Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abandonments of the Council-Manager Plan: A New Institutionalist Perspective

The council-manager (CM) form of government has been on the scene for nearly 75 years. Since the first large city (Dayton, Ohio) adopted the council-manager form in 1914, it has become a well established feature of the local political landscape. Today, over 2,500 cities operate under the council-manager plan. ' Despite the spread of the council-manager form of government, the impetus behind the movement to reform local government seems to have lessened with time. During the 1960s, growth of the council-manager form began to slow down as many unreformed cities started hiring chief administrative officers (CAOs). In 1969, in recognition of this change, the International City Managers' Association changed its name to the International City Management Association.2 Also, after over seven decades of reform, the unreformed mayor-council (MC) form of government still constitutes a majority of all U.S. cities.3 Finally, every year a number of local referenda in reformed cities propose the abandonment of the council-manager plan. A survey of municipalities conducted in 1981 by the International City Management Association indicated that 3.5 percent of council-manager cities had abandoned the form of government during the previous 12 years.4 While this rate of abandonments of the councilmanager plan is roughly only one-third of that for cities abandoning the mayor-council plan, nagging questions remain. Why do elections proposing the abandonment of the council-manager plan continue to be a feature of politics in many reformed cities? To be sure, most of these elections result in retention of the plan, but why is the issue raised in the first place? And, most importantly, why do some communities choose to abandon reform? This article reconceptualizes the way in which abandonments of the council-manager plan have come to be portrayed. The first section reviews the prevailing theoretical framework used to explain abandonments. As in most contemporary theories of politics, abandonments have been depicted as a function of the exogenous political environment and social context. Empirical flaws in this contextual theory of abandonments are presented in light of both the 1981 ICMA survey data and data from a 1986 ICMA survey, supplemented by information from a 1987 survey by the author of cities that had abandoned the councilmanager plan in the previous ten years. This is followed
Implementing checklists in the operating room

Checklists have established themselves as a key safety process in the operating room environment. This paper describes the background and context of how checklists have evolved in medicine. It also highlights ongoing challenges with particular attention to the importance of nontechnical skills or human factors training with relation to checklist design, testing and implementation and ongoing coaching.
Efectos de un entrenamiento experimental de fuerza en el medio acuático sobre el aumento de la sección transversal del músculo y la fuerza dinámica

OBJETIVOS En la actualidad, no existe una metodologia claramente definida y contrastada al respecto del entrenamiento exclusivo de fuerza en el medio acuatico orietnado al aumetno de la masa muscular, asi como tampoco se dispone de suficientes evidencias que confirmen objetivamente dicho efecto. Es por esto por lo que en la presente investigacion se ha aportado un metodo novedoso y se ha evaluado si en el medio acuatico es posible realizar un entrenamiento de fuerza orientado a la hipertrofia muscular en adultos sanos y fisicamente activos y, ademas, si dicha hipertrofia se ve acompanada por una mejora de la minifestacion maxima dinamica de la fuerza de los grupos musculares entrenados. METODO El estudio duro 8 semanas durante las cuales el grupo experimental (GE) siguio un programa acuatico de musculacion (PAM) con las siguientes caracteristicas: un primer ciclo de tres semanas con 8 ejercicios realizados hasta llegar al fallo musculuar y para un total de 8-12 repeticiones, 3 series y 1 minuto y 30 segundos de pausa; siguiendo una frecuencia de 3 sesiones a la semana con una recuperacion minima de 48 horas. El segundo (3 semanas) y tercer ciclo (2 semanas) tuvieron caracteristicas similares, salvo que en el segundo se empleo la tecnica de sobrecarga de superseries y en el tercero la de triseries. Los materiales con los que se desarrollo el PAM fueron: guantes de membrana de silicona, tablas de natacion, aletas cortas, flotadores tubulares y piezas ritmicas de edicion propia. El grupo control (GC) se limito a seguir con su vida corriente evitando cualquier practica que pudiera interferir con el objeto de estudio. Las variables dependientes evaluadas fueron: peso, estatura, % de grasa corporal, masa magra y grasa, parimetros corporales, fuerza maxima dinamica de las extremidades superiores y el tronco superior, resistencia a la fuerza de la musculatura abdominal y fuerza explosiva de las extremidades i
Controlled Load and Speed Transitions in a Multicylinder Recompression HCCI Engine

