Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lobbying in the European Community

Part 1 The European lobbying process: introduction - transference of power, decision rules and rules of the game, S. Mazey and J. Richardson pressure groups and the EC - an overview, W. Grant the role of the National Civil Service and European lobbying - the British case, D. Spence the structure of the European Commission and the policy formation process, M. Donnelly. part 2 Sectoral Studies: Europe of the regions? territorial interests and European integration - the Scottish experience, S. Mazey and J. Mitchell the rationality of lobbying in Europe - why are Euro-groups so numerous and so weak? some evidence from the car industry, A. McLaughlin and G. Jordan groups and the process of European integration - the work of the federation of stock exchanges in the European Community, J. Knight et al defending and promoting a sectoral interest within the European Community - the case of the textile polyolefins industry, J.P. Peckstadt et al lobbying in Europe - the experience of voluntary organizations, B. Harvey the confederation of British industry and policy-making in the European Community, R. Eberlie business lobbying in the European Community - the union of industrial and employers' confederations of Europe, L. Collie the corporate benefits of lobbying - the British case and its relevance to the European Community, J. Sargent conclusion - a European policy style? , S. Mazey and J. Richardson.
Metabolomics of Volatile Organic Compounds in Cystic Fibrosis Patients and Controls

In cystic fibrosis (CF), airway inflammation causes an increased production of reactive oxygen species, responsible for degradation of cell membranes. During this process, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are formed. Measurement of VOCs in exhaled breath of CF patients may be useful for the assessment of airway inflammation. This study investigates whether “metabolomics' of VOCs could discriminate between CF and controls, and between CF patients with and without Pseudomonas colonization. One hundred five children (48 with CF, 57 controls) were included in this study. After exhaled breath collection, samples were transferred onto tubes containing active carbon to adsorb and stabilize VOCs. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry to assess VOC profiles. Analysis showed that 1099 VOCs had a prevalence of at least 7%. By using 22 VOCs, a 100% correct identification of CF patients and controls was possible. With 10 VOCs, 92% of the subjects were correctly classified. The reproducibility of VOC measurements with a 1-h interval was very good (match factor 0.90 ± 0.038). We conclude that metabolomics of VOCs in exhaled breath was possible in a reproducible way. This new technique was able to discriminate not only between CF patients and controls but also between CF patients with or without Pseudomonas colonization.
Bidirectional matrix-based algorithm for 4-qubit reversible logic circuits synthesis

Quantum reversible logic circuits synthesis is one of the key technologies to construct quantum computer. The algebraic model for quantum information processing is a unitary matrix operator. Matrix can better reflect the quantum state evolution and the properties of quantum computation. Bidirectional matrix-based algorithm for quantum reversible logic circuits synthesis is proposed in this paper. The matrix representation of quantum reversible circuit and the circuit transformation rules of adjacent matrix are employed to construct any quantum reversible circuit in this paper. Compared with [11, 12], the computational complexity of our algorithm has been decreased exponentially and the speed has been increased by about 105 times. In addition, the types of the quantum reversible circuits synthesized by our algorithm are extended from only even permutations in [11, 12] to even and odd ones. we have synthesized 13! =6227020800 quantum reversible circuits, which can't be done by other algorithms.
The Nazi War on Cancer

Collaboration in the Holocaust. Murderous and torturous medical experiments. The "euthanasia" of hundreds of thousands of people with mental or physical disabilities. Widespread sterilization of "the unfit". Nazi doctors committed these and countless other atrocities as part of Hitler's warped quest to create a German master race. The author of this text, Robert Proctor, made the discovery however, that Nazi Germany was also decades ahead of other countries in promoting health reforms that we today regard as progressive and socially responsible. Most startling of all, he argues, Nazi scientists were the first to definitively link lung cancer and cigarette smoking. Proctor explores the controversial and troubling questions that such findings raise: were the Nazis more complext morally than we thought? Can good science come from an evil regime? What might this reveal about health activism in our own society? Proctor argues that we must view Hitler's Germany more subtly than we have in the past. But he also concludes that the Nazis' forward-looking health activism ultimately came from the same twisted root as their medical crimes: the ideal of a sanitary racial utopia reserved exclusively for pure and healthy Germans.
Variant lymphoproliferative disorder of granular lymphocytes (LDGL) following Hodgkin lymphoma

