Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RETRACTED ARTICLE: A prospective randomized trial comparing Foley catheter, oxytocin, and combination Foley catheter-oxytocin for labour induction with unfavourable cervix

We, the Editor and Publisher of Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, have retracted the following article: Nabih I. El Khouly (2017) A prospective randomised trial comparing Foley catheter, oxytocin, and combination Foley catheter-oxytocin for labour induction with unfavourable cervix, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 37:3, 309-314, DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2016. 1239075 Since publication, significant concerns have been raised about the validity of the statistical analysis and reliability of the reported results in the article. When approached for an explanation, the author fully cooperated with the investigation and provided responses to our queries. However, the responses provided did not sufficiently address the concerns raised and the author was unable to provide the study’s original data for review. As the published article includes inaccuracies in the statistical analysis and reporting, and the journal has been unable to evaluate the raw data, we are therefore retracting the article. The author does not agree with the retraction. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.
Taking Real Wage Rigidities Seriously: Implications for Optimal Policy Design in a Currency Union

This paper analyzes optimal monetary and fiscal policy in a monetary union from a union-wide perspective, using a multi-country New Keynesian business-cycle model with rigid real wages. Fiscal policy is implemented at the country level through decisions regarding government spending, while the monetary authority sets a common nominal interest rate. It is found that in the presence of country-specific shocks as well as symmetric shocks, there is a country-level trade-off between stabilizing inflation and the output gap. After a union-wide shock, the common monetary authority also faces a trade-off. If shocks are symmetric, the optimal union-wide policy requires that the common central bank conduct a countercyclical policy, allowing for more relative inflation volatility than the amount actually allowed by the ECB. The role of policies is reversed at the domestic level, where the government stabilizes the economy via a countercyclical policy, regardless of whether shocks are symmetric.
An examination of the effects of partitioned country of origin on consumer product quality perceptions

This paper deals with the effects of partitioned country‐of‐origin associations on consumer product quality evaluations. The main objective of this research is to examine the cognitive processes by which country‐of‐origin information influences the consumer's evaluation of a product. To study the psychological process by which the country‐of‐origin associations are integrated in the formation of related behavioural deliberation, a hypothetical structural model was developed. The model contains seven theoretical constructs, i.e. country of design, perceived product sophistication, country of assembly, perceived manufacturing excellence, country of parts, perceived product quality and perceived product design. Data were analysed via structural equation models using Analysis of MOment Structures (AMOS) 5.0. Results show that countries that already have positioned themselves around a reputation for technological innovation related to product development and manufacturing may expect consumers to transfer those associations to new products from the country.
Levels of HIV RNA are quantitatively related to prior weight loss in HIV-associated wasting.

Thirty-three patients referred to a wasting clinic were evaluated to assess whether levels of HIV RNA were related to the magnitude of prior weight loss. Their median RNA level was 46,887 gene copies/ml (range, <200-510,070 gene copies/ml) at the time of referral. Patients had lost 10.5 +/- 6.4 kg over 461 +/- 304 days. RNA levels were correlated with the absolute amount and percentage of weight lost as well as the difference in body mass index (BMI) at the prior maximal and minimal recorded weights (r = 0.7, 0.67, 0.69; p = .0001 for the comparisons). The magnitude of these changes increased across strata of HIV RNA levels (p < or = .004), previously defined as associated with increasing risk for disease progression. The other parameter that could be associated with weight loss was the CD4 lymphocyte count (r = -0.43; p = .01). Low levels of testosterone and measures of body cell mass, fat free mass, or fat mass within 6 weeks of the RNA level could not be related to weight loss, change in BMI, or RNA levels. Thirty-two of the patients had chronic, relentless weight loss; in 15 of these subjects, no apparent secondary opportunistic complications were associated with weight loss or gastrointestinal symptoms to impair energy intake. Levels of HIV replication appear to be causally related to the magnitude of weight loss in some patients with wasting.
Detection of Water Vapor in the Thermal Spectrum of the Non-transiting Hot Jupiter Upsilon Andromedae b

