Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Imagined International Community: Dominant American Priorities and Agendas in Google News

A crucial aspect of communication rights is the ability to maintain a plurality of political views. This paper examines the biases of online news through the study of Google News, a multilingual interface that pulls articles from thousands of popular online news sources. The popularity of Google News and its global spread make it an influential channel, which can have important implications on the way people perceive the world. Subsequently, this paper analyzes the top news articles in Google News, looking at the most frequent issues, countries and links between countries. Findings indicate that the USA is a dominant actor in most popular news sources, and that both English and non-English online news display US-centric priorities and agendas. While reading popular online news, worldwide users were channeled to view the American military operation in Iraq or the concern of the nuclear potential of Iran and North Korea as the most important international political events. Consequently, it is suggested that Google News and similar services, which aggregate various news sources into one interface and become popular and “authoritative” news channels in themselves, intensify certain perceptions of the World based on the page-ranking mechanism and its popularization of content. A network analysis envisions the relative position and the news-links between states and organizations. It displays the centrality of the USA in English and non-English news. It also reveals the important role of the UN as a central hub that connects many African countries with the rest of the international network. This suggests that international organizations, and particularly the UN and the EU, play an increasingly crucial role in the international network as perceived by popular online news sources, due to their central position and political influence as mediators and connectors between countries.
Nitric oxide donor isosorbide mononitrate for pre‐induction cervical ripening at 41 weeks' gestation: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: Nitric oxide donors have been shown to cause cervical ripening. The aim of this study was to determine whether sustained release isosorbide mononitrate (ISMN‐SR) 60 mg administered vaginally is effective for pre induction cervical ripening at 41 weeks' gestation.
The effect of post-incident discussion on psychological wellbeing and memory integrity

As a consequence of their work, emergency service personnel, such as fire-fighters, police officers and paramedics are frequently exposed to traumatic events. This can result in an elevated risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). To date, studies have indicated that post-trauma early interventions, such as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, offer no benefit to individuals in terms of recovery from trauma-type symptomatology and may even be harmful. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that these procedures may also have negative effects on individuals‘ memory for the event. While research to date has largely examined the efficacy of debriefing procedures as a whole, the present analogue study aimed to investigate what aspects of currently used debriefing procedures may contribute to the negative effects on psychological adjustment and memory integrity observed in the literature. Specifically, the current study examined the effects of differently-focused discussions (emotion, fact, and non-event related) on psychological adjustment and memory integrity, and investigated whether the outcome of these discussions was influenced by the mode of administration (individual, group discussion format). Participants were 177 undergraduate students who viewed a video of a forensic autopsy. Psychological reactions were tested at baseline, immediately after discussions and one week later. Memory for the video was assessed immediately following discussions and one week later. Psychological distress was found to decrease for all participants over time, with no significant differences in symptom recovery between conditions. Although those assigned to the group condition reported fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress across time periods than the individual group, there was no indication that reduced symptomatology was an effect of the intervention, per se. Those who discussed factual information in a group setting incorporated more misinformation into memory; however, these participants reported the most confidence The University of Sydney x in the accuracy of their memories. Overall, these results suggest that, irrespective of the model of administration, post-trauma discussions in which emotional reactions or factual information are reviewed do not facilitate psychological adjustment compared to non-event related discussions. Furthermore, this study provides a greater understanding of the specific aspects of debriefing that may account for misinformation effects. These findings can be used to inform the development of more effective post-trauma interventions in future. The University of Sydney 1
HDAC6 Deacetylates HMGN2 to Regulate Stat5a Activity and Breast Cancer Growth.

Stat5a is a transcription factor utilized by several cytokine/hormone receptor signaling pathways that promotes transcription of genes associated with proliferation, differentiation, and survival of cancer cells. However, there are currently no clinically approved therapies that directly target Stat5a, despite ample evidence that it contributes to breast cancer pathogenesis. Here, deacetylation of the Stat5a coactivator and chromatin-remodeling protein HMGN2 on lysine residue K2 by HDAC6 promotes Stat5a-mediated transcription and breast cancer growth. HDAC6 inhibition both in vitro and in vivo enhances HMGN2 acetylation with a concomitant reduction in Stat5a-mediated signaling, resulting in an inhibition of breast cancer growth. Furthermore, HMGN2 is highly acetylated at K2 in normal human breast tissue, but is deacetylated in primary breast tumors and lymph node metastases, suggesting that targeting HMGN2 deacetylation is a viable treatment for breast cancer. Together, these results reveal a novel mechanism by which HDAC6 activity promotes the transcription of Stat5a target genes and demonstrate utility of HDAC6 inhibition for breast cancer therapy. IMPLICATIONS HMGN2 deacetylation enhances Stat5a transcriptional activity, thereby regulating prolactin-induced gene transcription and breast cancer growth. Mol Cancer Res; 14(10); 994-1008. ©2016 AACR.
Esterified Coconut Coir by Fatty Acid Chloride as Biosorbent in Oil Spill Removal

