Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
International Family Planning Perspectives

Premarital partnerships among youth, including those not involving sexual intercourse, are widely discouraged in India; yet, despite strict sanctions, including parental violence, loss of reputation and swiftly arranged marriages to someone other than the romantic partner, up to 10% of young women and 15–30% of young men form such partnerships. 1–6 A review of the literature suggests that little is known about the nature of these relationships, 1 such as whether they are romantic or casual, or how individual, family, peer and community factors are associated with partnership formation. This article aims to address these gaps in evidence by describing the romantic and sexual relationships of unmarried youth in one slum and one rural setting in Pune, India, and by identifying factors associated with their formation. The findings are intended to inform program planners about the range of romantic and sexual relationships experienced by young women and men, and thereby contribute to the design of evidence-based interventions to reduce risky behaviors in this population.
Chronic heart failure and the substrate for atrial fibrillation.

AIMS We sought to define the underlying mechanisms for atrial fibrillation (AF) during chronic heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS Preliminary studies showed that 4 months of HF resulted in irreversible systolic dysfunction (n = 9) and a substrate for sustained inducible AF (>3 months, n = 3). We used a chronic (4-month) canine model of tachypacing-induced HF (n = 10) to assess atrial electrophysiological remodelling, relative to controls (n = 5). Left ventricular fractional shortening was reduced from 37.2 +/- 0.83 to 13.44 +/- 2.63% (P < 0.05). Left atrial (LA) contractility (fractional area change) was reduced from 34.9 +/- 7.9 to 27.9 +/- 4.23% (P < 0.05). Action potential durations (APDs) at 50 and 90% repolarization were shortened by approximately 60 and 40%, respectively, during HF (P < 0.05). HF-induced atrial remodelling included increased fibrosis, increased I(to), and decreased I(K1), I(Kur), and I(Ks) (P < 0.05). HF induced increases in LA Kv channel interacting protein 2 (P < 0.05), no change in Kv4.3, Kv1.5, or Kir2.3, and reduced Kir2.1 (P < 0.05). When I(Ca-L) was elicited by action potential (AP) clamp, HF APs reduced the integral of I(Ca) in control myocytes, with a larger reduction in HF myocytes (P < 0.05). I(CaL) measured with standard voltage clamp was unchanged by HF. Incubation of myocytes with N-acetylcysteine (a glutathione precursor) attenuated HF-induced electrophysiological alterations. LA angiotensin-1 receptor expression was increased in HF. CONCLUSION Chronic HF causes alterations in ion channel expression and ion currents, resulting in attenuation of the APD and atrial contractility and a substrate for persistent AF.
Improving Firm Environmental Performance and Reputation: The Role of Employee Green Teams

This paper examines the link between a firm's organization environmental management capability, represented by the development of green teams made up of employees, and its performance. In particular, two categories of firm performance will be analysed: environmental performance and environmental reputation. This link has been investigated in a sample made of the largest publicly traded US companies. Data about green teams have been collected through the content analysis of firm environmental/sustainability/corporate social responsibility reports and/or their websites, whereas data about environmental performance and reputation are those reported in the US 500 Newsweek's 2010 Green Ranking. Regression analysis results show that the creation of employee green teams positively affects both environmental performance and environmental reputation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
ASR for Dialogue Systems in Noisy Environments Term paper , GSLT course Speech Technology

This paper is a review of some of the techniques that can be used to improve the performance of spoken dialogue systems in noisy environments. We will look at methods to improve the quality of the input signal by filtering out additive noise in different ways. We will also look at methods to improve a dialogue system’s capability of choosing the correct recognition hypothesis and how to identify recognition errors by prosodic as well as NLU (Natural Language Understanding) features.
Astrocytic Gap Junctions Remain Open during Ischemic Conditions

Gap junctions are highly conductive channels that allow the direct transfer of intracellular messengers such as Ca2+and inositol triphosphate (IP3) between interconnected cells. In brain, astrocytes are coupled extensively by gap junctions. We found here that gap junctions among astrocytes in acutely prepared brain slices as well as in culture remained open during ischemic conditions. Uncoupling first occurred after the terminal loss of plasma membrane integrity. Gap junctions therefore may link ischemic astrocytes in an evolving infarct with the surroundings. The free exchange of intracellular messengers between dying and potentially viable astrocytes might contribute to secondary expansion of ischemic lesions.
The Cross-Section of Expected REIT Returns

