Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived barriers to leisure time physical activity in adults with type 2 diabetes attending primary healthcare in Oman: a cross-sectional survey

Objectives Physical activity is fundamental in diabetes management for good metabolic control. This study aimed to identify barriers to performing leisure time physical activity and explore differences based on gender, age, marital status, employment, education, income and perceived stages of change in physical activity in adults with type 2 diabetes in Oman. Design Cross-sectional study using an Arabic version of the ‘Barriers to Being Active’ 27-item questionnaire. Setting Seventeen primary health centres randomly selected in Muscat. Participants Individuals>18 years with type 2 diabetes, attending diabetes clinic for >2 years and with no contraindications to performing physical activity. Primary and secondary outcome measures Participants were asked to rate how far different factors influenced their physical activity under the following categories: fear of injury, lack of time, social support, energy, willpower, skills, resources, religion and environment. On a scale of 0–9, barriers were considered important if scored ≥5. Results A total of 305 questionnaires were collected. Most (96%) reported at least one barrier to performing leisure time physical activity. Lack of willpower (44.4%), lack of resources (30.5%) and lack of social support (29.2%) were the most frequently reported barriers. Using χ2 test, lack of willpower was significantly different in individuals with low versus high income (54.2%vs40%, P=0.002) and in those reporting inactive versus active stages of change for physical activity (50.7%vs34.7%, P=0.029), lack of resources was significantly different in those with low versus high income (40%vs24.3%, P=0.004) and married versus unmarried (33.8%vs18.5%, P=0.018). Lack of social support was significant in females versus males (35.4%vs20.8%, P=0.005). Conclusions The findings can inform the design on physical activity intervention studies by testing the impact of strategies which incorporate ways to address reported barriers including approaches that enhance self-efficacy and social support.
A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach to Facilitating Web-based Collaborative Problem Solving

Enhancing students’ problem-solving abilities has been recognized as an important and challenging issue for technology-enhanced learning. Thus, previous research has attempted to address this issue by developing various mechanisms, among which a cognitive apprenticeship model can particularly enhance students’ abilities. However, it is not clear whether such a mechanism is suitable for every learner. Thus, this study examines the effects of human factors on problem-solving effectiveness in the cognitive apprenticeship model. Among various human factors, this study focuses on cognitive styles, with an emphasis on Witken’s Field Dependence. The results indicate that Field Dependent learners can get great benefits from the cognitive apprenticeship model via collaborative learning. Implications for how to accommodate the needs of different cognitive style groups are discussed.
Targeted Deletion of the tub Mouse Obesity Gene Reveals that tubby Is a Loss-of-Function Mutation

ABSTRACT The mouse tubby phenotype is characterized by maturity-onset obesity accompanied by retinal and cochlear degeneration. A positional cloning effort to find the gene responsible for this phenotype led to the identification of tub, a member of a novel gene family of unknown function. A splice defect mutation in the 3′ end of the tub gene, predicted to disrupt the C terminus of the Tub protein, has been implicated in the genesis of the tubby phenotype. It is not clear, however, whether the Tub mutant protein retains any biological activity, or perhaps has some dominant function, nor is it established that thetubby mutation is itself responsible for all of the observed tubby phenotypes. To address these questions, we generated tub-deficient mice and compared their phenotype to that of tubby mice. Our results demonstrate thattubby is a loss-of-function mutation of the tubgene and that loss of the tub gene is sufficient to give rise to the full spectrum of tubby phenotypes. We also demonstrate that loss of photoreceptors in the retina oftubby and tub-deficient mice occurs by apoptosis. In addition, we show that Tub protein expression is not significantly altered in the ob, db, or melanocortin 4 receptor-deficient mouse model of obesity.
Joint design of user power allocation and relay beamforming in two-way MIMO relay networks

This paper is concerned with the joint optimization of user power allocation and distributed relay beamforming in two-way wireless relay networks in which multiple multi-antenna relays assist multiple single-antenna users. The design aims at maximizing the minimum information rate among user pairs subject to various practical power constraints at the users and relays. Since the nonconvex structure of the problem is highly complicated, the existing approaches to relax the design problem into a convex program do not appear to be applicable. To solve this challenging nonconvex optimization problem, we introduce auxiliary variables and cast the design problem into a d.c.(difference of convex functions) program. Then, we develop an efficient iterative algorithm of sequential convex optimization to obtain the optimized solutions. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that our proposed joint design outperforms the only relay beamforming design.
Contributions to the moss flora of the Egyptian Oases. 1. Farafra Oasis.

