Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Access, voice and loyalty: the representation of domestic civil servants in EU committees

This study confronts a classical problem in public administrations: the inherent conflict between political loyalty and professional autonomy built into bureaucratic structures. More recently, the EU integration process has added a new supranational dimension to this old conflict. In this article we ask to what extent national civil servants, when participating on Commission expert committees, consider themselves mainly as national government representatives, as independent experts, or merely as supranational actors. Empirically, we observe that Swedish officials attending Commission expert committees evoke supranational roles more extensively than Norwegian civil servants. However, supranational roles tend only to supplement pre- established national and sectoral roles, not replace them. Hence, both Swedish and Norwegian officials attending EU committees evoke several different role perceptions. The representational status of Norwegian and Swedish officials reflects their affiliation to Commission expert committees and domestic governmental institutions. Contrary to old neo-functional accounts, supranational roles tend to supplement pre-existing allegiances rather than replace them.
Lessons learned from use of highly active antiretroviral therapy in Africa.

BACKGROUND Because antiretrovirals are becoming increasingly available in developing countries, we reviewed the findings of studies that have documented highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) use in Africa to identify lessons learned. With the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines used as a frame of reference, we assessed the feasibility of implementing such programs in Africa. Moreover, clinical and laboratory outcomes were compiled to determine the effectiveness of HAART programs. METHODS We searched academic databases and recent conference abstracts for studies, and we included all studies that documented patients receiving HAART in Africa. In particular, we examined studies for such program features as type of regimen and frequency of monitoring, in addition to evaluations of patient outcomes. RESULTS Twenty-eight articles and abstracts involving studies from 14 African countries were reviewed. Overall, 6052 patients (96.4%) were receiving HAART, mainly consisting of 2 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and 1 nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor. All studies reported an increase in mean and median CD4 cell counts, and a median of 73% of patients achieved undetectable viral loads by the end of the study period. Monitoring of CD4 cell count and viral load at 6-month intervals was completed by all studies. The median weight gained was 5.0 kg, and the median mortality rate was 7.4% (range, 0%-27%). Six studies reported that 68%-99% of patients took >95% of medications. Five studies measured drug resistance; most cases of resistance involved NRTIs. CONCLUSIONS Many studies reported positive health outcomes, including high levels of treatment adherence that were comparable to those of industrialized countries. Regimens and monitoring means based on WHO guidelines were implemented--and at times, exceeded--in all studies reviewed. We found compelling evidence that HAART can be feasibly administered in resource-limited settings.
Temporal Sensitivity of Event-Related fMRI

The temporal resolution of event-related fMRI is limited by the low sampling rate of typical MR whole brain protocols and by the slow rate of the BOLD response. Within the assumptions of the General Linear Model, we explore the tolerance of regression analyses of fMRI data to errors in the timing of the model relative to the experimental data under a number of circumstances. Given the sensitivity of the analysis to temporal shifts of the model relative to the data, one can search for the time a neuronal event occurs with temporal resolution on the order of a few hundred milliseconds with 95% confidence. This confidence level is strongly dependent on the signal-to-noise ratio of the observed BOLD responses (approximately +/-200 ms in our example of visual stimulation data collected at 1.5 T).
Nutritional Modulators in Chronic Heart Failure

Chronic Heart failure (HF) may be associated with cardiac cachexia characterized with weight loss as well as with nutritional deficiency [1-4]. The increased oxidative stress in chronic HF attempts to consume various nutrients present in the cardiomyocyte as well as endogenous antioxidants. Vitamin C, E and beta carotene, as well as coenzyme Q10 are potential antioxidants for protection against oxidative stress developed in HF patients [1-5]. The increase in homocysteine due to oxidative stress, is antagonized by vitamins; B6, B12 and folic acid. The decrease in magnesium and potassium due to long term diuretic therapy in HF which can predispose arrhythmiogenesis, leading to rhythm disturbances and sudden cardiac death [3-5]. L-carnitine, cysteins and taurine amino acids are also reduced in chronic HF and their supplementation may be protective [6-8]. It seems that these nutrients can be administered as nutraceuticals among these patients with chronic HF.
Epithelial sodium channel abundance is decreased by an unfolded protein response induced by hyperosmolality

