria: randomisation in a controlled trial; single surface in vivo carious lesion accessible to ozone application; clear allocation concealment; ozone application to the lesions in the intervention group; no such application of ozone in the control group; outcomes measured after at least 6 months. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Reviewers independently extracted information in duplicate. A paucity of comparable data did not allow meta-analytic pooling of the included studies. MAIN RESULTS Three trials were included, with a combined total of 432 randomised lesions (137 participants). Forty-two conference papers, abstracts and posters were excluded (from an unknown number of studies). The risk of bias in all studies appeared high. The analyses of all three studies were conducted at the level of the lesion, which is not independent of the person, for this reason pooling of data was not appropriate or attempted. Individual studies showed inconsistent effects of ozone on caries, across different measures of caries progression or regression. Few secondary outcomes were reported, but one trial reported an absence of adverse events. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS Given the high risk of bias in the available studies and lack of consistency between different outcome measures, there is no reliable evidence that application of ozone gas to the surface of decayed teeth stops or reverses the decay process. There is a fundamental need for more evidence of appropriate rigour and quality before the use of ozone can be accepted into mainstream primary dental care or can be considered a viable alternative to current methods for the management and treatment of dental caries.
How well are corporate ethics codes and policies applied in the trenches? Key factors and conditions

Assesses the extent to which organizational ethics codes, credos and policies are implemented by managers and supervisors in their work. Further identifies and assesses the principal factors that determined the level of consonance between stated ethical policies and values, and their actual practice. Supports and extends previous observations that simply having ethical codes and policies does not guarantee ethical practices throughout the organization. To become a genuinely ethical organization – an important success factor in today's environment – a comprehensive approach and investment in ethical safeguards is needed and should be regarded as a dimension of decision making alongside quality standards, performance, profitability and other strategic considerations.
Responding to Voters or Responding to Markets? Political Parties and Public Opinion in an Era of Globalization

Conventional wisdom has it that political parties have incentives to respond to public opinion. It is also conventional wisdom that in open economies, policymakers must also “respond” to markets. Research on representation has provided ample evidence in support of the first claim. Research on the political economy of globalization has not, however, provided evidence for the second. This article examines the effects of globalization on how parties respond to voters. We argue that while elections motivate parties to respond to public sentiment, economic interdependence distracts political elites from their electorates and toward market actors, reducing party responsiveness to the mean voter. Evidence from a pair of distinct data sources spanning elections in twenty advanced capitalist democracies from the 1970s to 2010 shows that while parties have incentives to respond to left-right shifts in the mean voter position, they only do so when the national economy is sufficiently sheltered from the world economy. These findings have implications for party strategies, for representation, and for the broader effects of market integration.
Herschel observations of Hickson compact groups of galaxies: Unveiling the properties of cold dust

We present a Herschel far-infrared and sub-millimetre (sub-mm) study of a sample of 120 galaxies in 28 Hickson compact groups (HCGs). Fitting their UV to sub-mm spectral energy distributions with the model of da Cunha et al. (2008), we accurately estimate the dust masses, luminosities, and temperatures of the individual galaxies. We find that nearly half of the late-type galaxies in dynamically “old” groups, those with more than 25% of early-type members and redder UV-optical colours, also have significantly lower dust-to-stellar mass ratios compared to those of actively star-forming galaxies of the same mass found both in HCGs and in the field. Examining their dust-to-gas mass ratios, we conclude that dust was stripped out of these systems as a result of the gravitational and hydrodynamic interactions, experienced owing to previous encounters with other group members. About 40% of the early-type galaxies (mostly lenticulars), in dynamically “old” groups, display dust properties similar to those of the UV-optical red late-type galaxies. Given their stellar masses, star formation rates, and UV-optical colours, we suggest that red late-type and dusty lenticular galaxies represent transition populations between blue star-forming disk galaxies and quiescent early-type ellipticals. On the other hand, both the complete absence of any correlation between the dust and stellar masses of the dusty ellipticals and their enhanced star formation activity, suggest the increase in their gas and dust content due to accretion and merging. Our deep Herschel observations also allow us to detect the presence of diffuse cold intragroup dust in 4 HCGs. We also find that the fraction of 250 μm emission that is located outside of the main bodies of both the red late-type galaxies and the dusty lenticulars is 15−20% of their integrated emission at this band. All these findings are consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which gas dissipation, shocks, and turbulence, in addition to tidal interactions, shape the evolution of galaxies in compact groups.
A Comparison of Epidural Levobupivacaine 0.75% with Racemic Bupivacaine for Lower Abdominal Surgery

