Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing institutional complexity in practice: A relational model of institutional work and complexity

This article develops a relational model of institutional work and complexity. This model advances current institutional debates on institutional complexity and institutional work in three ways. First, it provides a relational and dynamic perspective on institutional complexity by explaining how constellations of logics − and their degree of internal contradiction − are constructed rather than given. Second, it refines our current understanding of agency, intentionality and effort in institutional work by demonstrating how different dimensions of agency interact dynamically in the institutional work of reconstructing institutional complexity. Third, it situates institutional work in the everyday practice of individuals coping with the institutional complexities of their work. In doing so, it reconnects the construction of institutionally complex settings to the actions and interactions of the individuals who inhabit them.
Magnetic field studies of massive main sequence stars

We report on the status of our spectropolarimetric observations of massive stars. During the last years, we have discovered magnetic fields in many objects of the upper main sequence, including Be stars, β Cephei and Slowly Pulsating B stars, and a dozen O stars. Since the effects of those magnetic fields have been found to be substantial by recent models, we are looking into their impact on stellar rotation, pulsation, stellar winds, and chemical abundances. Accurate studies of the age, environment, and kinematic characteristics of the magnetic stars are also promising to give us new insight into the origin of the magnetic fields. Furthermore, longer time series of magnetic field measurements allow us to observe the temporal variability of the magnetic field and to deduce the stellar rotation period and the magnetic field geometry. Studies of the magnetic field in massive stars are indispensable to understand the conditions controlling the presence of those fields and their implications on the stellar physical parameters and evolution (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Spirulina maxima Decreases Endothelial Damage and Oxidative Stress Indicators in Patients with Systemic Arterial Hypertension: Results from Exploratory Controlled Clinical Trial

(1) Background: Spirulina (Arthrospira) maxima has shown beneficial effects such as being anti-dyslipidemic, antiviral, antioxidant and antihypertensive. However, there are few and limited clinical studies. (2) Methods: a prospective, randomized, parallel pilot study of 4.5 g administration of Spirulina maxima or placebo for 12 weeks in 16 patients with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) undergoing treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors was performed to assess the effects on endothelial damage and oxidative stress indicators. The blood levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, endothelin-1, and sE-selectin were quantified; the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and concentrations of reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, were also quantified before and after the treatment period. (3) Results: There were statistically significant (p < 0.05) decreases in systolic blood pressure, sVCAM-1, sE-selectin and endothelin-1 levels, and increases in glutathione peroxidase activity and oxidized glutathione levels. (4) Conclusion: The effects found in the present study agree with antihypertensive and antioxidant effects previously reported for Spirulina maxima. However, this is the first report about the effects on indicators of endothelial damage. More research in this field is necessary to gain an insight into the effects of Spirulina on these indicators.
A Cross-Cultural Examination of Student Volunteering: Is It All About Résumé Building?

This research adopts the utilitarian view of volunteering as a starting point: we posit that for an undergraduate student population volunteering is motivated by career enhancing and job prospects. We hypothesize that in those countries where volunteering signals positive characteristics of students and helps advance their careers, their volunteer participation will be higher. Furthermore, regardless of the signaling value of volunteering, those students who volunteer for utilitarian reasons will be more likely to volunteer but will exhibit less time-intensive volunteering. Using survey data from 12 countries (n = 9,482), we examine our hypotheses related to motivations to volunteer, volunteer participation, and country differences. Findings suggest that students motivated to volunteer for building their résumés do not volunteer more than students with other motives. However, in countries with a positive signaling value of volunteering, volunteering rates are significantly higher. As expected, students motivated by résumé building motivations have a lower intensity of volunteering.
CONFORMATIONAL DYNAMICS OF BIOPOLYMERS

The investigation of molecular motions in biological polymers has been one of the basic trends in molecular biophysics for a long time. Many physical methods have been applied to studying biomolecular mobility. However, in spite of the large amount of experimental data there are still some methodological problems that are not yet completely resolved. One of the most essential ones is the ambiguity of transition from the first-hand experimental parameters to the parameters characterizing molecular motions. The most poorly defined characteristic of a motion is its geometry. There are almost no experimental techniques, except computer simulation, that provide direct and unambiguous information on the motional geometry models. At the same time, this information in many cases can be of high importance for revealing molecular mechanisms of the protein biological function. In this contribution we describe the experimental approaches that may solve this problem. These approaches are based on the complex experimental NMR study. One of the main advantages of NMR in respect to other physical methods is that it allows using different magnetic nuclei and different magnetic interactions (dipole-dipole and quadrupole couplings, chemical shift anisotropy) for probing the same kind of molecular mobility. The comparative quantitative analysis of different types of NMR data obtained on the same sample may allow the discrimination of different motional models directly from the experimental data. This complex approach is demonstrated by a study of molecular dynamics of a model system, homopolypeptide poly-L-lysine, and backbone dynamics of a protein barstar in solid state. Limitations as well as perspectives of the development of this approach are discussed in detail. Alexey G. Krushelnitsky 2
Seismic Quiescence before the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan, Mw 7.6 Earthquake

The Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake of 20 September 1999 was preceded by a notable decrease of the regional seismicity rate. The anomalous period started in January 1999 and lasted about 9 months, up to the occurrence of the mainshock, as revealed from analyzing the Taiwan catalog data from 1 January 1994 to 20 September 1999. Our results indicate that the mean seismicity rate is 435 events per month with a standard deviation of 78 events for earthquakes with magnitude above 2.0. During the anomalous period, seismicity rates fell outside the range of one standard deviation with a mean value of 314 events per month. There was also a consistent trend of decreasing regional b -value as well as notable increases of seismic activity in areas surrounding the Chi-Chi earthquake source region via the Z-test map (zmap) analysis.
Unsupervised spectral decomposition of X-ray binaries with application to GX 339-4

In this paper we explore unsupervised spectral decomposition methods for distinguishing the effect of different spectral components for a set of consecutive spectra from an X-ray binary. We use well-established linear methods for the decomposition, namely principal component analysis, independent component analysis and non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF). Applying these methods to a simulated dataset consisting of a variable multicolour disc black body and a cutoff power law, we find that NMF outperforms the other two methods in distinguishing the spectral components. In addition, due the non-negative nature of NMF, the resulting components may be fitted separately, revealing the evolution of individual parameters. To test the NMF method on a real source, we analyse data from the low-mass X-ray binary GX 339-4 and found the results to match those of previous studies. In addition, we found the inner radius of the accretion disc to be located at the innermost stable circular orbit in the intermediate state right after the outburst peak. This study shows that using unsupervised spectral decomposition methods results in detecting the separate component fluxes down to low flux levels. Also, these methods provide an alternative way of detecting the spectral components without performing actual spectral fitting, which may prove to be practical when dealing with large datasets.
Multiwavelength Observations of Markarian 421 During a TeV/X-Ray Flare

A TeV flare from the BL Lac object Mrk 421 was detected in May of 1994 by the Whipple Observatory air Cherenkov experiment during which the flux above 250 GeV increased by nearly an order of magnitude over a 2-day period. Contemporaneous observations by ASCA showed the X-ray flux to be in a very high state. We present these results, combined with the first ever simultaneous or nearly simultaneous observations at GeV gamma-ray, UV, IR, mm, and radio energies for this nearest BL Lac object. While the GeV gamma-ray flux increased slightly, there is little evidence for variability comparable to that seen at TeV and X-ray energies. Other wavelengths show even less variability. This provides important constraints on the emission mechanisms at work. We present the multiwavelength spectrum of this gamma-ray blazar for both quiescent and flaring states and discuss the data in terms of current models of blazar emission.
Prevalence, Risk Factors and Antimicrobial Resistance of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Among Antenatal Women

Background: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in antenatal women is microbiological diagnosis and if untreated have 20-30 fold increased risk of developing pyelonephritis during pregnancy. Aim: The prospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence, risk factors and antibiotic resistance related to ABU in antenatal women. Subjects and Methods: A total of 287 asymptomatic pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic at a tertiary care hospital, Odisha, India from July 2012 to December 2012 were enrolled. Two consecutively voided urine specimens were collected by clean-catch midstream urine technique for culture. The urine samples were processed and microbial isolates were identifi ed by conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on all bacterial isolates by Kirby Bauer’s disc diff usion method. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Quick Calcs Statistical Software Inc., USA. Inferential statistics was done by Chi-square (2) test and a P < 0.05 was considered signifi cant. Results: The prevalence of ABU in antenatal women was 11.5% (33/287). Lower socio-economic status and low level of education were signifi cant risk factors related to ABU (P=0.02). Parity, maternal and gestational age was not signifi cantly associated with ABU. Escherichia coli (54.5%, 18/33) were the most prevalent isolate followed by Enterococcus faecalis (15.2%, 5/33). Nitrofurantoin was the most eff ective antibiotic, showed resistance rate of 3% (1/33) for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusion: Routine screening using urine culture method should be performed for ABU in early pregnancy. Specifi c guidelines should be issued and followed for testing antimicrobial susceptibility with safe drugs in antenatal women. Empirical treatment with nitrofurantoin can be recommended, which is a safe drug and active for both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Keywords: Antenatal women, antibiotic resistance, asymptomatic bacteriuria, prevalence, risk factors
Effects of Different Commercial Feeds and Enrichments on Biochemical Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of Rotifer ( Brachionus plicatilis , Müller 1786) and Artemia franciscana

