Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How conflict affects land use: agricultural activity in areas seized by the Islamic State

Socio-economic shocks, technogenic catastrophes, and armed conflicts often have drastic impacts on local and regional food security through disruption of agricultural production and food trade, reduced investments, and deterioration of land and infrastructure. Recently, more research has focused on the effects of armed conflict on land systems, but still little is known about the processes and outcomes of such events. Here we use the case of Syria and Iraq and the seizure of land by the Islamic State (IS) since 2014 as an example of armed conflict, where we investigate the effects on agricultural land use. We apply a reproducible approach using 250 m satellite-based time-series data to quantify the areas under cultivation from 2000 to 2015. Despite a common belief about widespread land abandonment in areas under conflict, results point to multiple trajectories regarding cropland cultivation in the IS seized area: (1) expansion of cropland to formerly un-cultivated areas, (2) cropland abandonment, and (3) decrease of high-intensity cropland. Our study highlights the need to understand these diverse conflict-related and context-dependent changes to the land system.
Slow oscillation electrical brain stimulation during waking promotes EEG theta activity and memory encoding

The application of transcranial slow oscillation stimulation (tSOS; 0.75 Hz) was previously shown to enhance widespread endogenous EEG slow oscillatory activity when applied during a sleep period characterized by emerging endogenous slow oscillatory activity. Processes of memory consolidation typically occurring during this state of sleep were also enhanced. Here, we show that the same tSOS applied in the waking brain also induced an increase in endogenous EEG slow oscillations (0.4–1.2 Hz), although in a topographically restricted fashion. Applied during wakefulness tSOS, additionally, resulted in a marked and widespread increase in EEG theta (4–8 Hz) activity. During wake, tSOS did not enhance consolidation of memories when applied after learning, but improved encoding of hippocampus-dependent memories when applied during learning. We conclude that the EEG frequency and related memory processes induced by tSOS critically depend on brain state. In response to tSOS during wakefulness the brain transposes stimulation by responding preferentially with theta oscillations and facilitated encoding.
Chronic Stress Alters Glucocorticoid Receptor and Mineralocorticoid Receptor mRNA Expression in the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Brain

Although the glucocorticoid response to acute short‐term stress is an adaptive physiological mechanism that aids in the response to and survival of noxious stimuli, chronic stress is associated with a negative impact on health. In wild‐caught European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), chronic stress alters the responsiveness of hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis as measured by the acute corticosterone response. In the present study, we investigated potential underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms by comparing glucocorticoid receptor and mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in the brains of chronically and nonchronically‐stressed starlings. Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, but not hippocampal, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in chronically‐stressed birds was significantly lower compared to controls, suggesting changes in the efficacy of corticosterone negative feedback. In addition, chronically‐stressed birds showed a significant decrease in hippocampal MR mRNA expression. Together, these results suggest that chronic stress changes the brain physiology of wild birds and provides important information for the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that result in dysregulation of the HPA axis in wild animals by chronic stress.
Neurophysiological Evidence for a Cortical Contribution to the Wakefulness-Related Drive to Breathe Explaining Hypocapnia-Resistant Ventilation in Humans

