Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Transformation of World Trade

Why is the trade regime amongst the most robust of international regimes? For half a century we have been told that it is because trade law gradually replaced trade politics. This article contests the orthodox view. Part I rewrites the history of world trade as a carefully balanced transformation where both levels of law or international control and levels of politics or country participation increased. Unlike the traditional from-politics-to-law approach, this novel law-and-politics paradigm convincingly explains otherwise puzzling stages in the system's evolution. How could countries ever agree to decision-making by simple majority in 1947? What made them commit to compulsory dispute settlement in the World Trade Organization (WTO)? And why are they now so vehemently defending the consensus rule? Part II diagnoses the current trade system through this new law-and-politics lens. It finds that the WTO lacks both input legitimacy (not enough politics) and output legitimacy (standstill in trade liberalization and deadlock on transparency and equity-based reforms). Normatively, the article rejects conventional reform proposals - offered by what is referred to as, on the one hand, insider-institutionalists, utilitarians and constitutionalists and, on the other hand, sovereigntists and cosmopolitans - as they focus exclusively on one side of the law and politics spectrum and risk, respectively, an unsupported or an inefficient trade regime. In the alternative, the article suggests a more balanced reform package that tackles both poles and combines gains from trade with broad-based support. It pleads for more, not less, politics and maintaining, not eliminating, crucial exit options.
Bone marrow-sparing and prevention of alopecia by AS101 in non-small-cell lung cancer patients treated with carboplatin and etoposide.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the immunomodulator AS101 to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and thus allow patients to receive full-dose antineoplastic agents according to protocol design. We also aimed to determine the production level of various hematopoietic growth factors in treated patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study of 44 unresectable or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients was an open-label prospective randomized study of standard chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus AS101. Each patient received carboplatin (300 mg/m2 intravenously [IV] on day 1 of a 28-day cycle, and etoposide (VP-16) (200 mg/m2 orally) on days 3, 5, and 7 of each cycle. AS101 was administered at 3 mg/m2 three times per week starting 2 weeks before chemotherapy. RESULTS AS101, which manifested no major toxicity, significantly reduced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia and thus allowed all treated patients to receive full-dose antineoplastic agents, in contrast to only 28.5% of the control group. Continuous treatment with AS101 significantly reduced the number of days per patient of thrombocytopenia and neutropenia and did not provide protection to tumor cells as reflected by the higher overall response rate compared with the chemotherapy-alone arm. Interestingly, AS101 treatment also significantly prevented chemotherapy-induced alopecia. These effects correlate with the ability of AS101-treated patients to increase significantly the production of colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-6. CONCLUSION AS101 has significant bone marrow (BM)-sparing effects and prevents hair loss in chemotherapy-treated patients, with minimal overall toxicity. These effects are probably due to increased production of IL-1 alpha, IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF.
Lactate influx into red blood cells from trained and untrained human subjects.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the fractional contributions of the three pathways of lactate transport (band 3 system, nonionic diffusion, and monocarboxylate pathway) into red blood cells (RBC) from trained and untrained humans. METHODS Blood samples were obtained from 19 male subjects: 5 untrained, 5 aerobically-trained, 5 competitive collegiate cross-country runners, and 4 competitive collegiate sprinters. The influx of lactate into the RBC was measured by a radioactive tracer technique using [14C]lactate. Discrimination of each pathway of lactate transport was achieved by using PCMBS (1 mM) to block the monocarboxylate pathway and DIDS (0.2 mM) to block the band 3 system. Nonionic diffusion was calculated as the difference between total lactate influx and the sum of band 3 and monocarboxylate lactate influx. RESULTS Total lactate influx into the RBC from the more aerobic individuals (trained subjects and cross-country runners) was significantly faster at 1.6 mM lactate concentration ([La]) as compared with the influx into RBC of the untrained subjects. Total influx of lactate was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the RBC from the sprinters as compared with that in the RBC from the untrained subjects at 41 mM [La]. There were no significant differences among the four groups with regard to the total influx of lactate at 4.1, 8.1, and 20 mM [La]. In general, the percentage of total lactate influx accounted for by each of the three parallel pathways at 1.6, 8.1, and 41.0 mM [La] was not different among the four groups of subjects. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the groups were more similar than different with regard to RBC lactate influx.
Comparative Effects of Teriparatide and Strontium Ranelate on Bone Biopsies and Biochemical Markers of Bone Turnover in Postmenopausal Women With Osteoporosis