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of several commercial rotifer feeds and enrichments on growth, biochemical and fatty acid composition of L-type rotifer and Artemia franciscana nauplii. In experiment I, five experimental diets (M0 Plus, S.Parkle, w-3 Yeast 60, Beaker’s yeast and Chlorella vulgaris) were tested for rotifer culture performance and in the second experiment six enrichers (w-3 Olio, n-3 Top Rich, Red Pepper, Culture Selco, microalgae mixture (Dunaliella salina + Chlorella vulgaris) and Emulsion T) were evaluated for the fatty acid composition of rotifer and Artemia franciscana. In experiment I, rotifers fed S.Parkle and Beaker’s yeast showed better biomass production and egg density while the number of egg carrying female number was higher. In experiment II, rotifers enriched n-3 Top Rich showed better n-3 HUFA retention whereas Artemia franciscana nauplii enriched Red Pepper showed highest HUFA accumulation. Culture Selco seems optimal for artemia enrichment for EPA (20:5n-3) and DHA (22:6n-3) accumulation. In conclusion, Beaker’s yeast is still applicable in comparison to other commercial feeds in rotifer culture. Further study is needed for determination of mineral composition of rotifer feeds and commercial enrichments and their retention in live prey and larvae use in Turkey.
X-ray timing analysis of the quasar PG 1211+143

We report on a timing analysis of a new ~630ks XMM-Newton observation of the quasar, PG 1211+143. We find a well-defined X-ray power spectrum with a well-detected bend at ~7e-5 Hz, consistent with the established bend-timescale--black-hole-mass correlation for luminous, accreting black holes. We find the linear rms-flux relation commonly observed in accreting black hole systems and investigate the energy-dependence of the rms. The fractional rms is roughly constant with energy on short timescales (< 1 day; within observations) whereas there is enhanced soft band variability on long timescales (between observations typically spaced by a few days). Additionally, we also report on the optical--UV variability using the OM on-board XMM-Newton and a ~2-month-long overlapping monitoring programme with Swift. We find that, although there is little UV variability within observations (<1 day), UV variations of a few per cent exist on time-scales of ~days--weeks.
A Polymorphism in ORMDL 3 Is Associated Not Only With Asthma Without Rhinitis but Also With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease, and asthmatic patients without rhinitis more commonly have fi xed airway obstruction, a feature that is also typical of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Dutch hypothesis suggests that both COPD and asthma have common genetic risk factors. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between the polymorphism rs4795405 in the known asthma candidate gene ORMDL3 and asthma with and without rhinitis. We also analyzed COPD in order to investigate whether, in addition to a clinical overlap, there might also be a genetic overlap between COPD and asthma. Methods: The population of this genetic association study comprised 493 Slovenian adults, distributed as follows: 131 patients with asthma (59 had asthma with rhinitis and 72 asthma without rhinitis), 59 patients with rhinitis only, 133 patients with COPD, and 170 controls. Genotypes for rs4795405 were determined using the TaqMan genotyping assay. Results: rs4795405 was specifi cally associated with asthma without rhinitis. Assuming a recessive genetic model, we found the CC genotype in 26% of healthy controls, in 24% of patients with asthma with rhinitis (P=.862), and in 44% of patients with asthma without rhinitis (P=.006). Polymorphism rs4795405 was also associated with COPD, for which the CC genotype was found in 37% of cases (P=.045). Conclusions: rs4795405 was strongly associated with asthma without rhinitis, a subtype of asthma for which a higher degree of airway obstruction was found. These results show the importance of analyzing different asthma phenotypes in genetic association studies. We also observed a genetic overlap between COPD and asthma without rhinitis.
Models for Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries in the Elliptical Galaxies NGC 3379 and NGC 4278: Comparison with Observations

We present theoretical models for the formation and evolution of populations of low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) in the two elliptical galaxies NGC 3379 and NGC 4278. The models are calculated with the recently updated StarTrack code, assuming only a primordial galactic field LMXB population. StarTrack is an advanced population synthesis code that has been tested and calibrated using detailed binary star calculations and incorporates all the important physical processes of binary evolution. The simulations are targeted to modeling and understanding the origin of the X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) of point sources in these galaxies. For the first time we explore the population XLF in luminosities below 1037 ergs s−1, as probed by the most recent observational results. We consider models for the formation and evolution of LMXBs in galactic fields with different CE efficiencies, stellar wind prescriptions, magnetic braking laws, and IMFs. We identify models that produce XLFs consistent with the observations both in shape and absolute normalization, suggesting that a primordial galactic field LMXB population can make a significant contribution to the total population of an elliptical galaxy. We also find that the treatment of the outburst luminosity of transient systems remains a crucial factor for the determination of the XLF, since the modeled populations are dominated by transient X-ray systems.
TaqMan allelic discrimination assay for A1 and A2 alleles of the bovine CSN2 gene.