Spontaneous ventilation in mammals is driven by automatic brainstem networks that generate the respiratory rhythm and increase ventilation in the presence of increased carbon dioxide production. Hypocapnia decreases the drive to breathe and induces apnea. In humans, this occurs during sleep but not during wakefulness. We hypothesized that hypocapnic breathing would be associated with respiratory-related cortical activity similar to that observed during volitional breathing, inspiratory constraints, or in patients with defective automatic breathing (preinspiratory potentials). Nineteen healthy subjects were studied under passive (mechanical ventilation, n = 10) or active (voluntary hyperventilation, n = 9) profound hypocapnia. Ventilatory and electroencephalographic recordings were performed during voluntary sniff maneuvers, normocapnic breathing, hypocapnia, and after return to normocapnia. EEG recordings were analyzed with respect to the ventilatory flow signal to detect preinspiratory potentials in frontocentral electrodes and to construct time-frequency maps. After passive hyperventilation, hypocapnia was associated with apnea in 3 cases and ventilation persisted in 7 cases (3 and 6 after active hyperventilation, respectively). No respiratory-related EEG activity was observed in subjects with hypocapnia-related apneas. In contrast, preinspiratory potentials were present at vertex recording sites in 12 of the remaining 13 subjects (p < 0.001). This was corroborated by time-frequency maps. This study provides direct evidence of a cortical substrate to hypocapnic breathing in awake humans and fuels the notion of corticosubcortical cooperation to preserve human ventilation in a variety of situations. Of note, maintaining ventilatory activity at low carbon dioxide levels is among the prerequisites to speech production insofar as speech often induces hypocapnia. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Human ventilatory activity persists, during wakefulness, even when hypocapnia makes it unnecessary. This peculiarity of human breathing control is important to speech and speech-breathing insofar as speech induces hypocapnia. This study evidences a specific respiratory-related cortical activity. This suggests that human hypocapnic breathing is driven, at least in part, by cortical mechanisms similar to those involved in volitional breathing, in breathing against mechanical constraints or with weak inspiratory muscle, and in patients with defective medullary breathing pattern generators. This fuels the notion that the human ventilatory drive during wakefulness often results from a corticosubcortical cooperation, and opens new avenues to study certain ventilatory and speech disorders.
B‐endorphin disregulation in autistic and self‐injurious behavior: A neurodevelopmental hypothesis

Peptides derived from pro‐opiomelanocortin (POMC) influence neurodevelopmental processes. Earlier studies indicated that MSH/ACTH compounds improved behavioral efficiency in retarded individuals. Recent studies have shown that opiate blockers reduce treatment‐resistant self‐injurious behavior (SIB), an autistic‐like, developmental disorder. Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, prenatal POMC disregulation, addiction to endogenous opiates and elevated pain threshold have been proposed to account for this behavior. In study one, four SIB patients were given 0, 25, 50 or 100 mg of naltrexone on separate weeks in a double blind, Latin square design. A specific dose dependent reduction in SIB was observed in three patients. In study two, plasma b‐endorphin was measured in 40 patients with SIB, a related behavior, stereotypy (ST) or controls. SIB and ST patients had higher levels of endorphin than controls. These data added new support for the role of b‐endorphin in a treatment‐resistant patient group.
Correlation between nitric oxide levels, the hypo-osmotic swelling test for sperm membranes and semen analysis in patients with varicocele

Abstract Objective. Nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known oxidative stress agent that directly inhibits mitochondrial respiration and the synthesis of DNA. A case–control study of the concentration of NO in infertile patients with varicocele versus car-accident controls was performed. The concentration of NO in infertile patients with varicocele, and its correlation with the sperm fertility test named the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test for sperm membranes and semen analysis, was also examined. Material and methods. A spectrophotometric method was used to measure the concentration of NO in infertile subjects, and the HOS test was carried out according to Jeyendran's original protocol. NO values from left testicular vein and left cubital vein of 19 infertile patients with left-sided varicocele were compared to 15 patients in the control group who underwent explorative laparoscopies after car accidents. Semen analysis and the HOS test were performed only in the left-sided varicocele group and compared to the NO outcomes. Results.The results indicate that the concentration of NO was significantly higher in the testicular vein than in the peripheral veins of patients with varicocele, as well as being significantly higher than in the testicular vein of control patients. An increased NO concentration in the testicular vein, higher sperm count and higher sperm motility in infertile patients with varicocele followed negative or suspicious findings of the HOS test for sperm membranes. There was also a significant correlation between NO concentration and sperm count in patients with varicocele. Conclusions. Further studies with more patients, related to NO concentrations and the HOS test are needed to verify these results.
From planning to chaos to market : Ethnic inequality in Bulgaria

