Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Civil Society and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Ambiguities of International Programmes Aimed at Building ‘New’ Societies

This article offers a critical analysis of aid programmes aimed at supporting local civil societies in post-conflict peacebuilding (PCPB). Such programmes are often seen to carry the best hopes for a genuine democratic counterweight to existing power-brokers and to hold the key to the building of a ‘new’ society. But, in their interventions, outsiders tend to forget the large diversity of local civil societies, creating many counter-effects in the way international programmes purport to support or empower local people. The resulting consequences affect the ways in which international and local actors interact in post-conflict contexts and, accordingly, the ways in which actual ‘civil society’ may contribute to PCPB. A close analysis of these elements reveals larger political ambiguities present in PCPB strategies and actions. The article ends with a series of recommendations to support a better understanding and acknowledgment of local processes and resources in any aid programme, as well as greater accountability on the part of outsiders.
Concordance of gene genealogies reveals reproductive isolation in the pathogenic fungus Coccidioides immitis

Simple cladogenetic theory suggests that gene genealogies can be used to detect mixis in a population and delineate reproductively isolated groups within sexual taxa. We have taken this approach in a study of Coccidioides immitis , an ascomycete fungus responsible for a recent epidemic of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) in California. To test whether this fungus represents a single sexual species throughout its entire geographic range, we have compared genealogies from fragments of five nuclear genes. The five genealogies show multiple incompatibilities indicative of sex, but also share a branch that partitions the isolates into two reproductively isolated taxa, one centered in California and the other outside California. We conclude that coccidioidomycosis can be caused by two distinct noninterbreeding taxa. This result should aid the future study of the disease and illustrates the utility of the genealogical approach in population genetics.
Review on determining number of Cluster in K-Means Clustering

Clustering is widely used in different field such as biology, psychology, and economics. The result of clustering varies as number of cluster parameter changes hence main challenge of cluster analysis is that the number of clusters or the number of model parameters is seldom known, and it must be determined before clustering. The several clustering algorithm has been proposed. Among them k-means method is a simple and fast clustering technique. We address the problem of cluster number selection by using a k-means approach We can ask end users to provide a number of clusters in advance, but it is not feasible end user requires domain knowledge of each data set. There are many methods available to estimate the number of clusters such as statistical indices, variance based method, Information Theoretic, goodness of fit method etc.The paper explores six different approaches to determine the right number of clusters in a dataset
Role of hypothalamic-renal noradrenergic systems in hypotensive action of potassium.

To clarify the role of the renal and hypothalamic noradrenergic systems in the antihypertensive actions of dietary potassium supplementation in salt-loaded spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), we measured systolic blood pressure and norepinephrine turnover, which was determined from the rate of decline of tissue norepinephrine concentration after the administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, in 5-week-old SHR or age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats eating normal-NaCl (0.66%) or high-NaCl (8%) diet with supplementation of 8% KCl. In WKY rats, neither high-sodium nor high-potassium diets had an effect on blood pressure with no change in renal or hypothalamic norepinephrine turnover. In SHR, however, salt loading accelerated the development of hypertension. Potassium supplementation did not affect blood pressure in normal-sodium SHR but attenuated the rise in blood pressure with salt loads. Correspondingly, renal norepinephrine turnover in SHR was increased compared with that of WKY rats, and salt loading further potentiated the increased turnover in the kidney; however, no changes in hypothalamic turnover occurred. Potassium supplementation attenuated the rise in blood pressure with salt loads and the increased renal turnover. Stimulation of sympathetic discharge by cold exposure after the administration of alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine produced marked depletion of norepinephrine in most tissues. The loss of norepinephrine was significantly greater in both kidney and hypothalamus of salt-loaded SHR than in those of normal-sodium SHR, but potassium could normalize this. Thus, potassium not only diminished the increased renal norepinephrine turnover in the kidney under normal conditions but also attenuated the augmented renal and hypothalamic norepinephrine turnover by cold stress in salt-loaded SHR. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adenosine Receptor mRNA Expression in Normal and Failing Minipig Hearts

