Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inside the Matrix: Integrating the Paradigms of Intergovernmental and Network Management

Abstract The basic research concepts of intergovernmental and network management are examined with regard to blending the two into a unified theory of collaborative management. A substantial literature in both fields has emerged and is ripe for conceptually enhancing interorganizational management in the public sector. The collaborative management concepts forwarded emanate from the authors' comprehensive study of collaborative public management in 237 cities. The major concerns that are found to be ready for knowledge unification include: (1) multiple network complexity and the emergence of governance through policy networks, (2) strategic behavior and its implementation through networks, (3) the role of government institutions in network governance, and (4) the use of myriad policy instruments and multiorganizational activity. Each of these research arenas are representative of the kind of knowledge base that can be blended and extended to help public managers understand how to operate in the vertical/horizontal matrix of intergovernmental network management.
A Review of Richard Layard, Stephen Nickell, and Richard Jackman's Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market

Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market by Richard Layard, Stephen Nickell, and Richard Jackman (Oxford University Press 2005) is the second edition of a book first published in 1991. The second edition is identical to the first except for a long introduction, which reviews the conclusions of the first edition in the light of the following fifteen years. I basically agree with the authors that the book's framework and conclusions have withstood the test of time very well. I then assess progress since 1991 and point to a number of directions in which progress needs to be achieved.
Previsão de preços futuros de Commodities agrícolas com diferenciações inteira e fracionária, e erros heteroscedásticos

This paper intends to model time series with the aim of per-form forecast using integer and fractional differencing for agricultural commodities future’s price. Time series models of the ARMA/ARIMA type (integer differencing) will be estimated and compared to ARFIMA type models (fractional differencing). In both cases errors are modeled assuming the occurrence of volatility. The forecast power of each model will be compared using the criterion of the mean squared error (MSE). The estimation of fractional term (d) will be also used to examine the long run dependency properties of the series. The results showed that, for all series, returns are stationary. The sugar series, however, showed anti-persistency, while all other series showed to be long memory. The ARFIMA models showed, in general, a better forecasting performance.
Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Invertebrate Iridovirus Type 9

ABSTRACT Iridoviruses (IV) are nuclear cytoplasmic large DNA viruses that are receiving increasing attention as sublethal pathogens of a range of insects. Invertebrate iridovirus type 9 (IIV-9; Wiseana iridovirus) is a member of the major phylogenetic group of iridoviruses for which there is very limited genomic and proteomic information. The genome is 205,791 bp, has a G+C content of 31%, and contains 191 predicted genes, with approximately 20% of its repeat sequences being located predominantly within coding regions. The repeated sequences include 11 proteins with helix-turn-helix motifs and genes encoding related tandem repeat amino acid sequences. Of the 191 proteins encoded by IIV-9, 108 are most closely related to orthologs in IIV-3 (Chloriridovirus genus), and 114 of the 126 IIV-3 genes have orthologs in IIV-9. In contrast, only 97 of 211 IIV-6 genes have orthologs in IIV-9. There is almost no conservation of gene order between IIV-3, IIV-6, and IIV-9. Phylogenetic analysis using a concatenated sequence of 26 core IV genes confirms that IIV-3 is more closely related to IIV-9 than to IIV-6, despite being from a different genus of the Iridoviridae. An interaction between IIV and small RNA regulatory systems is supported by the prediction of seven putative microRNA (miRNA) sequences combined with XRN exonuclease, RNase III, and double-stranded RNA binding activities encoded on the genome. Proteomic analysis of IIV-9 identified 64 proteins in the virus particle and, when combined with infected cell analysis, confirmed the expression of 94 viral proteins. This study provides the first full-genome and consequent proteomic analysis of group II IIV.
The Education of Asylum Seekers

