Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Talking Europe — the Dilemma of Sovereignty and Modernization

There is a significant amount of scholarly literature produced on the topic of the alleged legitimacy deficit of the European Union (EU). This article is based on the assumption that the legitimacy of the EU is shaped largely by the domestic discourses on European governance. Therefore the stories of the individual countries are crucial for our understanding of EU legitimacy as a whole. The article is an analysis of how the legitimacy of the EU is constructed and shaped in the Czech and Swedish political discourses. It is based on discourse analysis and the constant comparative method of grounded theory, and suggests that the discourses on European unity in the two countries are structured around the nexus of modernization and sovereignty. Based on different constellations of this nexus, three ideal types are outlined: sovereignty unchallenged, sovereignty challenged and modernization unchallenged. In conclusion, it is suggested that the EU has been legitimized primarily as an instrument for modernization. Critics, however, base their argumentation on an underlying discourse on the sovereign people and on an understanding of the EU as a hindrance to progress. The advocates thus emphasize output-oriented legitimacy, while the critics are more concerned with input-based legitimacy.
Including Young Mothers: Limitations to New Labour’s Strategy for Supporting Teenage Parents

As part of its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, New Labour has focused on ensuring more teenage mothers enter education, training or work, in order that they may avoid ‘long term social exclusion’. This paper argues that this conceptualization of the route to social inclusion is problematic for young mothers in that it ignores the structural and contextual barriers to them gaining inclusion, it discounts full-time mothering as a valid option, and it neglects the social and moral elements of their exclusion, while in fact contributing to this. A broader understanding of social inclusion is therefore advocated, which emphasizes the significance of social belongingness and community participation, along-side economic self-sufficiency. Data are drawn from interviews with 14 young mothers who act as volunteer ‘peer educators’ in school sex education, to illustrate the ways in which this wider conceptualization of social inclusion might be more useful in meeting the needs of this group.
Unified framework for LQ and H ∞ preview control algorithms

A general framework to solve both the continuous and discrete-time LQ and Hpreview control algorithms is presented in this paper. The obtained preview control form consists of a fill-state fwdback term which is identical to well known LQ and Hresults. The preview terms utilizes previewable disturbance signals to improve tracking or regulation performance. Simulation results of the tracking control of a durability test rig = presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed preview control laws.
Fault Tree Analysis: 1020 Prime Implicants and Beyond

The performances of almost all available fault tree analysis tools are limited by the performance of the prime implicant computation procedure they use. All these procedures manipulate the prime implicants of the fault trees explicitly, so that their complexities are directly related to the number of prime implicants to be generated. This paper presents a new analysis method of coherent as well as noncoherent fault trees that overcomes this limitation because its computational cost is not related to either the number of variables or the number of gates or the number of prime implicants of these trees. The interactive fault tree analyser METAPRIME that is based on this new method has been shown by experience to be able to perform in seconds the complete analysis of noncoherent fault trees with more than 10 prime implicants.
Cytosolic Lipid Droplets Increase in Size by Microtubule-Dependent Complex Formation

Objectives—Adipocyte differentiation-related protein (ADRP)-containing lipid droplets have an essential role in the development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Such droplets form in a cell-free system with a diameter of 0.1 to 0.4 &mgr;m, while the droplets present in cells vary in size, from small to very large, suggesting that the droplets can increase in size after being assembled. We have addressed this possibility. Methods and Results—Experiments in NIH 3T3 cells demonstrated that the lipid droplets could increase in size independently of triglyceride biosynthesis. NIH 3T3 cells were either microinjected with ADRP–GFP (green fluorescent protein) or stained with Nile Red and followed by confocal microscopy and time-lapse recordings. The results showed that lipid droplets formed complexes with each other, with a volume equal to the sum of the merging particles. The formation of complexes could be inhibited by the nocodazole-induced depolymerization of the microtubules; thus, the process is dependent on microtubules. The presence of dynein on ADRP-containing droplets supports a role for this motor protein. Conclusions—Lipid droplets can grow after they have been assembled. This increase in size is independent of triglyceride biosynthesis and involves formation of complexes, which requires intact microtubules.
Dynamic recruitment of the curvature-sensitive protein ArhGAP44 to nanoscale membrane deformations limits exploratory filopodia initiation in neurons