Coconut coir, an agricultural waste, was chemically modified using esterification by fatty acid chloride (oleoyl chloride and octanoate chloride) for oil spill removal purposes. The modified coir (coir-oleate and coir-octanoate) were characterized by spectroscopy, thermal studies, contact angle, and morphological studies. The modified coir exhibited an enhancement towards the hydrophobic property but a decreased thermal stability. The oil adsorption performance was tested using a batch adsorption system. The effect of sorbent dosage, oil concentration, and effect of adsorption time on the adsorption capacity of the modified coir were also studied. From the analysis, the long chain oleoyl chloride (C18) was shown to be a better modifier compared to octanoate chloride (C8). The isotherm study indicated that the oil adsorption fitted well to a Langmuir model rather than Freundlich model. From the kinetic study, the result revealed a good fit in pseudo-second order model for all samples studied. The study therefore suggests that esterified coconut coir can serve as a potential biomaterial for the adsorption of spilled oil during operational failures.
Monocyte Adhesion and Transmigration Induce Tissue Factor Expression: Role of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

The expression of tissue factor (TF) by monocytes that have transmigrated across the endothelium to sites of extravascular inflammation acts both to focus and amplify the inflammatory response. Because clustering of the integrins responsible for endothelial adhesion and transmigration induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, we postulated that transmigration might lead to monocyte activation and TF production. Monocytes were migrated across TNF&agr;-primed ECV304 cells grown on fibronectin-coated Transwell chambers in response to FMLP (10−8 M). After transmigration, monocytes showed a time-dependent increase in surface TF expression and biological procoagulant activity. TF expression was dependent on monocyte adhesion to ECV304 cells. Specifically, TF was not induced by FMLP treatment of suspended monocytes, by migration across fibronectin alone, or by soluble factors induced during migration, whereas monocyte-ECV304 adhesion was sufficient to stimulate TF. Antibodies against CD29 (&bgr;1 integrin), but not against CD18 (&bgr;2 integrin) or CD31 (PECAM-1), inhibited TF expression. Monocyte adhesion to ECV304 cells induced tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins and specifically of the ERK and p38 MAP kinases. Tyrosine kinase inhibition with genistein (10 &mgr;g/mL) blocked transmigration, whereas selective ERK inhibition with PD98059 (50 &mgr;M) or p38 inhibition with SB203580 (20 &mgr;M) did not. However, both ERK and p38 inhibition dose dependently abolished TF expression. These studies suggest that an extravascular focus of infection or inflammation can promote both intravascular thrombosis and extravascular fibrin deposition during the process of adhesion and transmigration across the endothelial barrier. The selective inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinases may offer a novel therapeutic means of modulating this inflammatory sequence.
Forming a large disc galaxy from a z < 1 major merger

Using high-resolution SPH simulations in a fully cosmological Λ cold dark matter context, we study the formation of a bright disc-dominated galaxy that originates from a 'wet' major merger at z = 0.8 . The progenitors of the disc galaxy are themselves disc galaxies that formed from early major mergers between galaxies with blue colours. A substantial thin stellar disc grows rapidly following the last major merger and the present-day properties of the final remnant are typical of early-type spiral galaxies, with an i-band bulge-to-disc ratio ~0.65, a disc scalelength of 7.2 kpc, g−r = 0.5 mag , an HI linewidth (W_(20)/2) of 238 km s^(−1) and total magnitude i = −22.4. The key ingredients for the formation of a dominant stellar disc component after a major merger are (i) substantial and rapid accretion of gas through cold flows followed at late times by cooling of gas from the hot phase, (ii) supernova feedback that is able to partially suppress star formation during mergers and (iii) relative fading of the spheroidal component. The gas fraction of the progenitors' discs does not exceed 25 per cent at z < 3 , emphasizing that the continuous supply of gas from the local environment plays a major role in the regrowth of discs and in keeping the galaxies blue. The results of this simulation alleviate the problem posed for the existence of disc galaxies by the high likelihood of interactions and mergers for galaxy-sized haloes at relatively low z.
The tumour spectrum in hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer: A study of 24 kindreds in the netherlands

