Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disability trends among older adults in ten European countries over 2004–2013, using various indicators and Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data

ABSTRACT In the context of the prospective increase in the numbers of older adults in Europe and of conflicting findings regarding recent disability trends, the present study uses cross-sectional data from four waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), covering the period 2004–2013, and aims at the assessment of trends in disability by sex and broad age group (50–64 and 65 and over) for the ten countries participating in all waves, based on four different measures: limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs), limitations in instrumental ADLs, mobility difficulties and the Global Activity Limitation Indicator. The analysis uses logistic regression models adjusted for age and, subsequently, also for chronic conditions. The findings indicate improvements both in mild/moderate activity restrictions and in functional limitations for several countries, especially among men and women aged 65 and over. Regarding severe disability (ADLs) there is mostly a lack of any significant trend and only a few declines. In several instances, the observed trends are linked to changes in chronic conditions; significant improvements net of chronic conditions are found mainly in Sweden but also in the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Italy and France. Overall, the estimated trends often differentiate by country, age group and sex while they depend upon the specificities of the measures used in the analysis.
One-step Polyol Synthesis and Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer Formation of Size-tunable Monodisperse Rhodium Nanocrystals with Catalytically Active (111) Surface Structures

Size-tunable monodisperse Rh nanocrystals can offer unique properties for many heterogeneous catalytic reactions (such as hydrogenation, hydroformylation, and hydrocarbonylation) of both scientific and technological interest. In this article, we report the synthesis of monodisperse, well-shaped Rh nanocrystals in a range of 5−15 nm by a one-step polyol reduction at temperatures of 170−230 °C under Ar, using rhodium(III) acetylacetonate [Rh(acac)3] as the source of metal ions, 1,4-butanediol as the reducing solvent, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) as the capping agent. Two-dimensional projects of the nanocrystals are polygons, dominated by hexagons, pentagons, and triangles with catalytically active (111) surfaces (>65% yield). Over 45% of the polygons are multiple (111) twinned particles (hexagons and pentagons), favored by thermodynamics. To achieve size uniformity, adjustment of the reduction kinetics of Rh(acac)3 in the nucleation and crystal growth stages has been shown to depend upon several synthetic par.
Transformation of Mouse Liver Cells by Methylcholanthrene Leads to Phenotypic Changes Associated with Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition

Environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been implicated in cancer development and progression. However, the effects of PAHs on carcinogenesis are still poorly understood. Here, we characterized a mouse cancer cell line BNL 1ME A. 7R.1 (1MEA) derived by transformation of non-tumorigenic liver cell line BNL CL.2 (BNL) using 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), a carcinogenic PAH. RT-PCR and immunoblot analysis were used to determine the expression level of mRNA and proteins, respectively. To determine functionality, cell motility was assessed in vitro using a transwell migration assay. Both mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin were significantly decreased in 1MEA cells in comparison with BNL cells. While the expression levels of mesenchymal markers and related transcription factors were enhanced in 1MEA cells, which could lead to increase in cell motility. Indeed, we found that 7-day exposure of BNL cells to 3-MC reduced the level of the adhesion molecule and epithelial marker E-cadherin and increased reciprocally the level of the mesenchymal marker vimentin in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results indicate that the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may be activated during premalignant transformation induced by 3-MC. A mechanism study to elucidate the relation between 3-MC exposure and EMT is underway in our laboratory.
Comparison Between 18F-FDG PET Image–Derived Indices for Early Prediction of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

The goal of this study was to determine the best predictive factor among image-derived parameters extracted from sequential 18F-FDG PET scans for early tumor response prediction after 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Methods: 51 breast cancer patients were included. Responder and nonresponder status was determined by histopathologic examination according to the tumor and node Sataloff scale. PET indices (maximum and mean standardized uptake value [SUV], metabolically active tumor volume, and total lesion glycolysis [TLG]), at baseline and their variation (Δ) after 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were extracted from the PET images. Their predictive value was investigated using Mann–Whitney U tests and receiver-operating-characteristic analysis. Subgroup analysis was also performed by considering estrogen receptor (ER)–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative, triple-negative, and HER2-positive tumors separately. The impact of partial-volume correction was also investigated using an iterative deconvolution algorithm. Results: There were 24 pathologic nonresponders and 27 responders. None of the baseline PET parameters was correlated with response. After 2 neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles, the reduction of each parameter was significantly associated with response, the best prediction of response being obtained with ΔTLG (96% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 94% accuracy), which had a significantly higher area under the curve (0.91 vs. 0.82, P = 0.01) than did ΔSUVmax (63% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 77% accuracy). Subgroup analysis confirmed a significantly higher accuracy for ΔTLG than ΔSUV for ER-positive/HER-negative but not for triple-negative and HER2-positive tumors. Partial-volume correction had no impact on the predictive value of any of the PET image–derived parameters despite significant changes in their absolute values. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the reduction after 2 neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles of the metabolically active volume of primary tumor measurements such as ΔTLG predicts histopathologic tumor response with higher accuracy than does ΔSUV measurements, especially for ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. These results should be confirmed in a larger group of patients as they may potentially increase the clinical value and efficiency of 18F-FDG PET for early prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Chaotic algorithms for data encryption