A model-based control strategy to track combustion phasing during load and speed transitions in the homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) operating region of a multimode combustion engine is presented in this paper. HCCI transitions can traverse regions of high cyclic variability (CV), even if the steady state transition end points are stable with low CV. A control-oriented HCCI model for both the stable, low CV region and the oscillatory, high CV, late phasing region is used to design a controller that uses valve and fuel injection timings to track combustion phasing. Novel aspects of the controller include nonlinear model-inversion-based feedforward and gain scheduled feedback based on unburned fuel that reduces transient CV. Transitions tested on a multicylinder HCCI engine include load transitions at fixed engine speeds, simultaneous load, and speed transitions, and select FTP75 drive-cycle transitions with high load slew rates. Good combustion phasing tracking performance is demonstrated, and misfires are prevented.
New Approach for Cochlear Implantation: Cochleostomy Through the Middle Fossa

The middle fossa approach was used in 11 patients with profound bilateral hearing loss for insertion of a cochlear implant. Fibroadhesive otitis media (n = 1), bilateral cavity radical mastoidectomy (n = 1), autoimmune inner ear disease (n = 2), previous cranial trauma (n = 1), genetic prelingual deafness (n = 5), and otosclerosis (n = 1) were the causes of deafness. A cochleostomy was performed on the most superficial part of the basal turn, and the electrode array was inserted up to the cochlear apex. Speech perception tests (1-9 months after cochlear implant activation) yielded better results in these patients compared with a homogeneous group of postlingually deaf patients operated on through the traditional transmastoid route. Insertion of the implant through the middle fossa cochleostomy furnishes the possibility of stimulating areas of the cochlea (ie, the middle and apical turns) where a greater survival rate of spiral ganglion cells is known to occur, with improvement of information regarding the formants relevant for speech perception. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;123:467-74.)
Budget 2002: Macroeconomic Context and Fiscal Stance

David Duffy, Jonathan Hore, Conall MacCoille, Daniel McCoy Budget 2002 was always likely to be a difficult budget to frame as the Irish economy began to slow from the record economic growth rates achieved over the last half decade. These difficulties have increased as the slowdown in economic growth is likely to be much more severe than that anticipated at the time of the last Budget in December 2000. 1.
Atrial natriuretic factor increases splenic microvascular pressure and fluid extravasation in the rat