We assessed the effects on bone remodeling and histomorphometry after daily subcutaneous injections of teriparatide (n = 39, 20 μg/d) or oral strontium ranelate (SrR, n = 40, 2 g/d) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Evaluable biopsies were obtained from 29 patients in the teriparatide group and 22 in the SrR group after 6 mo of treatment. The mean ± SD mineralization surfaces as a percent of bone surfaces (MS/BS, %) at the trabecular level were 7.73 ± 1.48% for teriparatide and 5.25 ± 1.15% for SrR (p = 0.219) and at the endocortical level were 17.22 ± 3.06% and 9.70 ± 2.07%, respectively (p = 0.052). Cortical porosity was 5.40 ± 0.41% in the teriparatide and 4.14 ± 0.40% in the SrR group (p = 0.037). Teriparatide induced significant increases from baseline in bone formation and resorption markers, reaching statistical significance for amino‐terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP) after 1 mo (+57%, p < 0.001). SrR induced small, but statistically significant, reductions from baseline in PINP at 3 (−14%, p = 0.005) and 6 mo (−19%, p < 0.001) and in serum β‐C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β‐CTX) at 1 and 3 mo (−11%, for both, p < 0.05). There were more patients with adverse events after SrR (70%) than teriparatide (41%) treatment (p = 0.013). In conclusion, the changes in biochemical markers of bone formation confirmed bone‐forming activity of teriparatide but not of SrR treatment. The effects of SrR on bone remodeling and cell activity were modest, indicating that its effects on fracture reduction may be predominantly mediated through a different mechanism than that observed with anabolic or more potent antiresorptive agents.
Low-Overhead Fault-Secure Parallel Prefix Adder by Carry-Bit Duplication

We propose a low-overhead fault-secure parallel prefix adder. We duplicate carry bits for checking purposes. Only one half of normal carry bits are compared with the corresponding redundant carry bits, and the hardware overhead of the adder is low. For concurrent error detection, we also predict the parity of the result. The adder uses parity-based error detection and it has high compatibility with systems that have parity-based error detection. We can implement various fault-secure parallel prefix adders such as Sklansky adder, Brent-Kung adder. Han-Carlson adder, and Kogge-Stone adder. The area overhead of the proposed adder is about 15% lower than that of a previously proposed adder that compares all the carry bits.
Familial Clustering of Selective IgA Deficiency

Abstract. Serum IgA levels of 35 healthy IgA‐deficient index cases, of their 180 first‐degree relatives, and of 31 other family members were studied. IgA deficiency was detected in 7.2% of the first‐degree relatives, which is significantly more than the 0.25% frequency of IgA deficiency in healthy Finnish blood donors. Subnormal serum IgA levels were found in additional 13 (7.2%) first‐degree relatives. The familial clustering of IgA deficiency seemed to be controlled by multigenic factors.
Purification, characterization, and properties of an aryl aldehyde oxidoreductase from Nocardia sp. strain NRRL 5646