Alleles A1 and A2 of the Bos taurus CSN2 gene are the most frequent in a number of dairy cattle breeds. In this study, a new allelic discrimination assay using TaqMan fluorogenic probes was devel - oped to detect single nucleotide substitution characterizing the A1/A2 alleles of the CSN2 gene. The method was validated using DNA samples of known genotypes with different concentrations and the results were compared with those for the commonly used problematic ACRS-PCR. We found the TaqMan method to be more effective, 100% reliable and hundred times more sensitive for testing the CSN2 genetic marker in cattle than the ACRS-PCR. As it enabled a rapid analysis of a large number of DNA samples in uniform format without previous DNA quality assessment and without the requirement for post-amplification manipulations, it presents an effective tool for the analysis of large-scale sample sets. The method was applied for testing on a sample of 120 Czech Holstein dairy cows. The observed relative genotype and allele frequencies were as follows: A1A1- 0.20, A1A2-0.51, A2A2-0.29; A1-0.45, A2-0.55.
Cell Reports Resource An Atlas of Human Regulatory T Helper-like Cells Reveals Features of Th 2-like Tregs that Support a Tumorigenic Environment

Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Post-Print version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections.
Dynamic bonding of metallic nanocontacts: Insights from experiments and atomistic simulations

W. Dednam thanks Dr. A. E. Botha for helpful discussions and acknowledges support from the National Research Foundation of South Africa through the Scarce Skills Masters scholarship funding programme (Grant Unique Number 92138). This work is supported by the Generalitat Valenciana through Grant Reference PROMETEO2012/011 and MINECO under Grant No. FIS2013-47328, by European Union structural funds and the Comunidad de Madrid Programs S2013/MIT-3007 and P2013/MIT-2850. This work is also part of the research programme of the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), which is financially supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
Child Health and Use of Health Care Services in France: Evidence on the Role of Family Income

Our paper investigates the relationship between family income and child health in France. We first examine whether there is a significant correlation between family income and child general health, and the evolution of this relationship across childhood years. We then study the role of specific health problems, the use of health care services, and supplemental health insurance coverage, in the income gradient in general health. We also quantify the role of income in child anthropometric measurements. Whenever possible, we compare our results for France with those obtained for other developed countries.
Water Treatment, Preventive Measures and the Chronic Kidney Disease in the Farming Community in Sri Lanka

Whilst being accountable for an increasing trend in mortality and morbidity, Chronic Kidney Dis¬ease of unknown aetiology (CKDu) has become a severe burden in Sri Lanka. Even though there is no sound evidence to clarify the aetiology of CKDu, it will be worthwhile to seek out the possible measures to minimize the prevalence of the disease. Hence, this study was intended to examine the impact of water treatment and preventive measures on CKDu. Data were collected from the farm¬ing community who applies agrochemicals. Both a probit and a Logit regression were carried out to check whether there is any relationship between CKDu and related variables such as consump¬tion of treated water and adopting safety precautions. Results reveal that age, being a male, using deep wells as a source of drinking water, and long term medication increases the probability of getting the disease while, both preventive measures and water treatment significantly reduce this probability. Therefore, ensuring an adequate supply of treated water, especially for the severely affected villages is vital. Furthermore, both government and non-government institutions should work responsibly to increase the awareness of CKDu and safety precautions, in order to save the future generation. The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, vol.10, No 2, May 2015, pp. 98-108
Kepler observations of the beaming binary KPD 1946+4340

The Kepler Mission has acquired 33.5 d of continuous 1-min photometry of KPD 1946+4340, a short-period binary system that consists of a subdwarf B star (sdB) and a white dwarf. In the light curve, eclipses are clearly seen, with the deepest occurring when the compact white dwarf crosses the disc of the sdB (0.4 per cent) and the more shallow ones (0.1 per cent) when the sdB eclipses the white dwarf. As expected, the sdB is deformed by the gravitational field of the white dwarf, which produces an ellipsoidal modulation of the light curve. Spectacularly, a very strong Doppler beaming (also known as Doppler boosting) effect is also clearly evident at the 0.1 per cent level. This originates from the sdB’s orbital velocity, which we measure to be 164.0 ± 1. 9k m s −1 from supporting spectroscopy. We present light-curve models that account for all these effects, as well as gravitational lensing, which decreases the apparent radius of the white dwarf by about 6 per cent, when it eclipses the sdB. We derive system parameters and uncertainties from the light curve using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations. Adopting a theoretical white dwarf mass–radius relation, the mass of the subdwarf is found ,