Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intragastric Nitrosation of Nicotine Is Not a Significant Contributor to Nitrosamine Exposure

To determine the potential for intragastric nicotine nitrosation, we carried out a kinetic study of the reaction of nicotine with nitrous acid in aqueous solution. The reaction of nicotine with nitrous acid resulted in the formation of three products, NNA, NNN, and NNK. The three parallel reactions were first order of 10-6 L/mol/s. The optimum pH range for formation of NNA, NNN, and NNK was 2.4 to 3.1. Thiocyanate (100 mM) slightly increased the rate of formation of NNN and NNK but tripled the rate of formation of NNA at pH 3.5 at 37 degrees C. We have also studied the nitrosation of pseudooxynicotine, a bacterial and fungal metabolite of nicotine. This secondary amine nitrosated rapidly to produce NNK. Our proposed mechanism for the conversion of nicotine to NNK includes nine kinetically distinct steps and is in agreement with our experimental results. The rate limiting step involves the formation of nicotine-1',2'-iminium ion. This ion hydrolyzes to form pseudooxynicotine which undergoes rapid, irreversible nitrosation to NNK. Given the very slow rate of nicotine nitrosation, it is unlikely that nicotine itself contributes to exposure to nitroso compounds due to chemically mediated intragastric nitrosation.
Cluster Synchronization of Linearly Coupled Complex Networks Under Pinning Control

In this paper, we focus on the problem of driving a general network to a selected cluster synchronization pattern by means of a pinning control strategy. Sufficient conditions are presented to guarantee the realization of the cluster synchronization pattern for all initial values. We also show the detailed steps on how to construct the coupling matrix and to modify the control strengths. Moreover, the method of adapting the coupling strength is provided to refine the result.
Forensic analysis of android mobile devices

Android operating system (OS) gained popularity in recent days. It provides almost similar functionalities available in desktop/laptop computers. Users can create documents, browse Internet, access, read and send emails, phone calling, SMSs and MMSs, Personal planners and keeping confidential information in various forms. These android devices and applications provide flexibility and ease of use for communication, web browsing, sharing and social interaction among friends, families and various groups personally and professionally. On the other side, these devices and applications are vulnerable places to prayed cyber criminals to compromise the applications. In order to identify a sequence of activities carried out by suspected person, forensic examination of the Smartphone is necessary for many of cyber crime investigations. In this paper authors presents a forensic analysis of the android device with respect to all kinds of memory areas in the phone and also discussed the analysis of contact information, call history and exchange of chat messages including video, audio and images. The analysis results provided and facilitate an investigator to correlate the activities carried out by a person using the Smartphone with malicious intention.
Advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting for the individual, organization and society

The phenomenon of telecommuting has implications for individuals and organizations, and society generally. Examines the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting to the parties involved and affected by it. Key advantages to individuals are increased autonomy and flexibility; to organizations, increased human resource capacity and savings in direct expenses; and to society, a reduction in environmental damage, solutions for special‐needs populations, and savings in infrastructure and energy. Advantages are weighed against disadvantages: to individuals, possible sense of isolation, lack of separation between work and home; to organizations, costs involved in transition to new work methods, training, and damage to commitment and identification with the organization; finally, society is faced with a danger of creating detached individuals. Discusses implications of the suitability of individuals to telecommuting.
There and Back Again: From Iterative to Flow ... and Back to Iterative!

Agile processes have been developed and used for a long time now as a guideline for teams to follow when they start a project - Scrum, eXtreme Programming, Kanban are well known examples. However, as the project evolves, it is natural that, as a response to its peculiarities, the process itself is tailored to satisfy that team's needs. This experience report tells the story of a team that chose to start the project with Scrum, and then gradually and with continuous improvement in mind, deconstructed the process in order to better fit it's context. Then as context changed, some of the decisions were undone, but our experience shows both decisions, removing a practice and bringing it back afterwards, brought benefits to the process given the circumstances that surrounded them.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induces Membrane Blebs in Epithelial Cells, Which Are Utilized as a Niche for Intracellular Replication and Motility