Chronic heart failure (HF) is associated with increased systemic (plasma) and reduced local (myocardial) adenosine levels. The final biological action of adenosine in a particular organ or cell population may depend on the relative degree of expression and signaling efficiency of individual adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes. The aim of this study was to determine the myocardial expression of ARs, in the different chambers of failing versus normal minipig hearts. Cardiac tissue was collected from minipigs without (n = 5) and with HF (n = 5). ARs, adenosine deaminase, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA expression were evaluated by real time-polymerase chain reaction. ARs were expressed in all cardiac regions. After 3 weeks of pacing, the only significant change was observed in A2BR mRNA expression in the left ventricle (P = 0.02), with a similar trend for A3R, A2AR, and A1R. A trend toward higher expression of mRNA adenosine deaminase in the myocardium of pigs with HF was observed. TNF-α mRNA expression was higher after HF in all cardiac chambers (left ventricle: P = 0.009), and a significant correlation was observed between TNF-α and A2BR (r = 0.80, P < 0.0001). In this study, A2BR mRNA resulted in being overexpressed in the left ventricle of pigs with HF as well as TNF-α expression possibly testifying a link between AR expression, inflammation, and HF.
The Effectiveness of "Teach for America" and Other Under-certified Teachers

The academic achievements of students taught by under-certified primary school teachers were compared to the academic achievements of students taught by regularly certified primary school teachers. This sample of under-certified teachers included three types of under-qualified personnel: emergency, temporary and provisionally certified teachers. One subset of these under-certified teachers was from the national program "Teach For America (TFA). " Recent college graduates are placed by TFA where other under-qualified under-certified teachers are often called upon to work, namely, low-income urban and rural school districts. Certified teachers in this study were from accredited universities and all met state requirements for receiving the regular initial certificate to teach. Recently hired under-certified and certified teachers (N=293) from five low-income school districts were matched on a number of variables, resulting in 109 pairs of teachers whose students all took the mandated state achievement test. Results indicate 1) that students of TFA teachers did not perform significantly different from students of other under-certified teachers, and 2) that students of certified teachers out-performed students of teachers who were under-certified. This was true on all three subtests of the SAT 9reading, mathematics and language arts. Effect sizes favoring the students of certified teachers were substantial. In reading, mathematics, and language, the students of certified teachers outperformed students of under-certified teachers, including the students of the TFA teachers, by about 2 months on a grade equivalent scale. Students of under-certified teachers make about 20% less academic growth per year than do students of teachers with regular certification. Traditional programs of teacher preparation apparently result in positive effects on the academic achievement of low-income primary school children. Present policies allowing under-certified teachers, including those from the TFA program, to work with our most difficult to teach children appear harmful. Such policies increase differences in achievement between the performance of poor children, often immigrant and minority children, and those children who are more advantaged.
Validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in the Detection of Cognitive Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease

The purpose of this study was to assess the convergent and discriminative validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a screening tool for cognitive dysfunction in Huntington's disease (HD). Twenty HD patients with cognitive deficit and 23 normal controls (NC) without cognitive deficit were matched for age, sex, and education. The mean MoCA score was 20.5 (SD = 5.5) in HD and 27.5 (SD = 2.2) in NC. The MoCA correlated in both samples with the brief cognitive battery composite score (r = .81, p < .001). With the screening and diagnostic cutoff scores determined at <26 points, the MoCA showed a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 84% in the detection of cognitive dysfunction in HD. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (95% confidence interval) for the MoCA was 0.90 (0.809–0.997), p < . 001. Our results show that the MoCA is a suitable tool for assessing cognitive dysfunction in patients with HD.
Cocaine Increases Mortality and Cardiac Mass in a Murine Transgenic Model of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Cardiac dysfunction in AIDS is an important problem. Cocaine is an epidemic associated with sudden death, cardiac dysfunction, and congestive heart failure. Cocaine use and HIV infection frequently coexist in the same patient, yet the combined impact of both is poorly understood. The present study uses cocaine treatment of an established murine AIDS transgenic model (NL4-3Δ gag/pol; TG) to define the combined effects of AIDS and cocaine on cardiac pathophysiology. To determine the effects of cocaine and HIV-1 proteins on mortality, wild-type and NL4-3Δ gag/pol mice received saline or cocaine via continuous infusion by Alzet osmotic pumps for 28 days (chronic). Acute cocaine administration (10 days; 40 mg/kg/day) was used to study the nonlethal effects of cocaine in TGs. Echocardiograms and single time point electrocardiograms were performed at the termination of each experiment. Hearts were removed and examined histopathologically. Chronic cocaine treatment (80 mg/kg/day; 28 days) markedly decreased median survival in both wild-type and TG; however, TG survival was significantly more decreased. In acute studies, TG echocardiographic changes included increased left ventricular mass and increased left ventricular fractional shortening compared with all cohorts. Electrocardiographic changes were absent among the groups. Histopathologically, perivascular fibrosis and interstitial fibrosis were evident in cocaine-treated TG. Data suggest that additive cardiac insults (from AIDS and cocaine) result in combined deleterious effects.
THE X-RAY SPECTRAL EVOLUTION OF GALACTIC BLACK HOLE X-RAY BINARIES TOWARD QUIESCENCE