A system of encryption based on chaotic algorithms is described. The system is used for encrypting text and image files for the purpose of creating secure data bases and for sending secure e-mail messages. The system is also implemented on an FPGA for real-time applications. Levels of security several orders of magnitude better than published systems have been achieved.
Detection and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains among rural chickens in the arid region of north-eastern Nigeria.

Aim: To know the prevalence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains among adult apparently healthy rural chickens slaughtered in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Cloacal swabs were examined by Gram staining, biochemical tests such as indole, methyl red, Voges-Proskauer and citrate (IMVC) tests and serotype by standard slide agglutination test with antisera against somatic antigen using six monospecific “O” antisera to E. coli belonging to the avian pathogenic E. coli group namely O1, O2, O26, O78, O86 and O141. The sensitivity of the isolated APEC strains to 10 antibiotics of human and veterinary use was also determined. Results: Out of a total of 510 samples examined, 356 (69.8%) were positive for E. coli. Of this number 20 (5.6%) samples were positive for O1, 20 (5.6%) for O2, 0 (0%) for O26, 25 (7.0%) for O78, 25 (7.0%) for O86 and 24 (6.7%) for O141 serotypes. The remaining 242 (68.0%) E. coli isolates were non typable with the 6 sera of avian pathogenic E. coli strains used for the study. The sensitivity profile of the isolates showed complete resistance of all the isolates against ampicillin, tetracycline, nalidixic acid and cefuroxime, while on the other hand all the isolates showed very high susceptibility to oxofloxacin followed by ciprofloxacin and gentamycin. The result of this study suggests that multiple-antimicrobial-resistant APEC isolates are present in rural chickens in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. In addition to animal health problems created by the resistant strains, there may also be potential danger posed to human health because these strains could easily infect humans through the food chain. Conclusion: The result of this study suggests that multiple-antimicrobial-resistant APEC isolates are present in rural chickens in Maiduguri, north-eastern Nigeria. Consequently, introduction of surveillance programs to monitor antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic bacteria is strongly recommended in Nigeria.
The "magdeburger prosodie-korpus"

A thermal panel comprises (a) a body including a solar radiation transmitting lens sheet, having opposite surfaces characterized in that solar radiation incident on one surface is focussed at one or more narrow zones at the body opposite surface, (b) a coating on said body opposite surface and defining aperture means in registration with one or more of said narrow zones, whereby solar radiation focussed at said zones may pass through said aperture means, and (c) said coating having a reflective surface facing away from said body.
Introducing Computer-Based Testing in High-Stakes Exams in Higher Education: Results of a Field Experiment

The introduction of computer-based testing in high-stakes examining in higher education is developing rather slowly due to institutional barriers (the need of extra facilities, ensuring test security) and teacher and student acceptance. From the existing literature it is unclear whether computer-based exams will result in similar results as paper-based exams and whether student acceptance can change as a result of administering computer-based exams. In this study, we compared results from a computer-based and paper-based exam in a sample of psychology students and found no differences in total scores across the two modes. Furthermore, we investigated student acceptance and change in acceptance of computer-based examining. After taking the computer-based exam, fifty percent of the students preferred paper-and-pencil exams over computer-based exams and about a quarter preferred a computer-based exam. We conclude that computer-based exam total scores are similar as paper-based exam scores, but that for the acceptance of high-stakes computer-based exams it is important that students practice and get familiar with this new mode of test administration.
Can higher education stimulate entrepreneurial intentions among engineering and business students?