The Upsilon Andromedae system was the first multi-planet system discovered orbiting a main-sequence star. We describe the detection of water vapor in the atmosphere of the innermost non-transiting gas giant ups And b by treating the star–planet system as a spectroscopic binary with high-resolution, ground-based spectroscopy. We resolve the signal of the planet’s motion and break the mass-inclination degeneracy for this non-transiting planet via deep combined flux observations of the star and the planet. In total, seven epochs of Keck NIRSPEC L band observations, three epochs of Keck NIRSPEC short-wavelength K band observations, and three epochs of Keck NIRSPEC long wavelength K band observations of the ups And system were obtained. We perform a multi-epoch cross-correlation of the full data set with an atmospheric model. We measure the radial projection of the Keplerian velocity (KP = 55 ± 9 km s−1), true mass ( MJ), and orbital inclination (ib 24° ± 4°), and determine that the planet’s opacity structure is dominated by water vapor at the probed wavelengths. Dynamical simulations of the planets in the ups And system with these orbital elements for ups And b show that stable, long-term (100 Myr) orbital configurations exist. These measurements will inform future studies of the stability and evolution of the ups And system, as well as the atmospheric structure and composition of the hot Jupiter.
Aspects of neonatal metabolism of trace metals

The metabolism of zinc, copper and manganese in the newborn changes to that of an adult during early infancy. It is not clear if this transition occurs at the same rate for each element. These changing metabolic patterns make it difficult to establish dietary reference values for infants and, consequently, it is equally hard to establish the ideal composition for infant formulae. The trace mineral content of breast milk is not an appropriate model because of its different protein content and disposition of minerals compared with formulae based on other proteins. Furthermore, the mineral content of breast milk changes throughout lactation. Understanding the significance of these changes in the metabolism of trace metals during infancy and those in breast milk composition is clearly important to improving infant nutrition. In this overview the neonatal metabolism of copper, zinc and manganese is outlined.
Linear IgA Disease: Successful Application of Immunoadsorption and Review of the Literature

Linear IgA disease (LAD) is an autoimmune subepidermal blistering disorder characterized by IgA autoantibodies at the dermal-epidermal junction. Conventional first-line treatments include dapsone with or without oral glucocorticosteroids. Various other therapeutic approaches have been used in refractory patients. Immunoadsorption (IA) has been previously successfully applied in severe and/or otherwise treatment-resistant IgG-mediated immunobullous disorders. Here, we report a patient with a severe generalized LAD in whom adjuvant tryptophan IA was associated with rapid healing of skin lesions. Our observation suggests that IA may also be a helpful adjuvant treatment option for severe LAD.
Knowledge Acquisition and Performance of International Joint Ventures in the Transition Economy of Vietnam

From a knowledge-based perspective, the authors develop a model that proposes (1) that certain international joint venture characteristics influence the joint venture's knowledge acquisition from its foreign parent and (2) that the amount of knowledge acquired affects venture performance. The authors test the model in Vietnam and find that parental conflict, commitment, and receptivity affect knowledge acquisition. As they hypothesize, the amount of knowledge acquired contributes significantly to venture performance.
Positional Embeddedness in a Community Source Software Development Project Network: The Importance of Relationship Intensity

This study examines those job and relationship characteristics that explain the positional embeddedness of individuals working in a multi‐organization project network. The analysis focuses differentially on three levels of relationship intensiveness: communication, coordination, and collaboration. Data were collected on the work relationships of 46 technical and administrative personnel involved in the Kuali Financial System, a community source software development project involving 12 organizations, 10 of which were colleges and universities, spread across the United States. Results were generally supportive of the hypotheses. Specifically, positional embeddedness was explained by characteristics of the project worker including the task performed, time spent on the task, and influence, as well as the ease of access to others. There was, however, little consistency in the explanatory power of these factors when comparing across levels of relationship intensity. Findings have implications for design of complex research and development projects that involve interactions across multiple organizations.
A Noniterative Method to Estimate Load Carrying Capability of Generating Units in a Renewable Energy Rich Power Grid

It is important to estimate the contribution of renewable generation units in the evaluation of system generation adequacy for power generation planning taking into account the demand and renewable generation correlation and uncertainty. The effective load carrying capability (ELCC) is usually used for this purpose. In this paper, a noniterative analytical method is proposed for estimating the peak load carrying capability (PLCC) and ELCC of conventional and renewable generation units. The proposed method is verified using the IEEE RTS and an electricity network in New South Wales, Australia, and the results are compared with other estimation methods. The results show that the correlation between demand and renewable generation influences the ELCC of a renewable generation unit-the higher the correlation, the higher the ELCC, and vice versa. The main contribution of this paper is the development of an analytical noniterative and computationally efficient technique, which accounts for the correlation between demand and available renewable generation.
MRI detection of weak magnetic fields due to an extended current dipole in a conducting sphere: A model for direct detection of neuronal currents in the brain

