Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oil and Growth Challenge in Kazakhstan

CIS countries possess extensive natural resources and rely heavily on revenues from primary commodity exports, in particular petroleum and natural gas. We use Kazakhstan’s dependence on revenues from the oil sector to demonstrate commodity producer vulnerability to external commodity price fluctuations. The goal of this paper is to examine the nature of the relationship between real GDP, fiscal revenues, real exchange rate, price level, and oil prices. We employ Bayesian approach to time series data for the period 2000–2015. We find evidence of significant effect of oil prices on Kazakhstani economy where one of the key channels playing a role in the effect of oil prices on real activity is related to the real effective exchange rate. Additionally, results of this research indicate that one possible channel for oil price shocks to affect the real exchange rate is through the upward pressure on domestic price level.
Variants of transparency: an analysis of the English Local Government Transparency Code 2015

ABSTRACT Transparency policies and initiatives at the local level have expanded around the world but our academic understanding is still limited. Few studies have systematically analysed transparency practices at the local government level. This paper develops an analytical framework to examine local government transparency practices based on the literature. The framework is used to analyse the English Local Government Transparency Code 2015. The study shows that the Code delivers openness to a partial extent but has not yet met all criteria for transparent practices. The findings could contribute to the development and improvement of transparency practices at local governments.
Being a close family member of a person with dementia living in a nursing home

AIM AND OBJECTIVE To illuminate how family members of persons with dementia describe their own experiences, before and after placing their relative in a nursing home. BACKGROUND In the Western world and with a growing population of older people, the number of persons with dementia increases. Family members often become carers in their own homes creating stressful and exhausting situation that eventually leads to relocating the person to a nursing home. This may lead to troubled conscience among family members. METHOD AND DESIGN This is a qualitative study with descriptive design based on interviews with ten family members to residents with dementia at one small nursing home ward. Data were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS Five categories were derived from data: relocating a person with dementia - a responsibility; visiting the resident - a relief or a burden; the participants taking part in and monitoring the residents' care needs; participants meeting their own needs; and thoughts about the future and resident's death. The result shows both positive and negative aspects of being a family member to persons with dementia. Family members described feeling relief as well as having a troubled conscience when placing a relative in a nursing home. They held themselves responsible for monitoring and evaluating the quality of the care. Family members expressed fearing a slow death for the person with dementia as well as for their own sake. Most felt well treated by the staff. CONCLUSION Family members were responsible for relocating the residents to the nursing home. This in itself was found to cause feelings of moral concerns and generating troubled conscience. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Staff at nursing homes needs to exercise family-centred care to benefit the persons with dementia, their family members and the staff themselves.
Use of exogenous data to improve an Artificial Neural Networks dedicated to daily global radiation forecasting

This paper presents an application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in the renewable energy domain and, more particularly, to predict solar energy. We look at the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) network which has been the most used of ANNs architectures both in the renewable energy domain and in the time series forecasting. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that an optimized ANN with endogenous inputs can forecast the solar radiation on a horizontal surface with acceptable errors. Thus we propose to study the contribution of exogenous meteorological data to our optimized PMC and compare with different forecasting methods used previously: a naïve forecaster like persistence and an ANN with preprocessing using only endogenous inputs. Although intuitively the use of meteorological data may increase the quality of prediction, the obtained results are relatively mixed. The use of exogenous data generates a decrease of nRMSE between 0.5% and 1% for the two studied locations. The absolute error (RMSE) is decreased by 52 Wh/m2/day in the simple endogenous case and 335 Wh/m2/day for the persistence forecast.
Performance analysis of the encryption method based on compressed sensing at the physical layer

The simple structure of compressed sensing (CS) lead to low complexity encryption, which is fascinating for nodes with limited resources in the wireless network. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the encryption method based on compressed sensing, and prove that the encryption can achieve the information theory security. The effect of the sparsity and the signal noise ratio (SNR) on the encryption method are explored. The security and robustness of the encryption method are analyzed by a passive eavesdropper and an active attacker. Under the Rayleigh fading channels, simulation results show that the security performance of the encryption increases as the sparsity decreases, and the SNR increases. In addition, the encryption approach is valid in preventing access from an active attacker based on the computation attack, which is consistent with the theory analysis.
Two way transmitter-receiver array adaptation for multi-carrier code division multiplexed modulation with array-carrier MLE reception — A path modeled design

