Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
External Return to Education in Europe

This paper provides an international comparison of external rates of return to education. As is pointed out in the literature social return rate exceeds the pure technical rate of return by a considerable margin. However, measuring social return is delicate due to methodological and data problems. The exploited approach is based on a comparative advantage theory. It allows us to control for potential endogeneity problem and a self-selection into different education regimes. We find that external return is positive in all European countries. However the magnitude of these returns varies. It seems that the external return is higher in small economies in which the number of highly educated people is low.
Production of plasmid-encoding NDM-1 in clinical Raoultella ornithinolytica and Leclercia adecarboxylata from China

Raoultella ornithinolytica YNKP001 and Leclercia adecarboxylata P10164, which harbor conjugative plasmids pYNKP001-NDM and pP10164-NDM, respectively, were isolated from two different Chinese patients, and their complete nucleotide sequences were determined. Production of NDM-1 enzyme by these plasmids accounts for the carbapenem resistance of these two strains. This is the first report of blaNDM in L. adecarboxylata and third report of this gene in R. ornithinolytica. pYNKP001-NDM is very similar to the IncN2 NDM-1-encoding plasmids pTR3, pNDM-ECS01, and p271A, whereas pP10164-NDM is similar to the IncFIIY blaNDM-1-carrying plasmid pKOX_NDM1. The blaNDM-1 genes of pYNKP001-NDM and pP10164-NDM are embedded in Tn125-like elements, which represent two distinct truncated versions of the NDM-1-encoding Tn125 prototype observed in pNDM-BJ01. Flanking of these two Tn125-like elements by miniature inverted repeat element (MITE) or its remnant indicates that MITE facilitates transposition and mobilization of blaNDM-1 gene contexts.
Value Creation in UK High Technology Acquisitions

The fifth merger wave in the USA and the parallel fourth merger wave in the UK that occurred in the 1990s was characterised by a large number of acquisitions of firms operating in high technology areas, such as the telecommunications, computers, the Internet, biotechnology, communications etc. These mergers accompanied and, in fact, were triggered by stunningly high market valuations of high technology firms around the world. Value creation logic of these mergers rests on real options, i.e., new growth opportunities with a large scope for valuation errors and potential value destruction. High tech acquisitions are also driven by managerial risk incentives. While the traditional agency model assumes managerial risk aversion and underinvestment in high tech opportunities, the behavioural agency model allows for risk seeking by managers leading possibly to overinvestment. Corporate governance mechanisms can correct both under- and over-investment, thereby ensuring value enhancing high tech acquisitions. In this paper, we estimate long term wealth gains to acquiring firm shareholders following acquisitions of high technology targets. High tech acquisitions of the 1990s greatly underperform industry peers and companies with similar size and book-to-market ratio, thereby destroying shareholder value. However, acquisitions by high tech firms of other high tech firms create value, although ostensibly they multiply risk. Interestingly, we find a negative relationship between management shareholdings and post-acquisition performance of high tech acquisitions. High managerial ownership seems to reduce managers' risk aversion and encourage overinvestment in value diminishing high tech acquisitions. Monitoring mechanisms, such as institutional blockholders, board structures, and board subcommittees, have no moderating effect on managers' overinvestment.
Data dissemination performance in large-scale sensor networks

As the use of wireless sensor networks increases, the need for (energy-)efficient and reliable broadcasting algorithms grows. Ideally, a broadcasting algorithm should have the ability to quickly disseminate data, while keeping the number of transmissions low. In this paper we develop a model describing the message count in large-scale wireless sensor networks. We focus our attention on the popular Trickle algorithm, which has been proposed as a suitable communication protocol for code maintenance and propagation in wireless sensor networks. Besides providing a mathematical analysis of the algorithm, we propose a generalized version of Trickle, with an additional parameter defining the length of a listen-only period. This generalization proves to be useful for optimizing the design and usage of the algorithm. For single-cell networks we show how the message count increases with the size of the network and how this depends on the Trickle parameters. Furthermore, we derive distributions of inter-broadcasting times and investigate their asymptotic behavior. Our results prove conjectures made in the literature concerning the effect of a listen-only period. Additionally, we develop an approximation for the expected number of transmissions in multi-cell networks. All results are validated by simulations.
Validating system-level error recovery for spacecraft

The system-level software onboard a spacecraft is responsible for recovery from communication, thermal, power, and computer-health anomalies that may occur. The recovery must occur without disrupting any critical scientific or engineering activity that is executing at the time of the error. Thus, the error-recovery software may have to execute concurrently with the ongoing acquisition of scientific data or with spacecraft maneuvers. This paper provides a technique by which the rules that constrain the concurrent execution of these processes can be modeled in a graph. An algorithm is described that uses this model to validate that the constraints hold for all concurrent executions of the error-recovery softwave with the softwave that controls the science and engineering events on the spacecraft.
Chain restaurant patrons' well-being perception and dining intentions: the moderating role of involvement.

