Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A network analysis of transboundary water cooperation in La Plata Basin

When do countries cooperate in transboundary waters? One of the largest in the world, the La Plata Basin covers part of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. These five countries co-manage the basin through a network of legal agreements, domestic and international organizations, and cooperative projects. In this paper, we examine the network structure of cross-national water projects within this intergovernmental framework. We use exponential random graph models to analyze the processes that lead to the formation of particular network structures when organizations participate in projects designed to improve the management of natural resources in the basin. Empirical results provide evidence that (1) the network is characterized by a considerable level of bridging capital, rather than bonding capital, with a small group of organizations capturing most of the present links in the network, and (2) organizations that are active in two or more countries – especially basin governmental organizations – are the main collaborators in projects. These findings point to the extent to which coordinated state actors dominate the La Plata Basin. Study results carry significant implications for how networks facilitate the resolution of coordination problems and the administration of common resources in transboundary waters.
Children's identification of consonants in a speech-shaped noise or a two-talker masker.

PURPOSE To evaluate child-adult differences for consonant identification in a noise or a 2-talker masker. Error patterns were compared across age and masker type to test the hypothesis that errors with the noise masker reflect limitations in the peripheral encoding of speech, whereas errors with the 2-talker masker reflect target-masker confusions within the central auditory system. METHOD A repeated-measures design compared the performance of children (5-13 years) and adults in continuous speech-shaped noise or a 2-talker masker. Consonants were identified from a closed set of 12 using a picture-pointing response. RESULTS In speech-shaped noise, children under age 10 years performed more poorly than adults, but performance was adultlike for 11- to 13-year-olds. In the 2-talker masker, significant child-adult differences were observed in even the oldest group of children. Systematic clusters of consonant errors were observed for children in the noise masker and for adults in both maskers, but not for children in the 2-talker masker. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a more prolonged time course of development for consonant identification in a 2-talker masker than in a noise masker. Differences in error patterns between the maskers support the hypothesis that errors with the 2-talker masker reflect failures of sound segregation.
Social Status, Environment, and Atherosclerosisin Cynomolgus Monkeys

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effects of social environment and social status on coronary artery and aortic atherosclerosis In adult male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularls). Thirty experimental animals were assigned to six groups of five members each, and all animals were fed a moderately atherogenic diet (43% of calories as fat, 0.34 mg cholesterol/Cal) for 22 months. Group memberships were changed periodically among 15 monkeys (unstable social condition) and remained fixed throughout the experiment In the remaining animals (stable social condition). Within each condition, individual monkeys were classified as either dominant or subordinate animals, based on dyadic patterns of aggression and submission. At necropsy, the coronary arteries were subjected to pressure fixation and five sections each were taken from the left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries. The mean Intimal area measurement, based on all arterial sections, served as a coronary Index for each animal. Results Indicated that dominant animals in the unstable condition had significantly greater coronary artery atherosclerosis than dominant monkeys housed In stable social groups. Coronary artery atherosclerosis in the unstable dominants was also greater than among similarly housed (I.e., unstable) subordinates. A similar pattern was observed In the abdominal aorta, but was not statistically significant. No significant differences or similar patterns were seen In the thoracic aorta. Additional analyses revealed that the coronary artery effects were not due to concomitant differences In total serum cholesterol or high density llpoproteln cholesterol concentrations, blood pressures, ponderosity, or fasting glucose concentrations among the experimental animals. Behaviorally, manipulation of group memberships intensified agonistic encounters and disrupted patterns of affiliative Interaction between dominant and subordinate monkeys. Overall, these results suggest that social dominance (an Individual behavioral characteristic) Is associated with increased coronary artery atherosclerosis, but only under social conditions that provide recurrent threats to the status of dominant animals (I.e., under behavioral challenge).
Probiotics-mediated suppression of cancer

Purpose of review Probiotics can be used as an adjuvant for cancer prevention or/and treatment through their abilities to modulate intestinal microbiota and host immune response. Although most of the recent reviews have focused on the potential role of probiotics against colon cancer, only few of them include the probiotic effect on extraintestinal cancers. The present review covers the most important findings from the literature published during the past 20 months (from January 2015 to August 2016) regarding the probiotics-mediated suppression of both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal cancers and the underlying mechanisms. Recent findings A comprehensive literature search in Pubmed, Science direct and Google scholar databases was conducted to locate all relevant articles that investigated the effect of probiotics on prevention/treatment of both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal cancers. Different mechanisms for the beneficial effects of probiotics against cancer were also discussed, mainly via modulation of gut microbiota which thereby influences host metabolism and immunity. Summary Despite laboratory-based studies having demonstrated encouraging outcomes that probiotics possess antitumor effects, the benefits should not be exaggerated before we get more results from human clinical trials. These are very important before the medical community can accept the use of probiotics as an alternative therapy for cancer control.
Calculating Mutual Inductance Between Circular Coils With Inclined Axes in Air