Abstract This paper approaches the issue of higher entrepreneurship education in motivating young people to start their own business as a viable alternative to the successful integration of university graduates on the labour market. The fundamental question of this research is if, currently, entrepreneurship education influences students’ entrepreneurial intentions and to what extent. The research results, based on the statistical analysis of data collected through a questionnaire distributed to Romanian business and engineering bachelor students in the final year, highlight that business students assessed the effectiveness of higher entrepreneurship education and its positive influence on entrepreneurial intentions to a greater extent than the engineering students. Furthermore, entrepreneurial intentions of engineering students are influenced positively much more by entrepreneurial family background than by entrepreneurship education. The findings provide important highlights for future research, in order to identify the most effective ways of approaching, modernising and expanding entrepreneurship education, aiming to increase entrepreneurial intentions among students, regardless of the graduated field of study.
Reflections on the residual finiteness of one-relator groups

Let G Dh a; b; ::: j r D 1i be a one-relator group equipped with at least two generators. For all w which do not commute with r in the ambient free group on the generators a, b, …, the groups G.r; w/ Dh a; b; ::: j r r w D r 2 i are not residually finite and have the same finite images as G. The existence of this family of one-relator groups which are not residually finite reinforces what is becoming more obvious with time, that one-relator groups can be extremely complicated. This not only serves to underline the complexity of one-relator groups but provides us with the opportunity to raise a number of problems about these groups in the hope that they will stimulate further work on the conjugacy and isomorphism problems for one-relator groups as a whole.
Selection at the Gate: Difficult Cases, Spillovers, and Organizational Learning

We analyze longitudinal data on British fertility clinics to examine the impact of “selection at the gate,” i.e., the attempts of organizations to improve the success rate of their output by selecting promising cases as input. In contrast to what might be expected, we argue that more stringent input selection is likely to lead to lower overt performance compared with those firms that admit difficult cases, because the latter develop steeper learning curves. That is, difficult cases enable greater learning from prior experience because they promote experimentation, communication among various actors, and the codification of new knowledge. Our results confirm this prediction and provide clear evidence that organizations with more difficult cases in their portfolios gradually begin to display performance figures that compare favorably with those of firms that do select at the gate.
Adult Learning Deficits after Neonatal Exposure tod-Methamphetamine: Selective Effects on Spatial Navigation and Memory

The effects of neonatal d-methamphetamine (MA) treatment on cued and spatial learning and memory were investigated. MA was administered to neonatal rats on postnatal days 11–20. All groups received four subcutaneous injections per day. Group MA40–4 received 40 mg · kg−1 · d−1 of MA in four divided doses (10 mg/kg per injection). Group MA40–2 received 40 mg · kg−1 · d−1 of MA in two divided (20 mg/kg/injection) and saline for the other two injections per day. Controls received saline for four injections per day. As adults, both MA groups showed no differences in swimming ability in a straight swimming channel. The MA40–4 group showed no differences in cued learning, but was impaired in hidden platform learning in the Morris water maze on acquisition. They also showed reduced memory performance on probe trials. Similar trends were seen on reversal learning and reversal probe trials. Reduced platform-size learning trials caused spatial learning impairments to re-emerge in the MA40–4 group. The MA40–2 group showed no differences in straight channel swimming, but was slower at finding the visible platform during cued learning. They were also impaired during acquisition and memory trials in the Morris hidden platform maze. They showed a similar trend on reversal learning and memory trials, but were not different during reduced platform-size learning trials. When the MA40–2 group's performance on hidden platform learning and memory trials was adjusted for cued trial performance, the spatial learning deficits remained. Deficits of spatial learning and memory are a selective effect of neonatal methamphetamine treatment irrespective of other learning and performance variables.
Towards Compositional Tree Kernels

English. Several textual inference tasks rely on kernel-based learning. In particular Tree Kernels (TKs) proved to be suitable to the modeling of syntactic and semantic similarity between linguistic instances. In order to generalize the meaning of linguistic phrases, Distributional Compositional Semantics (DCS) methods have been defined to compositionally combine the meaning of words in semantic spaces. However, TKs still do not account for compositionality. A novel kernel, i.e. the Compositional Tree Kernel, is presented integrating DCS operators in the TK estimation. The evaluation over Question Classification and Metaphor Detection shows the contribution of semantic compositions w.r. t. traditional TKs. Italiano. Sono numerosi i problemi di interpretazione del testo che beneficiano dall’applicazione di metodi di apprendimento automatico basato su funzioni kernel. In particolare, i Tree Kernel (TK) sono applicati alla modellazione di metriche di similarita sintattica e semantica tra espressioni linguistiche. Allo scopo di generalizzare i significati legati a sintagmi complessi, i metodi di Distributional Compositional Semantics combinano algebricamente i vettori associati agli elementi lessicali costituenti. Ad oggi i modelli di TK non esprimono criteri di composizionalita. In questo lavoro dimostriamo il beneficio di modelli di composizionalita applicati ai TK, in problemi di Question Classification e Metaphor Detection.
Spontaneous Cell Competition in Immortalized Mammalian Cell Lines