Large shifts of osmolality occur in the kidney medulla as part of the urine concentrating mechanism. Hyperosmotic stress profoundly challenges cellular homeostasis and induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Here, we examined the unfolded protein response (UPR) in hyperosmotically‐challenged principal cells of the kidney collecting duct (CD) and show its relevance in controlling epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) abundance, responsible for the final adjustment of Na+ excretion. Dehydration increases medullary but not cortical osmolality. Q‐PCR analysis of microdissected CD of water‐deprived mice revealed increased aquaporin‐2 (AQP2) expression in outer medullary and cortical CD while ENaC abundance decreased in outer medullary but not cortical CD. Immunoblotting, Q‐PCR and immunofluorescence revealed that hyperosmolality induced a transient ER stress‐like response both ex vivo and in cultured CD principal cells and increased activity of the canonical UPR mediators PERK and ATF6. Both hyperosmolality and chemical induction of ER stress decreased ENaC expression in vitro. ENaC depletion by either stimulus was abolished by transcriptional inhibition and by the chemical chaperone 4‐phenylbutyric acid and was partly abrogated by either PERK or ATF6 silencing. Our data suggest that induction of the UPR by hyperosmolality may help preserve body fluid homeostasis under conditions of dehydration by uncoupling AQP2 and ENaC abundance in outer medullary CD.
Power-Aware Routing and Wavelength Assignment in Multi-Fiber Optical Networks

This paper focuses on the energy consumption minimization problem of an optical transport network extending over a very wide area. In particular, the specific problem of power-aware routing and wavelength assignment (PA-RWA) is addressed considering a transparent multi-fiber optical network. An integer linear programming formulation is provided for the static lightpath establishment problem and a few heuristics are proposed to solve the problem in the case of dynamic lightpath establishment. To solve the routing problem we propose a novel algorithm named load based cost; it is based on a cost function that considers the load of each optical fiber to compute link weights. We also propose two new wavelength assignment algorithms: the first one is derived from the first fit heuristic whilst the second one is based on an innovative approach. It works like a least cost routing algorithm assigning a cost to each wavelength for each link in the path and then minimizes the total cost. Our proposal is compared with a number of already known RWA algorithms showing that it is able to reduce the power consumption of the network by about 20-30%, depending on the amount of traffic treated, with respect to state of the art algorithms with a difference of about 10% with respect to the lower bound. In order to provide a complete analysis of the feasibility of the proposed heuristics, the blocking probability is evaluated: the results show that, unlike the other power-aware algorithms here considered, our proposal shows a low impairment with respect to the least congested path-first fit alternative. Another important result regards the better performance of the proposed wavelength assignment algorithm with respect to first fit.
Covariations between Shell-Growth Parameters and the Control of the Ranges of Variation of Functionally Relevant Shell-Shape Parameters in Bivalves: A Theoretical Approach

Major traits of shell shape in bivalves may alternatively be described in terms of (i) functionally relevant parameters, assumed to play a significant role in the adaptation of bivalves molluscs to their environments (such as the shell-outline elongation E, ventral convexity K, and dissymmetry D), or (ii) growth-based parameters, directly controlled by the animal. Due to the geometrical linkage between functionally-relevant and growth-based parameters, adaptive constraints that may either widen or narrow the respective ranges of variations of the functional parameters lead to the onset of specific covariations (either positive or negative) between the growth-based parameters. This has practical interest since adaptive constraints are often difficult to identify directly, while they can be conveniently inferred indirectly via the easily recorded patterns of covariances between growth-based parameters. Hereafter, I provide the theoretical background of this tool, including (1) establishing the geometrical relationships between growth-based and functionally relevant parameters and (2) then specifying the correspondences between the different patterns of adaptive constraints, widening or narrowing the variations of the functional parameters and the corresponding patterns of covariations between the growth-based parameters. Illustrative examples of the practical use of this tool are provided, considering both interspecific and intraspecific variations within marine and fresh-water clams.
The Parallel Theorem Proving Algorithm Based on Semi- Extension Rule

After a deep investigation on the maximum terms space of the clause set, the concept of the partial maximum terms space of the clause set, which the maximum terms of the clause set decomposed, is brought forward. By investigating the extension rule, this paper introduces the concept of the satisfiability and the unsatisfiability of the partial maximum terms space, and gives an algorithm determining the satisfiability of a partial space of the maximum terms - algorithm PSER (Partial Semi-Extension Rule). Then, the TP problem is decomposed into several sub-problems independent of each other, which can be solved by the given parallel computing method PPSER (Parallel Partial Semi-Extension Rule).
Automated Identifier Completion and Replacement

Various studies indicate that having concise and consistent identifiers improves the quality of the source code and hence impacts positively source code understanding and maintenance. In order to write concise and consistent identifiers, however, developers need to have some knowledge about the concepts captured in the source code and how they are named. Acquiring such knowledge from the source code might be feasible only for small systems, while it is not viable for large systems. In this paper, we propose an automated approach which exploits concepts and relations automatically extracted from the source code to suggest identifiers. The suggestion is ranked based on the context in which a new identifier is introduced and it can be used either to complete the identifier being written or to replace it with a more appropriate one. To validate the proposed approach, we have conducted a case study by simulating the activities of a developer in naming identifiers. The results of the study show that in the majority of the cases our approach provides completion suggestions which match the identifiers actually used by the developers.
Xenodiagnosis to detect Borrelia burgdorferi infection: a first-in-human study.

