Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the composition of the human intestinal microbiome in alcohol use disorder: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Background: A growing body of evidence highlights the role of the intestine in the development of various alcohol use disorder (AUD) complications. The intestinal microbiome has been proposed as an essential factor in mediating the development of AUD complications such as alcoholic liver disease. Objectives: To provide a comprehensive description of alcohol-induced intestinal microbiome alterations. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies investigating the effect of alcohol on the intestinal microbiome using the PRISMA checklist. We searched the Medline database on the PubMed platform for studies determining the effect of alcohol on microbiota in individuals with AUD. The manual search included references of retrieved articles. Only human studies examining the intestinal bacterial microbiome using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing were included. Data comparing relative abundances of bacteria comprising intestinal microbiota was extracted. Results: We retrieved 17 studies investigating intestinal microbiome alterations in individuals with AUD. Intestinal microbiome alterations in individuals with AUD included depletion of Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and an increase of Enterobacteriaceae. At the phylum level, a higher abundance of Proteobacteria and lower of Bacteroidetes were found. Mixed results regarding Bifidobacterium were obtained. Several species of short-chain fatty acids producing bacteria had a lower abundance in individuals with alcohol use disorder. Conclusion: Intestinal microbiome alterations associated with dysbiosis in individuals with AUD are generally consistent across studies, making it a promising target in potential AUD complications treatment.
Technology Adoption under Price Undertakings ¤

Economists most often analyse the e¤ects of protectionist or antidumping policies in the context of tari¤s or voluntary export restraints the latter are very similar to quotas in fact. Antidumping policies in the European Union however make frequent use of price undertakings. Whereas the e¤ects of tari¤ and quota protection on technology adoption have been demonstrated by Miyagiwa and Ohno (1995), no such analysis has been carried out for price undertakings. In contrast to previous analysis, this article shows that adoption of new technologies is always delayed under a regime of price undertakings, as compared to the case of free trade, and that this doesn’t depend on whether protection is temporary or permanent. Thus, our results challenge some of the conclusions of Miyagiwa and Ohno (1995) and put further doubt on the infant-industry argument for protection. We further analyse the sensitivity of the timing of technology adoption to the instrument of protection and formulate policy recommendations on the basis of this analysis. 2 JEL-Classi.cation: F10, F13, O33 2
Contracting strategies in construction industries

Despite a rich literature on procurement management in construction industries, which stemmed from the long history of the industry and strategic value of procurement, the industry is still accused of using inefficient contracting strategies. Traditional approaches in this field try to find out how clients could ensure that contractors are forced to operate in a highly competitive market and how clients could govern their procurement-related transactions with suppliers rigorously through contracts. High levels of adversarial behaviour in construction industries led researchers to explore approaches which had supported successful projects in the Japanese car industry. Consequently, researchers suggested relational approaches for construction industry. However, more recent studies try to highlight the danger of out- of-context use of relational approaches. This paper presents a critical review of the literature on contracting strategies in construction industries. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the approaches toward competence in procurement within the construction industry are distinctively based on different schools of thought and how the client is left alone in selecting the strategy which brings more value. To validate the need for tailoring the procurement strategies for each project, the paper draws on the body of knowledge known as Transaction Cost Economics. The three elements of Contingency Factors, Behavioural Factors and Context, elaborated in Transaction Cost Economics, present a conceptual framework which facilitates understanding of the causal relationship between project characteristics and the cost inherent in each procurement strategy.
Same effects in different worlds: the transposition of EU directives

This study examines variation in the timing of national transposition of European Union (EU) directives. It specifically addresses the central proposition of the worlds of compliance typology. The proposition is that the direction of the effects of key explanatory variables of compliance, such as the fit between new EU directives and existing national arrangements, differs by cultural context or ‘world of compliance’. Contrary to this proposition, the findings indicate that the direction of the effects is the same in different cultural contexts. The present study uses arguably the best information available on compliance, from Falkner et al.'s (2005) Complying with Europe study. This is also the information from which the worlds of compliance typology was at least partly derived. As such, this study offers a ‘most likely’ test of the typology. In addition to refuting the worlds of compliance typology, the findings support several expectations about variation in timely transposition from the existing literature.
Myokine levels after resistance exercise in young adults with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS)