seekers and the provision made for them (Batty, 2001; Rutter, 2001). It is suggested that the increase in their numbers has had a significant impact on all social services, in particular the education system. The children of asylum seekers have the same entitlement to a free school education as all other children aged 5–16. Rutter (2001) argues that the government’s policy for the dispersal of asylum seekers to towns and cities throughout the UK and the settlement of school-age refugees and asylum seekers has placed substantial demands on local authorities and schools, especially where numbers have been concentrated in specific areas. The body of research literature which examines the educational needs of asylum-seeker children in the UK is limited, although the importance of education to them is acknowledged. The Parekh report (2000) states, ‘The education system is pivotal in terms of providing entry to employment . and for participation in social, political and cultural affairs’ (p. 148). The available literature highlights a range of issues that arise in meeting the educational needs of asylum-seeker children.
Selection and Identification of a Listeria monocytogenes Target Strain for Pulsed Electric Field Process Optimization

ABSTRACT Nine Listeria monocytogenes strains were treated individually with a continuous pulsed electric field (PEF) apparatus, and their sensitivities to the treatment were compared at 25 kV/cm. When cell suspensions of these strains in 0.1% NaCl (pH 7.0) were treated at 23°C for 144 μs, inactivation ranged from 0.7 to 3.7 log10 CFU/ml. Inactivation by 72-μs PEF treatments at 37°C ranged from 0.3 to 2.5 log10 CFU/ml. L. monocytogenes OSY-8578 was substantially more resistant than other strains when cells were PEF treated in 0.1% NaCl, whereas Scott A was one of the most sensitive strains. The superiority of OSY-8578's resistance to that of Scott A was confirmed in 50% diluted acid whey (pH 4.2). Changes in sensitivity to PEF during phases of growth were minimal in OSY-8578 and substantial in Scott A. Use of L. monocytogenes OSY-8578, therefore, is recommended in studies to optimize PEF processes that target L. monocytogenes. The nine L. monocytogenes strains were genotyped with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) techniques. These strains were better differentiated with PFGE than with AP-PCR. The target strain (OSY-8578) was characterized by both molecular typing techniques, but resistance to PEF, in general, was not associated with a particular genotype group.
Protective effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) extract on the copper‐driven fenton reaction and X‐ray induced DNA damage in vitro

The rhizome extract of Dioscorea has been shown to possess radical scavenging activity. In this study, the protective effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) rhizome extract on calf thymus DNA and plasmid DNA strand breakage by the copper‐driven Fenton reaction and X‐irradiation was examined. The protective activity in vitro of four lyophilized extracts obtained from yam rhizomes: (1) aqueous extract (YAE); (2) 30% ethanolic extract (YEE); (3) aqueous extract boiled for 30 min (BYAE); and (4) 30% ethanolic extract boiled for 30 min (BYEE) were evaluated by ethidium bromide binding assay and DNA nicking assay. The YAE, YEE, and BYEE effectively inhibited the copper‐driven Fenton reaction‐induced damage of calf thymus DNA, while inhibition was less pronounced in the case of X‐ray induced strand breakage of plasmid DNA. While BYAE potently inhibited X‐ray induced strand breaks in plasmid pGL3 DNA, it failed to inhibit, and even greatly enhanced copper‐H2O2 induced damage of calf thymus DNA. The present results demonstrate strong copper chelating and weak hydroxyl radical scavenging activities in yam rhizome extracts, and these activities may vary depending on the procedures used in preparing the extract. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficacy of Separated System Continuous Venovenous Hemofiltration in Critical Acute Kidney Injury

Integrated system continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), the most popularly utilized mode for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), needs a sophisticated and expensive machine that is available only in limited critical care units. Separated system CVVH, which can be simply set up, might be an effectively alternative to CRRT. A one‐year prospective observational study regarding the efficacy of separated system CVVH was conducted with 192 critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. All patients underwent separated system CVVH with the pre‐dilution mode and a mean CVVH dose of 34.9 ± 2.7 mL/kg/h. The APACHE II score was 23.2 ± 8.4 and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was 12.0 ± 4.3. No complications, including air‐embolism or circuit clotting, were observed and the survival rate was 32.3%. Separated system CVVH is simple, safe, and efficient and could provide cheaper treatments than the integrated system. It could thus be an effective, alternative treatment for critical acute kidney injury patients when the integrated mode is unavailable.
Unwelcome Guests: The Detention of Refugees in Turkey's "Foreigners' Guesthouses"'