The hereditary colonic cancer syndrome without polyposis, hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is usually divided into 2 main categories: hereditary site‐specific colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome I) and colorectal cancer in association with other forms of cancer (Lynch syndrome II). One problem associated with Lynch II is the uncertainty as to which types of cancer form part of the hereditary tumour spectrum. The present study was performed to obtain more information about the tumour spectrum of HNPCC. In the 24 HNPCC families studied, 104 patients had colorectal cancer (mean age at diagnosis: 46 years) and in 4 of the families this was the only type of cancer to occur. Sixty‐five extra‐colonic tumours were diagnosed in 20 families. Endometrial carcinoma was found in 16 patients belonging to 12 families. Cancer of the stomach occurred in 10 patients representing 5 families, and mainly in the older generations. Urinary‐tract tumours were found in 8 patients from 4 families. Second primary tumours were diagnosed in 13 of the 16 patients with endometrial cancer, in 4 of the 10 patients with stomach cancer and in 7 of the 8 patients with a urinary‐tract tumour. Many other types of carcinoma were found as well, but less frequently. In our families, the trait appears to be transmitted by patients with cancer of the stomach, endometrium or urinary tract, because some of their children have developed colorectal cancer. The findings suggest that, in these 24 HNPCC families, carcinomas of the endometrium, stomach and urinary tract belong to the hereditary tumour spectrum. Definite assignment of tumours to this spectrum will become possible only after a sensitive and specific biomarker becomes available. The screening programme should depend on which and how many extra‐colonic tumours occur in a family.
Synchronous combined effects of fishing and climate within a demersal community

Antoni Quetglas1*, Francesc Ordines1, Manuel Hidalgo1, Sebastia Monserrat2,3, Susana Ruiz4, Angel Amores3, Joan Moranta1, and Enric Massuti1 Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Centre Oceanografic de les Balears, Moll de Ponent s/n, Apdo. 291, 07015 Palma, Spain CSIC/UIB – Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avancats, Miquel Marques 21, 07190 Esporles, Spain Universitat de les Illes Balears, Departament de Fisica, 07122 Palma, Spain Instituto Espanol de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanografico de Santander, Promontorio de San Martin s/n, Apdo. 240, 39080 Santander, Spain *Corresponding Author: tel: +34-971-401-561; fax: +34-971-404-945; e-mail: toni.quetglas@ba.ieo. es
A Highly Regular and Scalable AES Hardware Architecture

This article presents a highly regular and scalable AES hardware architecture, suited for full-custom as well as for semicustom design flows. Contrary to other publications, a complete architecture (even including CBC mode) that is scalable in terms of throughput and in terms of the used key size is described. Similarities of encryption and decryption are utilized to provide a high level of performance using only a relatively small area (10,799 gate equivalents for the standard configuration). This performance is reached by balancing the combinational paths of the design. No other published AES hardware architecture provides similar balancing or a comparable regularity. Implementations of the fastest configuration of the architecture provide a throughput of 241 Mbits/sec on a 0.6 /spl mu/m CMOS process using standard cells.
Statistics of the product of arbitrary α-μ variates with applications

In this article, the product of three arbitrary, independent and non-identically distributed α-μ random variables is considered. Exact, reasonably simple, closed-form expressions for the probability density and the cumulative distribution functions, as well as the moments of the resulting distribution, are derived. These results find application, for instance, in radar communications, MIMO links, multi-hop systems, and cascaded communications in general. Since the α-μ model includes a number of very important fading environments, the analysis presented here constitutes an useful model to characterize wireless fading channels. As an application of the results, the amount of fading and the outage probability for the corresponding cascaded channel are calculated. It is noteworthy that the resulting formulations compute instantaneously.
Subcellular localization of intracellular protein tyrosine phosphatases in T cells

A high protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity is required to maintain circulating T lymphocytes in a resting phenotype, and to limit the initiation of T cell activation. We report that 15 of the currently known 24 intracellular PTPases are expressed in T cells, namely HePTP, TCPTP, SHP1, SHP2, PEP, PTP‐PEST, PTP‐MEG2, PTEN, PTPH1, PTP‐MEG1, PTP36, PTP‐BAS, LMPTP, PRL‐1 and OV‐1. Most were found in the cytosol and many were enriched at the plasma membrane. Only TCPTP and PTP‐MEG2 had subcellular localizations that essentially excludes them from a direct role in early T cell antigen receptor signaling events. Overexpression of 6 of the PTPases reduced IL‐2 gene activation, 3 of them thereby identified as novel candidates for negative regulators of TCR signaling. Our findings expand the repertoire of PTPases that should be considered for a regulatory role in T cell activation.
Membrane Damage during Listeria monocytogenes Infection Triggers a Caspase-7 Dependent Cytoprotective Response