An aryl aldehyde oxidoreductase from Nocardia sp. strain NRRL 5646 was purified 196-fold by a combination of Mono-Q, Reactive Green 19 agarose affinity, and hydroxyapatite chromatographies. The purified enzyme runs as a single band of 140 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular mass was estimated to be 163 +/- 3.8 kDa by gel filtration, indicating that this enzyme is a monomeric protein. The binding of the enzyme to Reactive Green 19 agarose was Mg2+ dependent. The binding capacity was estimated to be about 0.2 mg of Reactive Green agarose per ml in the presence of 10 mM MgCl2. This enzyme can catalyze the reduction of a wide range of aryl carboxylic acids, including substituted benzoic acids, phenyl-substituted aliphatic acids, heterocyclic carboxylic acids, and polyaromatic ring carboxylic acids, to produce the corresponding aldehydes. The Km values for benzoate, ATP, and NADPH were determined to be 645 +/- 75, 29.3 +/- 3.1, and 57.3 +/- 12.5 microM, respectively. The Vmax was determined to be 0.902 +/- 0.04 micromol/min/mg of protein. Km values for (S)-(+)-alpha-methyl-4-(2-methylpropyl)-benzeneacetic acid (ibuprofen) and its (R)-(-) isomer were determined to be 155 +/- 18 and 34.5 +/- 2.5 microM, respectively. The Vmax for the (S)-(+) and (R)-(-) isomers were 1.33 and 0.15 micromol/min/mg of protein, respectively. Anthranilic acid is a competitive inhibitor with benzoic acid as a substrate, with a Ki of 261 +/- 30 microM. The N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of a 76-kDa peptide from limited alpha-chymotrypsin digestion were determined.
Bisexuality and suicide: a systematic review of the current literature.

INTRODUCTION Many studies of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth have demonstrated that individuals reporting a bisexual orientation have a particularly high risk of suicidal behavior and substance abuse. It has been also suggested that bisexual individuals (both men and women) have higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with homosexual and heterosexual groups. AIM The aim of the present article was to determine whether or not an association between bisexuality and suicidal behavior exists and to analyze risk factors for suicidal behavior in bisexual individuals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The combined search strategies yielded a total of 339 records screened from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Duplicate articles, articles that were not in English, and those that did not analyze bisexuality separately from homosexuality were excluded. A quality assessment was performed for each study included. METHODS A careful systematic review of the literature was conducted investigating the potential bisexuality-suicidal behavior link. A total of 77 articles from peer-reviewed journals were considered, and the most relevant (N=19) were selected for this review. RESULTS Individuals reporting a bisexual orientation had an increased risk of suicide attempts and ideation compared with their homosexual and heterosexual peers. Risk factors included related victimization, peer judgments, and family rejection. Bisexual individuals also reported higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS Bisexual individuals may experience more psychological distress and mental health problems than individuals who identify with a homosexual or heterosexual orientation. Clinicians should consider the potential for suicidal behaviors in bisexual individuals and be alert for increased mental health problems and poor social integration.
Detection and classification of partial discharge using a feature decomposition-based modular neural network

This paper develops a feature decomposition-based modular neural network (MNN) for the recognition of partial discharge (PD) sources. The original statistical analysis-based feature set is naturally partitioned into three disjointed feature subsets. These subsets are independently fed into three neural subnetworks. The aggregation of the sub-networks, by an integrating unit using a majority vote strategy, provides the final assignment of PD patterns to a particular PD source. Compared with a single neural network (SNN) with the same feature vector, the training of MNN is faster, the network is more robust, and the success rate of classifying "unseen" patterns is higher.
Cutting Edge: SDS-Stable Fas Microaggregates: An Early Event of Fas Activation Occurring with Agonistic Anti-Fas Antibody but Not with Fas Ligand 1

The 45 kDa Fas or CD95 receptor triggers apoptosis via the caspase cascade when stimulated by its ligand FasL or by agonistic Abs. Activated Fas receptors seem to oligomerize very early into SDS-stable and reducing agent-resistant microaggregates of 200–250 kDa on SDS-PAGE. However, these microaggregates have so far only been reported using agonistic anti-Fas Abs, and no results have been reported using FasL. Here, we demonstrate that the microaggregates do not form in response to FasL, while they always appear in response to the agonistic Ab, in four different cell lines and in normal lymphocytes from human blood. Therefore, the Fas microaggregates are not required for the induction of apoptosis via FasL. These results also suggest that subtle differences exist in the apoptotic pathways triggered by anti-Fas agonistic Abs and by FasL.
Sex Differences in the Perception of Touching