As European countries bordering the Mediterranean have introduced increasingly harsh measures to stem the flow of irregular migration across their frontiers, Turkey has become one of the main crossroads for flows of migration from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East into Europe.At the same time, as part of Turkey’s accession process, the European Union has stepped up pressure on Turkey to prevent the movement of migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees into Europe.As a result of Turkey’s efforts to limit irregular migration flows, thousands of foreign nation­als without travel documents, refugees among them, are detained while attempting to either enter or exit the coun­try illegally.They are primarily held in detention centres, which are officially referred to as “foreigners’ guesthouses. ” Turkey’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) severely limits access to detainees in these facilities by international and domestic NGOs and advocates.Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Turkey (HCA), a leading human rights NGO based in Istanbul, has provided legal aid to refugees since 2004 through its Refugee Advocacy and Support Program.Based on inter­views conducted by HCA with forty refugees from seventeen countries, this report examines refugees’ access to proced­ural rights in detention, as well as conditions in “foreigners’ guesthouses. ” It identifies gaps between reported practice and standards of treatment set forth in Turkish legislation and international guidelines on detention.
Un enfoque de control de movimiento de un helicóptero con cuatro rotores

In this paper a control scheme is described for regulation and trajectory tracking tasks planned for the motion of a helicopter with four rotors wich is also known as Quadrotor. The control scheme consists of four classical controllers and a generation stage of trajectories for the desired translational movement in the X − Y plane. Simulations results show the acceptable performance of the control scheme specified for the Quadrotor.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Beginner's Guide for Design and Implementation

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a popular brain stimulation method that is used to modulate cortical excitability, producing facilitatory or inhibitory effects upon a variety of behaviors. There is, however, a current lack of consensus between studies, with many results suggesting that polarity-specific effects are difficult to obtain. This article explores some of these differences and highlights the experimental parameters that may underlie their occurrence. We provide a general, practical snapshot of tDCS methodology, including what it is used for, how to use it, and considerations for designing an effective and safe experiment. Our aim is to equip researchers who are new to tDCS with the essential knowledge so that they can make informed and well-rounded decisions when designing and running successful experiments. By summarizing the varied approaches, stimulation parameters, and outcomes, this article should help inform future tDCS research in a variety of fields.
Fibril formation by primate, rodent, and Dutch-hemorrhagic analogues of Alzheimer amyloid beta-protein.

Deposition of extraneuronal fibrils that assemble from the 39-43 residue beta/A4 amyloid protein is one of the earliest histopathological features of Alzheimer's disease. We have used negative-stain electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and fiber X-ray diffraction to examine the structure and properties of synthetic peptides corresponding to residues 1-40 of the beta/A4 protein of primate [Pm(1-40); human and monkey], rodent [Ro(1-40); with Arg5-->Gly, Tyr10-->Phe, and His13-->Arg], and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (HCHWA-D) [Du(1-40); with Glu22-->Gln]. As controls, we examined a reverse primate sequence [Pm*(40-1)] and an extensively substituted primate peptide [C(1-40); with Glu3-->Arg, Arg5-->Glu, Asp7-->Val, His13-->Lys, Lys16-->His, Val18-->Asp, Phe19-->Ser, Phe20-->Tyr, Ser26-->Pro, Ala30-->Val, Ile31-->Ala, Met35-->norLeu, Gly38-->Ile, Val39-->Ala, and Val40-->Gly]. The assembly of these peptides was studied to understand the relationship between species-dependent amyloid formation and beta/A4 sequence and the effect of a naturally occurring point mutation of fibrillogenesis. The three N-terminal amino acid differences between Pm(1-40) and Ro(1-40) had virtually no effect on the morphology or organization of the fibrils formed by these peptides, indicating that the lack of amyloid deposits in rodent brain is not due directly to specific changes in its beta/A4 sequence. beta-Sheet and fibril formation, judged by FT-IR, was maximal within the pH range 5-8 for Pm(1-40), pH 5-10.5 for Du(1-40), and pH 2.5-8 for Ro(1-40). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
[The prospective assessment of the influence of duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) on the course of schizophrenia].