We propose in this paper a two-way wireless OFDM multi-carrier code-division multiplexed modulation with optimum transmitter-receiver broadband far-field antenna array adaptation to the propagation path characteristics. The frequency band is shared between the two directions with TDD and we assume the same array antenna is used at each station for transmission and reception. Employing a path model in the analysis, and assuming error-free measurement of the transmittances from the center of the transmitter station to the array elements of the receiver station, it is shown that the array-carrier MLE (Maximum Likelihood Estimate) reception of the code-division multiplexed symbols discriminates the paths with delay time difference greater than the inverse of the signal bandwidth or with sufficiently different directions of arrival. And as a result bandwidth-constrained path-wise matched reception is realized. It was confirmed by simulation assuming Rayleigh (not Rice) path model that the system gives substantially higher BER versus SNR per bit performance than that of the carrier-only MLE reception employing an omni-directional antenna or an array antenna only for the purpose of directivity. Because of the optimality of the reception the transmitter array adaptation has nothing to do but optimally to deliver transmitted power to the paths so as the total expected arriving power at the receiving station be maximum. Owing to the reciprocity of propagation by using the same antenna array for reception and transmission, the transmitter array adaptation makes use of the measurement, at the receiver, of the transmittance to derive the optimum transmitter array weightings. The algorithm at each station, achieves two way optimization without interchanging any data to be obtained by the channel measurement in the pilot periods.
An analysis of suicide at a training center.

A retrospectiee analysis is reported of 32 cases of suicide. Six patients who were in psychotherapy at the time of suicide are described in detail. A psychodynamic formulation of the clinical data suggests that transference hostility and dependency provoked countertransference, counterhostility, and rejecting behavior on the part of the therapist; the suicides followed significant rejections. This insight may help the therapist to minimize the possibility of suicide among similar patients undergoing psychotherapy.
Improved signal spoiling in fast radial gradient‐echo imaging: Applied to accurate T1 mapping and flip angle correction

In conventional spoiled gradient echo imaging utilizing quadratic radio frequency (RF) spoiling, nonideal signal intensities are often generated, particularly when repetition time is short and/or excitation flip angle (FA) becomes larger. This translates to significant errors in various quantitative applications based on T1‐weighted image intensities. In this work, a novel spoiling scheme is proposed, based on random gradient moments and RF phases. This scheme results in a non‐steady‐state condition, but achieves ideal mean signal intensity. In order to suppress artifacts created by the inter‐TR signal variations and at the same time attain the ideal signal intensity, radial data acquisition is utilized. The proposed method achieves ideal spoiling for a wide range of T1, T2, TR, and FAs. Phantom and in vivo experiments demonstrate improved performance for T1 mapping and FA correction when compared with conventional RF spoiling methods. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Asian Multilateralism in the Age of Japan's ‘New Normal’: Perils and Prospects

Abstract This paper makes three related points. First, Japan has played an instrumental role in helping to define the shape and substance of multilateralism in Asia in ways deeper than scholarly literature on Asia's regional architecture has allowed. A key driving force behind Japan's contributions is the perceived utility of multilateralism in facilitating Japan's engagement of and/or balancing against China. Second, Japan has been able to achieve this because of the United States' support for Asian multilateralism and Japanese security interests. In the immediate post-Cold War period, Japan facilitated US participation in regional arrangements such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the ASEAN Regional Forum. But Japanese ambivalence over its dependence on the United States was also apparent in Tokyo's attempts to exclude Washington from the newly formed East Asia Summit in late 2005, despite Japan's felt need to balance China. Japan's reliance on quiet diplomacy and an implicit regional leadership has equally been instrumental to its achievements in regional integration. Third, in the light of Japan's longstanding aim to become a normal military power and adopt a more assertive policy toward China, Japan‒US security ties are likely to deepen with negative consequences for Asian multilateralism. However, if its ties with China and South Korea worsen over their islands disputes in the East China Sea, Japan risks undermining its relations with the United States. How Japan balances its normalization with a continued engagement with multilateralism could be key to a stable and secure Asia.
Fixing antenna problem by dynamic diode dropping and jumper insertion