In this study, we examine the cross-sectional determinants of expected REIT returns. We examine both the pre- and post-1990 periods, since the structure of the REIT market changed substantially around 1990. The determinants of expected returns differ between the two subperiods. In the pre-1990 subperiod, momentum, size, turnover and analyst coverage predict REIT returns. In the post-1990 period, momentum is the dominant predictor of REIT returns. Given the strength of the momentum effect in the post-1990 period, we examine it in great detail. For the whole period, and for the post-1990 period where the momentum profit is strongest, our evidence is generally consistent with the studies on common stocks other than REITs. The only striking exception is that we find that momentum is stronger for the larger REITs rather than for the smaller REITs. In our multiple regressions that include the characteristics as well as interactions between past returns and firm characteristics, the turnover-momentum interaction effect provides the most significant results. More specifically, momentum effects are stronger for more liquid REITs. Copyright 2003 by the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association
Origins of Solvation Forces in Confined Films

Comparative investigations of equilibrium structures, solvation forces, and conformational dynamics of thin confined films of spherical molecules, straight-chain alkanes (n-hexadecane and n-tetracosane), and a branched alkane (squalane) are performed using a newly developed grand canonical ensemble molecular dynamics method for simulations of confined liquids. The method combines constant pressure simulations with a computational cell containing solid surfaces and both bulk and confined liquid regions in equilibrium with each other. For all the molecular liquid systems layered density oscillations in the confined films are found for various widths of the confining gap. The solvation force oscillations as a function of the gap width for the spherical and straight-chain alkane liquids are more pronounced, exhibiting attractive and repulsive regions, while for the branched alkane the solvation forces are mostly repulsive, with the development of shallow local attractive regions for small values of the gap wi.
Pharmacological Blockade of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors in Diet-Induced Obesity Regulates Mitochondrial Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase in Muscle

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors peripherally modulate energy metabolism. Here, we investigated the role of CB1 receptors in the expression of glucose/pyruvate/tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism in rat abdominal muscle. Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD), a flavoprotein component (E3) of α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complexes with diaphorase activity in mitochondria, was specifically analyzed. After assessing the effectiveness of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (3 mg kg-1, 14 days) on food intake and body weight, we could identified seven key enzymes from either glycolytic pathway or TCA cycle—regulated by both diet and CB1 receptor activity—through comprehensive proteomic approaches involving two-dimensional electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF/LC-ESI trap mass spectrometry. These enzymes were glucose 6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), enolase (Eno3), lactate dehydrogenase (LDHa), glyoxalase-1 (Glo1) and the mitochondrial DLD, whose expressions were modified by AM251 in hypercaloric diet-induced obesity. Specifically, AM251 blocked high-carbohydrate diet (HCD)-induced expression of GPI, TPI, Eno3 and LDHa, suggesting a down-regulation of glucose/pyruvate/lactate pathways under glucose availability. AM251 reversed the HCD-inhibited expression of Glo1 and DLD in the muscle, and the DLD and CB1 receptor expression in the mitochondrial fraction. Interestingly, we identified the presence of CB1 receptors at the membrane of striate muscle mitochondria. DLD over-expression was confirmed in muscle of CB 1 -/- mice. AM251 increased the pyruvate dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase activity in C2C12 myotubes, and the diaphorase/oxidative activity in the mitochondria fraction. These results indicated an up-regulation of methylglyoxal and TCA cycle activity. Findings suggest that CB1 receptors in muscle modulate glucose/pyruvate/lactate pathways and mitochondrial oxidative activity by targeting DLD.
Threshold voltage mismatch and intra-die leakage current in digital CMOS circuits

Due to device and voltage scaling scenarios for present and future deep-submicron CMOS technologies, it is inevitable that the off-state current (I/sub off/) of MOSFET transistors increases as the technology minimum dimensions scale down. Experimental evidence shows that the leakage current distribution of modern deep-submicron designs not only has a higher mean value but it also presents a larger variability as well. In this paper, we investigate the impact of threshold voltage mismatch as one plausible source for this increased variability. In digital circuit design, it is commonly assumed that the threshold voltage difference (mismatch) of static CMOS cells is negligible. However, threshold voltage mismatch (/spl Delta/V/sub to/) has a two-sided effect on the off-state current. Namely, the total cell's current can increase or decrease depending upon the direction of the V/sub t/ mismatch shift. This effect can be so severe that I/sub off/ can increase by more than one order of magnitude with respect to its nominal value due only to V/sub to/ mismatch. We further show through experimental results that the V/sub to/ mismatch of paired transistors working in the subthreshold regime can be worse by a factor of two as compared to transistors working in the saturation or linear regions. A factor of two larger spread is obviously quite devastating in terms of area, speed, and power consumption, should it be desired to attain the same I/sub off/ level as for a V/sub to/ mismatch characterized out of the subthreshold regime.
New Evidence on Implicit Contracts from Linked Employer/Employee Data