In the vertebrate central nervous system, exploratory filopodia transiently form on dendritic branches to sample the neuronal environment and initiate new trans-neuronal contacts. While much is known about the molecules that control filopodia extension and subsequent maturation into functional synapses, the mechanisms that regulate initiation of these dynamic, actin-rich structures have remained elusive. Here, we find that filopodia initiation is suppressed by recruitment of ArhGAP44 to actin-patches that seed filopodia. Recruitment is mediated by binding of a membrane curvature-sensing ArhGAP44 N-BAR domain to plasma membrane sections that were deformed inward by acto-myosin mediated contractile forces. A GAP domain in ArhGAP44 triggers local Rac-GTP hydrolysis, thus reducing actin polymerization required for filopodia formation. Additionally, ArhGAP44 expression increases during neuronal development, concurrent with a decrease in the rate of filopodia formation. Together, our data reveals a local auto-regulatory mechanism that limits initiation of filopodia via protein recruitment to nanoscale membrane deformations. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.03116. 001
Improved wound management by regulated negative pressure-assisted wound therapy and regulated, oxygen- enriched negative pressure-assisted wound therapy through basic science research and clinical assessment

ABSTRACT Regulated negative pressure-assisted wound therapy (RNPT) should be regarded as a state-of-the-art technology in wound treatment and the most important physical, nonpharmaceutical, platform technology developed and applied for wound healing in the last two decades. RNPT systems maintain the treated wound′s environment as a semi-closed, semi-isolated system applying external physical stimulations to the wound, leading to biological and biochemical effects, with the potential to substantially influence wound-host interactions, and when properly applied may enhance wound healing. RNPT is a simple, safe, and affordable tool that can be utilized in a wide range of acute and chronic conditions, with reduced need for complicated surgical procedures, and antibiotic treatment. This technology has been shown to be effective and safe, saving limbs and lives on a global scale. Regulated, oxygen-enriched negative pressure-assisted wound therapy (RO-NPT) is an innovative technology, whereby supplemental oxygen is concurrently administered with RNPT for their synergistic effect on treatment and prophylaxis of anaerobic wound infection and promotion of wound healing. Understanding the basic science, modes of operation and the associated risks of these technologies through their fundamental clinical mechanisms is the main objective of this review.
Avoiding Pitfalls in Neural Network Research

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have gained extensive popularity in recent years. Research activities are considerable, and the literature is growing. Yet, there is a large amount of concern on the appropriate use of neural networks in published research. The purposes of this paper are to: 1) point out common pitfalls and misuses in the neural network research; 2) draw attention to relevant literature on important issues; and 3) suggest possible remedies and guidelines for practical applications. The main message we aim to deliver is that great care must be taken in using ANNs for research and data analysis
Efficiency analysis of model-based review in actual software design

In this paper, we quantitatively analyze the efficiency of the Model-Based Review (MBR) method in an actual software design from the two points of view; cost and reviewability. The MBR method is a modeling procedure for the purpose of reviewing preliminary design specifications of web-based applications. We have collected process data in applying both of the MBR method and an ordinary review to a preliminary design of a developing web-based library system. Analyzing the collected process data, we quantitatively compare the efficiency of the MBR method and that of the ordinary review. As a result of this comparative analysis, we show that the MBR method is superior to the ordinary review in terms of not only reviewability but also cost through the experimental design process.
How Should School Districts Shape Teacher Salary Schedules? Linking School Performance to Pay Structure in Traditional Compensation Schemes

