Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The European Commission and fiscal governance reform: a strategic actor?

Abstract The intensification of the financial and economic crisis in Europe has added a new impetus to the debate over the possibilities for securing supranational fiscal integration within the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Since the literature on the European Union’s response to the crisis is dominated by the study of intergovernmental politics, this article considers the previously neglected role of the Commission. A framing analysis of the Commission’s crisis discourse is operationalised here, which is supplemented by interviews with senior officials located in the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) during key phases of the crisis. It is found that a supranational reform agenda was never internalised by the Commission. Instead, the Commission acted strategically by framing the crisis around intergovernmental fiscal discipline. These findings suggest that, in line with the ‘new intergovernmentalist’ thesis, supranational institutions themselves may not be as ‘hard-wired’ towards supranationalism as is often assumed.
Total body bone area, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density for individuals aged 8 years and over: United States, 1999-2006.

OBJECTIVES This report presents bone measurement data from total body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans for 28,454 persons aged 8 years and over who participated in the 1999-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The sample consisted of 22,667 respondents with valid data, and 5,787 with missing data that were successfully multiply imputed (i.e., not highly variable). Bone area, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density (BMD) are presented for the total body, the total body minus the head (e.g., subtotal), and 10 subregions of the body. METHODS Means, standard deviations, and selected percentiles were calculated for the total body, total body minus head (subtotal), and 10 body subregions by sex, race and ethnicity, and age. Smoothed mean total body BMD was plotted by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. Multiple regression was used to evaluate differences in mean total body BMD by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. RESULTS After adjusting for race and ethnicity, total body BMD among those under age 20 was significantly higher in respondents aged 12-19 than in those aged 8-11 in both sexes. Among adults of both sexes, total body BMD in persons aged 20-49 was significantly higher than in those aged 50-79, and significantly lower in persons aged 80 and over than in those aged 50-79, after adjusting for race and ethnicity. After adjusting for age, total body BMD was significantly higher in non-Hispanic black persons than in non-Hispanic white persons, regardless of age or sex. However, the pattern differed by age when Mexican-American persons were compared with non-Hispanic white persons: Age-adjusted total body BMD was significantly lower among Mexican-American males aged 8-19, was similar in Mexican-American females aged 8-19, and was significantly lower in Mexican-American men and women aged 20 and over.
Sexual Activity, Pregnancy, and Childbirth After Periacetabular Osteotomy

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect periacetabular osteotomy has on sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbirth. Eighty-eight female patients who had periacetabular osteotomy were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning the presence of hip pain and changes in the frequency, positions, and satisfaction of sexual activity after periacetabular osteotomy. They also were asked about hip pain during pregnancy and after childbirth, type of delivery, and complications during childbirth. Eighty-four patients (89%) either were very satisfied or satisfied with the surgery. Thirty-eight (40%), 44 (46%), and 24 (25%) patients reported changes in the frequency, positions, and satisfaction of sexual intercourse, respectively. Sixteen women had 24 pregnancies. Fifteen women had vaginal deliveries and eight had Cesarean sections. Less than 5-mm medialization of hip center after correction was associated with pain (in seven of seven patients) and decreased range of motion (in eight of nine patients) during sexual activity. Acetabular retroversion was found in 16 patients postoperatively, and 15 of them had hip pain after periacetabular osteotomy. None of the patients who reported an increased frequency of sexual intercourse had retroversion. The majority will be able to deliver a child vaginally.
EFISIENSI PEMILIHAN ALTERNATIF PENYELESAIAN SENGKETA DALAM PENYELESAIAN SENGKETA WARALABA