To investigate the feasibility of direct MR detection of neuronal activity in the brain, neuronal current flow was modeled as an extended current dipole located in a conducting sphere. The spatially varying magnetic field induced within the sphere by such a dipole was calculated, including its form close to and within the current source. The predicted field variation was experimentally verified by measurements of the variation in phase of the MR signal in a sphere containing a model dipole. The effects of the calculated magnetic field distributions on the phase and magnitude of the signal in MR images were explored. The minimum detectable dipole strength under normal experimental conditions was calculated to be about 4.5 nAm, which is similar in magnitude to dipole strengths from evoked neuronal activity, and is an order of magnitude smaller than dipole strengths expected from spontaneous activity. This minimum detectable dipole strength increases with increasing spatial extent of the primary current distribution. In the experimental work, the effects of a field of [1.1 ± 0.5] × 10–10 T strength were detected, corresponding to the maximum net field caused by a dipole of 6.3 nAm strength with a spatial extent of 3 × 3 × 2 mm3. Magn Reson Med 50:40–49, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Board Structure, Ownership, and Voluntary Disclosure in Ireland

This is a cross-sectional study of the relation between corporate governance and voluntary disclosure in Ireland. We report clear evidence that voluntary disclosure increases with the number of nonexecutive directors on the board. Firms that have a nonexecutive chairman make greater voluntary disclosures than other firms. This finding is not robust to the inclusion of other explanatory variables. We find no evidence that ownership structure is related to voluntary disclosure. The results regarding nonexecutive directors are interpreted as independent boards facilitating a reduction in information asymmetry between owners and managers. While this supports the predictions of agency theory, the absence of evidence that ownership structure influences voluntary disclosure does not. It is posited that sociological and organizational factors (e.g., informal networking) that pervade the Irish market mitigate against our disclosure measure capturing all aspects of voluntary disclosure. Furthermore, indirect evidence is provided that there are other costs and benefits to disclosure that vary across firms and may outweigh agency costs in many situations. We conclude that while agency theory has some explanatory power for voluntary disclosure, it cannot explain all the cross-sectional differences in voluntary disclosure by Irish public limited companies. The results support the attention paid by regulators to the proportion of nonexecutive directors on the board. However, the costs and benefits to disclosure vary across firms. Regardless of agency considerations and regulatory guidelines, firms will ultimately formulate their disclosure policy with reference to overall marginal costs and marginal benefits.
Deglycosylation-dependent fluorescent proteins provide unique tools for the study of ER-associated degradation

Endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ERAD) is a constitutive process that identifies misfolded proteins in the ER and shuttles them to the cytosol, where they can be degraded by the proteasome. The accumulation of misfolded proteins can be catastrophic at both the cellular and organismal level. Although the players involved and mechanistic details of ERAD are being characterized, much remains to be learned. Because of the complexity of the pathway, experimental studies generally require labor-intensive biochemical techniques. Here, we report the development of a system to analyze ERAD based on mutants of split or intact Venus fluorescent protein for which fluorescence depends on enzymatic deglycosylation. We have generated variants that only become fluorescent when they are first glycosylated in the ER and subsequently deglycosylated after retrotranslocation into the cytosol. The E3 ubiquitin ligase HMG-coA reductase degradation 1 homolog (Hrd1) and, consistent with the demonstrated glycosylation/deglycosylation requirement, the cytosolic deglycosylating enzyme peptide:N′glycanase are both required for fluorescence. Furthermore, although these deglycosylation-dependent fluorescent proteins are themselves ERAD substrates, they can also be fused to additional ERAD substrates to interrogate substrate-specific pathways. To validate the system we performed a genomewide siRNA screen that successfully identified known ERAD factors such as Hrd1; homocysteine-inducible, endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducible, ubiquitin-like domain member 1 (HERP); sel-1 suppressor of lin-12-like (SEL1L); and p97. These tools should greatly facilitate the identification of ERAD components and investigation of the mechanisms involved in this critical pathway.
Does Local Market Correlation Matter for Ownership Structure and Control Rights?