This study examines the relative distribution of salary schedule returns to experience for beginning and veteran teachers. We argue that districts are likely to benefit from structuring salary schedules with greater experience returns early in the teaching career. To test this hypothesis, we match salary data to school-level student performance data on math and reading achievement tests across states. We find that frontloaded compensation schemes—those that allocate greater salary returns to experience to novice teachers—are associated with better performance in multiple grades and throughout the achievement distribution. Our results contribute to national debates concerning teacher compensation policies.
HLA-A2 and B35 Restricted Hantaan Virus Nucleoprotein CD8+ T-Cell Epitope-Specific Immune Response Correlates with Milder Disease in Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome

Background Hantaan virus (HTNV) infection in humans is a serious public health concern in Asia. A potent T cell activation peptide vaccine from HTNV structure protein represents a promising immunotherapy for disease control. However, the T cell epitopes of the HTNV restricted by the HLA alleles and the role of epitope-specific T cell response after HTNV infection remain largely unexplored. Methodology/Principal Findings Five well-conserved novel CD8+ T-cell epitopes of the HTNV nucleoprotein restricted by the most popular HLA alleles in Chinese Han population were defined with interferon-γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay in 37 patients infected with HTNV during hospitalization. Two epitopes aa129–aa137 and aa131–aa139 restricted by HLA-A2 and B35, respectively, were selected to evaluate the epitope-specific CD8+ T-cell response. HLA-peptide pentamer complex staining showed that the frequency of single epitope-specific CD8+ T cell could be detected in patients (95% confidence interval for aa129–aa137: 0.080%–0.208%; for aa131–aa139: 0.030%–0.094%). The frequency of epitope-specific pentamer+ CD8+ T-cell response was much higher in mild/moderate patients than in severe/critical ones at the acute stage of the disease. Moreover, the frequency of epitope-specific CD8+ T cells at acute stage was inversely associated with the peak level of serum creatinine and was positively associated with the nadir platelet counts during the hospitalization. The intracellular cytokine staining and the proliferation assay showed that the effective epitope-specific CD8+ T cells were characterized with the production of interferon-γ, expression of CD69 and the strong capacity of proliferation. Conclusion/Significance The novel HLA class I restricted HTNV nucleoprotein epitopes-specific CD8+ T-cell responses would be closely related with the progression and the severity of the disease, which could provide the first step toward effective peptide vaccine development against HTNV infection in humans.
Prolonged Thromboprophylaxis Following Hip Replacement Surgery – Results of a Double-blind, Prospective, Randomised, Placebo-controlled Study with Dalteparin (Fragmin®)

Summary Discontinuation of thromboprophylaxis a few days after surgery may unmask delayed hypercoagulability and contribute to late formation of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). To investigate whether thromboprophylaxis should be prolonged beyond the hospital stay, a prospective, double-blind randomised study was conducted in 308 patients. All patients received initial thromboprophylaxis with dalteparin, dextran and graded elastic stockings. On day 7, patients were randomised to receive dalteparin (Fragmin®) 5000IU once daily, or placebo, for 4 weeks. All patients were subjected to bilateral venography, perfusion ventilation scintigraphy and chest X-ray on days 7 and 35. Patients with venographically verified proximal DVT on day 7 were withdrawn from the randomised study to receive anticoagulant treatment. The overall prevalence of DVT on day 7 was 15.9%. On day 35, the prevalence of DVT was 31.7% in placebo-treated patients compared with 19.3% in dalteparin-treated patients (p = 0.034). The incidence of DVT from day 7 to day 35 was 25.8% in the placebo-treated group versus 11.8% in the dalteparin-treated group (p = 0.017). The incidence of symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE) from day 7 to day 35 was 2.8% in the placebo-treated group compared with zero in the dalteparin-treated group. This included one patient who died from PE. No patients experienced serious complications related to the injections of dalteparin or placebo. This study shows that prolonged thromboprophylaxis with dalteparin, 5000 IU, once daily for 35 days significantly reduces the frequency of DVT and should be recommended for 5 weeks after hip replacement surgery.
Calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in the VTA and nucleus accumbens after cocaine exposure: when, how, and why?

