Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emerging models of patchwork capitalism in Central and Eastern Europe: empirical results of subspace clustering

Abstract The main aim of this paper was to shed a new empirical light on the nature and most salient features of the evolving postcommunist capitalism in 11 Central and Eastern European (CEE11) countries against the backdrop of Western European models of capitalism. The research approach capitalizes on the conceptual framework put forward by Amable [2003, The diversity of modern capitalism, Oxford University Press, Oxford] , i.e., it seeks to identify the current clusters or models of capitalism in 25 European Union (EU) countries in six institutional areas. However, in contrast to the original Amable’s methodology, the subspace clustering method was used, what allowed to take into account a vast set of 132 institutional measures and to analyze their change between 2005 and 2014. The main finding is that CEE11 countries developed their own distinct model of capitalism dubbed “patchwork capitalism. ” In all but two areas, i.e., product market competition and financial intermediation, postcommunist countries form their own institutional clusters that are substantially different from those observed in Western EU countries. In addition, the paper shows that each CEE11 country followed its own distinct vector of change, which eventually led to a unique patchwork of institutions. Yet, the institutional variance within the region is smaller than the difference between CEE11 countries and other country clusters in the EU.
Contributions of rapid neuromuscular transmission to the fine control of acoustic parameters of birdsong.

Neural control of complex vocal behaviors, such as birdsong and speech, requires integration of biomechanical nonlinearities through muscular output. Although control of airflow and tension of vibrating tissues are known functions of vocal muscles, it remains unclear how specific muscle characteristics contribute to specific acoustic parameters. To address this gap, we removed heparan sulfate chains using heparitinases to perturb neuromuscular transmission subtly in the syrinx of adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Infusion of heparitinases into ventral syringeal muscles altered their excitation threshold and reduced neuromuscular transmission changing their ability to modulate airflow. The changes in muscle activation dynamics caused a reduction in frequency modulation rates and elimination of many high-frequency syllables but did not alter the fundamental frequency of syllables. Sound amplitude was reduced and sound onset pressure was increased, suggesting a role of muscles in the induction of self-sustained oscillations under low-airflow conditions, thus enhancing vocal efficiency. These changes were reversed to preinfusion levels by 7 days after infusion. These results illustrate complex interactions between the control of airflow and tension and further define the importance of syringeal muscle in the control of a variety of acoustic song characteristics. In summary, the findings reported here show that altering neuromuscular transmission can lead to reversible changes to the acoustic structure of song. Understanding the full extent of muscle involvement in song production is critical in decoding the motor program for the production of complex vocal behavior, including our search for parallels between birdsong and human speech motor control. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is largely unknown how fine motor control of acoustic parameters is achieved in vocal organs. Subtle manipulation of syringeal muscle function was used to test how active motor control influences acoustic parameters. Slowed activation kinetics of muscles reduced frequency modulation and, unexpectedly, caused a distinct decrease in sound amplitude and increase in phonation onset pressure. These results show that active control enhances the efficiency of energy conversion in the syrinx.
Research on product market competition and risk of assets

Aguerrevere (2009) links the product demand, product market competition and risk of assets, then reveals the relationship between the three factors; This paper is based on objective facts, using the evidences from the A share listed companies Chinese for empirical study, in order to reveal the relationship between these factors in real world. The results of the empirical study show: when the demand is high, increased demand at higher levels, the risks of assets decease as the demand rises, therefore the risks of assets in high demand are significantly lower than low levels of demand; when demand is low, firms in more competitive industries have greater risk of assets than firms in less competitive industries; whereas when demand is high, firms in less competitive industries have greater risks of assets than firms in more competitive industries. The empirical study results are consistent with the theoretical conclusion in Aguerrevere's (2009) paper. Finally, according to our study, we give some suggestions to investors, firms and department of economic management respectively.
Magnetic stimulation over the cerebellum in humans

Magnetic stimulation performed with a double‐cone coil placed over appropriate positions on the back of the head reduced the size of electromyographic responses evoked by magnetic cortical stimulation in the first dorsal interosseous muscle when it preceded the cortical stimulus by 5, 6, and 7 msec. No suppression of responses to electrical cortical stimulation occurred. Greater suppression was evoked by stronger cerebellar stimuli; lesser suppression was elicited by stronger cortical stimuli. These physiological findings correspond to those obtained with electrical cerebellar stimulation. The most effective position for magnetic stimulation over the back of the head was slightly rostral to the foramen magnum level on the ipsilateral side of the muscle studied. This indicates that the conditioning stimulus activates certain structures at the back of the head on the ipsilateral side of the muscle, consistent with the cerebellum, because the part of the cerebellum regulating limb muscles is positioned about there on the ipsilateral side. In 2 patients with only cerebellar dysfunction, this suppression effect was not elicited, which also supports that the suppression is caused by activity in cerebellar structures. We conclude that magnetic stimulation over the cerebellum with a doublecone coil elicits the same suppressive effect on the motor cortex as electrical stimulation, but with less discomfort; moreover, we believe that this effect is produced by activation of certain cerebellar structures.
Left atrial appendage occluder implantation in Europe: indications and anticoagulation post-implantation. Results of the European Heart Rhythm Association Survey