This paper describes three ways to fix antenna problems: (1) diode dropping, (2) jumper insertion, and (3) diode dropping with extension wires. Basic principles of these methods are compared and results are presented. Diode structures, SPIC simulation, and diode slicing are also discussed in this paper.
[Surgery-predominant comprehensive therapy for 134 patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Although surgical resection is the primary choice modality in treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the 5-year recurrent rate after resection was as high as 35.4%-43.5%. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of surgery-predominant comprehensive therapy for small HCC in reducing the recurrent rate and improving the outcome. METHODS A total of 134 cases of small HCC (< or = 5 cm in diameter) received surgery-predominant comprehensive treatment in The Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University from 1985 to 2001. The median age of the patients was 45 years old (range,18-70 years). Of 134 cases, 121 were treated with hepatectomy: 16 with irregular hepatectomy, 83 with local radical resection, 12 with regular liver lobe resection or liver segment resection, 2 with left semi-hepatectomy, and 8 with hepatectomy and gallbladder resection. In the other 13 cases of nonresectable small HCC, they received multimodality treatments by various combinations of hepatic artery ligation and anticancer agents by hepatic artery infusion, microwave coagulation, ethanol injection into tumor, cryosurgery,radio-frequency (RF), and hepatic artery chemoembolization therapy. RESULTS Of 134 HCC patients, 90.3% received liver resection and no operative death occurred. For the surgery group, the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 89.3%, 74.4%, 64.6%, and 43.8%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrent rates were 11.9%, 23.8%, and 32.1%, respectively. For the total group,the 1-, 3-,5-, and 10-year survival rates were 88.8%, 72.2%, 63.4%, and 41.7%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrent rates were 15.9%, 29.1%, and 36.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Surgical resection remains primary choice modality in treatment of small HCC; postoperative comprehensive treatment is important for preventing tumor recurrence and improving the long-term results.
Multicenter Review of Protease Inhibitors in 89 Pregnancies

Context: Despite the success of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the optimal approach for preventing perinatal HIV‐1 transmission is not known. Objective: A retrospective survey was conducted at six centers in the United States and Puerto Rico from January 1997 to October 1998 to evaluate the effects of protease inhibitor use during pregnancy on maternal and infant safety, prematurity rate, and frequency of perinatal HIV‐1 transmission. Results: In the study, 91 live infants, including 3 sets of twins, and 1 neonate who died shortly after birth were born to 89 women. HIV perinatal transmission rate in this series was 0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0%‐3%). Prematurity rate was 19.1%, comparable to rates in earlier reports of HIV‐1‐infected women. In multiple regression analysis, only cocaine use and premature rupture of membranes were associated with prematurity (p = .03 and .008, respectively). The gestational week during which the protease inhibitors were initiated was not found to be significantly associated with prematurity. Adverse maternal, obstetric, and infant events possibly related to protease inhibitors were uncommon. Conclusions: Protease inhibitors appeared generally safe in mothers and infants in this series. No perinatal HIV‐1 transmission occurred. Further prospective, controlled studies are needed to define the optimal management of HIV‐1 in pregnancy.
Shotgun Proteomics and Network Analysis between Plasma Membrane and Extracellular Matrix Proteins from Rat Olfactory Ensheathing Cells

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are a special type of glial cells that have characteristics of both astrocytes and Schwann cells. Evidence suggests that the regenerative capacity of OECs is induced by soluble, secreted factors that influence their microenvironment. These factors may regulate OECs self-renewal and/or induce their capacity to augment spinal cord regeneration. Profiling of plasma membrane and extracellular matrix through a high-throughput expression proteomics approach was undertaken to identify plasma membrane and extracellular matrix proteins of OECs under serum-free conditions. 1D-shotgun proteomics followed with gene ontology (GO) analysis was used to screen proteins from primary culture rat OECs. Four hundred and seventy nonredundant plasma membrane proteins and 168 extracellular matrix proteins were identified, the majority of which were never before reported to be produced by OECs. Furthermore, plasma membrane and extracellular proteins were classified based on their protein–protein interaction predicted by STRING quantitatively integrates interaction data. The proteomic profiling of the OECs plasma membrane proteins and their connection with the secretome in serum-free culture conditions provides new insights into the nature of their in vivo microenvironmental niche. Proteomic analysis for the discovery of clinical biomarkers of OECs mechanism warrants further study.
Who catches the biotech train? Understanding diverging political responses to GMOs in Southeast Asia

Agricultural biotechnology in general and ‘genetically modified organisms’ in particular present, depending on whom you believe, either great opportunities for – or threats to – the future of farming and of food security in Southeast Asia. As a reflection of this cognitive rift, countries in the region have adopted divergent policies on genetically modified crops. Although both countries strove to become biotech pioneers in the 1990s, today the Philippines has emerged as the regional leader in this second Green Revolution, whereas Thailand effectively has rejected the new technology. How can we explain these divergent biotechnological trajectories? In this essay I argue that the answer is to be found in the impact of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, which paved the way for mobilization and empowerment of opponents of agricultural biotechnology in Thailand, but not, or much less so, in the Philippines. In Thailand, genetically modified crops came increasingly to be perceived as incompatible with an ascendant and eventually hegemonic new development paradigm – sufficiency economy.
Vestibular Injuries