Most transient black hole X-ray binaries (BHXBs) spend the bulk of their time in a quiescent state, where they accrete matter from their companion star at highly sub-Eddington luminosities (we define quiescence here as a normalized Eddington ratio lx = L0.5–10 keV/LEdd < 10−5). Here, we present Chandra X-ray imaging spectroscopy for three BHXB systems (H 1743−322, MAXI J1659−152, and XTE J1752−223) as they fade into quiescence following an outburst. Multiple X-ray observations were taken within one month of each other, allowing us to track each individual system's X-ray spectral evolution during its decay. We compare these three systems to other BHXB systems. We confirm that quiescent BHXBs have softer X-ray spectra than low–hard-state BHXBs, and that quiescent BHXB spectral properties show no dependence on the binary system's orbital parameters. However, the observed anti-correlation between X-ray photon index (Γ) and lx in the low–hard state does not continue once a BHXB enters quiescence. Instead, Γ plateaus to an average 〈Γ〉 = 2.08 ± 0.07 by the time lx reaches ∼10−5. lx ∼ 10−5 is thus an observationally motivated upper limit for the beginning of the quiescent spectral state. Our results are discussed in the context of different accretion flow models and across the black hole mass scale.
Guidelines in the management of diabetic nerve pain: clinical utility of pregabalin

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. It presents as a variety of syndromes for which there is no universally accepted unique classification. Sensorimotor polyneuropathy is the most common type, affecting about 30% of diabetic patients in hospital care and 25% of those in the community. Pain is the reason for 40% of patient visits in a primary care setting, and about 20% of these have had pain for greater than 6 months. Chronic pain may be nociceptive, which occurs as a result of disease or damage to tissue with no abnormality in the nervous system. In contrast, neuropathic pain is defined as “pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system. ” Persistent neuropathic pain interferes significantly with quality of life, impairing sleep and recreation; it also significantly impacts emotional well-being, and is associated with depression, anxiety, and noncompliance with treatment. Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a difficult-to-manage clinical problem, and patients with this condition are more apt to seek medical attention than those with other types of diabetic neuropathy. Early recognition of psychological problems is critical to the management of pain, and physicians need to go beyond the management of pain per se if they are to achieve success. This evidence-based review of the assessment of the patient with pain in diabetes addresses the state-of-the-art management of pain, recognizing all the conditions that produce pain in diabetes and the evidence in support of a variety of treatments currently available. A search of the full Medline database for the last 10 years was conducted in August 2012 using the terms painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, painful diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy, painful diabetic neuropathy and pain in diabetes. In addition, recent reviews addressing this issue were adopted as necessary. In particular, reports from the American Academy of Neurology and the Toronto Consensus Panel on Diabetic Neuropathy were included. Unfortunately, the results of evidence-based studies do not necessarily take into account the presence of comorbidities, the cost of treatment, or the role of third-party payers in decision-making. Thus, this review attempts to give a more balanced view of the management of pain in the diabetic patient with neuropathy and in particular the role of pregabalin.
Full Wave Analysis of a Ferrite Cross-Patch Antenna

This paper describes the analysis of cross -patch antennas on ferrite substrates and compares its radar cross section (RCS) with respect to the full -patch antenna. The direction of the dc magnetization of the ferrite is assumed arbitrarily in thetas and phi. The analysis is based on a 3-D full wave analysis using method of moments. The Greens function and the excitation vector are formulated in a closed form using the transmission matrix approach. The linearly-varying basis function is used. In general, we notice that the first resonance is almost at the same frequency for both patches, the cross and the full. However, the RCS level is reduced. The cross patch excites less number of modes than the case of full patch.
Craniofacial Distraction Osteogenesis: A Review of 3278 Cases