We document changes in relative earnings of the ethnic Turkish workers in Bulgaria through the country’s transition from planning to markets. Using data from four periods: pre-transition communist era (late 1980s), early transition years (early 1990s), late transition years (early 2000s), and post-transition (late 2000s), we find that the level of raw ethnic inequality (measured as earnings differences between Turkish and Bulgarian workers) increased immediately after the regime change and plateaued throughout the course of transition. Ethnic inequality measures adjusted for observable characteristics follow a similar pattern but post-transitional differences between ethnic groups disappear. Changes over time in the ethnic earnings gaps differ for men and women. The raw and adjusted male ethnic gaps increased steadily during transition years but dropped post-transition, while the raw female ethnic gap fluctuated across the four periods. The adjusted female ethnic gap disappeared completely in the postransitional years. We identify different sources of the changes in the level of ethnic inequality, such as changes in the labor market characteristics and in the wage structure. Evidence suggests that the decline in the relative earnings of Turkish men was due primarily to the widening of the wage structure. Turkish working women improved their relative standing mainly from more favorable changes in labor market characteristics. These changes were only partially due to a selection in labor force participation.
Why Is Europe Engaged in an Inter-Dependence War, and How Can It Be Stopped?

There is large evidence that European countries, the EMU in particular, are engaged in an interdependence war, i.e. non-cooperative policies with huge social and economic costs due to mutual negative externalities. In this regard, the EMU as a supranational institution with the overarching end to generate and distribute collective benefits from integration and policy coordination seems off the mark. We present a policy game between two interdependent countries showing that the causes and consequences of interdependence wars lye in non-cooperative strategies dictated by the national social preferences over ''good'' but costly policy choices embedded into the government's policy function. By means of the model we examine what supranational policy regimes may achieve a Pareto improvement. Among the latter, one that we call ''Europe'', minimises the additive loss function of the two countries. The thrust of our analysis is that the supranational regimes which do not take national preferences into account, dubbed ''technocratic regimes'', are dominated, so that the single alternative is between Europe and ''exit'' for the non-cooperative regime. An important result is that Europe is the Pareto-dominant regime only within a limited range of asymmetry between countries' social preferences. The paper concludes with some political-economic implications for the reform of the EMU.
The Competitive Effect of School Choice Policies on Performance in Traditional Public Schools

Education Policy Research Unit Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies College of Education, Arizona State University P.O. Box 872411, Tempe, AZ 852872411 Telephone: (480) 965-1886 Fax: (480) 965-0303 E-mail: epsl@asu.edu http://edpolicylab.org Education and the Public Interest Center School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0249 Telephone: (303) 492-8370 Fax: (303) 492-7090 Email: epic@colorado.edu http://education.colorado.edu/epic
Human tritanopia associated with a third amino acid substitution in the blue-sensitive visual pigment.

Nishimura DY, Leysens NJ, Murray JC (1992) A dinucleotide repeat for the DlS53 locus. Nucleic Acids Res 20: 1167 Ott J (1985) Analysis of human genetic linkage. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore Schinzel A, Klausler M (1989) The Van der Woude syndrome (dominantly inherited lip pits and clefts). J Med Genet 23:291-294 Temple K, Calvert M, Plint D, Thompson E, Pembrey M (1989) Dominantly inherited cleft lip and palate in two families. J Med Genet 26:386-389 Vintiner J, Holder SE, Malcolm S, Winter RM (1991) Nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate: association and linkage studies with the transforming growth factor alpha gene. Am J Hum Genet 49 [Suppl]: A190
A study of GEM foils produced at Tech-Etch