We consider a general-equilibrium Capital Asset Pricing Model economy where the expected returns for controlling and non-controlling shareholders are different because the first can divert part of the profits. We show that local market correlation (the correlation between the returns of the risky assets) matters in determining ownership structure and control rights because it affects the loss from foregone diversification opportunities arising from concentrated ownership and the level of control benefits that non-controlling investors are willing to tolerate to achieve diversification. The empirical analysis support the model's conclusions. In particular our empirical findings on a group of countries are: ownership is more concentrated the higher is local market correlation; firm size and per capita income are higher the lower is local market correlation and control rights are affected by local market correlation.
Orientation of the lateral semicircular canal in Xenarthra and its links with head posture and phylogeny

The orientation of the semicircular canals of the inner ear in the skull of vertebrates is one of the determinants of the capacity of this system to detect a given rotational movement of the head. Past functional studies on the spatial orientation of the semicircular canals essentially focused on the lateral semicircular canal (LSC), which is supposedly held close to horizontal during rest and/or alert behaviors. However, they generally investigated this feature in only a few and distantly related taxa. Based on 3D‐models reconstructed from µCT‐scans of skulls, we examined the diversity of orientations of the LSC within one of the four major clades of placental mammals, that is, the superorder Xenarthra, with a data set that includes almost all extant genera and two extinct taxa. We observed a wide diversity of LSC orientations relative to the basicranium at both intraspecific and interspecific scales. The estimated phylogenetic imprint on the orientation of the LSC was significant but rather low within the superorder, though some phylogenetic conservatism was detected for armadillos that were characterized by a strongly tilted LSC. A convergence between extant suspensory sloths was also detected, both genera showing a weakly tilted LSC. Our preliminary analysis of usual head posture in extant xenarthrans based on photographs of living animals further revealed that the LSC orientation in armadillos is congruent with a strongly nose‐down head posture. It also portrayed a more complex situation for sloths and anteaters. Finally, we also demonstrate that the conformation of the cranial vault and nuchal crests as well as the orientation of the posterior part of the petrosal may covary with the LSC orientation in Xenarthra. Possible inferences for the head postures of extinct xenarthrans such as giant ground sloths are discussed in the light of these results.
Solving function distribution and behavior design problem for cooperative object handling by multiple mobile robots

This paper addresses the function distribution and behavior design problem for a multirobot system which incorporates a behavior-based dynamic cooperation strategy for object handling. The proposed multiple robot system is composed of a managing robot and homogeneous behavior-based robots. The cooperation strategy in this system is realized in two steps: designing the distributed robot's cooperative behavioral attributes according to the robot's abilities, and organizing these behavioral attributes so that team cooperation is realized. For indicating an incremental style of local behavior construction, an advanced design of cooperative behavior for coping with unknown disturbance is addressed. Additionally, two extended cooperation strategies designed for a path tracking task are described. These three strategies are based on the same concept on performing manipulation in coordination. Therefore, by considering the function distribution among the managing robot and worker robots, and considering behavior design of each worker robot, the proposed system is able to achieve the object handling task with different performances according to the task requirement, such as with or without path tracking and with or without contact with the environment. Experimental results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed system.
Living with dementia in New Zealand: an action research study

The aim of this study was to undertake a systematic inquiry into the question of how people who live with dementia in the community can be supported to engage in daily activities. It is well known that dementia affects functional abilities yet little research has been done to produce an in-depth description, from people who have dementia and their family/whānau, of the inherent difficulties encountered with functioning on a day to day basis in the community, when living with dementia. In a quest for greater understanding, action research, underpinned by critical hermeneutics, brought together action and reflection, theory and practice to generate knowledge that can be used to further inform action. Described as informed committed action, the aim of action research is to act in the world, to practice and to do rather than simply engage in discourse. International trends call for inclusion, and research indicates that people with dementia have an important role to play in identifying their own support needs. Consequently, eleven people with mild to moderate dementia and eleven family/whānau members were recruited to engage in dialogue with the researcher, to enter into discourse with each other in focus groups, and to engage in action on their own behalf. Data were gathered by interviews and observations in participants‟ homes and community settings over four years. Data collection and analysis were reciprocally integrated, and the participants engaged in the production of knowledge. The process of critical hermeneutic data analysis had three stages, each of which was informed sequentially by Lewin‟s (1948) cyclic process of action i.e. observe, reflect, act, evaluate, and modify. In this way actions were grounded in and evaluated throughout the research process. Coded data generated categories. The adequacy of the categories was evaluated to clarify emerging understandings. Further actions were then modified to enhance understandings. Three interacting themes emerged from the process of analysis: The nature of being in the world with dementia, Difference, and Prejudice and power. People with dementia and their family/whānau are keen to challenge the disease process, they can and do problem solve and use their initiative. However, the findings reveal a constant tension between ways of