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to invade epithelial cells during infection and in vitro. However, little is known of bacterial or epithelial factors modulating P. aeruginosa intracellular survival or replication after invasion, except that it requires a complete lipopolysaccharide core. In this study, real-time video microscopy revealed that invasive P. aeruginosa isolates induced the formation of membrane blebs in multiple epithelial cell types and that these were then exploited for intracellular replication and rapid real-time motility. Further studies revealed that the type three secretion system (T3SS) of P. aeruginosa was required for blebbing. Mutants lacking either the entire T3SS or specific T3SS components were instead localized to intracellular perinuclear vacuoles. Most T3SS mutants that trafficked to perinuclear vacuoles gradually lost intracellular viability, and vacuoles containing those bacteria were labeled by the late endosomal marker lysosome-associated marker protein 3 (LAMP-3). Interestingly, mutants deficient only in the T3SS translocon structure survived and replicated within the vacuoles that did not label with LAMP-3. Taken together, these data suggest two novel roles of the P. aeruginosa T3SS in enabling bacterial intracellular survival: translocon-dependent formation of membrane blebs, which form a host cell niche for bacterial growth and motility, and effector-dependent bacterial survival and replication within intracellular perinuclear vacuoles.
The Institutional Landscape of Interest Group Politics and School Choice

This article provides an updated analysis of the institutional and organizational landscape surrounding the advocacy of and opposition to vouchers and other forms of school choice over the past decade at federal/national, state, and local levels. The politics of choice grew far more complex during the 1990s, with Republican control of Congress and the White House, the growth of the national charter school movement, congressional passage of pilot voucher programs, and the Supreme Court's 2002 Zelman v. Simmons-Harris ruling. Utilizing an Advocacy Coalition Framework, questions about the ideological motivations behind different forms of school choice, the particular programs that certain groups are likely to support or oppose, and the strategies—including the potential alliances and coalitions—that are increasingly employed around school choice policy are explored. A framework for understanding and analyzing policymaking in this area is offered, extending existing thinking on both school choice issues and education policy more generally.
The Great Recession: a comparison of recession magnitudes in Europe, USA and Japan

In this article recession magnitudes in Europe, the USA and Japan during the Great Recession are compared. The strongest recessions (of severe category) occurred in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, while recessions in Japan and the USA were significantly weaker. Even the strongest recession (in Latvia) was found smaller in its magnitude than the Great Depression 1929-1933 in the USA. Hence, comparisons of the Great Recession to the Great Depression in the literature are somewhat exaggerated.
Effect of hyoscine N-butylbromide on gastroesophageal reflux in normal subjects and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

OBJECTIVES:Recent studies have shown that atropine reduces gastroesophageal reflux in normal subjects and patients with gastroesophageal reflux. The aim of the study has been to assess the effects of an atropine derivative, hyoscine N-butylbromide in normal subjects and patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease by recording esophageal and gastric pH-metry for a 24-h period.METHODS:Ten normal subjects and 10 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were evaluated. PH-metry was performed using two glass pH flexible probes with distal incorporated electrodes. The two catheters were introduced nasally under fluoroscopy. One probe was positioned in the gastric body; the other was placed 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter which had been evaluated manometrically before the study. Recording lasted without interruption for 48 h. Patients and normal subjects were assigned to receive hyoscine N-butylbromide (10 mg p.o. t.i.d.) for 24 h followed by a placebo for another 24 h or vice versa in a random manner. The pH was analyzed for a total number of acid refluxes and percentage of the period with pH <4 in the esophagus and the mean gastric pH in 24 h, before and after treatment with hyoscine N-butylbromide.RESULTS:The number of reflux episodes was significantly greater with hyoscine N-butylbromide in comparison with a placebo in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and normal subjects (p < 0.02). The percentage of time with pH <4, was also significantly greater in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and in controls (p < 0.05). The mean 24-h gastric pH after hyoscine N-butylbromide was not different from placebo in gastroesophageal reflux disease and controls.CONCLUSIONS:Hyoscine N-butylbromide, an anticholinergic agent, increases the total number of esophageal acid refluxes in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and in controls, therefore it is not recommended in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Ipsilateral Jugular Access to Treat an Otherwise Inaccessible Puncture-related Arteriovenous Fistula Pseudoaneurysm: A Technical Note

Background The standard approach for the endovascular treatment of a dysfunctional or occluded hemodialysis access in the upper limbs includes a direct intervention through the access itself or alternatively, when not feasible, through the brachial or radial artery access. Nonetheless, there are certain circumstances in which these approaches are not easily achieved. Methods An 89-year-old male with end-stage renal disease developed a pseudoaneurysm after an hemorrhagic complication of a recently transposed native basilic arteriovenous fistula secondary to a needle puncture. Dehiscence of the injured access with spontaneous arterial bleeding evolved as a consequence of the upper limb swelling, rendering therapeutic intervention of the access through a conventional route impossible. A fistulogram through puncture of the common femoral artery was performed to obtain an accurate diagnosis. However, this approach was insufficient to advance the covered stent with the intention of excluding the pseudoaneurysm, as the stent delivery system could not reach the desired site. Given that the covered stent insertion required a 9 Fr introducer, the radial artery approach was ruled out. Therefore, we chose a venous access via the ipsilateral internal jugular vein, which was punctured under ultrasound guidance. Results This strategy was useful to advance the stent and exclude the pseudoaneurysm successfully. Conclusions This technique should be considered for those individuals in whom conventional routes of approach for repairing dialysis accesses are not feasible or are extremely risky.
Money on the Table?: Responding to Cross-Border Tax Arbitrage

