Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multinational Corporations and Emissions Trading: Strategic Responses to New Institutional Constraints

Although the Kyoto Protocol intended to implement emissions trading globally, this has so far been impossible. As a result, particularly Multinational Corporations (MNCs) currently face a wide variety of emissions trading schemes that differ in scope and enforcement, thus creating divergent levels of institutional constraints across locations. This article sheds light on the implications of these new constraints for MNCs, and also explores their responses to emissions trading schemes in terms of (perceived) opportunities to (re)shape the institution. Findings on strategic responses of Global 500 companies expose the constraints of particularly the EU emissions trading scheme, as well as the opportunities being explored or already exploited in various ways in this scheme and other emerging ones. Based on these findings the article proposes a framework that discerns four scenarios in which MNCs can find themselves: institutional conformist, institutional evader, institutional entrepreneur and institutional arbitrageur.
Plasticity in elk migration timing is a response to changing environmental conditions

Migration is an effective behavioral strategy for prolonging access to seasonal resources and may be a resilient strategy for ungulates experiencing changing climatic conditions. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), elk are the primary ungulate, with approximately 20,000 individuals migrating to exploit seasonal gradients in forage while also avoiding energetically costly snow conditions. How climate‐induced changes in plant phenology and snow accumulation are influencing elk migration timing is unknown. We present the most complete record of elk migration across the GYE, spanning 9 herds and 414 individuals from 2001 to 2017, to evaluate the drivers of migration timing and test for temporal shifts. The timing of elk departure from winter range involved a trade‐off between current and anticipated forage conditions, while snow melt governed summer range arrival date. Timing of elk departure from summer range and arrival on winter range were both influenced by snow accumulation and exposure to hunting. At the GYE scale, spring and fall migration timing changed through time, most notably with winter range arrival dates becoming almost 50 days later since 2001. Predicted herd‐level changes in migration timing largely agreed with observed GYE‐wide changes—except for predicted winter range arrival dates which did not reflect the magnitude of change detected in the elk telemetry data. Snow melt, snow accumulation, and spring green‐up dates all changed through time, with different herds experiencing different rates and directions of change. We conclude that elk migration is plastic, is a direct response to environmental cues, and that these environmental cues are not changing in a consistent manner across the GYE. The impacts of changing elk migration timing on predator–prey dynamics, carnivore–livestock conflict, disease ecology, and harvest management across the GYE are likely to be significant and complex.
Clinical Reasoning: A teenager with persistent headache

A previously healthy 15-year-old boy with no relevant medical history presented with 3 weeks of severe, persistent, holocephalic pain associated with nausea and vomiting, without fever or alteration of consciousness. A brain MRI including magnetic resonance angiography and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) at a local hospital was normal. A lumbar puncture revealed a CSF pressure of 240 mm H2O. An intracranial infection was suspected based on clinical symptoms and signs. He received empiric antiviral therapy and rehydration for 1 week, but there was no relief of symptoms. He was subsequently transferred to our hospital.
Bone resorption triggered by high radial stress: The mechanism of screw loosening in plate fixation of long bone fractures

Screw loosening is a common complication in plate fixation. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study investigated screw loosening mechanisms by finite element analysis (FEA) simulation and clinical X‐ray feature analysis. Two FEA models incorporated bone heterogeneity and orthotropy, representing fracture fixation using dynamic compression plate (DCP) and locking compression plate (LCP), were developed. These models were used to examine the volume of bone exceeding a certain stress value around each screw under physiologically‐relevant loading conditions. These damaged bone was then separated and compared by the axial stress and radial stress of each screw. In addition, features of patients’ X‐ray images showing screw loosening were analyzed to validate the loosening features simulated by the models. The FEA study showed that more damaged bone was found at the central two screws which gradually decreased toward the two end screws in all groups. More bone was damaged by the radial stress of each screw than by the axial stress. The radiological analysis of screw loosening showed that bone loss occurred at the screw closest to the fracture line first then subsequent bone loss at the screws further away from the fracture line occurred. This study found that the two screws nearest to the fracture line are more vulnerable to loosening. The radial stress of the screw plays a larger role in screw loosening than the axial stress. Bone resorption triggered by the high radial stress of screws is indicated as the mechanism of screw loosening in the diaphyseal plate fixation. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:1498–1507, 2019.
Location-dependent maintenance of intrinsic susceptibility to mTORC1-driven tumorigenesis

