Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The new intergovernmentalism: states and supranational actors in the post-Maastricht era

The twenty years since the signing of the Maastricht Treaty have been marked by an integration paradox: although the scope of European Union (EU) activity has increased at an unprecedented pace, this increase has largely taken place in the absence of significant new transfers of power to supranational institutions along traditional lines. Conventional theories of European integration struggle to explain this paradox because they equate integration with the empowerment of specific supranational institutions under the traditional Community method. New governance scholars, meanwhile, have not filled this intellectual void, preferring instead to focus on specific deviations from the Community method rather than theorizing about the evolving nature of the European project. The New Intergovernmentalism challenges established assumptions about how member states behave, what supranational institutions want, and where the dividing line between high and low politics is located, and develops a new theoretical framework known as the new intergovernmentalism. The fifteen chapters in this volume by leading political scientists, political economists, and legal scholars explore the scope and limits of the new intergovernmentalism as a theory of post-Maastricht integration and draw conclusions about the profound state of political disequilibrium in which the EU operates. This book is of relevance to EU specialists seeking new ways of thinking about European integration and policy-making, and general readers who wish to understand what has happened to the EU in the two troubled decades since 1992. Contributors to this volume - Christopher Bickerton, University of Cambridge Simon Bulmer, University of Sheffield. Paul James Cardwell, University of Sheffield. Thomas Christiansen, Maastricht University. Marie-Pierre Granger, Central European University. Tamara Hervey, University of London. Marzena Kloka, University of Bremen. David Howarth, University of Luxembourg. John Peterson, University of Edinburgh. Johannes Pollak, Webster University Vienna. Uwe Puetter, Central European University. Lucia Quaglia, University of York. Susanne K. Schmidt, Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences. Peter Slominski, University of Vienna. Michael E. Smith, University of Aberdeen. Sarah Wolff, Queen Mary College, University of London.
Primary cilia found on HeLa and other cancer cells

For many years now, researchers have known of a sensory appendage on the surface of most differentiated cell types called primary cilium. Primary cilia are both chemo‐ and mechano‐sensory in function and have an obvious role in cell cycle control. Because of this, it has been thought that primary cilia are not found on rapidly proliferating cells, for example, cancer cells. Here we report using immunofluorescent staining for the ciliary protein Arl13b that primary cilia are frequently found on HeLa (human epithelial adenocarcinoma) and other cancer cell lines such as MG63 (human osteosarcoma) commonly used for cell culture studies and that the ciliated population is significantly higher (ave. 28.6% and 46.5%, respectively in starved and 15.7–18.6% in un‐starved cells) than previously anticipated. Our finding impacts the current perception of primary cilia formed in highly proliferative cells.
Isolation and characterization of Abelson murine leukemia virus‐transformed mast cell lines from midgestation embryonic placenta

Abelson murine leukemia virus was used to transform cells of the midgestation embryonic placenta. The frequency of transformed foci in semisolid agarose was highest when cells were isolated at 10 days of gestation and cell lines could be established in liquid culture. The continuous cell lines express characteristics of cultured mast cells, including surface antigens which are shared with lymphocytes and mono‐ nuclear phagocytes. These results imply a relationship between the transforming gene product and the mast cell growth factor interleukin 3.
Human chorionic gonadotropin levels in early IVF/ICSI pregnancies are higher in singletons after single embryo transfer compared with singletons after double embryo transfer.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to assess differences in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) values between singleton IVF/ICSI pregnancies after elective single (eSET) versus double embryo transfer (DET). METHODS This is a unicentre, retrospective, non-randomized study of women with eSET or DET in years 2000-2006, giving birth to a singleton child with a birthweight of at least 500 g (N = 790). These women had between 1 and 6 hCG assessments in our centre. Log hCG values from Days 15 to 35 after oocyte pick-up were compared between eSET and DET patients in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS We compared log hCG values in 456 eSET patients with log hCG values in 334 DET patients. Log hCG values were significantly higher after eSET than after DET from Day 15 until Day 35 after oocyte pick-up (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The lower hCG values in early pregnancy are possibly due to a delay in implantation when two embryos are transferred and one of them does not implant, but the exact mechanism is unknown.
Experimental Study of Closed Volume Explosion