Sex differences in the perception of touching were investigated by having 25 male and 25 female college students rate how likeable a touch would be under different conditions. The women produced a more favorable affect than the men when they touched, and women were perceived as liking to be touched mote than men. Perception of touching in general was correlated positively with Self-esteem for men, negatively with Machiavellianism for women, and positively with Trust for women. Results were discussed in terms of traditional sex-typing of touching behavior.
Inhibition of experimental corneal neovascularisation by bevacizumab (Avastin)

Aim: To evaluate the effect of topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) on experimental corneal neovascularisation in rats. Methods: Silver nitrate sticks (75% silver nitrate, 25% potassium nitrate) were used to perform chemical cauterisation on the corneas of 16 eyes from 16 male Long Evans rats. For the following 7 days, the 10 eyes in the treatment group were instilled with bevacizumab 4 mg/ml drops twice daily, whereas the 6 eyes in the control group received placebo (normal saline drops twice daily). Digital photographs of the cornea were analysed to determine the area of cornea covered by neovascularisation as a percentage of the total corneal area. Results: In the bevacizumab-treated eyes, neovascularisation covered, on average, 38.2% (15.5%) (mean (SD)) of the corneal surface compared with 63.5% (5.0%) in the control group (p<0.02, Mann–Whitney U test). Conclusion: Topically administered bevacizumab (Avastin) at a concentration of 4 mg/ml limits corneal neovascularisation following chemical injury in the male Long Evans rat model.
Effects of Stimulative and Sedative Music on Cognitive and Emotional Components of Anxiety

66 college students enrolled in a psychology class took their first examination of the semester, a multiple-choice test, under conditions of stimulative music, sedative music, or no music. One of the five following types of music was played during each section of the test for the two treatment groups: classical, jazz and blues, country-bluegrass, easy listening, and rock/rock and roll. Before and after each of the five sections of the test, subjects responded to a 5-item questionnaire designed to assess (a) worry about the test, (b) emotionality or physiological-affective arousal, (c) ability to concentrate, (d) expectancy of performance, and (e) like or dislike of the music. Stimulative music significantly increased both worry and emotionality while sedative music had no effect on anxiety relative to that of the control group. Test performance was not affected by the music.
Relation between the number of myelin lamellae and axon circumference in fibers of vagus and sciatic nerves of mice

Nerve fiber populations of the vagus and sciatic nerves of mice were classified according to the number of myelin lamellae present in the sheaths. This method for classifying fiber populations was superior to others used previously since it provided a more sensitive procedure for the analysis of individual fibers and better control over the technical factors involved in tissue processing.
Evaluation of a new hepatitis C virus sequencing assay as a routine method for genotyping

The determination of HCV genotypes, subtypes and isolates has been helpful in understanding the evolution and the epidemiology of the virus, and is an important factor in the pre‐treatment evaluation. A new simpler and automated sequencing based system has been developed recently, the Visible Genetics TruGene™ Hepatitis C Assay. The aim of the study was to compare this new genotyping assay with reverse hybridization based Innogenetics INNO‐LiPA HCV II assay that is used most commonly. Eighty‐eight HCV‐RNA positive patients were enrolled and divided in four groups: 26 hemodialysed patients, 30 untreated patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, 12 IFN non‐responder patients with chronic HCV hepatitis, 20 asymptomatic HCV positive subjects. The 5′‐UTR region was amplified by RT‐PCR and the nucleotide sequences determined by the TruGene™ assay. In parallel, the amplicons were also tested by INNO‐LiPA. Concordant results were obtained in 80 out of 88 cases (90.9%). The new assay allowed to genotype 2 samples not typed by LiPA as 1b and 2a/c. The new system also allowed the subtyping of 3 untypable samples, classified as genotype 1 by INNO‐LiPA, as genotype 1b (1 sample) and, as genotype 4 (2 samples). The difference between these genotype 4 isolates and the closest genotype 1 isolate was 6 nucleotides. One LiPA genotype 1a sample was typed as 1b and 2 genotype 1b samples were all typed as 1a by the sequence analysis. In conclusion, the new assay is a sensitive and rapid method that is suitable for accurate large‐scale genotyping. J. Med. Virol. 63:17–21, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adherence to and predictors of participation in colorectal cancer screening with faecal occult blood testing in Spain, 2009–2011