Per-cell quantification of mTORC1 signaling activity in neural stem/progenitor cells reveals differential signaling, proliferative, and tumor-forming capability between dorsal and ventral cells within a single niche. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) of the ventricular–subventricular zone (V-SVZ) are candidate cells of origin for many brain tumors. However, whether NSPCs in different locations within the V-SVZ differ in susceptibility to tumorigenic mutations is unknown. Here, single-cell measurements of signal transduction intermediates in the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway reveal that ventral NSPCs have higher levels of signaling than dorsal NSPCs. These features are linked with differences in mTORC1-driven disease severity: introduction of a pathognomonic Tsc2 mutation only results in formation of tumor-like masses from the ventral V-SVZ. We propose a direct link between location-dependent intrinsic growth properties imbued by mTORC1 and predisposition to tumor development.
Comparison of Complete Extractive and Azeotropic Distillation Processes for Anhydrous Ethanol Production Using Aspen Plus™ Simulator

Performance of the extractive and azeotropic distillation processes using ethylene glycol and cyclohexane as solvents, respectively, for anhydrous ethanol production, were investigated using 02 RadFrac columns each and solvent recycling streams via simulation in Aspen Plus™ Simulator. Both operate at 1 atm, and feed flow rate equals to 100 kmol.h-1 (ethanol – 0.896 and water – 0.104 in mole fractions at the azeotropic point). The NRTL-RK was the model used for extractive and azeotropic distillations. The anhydrous ethanol purity from top of the 1st column of the extractive distillation (22 stages) was 99.50 % (on a mole basis) and water with 99.20 % of purity at the top of the 2nd column. On the other hand, in the azeotropic distillation, the 1st column (30 stages) had a bottom product of anhydrous ethanol purity of 99.99 % and water with 99.99 % of purity in the 2nd column, also at the bottom. Both processes produced anhydrous ethanol with a high-grade purity required by the standard norms ASTM D4806, EN 15376, and ANP 36. However, the extractive distillation spent 1,928.2 kW in the reboilers against 4,680.3 kW in the azeotropic distillation, demonstrating extractive distillation is the most economical option. Consequently, the energy consumption is an essential analysis for choosing the type of distillation, when an azeotropic mixture needs a good separation task. Finally, the extractive distillation demonstrated to be much more competitive than azeotropic distillation for this type of mixture although azeotropic distillation obtained a higher purity of anhydrous ethanol.
EPPO Datasheet: 'Candidatus Liberibacter africanus'

Preferred name: 'Candidatus Liberibacter africanus' Authority: Jagoueix, Bové & Garnier Taxonomic position: Bacteria: Proteobacteria: Alphaproteobacteria: Rhizobiales: Phyllobacteriaceae Other scientific names: Citrus greening bacterium (heat-sensitive strain), Liberibacter africanum Jagoueix, Bové & Garnier, Liberibacter africanus Jagoueix, Bové & Garnier Common names: greening of citrus view more common names online. EPPO Categorization: A1 list view more categorizations online. EU Categorization: A1 Quarantine pest (Annex II A) EPPO Code: LIBEAF more photos.
Madakhlasht sheep breeds from Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

3 Objective: Kari sheep show a large variation in body size and gestation length. In this study, we have analyzed the 4 genetic differences between the three subtypes of Kari (based on body size) and another small size breed 5 ‘Madakhlasht’ inhabiting the Chitral district of Pakistan. 6 Methods: Animals belonging to small Kari, medium Kari, large Kari and Madakhlasht sheep breeds were sampled 7 from their breeding tract and were characterized genotypically at the DNA level using microsatellite markers. A 8 total of 120 blood samples (30 each) were collected from the four breed types. DNA from these samples were used 9 to amplify 31 ovine specific microsatellite loci through PCR. 10 Results: A total of 158 different alleles were detected across the 22 polymorphic loci with an average of 7.18 alleles 11 per locus. Unique alleles were found in all four populations. Significant population differentiation was observed 12 among all the populations. Madakhlasht sheep, phenotypically and geographically more distant from Kari, showed 13 higher population differentiation and lower inbreeding and geneflow with Kari, compared to the values among Kari 14 subtypes. Genetic distance revealed that Madakhlasht was the most distant population among the four populations, 15 whereas, Small, Medium and Large subtypes of Kari sheep were relatively closer to each other. Medium and large 16 Kari sheep were found in the state of mutation drift equilibrium, while small Kari and Madakhlasht showed the 17 presence of bottleneck, indicating a reduction in their population sizes in the recent past. 18 Conclusions: The results suggest that the three subtypes of Kari possess unique genetic identity and are potentially 19 important for further exploration of their specific characteristics such as productivity and reproduction, and 20 exploitation of their unique values. Madakhlasht needs conservation on a priority basis for future breed 21 improvement programs. 22
Effects of Temperature Rise on Multi-Taxa Distributions in Mountain Ecosystems