This paper deals with combustion effects occurring in confined explosions of condensed high explosives (HE). The explosive charge releases energy, commonly know n as the detonation energy, to transform the solid phase into gaseous detonation products (DP). DP are usual ly f el rich in carbon, carbon monoxide, methane, h ydrogen, etc. TNT for instance is a well known HE with a neg ative oxygen balance (-74%). These hot gases can re act when mixed with air. Then, they can release additio nal energy in a combustion process, usually called afterburning or post combustion with surrounding ai r. This process is a very specific unmixed turbulen t combustion regime. Indeed, detonation products expa nd at high velocity, which drives a strong blast wa ve into surrounding air. Because of the very large density ra io across the interface DP/Air, hydrodynamic ins tabilities induce turbulent mixing. In a closed volume, the tu rbulent combustion process enhances by shock reflec tions from the walls. Combustion causes here an increase in pressure. Pressure measurements are widely used to quantify such constant volume combustion effects [1 ,3]. Overpressure measurements techniques are preci sely used to link an overall thermodynamic data (the pre ssure) to chemical species combustion rates (burnt f el mass). As a result, the afterburning effect of clas sical high explosives is a major concern for the la st fifteen years in the defence community to assess mechanical and t hermal effects as well as to develop blast mitigati on techniques. Several authors describe simulation too ls f r 2D or 3D calculations of complete spherical detonation. For instance, adaptative mesh refinement techniques can be used to track turbulence in expanding DP an d to determine post-combustion rate [4,7]. A.L. Kuhl stu died gas-dynamic aspects of this combustion process and fuel corresponding locus in thermodynamic state spa ces. These complex events are of course highly tran sient. The overall physics governing is controlled by char acteristic time scales associated with several coup led processes. Within a closed volume, the flow dynamic s is characterized first by reflected shock waves, but also by re-circulating pockets or quenching zones. S. Menon details in [6] large eddy-simulations to address t hese issues. In [8], A. Milne uses a multiphase Eulerian code, E DEN, to compute confined explosions within simple structures with rigid walls and gives calculation r esults to assess classical HE performance.
The reinfection threshold regulates pathogen diversity: the case of influenza

The awareness that pathogens can adapt and evolve over relatively short time-scales is changing our view of infectious disease epidemiology and control. Research on the transmission dynamics of antigenically diverse pathogens is progressing and there is increasing recognition for the need of new concepts and theories. Mathematical models have been developed considering the modelling unit in two extreme scales: either diversity is not explicitly represented or diversity is represented at the finest scale of single variants. Here, we use an intermediate approach and construct a model at the scale of clusters of variants. The model captures essential properties of more detailed systems and is much more amenable to mathematical treatment. Specificities of pathogen clusters and the overall potential for transmission determine the reinfection rates. These are, in turn, important regulators of cluster dynamics. Ultimately, we detect a reinfection threshold (RT) that separates different behaviours along the transmissibility axis: below RT, levels of infection are low and cluster substitutions are probable; while above RT, levels of infection are high and multiple cluster coexistence is the most probable outcome.
The pharmacology of halothane in man: a review.

T H E pharmacological activity of halothane (chlorobromo-tri-fluoro-ethane) was first investigated by Ravent6s (1956) in animals and this work was later extended by Burn, Epstein, Feigan and Paton (1957). These reports and the first clinical study of Johnstonc (1956) have provoked much controversy and stimulated further clinical research in man. It is inevitable that by their nature such studies must be limited in extent and it is the purpose of this paper to consider some of the accumulating data in the light of our own experience of halothane anaesthesia in more than 1,000 patients, under a wide variety of conditions. As no particular group of patients was excluded from our assessment, experience was gained in both elective and emergency procedures in all branches of surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology. Patients were of bom sexes and their ages ranged from 3 weeks to 92 • years. Most were admitted for elective surgery and could therefore be regarded as relatively good operative risks, but a considerable minority by reason of age, general condition, or specific pathology, required very careful management, and a few had such a precarious hold on life that the administration of any anaesthetic was fraught with danger. In some of the patients admitted for elective surgery studies of respiratory, cardiovascular and electro-encephalographic responses were undertaken, but it is not intended to give a detailed analysis of our own cases, but to refer only to observations which emphasize some of the pharmacological aspects of halothane. 424 Clinical experience has confirmed the claim by Ravent6s (1956) that halothane is capable of rapid, effective, and flexible anaesthesia. Because it is neidier explosive nor inflammable it offers advantages in a wide field of anaesthetic practice. The potency of the drug makes low concentrations effective and also necessitates an accurate control of the vapour strength. The use of the drug without such accuracy of control is potentially dangerous and the interpretation of changes observed may be difficult. It is necessary, therefore, to give some consideration to the various methods of administration employed in the studies to be discussed.
Mycosides C: Behavior as Receptor Site Substance for Mycobacteriophage D4