Transactions commonly known as "cross-border tax arbitrages" take advantage of inconsistencies between countries' tax rules to achieve more favorable tax results than could have been achieved by investing just in one country. Examples include "dual resident companies" and "double dip leases," in which clever structuring may enable a multinational enterprise to claim the same deduction in two countries. This article analyzes the national and worldwide welfare considerations that may be relevant to a country's deciding whether to allow tax benefits that will be thus duplicated, taking into account strategic interactions with other countries. It also briefly discusses cross-border tax arbitrage in relation to tax harmonization and the proposed creation of multilateral tax institutions akin to the GATT and WTO.
General Equilibrium Analysis of Supply Control in U.S. Agriculture

This paper provides a general equilibrium analysis of several alternative supply control measures currently employed (or proposed) for U.S. agriculture. Results confirm that acreage controls generate a large marginal excess burden. However, tradeable output quotas are found to be marginally welfare improving in the aggregate. This second-best outcome reflects the benefits associated with a reduction in policy-induced excess capacity. Permitting production in excess of the quota to be sold overseas, as has been proposed, is shown to dissipate most of the domestic gains from output controls. The paper closes with a discussion of first-best alternatives to supply control. Copyright 1991 by Oxford University Press.
Socioeconomic Characteristics of Beneficiaries of Rural Credit (A case study of D.I.Khan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)

Agriculture is not only the backbone of our food, livelihood and ecological security system, but is also the very soul of our sovereignty. In Pakistan population density is high and has been increasing day by day and agricultural land has been decreasing because of fragmenting or converting it into residential plots. To meet the domestic food requirements and raising standard of life use of improved production technologies developed by research is must. In this behalf government of Pakistan has been extending loan to poor farmers for adoption of new farm technology; a capital intensive technology. Right adoption of new farm technology depends on different demographic factors of farmers. Â Therefore objective of the paper was to see who benefits more of credit. Primary data regarding different determinants effecting well being of farmers after use of credit was collected from 320 farmers who participated in credit using stratified sampling technique through structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Linear regression model was applied with the help of SPSS. Education and visiting agriculture information centre were found significant suggesting younger more educated farmers who visits information centre be provided credit ,as they had ability to improve their standard. Keywords : Agriculture, Rural credit; house hold, economic welfare, farmers.
Why Does Shareholder Wealth Increase When Non-U.S. Firms Announce Their Listing in the U.S.?

Prior studies have documented that non-U.S. firms experience a positive abnormal return in their home market when they announce that they will list their shares in the U.S. In this paper, we test existing theories for this positive announcement return by examining the abnormal returns accruing to other firms in the same country as the announcing firm. We find that the announcement of U.S. exchange listing by a non-U.S. firm is associated with negative abnormal returns for small non-announcing firms already listed on a U.S. exchange, and for the announcing firm's domestic industry competitors. Within the industry of the announcing firm, we find that competitors listed in the U.S. over-the-counter or 144A PORTAL markets are negatively affected by the announcement, whereas other competitors with different cross-listing status are not. Particularly among competitors not listed in the U.S. at all, there is a positive relation between a firm's abnormal return and its Tobin's q ratio. A non-announcing firm's stock return correlation with the announcing firm is, however, unrelated to its abnormal return regardless of its cross-listing status and whether or not it is in the industry of the announcing firm. Finally, we show that neither the abnormal returns for the announcing firm nor those for non-announcing firms are related to the degree of financial integration between their home country and the U.S. We discuss how our results help to differentiate between existing theories for the information contents of the announcement of U.S. listing by a non-U.S. firm.
Involvement of the interferon-gamma-induced T cell-attracting chemokines, interferon-gamma-inducible 10-kd protein (CXCL10) and monokine induced by interferon-gamma (CXCL9), in the salivary gland lesions of patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the mechanism of the development of T cell infiltrates in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), we studied T cell-attracting chemokines and their receptors. METHODS The expression of the T cell-attracting chemokines, interferon-gamma (IFNgamma)-inducible 10-kd protein (IP-10; also called CXCL10), monokine induced by IFNgamma (Mig; also called CXCL9), and stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1; also called CXCL12), in salivary glands from SS patients was investigated by polymerase chain reaction-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cells that produce chemokines and lymphocytes that express chemokine receptors were identified by immunohistochemistry. The production of IP-10 and Mig proteins by salivary epithelial cells in response to IFNgamma was determined by ELISA. RESULTS Expression of IP-10 and Mig messenger RNA (mRNA) was significantly up-regulated in SS salivary glands compared with normal salivary glands (both P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in SDF-1 mRNA expression between the SS and normal salivary glands. IP-10 and Mig proteins were predominantly expressed in the ductal epithelium adjacent to lymphoid infiltrates. Most of the CD3+ infiltrating lymphocytes in dense periductal foci expressed CXCR3, the receptor for IP-10 and Mig. IFNgamma induced the production of high levels of IP-10 and Mig proteins from cultured SS salivary epithelial cells. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that IFNgamma stimulates the production of IP-10 and Mig in the SS ductal epithelium, and that IP-10 and Mig are involved in the accumulation of T cell infiltrates in the SS salivary gland. Chemokines or chemokine receptors could be a rational new therapeutic target in SS.
Effectiveness of One-Euro-Jobs: do programme characteristics matter?