Purpose – The purpose of this research was to investigate the structural relationships between chain restaurant patrons' brand attitude, utilitarian value, hedonic value, well‐being perception, and behavioral intentions with the moderating role of involvement.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the current literature in these areas revealed ten theoretical hypotheses, from which the authors derived a structural model. The model was tested utilizing data collected from 433 chain restaurant patrons. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were utilized to test the proposed theoretical relationships.Findings – Data analysis indicates that brand attitude and hedonic value bear a positive impact on patrons' well‐being perception. However, it was revealed that utilitarian value does not have significant impact on patrons' well‐being perception. It was also found that well‐being perception is the most powerful determinant of patrons' positive behavioral intentions. More importantly, w.
Control Charts for Joint Monitoring of Mean and Variance: An Overview

Abstract In the control chart literature, a number of one-and two-chart schemes has been developed to simultaneously monitor the mean and variance parameters of normally distributed processes. These “joint” monitoring schemes are useful for situations in which special causes can result in a change in both the mean and the variance, and they allow practitioners to avoid the inflated false alarm rate which results from simply using two independent control charts (one each for mean and variance) without adjusting for multiple testing. We present an overview of this literature covering some of the one-and two-chart schemes, including those that are appropriate in parameters known (standards known) and unknown (standards unknown) situations. We also discuss some of the joint monitoring schemes for multivariate processes, autocorrelated data, and individual observations. In addition, noting that normality is often an elusive assumption, we discuss some available nonparametric schemes for jointly monitoring location and scale. We end with a conclusion and some recommendations for areas of further research.
Lecture Fibrogenesis of Parenchymal Organs

Fibrosis of parenchymal organs is caused by prolonged injury, deregulation of the normal processes of wound healing, and extensive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The current review will focus on common features of fibrogenesis in parenchymal organs, and will briefly discuss common features and differences in the pathophysiology of fibrosis. Comparison of hepatic, renal, and pulmonary fibrosis has identified several common mechanisms. Common themes include a critical role for the cytokine transforming growth factor b and the generation of reactive oxygen species. Activated myofibroblasts are the common cell type that produce the excessive fibrous scar and may originate from endogenous cells such as hepatic stellate cells or fibroblasts, from the bone marrow such as fibrocytes, or from the transition of epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells. These concepts open new prospects for multidisciplinary research and the development of new therapies for fibrosis.
A Shared Neural Substrate for Mentalizing and the Affective Component of Sentence Comprehension

Using event-related fMRI in a sample of 42 healthy participants, we compared the cerebral activity maps obtained when classifying spoken sentences based on the mental content of the main character (belief, deception or empathy) or on the emotional tonality of the sentence (happiness, anger or sadness). To control for the effects of different syntactic constructions (such as embedded clauses in belief sentences), we subtracted from each map the BOLD activations obtained during plausibility judgments on structurally matching sentences, devoid of emotions or ToM. The obtained theory of mind (ToM) and emotional speech comprehension networks overlapped in the bilateral temporo-parietal junction, posterior cingulate cortex, right anterior temporal lobe, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and in the left inferior frontal sulcus. These regions form a ToM network, which contributes to the emotional component of spoken sentence comprehension. Compared with the ToM task, in which the sentences were enounced on a neutral tone, the emotional sentence classification task, in which the sentences were play-acted, was associated with a greater activity in the bilateral superior temporal sulcus, in line with the presence of emotional prosody. Besides, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was more active during emotional than ToM sentence processing. This region may link mental state representations with verbal and prosodic emotional cues. Compared with emotional sentence classification, ToM was associated with greater activity in the caudate nucleus, paracingulate cortex, and superior frontal and parietal regions, in line with behavioral data showing that ToM sentence comprehension was a more demanding task.
A Model for Fast Rising, Slowly Decaying Subpulses in γ-ray Bursts