The aim of the study was to describe the adherence to faecal occult blood test (FOBT) screening in Spain during the period 2009–2011 and analyse possible associated factors. This study was cross-sectional in design and used data from the European Health Survey 2009 and the Spanish National Health Survey 2011, which were conducted through home interviews with a representative sample of the Spanish population. Adherence to screening was analysed by asking participants aged 50–69 years whether they had undergone a FOBT in the last 2 years. Independent variables included sociodemographic characteristics and variables related to health status and lifestyle. In 2009, 4.23% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.65–4.81] of the Spanish population aged 50–69 years had undergone a FOBT over the previous 2 years. In 2011, an increase to 7.74% (95% CI 6.94–8.47; P<0.01) was observed. Men had greater adherence to the FOBT compared with women. Individuals living in regions with a population-based screening programme proved to have a greater probability of undergoing this test. In 2011, this probability was 2.99 times greater (95% CI 2.38–3.76). Factors such as suffering from chronic diseases, frequent visits to doctors or having a health status perceived as poor were positive predictive factors for adherence. Adherence to screening has not yet been firmly established, and participation figures remain very low. It is necessary to develop promotional and educational programmes to improve adherence to FOBT screening in Spain.
The impact of mental health, sexual desire and sexual importance on the sexual behaviour of women with HIV

Abstract HIV infection is increasing among women in the US, particularly among racial minority groups. The hypothesized theoretical model considered the extent to which indicators of depression, sexual desire and sexual importance would predict whether sexual behaviour would occur for a sample of 96 women with HIV. The results of this study supported previous findings that depression significantly decreases the chances that sexual behaviour will occur, while sexual desire and sexual importance moderately increased the chance occurrence of this variable. The results of this study suggested that the mental health of women with HIV significantly affects whether they engage in sexual behaviour. HIV-prevention and intervention models need to be more inclusive of those factors that are most salient in the sexual relationships of women. Moreover, additional research is needed to examine the importance of maintaining sexual behaviour for women with HIV.
Single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla: an aesthetic evaluation.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla, by means of the pink aesthetic/white aesthetic score (PES/WES) index. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-six adult patients (18 men, 8 women, aged between 20 and 62 years; average: 48.7 years) who were treated with an immediate, single-tooth Morse taper connection implant (Leone Implant System(R) , Florence, Italy) in the aesthetic area of the anterior maxilla, were enrolled in this retrospective study. An independent calibrated examiner applied the PES/WES index to 26 single-tooth implant-supported restorations, respectively, 3 months and 2 years after implant placement. RESULTS No implants were lost. All 26 anterior maxillary single-tooth implants fulfilled the established success criteria for dental implants with regard to osseointegration, including the absence of pain, suppuration, clinically detectable implant mobility, peri-implant radiolucency and prosthetic complications at the implant-abutment interface, with an overall implant-crown success of 100.0%. At the 2-year examination, the mean DIB was 0.44 ± 0.14 mm (95% CI: 0.41-0.47); the mean total PES/WES was 14.30 ± 2.78 (range 8-19); the mean PES was 7.30 ± 1.78 (range 4-10) and the mean WES was 7.00 ± 1.35 (range 4-10). CONCLUSIONS The immediate placement of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants in the anterior maxilla seems to represent a successful procedure, from an aesthetic point of view. Further studies are needed to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla.