Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Escalating games: how intermediate levels of conflict affect stability of cooperation

We argue that cooperation can become more fragile if (i) there are sufficiently many intermediate levels of cooperation and (ii) players cannot respond with large punishments to small deviations. Such disproportional punishments can be perceived as unreasonable or players can face external constraints---political checks, negative publicity, etc. Specifically, we show that regardless of how patient the players are, any prisoner's dilemma game can be extended with intermediate levels of cooperation in such a way that full conflict is the only equilibrium outcome of the extended game.
The impact of technological changes on income inequality: the EU states case study

In spite of economic growth, which led to the creation of millions of new jobs, income inequality has been growing sharply in most parts of the world. There is no doubt that inequality of income is the single greatest threat to social stability throughout the world. Development of technologies contributes to the increase of labour productivity, replacement of job positions by robots and automatic machines, which can further exacerbate social inequality. The aim of this paper is to determine how changes in technology affect the inequality of income in European countries. Based on the econometric apparatus, two periods are investigated: the first one, from 2006 to 2017 and the second one, from 2010 to 2017, that characterizes a new economic era after the global financial crisis. All countries were clustered, which made it possible to generalize their social and technological development. The novelty is that we considered the dichotomy and cointegration of two economic categories – income inequality and technological changes. Using a model that features biased heterogeneity, factor proportions, and labour market frictions, we obtained four quite sufficient results. (1) Central European countries and the UK have reached such a level of development and redistribution in the economy that a change in labour productivity is not significantly associated with any deepening of inequality in incomes. (2) Periphery countries, due to their significant dependence on larger economies and lack of Received: December, 2017 1st Revision: February, 2018 Accepted: April, 2018 DOI: 10.14254/20718330.2018/11-2/6 Journal of International Studies S ci en ti fi c P a pe rs © Foundation of International Studies, 2018 © CSR, 2018 Kharlamova Ganna, Stavytskyy Andriy, Zarotiadis Grigoris The impact of technological changes on income inequality: the EU states case study 77 the developed mechanism for redistribution in the economy, are affected by technological changes. (3) The more economically developed is a country, the less impact on income inequality can be initialized by technological change. (4) The deeper is income inequality in a country, the more it responds to technological changes, but the impact on inequality can be both positive and negative.
Living on the Streets in Canada: A Feminist Narrative Study of Girls and Young Women

Homelessness affects thousands of girls and young women in Canada. Terms that are commonly used to describe the homeless include lazy, mentally ill, middle aged, and male. The reality is that homelessness is not limited to a particular age, gender, or ethnocultural group, or to individuals of any single intellectual ranking. As a result of the prevailing stereotypes, little research has been conducted on homelessness among adolescent females, making it difficult to capture an accurate and comprehensive picture of the full scope of the problem. The purposes of this feminist narrative study were to (1) explore the intersections between homeless-ness and health among adolescent girls, with particular attention to the influence of contextual factors such as violence, gender, and poverty; and (2) to examine how these young women access health care, barriers they encounter, and factors that contribute to their health promotion. The sample consisted of ten females, ages 16–21, who were interviewed either individually or in small groups. Consistent with feminist research approaches, the interviews were conducted in an interactive manner in order to encourage critical reflection and dialogue. Data analysis consisted of a thematic analysis of the participants' experiences. Findings revealed that most girls had fled from difficult, and at times dangerous, situations at home to lives on the street that brought a new set of challenges, including a multitude of health problems and exposure to violence, chronic poverty, and discrimination. Many barriers to effective health care were described. In this article, the findings of the research will be presented and implications for health and social service providers will be addressed, including recommendations for programming and policy.
Gastric motility dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis assessed by gastric emptying scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tract symptoms are common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially constipation and/or fecal incontinence. AIMS To assess gastric emptying in patients with MS to detect the severity of autonomic disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, and to find the relationship between lower bowel disturbances and the rate of gastric emptying. METHODS Forty-nine patients with definite MS and 20 control subjects were included in the study. All patients underwent full neurological examination and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord. The labelled meal for gastric emptying scintigraphy consisted of cooked eggs mixed with 3 mCi of technetium-99m colloid, and was followed by serial images at 15 min intervals for 2 h. RESULTS Five studies were excluded due to technical artifacts. Twenty-one patients (47.7%) demonstrated slow emptying, 15 (34.1%) demonstrated normal and eight (18.2%) demonstrated fast clearance curves. The mean half-time of gastric emptying in MS patients was 96.6+/-22.4 min and the controls showed a mean half-time of 41.3+/-18.7 min (P<0.05). The half-time was longer in patients with constipation; nevertheless, it showed no significant difference compared with patients without constipation (P=0.197). Moreover, although half-time was shorter in patients with fecal incontinence, there was not a significant difference compared with those without fecal incontinence (P=0.654). CONCLUSIONS The gastric emptying rate is slow in MS patients. As for lower bowel disturbances, the gastric emptying rate was obviously affected in patients complaining of constipation and fecal incontinence, although statistical significance was not reached.
Analyst Characteristics and the Level of Critical Perception of Goodwill Accounting

