Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medieval Universities, Legal Institutions, and the Commercial Revolution

We present new data documenting medieval Europe’s “Commercial Revolution” using information on the establishment of markets in Germany. We use these data to test whether medieval universities played a causal role in expanding economic activity, examining the foundation of Germany’s first universities after 1386 following the Papal Schism. We find that the trend rate of market establishment breaks upward in 1386 and that this break is greatest where the distance to a university shrank most. There is no differential pre-1386 trend associated with the reduction in distance to a university, and there is no break in trend in 1386 where university proximity did not change. These results are robust to estimating a variety of specifications that address concerns about the endogeneity of university location. Universities provided training in newly-rediscovered Roman and canon law; students with legal training served in positions that reduced the uncertainty of trade in the Middle Ages. We argue that training in the law, and the consequent development of legal and administrative institutions, was an important channel linking universities and greater economic activity in medieval Germany.
Autoconcepto académico y resiliencia en universitarios de alto rendimiento: construcción desde una perspectiva biográfica

Resilience is the ability to overcome successfully adversity and stress using social, academic, and vocational competences. This is a case study whose objective was to describe the construction process of academic self-concept in outstanding university students from Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda (Francisco de Miranda National University), in Coro, Falcon State, Venezuela. Thirty-four outstanding students of the program in Education were the participants of the study. A brief interview was first applied to 29 out of 34 participants to observe significant adversity factors that could indicate resilience. A man and three women were then selected for in-depth observation. Autobiography was the technique selected in which past experiences were the focus for studying current behavior. The results indicate that the most frequent self-concept categories were task achievement, responsibility, and social communication. Psychological factors were willingness, initiative, and positive self-esteem. Protective factors against events perceived as dangerous were sense of humor, ability to cope with pain, and mental toughness as a product of logic reasoning.
COMPLEX RADIO SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS IN LUMINOUS AND ULTRALUMINOUS INFRARED GALAXIES

We use the Expanded Very Large Array to image radio continuum emission from local luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs) in 1 GHz windows centered at 4.7, 7.2, 29, and 36 GHz. This allows us to probe the integrated radio spectral energy distribution (SED) of the most energetic galaxies in the local universe. The 4–8 GHz flux densities agree well with previous measurements. They yield spectral indices α ≈ −0.67 (where Fν∝να) with ±0.15 (1σ) scatter, typical of nonthermal (synchrotron) emission from star-forming galaxies. The contrast of our 4–8 GHz data with literature 1.5 and 8.4 GHz flux densities gives further evidence for curvature of the radio SED of U/LIRGs. The SED appears flatter near ∼1 GHz than near ∼6 GHz, suggesting significant optical depth effects at lower frequencies. The high-frequency (28–37 GHz) flux densities are low compared to extrapolations from the 4–8 GHz data. We confirm and extend to higher frequency a previously observed deficit of high-frequency radio emission for luminous starburst galaxies.
Human tissue transglutaminase antibody screening by immunochromatographic line immunoassay for early diagnosis of celiac disease in Turkish children.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Celiac disease has a large prevalence worldwide. There are a limited number of comparable epidemiological data for celiac disease in Turkey. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in a sample of 1000 Turkish children by a novel, simple, and visual one-step immunoassay screening test. METHODS This prospective study consisted of 1000 serum samples from apparently healthy children and children with disorders other than celiac disease aged between 2-18 years who presented as outpatients at Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. Sera were tested for IgA-class antibodies against human tissue transglutaminase and gliadin by rapid immunochromatographic line immunoassay. Endomysial antibody IgA against human tissue transglutaminase and AGA IgA/IgG were also tested by ELISA as a second step when the result of the screening test was positive. Small bowel biopsy was recommended to all the children with positive anti-tissue transglutaminase and/or endomysial antibody results. RESULTS Ten of the 1000 individuals (1%) had positive antibody screening test to human tissue transglutaminase. All tissue transglutaminase-positive samples revealed good correlation with endomysial antibody by ELISA method. Subsequently small bowel biopsy was performed in all serology-positive cases. Biopsy results confirmed a diagnosis of celiac disease in nine cases. The prevalence of biopsy- proven celiac disease was 1:111 (0.9%). CONCLUSIONS Determination of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies by simple visual system for celiac disease appeared to be as reliable as the ELISA system. It is easy to perform and interpret, cost-effective, and rapid, as pointed out in other previous studies, as a screening test in large population-based studies. The prevalence of celiac disease in the overall sample of Turkish children (1:111 or 0.9%) in this preliminary study is similar to that reported in European and Middle Eastern countries and the United States.
Timing of surgery in infective endocarditis