BACKGROUND Animal studies suggest that Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, may persist after antibiotic therapy and can be detected by various means including xenodiagnosis using the natural tick vector (Ixodes scapularis). No convincing evidence exists for the persistence of viable spirochetes after recommended courses of antibiotic therapy in humans. We determined the safety of using I. scapularis larvae for the xenodiagnosis of B. burgdorferi infection in humans. METHODS Laboratory-reared larval I. scapularis ticks were placed on 36 subjects and allowed to feed to repletion. Ticks were tested for B. burgdorferi by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), culture, and/or isothermal amplification followed by PCR and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. In addition, attempts were made to infect immunodeficient mice by tick bite or inoculation of tick contents. Xenodiagnosis was repeated in 7 individuals. RESULTS Xenodiagnosis was well tolerated with no severe adverse events. The most common adverse event was mild itching at the tick attachment site. Xenodiagnosis was negative in 16 patients with posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) and/or high C6 antibody levels and in 5 patients after completing antibiotic therapy for erythema migrans. Xenodiagnosis was positive for B. burgdorferi DNA in a patient with erythema migrans early during therapy and in a patient with PTLDS. There is insufficient evidence, however, to conclude that viable spirochetes were present in either patient. CONCLUSIONS Xenodiagnosis using Ixodes scapularis larvae was safe and well tolerated. Further studies are needed to determine the sensitivity of xenodiagnosis in patients with Lyme disease and the significance of a positive result. Clinical Trials Registration NCT01143558.
Relative and combined effects of socioeconomic status and diabetes on mortality

AbstractBoth low socioeconomic status (SES) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are important risk factors for mortality. However, little is known about their combined effects and relative contribution to the mortality risk.From a nationwide cohort provided by the National Health Insurance Service in Korea, 153,075 subjects who were over 30 years of age from 2003 to 2004 were followed-up until 2010. The SESs of the subjects in the DM and non-DM (NDM) groups were categorized into 3 groups (highest 30% as S1, middle 40% as S2, and lowest 30% as S3) based on the subjects’ income levels.During the 7.9-year follow-up, 3933 deaths occurred. When the subjects were stratified into 6 groups by their socioeconomic and diabetes status, a linearly increasing pattern of the hazard ratio (HR) of mortality from the higher SES without diabetes group (NDM-S1, as a reference) to the lower SES with diabetes group (DM-S3; HR, 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.80–2.36) was observed (P for trend < 0.001). Notably, subjects with DM in the highest SES group (DM-S1) had a significantly higher mortality risk than did non-DM subjects in the lowest SES group (NDM-S3). This pattern was maintained in cause-specific mortality but was more prominent in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and less prominent in cancer mortality. The association was not affected by gender; however, in individuals <60 years of age, the combined effects of SES and DM on mortality were more prominent (DM-S3; HR, 3.68, 95% CI, 2.95–4.60) than in those ≥60 years of age.Low SES and DM were major determinants of mortality and synergistically increased the risks of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality.
Observability and diagnostics in the X-ray band of shock-cloud interactions in supernova remnants