Cell competition is a form of cell-cell interaction by which cells compare relative levels of fitness, resulting in the active elimination of less-fit cells, “losers,” by more-fit cells, “winners. ” Here, we show that in three routinely-used mammalian cell lines – U2OS, 3T3, and MDCK cells – sub-clones arise stochastically that exhibit context-dependent competitive behavior. Specifically, cell death is elicited when winner and loser sub-clones are cultured together but not alone. Cell competition and elimination in these cell lines is caspase-dependent and requires cell-cell contact but does not require de novo RNA synthesis. Moreover, we show that the phenomenon involves differences in cellular metabolism. Hence, our study demonstrates that cell competition is a common feature of immortalized mammalian cells in vitro and implicates cellular metabolism as a mechanism by which cells sense relative levels of “fitness. ”
PHASE TRANSITIONS WITH THE LINE TENSION EFFECT: THE SUPER-QUADRATIC CASE

Let Ω be an open bounded set of ℝ3 and let W and V be two non-negative continuous functions vanishing at α, β and α', β', respectively. We analyze the asymptotic behavior as e → 0, in terms of Γ-convergence, of the following functional: where u is a scalar density function and Tu denotes its trace on ∂Ω. We show that the singular limit of the energies Fe leads to a coupled problem of bulk and surface phase transitions.
Using k-Top retrieved web snippets to date temporalimplicit queries based on web content analysis

The World Wide Web (WWW) is a huge information network from which retrieving and organizing quality relevant content remains an open question for mostly all ambiguous queries. As an example, many queries have temporal implicit intents associated with them but they are not inferred by search engines. Inferring the user intentions and the period he has in mind, may therefore play an extremely important role in the improvement of the results. Our work goes in this direction. We aim to introduce a temporal analysis framework for analyzing documents in a temporal dimension in order to identify and understand the temporal nature of any given query, namely implicit ones. Our analysis is not based on metadata, but on the exploitation of temporal information from the content itself, particularly within web snippets, which are interesting pieces of concentrated information, where time clues, especially years, often appear. Our intention is to develop a language-independent solution and to model the degree of relationship between the terms and dates identified. This is the core part of the framework and the basis for both temporal query understanding and search results exploration, such as temporal clustering. We believe that inferring this knowledge is a very important step in the process of adding a temporal dimension to IR systems, thus disambiguating a large class of queries for which search engines continue to fail.
Changes in soil bacterial community triggered by drought-induced gap succession preceded changes in soil C stocks and quality

The aim of this study was to understand how drought-induced tree mortality and subsequent secondary succession would affect soil bacterial taxonomic composition as well as soil organic matter (SOM) quantity and quality in a mixed Mediterranean forest where the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) population, affected by climatic drought-induced die-off, is being replaced by Holm-oaks (HO; Quercus ilex). We apply a high throughput DNA pyrosequencing technique and 13C solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (CP-MAS 13C NMR) to soils within areas of influence (defined as an surface with 2-m radius around the trunk) of different trees: healthy and affected (defoliated) pines, pines that died a decade ago and healthy HOs. Soil respiration was also measured in the same spots during a spring campaign using a static close-chamber method (soda lime). A decade after death, and before aerial colonization by the more competitive HOs have even taken place, we could not find changes in soil C pools (quantity and/or quality) associated with tree mortality and secondary succession. Unlike C pools, bacterial diversity and community structure were strongly determined by tree mortality. Convergence between the most abundant taxa of soil bacterial communities under dead pines and colonizer trees (HOs) further suggests that physical gap colonization was occurring below-ground before above-ground colonization was taken place. Significantly higher soil respiration rates under dead trees, together with higher bacterial diversity and anomalously high representation of bacteria commonly associated with copiotrophic environments (r-strategic bacteria) further gives indications of how drought-induced tree mortality and secondary succession were influencing the structure of microbial communities and the metabolic activity of soils.
Distributed and Adaptive Interface Switch Off for Internet Energy Saving

This work proposes a distributed and adaptive mechanism for saving energy in IP/MPLS over WDM networks by switching off router line cards according to the traffic variability in the network. The proposed mechanism optimizes the traffic routing and adapts the IP topology to the traffic that is actually carried in the network. This is done by re- computing the path of each traffic flow several times during a day when their requested capacity changes. The routing is performed by using a specific cost function, named V-Like, to compute link weights into the shortest path routing algorithm. The proposed solution is compared with a static energy-aware heuristic algorithm proposed in the literature; results show that it is possible to save from 35% up to 50% of energy with respect to the static case, depending on the traffic load.