AIM This study is a part of a prospective schizophrenia research project run in Krak6w. The general objective of the project is a long-time observation of people with schizophrenia, starting from the first episode through the years of living with the illness, the assessment of treatment results and predictors. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the level of DUP before the first admission may have a prognostic value in regard to the further course of the illness. METHOD Four indicators of treatment results were observed: the number of relapses, the overall time of inpatient hospitalisations, the number of inpatient hospitalisations and the severity of psychopathological symptoms assessed in 3, 7 and 12 years since the first hospitalisation. DUP was estimated during a clinical interview with a patient and his/her family at the index admission. The severity of symptoms was assessed with BPRS-SA, the UCLA version. RESULTS The increase of the number of relapses in follow-up assessments was more prominent in the group with longer DUP (p < 0.001). The decrease of the results of BPRS (symptom improvement) was more prominent in patients with short DUP. They had significantly lower results compared to patients with long DUP at each assessment except the index hospitalisation (p equaled respectively: 0.449; 0.002; 0.012; 0.034 and 0.014). The decrease of positive symptoms was larger in patients with short DUP - significant in all except the 7-year follow-up (p equaled respectively: 0.230; < 0.001, 0.011; 0.214; <0.001). CONCLUSIONS (1) A relationship was found between the duration of untreated psychosis and the dynamics of general and positive symptoms and the number of relapses. (2) There was no significant relationship between the duration of untreated psychosis and the dynamics of negative symptoms, whereas the relationship between the time and number of re-hospitalisations was on the brink of statistical significance. (3) A replication of some and the lack of confirmation of other long-time results observed by other researchers prompts us to conclude that there still is a need for further studies concerning the duration of untreated psychosis
Relationship between lower limb muscle strength and 6-minute walk test performance in stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine if lower limb muscle strength and/or spasticity are related to performance in the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in stroke patients. METHODS A total of 24 patients (12 males and 12 females) participated in the study. Muscle strength (Medical Research Council (MRC) scale) and spasticity (modified Ashworth scale) were assessed prior to the 6MWT. Heart rate was recorded at rest and during the 6MWT. Subjects were divided into two groups: (i) those with a high MRC sum score, and (ii) those with a low MRC sum score. The relationship between the 6MWT distance and the other parameters was analysed using a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS There was a significant and positive relationship between 6MWT distance and lower limb muscle strength (p = 0.001), whereas no significant correlations were found between the 6MWT distance and spasticity, resting heart rate and heart rate during the 6MWT. CONCLUSION The 6MWT distance may be a good indicator of lower limb muscle strength, and lower limb strengthening may improve gait capacity in stroke patients.
A Disaggregated Approach to Modelling UK Labour Force Participation

Fluctuations in the labour force participation rate in the short to medium run are an important determinant of the cyclical behaviour of the unemployment rate, and hence wage pressures in the economy. This paper takes a closer look at the cyclical behaviour of labour force participation in the United Kingdom over the last 15 years with a view to producing short term projections for the next two years. We model labour participation rates at a disaggregated level, for males and females separately. Because the trends in male and female participation rates have been quite different, a disaggregated approach is more likely to pick up reliable trends and therefore cyclical variations. We find evidence of procyclical movements in participation rates for both men and women, and the response to changes in the output gap is significant. Conditional on projections for the output gap made at the end of 2000, we estimate that the participation rate will continue to increase - by around +0.2pp over the next two years - but at a slower pace than in the recent past.
Bioactive Compounds in Functional Meat Products