Individuals with PWS require marked caloric restriction and daily exercise to prevent morbid obesity. Lower energy expenditure, hypotonia, decreased muscle mass, and cognitive impairment make exercise challenging for this population. Exercise guidelines include resistance training as an important component. Myokine responses to resistance exercise may mediate beneficial metabolic effects. We aimed to determine if young PWS adults can perform a resistance exercise program and to measure myokine responses in PWS versus age‐ and BMI‐matched controls. Each group included 11 participants (7M/4F). Ages and BMI for PWS and controls were 30.7 ± 4.6 versus 30.1 ± 4.3 years and 28.3 ± 4.3 versus 28.2 ± 4.2 kg/m2, respectively. Glucose, creatine kinase (CK), lactate, and myokines were measured before, after, 30, and 60 min after completing eight resistance exercises. Myokines were assayed using a multiplex myokine panel (Merck Millipore). CK was lower in PWS versus controls (62 ± 16 vs.322 ± 100 U/L, p < .04). Peak lactate was 3.7 ± 0.7 in PWS versus 7.3 ± 0.7 mmol/Lin controls (p < .001). The increase in interleukin‐6 was similar in PWS and controls (41 ± 16% and 35 ± 10%, respectively). Pre‐ and post‐exercise levels of the six myokines assayed showed no consistent differences between the PWS and control participants. PWS young adults are capable of performing resistance/strength‐building exercise. The lower CK and peak lactate levels in PWS may reflect decreased muscle mass in this population. Further studies are needed to determine optimal exercise regimens and assess the role of myokines incontributing to the metabolic phenotype of PWS.
Effect of PM2.5 on macrosomia in China: A nationwide prospective cohort study

Macrosomia is associated with both neonatal complications and adult diseases (obesity, diabetes mellitus, etc.). Previous studies have reported maternal exposure to PM2.5 might influence metabolism and fetal development and cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Studies conducted in areas with low PM2.5 concentration have found relationship between gestational PM2.5 exposure and birth weight. However, the impact of air pollution on macrosomia has not been studied, especially in highly polluted areas.
Neural Dynamics of Associative Learning during Human Sleep

Recent evidence indicate that humans can learn entirely new information during sleep. To elucidate the neural dynamics underlying sleep-learning we investigated brain activity during auditory-olfactory discriminatory associative learning in human sleep. We found that learning-related delta and sigma neural changes are involved in early acquisition stages, when new associations are being formed. In contrast, learning-related theta activity emerged in later stages of the learning process, after tone-odour associations were already established. These findings suggest that learning new associations during sleep is signalled by a dynamic interplay between slow-waves, sigma and theta activity.
Evaluation of urine specimen as an alternative to blood for malaria diagnosis among HIV positive individuals attending HIV clinics in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, South- Eastern Nigeria