Mountain biodiversity is associated with rare and fragile biota that are highly sensitive to climate change. To estimate the vulnerability of biodiversity to temperature rise, long-term field data are crucial. Species distribution models are an essential tool, in particular for invertebrates, for which detailed information on spatial and temporal distributions is largely missing. We applied presence-only distribution models to field data obtained from a systematic survey of 5 taxa (birds, butterflies, carabids, spiders, staphylinids), monitored in the northwestern Italian Alps. We estimated the effects of a moderate temperature increase on the multi-taxa distributions. Only small changes in the overall biodiversity patterns emerged, but we observed significant differences between groups of species and along the altitudinal gradient. The effects of temperature increase could be more pronounced for spiders and butterflies, and particularly detrimental for high-altitude species. We observed significant changes in community composition and species richness, especially in the alpine belt, but a clear separation between vegetation levels was retained also in the warming scenarios. Our conservative approach suggests that even a moderate temperature increase (about 1 °C) could influence animal biodiversity in mountain ecosystems: only long-term field data can provide the information to improve quantitative predictions, allowing us to readily identify the most informative signals of forthcoming changes.
Further Results on Adaptive Stabilization of High-Order Stochastic Nonlinear Systems Subject to Uncertainties

This paper concerns the adaptive state-feedback control for a class of high-order stochastic nonlinear systems with uncertainties including time-varying delay, unknown control gain, and parameter perturbation. The commonly used growth assumptions on system nonlinearities are removed, and the adaptive control technique is combined with the sign function to deal with the unknown control gain. Then, with the help of the radial basis function neural network approximation approach and Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, an adaptive state-feedback controller is obtained through the backstepping design procedure. It is verified that the constructed controller can render the closed-loop system semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, both the practical and numerical examples are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Psoriasis Pathogenesis and Treatment

Research on psoriasis pathogenesis has largely increased knowledge on skin biology in general. In the past 15 years, breakthroughs in the understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis have been translated into targeted and highly effective therapies providing fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases with a dominant IL-23/Th17 axis. This review discusses the mechanisms involved in the initiation and development of the disease, as well as the therapeutic options that have arisen from the dissection of the inflammatory psoriatic pathways. Our discussion begins by addressing the inflammatory pathways and key cell types initiating and perpetuating psoriatic inflammation. Next, we describe the role of genetics, associated epigenetic mechanisms, and the interaction of the skin flora in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Finally, we include a comprehensive review of well-established widely available therapies and novel targeted drugs.
Ultrashort Echo Time Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping (UTE-QSM) of Highly Concentrated Magnetic Nanoparticles: A Comparison Study about Different Sampling Strategies

The ability to accurately and non-invasively quantify highly concentrated magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is desirable for many emerging applications. Ultrashort echo time quantitative susceptibility mapping (UTE-QSM) has demonstrated the capability to detect high iron concentrations. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of different sampling trajectories on the accuracy of quantification based on MNPs acquired through UTE-QSM. A phantom with six different MNP concentrations was prepared for UTE-QSM study with different UTE sampling trajectories, including radial acquisition, continuous single point imaging (CSPI), and Cones with four different gradient stretching factors of 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6. No significant differences were found in QSM values derived from the different UTE sampling strategies, suggesting that the UTE-QSM technique could be accelerated with extended Cones sampling.
Muscle-derived miR-34a increases with age in circulating extracellular vesicles and induces senescence of bone marrow stem cells

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to play important roles in cell-cell communication. Here we investigated the role of muscle-derived EVs and their microRNAs in the loss of bone stem cell populations with age. Aging in male and female C57BL6 mice was associated with a significant increase in expression of the senescence-associated microRNA miR-34a-5p (miR-34a) in skeletal muscle and in serum –derived EVs. Muscle-derived, alpha-sarcoglycan positive, EVs isolated from serum samples also showed a significant increase in miR-34a with age. EVs were isolated from conditioned medium of C2C12 mouse myoblasts and primary human myotubes after cells were treated with hydrogen peroxide to simulate oxidative stress. These EVs were shown to have elevated levels of miR-34a, and these EVs decreased viability of bone marrow mesenchymal (stromal) cells (BMSCs) and increased BMSC senescence. A lentiviral vector system was used to overexpress miR-34a in C2C12 cells, and EVs isolated from these transfected cells were observed to home to bone in vivo and to induce senescence and decrease Sirt1 expression of primary bone marrow cells ex vivo. These findings suggest that aged skeletal muscle is a potential source of circulating, senescence-associated EVs that may directly impact stem cell populations in tissues such as bone via their microRNA cargo.
Liraglutide Improves Renal Endothelial Function in Obese Zucker Rats on a High-Salt Diet