A 41‐year‐old Caucasian female was diagnosed with a CD3+ CD4+ CD8+ variant of lymphoproliferative disorder of granular lymphocytes (LDGL) in the third year of remission following treatment of stage III‐B Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The patient was asymptomatic at diagnosis, without clinical evidence of immune disorder or recurrence of HL. Diagnosis was made incidentally, secondary to lymphocytosis discovered on a routine follow‐up post HL therapy. Clonal chromosomal abnormalities were seen in 20% of peripheral blood lymphocytes with a karyotype 46, XX, t(2;6;2;11) (p13;q23;q24;q23). The breakpoint on 11q23 is distal to the MLL gene as shown by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of variant LDGL in association with HL treatment with documented clonal chromosomal abnormalities. Am. J. Hematol. 79:128–131, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Retinal Vascular Caliber and Age-related Macular Degeneration in an Indian Population from Singapore

Abstract Purpose: To examine the association between retinal vascular caliber and early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in an Indian population. Methods: A total of 3112 Indian participants aged ≥40 years from the population-based Singapore Indian Eye Study who had data available on retinal vascular caliber measurements and AMD status were included. Retinal arteriolar and venular calibers were measured from digital photographs using computer-assisted software according to a standardized protocol. Images of the macular region were graded according to the modified Wisconsin age-related maculopathy grading system. Right eyes were selected for analyses. Binary logistic regression models were used to assess the association, adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, random blood glucose, body mass index, and the companion retinal vascular caliber. Results: A total of 107 participants (3.4%) were diagnosed with early AMD. Neither arteriolar nor venular caliber was related to AMD. For early AMD, the age-, sex-, and companion retinal vascular caliber-adjusted odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) decrease in arteriolar caliber was 0.95 (95% CI 0.84–1.31; p = 0.671), and per SD increase in venular caliber was OR: 0.96 (95% CI: 0.77–1.20); p = 0.714. No trend was found after categorizing retinal vascular calibers into quartiles. Multivariate adjustment and stratified analyses did not alter these results. Conclusion: Retinal vascular calibers were not related to early AMD among Indian participants. These findings differ from those of several previous studies performed in Caucasian and Asian populations.
Emotional dimensions in people with aggressive behavior: differential responses to affective visual stimuli.

INTRODUCTION The emotional interaction between personal attributes and the environment is a key element to understand aggression. This study identified emotional responses of people with different aggressive traits to pictures with a specific affective content. METHODS Three hundred fifteen individuals were divided into five groups according to their scores on the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, which consists of 24 pictures of the International Affective Picture System that depict aggression, the suffering of others, filial situations, and sexual content. Each picture was evaluated for valence, arousal, and dominance using the Self-Assessment Manikin scale. RESULTS Sexual pictures were more appetitive and associated with more arousal in the groups of individuals with some aggression-related dimension than in the non-aggressive group. CONCLUSIONS A strong interaction was found between aggressive traits (e.g., verbal aggression, physical aggression, anger, and hostility) and pictures with a sexual content. This interaction is decisive in understanding the later phases of aggressive behaviors and sexual aggression.
Corporate governance reforms: fact or fiction?

Purpose – Reforms set forth in Sarbanes‐Oxley and the NYSE, AMEX, and NASD are designed to prevent the reoccurrence of corporate collapses at companies such as Enron Corp., WorldCom Inc., and Global Crossing Ltd. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possible impact the reforms may or may not have had in controlling the abuses uncovered in recent corporate failures.Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the reforms to corporate governance and the rationale behind the reforms, and examines how the actual governance structures of Enron, WorldCom, and Global Crossing during the years of their accounting scandals compared to the new requirements. It also offers a discussion as to whether the new reforms would have been helpful in preventing management's manipulation of earnings.Findings – Global Crossing's governance structure would have satisfied a majority of the reforms. Enron's and WorldCom's governance structures would have satisfied less than half of the reforms.Practical implications –.
Macroecological trends in nestedness and modularity of seed-dispersal networks: human impact matters