Abstract Franchise as a business contract between franchisor and frachisee which in the practice sometimes leads to a dispute. A dispute happens because their rights and obligations are not met. Dispute settlement businesses can choose a judiciary or non-judiciary institution. However, considering of the business continuity, the dispute must be resolved so each side can fulfill their needs to solve the dispute. The problems in this study are the factors that can arise disputes franchise and the efficiency of selecting alternatives of dispute resolution to resolve the dispute franchise. This type of the research used by the researcher is a normative legal research. This type of research is a descriptive research. The conclusions of this study are the factors that cause disputes franchise is the existence of rights and obligations are not met and fulfilled, and it happens mostly because the oversight and discontinuance of the franchise that are assumed not giving advantages or inflicting one of the parties. Moreover, there are possibilities of not keeping promises which have been decided before. Keywords: Alternative Dispute Resolution , Franchise Dispute Abstrak Waralaba sebagai suatu kontrak bisnis antara franchisor dan frachisee dalam pelaksanaannya tidak sedikit yang menimbulkan suatu sengketa. Suatu sengketa muncul dikarenakan adanya hak dan kewajiban yang tidak terpenuhi. Penyelesaian sengketa bisnis dapat memilih lembaga pengadilan atau lemabaga non-peradilan. Namun, dengan pertimbangan akan kelanjutan bisnis yang dijalani alternatif penyelesaian sengketa dianggap lebih dapat menyalurkan keinginan para pihak untuk menyelesaiakan sengketa bisnis. Permasalahan pada penelitian ini adalah faktor-faktor yang dapat menimbulkan sengketa waralaba dan efisiensi pemilihan alternatif penyelesaian sengketa untuk menyelesaikan sengketa waralaba. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan penulis dalam penelitian ini adalah bersifat penelitian hukum normatif. Tipe penelitian ini adalah penelitian deskriptif. Simpulan dari penelitian ini, faktor-faktor yang menyebabkan timbulnya sengketa waralaba adalah adanya suatu hak dan kewajiban yang tidak terpenuhi dan paling banyak terjadi dikarenakan pengawasan dan pemutusan hubungan waralaba yang dianggap merugikan salah satu pihak. Selain itu, ketidakpastian karena ada kemungkinan tidak ditepatinya janji serta risiko permintaan yang tidak sesuai dengan yang direncanakan. Kata Kunci: Penyelesaian Sengketa, Sengketa Waralaba
IL‐5‐induced airway eosinophilia – the key to asthma?

Summary: Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease defined by reversible airway obstruction and non‐specific airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR). Although profound insights have been made into the pathophysiology of asthma, the exact mechanisms inducing and regulating the disease are still not fully understood. Yet, it is generally accepted that the pathological changes in asthma are induced by a chronic inflammatory process which is characterized by infiltration of the bronchial mucosa with lymphocytes and eosinophils, increased mucus production and submucosal edema. There is increasing evidence that an imbalance in the T‐helper (Th) cell response of genetically predisposed individuals to common environmental antigens plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of allergic bronchial asthma and other atopic disorders. Following allergic sensitization, T cells from atopic patients tend to produce elevated levels of Th2‐type cytokines, especially interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐13, IL‐5 and IL‐6, which induce and regulate IgE production and eosinophil airway infiltration. In this review, the role of Th2‐type cytokines, IgE and airway eosinophils in the induction of airway inflammation and AHR is discussed, and animal studies of asthma and AHR, mainly in rodents will be considered. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms leading to asthma pathology may yield more specific immunological strategies for the treatment of this disease which is increasing worldwide.
Gemcitabine-loaded smart carbon nanotubes for effective targeting to cancer cells

Abstract Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the three-dimensional sp2 hybridized nano-containers that have attracted considerable interest in drug delivery by offering potential advantages such as biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, high loading efficiency, intrinsic stability and low toxicities. The aim of the present investigation was to assess the potential of gemcitabine-loaded folic acid (FA) conjugated multi-walled CNTs (GEM/FA-NT) for targeting to breast cancer cells. Pristine MWCNTs was functionalized by FA followed by carboxylation, acylation and amidation and characterized by electron microscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, entrapment efficiency, cytotoxicity and in vivo studies. FDA-approved GEM was loaded to the purified (GEM-NT) and GEM/FA-NT, and % entrapment efficiency was found to be approximately 71.60 ± 0.25 and 79.60 ± 0.45, respectively. The developed formulation GEM/FA-NT was found to have significantly less hemolytic toxicity (8.23 ± 0.65) as compared to free GEM (17.34 ± 0.56). The in vitro release was found to be in sustained pattern at the lysosomal pH, which depicts more cytotoxic response on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). It may be interpreted that the GEM/FA-NT formulation is capable to carry drug and deliver it selectively at the tumor site while minimizing side effects and thus holds promise in chemotherapy.
Coronary MR angiography: comparison of quantitative and qualitative data from four techniques.