While inputs used in analysts’ valuation models have been documented (Brown et al. 2015), it has not been studied how analysts’ personal characteristics are associated with their level of critical perception regarding agency conflict manifested in published financial statements. This is important because analysts are, to some extent, substitutes for industry‐specialised auditors in monitoring financial reporting (e.g., Sun and Liu 2011). To address this shortcoming, we investigate analysts’ level of critical perception concerning current goodwill accounting standards, which provide significant reporting latitude. We use data from a survey of Nordic financial analysts and examine this data with statistical methods, including factor analysis and structural equation modelling. We find two latent constructs, one which reflects a critical attitude to the current goodwill accounting standards and one which reflects an uncritical attitude to the current standards. Our structural equation model suggests that having a background in auditing, as well as general experience and exposure to different industries, is associated with a higher degree of critical perception of current standards. In contrast, having a basic (low) level of formal business (accounting) education is associated with a more uncritical perception than having a high level of education.
R.I.P. SOPA: A Critical Analysis of the Discourse Surrounding the 2011 Failed Legislation

In 2011, the House of Representatives introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a controversial legislative attempt responding to persistent digital technology innovations and the popularity of Internet piracy. The failure of this act raises questions about the extent to which discussions of copyright legislation and proposed solutions to digital piracy reflect the relationship between media and technology industries. This study addresses such questions through a critical discourse analysis of SOPA’s media coverage. It finds that media industries, as advocates for the bill, were solely concerned with implementing a solution to intellectual property theft, while technology industries, which were the legislation’s most prominent opponents, feared the bill would be detrimental to the Internet’s structure and participatory nature. This study argues that proposals of copyright infringement solutions and the deliberation processes preceding them require the involvement and consideration of both media and technology industries – an irrefutable link that has been largely overlooked in existing academic studies on digital piracy legislation. Although this study focuses on one piece of legislation, it offers a useful model for thinking about debates in communication surrounding copyright law beyond SOPA.
Signatures of selection and host‐adapted gene expression of the Phytophthora infestans RNA silencing suppressor PSR2

Summary Phytophthora infestans is a devastating pathogen in agricultural systems. Recently, an RNA silencing suppressor (PSR2, ‘Phytophthora suppressor of RNA silencing 2’) has been described in P. infestans. PSR2 has been shown to increase the virulence of Phytophthora pathogens on their hosts. This gene is one of the few effectors present in many economically important Phytophthora species. In this study, we investigated: (i) the evolutionary history of PSR2 within and between species of Phytophthora; and (ii) the interaction between sequence variation, gene expression and virulence. In P. infestans, the highest PiPSR2 expression was correlated with decreased symptom expression. The highest gene expression was observed in the biotrophic phase of the pathogen, suggesting that PSR2 is important during early infection. Protein sequence conservation was negatively correlated with host range, suggesting host range as a driver of PSR2 evolution. Within species, we detected elevated amino acid variation, as observed for other effectors; however, the frequency spectrum of the mutations was inconsistent with strong balancing selection. This evolutionary pattern may be related to the conservation of the host target(s) of PSR2 and the absence of known corresponding R genes. In summary, our study indicates that PSR2 is a conserved effector that acts as a master switch to modify plant gene regulation early during infection for the pathogen's benefit. The conservation of PSR2 and its important role in virulence make it a promising target for pathogen management.
The role of corporate governance in intellectual capital disclosure

Purpose This paper examines the influence of corporate governance mechanisms on the extent of intellectual capital (IC) disclosure among companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE). Design/methodology/approach A content analysis approach was used. The association between the dependent and independent variables was examined using a multiple regression analysis. Findings The results suggest that corporate governance mechanisms strongly influence the quantity of IC information disclosed in the annual reports of KSE-listed companies. Specifically, companies with larger boards, a higher proportion of external directors, and higher blockholder ownership are associated with higher levels of IC disclosure. Practical implications The findings highlight the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms in promoting IC disclosure. They are a useful guideline for regulators, company management, and shareholders regarding the corporate governance mechanisms that influence the extent of IC disclosure. Given .
Activation of a cysteine protease in MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells during beta-lapachone-mediated apoptosis.