Ten moss species are reported as pioneer records of the Bryoflora in Siwa oasis. All taxa except Bryum speciesare new records to Libyan Oases territory, while Tortella inclinata is a new record to Egypt. This brings the totalnumber of fully identified Egyptian mosses to 176 entities and that of Egyptian Oases to 30 mosses. Bryumbicolor is recorded fruiting for the first time in Egypt. Notes on habitats, sex organs and fruiting are given. Keyfor the recorded species and illustrated drawings for Tortella inclinata & Bryum bicolor are also provided.
Exporters, Importers and Two-way traders: The links between internationalization, skills and wages

How do trade activities affect firms' employment and wages structures? Using firm level data on Italian manufacturing firms, this paper adds to the existing literature, by assessing how the degree of involvement in international trade impacts on workforce composition, earning levels and wage inequality. We differentiate firms involved in both trading activities - namely two-way traders - from firms that only export, and from those that only import. We show that two-way traders have a higher propensity to employ non-production workers, exhibit significant wage gaps, but also pay higher wages for both production and non production workers, relative to non internationalized firms and to firms which are involved only in either export or import. The paper also looks at how the wages and the skill structure of the trading firms change with the country of destination and origin and with the firms’ sectoral and geographical diversification.
Histology in mixed germ cell tumors. Is there a favorite pairing?

PURPOSE Mixed germ cell tumors account for approximately 30% to 50% of testicular tumors. To our knowledge a systematic review with statistical analysis of the associations of histological subtypes in mixed germ cell tumors has not been done previously. It was our impression that such associations exist. Delineating concordant histological types may provide insight into the ontogeny of testicular tumors and also have important clinical implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the testis cancer data base at our institution. The primary tumor of orchiectomy specimens was examined in 2589 patients. Of these patients mixed histology was noted in 1765 (68.2%). ORs were calculated for all possible combinations of teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, yolk sac tumor, choriocarcinoma and seminoma. In addition, we evaluated the association of various histological types with teratoma at post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. RESULTS Of 10 possible combinations of histological types in the primary tumor, positive correlations were noted in 4. The strongest correlation was found between teratoma and yolk sac tumor (OR 2.58, p <0.001). Teratoma or yolk sac tumor in the testis was associated with teratoma in the pathology specimen at post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. CONCLUSIONS The strongest associations of histological subtypes in mixed germ cell tumors were seen between yolk sac tumor and teratoma. Similar associations are seen in late relapse and in some cases of prepubertal tumors. Further study of these associations may prove valuable in understanding the biology and clinical behavior of germ cell tumors.
Ubiquitin-dependent lysosomal targeting of GABAA receptors regulates neuronal inhibition

The strength of synaptic inhibition depends partly on the number of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) found at synaptic sites. The trafficking of GABAARs within the endocytic pathway is a key determinant of surface GABAAR number and is altered in neuropathologies, such as cerebral ischemia. However, the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that regulate this trafficking are poorly understood. Here, we report the subunit specific lysosomal targeting of synaptic GABAARs. We demonstrate that the targeting of synaptic GABAARs into the degradation pathway is facilitated by ubiquitination of a motif within the intracellular domain of the γ2 subunit. Blockade of lysosomal activity or disruption of the trafficking of ubiquitinated cargo to lysosomes specifically increases the efficacy of synaptic inhibition without altering excitatory currents. Moreover, mutation of the ubiquitination site within the γ2 subunit retards the lysosomal targeting of GABAARs and is sufficient to block the loss of synaptic GABAARs after anoxic insult. Together, our results establish a previously unknown mechanism for influencing inhibitory transmission under normal and pathological conditions.
Explaining Gender Differences in Unemployment with Micro Data on Flows in Post-Communist Economies

Post-communist labor markets provide an interesting laboratory since unemployment rates grew from zero to double digits and gender differences began to vary greatly across these countries. We provide the first systematic analysis of the determinants of the gender unemployment gap in the Czech Republic using a method that decomposes unemployment rates into transition probabilities (flows) between labor market states, which we calculate using Labor Force Survey data. We extend the analysis to other post-communist economies by evaluating the flows available from existing studies with the decomposition framework. We further examine the flows in the Czech Republic by estimating gender-specific multinomial logit models to learn which factors (demographic, regional, cyclical) other than gender and marital status affect unemployment. We find that women? s lower probability of exiting unemployment for a job explains the lion? s share of the gender gap in the unemployment rates in the Czech Republic and the other post-communist countries for which studies exist. This is also the principal factor explaining married women? s higher unemployment rates compared to married men in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, single men and women? s rates are higher than married men and women? s because they are twice as likely to lose/leave a job for unemployment. We find that age and education are systematically important in explaining flows of both men and women in all these economies, as it is in the more developed industrial economies. The less educated are more likely to be laid off or quit and less likely to find a job. Whereas younger individuals are more likely to be laid off or quit, they are also more likely to find a job.
The Sensitivity of Terrestrial δ18O Gradients to Hydroclimate Evolution