OBJECTIVE The optimal coronary MR angiography sequence has yet to be determined. We sought to quantitatively and qualitatively compare four coronary MR angiography sequences. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Free-breathing coronary MR angiography was performed in 12 patients using four imaging sequences (turbo field-echo, fast spin-echo, balanced fast field-echo, and spiral turbo field-echo). Quantitative comparisons, including signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, vessel diameter, and vessel sharpness, were performed using a semiautomated analysis tool. Accuracy for detection of hemodynamically significant disease (> 50%) was assessed in comparison with radiographic coronary angiography. RESULTS Signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios were markedly increased using the spiral (25.7 +/- 5.7 and 15.2 +/- 3.9) and balanced fast field-echo (23.5 +/- 11.7 and 14.4 +/- 8.1) sequences compared with the turbo field-echo (12.5 +/- 2.7 and 8.3 +/- 2.6) sequence (p < 0.05). Vessel diameter was smaller with the spiral sequence (2.6 +/- 0.5 mm) than with the other techniques (turbo field-echo, 3.0 +/- 0.5 mm, p = 0.6; balanced fast field-echo, 3.1 +/- 0.5 mm, p < 0.01; fast spin-echo, 3.1 +/- 0.5 mm, p < 0.01). Vessel sharpness was highest with the balanced fast field-echo sequence (61.6% +/- 8.5% compared with turbo field-echo, 44.0% +/- 6.6%; spiral, 44.7% +/- 6.5%; fast spin-echo, 18.4% +/- 6.7%; p < 0.001). The overall accuracies of the sequences were similar (range, 74% for turbo field-echo, 79% for spiral). Scanning time for the fast spin-echo sequences was longest (10.5 +/- 0.6 min), and for the spiral acquisitions was shortest (5.2 +/- 0.3 min). CONCLUSION Advantages in signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios, vessel sharpness, and the qualitative results appear to favor spiral and balanced fast field-echo coronary MR angiography sequences, although subjective accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease was similar to that of other sequences.
Prescription opioid duration of action and the risk of unintentional overdose among patients receiving opioid therapy.

IMPORTANCE The unprecedented increase in unintentional overdose events that has occurred in tandem with escalating sales of prescription opioids over the past 2 decades has raised concerns about whether the therapeutic use of opioids has contributed to increases in overdose injury. Few controlled studies have examined the extent to which ecologic measures of increases in opioid prescribing and overdose injuries reflect risk among patients prescribed opioids, let alone whether some opioid regimens are safer than others. OBJECTIVE To examine whether the risk of unintentional overdose injury is associated with the duration of opioid action (ie, long-acting vs short-acting formulations). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A propensity score-adjusted cohort study was conducted using population-based health care utilization data from the Veterans Administration Healthcare System. The patients were veterans with chronic painful conditions who began therapy with opioid analgesics between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Unintentional overdoses that are explicitly coded using International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes as drug or medication poisonings of accidental intent (E850.x-860.x) or undetermined intent (E980.x or drug poisoning [960.x-980.x] without an accompanying external cause of injury code). RESULTS A total of 319 unintentional overdose events were observed. Patients initiating therapy with long-acting opioids were more than twice as likely to overdose compared with persons initiating therapy with short-acting opioids. After adjustment for age, sex, opioid dose, and other clinical characteristics, patients receiving long-acting opioids had a significantly higher rate of overdose injury than did those receiving short-acting opioids (hazard ratio [HR], 2.33; 95% CI, 1.26-4.32). The risk associated with long-acting agents was particularly marked during the first 2 weeks after initiation of treatment (HR, 5.25; 1.88-14.72). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE To our knowledge, the findings of the present study provide the first evidence that the risk of unintentional overdose injury is related to the prescribed opioid's duration of action. If replicated in other cohorts, our findings suggest that clinicians weighing the benefits and risks of initiating different opioid regimens should consider not only the daily dose prescribed but also the duration of opioid action, favoring short-acting agents whenever possible, especially during the first 2 weeks of therapy.
Embryonic Stem Cells Incorporate into Newly Formed Bone and do Not Form Tumors in an Immunocompetent Mouse Fracture Model

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are a uniquely self-renewing, pluripotent population of cells that must be differentiated before being useful for cell therapy. Since most studies utilize subcutaneous implantation to test the in vivo functionality of ES cell-derived cells, the objective of the current study was to develop an appropriate and clinically relevant in vivo implantation system in which the behavior and tumorigenicity of ES cell-derived cells could be effectively tested in a tissue-specific (orthotopic) site. Male ES cells were differentiated either into osteoblasts or chondrocytes using protocols that were previously developed and published by our laboratory. The differentiated cells were implanted into a burr-hole fracture created in the proximal tibiae of immunocompetent female mice, strain matched to the ES cell line. The ability of the differentiated ES cell-derived cells (bearing the Y chromosome) to incorporate into the newly formed bone was assessed by micro- computed tomography imaging and histochemistry. ES cells differentiated with either osteogenic or chondrogenic medium supplementation formed a soft tissue mass that disrupted the normal bone architecture by 4 weeks after implantation in some mice. In contrast, mice receiving osteoblastic cells that were differentiated in a three-dimensional type 1 collagen gel showed evidence of new bone formation at the defect site without evidence of tumor formation for up to 8 weeks after implantation. In this injury model, type 1 collagen is more effective than medium supplementation at driving more complete differentiation of ES cells, as evidenced by reducing their tumorigenicity. Overall, the current study emphasizes the importance of using an appropriate orthotopic implantation system to effectively test the behavior and tumorigenicity of the cells in vivo.
The Perception of Trauma Patients from Social Support in Adjustment to Lower-Limb Amputation: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: The effect of amputation on an individual's psychological condition as well as family and social relationships is undeniable because physical disability not just affects the psycho-social adjustment, but also the mental health. When compared to normal people, such people are mostly experiencing social isolation. On the other hand, social support is known as the most powerful force to cope with stressful situations and it allows patients to withstand problems. The present study aims to explain understanding the trauma of patients and the experience of support sources during the process of adaptation to a lower limb amputation. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted using qualitative content analysis. Participants included 20 patients with lower limb amputation due to trauma. Sampling was purposive initially and continued until data saturation. Unstructured interviews were used as the main method of data collection. Collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and constant comparison methods. Results: The main theme extracted from the data was support sources. The classes include “supportive family”, “gaining friends’ support”, “gaining morale from peers”, and “assurance and satisfaction with the workplace. ” Conclusion: Given the high number of physical, mental and social problems in trauma patients, identifying and strengthening support sources can be effective in their adaptation with the disease and improvement of the quality of their life.
Frequency- and time-domain analysis of high-frequency on-chip interconnects with nonuniform conductor edges