In this paper we present a lucid, easy, and accurate approach for calculation of the mutual inductance between all inclined circular coils with either rectangular cross section or negligible section. We use Grover's formula for the mutual inductance between two filamentary circular coils with inclined axes that lie in the same plane. Their centers are either displaced along the axis of one coil or displaced along one axis of the first coil and then displaced sideways in addition. We apply the filament method for coil combinations comprising circular coils of rectangular cross section, thin wall solenoids, thin disk coils (pancakes), and filamentary circular coils. In this approach we clarify how Grover's formulas have to be used for different coil combinations in the filament treatment. Thus, two well-known methods (Grover's formulas and the filament method) can be easily used to calculate the mutual inductance between all inclined circular coils, even though the problem is purely three-dimensional.
Integration of Community Pharmacists in Transition of Care (TOC) Services: Current Trends and Pharmacist Perceptions

Background: Barriers exist for patients transitioning from one health-care setting to another, or to home, and health-care systems are falling short of meeting patient needs during this time. Community pharmacist incorporation poses a solution to the current communication breakdown and high rates of medication errors during transitions of care (TOC). The purpose of this study was to determine community pharmacists’ involvement in and perceptions of TOC services. Methods: Cross-sectional study using electronic surveys nationwide to pharmacists employed by a community pharmacy chain. Results: Of 7236 pharmacists surveyed, 546 (7.5%) responded. Only 33 (6%) pharmacists reported their pharmacy participates in TOC services. Most pharmacists (81.5%) reported receiving discharge medication lists. The most common reported barrier to TOC participation is lack of electronic integration with surrounding hospitals (51.1%). Most pharmacists agreed that (1) it is valuable to receive discharge medication lists (83.3%), (2) receiving discharge medication lists is beneficial for patients’ health (89.1%), (3) discharge medication list receipt improves medication safety (88.8%). Conclusions: Most pharmacists reported receiving discharge medication lists and reported discharge medication lists are beneficial, but less than half purposefully used medication lists. To close TOC gaps, health-care providers must collaborate to overcome barriers for successful TOC services.
Organ Preservation Strategies After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Standard use of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, total mesorectal excision, and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer has tremendously improved oncologic outcomes over the past several decades. However, these improvements come with costs of significant morbidity and poor quality of life. Along with developments in imaging techniques, clinical experience and evidence have identified a certain subgroup of patients that have exceptionally good clinical outcomes while preserving quality of life. Driven by patient demand and interest in preserving quality of life, numerous organ preservation treatment strategies for managing rectal cancer are rapidly evolving. Herein, the flow of research in organ preservation strategies and counter arguments are discussed.
RINGO C is required to sustain the spindle-assembly checkpoint

RINGO/Speedy proteins are direct activators of Cdk1 and Cdk2 that have no sequence homology to cyclins. We have characterized the role in cell-cycle progression of a new human member of this protein family referred to as RINGO C. We show that siRNA-mediated knockdown of RINGO C results in premature mitotic exit with misaligned chromosomes, even in the presence of microtubule poisons. Time-lapse-microscopy experiments suggest that RINGO C is involved in the spindle-assembly checkpoint (SAC). Consistent with this idea, RINGO-C-depleted cells show impaired recruitment of the SAC components Mad2, Bub1 and BubR1. As the checkpoint is overridden, cells display defective chromosome segregation, which leads to an increased number of micronuclei and binucleated structures. Intriguingly, we found that RINGO C can associate with the mitotic kinase Aurora B, and downregulation of RINGO C produces mislocalization of the active form of Aurora B in prometaphase. Taken together, our results indicate a role for RINGO C in the mitotic checkpoint, which might be mediated by defective recruitment of SAC components and deregulation of the activity of Aurora kinase B.
Who Takes North Korea Seriously? U.S. Congress and Policy toward Pyongyang, 2009-2012

How and why do legislative members weigh in on foreign policy dilemmas? U.S. Congress often seeks to carve out spheres of influence over international relations and yet we know little about why and how some America`s lawmakers take North Korea seriously. This article explores a host of North Korea measures during the111th and 112th U.S. Congress (2009.2012) and identifies the sources of legislative activism toward Pyongyang`s nuclear weapons threats and atrocious human rights records. Empirical analyses show that a group of congressional members use bill cosponsor ship strategies and call on the Obama administration to revamp its policy concerning North Korea. The findings shed light on why lawmakers would bother to introduce such specialized foreign policy bills even if their prospects for becoming law are uncertain.
A cost-effective ac-ac voltage sag protector with a fast dynamic response using a new RMS averaging method