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) often feature subpulses that have a distinctively asymmetric profile—they rise quickly and decay much more slowly, while their spectrum softens slightly with observer time. It is suggested that these subpulses are caused by slow baryonic clouds embedded within a primary γ-ray beam, which scatter the γ-radiation into our line of sight as they accelerate. Good quantitative agreement is obtained with observed light curves and spectral evolution. The kinetic energy that the baryonic component of GRB jets receives from the primary γ-radiation is predicted to be about equal to the amount of γ-radiation that is scattered, consistent with observations of afterglow. Several other observational consequences are briefly discussed. The possibility is raised that the timescale of short GRBs is established by radiative acceleration and/or baryon injection rather than the timescale of the central engine.
Relevant Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Studies

Despite distinct epidemiology and outcomes, pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) is often managed based on evidence extrapolated from treatment of adults. The impact of non-pulmonary processes on mortality as well as the lower mortality rate compared to adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) renders the utilization of short-term mortality as a primary outcome measure for interventional studies problematic. However, data regarding alternatives to mortality are profoundly understudied, and proposed alternatives, such as ventilator-free days, may be themselves subject to hidden biases. Given the neuropsychiatric and functional impairment in adult survivors of ARDS, characterization of these morbidities in children with PARDS is of paramount importance. The purpose of this review is to frame these challenges in the context of the existing pediatric literature, and using adult ARDS as a guide, suggest potential clinically relevant outcomes that deserve further investigation. The goal is to identify important areas of study in order to better define clinical practice and facilitate future interventional trials in PARDS.
Glucose Fluctuations Aggravate Cardiac Susceptibility to Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Modulating MicroRNAs Expression.

BACKGROUND The influence of glucose fluctuations (GF) on cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been attracting much attention. In the present study, whether GF increase susceptibility to ischemia/reperfusion in the heart was investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS Male rats were randomly assigned to either a control, DM, and DM with GF group. DM was induced by an injection of streptozotocin, and glucose fluctuation was induced by starvation and insulin injection. One sequential program comprised 2 hypoglycemic episodes during 4 days. The isolated hearts were subjected to 20-min ischemia/30-min reperfusion. The infarct size was larger in hearts with GF than those with sustained hyperglycemia. Activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were decreased, and expressions of NADPH oxidase and thioredoxin-interacting protein were upregulated by GF accompanied by an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Swollen mitochondria with destroyed cristae were observed in diabetic hearts; they were further devastated by GF. Microarray analysis revealed that the expressions of microRNA (miRNA)-200c and miRNA-141 were abundant in those hearts with GF. Overexpression of miRNA-200c and miRNA-141 decreased mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and increased ROS levels. Meanwhile, knockdown of miRNA-200c and miRNA-141 significantly decreased ROS levels in cardiomyocytes exposed to GF. CONCLUSIONS GF increased ROS generation and enhanced ischemia/reperfusion injury in the diabetic heart. Upregulated miRNA-200c and miRNA-141 may account for the increased ROS.
Saturated, Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Intake and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Evidence from Observational Studies

Background Although the relationship between dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SFAs) intake and pancreatic cancer risk has been reported by several studies, the evidence is controversial. We firstly conducted this comprehensive meta-analysis to summarize the aforementioned evidence from observational studies. Methods The MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, and ISI Web of Science databases were used to search for epidemiological studies of dietary SFA, MUFA, and PUFA and pancreatic cancer risk that were published until the end of June 2014. Random- or fixed-effects models were used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We also carried out subgroup, sensitivity, and publication bias analyses. Results We identified 13 case-control studies and 7 prospective studies which including 6270 pancreatic cancer cases in the meta-analysis of SFA, MUFA, and PUFA and risk of pancreatic cancer. The summary RR was 1.13 (95%CI = 0.94-1.35, I 2 = 70.7%) for SFA, 1.00 (95%CI = 0.87-1.14, I 2 = 43.4%) for MUFA, and 0.87 (95%CI = 0.75-1.00, I 2 = 55.3%) for PUFA for high versus low intake categories. We found no evidence of publication bias. Conclusion In summary, findings of this study supports an inverse association between diets high in PUFA and pancreatic cancer risk. Further large prospective studies are warranted to report the results stratified by the subtypes of MUFA and PUFA and adjust for other potential risk factors to eliminate residual confounding.
mRNA-miRNA reciprocal regulation generates versatile dynamics