Recent German labour market reforms introduced a large scale workfare programme called One-Euro-Jobs to activate welfare recipients and improve their employment prospects. In programme design leeway is left to regional actors. Using administrative data and Propensity Score (PS) matching, this article investigates the association between programme design and effectiveness, so as to provide insight on how to increase programme effectiveness. First, effects of different types of One-Euro-Jobs according to planned duration and weekly working hours compared to ‘waiting’ are estimated. Second, programme types are compared directly to disentangle selection and programme effects. As expected lock-in effects are larger for participations with a longer planned duration, but not for those with longer weekly working hours. One-Euro-Jobs do not generally increase the employment prospects for East German men beyond 2 years after programme start and longer and more intensive participations even decrease employment prospects. In West Germany, One-Euro-Jobs generally increase the employment chances and longer participations lead to slightly greater employment opportunities roughly 2 years after programme start. The initial advantages of short participations decrease over time. Following these results, a reallocation of participants might improve programme effectiveness.
Industrial price determination process in the Turkish private manufacturing industry between 1980 and 2000: a Keynesian approach

The Keynesian price model depends especially on some microeconomic factors other than causality relationship between money supply and general price level. Departing from aggregate demand-augmented wage-cost markup version of the Keynesian model is analyzed by using cointegration analysis for the determination of the prices in Turkish private manufacturing industries for the 1980-2000 period. The results support a long-run relationship among prices and demand and unit wage cost, and have also found positive pressure on prices from demand and unit wage cost. Findings are consistent with the Keynesian theoretical expectation.
Breast Metastasis from Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma, Mimicking Inflammatory Carcinoma. A Case Report

We report a case of breast metastasis of signet ring cell gastric cancer clinically presented as a primary inflammatory carcinoma. Metastases to the breast are uncommon; review of the literature demonstrated only 300 cases. The clinical and radiographic features of the metastatic lesion were unlike those reported in the literature. Although a primary signet ring cell breast carcinoma was described, the pathologic patterns of the breast lesion, here reported, lead us to conclude this was a metastasis and not another primary tumor.
Pan-european union assessment of EMAS implementation

The European Union's (EU's) Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is one of the EU's few market base instruments discussed in the Fifth Environmental Action Programme. EMAS has been operational since April 1995 and site registrations across the EU stood at 1500 on 31 March 1998. Built into the regulation is a five-year review which is being conducted in 1998. To help inform the review process the European Commission co-funded a pan-European study into the implementation status of the regulation. This paper discusses the quantitative results of the study, focusing on the implementation experiences of EMAS-registered sites across the EU. The study used a five-part telephone questionnaire designed to collect quantitative data on the different implementation experiences of, among others, registered sites. Sites were randomly selected for interview from population data provided by the EMAS Help Desk. The study identified the benefits accrued to EMAS-registered sites, their implementation process, areas where EMAS required more support, the use made of the EMAS environmental statements and the opinions of respondents on the use of EMAS in conjunction with products. The study also identified key differences between the implementation experiences of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger enterprises. The paper reports the results of the study and concludes by considering the efficacy of EMAS as a market-based tool, the ways in which the current review might improve its operation and the significance of EMAS as an EU policy instrument. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.