beta-Lapachone (beta-lap) effectively killed MCF-7 and T47D cell lines via apoptosis in a cell-cycle-independent manner. However, the mechanism by which this compound activated downstream proteolytic execution processes were studied. At low concentrations, beta-lap activated the caspase-mediated pathway, similar to the topoisomerase I poison, topotecan; apoptotic reactions caused by both agents at these doses were inhibited by zVAD-fmk. However at higher doses of beta-lap, a novel non-caspase-mediated "atypical" cleavage of PARP (i.e., an approximately 60-kDa cleavage fragment) was observed. Atypical PARP cleavage directly correlated with apoptosis in MCF-7 cells and was inhibited by the global cysteine protease inhibitors iodoacetamide and N-ethylmaleimide. This cleavage was insensitive to inhibitors of caspases, granzyme B, cathepsins B and L, trypsin, and chymotrypsin-like proteases. The protease responsible appears to be calcium-dependent and the concomitant cleavage of PARP and p53 was consistent with a beta-lap-mediated activation of calpain. beta-Lap exposure also stimulated the cleavage of lamin B, a putative caspase 6 substrate. Reexpression of procaspase-3 into caspase-3-null MCF-7 cells did not affect this atypical PARP proteolytic pathway. These findings demonstrate that beta-lap kills cells through the cell-cycle-independent activation of a noncaspase proteolytic pathway.
Use and Misuse of the Term “Elective” in Obstetrics

The term ”elective” is commonly used in obstetrics. We performed an electronic search of MEDLINE database using the terms “elective” and “obstetrics,” which provided 2,208 publications. We found “elective” was more often used in relation to surgical interventions (eg, cesarean delivery, cerclage) and medical procedures (labor induction) rather than diagnostic procedures. Our review indicates the term lacks the necessary scientific specificity when used to modify procedures such as cerclage, cesarean delivery, timing of delivery, episiotomy, hysterectomy, labor induction, preterm delivery, termination of pregnancy, and ultrasonography. The lack of specificity of the term suggests the most reasonable and prudent course of action is to not use it, but rather to document the specific indication (whether medical or non-medical) for the intervention or procedure (eg, “cesarean delivery on maternal request,” “history-indicated cerclage,” “induction for preeclampsia”). We propose that the term “elective” should be eliminated from the vocabulary of obstetric practice.
The development of a radioimmunoassay for the measurement of urinary Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate.

1. A specific and quantitative radioimmunoassay was developed for the measurement of low concentrations of human and rabbit Tamm—Horsfall glycoprotein in the presence of other proteins. Antibody-coated tubes were used as a solid phase in the assay and the optimum antibody concentration and duration of antibody coating were established. 2. Pure Tamm—Horsfall glycoprotein was labelled with 125I and, because of its apparent susceptibility to radiation damage, was labelled at weekly intervals. 3. Sodium dodecyl sulphate, an ionic detergent, was included in the assay at a final concentration of 0.0005% to disaggregate the glycoprotein. An overnight preincubation step in the presence of the detergent was necessary before the disaggregated glycoprotein solutions were allowed to react with the antibody. Pretreatment of the tracer with detergent was not necessary. 4. Two glycoprotein standards were prepared fresh for each assay from freeze-dried material. The average linear range of the assay was between approx. 150 ng/ml and 2.5 μg/ml. Albumin was only shown to interfere with the assay at concentrations greater than 100 μg/ml. 5. Urines were dialysed against water for 3 days before assay to remove inhibitory material. Urines were never frozen as this was found to affect the assay. 6. A recovery experiment showed that the pure freeze-dried standard behaved in an immunologically identical way to the urinary glycoprotein. 7. Human Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein cross-reacted with guinea-pig anti-(rabbit Tamm—Horsfall) antiserum and rabbit Tamm—Horsfall glycoprotein cross-reacted with guinea-pig anti-(human Tamm—Horsfall) antiserum, but not with rabbit anti-(human Tamm—Horsfall) antiserum. This showed a partial immunological identity between Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein from humans and rabbits which was only evident when the antiserum was raised in a third species. 8. The excretion rate of Tamm—Horsfall glycoprotein in normal humans was found to be 48.1 ± 9.6 (SD) mg/24 h for males and 50.5 ± 14.8 (SD) mg/24 h for females. The mean excretion rate of the glycoprotein in New Zealand White rabbits was 34.8 ± 7.9 mg/24 h.
Association of farnesyl diphosphate synthase polymorphisms and response to alendronate treatment in Chinese postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Background Genetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, but less is known about the genetic determinants of osteoporosis treatment. We aimed to explore the association between the gene polymorphisms of key enzyme farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FDPS) in mevalonate signaling pathway of osteoclast and response to alendronate therapy in osteoporotic postmenopausal women in China. Methods The study group comprised 639 postmenopausal women aged (62.2±7.0) years with osteoporosis or osteopenia who had been randomly assigned to low dose group (70 mg/2w) or standard dose group (70 mg/w) of alendronate in this 1‐year study. We identified allelic variant of the FDPS gene using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme Faul. Before and after treatment, serum levels of calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), cross linked C‐telopeptide of type I collagen (&bgr;‐CTX) were detected. Bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured. The association was analyzed between the polymorphisms of FDPS gene and the changes of BMD, bone turnover biomarkers after the treatment. Results The FDPS rs2297480 polymorphisms were associated with baseline BMD at femoral neck, and patients with CC genotype had significantly higher baseline femoral neck BMD ((733.6±84.1) mg/cm2) than those with AC genotypes ((703.0±86.9) mg/cm2) and AA genotypes ((649.8±62.4) mg/cm2) (P <0.01). No significant difference in BMD at lumbar spine was observed among different genotypes of FDPS. The percentage change of serum ALP level was significantly lower in patients with CC genotype (‐22.9%) than that in those with AC genotype (‐24.1%) and AA genotype (‐29.8%) of FDPS after 12 months of alendronate treatment (P <0.05). Neither percentage change of BMD nor &bgr;‐CTX level after alendronate treatment had association with FDPS genotype. Conclusions FDPS gene was probably a candidate gene to predict femoral neck BMD at baseline. FDPS gene alleles could predict change percentage of ALP after treatment of alendronate, but possibly had no significant relationship with the responsiveness of BMD to alendronate therapy.
Simultaneous Frequency Conversion Technique Utilizing an SOA-MZI for Full-Duplex WDM Radio over Fiber Applications