Context. X-ray emitting features originating from the interaction of supernova shock waves with small interstellar gas clouds are revealed in many X-ray observations of evolved supernova remnants (e.g., Cygnus Loop and Vela), but their interpretation is not straightforward. Aims. We develop a self-consistent method for the analysis and interpretation of shock-cloud interactions in middle-aged supernova remnants, which can provide the key parameters of the system and the role of relevant physical effects such as thermal conduction, without the need to perform ad-hoc numerical simulations and bother about morphology details. Methods. We explore all the possible values of the shock speed and cloud density contrast relevant to middle-aged SNRs with a set of hydrodynamic simulations of shock-cloud interaction including the effects of thermal conduction and radiative cooling. From the simulations, we synthesize spatially and spectrally resolved focal-plane data as they would be collected with XMM-Newton/EPIC, an X-ray instrument commonly used in these studies. Results. We develop and calibrate two diagnostic tools, the first based on the mean photon energy versus count-rate scatter plot and the second on the spectral analysis of the interaction region, that can be used to highlight the effects of thermal conduction and to derive the shock speed in case of efficient conduction at work. These tools can be used to ascertain information from X-ray observations, without the need to develop detailed and ad-hoc numerical models for the interpretation of the data.
Effect on the quality of peer review of blinding reviewers and asking them to sign their reports: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Anxiety about bias, lack of accountability, and poor quality of peer review has led to questions about the imbalance in anonymity between reviewers and authors. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect on the quality of peer review of blinding reviewers to the authors' identities and requiring reviewers to sign their reports. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTING A general medical journal. PARTICIPANTS A total of 420 reviewers from the journal's database. INTERVENTION We modified a paper accepted for publication introducing 8 areas of weakness. Reviewers were randomly allocated to 5 groups. Groups 1 and 2 received manuscripts from which the authors' names and affiliations had been removed, while groups 3 and 4 were aware of the authors' identities. Groups 1 and 3 were asked to sign their reports, while groups 2 and 4 were asked to return their reports unsigned. The fifth group was sent the paper in the usual manner of the journal, with authors' identities revealed and a request to comment anonymously. Group 5 differed from group 4 only in that its members were unaware that they were taking part in a study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The number of weaknesses in the paper that were commented on by the reviewers. RESULTS Reports were received from 221 reviewers (53%). The mean number of weaknesses commented on was 2 (1.7, 2.1, 1.8, and 1.9 for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 and 5 combined, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in their performance. Reviewers who were blinded to authors' dentities were less likely to recommend rejection than those who were aware of the authors' identities (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-1.0). CONCLUSIONS Neither blinding reviewers to the authors and origin of the paper nor requiring them to sign their reports had any effect on rate of detection of errors. Such measures are unlikely to improve the quality of peer review reports.
Point-to-point positioning control of a pneumatic muscle actuated system using improved-PID control

Over the past decade, pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) has been in the limelight and receiving much attention not only in the field of industrial application as well as in prominent research areas such as robotics and biomedical engineering. The uprising can be accorded to the many advantages that PMA offers such as inherent compliant safety, low maintenance and powerful. However, PMA has yet to emerge as disruptor in its application field primarily due to the nonlinear dynamics. Despite these detriments, PMA possesses pronounced prospective to be exploited, especially in the field of rehabilitation robotics. Henceforth, this research is initiated to propose a control structure taking into account the nonlinear dynamics where PMA motion is concerned. An improved proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control is proposed and the effectiveness of the controller in point-to-point (PTP) positioning motion is evaluated experimentally using a single degree of freedom (1-DOF) PMA mechanism. The improved-PID control is constructed with the driving chracteristics of the PMA mechanism. Subsequently, the positioning performance of the improved-PID control is evaluated and compared with a classical PID controller through experimental means. In general, the proposed controller is capable of striking a satisfactory performance in PTP positioning with the reduction of the effect concerning the non-linearities available in the system.
Multiparametric Functional MRI: A Tool to Uncover Subtle Changes following Allogeneic Renal Transplantation

Purpose To investigate multiparametric functional MRI to characterize acute rejection in a murine allogeneic renal transplant model and evaluate the effect of novel therapeutics. Material and Methods We performed allogeneic and syngeneic orthotopic transplantations (Balb/c to C57Bl/6 and C57Bl/6 to C57Bl/6). Allogeneic Groups (n = 5) were either treated with the anti-CCL2-Spiegelmer (mNOX-E36) in monotherapy or in combination with low doses of Ciclosporin-A (10mg/kgBW/d) for 10 days. Controls received equivalent doses of a non-functional spiegelmer (revmNOX-E36) or low dose Ciclosporin-A. Diffusion-weighted (DWI) and Dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE-) MRI-scans were performed using a clinical 3T-scanner. DWI analysis (b-values from 0–800 s/mm2) was performed mono- and biexponentially, while DCE-MRI was assessed with deconvolution analysis. Therapy effects were assessed ex vivo with histopathology, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was performed with unpaired t-tests and Spearman´s correlation coefficient. Results DWI showed a significant diffusion restriction in allogeneic compared to syngeneic transplants (ADC: 0.63±0.08 vs. 1.29±0.12 mm2/s*103) with decreasing diffusion restriction under therapy. DCE-MRI showed restored organ perfusion under Ciclosporin A alone and combination therapy (Plasma Flow: 43.43±12.49; 38.75±7.53ml/100ml/min) compared to syngeneic controls (51.03±12.49ml/100ml/min). Ex vivo analysis showed reduced monocytic infiltrates, attenuated levels of inflammatory cytokines under mNOX-E36 monotherapy with an additive effect of low dose Ciclosporin A. There was a significant (p<0.05) negative correlation between ADC and interstitial inflammation (r = -0.73) or macrophage infiltration (r = -0.81) and between organ perfusion and intimal arteritis (r = -0.63). Conclusion Multiparametric functional MRI is suited to detect renal allograft rejection in an experimental murine model and allows to characterize effects of immunosuppressive therapy alleviating acute rejection processes in allogeneic transplantation.