Although early surgery is performed in approximately half of patients for the treatment of infective endocarditis (IE), the optimal timing of surgery remains unclear. Appropriate early surgery can avoid death and severe complications, but nearly one-quarter of patients with indications for surgery do not receive surgical intervention. Multidisciplinary collaborations among cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and infectious disease specialists are required for appropriate decisions about indication and timing of surgical intervention. Moreover, the potential benefits of early surgery should be weighed against its operative risks and long-term consequences. The main indications for early surgery in patients with IE are heart failure (HF), uncontrolled infection and prevention of embolism. Role of early surgery has been expanding and a recent randomised trial demonstrated that early surgery performed within 48 h after the diagnosis of IE effectively reduced systemic embolisms without increasing operative mortality or recurrence of IE. Urgent surgery is indicated in patients who have moderate to severe HF, uncontrolled infection and large vegetations associated with severe valvular disease. However, surgery should be delayed for 2–4 weeks in patients with large cerebral infarction and for at least 4 weeks in those with intracerebral haemorrhage if possible, because early surgery may pose significant risks of neurological deterioration and perioperative cerebral bleeding. The decision for surgical timing should be based on individual risk–benefit analysis, and early surgery is strongly indicated if its benefits exceed operative risks.
Incorporating a push-broom scanner into a generic hyperspectral processing chain

DLR is operating a generic processing chain for imaging spectrometer data. This includes automatic invocation of system correction, parametric geocoding and atmospheric correction with accompanying quality measurements as well as the archiving of the resulting data products. Further HySpex, a pushbroom scanner, has been purchased in 2011 to be operated from spring 2012. This work describes the steps to be accomplished to incorporate this new sensor into the generic environment.
New Classification of Crown Forms and Gingival Characteristics in Taiwanese

Objectives: The aim of the investigation was to examine the forms of the crowns in the maxillary anterior tooth segment and corresponding gingival characteristics among healthy Taiwanese subjects. Materials and Methods: The crown width at the apical third (CW), length (CL), gingival angle (GA) and the interdental papilla height were assessed from the diagnostic stone model using a calibrated periodontal caliper. A CW/CL-ratio was calculated for each tooth and averaged for each tooth region. Gingival thickness (GT) and width of keratinized gingiva (WG) were measured clinically. Results: The cluster analysis revealed 3 classifications of crown forms: narrow (N), compound (C) and square (S) types. There was a significant difference among the 3 classifications with respect to CW/CL-ratio, GT, and WG (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The results demonstrated varied crown forms and corresponding gingival characteristics in Caucasian and Taiwanese. The new classifications hinted that there was a polymorphism in different races and could be a valuable esthetic guideline and reference for anterior tooth rehabilitation, including various periodontal and restorative treatments and anterior implant placement procedures in Taiwanese.
A Note on the Impact of Portfolio Overlapping in Tests of the Fama and French Three-Factor Model

In the three-factor model of Fama and French (1993), portfolio returns are explained by the factors Small Minus Big (SMB) and High Minus Low (HML) which capture returns related to firm capitalization (size) and the book-to-market ratio (B/M). In the standard approach of the model, both the test portfolios and the factor portfolios SMB and HML are formed on the basis of size and B/M. This gives rise to a potential overlapping bias in the time-series regressions. Based on a resampling method and the split sample approach already proposed by Fama and French (1993), we provide an in-depth analysis of the effect of overlapping for a broad sample of European stocks. We find that the overlapping bias is non-negligible, contrary to what seems to be general opinion. As a consequence, the standard approach of applying the three-factor model tends to overestimate the ability of the model to explain the cross-section of stock returns.
Indexes of Caring for Elderly in Earthquakes According to the Iranian Experience: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT Objective The elderly are especially susceptible to death and injury in disasters. This study aimed to identify indexes of caring for elderly people in an earthquake according to the Iranian experience. Methods This qualitative study was conducted during 2014–2016 by use of the content analysis technique. Data were collected through individual deep interviews with the elderly and people with experience providing services to the elderly during earthquakes in an urban area of Iran. The data were analyzed by use of the Graneheim and Lundman method. Results Seven categories emerged: vulnerability of elderly people, physiological indexes, psychological indexes, economic indexes, religious and spiritual indexes, health indexes, and security indexes. There were 3 uncategorized issues: “There is no specific protocol for the elderly,” “The need to design plans based on age care,” and “Aid organizations. ” Conclusions Implementing a comprehensive plan would not only save lives but decrease suffering and enable effective use of available resources. Due to the crucial role of the prehospital care system in disasters, there is a need for further investigation based on the results of this study to develop strategies for improving the system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:493–501)
Probing dark energy with baryonic acoustic oscillations at high redshifts