Simultaneous all-optical frequency up/downconversion technique utilizing a single semiconductor optical amplifier Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) for full-duplex WDM radio over fiber (RoF) applications is presented. Using this technique, error-free simultaneous up-conversion and downconversion of RoF signals with a finite-length single mode fiber were experimentally demonstrated. The results show the potential of the proposed scheme for use in a cost-effective full-duplex WDM RoF link.
Emotional toil: psychosocial care in rural settings for patients with cancer.

AIM This paper is a report of a study to identify experienced rural nurses' perceptions of key issues related to the provision of effective psychosocial care for people with cancer in rural settings. BACKGROUND A cancer diagnosis has a major impact on psychological and emotional wellbeing, and psychosocial support provided by nurses is an integral part of ensuring that people with cancer have positive outcomes. Although, ideally, people with cancer should be managed in specialist settings, significant numbers are cared for in rural areas. METHODS Using a qualitative descriptive approach, three focus groups were conducted in 2005 with 19 nurses in three hospitals in rural Victoria, Australia. FINDINGS Participants indicated that a key issue in providing psychosocial care to patients with cancer in the rural setting was their own 'emotional toil'. This Global Theme encapsulated three Organizing Themes- task vs. care, dual relationships and supportive networks--reflective of the unique nature of the rural environment. Nurses in rural Australia are multi-skilled generalists and they provide care to patients with cancer without necessarily having specialist knowledge or skill. The fatigue and emotional exhaustion that the nurses described often has a major impact on their own well-being. CONCLUSION In the rural context, it is proposed that clinical supervision may be an important strategy to support clinicians who face emotional exhaustion as part of their cancer nursing role.
Mechanisms of Cancer Inhibition by Local Anesthetics

The use of local anesthetics during surgical treatment of cancer patients is an important part of perioperative analgesia. In recent years, it has been showed that local anesthetics can directly or indirectly affect the progression of tumors. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that local anesthetics reduced cancer recurrence. The etiology of this effect is likely multifactorial. Numerous mechanisms were proposed based on the local anesthetic used and the type of cancer. Mechanisms center on NaV1.5 channels, Ras homolog gene family member A, cell cycle, endothelial growth factor receptor, calcium Influx, microRNA and mitochondrial, in combination with hyperthermia and transient receptor potential melastatin 7 channels. Local anesthetics significantly decrease the proliferation of cancers, including ovarian, breast, prostate, thyroid, colon, glioma, and histiocytic lymphoma cell cancers, by activating cell death signaling and decreasing survival pathways. We also summarized clinical evidence and randomized trial data to confirm that local anesthetics inhibited tumor progression.
The reference change value: a proposal to interpret laboratory reports in serial testing based on biological variation

Background: A proposal to calculate and use the reference change value (RCV) as an objective guide for interpreting the numerical results obtained in clinical laboratory serial testing is introduced in this study. Methods: A database showing the results of a compilation of 191 publications on biological variation and including information on a number of analytes provided the standardized criterion based on biology for calculating the RCVs. Results: For each of the 261 analytes included in the study, the RCV was determined using Harris's formula, replacing analytical imprecision with the desirable specification of analytical quality based on half the within‐subject biological variation at 95% probability levels. The result is a guide for a common criterion to identify clinically significant changes in serial results. Conclusions: The RCV concept is an approach that can be offered by laboratories to assess changes in serial results. The RCV data in this study are presented as a point of departure for a widely applicable objective guide to interpret changes in serial results.