The aim of this EP Wire survey was to assess the indications and anticoagulation strategies post-left atrial appendage occluder (LAAO) implantation for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in Europe. A total of 33 centres in 13 European countries completed the survey. All centres were members of the European Heart Rhythm Association Electrophysiology Research Network. Left atrial appendage occluder procedures were performed by electrophysiologists in 52% of the centres and by interventional cardiologists in the remaining centres. The EP Wire survey has revealed that the most common indications for LAAO are stroke prevention in patients at high thrombo-embolic risk and absolute contraindications to oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy or a history of bleeding. Early- and long-term post-implantation anticoagulation strategies in patients with and without device thrombosis were very heterogeneous between centres with most strategies not being supported by the randomized trials. In patients without contraindications to OAC, 41% of the centres would prescribe no therapy at all after 6 months following LAAO implantation. In patients with LAA thrombus during follow-up and patients with absolute contraindications to OAC, management was highly heterogeneous and included aspirin, clopidogrel, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, low molecular weight heparin, surgery, unfractionated heparin, or no therapy.
Veterinary surgeons' opinions on dog welfare issues.

OBJECTIVES To begin to determine the significance of various dog welfare issues as perceived by veterinary practitioners. METHODS Using an online questionnaire, respondents were asked how frequently they were made aware of 12 welfare issues and how important they felt each one was for each dog affected. Respondents were also asked how much they agreed with statements that the veterinary practitioners in their area, and the veterinary profession, should do more about each issue. RESULTS Responses were received from 59 practitioners. The most frequently noted problems were "obesity", "chronic pain/poor mobility" and "breed-related conditions". The most important issues for each dog affected were "lack of treatment for suffering", "abuse or active cruelty" and "malnutrition". "Breed-related conditions", "obesity" and "behavioural problems" were the issues for which there was greatest agreement that veterinary practitioners should do more, both in their area and as a profession. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE This pilot study suggests that the veterinary profession believes that obesity, breed-related conditions and behavioural problems are important concerns, and that more should be done about them. Although these results cannot be taken as definitive from a study of this size, it does provide a background for such further work involving companion dog welfare and the veterinary profession.
Coffee drinking and colorectal cancer risk: an evaluation based on a systematic review and meta-analysis among the Japanese population.

OBJECTIVE It remains unclear whether coffee drinking is associated with colorectal cancer risk. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies on this issue among the Japanese population. METHODS Original data were obtained from MEDLINE searches using PubMed or from searches of the 'Ichushi' database, complemented with manual searches. Meta-analysis was performed by using the random effects model to estimate the summary relative risk with 95% confidence interval according to the study design. The final judgment was made based on a consensus of the research group members with consideration for both epidemiological evidence and biological plausibility. RESULTS We identified five cohort studies and nine case-control studies. Of these, one cohort study reported a strong inverse association (in women only), whereas three case-control studies reported a strong inverse association with colon or rectal cancer. In meta-analysis, high consumption of coffee was not appreciably associated with colorectal cancer risk among cohort studies, whereas it was associated with significantly lower risk of colorectal or colon cancer among case-control studies. The summary relative risk/odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the highest versus lowest categories of coffee consumption was 0.95 (0.77-1.17) and 0.78 (0.65-0.95) for cohort and case-control studies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The evidence is insufficient to support that coffee drinking increases or decreases the risk of colorectal cancer among the Japanese population.
Abnormal Physiological and Molecular Mutant Phenotypes Link Chloroplast Polynucleotide Phosphorylase to the Phosphorus Deprivation Response in Arabidopsis1[C][W][OA]