Context. The phases and amplitudes of baryonic acoustic oscillations in the galaxy power spectrum can be used as cosmological probes to constrain different cosmological models and especially the equation of state parameter w of dark energy. Aims. It will be shown that the phases as well as the amplitudes of baryonic acoustic oscillations can be extracted out of a galaxy power spectrum, including various observational effects like growth suppression, redshift space distortions, and galaxy biasing. The phases of baryonic acoustic oscillations are used as a standard ruler for a cosmological test to constrain w over a large redshift range with a minimum of assumptions. Methods. A non-oscillating phenomenological fitting function is used to extract the oscillatory part of the galaxy power spectrum and to disentangle phase information from amplitude information. The method is tested with simulated data of the Hubble Volume Simulation to include redshift space effects, non-linear structure growth, and biasing. A cosmological test is introduced, which compares the extracted oscillations to a theoretical model template to derive constraints on the w parameter. Results. The phenomenological fitting function is found to model the various distortions of the galaxy power spectrum to the subpercent level. The various distortions only boost the amplitude of the oscillations. The theoretical template is accurate enough to test for small deviations in the phases of the oscillations, resulting from different w values. A cosmological test, using the baryonic acoustic oscillations as a standard ruler, is able to constrain w in a robust way. These constraints are based solely on the phase of these oscillations, assuming no errors of the value at the end of the Compton drag epoch, as the standard ruler. The w constraints are expected to further improve when the full two dimensional redshift space effects and the amplitudes of the baryonic acoustic oscillations are taken into account.
Small-Volume d-&bgr;-Hydroxybutyrate Solution Infusion Increases Survivability of Lethal Hemorrhagic Shock in Rats

A small-volume therapeutic approach based on the biochemistry of hibernating mammals was evaluated to test the hypothesis that passive hypothermia and systemic administration of d-&bgr;-hydroxybutyrate (d-BHB) plus melatonin will increase survival of animals subjected to hemorrhagic shock ([HS] 60% blood loss). Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley male rats (320 ± 23 g) underwent controlled loss of 60% blood volume. Rats were instrumented to measure mean arterial pressure, body temperature (Tb), and heart rate. A passive decrease in rat Tb in response to HS significantly increased survival over animals maintained at 37°C (n = 5-6). Infusion of 4 M d-BHB, at a volume of only 5.5% of the total blood removed, significantly prolonged survival to a mean of 3 h compared with 90 min using equal osmolar 4 M NaCl (n = 6). In experiments where the shed blood was returned after 1 h of 60% blood loss, 4% fluid replacement with 4 M d-BHB plus 43 mM melatonin significantly prolonged survival up to 10 days after blood return compared with 4 M NaCl plus 43 mM melatonin and other control solutions (n = 10). We conclude that a slow decrease in animal Tb resulting from 60% blood loss, combined with infusion of 4 M d-BHB plus 43 mM melatonin, was beneficial for long-term survival after return of shed blood. This HS therapy is designed as a portable low-volume solution for further evaluation in a large-animal model and is ultimately intended for use in HS patients by first responders.
Pixel Recurrent Neural Networks

Modeling the distribution of natural images is a landmark problem in unsupervised learning. This task requires an image model that is at once expressive, tractable and scalable. We present a deep neural network that sequentially predicts the pixels in an image along the two spatial dimensions. Our method models the discrete probability of the raw pixel values and encodes the complete set of dependencies in the image. Architectural novelties include fast two-dimensional recurrent layers and an effective use of residual connections in deep recurrent networks. We achieve log-likelihood scores on natural images that are considerably better than the previous state of the art. Our main results also provide benchmarks on the diverse ImageNet dataset. Samples generated from the model appear crisp, varied and globally coherent.
Robust decoding for OFDM systems in memory impulse channels

Numerous studies have shown that a generic communication system is prone to substantial performance loss in the context of strong impulse noise, which is generally not time invariant and is hard to model accurately. A turbo coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system in memory impulse channels is investigated in this work. Upon reception of the transmitted data, each of the two proposed receivers aims at detecting corrupted samples associated with impulse noise using the maximum a posteriori rule-with an adaptation to the inherent memory in the impulse channel. Sequentially, the refined receiver, assuming full statistics of impulse noise, clips excessively large samples-identified at the detection stage-with a proper clipping threshold exhaustively sought offline. In contrast, an efficient receiver, which lacks access to using impulse statistics, trades off a slight performance loss (as evidenced by simulation results) for complexity reduction attributable to forgoing the clipping operation as well as memory impulse channel model estimation.
Individual Expectations and Aggregate Macro Behavior