The spleen is an important site of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)‐induced fluid extravasation into the systemic lymphatic system. The mechanism underlying this process was studied in a blood‐perfused (1 ml min−1) rat spleen using the double occlusion technique. To ensure that our observations were spleen specific, a similar protocol was repeated in the hindquarters. Rat ANF(1‐28), infused into the splenic artery of anaesthetized male rats, caused a dose‐dependent (0.3‐59 pmol min−1) increase in microvascular pressure from 11.3 ± 0.7 to 14.9 ± 0.5 mmHg and in post‐capillary resistance from 7.2 ± 0.6 to 10.1 ± 1.1 mmHg ml−1. ANF elicited no change in splenic pre‐capillary resistance or in hindquarter haemodynamics. Intrasplenic ANF (6.5 pmol min−1) caused a sustained increase in intrasplenic fluid efflux from 0.1 ± 0.1 to 0.3 ± 0.1 ml min−1, and in capillary filtration coefficient (Kf) from 1.2 ± 0.5 to 2.4 ± 0.6 ml mmHg−1 min−1 (100 g tissue)−1. Mechanical elevation of splenic intravascular pressure (from 11.3 ± 0.7 to 22.4 ± 0.2 mmHg) significantly increased intrasplenic fluid extravasation (from 0.4 ± 0.3 to 1.4 ± 0.3 ml min−1). The natriuretic peptide receptor‐C (NPRC)‐specific agonist C‐ANF(4‐23) (12.5 and 125 pmol min−1) did not alter splenic intravascular pressure or pre‐/post‐capillary resistance. The ANF antagonist A71915 (8.3 and 83 pmol min−1), which blocks ANF‐stimulated cGMP production via natriuretic peptide receptor‐A (NPRA), inhibited the ANF‐induced changes in splenic microvascular pressure and post‐capillary resistance. It is concluded that ANF enhances the extravasation of isoncotic fluid from the splenic vasculature both by raising intrasplenic microvascular pressure (increased post‐capillary resistance) and by increasing filtration area. The constrictive activity of ANF on the splenic vasculature is mediated through NPRA.
Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty for iridocorneal endothelial syndrome in phakic eyes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and postoperative complications of deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) for treating iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome in phakic eyes. METHODS Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series. Seven consecutive patients (7 eyes) having ICE syndrome with clear or mildly opaque lens were treated using DLEK and were followed up for 9 to 20 months. Data collected included best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, corneal astigmatism, endothelial cell density, and peripheral iris and anterior chamber angles using ultrasonographic biomicroscopy. RESULTS Corneas were clear in all eyes. No graft dislocation or lens injury occurred. During the follow-up period, 2 eyes developed cataract, 1 of which underwent phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation; 2 eyes had elevated intraocular pressure, 1 of which underwent filtering valve implant surgery; and 3 eyes showed progressive peripheral anterior synechiae. At the last follow-up, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity ranged from 20/67 to 20/30; the mean (SD) corneal astigmatism was 2.0 (0.7) diopters (D); and the mean (SD) corneal curvature was 44.6 (1.5) D. The mean (SD) endothelial cell density was 1917 (156) cells/mm(2) 9 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS DLEK is efficacious in the treatment of ICE syndrome in phakic eyes, with rapid visual rehabilitation and low incidence of postoperative complications. DLEK may be a good option for ICE syndrome in phakic eyes.
Comparison of the Percentage of Voids in the Canal Filling of a Calcium Silicate-Based Sealer and Gutta Percha Cones Using Two Obturation Techniques

This study evaluated the root-filling quality of a calcium silicate-based sealer and gutta percha (GP) cones by measuring the percentage of voids. Twenty artificial molar teeth were divided into two groups: one obturated using the single-cone (SC) technique, and the other using the continuous wave (CW) technique. Obturation was performed with GP cones and Endoseal MTA (mineral trioxide aggregate, Maruchi, Wonju, Korea). Obturated teeth were scanned using microcomputed tomography, and the percentage of void volume was calculated in the apical and coronal areas. A linear mixed model was used to determine the differences between the two techniques (p < 0.05). The percentage of voids between the filling materials and root canal walls was not significantly different between the two obturation methods (p > 0.05), except for the CW group, which demonstrated a significantly higher void volume in the coronal area of the distal canal (p < 0.05). The percentage of voids inside the filling material was significantly higher in the CW groups for all of the comparisons (p < 0.05), except in the apical area of the distal canal (p > 0.05). The voids between the filling material and canal wall in the apical area were not significantly different between the two techniques.
Temperature during the last week of incubation. III. Effects on chicken embryo physiology

&NA; We investigated effects of eggshell temperature (EST) of 35.6, 36.7, 37.8, or 38.9°C applied from d of incubation (E) 15, E17, or E19 onward on chicken embryo physiology. A total of 2,850 first‐grade eggs of a 43‐week‐old Ross 308 broiler breeder flock were incubated at an EST of 37.8°C until E15. From E15, E17, or E19 onward, eggs were incubated at an EST of 35.6, 36.7, 37.8, or 38.9°C. Plasma glucose, uric acid, and lactate concentrations, and hepatic glycogen amount and concentration were measured at E15, E17, E19, internal pipping (IP), external pipping (EP), and hatch. An EST of 38.9°C applied from E15 onward decreased the amount of hepatic glycogen from E19 to IP and resulted in a lower glycogen amount at IP compared to all other EST. At EP, when oxygen (O2) becomes largely available, an EST of 38.9°C resulted in a higher glycogen amount and concentration compared to IP, which suggests that plasma glucose between IP and EP might be used for building up hepatic glycogen reserves. However, hepatic glycogen levels remained considerably lower at IP, EP, and hatch at an EST of 38.9°C, compared to an EST of 35.6 and 36.7°C. Opposite to an EST of 38.9°C, from IP onward, an EST of 35.6°C resulted in a higher glycogen amount and concentration compared to all other EST, which might be caused by the higher O2 availability relative to the lower metabolic rate, which provided time to build up glycogen stores from excessive glucose. A higher availability of hepatic glycogen might contribute to an improved physiological status of the broiler chicken embryo toward hatch. Hepatic gluconeogenesis is crucial for developing embryos, as glucose is the major energy source from IP until hatch. At hatch, no effect of EST was found for glucose, uric acid, or lactate. Results of this study emphasize that EST of 35.6 and 36.7°C from E15 onward appear to be beneficial for chicken embryo physiology.
Review Article: Compendium of Chemical Carcinogens by Target Organ: Results of Chronic Bioassays in Rats, Mice, Hamsters, Dogs, and Monkeys