Levobupivacaine, the S(−) isomer of bupivacaine, is less cardiotoxic than racemic bupivacaine. In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study of epidural anesthesia, the onset, extent, and duration of sensory and motor block produced by 0.75% levobupivacaine (20 mL, 150 mg) was compared with that of 0.75% racemic bupivacaine in 56 patients undergoing elective lower abdominal surgery. The time to onset of adequate sensory block (T10 dermatome) was similar in both treatment groups (13.6 ± 5.6 min for levobupivacaine and 14.0 ± 9.9 min for bupivacaine), with an average peak block height of T5 reached at 24.3 ± 9.4 and 26.5 ± 13.2 min, respectively. Time to complete regression of sensory block was significantly longer with levobupivacaine (550.6 ± 87.6 min) than bupivacaine (505.9 ± 71.1 min) (P = 0.016). Abdominal muscle relaxation was adequate for the scheduled procedure in all patients, and there were no significant differences between the groups in rectus abdominis muscle scores (P = 0.386) and quality of muscle relaxation as determined by the surgeon and anesthesiologist (P = 0.505 and 0.074, respectively). In conclusion, both 0.75% levobupivacaine and 0.75% bupivacaine produced effective epidural anesthesia and their effects were clinically indistinguishable. Implications: The results of this study indicate that the sensory and motor block produced by 0.75% levobupivacaine is equivalent to that of 0.75% racemic bupivacaine. Both local anesthetics are well tolerated and effective in producing epidural anesthesia for patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery.
Conclusions: chronic pain studies of lidocaine patch 5% using the Neuropathic Pain Scale

SUMMARY Many chronic pain patients have multiple etiologies for their pain, and accurate characterization of pain qualities and pain relief is essential for managing their pain. The ability to utilize a validated tool for assessing pain qualities and for identifying unique analgesic therapy effects on different pain qualities may assist clinicians in devising an appropriate treatment regimen. The Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS) is a novel pain metric for characterizing pain in 10 dimensions. The ability to differentiate among pain qualities for each patient may result in a more refined and effective choice of therapy. The three research articles in this Supplement demonstrate the utility of the NPS in chronic pain patients treated with the lidocaine patch 5%, a peripherally acting medication that is not associated with systemic accumulation of the active drug1–3. Significant reduction in the intensity of commonly reported pain qualities in patients with neuropathic and non-neuropathic chronic pain due to low-back pain, osteoarthritis, post-herpetic neuralgia, and painful diabetic neuropathy were achieved. The NPS offers clinicians a reliable means to accurately identify pain qualities associated with each individual patient and to target and assess the efficacy of various therapeutic options on those pain components. Utilizing the NPS, the lidocaine patch 5% was effective in treating chronic pain of both neuropathic and non-neuropathic origins suggesting that a given treatment's effect on various pain qualities may be consistent across pain types.
Concurrent analysis: validation of the domains within the Birth Satisfaction Scale

Background and aim: Measuring women’s satisfaction with their birth experience has been problematic. Recently, an attempt has been made to capture birth satisfaction’s generalised meaning and incorporate it into an evidenced-based tool. Standard procedures for validation have limitations. Qualitative techniques such as domain analysis offer an alternative and assist in better understanding the importance of each item. This article examines the parsimony of the Birth Satisfaction Scale (BSS), which is a 30-item questionnaire designed to measure satisfaction with childbirth, with women’s actual experience of childbirth. Methods: Primary free text data collected from 207 women who originally tested the BSS was concurrently analysed with first-hand accounts of birth satisfaction collected from 19 qualitative papers. Results: The domain analysis confirmed three explanatory items within the BSS: ‘being in control’, ‘things going as planned’, and ‘being supported’. Conclusions: The BSS accounts for all the analysed data, suggesting it is a robust measure of satisfaction in childbirth. Strengths and limitations of the method are discussed, as are implications for practice. With further development, the instrument could be used to establish correlates with other psychometric measures, i.e. self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, locus of control and bonding; and evaluate models or care systems as a standalone instrument, or as a screening test prior to detailed qualitative work.
Perilipins 2 and 3 lack a carboxy-terminal domain present in perilipin 1 involved in sequestering ABHD5 and suppressing basal lipolysis