Terrestrial gradients in the oxygen isotopic composition of meteoric water (δ18O), as reconstructed through proxies, reflect characteristics of ancient hydrologic conditions. These gradients are primarily influenced by the atmospheric transport of water vapor and the balance of precipitation and evapotranspiration, which are linked to climate and topography. We incorporate these effects into a one‐dimensional model that predicts the spatial evolution of δ18O based on local topography and the regional water‐energy budget. Specifically, we build on existing reactive transport models by incorporating parameterizations of orographic precipitation and energetic constraints on evapotranspiration following the Budyko water balance framework. We test our model on three modern transects that represent topographically distinct environments. These are the Amazon Basin (lowlands), the Cascade Range (mountains), and the eastern Himalayan Range (lowlands and mountains). Comparisons among these gradients demonstrate that the topographic regime determines how sensitive isotope records are to hydroclimate evolution. As a result, isotope records differentially express signatures of topography and the regional water balance, and we present a quantitative framework to predict this trade‐off. Finally, we link these effects to climate evolution and discuss how our model may help disentangle topographic and climatic signals through Earth history.
Average Modelling of Medium Frequency DC–DC Converters in Dynamic Studies

This paper studies the average value modelling (AVM) of medium frequency (200 Hz-2000 Hz) dc-dc converters, which are becoming increasingly important in high-power dc grids and distributing microgrids. The most convenient modelling is based on transfer function and power components which are available in common simulation platforms, such as PSCAD/EMTDC. However, these models are found to require very small simulation steps and the achieved time-domain accuracy is not satisfactory for medium frequency converters. The core issue of accuracy loss is identified and corresponding improvement is proposed. User written state-space models in the abc frame and the dq frame are analyzed in depth. Different solvers, including the Dommel's method, the Heun's method, and the Runge-Kutta method were adopted and compared in solving the state-space models. A high-power 2-kHz LCL dc-dc converter is taken as the test system. It is found that the AVM in the dq rotating frame based on the Runge-Kutta solver is able to generate very accurate time-domain responses compared to the detailed switching model with almost 100 times improvement in simulation speed. It is demonstrated that a dc-dc converter with 2-kHz inner ac circuit frequency can be accurately simulated at a 50- μs time step.
Active efflux, a common mechanism for biocide and antibiotic resistance

Energy-driven drug efflux systems are increasingly recognized as mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Chromosomally located or acquired by bacteria, they can either be activated by environmental signals or by a mutation in a regulatory gene. Two major categories exist: those systems energized by proton motive force and those dependent on ATP. The pumps may have limited or broad substrates, the so-called multiple drug resistance pumps, which themselves form a number of related families. The multiple antibiotic resistance (mar) locus and mar regulon in Escherichia coli and other members of the Enterobacteriaceae is a paradigm for a generalized response locus leading to increased expression of efflux pumps. One such pump, the AcrAB pump extrudes biocides such as triclosan, chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium compounds as well as multiple antibiotics. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a number of multidrug efflux pumps export a broad range of substrates. Since bacteria expressing these pumps thwart the efficacy of both kinds of therapeutic agents which control infectious diseases -- biocides which prevent transmission of infectious disease agents and antibiotics which treat and cure infectious diseases -- they are of particular concern. The prudent use of antibiotics and biocides will guard against the selection and propagation of drug-resistant mutants and preserve the efficacy of these valuable anti-infective agents.
Computing VaR and CVaR using stochastic approximation and adaptive unconstrained importance sampling

Abstract Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Conditional-Value-at-Risk (CVaR) are two risk measures which are widely used in the practice of risk management. This paper deals with the problem of estimating both VaR and CVaR using stochastic approximation (with decreasing steps): we propose a first Robbins–Monro (RM) procedure based on Rockafellar–Uryasev's identity for the CVaR. Convergence rate of this algorithm to its target satisfies a Gaussian Central Limit Theorem. As a second step, in order to speed up the initial procedure, we propose a recursive and adaptive importance sampling (IS) procedure which induces a significant variance reduction of both VaR and CVaR procedures. This idea, which has been investigated by many authors, follows a new approach introduced in [Lemaire and Pagès, Unconstrained Recursive Importance Sampling, 2008]. Finally, to speed up the initialization phase of the IS algorithm, we replace the original confidence level of the VaR by a slowly moving risk level. We prove that the weak convergence rate of the resulting procedure is ruled by a Central Limit Theorem with minimal variance and its efficiency is illustrated on several typical energy portfolios.
An Antagonistic Pair of FT Homologs Mediates the Control of Flowering Time in Sugar Beet