Tech-Etch is a manufacturing company that produces numerous types of flexible circuits and precision photo- etched parts for industrial use. They have developed the capability for producing GEM foils which can be used in a variety of research or commercial applications. We have studied a number of GEM foils produced at Tech-Etch and compared their properties and performance to GEM foils produced at CERN and by other manufacturers. Results will be reported on their gain characteristics, gain stability and uniformity, and rate dependence compared to other foils, and on their performance as actual tracking detectors in a test beam environment.
The prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with severe hip and knee osteoarthritis awaiting joint arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND the presence of osteoporosis in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) has important implications for understanding disease progression and providing optimal surgical and medical management. OBJECTIVE to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis among patients with osteoarthritis awaiting total knee arthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty aged between 65 and 80 years. DESIGN cross-sectional observational study. SETTING tertiary referral centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. SUBJECTS patients with osteoarthritis awaiting total knee hip arthroplasty aged between 65 and 80 years. METHODS lumbar spine, bilateral femoral and forearm bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS the cohort consisted of 199 patients with a mean age of 72 years (SD 4), and 113 (57%) were women. The overall rate of osteoporosis at any site was 23% (46/199) and a further 43% (85/199) of patients would have been classified as osteopaenic according to World Health Organization criteria. Osteoporosis was more commonly detected in the forearm (14%) than the lumbar spine (8.5%) and proximal femur of the index side (8.2%). CONCLUSIONS in summary, a significant proportion of patients with end-stage OA have osteoporosis but this diagnosis may be missed unless BMD measurements are performed at sites distant from joints affected by OA.
The role of top managers in determining investment in innovation: The case of small and medium-sized enterprises in India

This article examines the role of top managers in shaping the innovation investment actions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in India. Survey responses from 477 top managers of Indian SMEs suggest that investment in innovation is influenced by top manager perceptions of innovation opportunity attractiveness, as well as ability to appropriate innovation investment value. Specifically, the results indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between top manager entrepreneurial orientation and firm investment in innovation. They also suggest that top manager perceptions of environmental munificence, firm resource management capabilities, and organizational controls are positively related to firm investment in innovation.
Francisella tularensis Induces Cytopathogenicity and Apoptosis in Murine Macrophages via a Mechanism That Requires Intracellular Bacterial Multiplication

ABSTRACT The murine macrophage-like cell line J774.A1 ingests and allows intracellular growth of Francisella tularensis. We demonstrate that, after 24 h of infection, a pronounced cytopathogenicity resulted and the J774 cells were undergoing apoptosis. Despite this host cell apoptosis, no decrease in bacterial numbers was observed. When internalization of bacteria was prevented or intracellularly located F. tularensis bacteria were eradicated within 12 h, the progression of host cell cytopathogenicity and apoptosis was prevented.
Correlates and Predictors of Employee Turnover Intentions in the Postal Industry! A Case Study of the Omaha Hub of United Parcel Service

iii Acknowledgements.v List of Figures. vii List of Tables. vii Chapter 1: Introduction. 1 Chapter 2: Review of Literature. 12 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework. 29 Chapter 4: Methodology. 34 Chapter 5: Tests and Findings.42 Chapter 6: Summary.64 Chapter 7: Discussion . 71 Appendix.76 References.81
Pre‐replication assembly of E. coli replisome components

The localization of SeqA, thymidylate synthase, DnaB (helicase) and the DNA polymerase components α and τ, has been studied by immunofluorescence microscopy. The origin has been labelled through GFP‐LacI bound near oriC. SeqA was located in the cell centre for one replication factory (RF) and at 1/4 and 3/4 positions in pre‐divisional cells harbouring two RFs. The transition of central to 1/4 and 3/4 positions of SeqA appeared abrupt. Labelled thymidylate synthetase was found all over the cell, thus not supporting the notion of a dNTP‐synthesizing complex exclusively localized near the RF. More DnaB, α and τ foci were found than expected. We have hypothesized that extra foci arise at pre‐replication assembly sites, where the number of sites equals the number of origins, i.e. the number of future RFs. A reasonable agreement was found between predicted and found foci. In the case of multifork replication the number of foci appeared consistent with the assumption that three RFs are grouped into a higher‐order structure. The RF is probably separate from the foci containing SeqA and the hemi‐methylated SeqA binding sites because these foci did not coincide significantly with DnaB as marker of the RF. Co‐labelling of DnaB and oriC revealed limited colocalization, indicating that DnaB did not yet become associated with oriC at a pre‐replication assembly site. DnaB and τ co‐labelled in the cell centre, though not at presumed pre‐replication assembly sites. By contrast, α and τ co‐labelled consistently suggesting that they are already associated before replication starts.
Proposing a new modus operandi for sustainable business excellence: the case of Greek hospitality industry