In animal models of drug addiction, cocaine exposure has been shown to increase levels of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) in two brain regions that are critical for motivation and reward—the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This review compares CP-AMPAR plasticity in the two brain regions and addresses its functional significance. In VTA dopamine neurons, cocaine exposure results in synaptic insertion of high conductance CP-AMPARs in exchange for lower conductance calcium-impermeable AMPARs (CI-AMPARs). This plasticity is rapid in onset (hours), GluA2-dependent, and can be observed with a single cocaine injection. Whereas it is short-lived after experimenter-administered cocaine, it persists for months after cocaine self-administration. In addition to strengthening synapses and altering Ca2+ signaling, CP-AMPAR insertion alters subsequent induction of plasticity at VTA synapses. However, CP-AMPAR insertion is unlikely to mediate the increased DA cell activity that occurs during early withdrawal from cocaine exposure. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) exerts a negative influence on CP-AMPAR accumulation in the VTA. Acutely, mGluR1 stimulation elicits a form of LTD resulting from CP-AMPAR removal and CI-AMPAR insertion. In medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the NAc, extended access cocaine self-administration is required to increase CP-AMPAR levels. This is first detected after approximately a month of withdrawal and then persists. Once present in NAc synapses, CP-AMPARs mediate the expression of incubation of cue-induced cocaine craving. The mechanism of their accumulation may be GluA1-dependent, which differs from that observed in the VTA. However, similar to VTA, mGluR1 stimulation removes CP-AMPARs from MSN synapses. Loss of mGluR1 tone during cocaine withdrawal may contribute to CP-AMPAR accumulation in the NAc. Thus, results in both brain regions point to the possibility of using positive modulators of mGluR1 as treatments for cocaine addiction.
A Shunt Active Power Filter Based on Instantaneous Reactive Power Compensation and Direct Voltage Control for Medium-Voltage Applications

High power and medium voltage (MV) applications need Controlled rectifiers such as 12-pulse converters, because of the high reliability, low complexity, robustness and low power losses. But having the drawback of harmonics generation causes power quality problem. Power quality can be improved with passive filters but having disadvantages such as dependency on the source impedances, parallel and series resonance, aging of passive components. Active power filtering (APF) is used as compensation technique in order to improve thepower quality at the line side. Hence APF becomes a promising compensator solution. This paper presents the APFfor a Medium-Voltage applications using Open Loop Control Compensation.
Influence Factors of Online-Based Interpersonal Relationships by Developmental Level - Centered on Social Networking Service Users -

In this paper, the correlation which is at work between affecting factors and interpersonal relationships` dimension depend on developmental level has been studied to search for clues about how to develop the online based interpersonal relationships -the fundamental aims of SNS related services- efficiently. People who`d ever entered into a relation through the `online-based generated relationship` by SNS were divided into two groups on the development level. They were conducted a survey, and the results were derived using PLS statistics. As the result, 7 kinds of factors as social attraction, physical attraction, reciprocity, content quality, coexistence perception, information provision and similarity had an impact on the initial level of relationships, and 6 kinds of factors as social attraction, physical attraction, reciprocity, content quality, web appearance and coexistence perception had an impact on the developed level of relationships. This study could be utilized for the service design for facilitating interpersonal relationships efficiently by their level of development.
The Cdi/TESK1 kinase is required for Sevenless signaling and epithelial organization in the Drosophila eye