Interpretation of an earlier published infrared spectrum of Mycobacterium smegmatis lipids with receptor site activity for D4 phage led us to the inference that the active substance is very likely a mycoside C. This hypothesis was confirmed: the well-characterized mycosides Cs and C1217 elaborated by the heterologous strains M. scrofulaceum and Mycobacterium species 1217, respectively, are essentially indistinguishable from the smegmatis lipids in their behavior toward D4. Minute quantities adsorb and extensively inactivate the phage on appropriate incubations. In accord with derivative expectations, Mycobacterium species 1217 is a permissive host, attacked and lysed by D4. However, our current strains of M. butyricum, M. avium, and M. scrofulaceum, which reputedly produce various related mycosides C, are neither lysed by nor do they significantly adsorb the phage. Implications of these observations are discussed.
Wet‐to‐Dry Dressings–Evaluating the Evidence

In 2008, the use of wet-to-dry dressings for wound care surprisingly remains the mainstay for many practitioners and is considered a traditional dressing. But does traditional practice have a place in wound care today? With the ever-increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice, this article evaluates the evidence of wet-to-dry dressings and its relation to moist wound healing, which is considered the standard of care. A brief history of wound care will also be discussed.
Monitoring capability indices using an EWMA approach

When performing a capability analysis it is recommended to first check that the process is stable, for example, by using control charts. However, there are occasions when a process cannot be stabilized, but it is nevertheless capable. Then the classical control charts fail to efficiently monitor the process position and variability. In this paper we propose a new strategy to solve this problem, where capability indices are monitored in place of the classical sample statistics such as the mean, median, standard deviation, or range. The proposed procedure uses the $C_p(u,v)$ family of capability indices proposed by Vännman combined with a logarithmic transformation and an EWMA approach. One important property of the procedure presented here is that the control limits used for the monitoring of capability indices only depend on the capability level assumed for the process. The experimental results presented in this paper demonstrates how this new approach efficiently monitors capable processes by detecting changes in the capability level. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Broken Windows or Window Breakers: The Influence of Physical and Social Disorder on Quality of Life

The relationship between neighborhood disorder and fear of crime is well established. According to Wilson and Kelling's broken windows theory, physical and social disorder lead to fear and cause citizens to retreat into their homes. This breaks down informal social control mechanisms and may lead to more serious crime. Insofar as fear is related to quality of life, an implication of broken windows theory is that disorder may impact quality of life, but that relationship has not yet been examined in the research literature. The present study seeks to fill a void in the literature by investigating the relationship between neighborhood disorder and quality of life. Results indicate that disorder is related to quality of life. In particular, physical disorder is negatively associated with quality of life, but social disorder loses significance when controlling for physical disorder. Policy implications of the findings and direction for future research are discussed.
Flexibility, conformational diversity and two dimerization modes in complexes of ribosomal protein L12

Protein L12, the only multicopy component of the ribosome, is presumed to be involved in the binding of translation factors, stimulating factor‐dependent GTP hydrolysis. Crystal structures of L12 from Thermotoga maritima have been solved in two space groups by the multiple anomalous dispersion method and refined at 2.4 and 2.0 Å resolution. In both crystal forms, an asymmetric unit comprises two full‐length L12 molecules and two N‐terminal L12 fragments that are associated in a specific, hetero‐tetrameric complex with one non‐crystallographic 2‐fold axis. The two full‐length proteins form a tight, symmetric, parallel dimer, mainly through their N‐terminal domains. Each monomer of this central dimer additionally associates in a different way with an N‐terminal L12 fragment. Both dimerization modes are unlike models proposed previously and suggest that similar complexes may occur in vivo and in situ. The structures also display different L12 monomer conformations, in accord with the suggested dynamic role of the protein in the ribosomal translocation process. The structures have been submitted to the Protein Databank (http://www.rcsb.org/p.) under accession numbers 1DD3 and 1DD4.
Observations on growth plates in limbs of foals