The importance of tourism to Greece, the criticality of the hotel sector to its growth and the relationship between turbulent business environment and sustainability provide the rationale for this study. The target of this paper is to propose a new modus operandi for achieving sustainable business excellence under a turbulent environment. Drawing from the existing literature, a framework is proposed that investigates the relationships between intellectual capital, leadership, services quality, supply chain, hotel impact and strategy. The model was tested using a sample of 84 high class hotels in Greece and analysed with the structural equation modelling. The various factors incorporated in the proposed model were measured using valid scales adapted from previous studies. The results confirm that leadership excellence positively affects intellectual capital. It is also found that intellectual capital has a positive effect on services quality, supply chain, hotel impact and strategy. The implications of the findings and avenues for future research are delineated in the study.
Economic growth in emerging economies: what, who and why

ABSTRACT This article proposes a general definition of emerging economies (EEs) and investigates the main determinants of their high rates of economic growth by extending the basic framework of neoclassical growth models to include various dimensions of economic development. According to the proposed definition, we find a list of 38 EEs for the period 2000–2014, whose emergence is proved to be strictly associated with the decline of the age dependency ratio, the increasing rates of investment growth and the improvements in human capital.
Omeprazole compared with misoprostol for ulcers associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Omeprazole versus Misoprostol for NSAID-induced Ulcer Management (OMNIUM) Study Group.

BACKGROUND Misoprostol is effective for ulcers associated with the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) but is often poorly tolerated because of diarrhea and abdominal pain. We compared the efficacy of omeprazole and misoprostol in healing and preventing ulcers associated with NSAIDs. METHODS In a double-blind study, we randomly assigned 935 patients who required continuous NSAID therapy and who had ulcers or more than 10 erosions in the stomach or duodenum (or both) to receive 20 mg or 40 mg of omeprazole orally in the morning or 200 microg of misoprostol orally four times daily. Patients were treated for four weeks or, in the absence of healing, eight weeks. Treatment success was defined as the absence of ulcers and the presence of fewer than five erosions at each site and not more than mild dyspepsia. We then randomly reassigned 732 patients in whom treatment was successful to maintenance therapy with 20 mg of omeprazole daily, 200 microg of misoprostol twice daily, or placebo for six months. RESULTS At eight weeks, treatment was successful in 76 percent of the patients given 20 mg of omeprazole (233 of 308), 75 percent of those given 40 mg of omeprazole (237 of 315), and 71 percent of those given misoprostol (212 of 298). The rates of gastric-ulcer healing were significantly higher with 20 mg of omeprazole (but not 40 mg of omeprazole) than with misoprostol. Healing rates among patients with duodenal ulcers were higher with either dose of omeprazole than with misoprostol, whereas healing rates among patients with erosions alone were higher with misoprostol. More patients remained in remission during maintenance treatment with omeprazole (61 percent) than with misoprostol (48 percent, P=0.001) and with either drug than with placebo (27 percent, P<0.001). There were more adverse events during the healing phase in the misoprostol group than in the groups given 20 mg and 40 mg of omeprazole (59 percent, 48 percent, and 46 percent, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The overall rates of successful treatment of ulcers, erosions, and symptoms associated with NSAIDs were similar for the two doses of omeprazole and misoprostol. Maintenance therapy with omeprazole was associated with a lower rate of relapse than misoprostol. Omeprazole was better tolerated than misoprostol.