Aim We aim to characterize the macroecological patterns in the structure of mutualistic seed-dispersal networks. Tropical areas hold more species than temperate ones. This difference in species number may favour ecological processes that minimize interspecific competition in species-rich areas. There is theoretical evidence that both modularity (i.e. the presence of semi-independent groups of highly interacting species) and nestedness (i.e. specialists interact with a subset of the species interacting with generalists) reduce the effects of competition. Thus, we expect high degrees of modularity or nestedness at low latitudes in seed-dispersal networks. Moreover, we test whether climate, topography and human impact influence network structure. Location Thirty-four qualitative and 21 weighted seed-dispersal interaction networks located world-wide. Methods We related the degree of modularity and nestedness of seed-dispersal interaction networks with latitude. To disentangle the macroecological drivers of network structure, we also associated modularity/nestedness with species richness, altitudinal range, human impact and an array of climate predictors: precipitation, temperature, precipitation/temperature seasonality and historical climate-change velocity and anomaly. Results Binary networks showed stronger macroecological patterns than weighted networks. Latitude was unrelated to the structure of seed-dispersal networks, but more nested assemblages were species rich and were located in areas with a high degree of human impact, high temperature seasonality, low precipitation, and, especially on the mainland, high stability in precipitation. Modular networks were species rich and found in areas with low human impact. For both nestedness and modularity, the effects of species richness and human impact were especially strong and consistent. Main conclusions As for previous macroecological studies of mutualistic networks, we found that the structure of seed-dispersal assemblages was related to current and historical climate. The largest influences on nestedness and modularity, however, were the number of competing species and the degree of human impact. This suggests that human disturbance, not just climate, is an important factor determining the structure of a seed-dispersal network.
Public housing policy: The gradual privatization of the HDB (Housing and Development Board) mortgage loan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the merits of a full privatization policy of the HDB concessionary rate mortgage loans. It is believed that price competition among domestic banks will be infused and sustained, resulting in improved efficiency for the banking sector and the economy.Design/methodology/approach – This paper first compares the loan interest rates of the domestic banks for HDB flat buyers to the HDB concessionary interest‐rates. Then it investigates the performance of the HDB, by assessing whether its mortgage yields are able to meet the requirements set forth by means of HDB's hurdle rates.Findings – The findings suggest that HDB's mortgage yields are insufficient in meeting the performance standards set by the HDB, reflected by the hurdle rate. In conclusion, it is recommended that the HDB should further delegate this part of business to the private sector, where better financial performances are expected among domestic banks under competitions.Research limitations/impl.
Managing the hinterland beyond: Two ideal‐type strategies of economic development for small island territories

Abstract: Rarely does one come across critical analysis which looks at islands as the strategic and candid promoters of a role as political and economic usufructuaries over external resources. This paper is premised on the proposition that a small territory is especially obliged to use extra-territorial resources as its hinterland for economic success. Such resources extend over a whole range of goods and services and include access to investment, welfare, security, stable currency, international relations, specialised labour power, transfers, markets and higher education. The MIRAB syndrome is one way of articulating this condition. This paper proposes a second cluster of features that are, or can be, deployed by small territories in a manner somewhat different from MIRAB; this second cluster has a more proactive policy orientation and a disposition towards carving out procedural and jurisdictional powers. It is thus proposed to consider a small territory's engagement with the external hinterland as a position on a sliding scale, a strategic mix of options located between two distinct development trajectories, of which MIRAB is one and the PROFIT model the other.
Design of Low Noise Readout Amplifiers for Monolithic Capacitive CMOS-MEMS Accelerometers

[ANGLES] This thesis report describes the design process, the implementation and the simulation and measurement results of two different readout circuits to be used with two monolithic MEMS accelerometers fabricated by post-CMOS surface micromachining based on isotropic wet etching in IHP SiGe 0,25 μm technology. The first design is used with a 50 fF z-axis sensor and the second design with a 200 fF sensor as well as the first sensor. The approach used has been the Continuous Time Voltage (CTV) sensing implemented in two ways. The first readout circuit implements a CTV sensing utilising an open-loop topology whereas the second design implements a CTV sensing with a closed-loop amplifier and low duty-cycle reset. In both designs, chopper stabilisation has been implemented to get rid of DC offset and Flicker noise, making both designs to work beyond the noise corner frequency to obtain the lowest achievable noise floor: thermal noise. The target during the design of both circuits has been to design amplifying circuits with a thermal noise equal or below the Brownian-noise of the capacitive sensor in order to make the noise from the sensor to be dominant. This has been possible by means of a deep study of noise and the optimisation of the transistor dimensions ratio that have the highest noise influence: input pair transistors. In both cases, equations that relate input node capacitance with noise have been found and final values have been obtained by fine tuning using the design software following the hypothesis found in the derived equations. The first design has been fabricated and total noise using opamp measured noise shows a noise floor of 238μg/rt-Hz, a lower noise value than designs with sensors having a similar sensitivity found in the literature. Second design has not been fabricated yet, but simulations also show a good noise performance of 20μg/rt-Hz with the second sensor. However, differences in measured and simulated noise in the first design shows that the total noise of the second design using the second sensor may be lower than the simulated value due to a rather pessimistic noise model used by the software.
EXPLORING SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN A FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE COURSE AND HOW SENSE OF COMMUNITY IMPACTS STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TRANSITION AND PERSISTENCE IN COLLEGE