A compendium of carcinogenesi s bioassay results organized by target organ is presented for 738 chemicals that are carcinogeni c in chronic-exposure, long-term bioassays in at least 1 species. This compendium is based primarily on experiments in rats or mice; results in hamsters, monkeys, and dogs are also reported. The compendium can be used to identify chemicals that induce tumors at particular sites and to determine whether target sites are the same for chemicals positive in more than 1 species. The source of information is the Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDB), which includes results of 6073 experiments on 1458 chemicals (positive or negative for carcinogenicity) that have been reported in Technical Reports of the National Cancer Institute/National Toxicology Program or in papers in the general published literature. The published CPDB includes detailed analyses of each test and citations. The CPDB is publicly available in several formats (http://potency.berkeley.edu). Chemical carcinogens are reported for 35 different target organs in rats or mice. Target organs in humans are also summarized for 82 agents that have been evaluated as human carcinogens at a particular target site by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Comparisons are provided of target organs for mutagens versus nonmutagens and rats versus mice.
Chlamydia Infection Causes Loss of Pacemaker Cells and Inhibits Oocyte Transport in the Mouse Oviduct1

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted bacterial infection that results in health care costs in the United States that exceed $2 billion per year. Chlamydia infections cause damage to the oviducts, resulting in ectopic pregnancy and tubal factor infertility, but the reasons for defective oviduct function are poorly understood. We have investigated the role of oviduct contractions in egg transport and found that underlying electrical pacemaker activity is responsible for oviduct motility and egg transport. Specialized pacemaker cells, referred to as oviduct interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC-OVI), are responsible for pacemaker activity. The ICC-OVI, labeled with antibodies to KIT protein, form a dense network associated with the smooth muscle cells along the entire length of the oviduct. Selective removal of ICC-OVI with KIT-neutralizing antibody resulted in loss of electrical rhythmicity and loss of propulsive contractions of the oviduct. We tested whether infection might adversely affect the ICC-OVI. Mice infected with Chlamydia muridarum displayed dilation of oviducts, pyosalpinx, and loss of spontaneous contractile activity. Morphological inspection showed disruption of ICC-OVI networks, and electrophysiological recordings showed loss of intrinsic pacemaker activity without change in basal smooth muscle membrane potential. Chlamydia infection also was associated with upregulation of NOS2 (iNOS) and PTGS2 (COX II) in leukocytes. Loss of ICC-OVI and pacemaker activity causes oviduct pseudo-obstruction and loss of propulsive contractions for oocytes. This, accompanied by retention of oviduct secretions, may contribute to the development of tubal factor infertility.
The Role of Human Capital and Population Growth in R&D-Based Models of Economic Growth

Human capital accumulation is introduced into a growth model with R&D-driven expansion in variety and quality and knowledge spillovers from both research activities. Economic growth is not longer uniquely tied to population growth as previous growth models without scale effects suggest. The model predicts that economic growth depends positively on the rate of human capital accumulation and positively or negatively on population growth. It is therefore harder to reject by empirical evidence. Long-run growth is compatible with a stable population. As in previous studies the market generates the optimal growth rate but possibly a suboptimal level of the growth path. I calibrate the model with U.S. data and investigate whether the market provides too little or too much R&D.
U(SMes*)n, (n = 3, 4) and Ln(SMes*)3 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd): lanthanide(III)/actinide(III) differentiation in agostic interactions and an unprecedented eta3 ligation mode of the arylthiolate ligand, from X-ray diffraction and DFT analysis.