miRNAs serve as crucial post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Recent experimental studies report that an miRNA and its target mRNA reciprocally regulate each other and miRNA is recycled with a ratio upon degradation of mRNA-miRNA complex. The functionality of this mutual regulation and dynamic consequences of miRNA recycling are not fully understood. Here, we built a set of mathematical models of mRNA-miRNA interactions and systematically analyzed their dynamical responses under various conditions. First, we found that mRNA-miRNA reciprocal regulation manifests great versatility, such as subsensitive activation, ultrasensitive and subsensitive inhibition, depending on parameters such as the miRNA recycle ratio and the mRNA-miRNA complex degradation rate constant. Second, ultrasensitivity from reciprocal mRNA-miRNA regulation contributes to generation of bistability. Furthermore, the degree of ultrasensitivity is amplified by a stronger competing mRNA (ceRNA). Last, multiple miRNA binding sites on a target mRNA leads to emergence of nonmonotonic dual response (duality) and bistability even in the absence of any imposed feedback regulation. Thus, we demonstrated several novel functionalities that can be generated from simple mRNA-miRNA reciprocal regulation, in addition to canonical miRNA mediated degradation and translational repression of mRNA. Quantitative experiments are suggested to test the model predictions.
Comparison between fuzzy, neural and neuro-fuzzy controllers for mobile robot path tracking

This paper describes the use of soft computing approaches to the robot behavior design. In many applications, the robot's environment changes with time in a way that is not predictable by the designer in advance. In addition, the knowledge about the environment is often imprecise and incomplete due to the limited perceptual quality of sensors. In order to equip the robot by capacity of autonomy and intelligence in its environment, the control system must perform much complex information and processing tasks in real time, and it is well suited to use the soft-computing techniques. The objective of this paper is to elaborate and compare simple intelligent control systems for the path following behavior by an autonomous mobile robot using the most known approaches of the artificial intelligence science: fuzzy, neuro and neuro-fuzzy controllers. The proposed controllers are used for pursuing a moving target. The obtained simulation results show the effectiveness of the designed controllers. The results are discussed and compared.
Mesophotic coral depth acclimatization is a function of host-specific symbiont physiology

Mesophotic coral ecosystems receive increasing attention owing to their potential as deep coral refuges in times of global environmental change. Here, the mechanisms of coral holobiont photoacclimatization over a 60 m depth gradient in the central Red Sea were examined for the four coral genera Porites, Leptoseris, Pachyseris, and Podabacia. General acclimatization strategies were common to all host-symbiont combinations, e.g. Symbiodinium cell densities and photoprotective to light-harvesting pigment ratios both significantly decreased with water depth. Porites harboured Symbiodinium type C15 over the whole 60 m depth range, while Pachyseris and Podabacia had limited vertical distributions and hosted mainly Symbiodinium type C1. Symbiodinium type C15 had generally higher xanthophyll de-epoxidation rates and lower maximum quantum yields than C1, and also exhibited a strong photoacclimatory signal over depth that relates to the large distribution range of Porites. Interestingly, the coral host had an effect on Symbiodinium pigment composition. When comparing Symbiodinium type C1 in Podabacia and Pachyseris, the s-carotene chl a-1, the peridinin chl a-1, and diadinoxanthin chl a-1 ratios were significantly different between host species. Our data support a view that depth acclimatization of corals in the mesophotics is supported by Symbiodinium physiology, which in turn is host-specific.
Housing First 'Down Under': Revolution, realignment or rhetoric?

The emergence of Housing First as an approach to ending chronic homelessness has gained widespread attention around the world. A Housing First approach has much to offer - it has shifted long held assumptions about people who are chronically homeless and who have complex needs, re-affirmed the importance of housing, and helped to consolidate the link between evidence and practice. In the Australian context, Housing First has also broken the long standing and often acrimonious debate about whether support or housing is the most important factor in resolving homelessness. While the shift towards providing direct access to permanent housing has the potential to enhance existing service responses in Australia, there are concerns that many of the complexities and challenges that services face in implementing a Housing First approach have been ignored.