&NA; The nascent field of craniofacial distraction osteogenesis has not yet been subjected to a rigorous evaluation of techniques and outcomes. Consequently, many of the standard approaches to distraction have been borrowed from the experience with long bones in orthopedic surgery. The ideal “latency period” of neutral fixation, rate and rhythm of distraction, and consolidation period have not yet been determined for the human facial skeleton. In addition, because the individual craniofacial surgeon's experience with distraction has generally been small, outcomes and meaningful complication rates have not yet been published. In this study, a four‐page questionnaire was sent to 2476 craniofacial and oral/maxillofacial surgeons throughout the world, asking about their experiences with distraction osteogenesis. Information about the types of cases, indications for surgery, surgical techniques, postoperative management, outcomes, and complications were tabulated. Of 274 respondents (response rate, 11.4 percent), 148 indicated that they used distraction in their surgical practice. One hundred forty‐five completed surveys were entered into a database that provided information about 3278 craniofacial distraction cases. Statistical analyses were performed comparing the rates of premature consolidation, fibrous nonunion, and nerve injury, on the basis of the use of a latency period and different rates and rhythms of distraction. In addition, the rates of all complications were determined and compared on the basis of the number of distraction cases performed per surgeon. The results of the study clearly show a wide variation in the surgical practice of craniofacial distraction osteogenesis. Although the cumulative complication rate was found to be 35.6 percent, there is a pronounced learning curve, with far fewer complications occurring among more experienced surgeons (p < 0.001). The presence of inferior alveolar nerve injury as a result of mandibular distraction was much lower for respondents whose distraction regimens consisted of no more than 1 mm of distraction per day (19.5 percent versus 2.4 percent; p < 0.001). No evidence was found to support the use of a latency period or to divide the daily distraction regimen into more than one session per day. Conclusions could not be drawn from this study regarding the length of the consolidation period. Overall, the surgeon‐reported outcomes are comparable with those published for other craniofacial procedures, despite the higher incidence of complications. Although conclusions made on the basis of a subjective questionnaire need to be interpreted cautiously, this study has strength in the large numbers of cases reviewed. Because of the anonymity of responses, it has been assumed that surgeons who responded to the survey reported accurate numbers of complications and successful outcomes. Finally, additional clinical and animal studies that will be of benefit in advancing the field of craniofacial distraction osteogenesis are outlined. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 108: 1103, 2001.)
Force‐Time Dependent Characteristics of Dynamic and Isometric Muscle Actions

Eight trained men were used to compare isometric and dynamic force-time variables. Subjects performed maximum isometric and dynamic pulls at 80% (DP80), 90% (DP90), and 100% (DP100) of their current 1-RM power clean from a standardized postion on a 61.0- × 121.9-cm AMTI force plate. Isometric peak force showed moderate to strong correlations with peak force during DP80, DP90, and DP100 (r = 0.66, 0.77, and 0.80, respectively). Isometric rate of force development showed moderate to strong correlations with dynamic peak force during DP80, DP90, and DP100 (r = 0.65, 0.73, and 0.75, respectively) and was strongly correlated with peak dynamic rate of force development during DP80, DP90, and DP100 (r = 0.84, 0.88, and 0.84, respectively). This suggests that the ability to exert both isometric and dynamic peak force shares some structural and functional foundation with the ability to generate force rapidly.
American Indian Women's Activism in the 1960s and 1970s

This article will focus on the role of women in three red power events: the occupation of Alcatraz Island, the Fish-in movement, and the occupation at Wounded Knee. Men held most public roles at Alcatraz and Wounded Knee, even though women were the numerical majority at Wounded Knee. Female elders played a significant role at Wounded Knee, where the occupation was originally their idea. In contrast to these two occupations, the public leaders of the Fish-in movement were women—not an untraditional role for women of Northwest Coastal tribes.
An interface for interleaved symbolic-geometric planning and backtracking

While symbolic planners work with an abstract representation of the real world, allowing plans to be constructed relatively quickly, geometric planning - although more computationally complex - is essential for building symbolic plans that actually work in the real world. To combine the two types of systems, we present in this paper a meaningful interface, and insights into a methodology for developing interwoven symbolic-geometric domains. We concretely present this “link” between the two approaches with algorithms and data structures that amount to an intermediate layer that coordinates symbolic-geometric planning. Since both planners are capable of “backtracking” at their own levels, we also investigate the issue of how to interleave their backtracking, which we do in the context of the algorithms that form the link. Finally, we present a prototype implementation of the combined system on a PR2 robot.
Pre-Transplant Screening for Latent Adenovirus in Donors and Recipients

Human adenoviruses are frequent cause of slight self-limiting infections in immune competent subjects, while causing life-threatening and disseminated diseases in immunocompromised patients, particularly in the subjects affected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and in bone marrow and organ transplant recipients. Here, infections interest lungs, liver, encephalon, heart, kidney and gastro enteric tract. To date, human adenoviruses comprise 51 serotypes grouped into seven species, among which species C especially possesses the capability to persist in infected tissues. From numerous works, it emerges that in the recipient, because of loss of immune-competence, both primary infection, via the graft or from the environment, and reactivated endogenous viruses can be responsible for transplantation related adenovirus disease. The transplants management should include the evaluation of anti-adenovirus pre-transplant screening similar to that concerning cytomegalovirus. The serological screening on cytomegalovirus immunity is currently performed to prevent viral reactivation from grafts and recipient, the viral spread and dissemination to different organs and apparatus, and potentially lethal outcome.