In this paper we illustrate a modeling framework to analyze on-chip transmission lines affected by longitudinal nonuniformities in their conductor edges. The method consists of two steps. First, a macromodel for the frequency-dependent per-unit-length parameters is constructed based on an accurate field solver and it is used to conveniently obtain the pertinent place-dependent line parameters. Second, a fast and accurate perturbation technique is used to analyze the nonuniform transmission line problem. As shown by the application example, the proposed technique makes the statistical assessment for a large number of edge profiles feasible. Numerical results and discussions are provided for the case of an on-chip inverted embedded microstrip line.
Container Throughput Modelling and Forecasting: An Empirical Dynamic Econometric Time Series Approach

Port policy makers rely on demand traffic forecasts to support the decisions related to operation and future port infrastructure investments. It is a challenge to match capacity to demand. On the one hand, they face the risk of costly excess capacity, and on the other hand, under-capacity causes loss of market share. In addition, the volatility and uncertainty of the global economy, and, consequently, of the maritime trade and port sector impose a challenge to modelling and forecasting container throughput. The main research question of this thesis is which model to use to forecast the container throughput at the port level? The aim of the thesis is to provide an instrument to support stakeholders in making short-term operational decisions and long-term planning and investment decisions. This is achieved by developing quantitative models using a time series approach that analyses, identifies and quantifies the relationship between economic activity and container throughput at the port level. Forecasting the number of TEUs at the port level in the short-term assists in the planning of the operational decisions such as the port capacity utilisation, loading and unloading planning, handling of containers and hinterland connections capacity. In comparison, the long-term forecasting is useful to assess the future infrastructure investment decisions. The empirical analysis is carried out for the port of Antwerp. Nevertheless, application to other ports is feasible taking into account the specific characteristic of each port’s location and the country’s macroeconomic indicators. Throughout the thesis, the analysis incorporates the 2008 financial crisis in the modelling process, which has the advantage of providing insight into the data generating process and the impact of the crisis. Moreover, the analysis identifies leading indicators with time lag that enable improving the monthly container throughput forecast. Combining different scenarios and the ARDL model provides reliable long term forecasts. The findings show that for the short-term, the EU18 industrial confidence indicator and the index of industrial production are leading the container throughput at the port of Antwerp. For the long-term, the elasticity of the container throughput in the Hamburg-Le Havre range to trade indices is about 1.4 on average.
Clinical experience with insulin detemir, biphasic insulin aspart and insulin aspart in people with type 2 diabetes: Results from the North India cohort of the A1chieve study

Background: The A1chieve, a multicentric (28 countries), 24-week, non-interventional study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of insulin detemir, biphasic insulin aspart and insulin aspart in people with T2DM (n = 66,726) in routine clinical care across four continents. Materials and Methods: Data was collected at baseline, at 12 weeks and at 24 weeks. This short communication presents the results for patients enrolled from North India. Results: A total of 4912 patients were enrolled in the study. Four different insulin analogue regimens were used in the study. Patients had started on or were switched to biphasic insulin aspart (n = 3619), insulin detemir (n = 880), insulin aspart (n = 331), basal insulin plus insulin aspart (n = 37) and other insulin combinations (n = 44). At baseline glycaemic control was poor for both insulin naïve (mean HbA1c: 9.8%) and insulin user (mean HbA1c: 9.8%) groups. After 24 weeks of treatment, both the study groups showed improvement in HbA1c (insulin naïve: −2.7%, insulin users: −2.6%). SADRs including major hypoglycaemic events or episodes did not occur in any of the study patients. Conclusion: Starting or switching to insulin analogues was associated with improvement in glycaemic control with a low rate of hypoglycaemia.