Significance Lipolysis refers to the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol stored within lipid droplets. It is an essential step in the catabolism of triacylglycerol in all cells. Within adipocytes, the regulation is highly dynamic, whereas in other cell types basal lipolytic flux is less effectively suppressed and lipolysis is not as dramatically stimulated. These differences reflect the obviously different functions of adipose tissue, the body’s principle energy store, compared with other sites such as the liver or skeletal muscle, where lipids may be exported within lipoproteins or oxidized. Our data suggest that the molecular differences between perilipins1, 2, and 3 can largely account for these functional differences and thus provide a plausible hypothesis for their preservation in evolution. Lipid droplets (LDs) are a conserved feature of most organisms. Vertebrate adipocytes have evolved to efficiently store and release lipids for the whole organism from a single droplet. Perilipin 1, the most abundant lipid-coat protein in adipocytes, plays a key role in regulating lipolysis. In other tissues such as liver and muscle, LDs serve very different biological functions, buffering surplus lipids for subsequent oxidation or export. These tissues express perilipins 2 or 3, rather than perilipin 1. We sought to understand the role of perilipins 2 and 3 in regulating basal lipolysis. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation studies suggested that whereas perilipin 1 prevents the activation of adipose tissue triacylglycerol lipase by its coactivator, AB-hydrolase domain containing-5 (ABHD5), perilipins 2 and 3 do so less effectively. These differences are mediated by a conserved region within the carboxy terminus of perilipin 1 that binds and stabilizes ABHD5 by retarding its degradation by the proteosome. Chimeric proteins generated by fusing the carboxy terminus of perilipin 1 to the amino terminus of perilipins 2 or 3 stabilize ABHD5 and suppress basal lipolysis more effectively than WT perilipins 2 or 3. Furthermore, knockdown of perilipin 1 in adipocytes leads to replacement of perilipin 2 on LDs. In these cells we observed reduced ABHD5 expression and LD localization and a corresponding increase in basal lipolysis. Collectively these data suggest that whereas perilipin 1 potently suppresses basal lipolysis in adipocytes, perilipins 2 and 3 facilitate higher rates of basal lipolysis in other tissues where constitutive traffic of fatty acids via LDs is a necessary step in their metabolism.
Early Development of Preterm and Full-Term Infants: Exploratory Behavior in Eight-Month-Olds

SIGMAN, MARIAN. Early Development of Preterm and Full-Term Infants: Exploratory Behavior in EightMonth-Olds. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1976, 47, 606-612. Preference for novelty, as measured with an exploratory behavior paradigm, was compared in 8-month-old full-term infants and preterm infants of matched conceptional age. The groups differed in the first 2 minutes following familiarization, with the preterm infants exploring the familiar object for a longer duration and showing less preference for the novel object than the full-term infants. A comparision of high-risk and low-risk preterm infants, with classification based on multiple assessments, revealed a marked difference between groups. Furthermore, female infants explored the novel objects for longer periods than did male infants.
Bronchoprotective effects of leukotriene receptor antagonists in asthma: a meta-analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE Cysteinyl leukotrienes are important proinflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis of asthma. Since bronchial hyperresponsiveness is a noninvasive surrogate marker of asthmatic airway inflammation, we evaluated the bronchoprotection afforded by leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs). DESIGN Systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled trials in which LTRAs were administered for >or= 5 days. Studies in which active drug was administered as a first-line or second-line therapy were used. SETTING MEDLINE, BIDS, and Cochrane Library data registers. MEASUREMENTS The doubling dose/dilution difference that caused a 20% fall in the FEV(1) between LTRA and placebo. RESULTS Thirteen trials (353 subjects) fulfilled eligibility criteria. Combining the results the overall weighted estimated protection amounted to a 0.85 doubling dose shift (95% confidence interval, 0.69 to 1.02). CONCLUSION Since the estimated protection amounted to almost one doubling dose, this reinforces the role of LTRAs as anti-inflammatory therapy in asthma.