A total of 150 blood and urine samples each were collected from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients who visited selected hospitals in Ebonyi State. The subjects were made up of 57 males and 93 female patients. The blood samples were screened for the presence of four human malaria parasites using parasitological examination of blood stained films and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of the 150 urine samples from the HIV positive individuals, 88 urine specimens were identified to harbor Plasmodium species. 75 (50%) urine specimens were identified to harbor Plasmodium falciparum while 10 (6.67%) and 3 (2%) were recorded against Plasmodium malariae and dual infection of P. falciparum and P. malariae, respectively. The result of the comparison of the specimens used showed the same result. None of the isolates that were negative by PCR test using DNA primers (template) from blood gave positive results by urine samples. Furthermore, when the primers (rOVA1 and rOVA2 ; rV1V1 and rV1V2) specific for Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium vivax, respectively were used, none of the two species mentioned were detected in both urine and blood samples, signifying that these species may be absent in our environment. Our study demonstrated highly, the presence of P. falciparum and P. malariae, especially when specific Plasmodium species DNA markers were used for the analysis.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mobile App-Based Stress-Management Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Improving mental healthcare using mobile apps might be an effective way to increase interest in mental health and respond to the demand for better psychological health. However, few studies have investigated the effectiveness of app-based stress-management programs. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of an app-based stress-management program. A non-equivalent comparison group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were randomized into the experimental (n = 26) and control (n = 30) groups. The experimental group used an application developed for workers for four weeks. The results indicated that stress, emotional labor, self-efficacy, and well-being were significantly different in the experimental group, but the control group’s average scores did not change significantly. On average, the Perceived Stress Scale scores decreased by 1.5 points (p = 0.035) and the Korean Occupational Stress Scale scores decreased by 0.87 points (p = 0.4). However, depression and anxiety were not significantly different. Emotional labor decreased by 0.16 points (p = 0.027), and well-being and self-efficacy mean scores increased by 0.492 (p = 0.005) and 0.162 (p = 0.025), respectively. These findings support the developed application’s value for promoting mental health and healthy lifestyles. Further research and supplementation are needed for the application’s sustainability.
A boy primed Sue: feature‐based processing and person construal

Everyday social interaction is often dominated by categorical thinking, with generic group-based knowledge structures guiding people's dealings with others. Noting the important influence that category-cueing facial features exert during the initial stages of person construal, the current work explored the effects of hair cues on the process and temporal dynamics of sex categorization. Using a standard priming paradigm to index the products of person construal (i.e., categorical and stereotype- based knowledge), the results of three experiments revealed that: (i) hair cues alone are sufficient to trigger category and stereotype activation; and (ii) during the early stages of person perception, these cues have the capacity to reverse conventional priming effects and generate errors of categorical assignment (e.g., female faces prime male knowledge). These findings are considered in the context of contemporary accounts of person construal. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CROSS-COUPLING DIGITAL CONTROL OF MULTI INDEPENDENT SERVO-DRIVES DIGITALNO UPRAVLJANJE SA UNAKRSNIM SPREZANJEM VIŠE NEZAVISNIH SERVO POGONA

One of the most challenging problems in the motion control area has been synchronization control of multiple motion axes or drives. The basic idea presented in this paper is to apply the cross-coupling control strategy in order to enable the synchronous motion of several servomechanisms. The proposed control is based upon the simulation the effects that appear in a virtual mechanical link between the shafts of drives. Simulation and experimental results are presented to show the validity of the proposed control strategy on a system with three servo-drives. Sadraj - Jedan od najvecih izazova u oblasti upravljanja kretanjem je sinhronizacija viseosnog kretanja ili rada vise pogona. Ideja prezentovana u ovom radu je primena strategije upravljanja sa unakrsnim sprezanjem kako bi se omogucilo sinhrono kretanje vise servomehanizama. Predloeno upravljanje je zasnovano na simulaciji efekata koji bi se pojavili unutar virtuelne mehanicke sprege između razmatranih pogona. Prikazani rezultati simulacije, zajedno sa eksperimentalnim rezultatima, pokazuju validnost predloene upravljacke strategije na primeru sistema sa tri servo pogona.
Crustal conductivity structure of a continental margin, from magnetotelluric investigations

The deep internal structure of the crust can be determined using appropriate seismic and electromagnetic methods. The natural source magnetotelluric (MT) method is the most suitable electromagnetic technique for probing into the deep crust. A long period magnetotelluric data set obtained in the Southern Chilean Andes is investigated in this paper. Dimensionality analysis shows that the data may be regarded as with a strike 2D direction aligned to the N-S direction. Results of a joint inversion of different MT data types indicate relatively high conductive structures in the middle to deep crust beneath the volcanic arc.
Social Media Marketing Communication and Consumer-Based Brand Equity: An Account of Automotive Brands in Malaysia