A prominent enzyme in organellar RNA metabolism is the exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase), whose reversible activity is governed by the nucleotide diphosphate-inorganic phosphate ratio. In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, PNPase regulates chloroplast transcript accumulation in response to phosphorus (P) starvation, and PNPase expression is repressed by the response regulator PSR1 (for PHOSPHORUS STARVATION RESPONSE1) under these conditions. Here, we investigated the role of PNPase in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) P deprivation response by comparing wild-type and pnp mutant plants with respect to their morphology, metabolite profiles, and transcriptomes. We found that P-deprived pnp mutants develop aborted clusters of lateral roots, which are characterized by decreased auxin responsiveness and cell division, and exhibit cell death at the root tips. Electron microscopy revealed that the collapse of root organelles is enhanced in the pnp mutant under P deprivation and occurred with low frequency under P-replete conditions. Global analyses of metabolites and transcripts were carried out to understand the molecular bases of these altered P deprivation responses. We found that the pnp mutant expresses some elements of the deprivation response even when grown on a full nutrient medium, including altered transcript accumulation, although its total and inorganic P contents are not reduced. The pnp mutation also confers P status-independent responses, including but not limited to stress responses. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that the activity of the chloroplast PNPase is involved in plant acclimation to P availability and that it may help maintain an appropriate balance of P metabolites even under normal growth conditions.
A neuron adaptive detecting approach of harmonic current for APF and its realization of analog circuit

There have been a number of harmonic current detecting methods for the active power filter (APF), including the filtration approach by fixed frequency filters, the composition method of the imaginary and the real power based on the instantaneous reactive power theory, etc. In this paper, firstly, according to the adaptive noise canceling technology in signal processing, an adaptive detecting approach of harmonic current based on a neuron is presented. Then, on the basis of the configuration and learning algorithm for the developed system, the realization scheme of an analog circuit of the system is discussed. Thirdly, using PSPICE software, computer simulation studies of the circuit are performed. Finally, experimental studies are carried out. The performance and feasibility of the approach are tested and verified by the simulation and experimental results.
Partial Vagal Denervation Increases Vulnerability to Vagally Induced Atrial Fibrillation

Partial Vagal Denervation on AF. Introduction: Cervical vagal stimulation shortens the atrial effective refractory period (ERP) primarily in the high right atrium (HRA) and facilitates induction of atrial fibrillation (AF) by single premature HRA extrastimuli. We hypothesized that vagal denervation of the HRA prevents both ERP shortening in the HRA and AF induction during vagal stimulation.
Effect of dietary β-mannanase on productive performance, egg quality, and utilization of dietary energy and nutrients in aged laying hens raised under hot climatic conditions

Objective The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary β-mannanase on productive performance, egg quality, and utilization of dietary energy and nutrients in aged laying hens raised under hot climatic conditions. Methods A total of 320 84-wk-old Hy-line Brown aged laying hens were allotted to one of four treatments with eight replicates in a completely randomized design. Two dietary treatments with high energy (HE; 2,800 kcal/kg nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy [AMEn]) and low energy (LE; 2,700 kcal/kg AMEn) were formulated. Two additional diets were prepared by adding 0.04% (MN4) or 0.08% β-mannanase (MN8) to LE treatment diets. The feeding trial was conducted for 28 d, covering a period from July to August in South Korea. The average daily room temperature and relative humidity were 29.2°C and 83%, respectively. Results Productive performance, egg quality, and cloacal temperature were not influenced by dietary treatments. The measured AMEn values for MN8 diets were similar to those for HE diets, which were greater (p<0.05) than those for LE and MN4 diets. However, the AMEn values for MN8 diets did not differ from those for LE and MN4 diets. Conclusion The addition of β-mannanase to low energy diets increases energy values for diets fed to aged laying hens. However, this increase has little positive impacts on performance and egg quality. These results indicate that dietary β-mannanase does not mitigate the heat stress of aged laying hens raised under hot climatic conditions.
Progressive selection for neurovirulent genotypes in the brain of SIV-infected macaques

Objective:To compare the viral genotypes present in RNA from brain and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and DNA from brain during acute, asymptomatic and late stages of SIV infection of macaques. Methods:Eighteen pigtailed macaques were intravenously inoculated with SIV. At 10, 21 and 56 days postinoculation, six were euthanized and the severity of encephalitis was assessed by microscopic examination. DNA and RNA were isolated from brain and PBMC, and the V1 region of env was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and sequenced from over 800 different clones. Results:Similar genotypes were detected in RNA from brain and PBMC at 10 days postinoculation, suggesting an unrestricted exchange of virus between the periphery and the brain during acute infection. There was a progressive increase in the percentage of neurovirulent genotypes in brain RNA from acute (14% of all genotypes detected in brain RNA) to early asymptomatic (45%), to late asymptomatic (52%) and to terminal (95%) infection. Fewer different genotypes were found in brain RNA than in PBMC RNA from macaques euthanized during early asymptomatic (2.5 and 5 different genotypes, respectively; P = 0.007), late asymptomatic (2 and 5 different genotypes, respectively; P = 0.003) and terminal (2 and 4 different genotypes, respectively; P < 0.001) infection. Conclusion:These data demonstrate that the almost exclusive replication of neurovirulent genotypes in the brain seen at late-stage infection is a progressive process that begins early in infection and continues to late stage disease.
Psychotic subtyping of major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND Many studies have established that a large percentage of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have comorbid major depressive disorder. Other studies have found that patients with PTSD or a history of childhood trauma have an increased rate of psychotic symptoms. In the present report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnosis and Services project, we examine whether an association exists between psychotic subtyping of major depressive disorder and PTSD. METHOD Five hundred psychiatric outpatients were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. RESULTS Almost half of the 500 patients had nonbipolar major depressive disorder (N = 235, 47.0%), 45 (19.1%) of whom had PTSD. Nineteen patients had psychotic depression, 216 had nonpsychotic depression. Compared with patients with nonpsychotic depression, the patients with psychotic depression were nearly 4 times more likely to have PTSD (57.9% vs. 15.7%, Fisher exact test, p = .0001). CONCLUSION The results of the present study suggest that the presence of psychosis in psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder is associated with concurrent PTSD. It is hypothesized that the poorer longitudinal course of psychotic versus nonpsychotic depression may be due to the underrecognition of PTSD in psychotically depressed patients.
Effects of keratinocyte growth factor in the squamous epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract of normal and irradiated mice.