How cellular behaviors such as cell-to-cell communication, epithelial organization and cell shape reorganization are coordinated during development is poorly understood. The developing Drosophila eye offers an ideal model system to study these processes. Localized actin polymerization is required to constrict the apical surface of epithelial cells of the eye imaginal disc to maintain the refined arrangement of the developing ommatidia. The identity of each photoreceptor cell within the epithelium is determined by cell-to-cell contacts involving signal transduction events. The R7 photoreceptor cell requires the activity of the Sevenless RTK to adopt a proper cell fate. We performed an EP screen for negative regulators of this inductive process, and we identified the serine/threonine kinase Center divider (cdi) as a suppressor of the phenotype caused by an activated Sevenless receptor. Cdi is homologous to the human testis-specific kinase 1 (TESK1), a member of the LIM kinases involved in cytoskeleton control through ADF/cofilin phosphorylation. We have analyzed the effects of gain- and loss-of-function of cdi and found alterations in actin organization and in the adherens junctions proteins DE-cadherin and β-catenin, as well as in Sevenless apical localization. Interference with the function of the ADF/cofilin phosphatase Slingshot (ssh), which antagonizes Cdi, also results in a suppression of signaling triggered by the Sevenless RTK. Our results reveal a critical interplay between the localization of molecules involved in epithelial organization and signal transduction.
Identification of developmental competence‐related genes in mature porcine oocytes

Oocyte competence is a key factor limiting female fertility, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms that contribute to oocyte competence remain unclear. The objective of this study was to elucidate specific genes whose function contributes to oocyte competence. We observed that 6 of 20 target genes examined were differentially expressed between adult (more competent) and prepubertal (less competent) porcine in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes. These genes were the cholesterol synthesis‐related gene HMG‐CoA reductase (HMGCR), fatty acid oxidation genes acyl‐CoA synthetase long‐chain family member 3 (ACSL3) and long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase (ACADL), glycolytic genes fructose 1,6 bisphosphate aldolase (ALDOA) and lactate dehydrogenase C (LDHC), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF). These 6 genes, as well as 3 other genes [porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV), transcribed loci 10 (TL10), serine/arginine‐rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1)], were further analyzed by comparing transcript abundance in IVM and in vivo matured (VVM) prepubertal and adult porcine oocytes. Among these 9 target genes, 5 were differentially expressed between IVM and VVM prepubertal oocytes, while 8 genes were differentially expressed between IVM and VVM adult oocytes. No genes were differentially expressed between VVM prepubertal and adult oocytes. A functional study of TNF demonstrated that depletion of endogenous TNF decreased oocyte competence and TNFAIP6 expression in cumulus cells, while TNF in IVM medium regulated TNFAIP6 expression in cumulus cells. Differential expression of the genes identified in this study suggests that these genes may be functionally relevant to oocyte competence. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 78:565–575, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Surgical Approach to the Management of Increased Intracranial Pressure After Traumatic Brain Injury

Increased intracranial pressure occurring after severe traumatic brain injury is a common and potentially devastating phenomenon. It has been clearly demonstrated that increased intracranial pressure that is refractory to initial medical measures is a poor prognostic sign. Current optimal management is based on a sequential, target-driven approach combining both medical and surgical treatment strategies. The surgical measures in current common practice include external ventricular drain insertion and decompressive craniectomy. There is evidence that both of these measures reduce intracranial pressure but the effect on outcome, particularly in the long term, is equivocal. Current Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines recommend timely evacuation of mass lesions and there is clear guidance regarding the indications for intracranial pressure monitoring; however, decompressive craniectomy is only cautiously recommended as a possible option for selected patients. In this review, we highlight the ongoing debate about the use of decompressive craniectomy to control intracranial pressure after traumatic brain injury; included is a summary of review of the most recent literature on the effect of decompressive craniectomy on increased intracranial pressure after traumatic brain injury and associated long-term outcome. The RESCUEicp and DECRA studies are discussed in detail. It is hoped that these 2 randomized controlled trials, which are evaluating the short- and longer-term outcomes of decompressive craniectomy, will provide conclusive evidence regarding the role of decompressive craniectomy in managing increased intracranial pressure after trauma.