Achieving brand equity are top priorities for many organizations because brand is one of the most prized assets of any organization. As such, the academia continues to exert considerable efforts on understanding the factors that influence the development of brand equity. For instance, previous studies have demonstrated that social media communication has significant impact on Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), however, researchers have not really focused on the relationships of several types of marketing communications anchored by different social media platforms for brand equity. As such, the objective of this study is to examine the relationships between the social media marketing communications, specifically, user-generated type (Social Media Word-of-Mouth) and firm created types (Social Media Advertising, Social Media Promotion and Social Media Interactive Marketing); and the CBBE of automotive brands in Malaysia. Subsequently, 800 samples were selected through cluster samplings from five cities in five geographical regions across Malaysia. Survey questionnaires were administered to users of four types of automotive brands, namely; PROTON, PERODUA, TOYOTA and HONDA. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regressions in SPSS 22. The findings revealed that, the selected automotive brands have notable presence on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Furthermore, it was found that, social media advertising, social media promotions and social media word-of-mouth have positive relationships with the CBBE of automotive brands. However, social media interactive marketing has an insignificant role in the CBBE. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed in this paper. Keywords: Consumer-Based brand equity, marketing communications, social media, automotive brands, Malaysia.
Chromosomal-level reference genome of Chinese peacock butterfly (Papilio bianor) based on third-generation DNA sequencing and Hi-C analysis

Abstract Background Papilio bianor Cramer, 1777 (commonly known as the Chinese peacock butterfly) (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) is a widely distributed swallowtail butterfly with a wide number of geographic populations ranging from the southeast of Russia to China, Japan, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand. Its wing color consists of both pigmentary colored scales (black, reddish) and structural colored scales (iridescent blue or green dust). A high-quality reference genome of P. bianor is an important foundation for investigating iridescent color evolution, phylogeography, and the evolution of swallowtail butterflies. Findings We obtained a chromosome-level de novo genome assembly of the highly heterozygous P. bianor using long Pacific Biosciences sequencing reads and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture technology. The final assembly is 421.52 Mb on 30 chromosomes (29 autosomes and 1 Z sex chromosome) with 13.12 Mb scaffold N50. In total, 15,375 protein-coding genes and 233.09 Mb of repetitive sequences were identified. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that P. bianor separated from a common ancestor of swallowtails ∼23.69–36.04 million years ago. Demographic history suggested that the population expansion of this species from the last interglacial period to the last glacial maximum possibly resulted from its decreased natural enemies and its adaptation to climate change during the glacial period. Conclusions We present a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of P. bianor using long-read single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C–based chromatin interaction maps. Our results lay the foundation for exploring the genetic basis of special biological features of P. bianor and also provide a useful data source for comparative genomics and phylogenomics among butterflies and moths.
Periconceptional ethanol exposure induces a sex specific diuresis and increase in AQP2 and AVPR2 in the kidneys of aged rat offspring

Maternal alcohol consumption can impair renal development and program kidney dysfunction in offspring. Given that most women who drink alcohol cease consumption upon pregnancy recognition, we aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol around the time of conception (PC:EtOH) on offspring renal development and function. Rats received a liquid diet ±12.5% v/v ethanol from 4 days before to 4 days after mating. At postnatal day 30, nephron number was assessed. Urine flow and electrolyte (Na, K, Cl) excretion was measured at 6 and 19 months and blood pressure at 12 months. At 19 months, kidneys were collected for gene and protein analysis and assessment of collecting duct length. At postnatal day 30, PC:EtOH offspring had fewer nephrons. At 6 months, PC:EtOH exposure did not alter urine flow nor affect blood pressure at 12 months. At 19 months, female but not male offspring exposed to PC:EtOH drank more water and had a higher urine flow despite no differences in plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations. Aqp2 mRNA and Avpr2 mRNA and protein expression was increased in kidneys from female PC:EtOH offspring but collecting duct lengths were similar. Immunofluorescent staining revealed diffuse cytoplasmic distribution of AQP2 protein in kidneys from PC:EtOH females, compared with controls with apical AQP2 localization. PC:EtOH resulted in a low nephron endowment and in female offspring, associated with age‐related diuresis. Changes in expression and cellular localization of AQP2 likely underpin this disturbance in water homeostasis and highlight the need for alcohol to be avoided in early pregnancy.
COMPARISON BETWEEN ESTRADIOL CYPIONATE AND GONADOTROPIN RELEASING HORMONE AS OVULATION SYNCHRONIZATION TREATMENTS FOR FIXED-TIME ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION PROGRAMS IN BRAHMAN-CROSS HEIFERS IN A SUBTROPICAL REGION OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO

Synchronization protocols with intravaginal progesterone releasing devices (CIDR) and PGF2I± were evaluated, with GnRH or estradiol cypionate (ECP) added for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) in five counties in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brahman-cross heifers (â‰¥15 months old) were selected based on body condition (â‰¥3 on a 5-point scale) and confirmed ovarian activity. The six treatments (n = 320 each) were: T1 (9-d CIDR, ECP on insertion, PGF2I± on day 9, ECP on day 10, FTAI 54 h after removal); T2 (7-d CIDR, ECP on insertion, PGF2I± on day 7, ECP on day 8, FTAI 54 h after removal); T3 (7-d CIDR, GnRH on insertion, PGF2I± on day 7, FTAI and GnRH 48 h after removal); T4 (7-d CIDR, GnRH on insertion, PGF2I± on day 6, FTAI and GnRH 48 h after removal); T5 (7-d CIDR, GnRH on insertion, PGF2I± on day 7, FTAI and GnRH 60 h after removal); and T6 (7-d CIDR, GnRH on insertion, PGF2I± on day 7, FTAI alone 48 h after removal). Pregnancy was diagnosed ultrasonically 45 days after FTAI. Analyses included pregnancy rates and treatment costs (hormones and handling). Pregnancy rates ranged from 31.6 Â± 3.9 to 48.0 Â± 10.6%; neither treatment nor county affected these rates (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of treatment costs showed two more economical treatments (T2 using estradiol or T3 using GnRH) under the nutritional, weather and handling conditions present in the tropical region of southeastern Tamaulipas.
ON THE STRATEGIC STABILITY OF EQUILIBRIA

A basic problem in the theory of noncooperative games is the following: which Nash equilibria are strategically stable, i.e. self-enforcing, and does every game have a strategically stable equilibrium? We list three conditions which seem necessary for strategic stabilitybackwards induction, iterated dominance, and invariance-and define a set-valued equilibrium concept that satisfies all three of them. We prove that every game has at least one such equilibrium set. Also, we show that the departure from the usual notion of single-valued equilibrium is relatively minor, because the sets reduce to points in all generic games.
Autophagy as a neuronal survival mechanism in ischemic stroke

Based on the histological examination of the encephalic fragments collected during the necropsy of 38 patients who died from ischemic stroke, the authors admit that the "ischemic tolerance phenomena" that are described as particular to transient ischemic strokes are also present in the peripheral areas of the "core" of a cerebral infarction. This marginal area called the penumbra area has the characteristic that the ischemia did not exceed the critical threshold so that neuronal necrosis can occur. As a result, the metabolism of these neurons proceeds under the conditions of a critical supply and becomes responsible for the characteristics of the nucleo-cytosolic environment. Consequently, modified intracellular environments induce the alteration of their "form" that is histochemically expressed, nucleocytosolic, changing, among other things, the coloration, hence the name of "red neurons". Etiopathogenic, the changes are based on the installation of oxidative stress, but also the possibility of autophagy installation, as a form of neuronal survival, expressed clinically by reducing the sensory-motor deficit of the patient.