PURPOSE To investigate the effects of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) on the structure of the stratified squamous epithelium of the tongue, buccal mucosa and oesophagus of normal and irradiated mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Female BDF1 mice were exposed to total body irradiation from a caesium source. The irradiated mice and normal, unirradiated mice were injected with 5 mg/kg per day KGF or vehicle. Thickness and proliferation in the epithelium were measured. RESULTS KGF caused epithelial thickening of the non-keratinized layers in oral epithelium in normal mice. It increased the number of nucleated layers and influenced differentiation of post-mitotic cells in the upper layers by increasing the size and number of keratohyalin granules, and the number of desmosomes. Single and fractionated doses of radiation caused inhibition of proliferation as detected by markedly reduced BrdU incorporation following exposure, followed by epithelial atrophy. KGF treatment of mice reversed the inhibition of proliferation and atrophy that occurred in control irradiated mice. CONCLUSION These data show that KGF reverses epithelial atrophy in mouse oral cavity caused by irradiation and suggest that KGF may be useful for the treatment of mucositis of the upper aerodigestive tract of patients treated with aggressive regimens of radiation therapy.
Differential effects of 4 types of environmental enrichment on aggressive pecking, feather pecking, feather loss, food wastage and productivity in Japanese quail

1. We examined the effects of 4 types of environmental enrichment (foraging opportunities, structural complexity, sensory stimulation/novelty, and social companionship) on aggressive and feather pecking, feather condition, food wastage, body weight, feed conversion, and egg production in adult Japanese quail. Sex differences were examined where possible. 2. GLM analysis was used to evaluate the effects of enrichment and housing, while test–retest reliability and the stability of measures over 18 d were assessed using partial correlation. 3. Foraging enrichment reduced food wastage. 4. Body weight, feed conversion, and egg production were not affected by enrichment. Rates of aggressive and feather pecking were also not significantly affected, but these behaviours were observed very infrequently in this study. 5. Socially-housed birds had poorer feather condition, lower body weight and less efficient feed conversion than singly-housed birds. Social housing did not affect food wastage. 6. There were no sex differences in feather pecking, feather condition, food wastage, or feed conversion. 7. All measures except feather pecking were reliable over 24 h, but only feather condition and body weight were stable over 18 d. The instability of the behavioural measures over time suggests that enrichment effects may vary with age.
China’s graduate students need better education in scientific writing and publishing

概要本文从分析国内研究生的学术论文发表现状及存 在的一些普遍性问题出发,指出对我国研究生进 行科技论文写作及文章投稿发表这两方面扩展 教育的必要性,同时基于文章两位作者在实际研 究生培养、管理及学术期刊中的实践,提出从管 理者、导师及学术期刊三个层面协同开展此类扩 展教育的一些建议。
Battery-swapping facility planning for electric buses with local charging systems

Abstract This paper designs a refueling system for battery electric buses (BEBs) by applying battery-swapping technologies together with a local charging system. The service capability of battery-swapping stations (BSSs) is restricted by the number of installed swapping robots. Depleted batteries are charged at BSSs which is equipped with a local charging system having a number of standby batteries and chargers in various types. This study intends to answer four fundamental questions: How many BSSs should be installed? Where should they be? How to assign the depleted electric buses to BSSs? What is the service capability of the BSS? An integer linear program is first formulated to represent the problem with deterministic demand. A two-stage stochastic programing model is then formulated to handle the demand uncertainties, which is then solved by a customized gradient algorithm. The test on a real network of the southeast region of Melbourne in Australia verifies the feasibility of the proposed model and draws managerial insights for the location and configuration of BSSs.