The cysteine protease caspase-7 has an established role in the execution of apoptotic cell death, but recent findings also suggest involvement of caspase-7 during the host response to microbial infection. Caspase-7 can be cleaved by the inflammatory caspase, caspase-1, and has been implicated in processing and activation of microbial virulence factors. Thus, caspase-7 function during microbial infection may be complex, and its role in infection and immunity has yet to be fully elucidated. Here we demonstrate that caspase-7 is cleaved during cytosolic infection with the intracellular bacterial pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. Cleavage of caspase-7 during L. monocytogenes infection did not require caspase-1 or key adaptors of the primary pathways of innate immune signaling in this infection, ASC, RIP2 and MyD88. Caspase-7 protected infected macrophages against plasma membrane damage attributable to the bacterial pore-forming toxin Listeriolysin O (LLO). LLO-mediated membrane damage could itself trigger caspase-7 cleavage, independently of infection or overt cell death. We also detected caspase-7 cleavage upon treatment with other bacterial pore-forming toxins, but not in response to detergents. Taken together, our results support a model where cleavage of caspase-7 is a consequence of toxin-mediated membrane damage, a common occurrence during infection. We propose that host activation of caspase-7 in response to pore formation represents an adaptive mechanism by which host cells can protect membrane integrity during infection.
Searching for hidden Wolf–Rayet stars in the Galactic plane – 15 new Wolf–Rayet stars

We report the discovery of 15 previously unknown Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars found as part of an infrared (IR) broad-band study of candidate WR stars in the Galaxy. We have derived an empirically based selection algorithm which has selected ∼5000 WR candidate stars located within the Galactic plane drawn from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (mid-IR) and Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (near-IR) catalogues. Spectroscopic follow-up of 184 of these reveals 11 nitrogen-rich (WN) and four carbon-rich (WC) WR stars. Early WC subtypes are absent from our sample and none shows evidence for circumstellar dust emission. Of the candidates which are not WR stars, ∼120 displayed hydrogen emission-line features in their spectra. Spectral features suggest that the majority of these are in fact B supergiants/hypergiants, ∼40 of these are identified Be/B[e] candidates. Here, we present the optical spectra for six of the newly detected WR stars, and the near-IR spectra for the remaining nine of our sample. With a WR yield rate of ∼7 per cent and a massive star detection rate of ∼65 per cent, initial results suggest that this method is one of the most successful means for locating evolved, massive stars in the Galaxy.
The effectiveness of online and on-to-one tutoring in the writing center on the students' achievement: a multiple case study

The Writing Center at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) is a place where students can improve and develop their writing skills by working one-on-one with tutors. This study compares between the progress performance of students who come regularly to the Writing Center to work oneto-one with the same tutor and use the online tutorial services to students who don’t visit the Writing Center, but only depend on the traditional classroom instructions and direct instructor’s comments and feedback on the writing. This study is divided into two parts. As a start, 80 students were asked to write two in-class essays on two different days. Each of these essays was considered as draft one. Then, in the first part of the study, 58 students sat twice per week one-on-one with the same tutor in order to seek help before writing draft two for the two essays. 29 students met face-to-face with the tutors and the other 29 students worked on-line with the tutors. Whereas, the other 22 students were asked to write the second draft of the same two essays without any one-on-one or on-line tutoring sessions. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses were conducted. Main results showed that the students who worked one-on-one and on-line with the same tutors in the Writing Center exhibited noticeable improvement than the students who relied only on the traditional classroom instruction and direct instructor’s feedback on draft one. Moreover, the students who worked on-line with their tutors got the highest scores. The study concluded with recommendations addressed to universities, instructors, and students in order to enhance and motivate students to attend the Writing Center on regular basis.
Corneal sensitivity, ocular surface health and tear film stability after punctal plug therapy of aqueous deficient dry eye.

AIM To evaluate the effect of punctal occlusion using thermosensitive (smart plug) versus silicone plug for management of aqueous deficient dry eye on corneal sensitivity, ocular surface health and tear film stability. METHODS A comparative prospective interventional case study included 45 patients with bilateral severe form of aqueous deficient dry eye. In each patient, the smart plug was inserted in the lower punctum of the right eye which was considered as study group 1 and silicone plug was inserted in the lower punctum of the left eye of the same patient which was considered as study group 2. All patients were subjected to careful history taking and questionnaire for subjective assessment of severity of symptoms. Corneal sensitivity, corneal fluorescein, rose bengal staining, Schirmer's I test, tear film break up time and conjunctival impression cytology were performed pre and 1, 3 and 6mo post plug insertion. RESULTS A statistically significant improvement in subjective and objective manifestations occurred following treatment with both types of plugs (P<0.01). The thermosensitive plug caused significant overall improvement, decrease in frequency of application of tear substitutes and improvement of conjunctival impression cytology parameters in the inserted side (P<0.01). Canaliculitis was reported in two eyes (4.4%) following punctal occlusion using thermosensitive plug (study group 1). Spontaneous plug loss occurred in 21 eyes (46.6%) in the silicone plug group (study group 2). CONCLUSION Improvement of subjective and objective manifestations of aqueous deficient dry eye occurs following punctal plug occlusion. Thermosensitive plug has good patient's compliance with fewer complications and lower rates of loss compared to the silicone plug.