The way in which individual expectations shape aggregate macroeconomic variables is crucial for the transmission and effectiveness of monetary policy. We study the individual expectations formation process and the interaction with monetary policy, within a standard New Keynesian model, by means of laboratory experiments with human subjects. Three aggregate outcomes are observed: convergence to some equilibrium level, persistent oscillatory behavior and oscillatory convergence. We fit a heterogeneous expectations model with a performance-based evolutionary selection among heterogeneous forecasting heuristics to the experimental data. A simple heterogeneous expectations switching model fits individual learning as well as aggregate macro behavior and outperforms homogeneous expectations benchmarks. Moreover, in accordance to theoretical results in the literature on monetary policy, we find that an interest rate rule that reacts more than point for point to inflation has some stabilizing effects on inflation in our experimental economies, although convergence can be slow in presence of evolutionary learning.
The kiwifruit lycopene beta-cyclase plays a significant role in carotenoid accumulation in fruit

The composition of carotenoids, along with anthocyanins and chlorophyll, accounts for the distinctive range of colour found in the Actinidia (kiwifruit) species. Lutein and beta-carotene are the most abundant carotenoids found during fruit development, with beta-carotene concentration increasing rapidly during fruit maturation and ripening. In addition, the accumulation of beta-carotene and lutein is influenced by the temperature at which harvested fruit are stored. Expression analysis of carotenoid biosynthetic genes among different genotypes and fruit developmental stages identified Actinidia lycopene beta-cyclase (LCY-β) as the gene whose expression pattern appeared to be associated with both total carotenoid and beta-carotene accumulation. Phytoene desaturase (PDS) expression was the least variable among the different genotypes, while zeta carotene desaturase (ZDS), beta-carotene hydroxylase (CRH-β), and epsilon carotene hydroxylase (CRH-ϵ) showed some variation in gene expression. The LCY-β gene was functionally tested in bacteria and shown to convert lycopene and delta-carotene to beta-carotene and alpha-carotene respectively. This indicates that the accumulation of beta-carotene, the major carotenoid in these kiwifruit species, appears to be controlled by the level of expression of LCY-β gene.
Oxytocin and Romantic Relationships: A Functional Perspective

Despite a large body of evidence implicating oxytocin (OT) in various classes of social relationships, researchers have only recently investigated how OT might function within human romantic relationships. I contribute to the growing literature on OT and romantic relationships with the current study, which investigated relationship features that promote OT secretion in a sample of 75 romantic couples. Partners in separate rooms were asked to write (for 10 minutes) about ways their partner did or did not support them. OT was assayed before and after this writing task, and also at a follow-up session one week later. Mixed model analyses showed that participants‘ OT increased across the task with multiple dimensions of relationship involvement/investment. However, increases in participants‘ OT also corresponded to their partners reporting lower relationship involvement. OT increases, then reflected discrepancies between own and partner‘s relationship assessments. These findings may importantly speak to its function in sexual relationships.
5‐Fluorouracil chemotherapy affects spatial working memory and newborn neurons in the adult rat hippocampus

Chemotherapy‐associated memory deficits in adults are prevalent with systemic treatment utilizing 5‐fluorouracil (5‐Fu). 5‐Fu disrupts cell proliferation and readily crosses the blood–brain barrier. Proliferating cells within the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampus give rise to new neurons involved in memory and learning and require neurotrophic factors such as brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to nurture this process of adult neurogenesis. Some of these proliferating cells are anatomically and functionally supported by vascular endothelial cells. We propose that systemically administered 5‐Fu chemotherapy will cause deficits in hippocampal memory that are associated with altered BDNF levels and proliferating cells (particularly vascular‐associated cells) in the dentate gyrus. This was tested by determining the effect of 5‐Fu on spatial working memory as modelled by the object location recognition test. Numbers of vascular‐associated (VA) and non‐vascular‐associated (NVA) proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus were measured using double‐labelling immunohistochemistry with markers of proliferation (Ki67) and endothelial cells (RECA‐1). 5‐Fu‐induced changes in hippocampal BDNF and doublecortin (DCX) protein levels were quantified using Western immunoblotting. 5‐Fu chemotherapy caused a marginal disruption in spatial working memory and did not alter the total proliferating cell counts or the percentage of VA and NVA proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus. In contrast, 5‐Fu significantly reduced BDNF and DCX levels in the hippocampus, indicating alterations in neurotrophin levels and neurogenesis. These findings highlight the usefulness of animal models of ‘chemobrain’ for understanding the mechanisms that underlie chemotherapy‐associated declines in cognitive performance and memory.