In both groups, once the immediate effects of the injury had been overcome and the patients were ambulant, vertigo, easily provoked by sudden head movements, was the predominating symptom; whilst the most constant, and in many the sole physical sign, was an abnormal response to caloric stimulation of the labyrinth. Moreover, it was found that all these cases required the same management to aid in restoring balance and thus encourage their return to normal.
TRIGLYCERIDE FATTY ACIDS CONFIRM A CHANGE IN DIETARY FAT

The pattern of triglyceride fatty acids has been shown to alter rapidly when normolipaemic individuals eating a normal‘western’diet rich in saturated fats were changed to a diet low in cholesterol and high in polyunsaturated fats. The proportion of triglyceride linoleate was used to monitor the adherence to dietary advice of eleven primary hypercholesterolaemic patients (Type II) presenting to a lipid clinic. Patients adhering to diet showed a fall in serum cholesterol and a rise in triglyceride linoleate; recalcitrant patients showed little change. The estimation of triglyceride linoleate may be an important adjunct to clinical judgement in assessing dietary resistance before resource to drug therapy in hypercholesterolaemic patients.
Identification of functional antigenic segments of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 by differential immunoreactivity and by differential mitogenic responses of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, using active toxin fragments

When toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 was subjected to papain hydrolysis, two serologically active fragments of 16.3 kilodaltons (16K fragment) and 12.4 kilodaltons (12K fragment) were generated, whereas a third fragment of 9.7 kilodaltons (10K fragment) was inactive. The biologic activities of the fragments were evaluated in vitro by determining their ability to promote nonspecific proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The 12K fragment was significantly (P less than or equal to 0.013) more stimulatory than the 16K fragment. When human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were preincubated for a period of 24 h with various concentrations of the 16K fragment, followed by incubation with a constant amount (2 x 10(-2) ng/ml) of whole toxin, the level of DNA synthesis induced by the holotoxin was reduced by approximately 60% when compared with that of controls exposed to whole toxin alone. The 12K fragment did not demonstrate a similar blocking effect. Immunoblots of the toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 digest, which were exposed to monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) developed against native toxin, depicted the presence of two different antigenic regions (epitopes). One MAb, 8-5-7, which has been shown previously to inhibit the biologic activity of the holotoxin in vitro and in vivo, reacted primarily with the 12K fragment. A second MAb, 10-6-1, that did not neutralize interleukin-1 production reacted primarily with the 16K fragment. On the basis of the differential mitogenic responses and the identification of heterologous epitopes, it was concluded that the functional region of the holotoxin can be partitioned into at least two functional segments encompassed between amino acid residues 53 and 87 and between amino acid residues 88 and 194 on the polypeptide chain.
UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase, the Role of the Amino Terminus in Dimerization*

UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) comprise an important enzyme system in mammals that is involved in detoxification of a variety of small hydrophobic compounds of both endogenous and exogenous origin. Some evidence suggests that these enzymes may function as oligomers; however, little is known about the domain of interaction or the mechanism of oligomerization. In this work, evidence for a functional dimerization between UGTs is provided by studies on mutated forms of UGT2B1. When two inactive forms of UGT2B1 were co-expressed in cell culture, catalytic activity was restored, indicating that UGT2B1 forms functional dimers. To delineate the dimerization domain, inactive fusion proteins containing the amino- or carboxyl-terminal domains of UGT2B1 were generated and expressed with active UGT2B1. Expression of a fusion protein containing only the amino-terminal half of UGT2B1 with active UGT2B1 caused a reduction in UGT2B1 catalytic activity. This reduction in activity was not observed when UGT2B1 was co-expressed with a fusion protein containing only the carboxyl-terminal half of UGT2B1, strongly suggesting that the amino-terminal domain is involved in dimerization. Truncation of the immediate amino terminus of UGT2B1 abolished UGT2B1 activity and dimer formation. Activity was also abolished by an L4R substitution in this region of the mature protein, which is highly conserved in the UGT family. These results indicate that UGTs can interact through their amino-terminal domains to form catalytically active dimers. Possible mechanisms resulting in the formation and stabilization of the UGT2B1 dimer are discussed.
Evidence for Hermaphroditism in the Squalius alburnoides Allopolyploid Fish Complex

Fish show an amazing variety of mechanisms of sex determination and modes of reproduction. Of these, simultaneous hermaphroditism has rarely been described. Here, we report a novel case of this phenomenon in adults of the Squalius alburnoides allopolyploid cyprinid complex. We found evidence for the simultaneous presence of mature male and female gonads on the basis of gonad gross morphology and histological analyses. Different stages of male and female germ cell maturation were identified, including motile spermatocytes. We hypothesize on the genetic and/or environmental causes of this phenomenon.