Voltage sags has been identified as the largest negative impact on industrial productivity due to a sensitivity of electrical loads, and several voltage sag immunity standards such as SEMI F47, CEBMA Curve and IEC 61000-4-11, -34 were founded to improve equipment reliability, uptime and to reduce service costs. In this paper, a novel voltage sags controller along with a new RMS averaging method, which achieves not only a fast response but also a simple implementation, is proposed for the voltage sag protector employing a single-phase ac-ac voltage converter with an autotransformer. Simple and easy implementation of the converter due to no requirement of energy storage device and synchronization of voltage phase makes hardware cost-effective. A slow detection of a conventional RMS averaging method, which have been identified as a major problem, is improved by new scheme, where all stored voltage data within a queue is tuned up by new coming voltage data, is adopted for the new RMS averaging method. Experimental results are presented to verify the fast dynamics of the proposed voltage sag controller.
Two-Step Calibration Methods for Miniature Inertial and Magnetic Sensor Units

Low-cost inertial/magnetic sensor units have been extensively used to determine sensor attitude information for a wide variety of applications, ranging from virtual reality, underwater vehicles, handheld navigation systems, to biomotion analysis and biomedical applications. In order to achieve precise attitude reconstruction, appropriate sensor calibration procedures must be performed in advance to process sensor readings properly. In this paper, we are aiming to calibrate different error parameters, such as sensor sensitivity/scale factor error, offset/bias error, nonorthogonality error, mounting error, and also soft iron and hard iron errors for magnetometers. Instead of estimating all of these parameters individually, these errors are combined together as the combined bias and transformation matrix. Two-step approaches are proposed to determine the combined bias and transformation matrix separately. For the accelerometer and magnetometer, the combined bias is determined by finding an optimal ellipsoid that can best fit the sensor readings, and the transformation matrix is then derived through a two-step iterative algorithm by exploring the intrinsic relationship among sensor readings. For the gyroscope, the combined bias can be easily determined by placing the sensor node stationary. For the transformation matrix estimation, the intrinsic relationship among gyroscope readings is explored again, and an unscented Kalman filter is employed to determine such matrix. The calibration methods are then applied to our sensor nodes, and the good performance of the orientation estimation has illustrated the effectiveness of the proposed sensor calibration methods.
Remifentanil Halves the EC50 of Propofol for Successful Insertion of the Laryngeal Mask Airway and Laryngeal Tube in Pediatric Patients

BACKGROUND: Propofol and remifentanil are the drugs of choice for insertion of the supraglottic airway without muscle relaxants for short duration surgery. In this study, we compared propofol concentrations required for insertion of laryngeal mask way (LMA) or laryngeal tube (LT) with and without remifentanil. METHODS: We included children scheduled for surgeries lasting <2 h, and assigned them to four groups in a randomized, double-blind manner: LMA with propofol + saline (LMA-P), LT with propofol + saline (LT-P), LMA with propofol + 7.5 ng/mL remifentanil (LMA-PR), LT with propofol +7.5 ng/mL remifentanil (LT-PR). Anesthesia was conducted by target-controlled infusion in determined target effect site concentration of propofol and remifentanil with the STELPUMP program. The EC50 of propofol for airway device placement was determined using Dixon's up-and-down method. The concentration of propofol for consecutive patients in each group was determined by the response of the previous patient, using increments or decrements of 0.2 &mgr;g/mL. RESULTS: In patients receiving remifentanil, propofol EC50 for insertion of a LMA was 2.57 ± 0.22 &mgr;g/mL and that of LT was 2.59 ± 0.20 &mgr;g/mL (n.s.). In patients receiving saline, the corresponding values were 5.45 ± 0.21 &mgr;g/mL and 5.58 ± 0.23 &mgr;g/mL (n.s.). Conditions were excellent in 64% (9 of 14) and 79% (11 of 14) of patients receiving remifentanil, but in patients receiving saline, the values were 18% (2 of 11) for the LMA and 40.0% (4 of 10) for the LT. CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil 7.5 ng/mL reduced the propofol concentration required for airway insertion by half, and improved conditions for insertion. Propofol concentrations for insertion of the LMA and LT were similar.
Optimal Control of Unemployment in a General Equilibrium Job Search Model

In this paper optimal control techniques are used for targeting active labor market policies at unemployment in a general equilibrium labour market model that is calibrated to data for the Australian economy in 1998. Observer models are used to develop strategies based on predicted states of the full system. Explicit constraints are introduced that represent realistic limitations on the policy variable based on available government data. The results indicate that observer models improve targeting compared to traditional optimal control methodologies and also provide a better long-term result than a countercyclical policy where policy response is triggered by high unemployment rates.
Guest Editor: Raffaella Origa IRON TOXICITY AND HEMOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION: TIME TO CHANGE THE PARADIGM.