Observations were made which may be related to growth plate disorders. They included irregularity and thickening of the growth plate bridging of the plate by bony spicules, distortion of the plate adjacent to foci of fusion, and metaphyseal lipping. These observations are very similar to those found in "epiphysitis. " The question had to be asked, where these normal foals or did they have sub-clinical "epiphysitis"?
New issues in tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains a major health problem worldwide. The disease is caused by Mycobacteriumtuberculosis whose preferred habitat is the host macrophage. The immune response against tuberculosis is mediated by different subsets of T cells including both conventional CD4 and CD8 T cells as well as unconventional CD1 restricted and γδ T cells. The CD1 restricted T cells are particularly remarkable because they recognise the glycolipids abundant in the mycobacterial cell wall. Although a vaccine, M.bovis BCG, is available which protects toddlers against miliary tuberculosis, it is ineffective in preventing pulmonary tuberculosis in adults. Therefore, a novel vaccine is urgently required. Knowledge about the functioning of different T cell populations during infection and disease provides the basis for rational vaccine design. We have constructed a recombinant BCG vaccine which, compared with wild-type BCG, induces superior protection not only against laboratory strains but also against clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.
The effect of capsaicin on blood glucose, plasma insulin levels and insulin binding in dog models

Capsicum frutescens has been used to treat diabetes mellitus by traditional healers in Jamaica. This study was designed to identify any hypoglycaemic principle(s) and to determine the mechanism of action. Purification experiments employing thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) led to the extraction of the active principle, capsaicin. Capsaicin caused a decrease in blood glucose levels of 4.91 ± 0.52 (n = 6) mmol/dL versus 6.40 ± 0.13 mmol/dL (n = 6) for the control (p < 0.05) at the 2.5 h time interval when the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on dogs treated with capsaicin and compared with the control. Plasma insulin levels measured at the 2.5 h time interval showed that there was an increase in plasma insulin levels of 5.78 ± 0.76 µIU/mL (n = 6) for the capsaicin treated dogs versus 3.70 ± 0.43 µIU/mL (n = 10) for the control (p < 0.05). Insulin receptor studies, using a modification of the method of Gambhir et al. done on monocytes obtained from blood at the 2.5 h time interval showed that there was a decrease in the percentage receptor binding for the capsaicin treated dogs when compared with the control. Insulin affinity results showed that there was a decrease of 2.4 × 10−4 in monocytes for the capsaicin treated dogs versus 8.77 × 10−4 for the control (p < 0.05). Also, insulin receptor calculations showed a decrease in number, 2.63 × 108 ± 5.73 × 107, compared with 8.77 × 108 ± 1.47 × 108 for the control. In conclusion it can be stated that capsaicin is responsible for the hypoglycaemic episodes seen in the dogs and that it also causes an increase in insulin secretion which leads to a reduction of insulin binding on the insulin receptors. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systematic review of effectiveness of situated e-learning on medical and nursing education.

OBJECTIVES Because of the complexity of clinical situations, traditional didactic education is limited in providing opportunity for student-patient interaction. Situated e-learning can enhance learners' knowledge and associated abilities through a variety of activities. Healthcare providers who interact with virtual patients in designed situations may avoid unnecessary risks and encounters with real patients. However, the effectiveness of situated e-learning is inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of situated e-learning in prelicensure and postlicensure medical and nursing education. METHODS Literature databases of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, and Cochrane Library were searched. The study eligibility criteria included articles published in English, which examined the effectiveness of situated e-learning on the outcomes of knowledge and performance for clinicians or students in medicine and nursing. Effect sizes were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS Fourteen articles were included for meta-analysis. Situated e-learning could effectively enhance learners' knowledge and performance when the control group received no training. Compared to traditional learning, the effectiveness of situated e-learning on performance diminished but still remained significant whereas the effect become insignificant on knowledge. The subgroup analyses indicate the situated e-learning program significantly improved students' clinical performance but not for clinicians. CONCLUSIONS Situated e-learning is an effective method to improve novice learners' performance. The effect of situated e-learning on the improvement of cognitive ability is limited when compared to traditional learning. Situated e-learning is a useful adjunct to traditional learning for medical and nursing students.
Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder on NPOESS and NPP

The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) is under development by NASA GSFC. The first ATMS Flight Unit will fly on the NASA, NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite, and ATMS production units will be part of the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) sensor suite. This paper presents key instrument design features, channel characteristics, predicted performance, recent development status and the NPOESS plan for ATMS.
The role of nucleoid‐associated proteins in the organization and compaction of bacterial chromatin

The bacterial chromosomal DNA is folded into a compact structure called nucleoid. The shape and size of this ‘body’ is determined by a number of factors. Major players are DNA supercoiling, macromolecular crowding and architectural proteins, associated with the nucleoid, which are the topic of this MicroReview. Although many of these proteins were identified more than 25 years ago, the molecular mechanisms involved in the organization and compaction of DNA have only started to become clear in recent years. Many of these new insights can be attributed to the use of recently developed biophysical techniques.