Metabolic syndrome is a common risk factor in chronic kidney disease. We investigated whether liraglutide [(LIRA), a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist] treatment improved renal vascular function and renal remodeling in male Zucker rats on a high-salt diet (6% NaCl). Zucker lean (+/+) and obese (fa/fa) rats (8 weeks old) were treated with vehicle or LIRA (0.1 mg/kg per day) for 8 weeks on a high-salt diet. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured at 0 and 8 weeks using the fluorescein isothiocyanate/sinistrin method in conscious rats. We used X-ray microangiography to measure renal arterial vessel diameter (70–350 µm) and vessel number in vivo in anesthetized rats. Renal protein expression levels of nitrotyrosine, CD-68, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1, cyclooxygenase-2, and GLP-1R were assessed by western blotting. Renal gene expressions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In contrast to vehicle-treated rats, fa/fa-LIRA rats improved GFR, nitric oxide (NO)–mediated vasodilation in response to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside in small arterial vessels (<200 µm diameter). LIRA treatment increased vessel responsivity to NO donors in comparison with vehicle treatment. Increases in the expressions of proinflammatory, profibrotic, and oxidative stress related genes in fa/fa rats relative to +/+ were unaltered by LIRA, other than a trend toward attenuation of VCAM-1 gene expression. However, LIRA treatment increased protein expressions of eNOS (P = 0.014) and VEGF (P = 0.063), while reducing glomerular macrophage infiltration in comparison with vehicle-treated fa/fa rats. Low-dose LIRA treatment improved renal vascular function through amelioration of vascular dysfunction and improved NO-mediated dilation of small intrarenal arteries and arterioles and a reduction in renal inflammation.
DREADD‐based synthetic control of chondrocyte calcium signaling in vitro

Calcium is a critical second messenger involved in chondrocyte mechanotransduction. Several distinct calcium signaling mechanisms implicated in chondrocyte mechanotransduction have been identified using mechanical perturbations or soluble signaling factors. However, these commonly used stimuli can lack specificity in the mechanisms by which they initiate calcium signaling. Synthetic tools allowing for more precise and selective regulation of calcium signaling, such as the engineered G‐protein‐coupled receptors known as DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs), may better assist in isolating the roles of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and cell activation in chondrocyte biology. One DREADD, hM3Dq, is solely activated by clozapine N‐oxide (CNO) and regulates calcium activation through the Gq‐PLCβ‐IP3‐ER pathway. Here, hM3Dq‐transfected ATDC5 cells were treated with CNO (100 nM–1 μM) to establish the feasibility of using Gq‐DREADDs to drive [Ca2+]i activation in chondrocyte‐like cells. CNO administration resulted in a coordinated, dose‐dependent, and transient calcium response in hM3Dq‐transfected cells that resulted primarily from calcium release from the ER. Following activation via CNO administration, hM3Dq‐ATDC5 cells exhibited refractory behavior and required a 4‐h wash‐out period to recover hM3Dq‐mediated signaling. However, hM3Dq inactivation did not inhibit alternative calcium activation mechanisms in ATDC5 cells (via GSK101 or hypo‐osmotic shock), nor did CNO‐driven calcium signaling negatively impact ATDC5 cell health. This study established the successful use of hM3Dq for the safe, targeted, and well‐controlled activation of calcium signaling in ATDC5 cells and its use as a potential tool for assessing clinically significant questions regarding calcium signaling in chondrocyte biology, cartilage pathology, and cartilage tissue engineering. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:1518–1529, 2019.
Towards Personalized Movie Selection for Wellness: Investigating Event-Inspired Movies

ABSTRACT Movie recommender systems help users to navigate the magnitude and diversity of movies that people have easy access to nowadays, especially with online streaming services. However, current systems personalize recommendations primarily based on what they think a specific user would like or prefer using information about how similar the users are to other users. Prior work has suggested that this could lead to a ‘filter bubble’ whereby users only watch movies that they are comfortable with. This paper presents the novel concept of event-inspired movies that draw on users’ highly specific everyday life experiences to recommend movies that are meaningful to them. To conduct the study, we developed a systematic process to align movies with viewer variables. Meaningful movies have been said to have therapeutic potential to possibly affect one’s sense of overall well-being. We conducted a study with 24 participants to explore how users engage with event-inspired movies, whether event-inspired movies are perceived as more relevant, and their potential to affect users’ sense of life satisfaction. In so doing, we also contribute a process and insights on how to operationalize event-inspired movies that can inform the implementation of a movie recommender system situated within the proposed paradigm.