The issue of iron overload in hemopoietic cell transplantation has been first discussed in the field of transplantation for thalassemia. Thalassemia major is characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolysis leading to anemia in the majority of patients. Patients require regular blood transfusion therefore they develop iron overload causing organ damage and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a consolidated reliably curative option. In this category of patients an important issue for transplant outcome is the iron burden before transplant and in the long-life post-transplant. Nevertheless, today the concept of the impact of iron overload / toxicity on the outcome of HCT) has been extended to other diseases characterized by periods of variable duration of transfusion dependence Recent preclinical data has shown how increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting under iron overload condition, could impair the stem cells clonality capacity, proliferation and maturation. Also, microenvironment cells could be affected through this mechanism. For this reason, iron overload is becoming an important issue also in the engraftment period post-transplantThe aim of this review is to update consolidated knowledge about the role of iron overload/iron toxicity in the HCT setting in non-malignant and in malignant diseases introducing the concept of exposition of free toxic iron forms and related cellular damage in the different stage of transplant.
Uncovering different forms of customer network changes in M & A

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the forms of change that horizontal and vertical mergers and acquisitions (M & - As) may evoke in acquired firms’ customer networks. M & - As have increasingly become a dominant mechanistic growth path,pursued relentlessly by companies with varying attributes. However,acquiring a firm does not automatically imply that the market position of the acquired firm and its networks can be taken over,as conventionally held. Design/methodology/approach - – The approach takes the form of two qualitative interview-based case illustrations. Findings - – The illustrative empirical cases within the context of this study suggest that customer network changes may be rapid and/or radical,and gradual,depending on the specific acquisition type,context and managerial actions following the acquisition. Moreover,the visual simplicity of the network drawing in the post-acquisition network environment of a vertical acquisition type is not equivalent to lesser complexity of managing within the network. Rather,it shows a greater complexity as the M & - A induces more direct customer relationships to manage and be managed. The study also shows that connected network changes may cause a revision of a specific industry’s business rules,and the management of these changes is critical for acquisition success. Research limitations/implications - – While the two illustrative M & - A cases are deemed practically significant in strategic and social terms within their industry and country settings,further research is required to establish the generalizability of the findings to wider industry and geographical contexts. Originality/value - – This paper contributes to the discussion on the important role of the business network approach in elaborating the understanding of a strategic management event,particularly M & - A.
Civil War Medicine From the Perspective of S. Weir Mitchell's “The Case of George Dedlow”*

In 1866, a year following the close of the American Civil War, an anonymous article arousing much public interest appeared in the popular magazine, The Atlantic Monthly. The real author, Silas Weir Mitchell, who became one of America's most distinguished neurologists, wrote this short story early in his career while serving as a contract army surgeon and conducting his important clinical researches in nerve injuries. This article was the first literary effort in his long and prolific career as a physician/writer. Historians citing this article have focused almost exclusively on the early descriptions of causalgia and phantom limb syndrome, appearing as it did in a popular magazine. The present author proposes to show, for the first time, that Mitchell actually intended to describe many important medical consequences of the American Civil War, which was later shown to have so profoundly affected him throughout his medical and literary career. He cleverly accomplished this through the narration of Assistant Surgeon George Dedlow, who loses all four extremities by amputation.
Cell senescence and telomere shortening induced by a new series of specific G-quadruplex DNA ligands

Telomeres of human chromosomes contain a G-rich 3′-overhang that adopts an intramolecular G-quadruplex structure in vitro which blocks the catalytic reaction of telomerase. Agents that stabilize G-quadruplexes have the potential to interfere with telomere replication by blocking the elongation step catalyzed by telomerase and can therefore act as antitumor agents. We have identified by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer a new series of quinoline-based G-quadruplex ligands that also exhibit potent and specific anti-telomerase activity with IC50 in the nanomolar concentration range. Long term treatment of tumor cells at subapoptotic dosage induces a delayed growth arrest that depends on the initial telomere length. This growth arrest is associated with telomere erosion and the appearance of the senescent cell phenotype (large size and expression of β-galactosidase activity). Our data show that a G-quadruplex interacting agent is able to impair telomerase function in a tumor cell thus providing a basis for the development of new anticancer agents.