We improve the precision of the test of the implicit contract model that Beaudry and DiNardo proposed twenty years ago. Our data set allows us to define the precise industry and plant of a particular employment relationship, link local labour market characteristics and company characteristics to the individual level of wages, and control for composition effects. We find evidence in favour of the spot market model of wage setting in the whole sample, but there is significant variation across industries and educational levels. In particular, the spot market matters most for low-skill workers, while the implicit contract model with one-sided limited commitment applies better to high-skill workers.
Tonotopic organization of vertical cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of the CBA/J mouse

The systematic and topographic representation of frequency is a first principle of organization throughout the auditory system. The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) receives direct tonotopic projections from the auditory nerve (AN) as well as secondary and descending projections from other sources. Among the recipients of AN input in the DCN are vertical cells (also called tuberculoventral cells), glycinergic interneurons thought to provide on‐ or near‐best‐frequency feed‐forward inhibition to principal cells in the DCN and various cells in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN). Differing lines of physiological and anatomical evidence suggest that vertical cells and their projections are organized with respect to frequency, but this has not been conclusively demonstrated in the intact mammalian brain. To address this issue, we retrogradely labeled vertical cells via physiologically targeted injections in the AVCN of the CBA/J mouse. Results from multiple cases were merged with a normalized 3D template of the cochlear nucleus (Muniak et al. [ ] J. Comp. Neurol. 521:1510–1532) to demonstrate quantitatively that the arrangement of vertical cells is tonotopic and aligned to the innervation pattern of the AN. These results suggest that vertical cells are well positioned for providing immediate, frequency‐specific inhibition onto cells of the DCN and AVCN to facilitate spectral processing. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:937–949, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stuck in Place: Urban Neighborhoods and the End of Progress toward Racial Equality

In the 1960s, many believed that the civil rights movement's successes would foster a new era of racial equality in America. Four decades later, the degree of racial inequality has barely changed. To understand what went wrong, Patrick Sharkey argues that we have to understand what has happened to African American communities over the last several decades. In "Stuck in Place", Sharkey describes how political decisions and social policies have led to severe disinvestment from black neighborhoods, persistent segregation, declining economic opportunities, and a growing link between African American communities and the criminal justice system. As a result, neighborhood inequality that existed in the 1970s has been passed down to the current generation of African Americans. Some of the most persistent forms of racial inequality, such as gaps in income and test scores, can only be explained by considering the neighborhoods in which black and white families have lived over multiple generations. This multigenerational nature of neighborhood inequality also means that a new kind of urban policy is necessary for our nation's cities. Sharkey argues for urban policies that have the potential to create transformative and sustained changes in urban communities and the families that live within them, and he outlines a durable urban policy agenda to help us move in that direction.
“Missing” Domestic Violence Victims in Welfare Caseloads

Abstract The large discrepancy between epidemiological evidence and welfare administrative data regarding domestic violence prevalence among welfare recipients is an issue of major concern for social policy. This study sought to determine whether or not the discrepancy is due to under—reporting by all women or by certain types of women. Using survey and administrative data on a sample of June 2002 welfare recipients, characteristics of women whose abuse was known to their welfare case—workers are compared to those of individuals who disclosed to survey researchers but not to welfare personnel. Statistically significant differences suggest that some subgroups, including African Americans and women with less education, rather than all women, may be less likely to disclose abuse to welfare caseworkers.
Survival after progression in patients with follicular lymphoma: analysis of prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic parameters for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) in first progression/relapse. These would be useful for selection of high-risk patients for inclusion in trials aimed at determining the effect of new treatment approaches in such patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Ninety patients (48 male, 42 female, median age 56 years) diagnosed with FL, in a single institution during a 20 year period and relapsing/progressing after an initial response to therapy, were recruited. The main end-point of the study was survival from progression (SFP). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, including among the predictive variables the response duration (RD) after the initial treatment and the main features of the patients at the first progression or relapse. RESULTS Five-year SFP was 47% (95% confidence interval 35% to 58%). Patients with RD following initial therapy >2 years had a longer SFP (5-year SFP 63 versus 33%, P = 0.012). Other variables with prognostic interest for SFP were stage at diagnosis and the following variables at relapse: age, bulky disease, performance status, serum lactate dehydrogenase level, serum beta2-microglobulin level, bone marrow involvement, stage and International Prognostic Index rating. In the multivariate analysis, poor performance status at progression and a RD <2 years were the most important unfavorable variables to predict SFP. CONCLUSION In patients with FL, RD along with performance status at progression are features that predict SFP. These variables could thus be useful to select candidates for experimental treatments.
Foreign Direct Investment Outflows and Business-Cycle Fluctuations

This paper investigates business-cycle effects for a country's foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows. Ordinary least squares and panel regressions show that volatility in economic growth has a negative and significant impact on FDI outflows. Furthermore, we find different types of shocks have asymmetric impacts on FDI outflows. In other words, fluctuations of the same magnitude in a boom and a recession have different effects on FDI outflows. This relationship is more evident in OECD countries. We also include exchange rate volatility, lagged business-cycle measure, and control for potential endogeneity problems as robustness checks. Our findings are robust across different specifications. Copyright © 2007 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Income Distribution Across Countries: How is it Measured and What Do the Results Show?

Recent studies of trends in the distribution of income across countries and globally have produced highly conflicting results. Several studies, including some from the World Bank and UNDP, have reported that income disparities between nations have more than doubled since 1960. Other investigations have found that income inequality has been reduced over the same period. The three main reasons for the diverging results identified in the paper are the use of different income measurements, different distribution concepts and the weighting or not of countries according to the size of the populations. This paper aims at clarifying the relative importance of these differences behind the conflicting results and to reach a firm conclusion on what has really happened.
Spam Filtering with Naive Bayes - Which Naive Bayes?

Naive Bayes is very popular in commercial and open-source anti-spam e-mail filters. There are, however, several forms of Naive Bayes, something the anti-spam literature does not always acknowledge. We discuss five dierent versions of Naive Bayes, and compare them on six new, non-encoded datasets, that contain ham messages of particular Enron users and fresh spam messages. The new datasets, which we make publicly available, are more realistic than previous comparable benchmarks, because they maintain the tempo- ral order of the messages in the two categories, and they emulate the varying proportion of spam and ham messages that users receive over time. We adopt an experimental procedure that emulates the incremental training of person- alized spam filters, and we plot roc curves that allow us to compare the dierent versions of nb over the entire tradeo between true positives and true negatives.
Control design for bilinear systems with a guaranteed region of stability: An LMI-based approach

This paper deals with the problem of stabilizing a bilinear system with unstable open-loop part by means of state feedback control. The implicit objective is to provide an estimate of the region of stability of the closed-loop system. The proposed procedure can be decomposed into two convex optimization problems described in terms of LMIs: i) Given a polytope which bounds the values of the state, containing the origin, find a stabilizing state feedback control law and an associate region of stability as large as possible inside the polytope. ii) For a solution of the first problem, find the largest polytope containing the ellipsoid such that the stability conditions hold. By iterating these two steps, constructive conditions are given to compute a state feedback control that maximizes the estimate of the region of stability. The results are illustrated by means of examples.
The effect of a new symbiotic formulation on plasma levels and peripheral blood mononuclear cell expression of some pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with ulcerative colitis: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND During intestinal inflammation white blood cells are recruited from the blood, and they represent the major contributors to tissue perpetuation of inflammation via their production of chemokines and proinflammatory cytokines. OBJECTIVES Investigate the effect of a symbiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus Paracasei B 20160 versus placebo, on serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, IL-8, IL-1beta and IL-10 and on mRNA lymphomonocyte expression of TNFalpha, IL-8 and IL-1beta in patients with ulcerative colitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighteen patients entered the study with histologically proven not complicated ulcerative colitis, treated with mesalazine. Patients were treated for 8 weeks (9 with symbiotic and 9 with placebo). Serum levels of IL-6, TNFalpha, IL-8, IL-1beta and IL-10 were measured using a commercially available sandwich ELISA kit. RT-PCR analysis was performed on total RNA isolated from peripheral lymphomonocytes. RESULTS In basal condition, there was an increase of serum levels of TNFalpha, IL-6, and IL-8. The treatment with symbiotic significantly decreased serum levels of the last two cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). In lymphocytes, the treatment with the symbiotic don't significantly reduced the mRNA expression of TNFalpha and IL-1beta, while that of IL-8 was strongly and significantly decreased. CONCLUSION Our preliminary results suggest that a symbiotic formulation containing Lactobacillus paracasei significantly improves the plasma and lymphocyte content of some proinflammatory cytokines.