Meat and meat products are a good source of bioactive compounds with positive effect on human health such as vitamins, minerals, peptides or fatty acids. Growing food consumer awareness and intensified global meat producers competition puts pressure on creating new healthier meat products. In order to meet these expectations, producers use supplements with functional properties for animal diet and as direct additives for meat products. In the presented work seven groups of key functional constituents were chosen: (i) fatty acids; (ii) minerals; (iii) vitamins; (iv) plant antioxidants; (v) dietary fibers; (vi) probiotics and (vii) bioactive peptides. Each of them is discussed in term of their impact on human health as well as some quality attributes of the final products.
Short-term Atorvastatin Treatment Does Not Modify Neointimal Morphology but Reduces MMP-2 Expression in Normocholesterolemic Rabbit Stented Arteries

The aim of our study was to explore some potential pleïotropic effects of atorvastatin, after stenting in the iliac arteries of normocholesterolemic rabbits. On day 0, 27 rabbits underwent stent implantation and were randomized into either the control group (standard chow, CTRL, n=15) or the atorvastatin group (10 mg/kg/d per os, Ator, n=12). On day 30, the stented arteries were harvested for histomorphometry and neointimal analysis [macrophages, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2, vascular smooth muscle cells, and collagen]. Atorvastatin did not induce significant histomorphometric and inflammatory modifications but reduced neointimal expression of MMP-2 with no modification of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2, and also induced higher neointimal collagen content (Ator vs. CTRL: MMP-2: 0.05±0.03 vs. 0.70±0.20, P<0.01; collagen: 17.0±0.7%/mm2 vs. 12.0±1.2%/mm2P<0.01). Atorvastatin treatment also induced a significant decrease in neointimal vascular smooth muscle cellsand cellular density (respectively: 2.0±0.2 vs. 1.4±0.2, P<0.05; 5406±241 nuclei/mm2 vs. 4402±163 nuclei/mm2, P<0.001). Our study provides new insights into the field of MMP response to stenting and the effects of statin therapy, which could have important implications in the field of in-stent restenosis.
Late-onset sepsis in very low birth weight neonates: the experience of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network.

OBJECTIVE Late-onset sepsis (occurring after 3 days of age) is an important problem in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. To determine the current incidence of late-onset sepsis, risk factors for disease, and the impact of late-onset sepsis on subsequent hospital course, we evaluated a cohort of 6956 VLBW (401-1500 g) neonates admitted to the clinical centers of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network over a 2-year period (1998-2000). METHODS The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network maintains a prospective registry of all VLBW neonates admitted to participating centers within 14 days of birth. Expanded infection surveillance was added in 1998. RESULTS Of 6215 infants who survived beyond 3 days, 1313 (21%) had 1 or more episodes of blood culture-proven late-onset sepsis. The vast majority of infections (70%) were caused by Gram-positive organisms, with coagulase-negative staphylococci accounting for 48% of infections. Rate of infection was inversely related to birth weight and gestational age. Complications of prematurity associated with an increased rate of late-onset sepsis included patent ductus arteriosus, prolonged ventilation, prolonged intravascular access, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Infants who developed late-onset sepsis had a significantly prolonged hospital stay (mean length of stay: 79 vs 60 days). They were significantly more likely to die than those who were uninfected (18% vs 7%), especially if they were infected with Gram-negative organisms (36%) or fungi (32%). CONCLUSIONS Late-onset sepsis remains an important risk factor for death among VLBW preterm infants and for prolonged hospital stay among VLBW survivors. Strategies to reduce late-onset sepsis and its medical, social, and economic toll need to be addressed urgently.