OF DISSERTATION EXPLORING SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN A FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE COURSE AND HOW SENSE OF COMMUNITY IMPACTS STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF TRANSITION AND PERSISTENCE IN COLLEGE This study examines how community was created in a community college FYE 105 Achieving Academic Success course and the impact of classroom community on students’ perceptions of transition and persistence. Community colleges increasingly are focusing on student success as measured by persistence and goal completion such as transfer or attainment of credentials. The classroom learning environment is critical to student success but is a neglected area in retention research. Therefore, it is important to expand the research on initiatives that support students in their quest for success and educational goal completion. This research focused on one course section of FYE 105 taught at a community college; the students and the professor of the class are the participants for the study. New insight and understanding into classroom sense of community was gained through classroom participant-observations throughout the duration of a semester (16 weeks), faculty and student interviews, and review of materials related to the course. The data generated from the study were analyzed using thematic analysis. In order to explore how community is constructed and the role it plays for students, McMillan and Chavis’s sense of community theory and the academic communities component of Braxton, Hirschy, and McClendon’s conceptual model of student departure in commuter colleges and universities were used as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks for the study. Study results reveal that the professor concentrated efforts during the first class sessions on communicating the classroom rules, engaging in active learning, establishing emotional safety and belonging, and facilitating student interdependence, which were critical elements in establishing a sense of community in the classroom. Additionally, the findings show that students perceive the professor, classmates, classroom environment, active learning, and course content as components that contribute to a sense of community that impact their transition. Students were less clear of the role that sense of community played in their college persistence. Findings suggest that faculty would benefit from professional development to enhance their pedagogical skills. Suggestions for future research include a focus on students’ external and campus support systems, electronic technology, classroom diversity, and longitudinal and departure data collection.
Report on Experiments and Clinical Cases ― Clinicopathological Features of 30 Autopsy Cases of Pancreatic Carcinoma

The annual incidence of pancreatic carcinoma has been increasing worldwide, and the overall 5-year survival rate has remained at approximately 5%. We re-evaluated 30 autopsy cases histologically diagnosed as pancreatic carcinoma from 1994 through 2010 at Nippon Medical School Hospital. The mean patient age was 69.5 years, with no significant differences between male and female patients. The location of the primary tumor was most often the head of the pancreas (46.7%), followed by the body (36.7%) and tail (16.7%). All patients had advanced-stage pancreatic carcinoma at diagnosis, which limited the therapeutic options. Surgical resection, radiation, and surgical resection with chemotherapy were each performed for a single patient, and chemotherapy was performed for 5 patients. The other patients received only symptomatic therapy. The mean survival time from the first medical examination to death was short (5.5 months; range, 1―40 months). The cases were classified into 28 ductal adenocarcinomas, 1 acinar cell carcinoma, and 1 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) with an associated invasive carcinoma. Death in most cases was directly related to the pancreatic carcinoma, including cachexia, carcinomatous peritonitis and pleuritis, hepatic failure and ileus due to metastasis, and malignancy-related disorders, such as coagulation disorders and immunodeficiency. The most frequent site of metastasis was the lymph nodes, followed by the liver, peritoneum, spleen, lung and or pleura, small intestine, adrenal gland, kidney, omentum, diaphragm, and bone. We classified the autopsy cases as showing distant metastasis or local infiltration. All cases with local infiltration were located in the pancreatic head, but no difference was seen in other clinicopathological features between cases with local infiltration and cases with distant metastasis. Thus, the autopsies revealed an extremely poor prognosis for pancreatic carcinoma due to the tumor itself and malignancyrelated disorders. The progression pattern (i.e., local infiltration or distant metastasis) may correlate with the location of the primary tumor. (J Nippon Med Sch 2012; 79: 459―467)
Primate spinothalamic pathways: III. Thalamic terminations of the dorsolateral and ventral spinothalamic pathways

The termination sites of the dorsolateral (DSTT) and ventral (VSTT) spinothalamic pathways were determined by using anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase from the lumbar spinal cord in primates. One animal had no spinal cord lesion, while of two other animals, one received a midthoracic dorsolateral funiculus lesion, and the other received a midthoracic ventral quadrant lesion contralateral to the injection. The thalamic label in the animal with no spinal cord lesion was much less than the label in the two animals with spinal lesions. Moreover, in the animals with spinal lesions, HRP‐labeled cells were found within the thalamus. Therefore, the remaining six animals received ipsilateral hemisections and bilateral dorsal column lesions, irrespective of the contralateral lesions.
The Globalization Debate: The Globalists

One of the main questions most of the globalization theorists have been dealing with is how to provide an adequate classification and systematization of vast and different theories of globalization. In this work we give a closer look to an infamous and highly influential Helds division of globalization theorists on globalists and skeptics. According to globalists, globalization represents a real and significant historical process without a precedent, which generates new forms of global economy, global politics and global culture. On the other side, there are skeptics who discard globalization discourse simply as a myth or alternatively as an ideological project of the West. The first part of our investigation of the great globalization debate is dedicated to investigation of the globalist perspective (both the hyperglobalists and transformationists).