Reaction of U(NEt(2))(4) with HS-2,4,6-(t)Bu(3)C(6)H(2) (HSMes) gave U(SMes)(3)(NEt(2))(py) (1), whereas similar treatment of U[N(SiMe(3))SiMe(2)CH(2)][N(SiMe(3))(2)](2) afforded U(SMes)[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) (2) and U(SMes)(3)[N(SiMe(3))(2)]. The first neutral homoleptic uranium(IV) thiolate to have been crystallographically characterized, U(SMes)(4) (4), was isolated from the reaction of U(BH(4))(4) and KSMes. The first homoleptic thiolate complex of uranium(III), U(SMes)(3) (5), was synthesized by protonolysis of U[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) with HSMes in cyclohexane. The crystal structure of 5 exhibits the novel eta(3) ligation mode for the arylthiolate ligand. Comparison of the crystal structure of 5 with those of the isomorphous lanthanide congeners Ln(SMes)(3) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, and Nd) indicates that the U-S, U-C(ipso)(), and U-C(ortho)() bond lengths are shorter than the corresponding ones in the 4f-element analogues, when taking into account the variation in the ionic radii of the metals. The distance between the uranium and the carbon atoms involved in the U.H-C epsilon agostic interaction of each thiolate ligand is shorter, by approximately 0.05 A, than that expected from a purely ionic bonding model. The lanthanide(III)/actinide(III) differentiation was analyzed by density functional theory (DFT). The nature of the M-S bond is shown to be ionic strongly polarized at the sulfur for M = U and iono-covalent (i.e. strongly ionic with low orbital interaction), for M = Ln. The strength of the U.H-C epsilon agostic interaction is proposed to be controlled by the maximization of the interaction between U(+) and S(-) under steric constraints. The eta(3) ligation mode of the arylthiolate ligand is also obtained from DFT.
Effect of myostatin deletion on cardiac and microvascular function

The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that increased muscle mass has positive effects on cardiovascular function. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that increases in lean body mass caused by deletion of myostatin improves cardiac performance and vascular function. Echocardiography was used to quantify left ventricular function at baseline and after acute administration of propranolol and isoproterenol to assess β‐adrenergic reactivity. Additionally, resistance vessels in several beds were removed, cannulated, pressurized to 60 mmHg and reactivity to vasoactive stimuli was assessed. Hemodynamics were measured using in vivo radiotelemetry. Myostatin deletion results in increased fractional shortening at baseline. Additionally, arterioles in the coronary and muscular microcirculations are more sensitive to endothelial‐dependent dilation while nonmuscular beds or the aorta were unaffected. β‐adrenergic dilation was increased in both coronary and conduit arteries, suggesting a systemic effect of increased muscle mass on vascular function. Overall hemodynamics and physical characteristics (heart weight and size) remained unchanged. Myostatin deletion mimics in part the effects of exercise on cardiovascular function. It significantly increases lean muscle mass and results in muscle‐specific increases in endothelium‐dependent vasodilation. This suggests that increases in muscle mass may serve as a buffer against pathological states that specifically target cardiac function (heart failure), the β‐adrenergic system (age), and nitric oxide bio‐availability (atherosclerosis). Taken together, pharmacological inhibition of the myostatin pathway could prove an excellent mechanism by which the benefits of exercise can be conferred in patients that are unable to exercise.
HIV and pneumococcal disease

Purpose of review To describe the impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the burden of pneumococcal disease and advances in our understanding of the impact of HIV on this disease. Recent findings Although highly active antiretroviral therapy has reduced the burden of pneumococcal disease among HIV-infected adults, these infections remain far more common than in HIV uninfected adults. HIV-infected adults who smoke or have comorbidities are at particular risk. In the absence of highly active antiretroviral therapy, pneumococcal meningitis has emerged in Africa as a major disease burden with a high mortality among HIV-infected children and adults. Conjugate pneumococcal vaccine protects HIV-infected infants from pneumococcal pneumonia. In the United States, where conjugate vaccine is given to children, herd immunity has reduced the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease among HIV-infected adults. Summary The pneumococcus remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected children and adults, both in developed and in developing countries.