Just Beet It Flowering time regulation is important for plants to maximize their reproductive output. By investigating copies of genes that are strong and central activators of flowering in many different species (homologs of the FT gene in Arabidopsis), Pin et al. (p. 1397) found that during evolution, the regulation of flowering time in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) has come under the control of two FT-like genes. Functional differences in these genes owing to small mutations in a critical domain have caused a duplicated copy of the flowering promoter FT to turn into a flowering repressor in sugar beet. These changes may explain why cultivated beets are unable to flower until their second year after passing through the winter, a behavior important for increasing crop yield. A homolog of a flowering time gene has evolved a flowering repression function, affecting the seasonal cold response in beet. Cultivated beets (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) are unable to form reproductive shoots during the first year of their life cycle. Flowering only occurs if plants get vernalized, that is, pass through the winter, and are subsequently exposed to an increasing day length (photoperiod) in spring. Here, we show that the regulation of flowering time in beets is controlled by the interplay of two paralogs of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene in Arabidopsis that have evolved antagonistic functions. BvFT2 is functionally conserved with FT and essential for flowering. In contrast, BvFT1 represses flowering and its down-regulation is crucial for the vernalization response in beets. These data suggest that the beet has evolved a different strategy relative to Arabidopsis and cereals to regulate vernalization.
Adjunctive Memantine Therapy for Cognitive Impairment in Chronic Schizophrenia: A Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study

Objective To investigate the effects of memantine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on cognitive impairments in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Methods A 12-week, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of memantine as an adjunctive treatment with conventional antipsychotic medications in 26 patients with chronic schizophrenia. The subjects were evaluated with the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), and a standard neuropsychological screening test. Results Memantine treatment was not associated with significantly improved cognitive test scores compared with the placebo control treatment. An improvement in the scores on the PANSS negative subscale was noted with memantine, but it was not significant. Conclusion Adjunctive memantine treatment did not improve cognitive functioning or affect psychopathology in patients with chronic schizophrenia in the present study. Memantine, however, was tolerated well and did not exacerbate positive symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia.
Generalization Bounds for Online Learning Algorithms with Pairwise Loss Functions

Efficient online learning with pairwise loss functions is a crucial component in building largescale learning system that maximizes the area under the Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve. In this paper we investigate the generalization performance of online learning algorithms with pairwise loss functions. We show that the existing proof techniques for generalization bounds of online algorithms with a pointwise loss can not be directly applied to pairwise losses. Using the Hoeffding-Azuma inequality and various proof techniques for the risk bounds in the batch learning, we derive data-dependent bounds for the average risk of the sequence of hypotheses generated by an arbitrary online learner in terms of an easily computable statistic, and show how to extract a low risk hypothesis from the sequence. In addition, we analyze a natural extension of the perceptron algorithm for the bipartite ranking problem providing a bound on the empirical pairwise loss. Combining these results we get a complete risk analysis of the proposed algorithm.
Effects of Cervical Spinal Manipulation on Saccadic Eye Movements

Quantifying saccadic eye movements can assist in identifying dysfunctional brain networks in both healthy and diseased people. Infrared Oculography is a simple and non-invasive approach to capturing and quantifying saccades, providing information that might aid in diagnosis and outcome assessments. The effect of spinal manipulation on quantified saccadic performance parameters has not been fully studied despite known post-manipulative effects on the brain and brainstem regions controlling them. This case study investigates spinal manipulation’s immediate and long-term effects on saccadic eye movements by quantifying the saccades of a male patient diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. The patient performed horizontal saccades that were quantified before and immediately following cervical spinal manipulation both at the case study’s start and following a 2-week interim, during which the subject received six manipulative treatments. Immediate and long-term post-manipulative effects were observed, and the results revealed various post-manipulative effects across all quantified parameters in addition to between right and leftward saccades. The immediate post-manipulative effect was greatest at the case study’s onset, while the long-term right and leftward saccadic symmetry were most affected. The observations in this case study demonstrate that cervical spinal manipulation influences saccadic eye movements, providing new insights into its central neurological effects and therapeutic applications beyond its most commonly known use in pain management. More importantly, it encourages scientists to undertake further clinical investigations on wider scales.