Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Musical Tempo Transformations using Case Based Reasoning

Acknowledgments I would like to express my gratitude to Ramon López de Mántaras and Josep Lluís Arcos. In the first place for offering me a great place to work, to study, and to meet people at the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (IIIA) in Barcelona. Secondly, for sharing their experience through invaluable advice, throughout the time I have worked with them. And I also want to mention Lieveke van Heck. We have been together for a lot of years now and she showed patience, soothed doubts and raised spirits. Thanks! 2
Bioavailability of iron in geophagic earths and clay minerals, and their effect on dietary iron absorption using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model.

Geophagy, the deliberate consumption of earth, is strongly associated with iron (Fe) deficiency. It has been proposed that geophagy may be practiced as a means to improve Fe status by increasing Fe intakes and, conversely, that geophagy may cause Fe deficiency by inhibiting Fe absorption. We tested these hypotheses by measuring Fe concentration and relative bioavailable Fe content of 12 samples of geophagic earth and 4 samples of pure clay minerals. Further, we assessed the impact of these samples on the bioavailability of Fe from an Fe-rich test meal (cooked white beans, WB). Fe concentrations were measured with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Fe bioavailability was determined using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model in which ferritin formation was used as an index of Fe bioavailability. Geophagic earth and clay mineral samples were evaluated with this model, both alone and in combination with WB (1 : 16 ratio, sample : WB). Median Fe concentration of the geophagic earth was 3485 (IQR 2462, 14 ,571) μg g⁻¹ and mean Fe concentration in the clay minerals was 2791 (±1782) μg g⁻¹. All specimens had Fe concentrations significantly higher (p ≤ 0.005) than the Fe concentration of WB (77 μg g⁻¹). Ferritin formation (i.e. Fe uptake) in cells exposed to geophagic earths and clay minerals was significantly lower than in cells exposed to WB (p ≤ 0.05) and Fe uptake responses of 11 of the 16 samples were not significantly different from the blank, indicating no bioavailable Fe. When samples were combined with WB, 5 of 16 had mean ferritin levels that were significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05, one tail) than the WB alone, indicating that the samples inhibited Fe uptake from the WB. None of the ferritin responses of cells exposed to both WB and earth/clay were significantly higher than WB alone. Thus, although geophagic earths and mineral clays are high in total Fe, very little of this Fe is bioavailable. Further, some geophagic earth and clay mineral samples inhibit Fe absorption from foods. In vivo research is warranted to confirm these observations and to determine if geophagic earth samples can be a source of Fe and/or inhibit Fe absorption.
Introducing Capital Structure in a Production Economy: Implications for Investment, Debt and Dividends

This model adds to the standard neoclassical model of business fluctuations by introducing a more realistic capital structure problem, where firms have to balance the tax benefits of debt with the costs of potential financial distress.Therefore, firms solve a dynamic problem with both an investment and a financing decision. This feature allows firms to finance investment through both retained earnings and debt. As a result, debt will increase after a positive shock and dividends will follow a smoother path. This implies that, as pointed by previous empirical evidence, short-term fluctuations in investment are mostly absorbed by debt and not dividends. The capital structure deteriorates first but then improves after a few quarters. In this model, investment is also inversely related to financial leverage.
Hypertension may affect tooth-supporting alveolar bone quality: a study in rats.

BACKGROUND This study evaluates the ligature-induced bone loss (BL) and quality of tooth-supporting alveolar bone in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by histometric, histochemical, and immunohistochemical analyses and assesses the effects of lercanidipine on these parameters. METHODS Wistar rats and SHRs were assigned to one of the following groups: normotensive rats (n = 15), untreated SHRs (n = 15), and treated SHRs (n = 15). The latter group was treated daily with lercanidipine for 45 days. Two weeks after the beginning of drug administration, the first right mandibular molar received a cotton ligature, whereas the contralateral tooth was left unligated. The following parameters were analyzed in the furcation area of decalcified histologic sections: BL, bone density (BD), number of positive cells for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP+), and expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG). RESULTS In ligated teeth, no significant differences among groups were found regarding BL, TRAP+ cells, and the ratio of RANKL/OPG+ cells (P >0.05), although the expression of RANKL was decreased in the treated SHR group (P <0.05). Increased BL and decreased BD were observed around unligated teeth of the untreated and treated SHR groups (P <0.05). In the furcation area of the unligated teeth, the untreated SHR group presented a higher number of TRAP+ cells and higher ratio of RANKL/OPG+ cells compared to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS SHRs present harmful alterations in the quality of tooth-supporting bone, independently of inflammation. In addition, the administration of lercanidipine for 45 days decreased the expression of bone-resorption markers.
LDL size in African Americans, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites : the insulin resistance atherosclerosis study.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and atherosclerosis varies among several minority ethnic groups in the United States. Recently, small, dense low density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size has been recognized as a risk factor for CVD. We examined LDL size as a possible explanation for differences in CVD rates in 1571 subjects from the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS), a multiethnic study of insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors. LDL size (A) was significantly different by ethnic group (African Americans 262.1+/-0.6, Hispanics 257.6+/-0.6, and non-Hispanic whites 259.2+/-0.4, P<0.001). Ethnic differences in LDL size continued to be statistically significant after adjustment for upper body adiposity, insulin resistance, and glucose tolerance status. However, after further adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors, especially ethnic differences in triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, the ethnic differences in LDL size were markedly attenuated and in general no longer statistically significant. The relation of triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and adiposity to LDL size in each ethnic group was similar. LDL size differs by ethnic group, which is independent of obesity or insulin resistance. These ethnic differences appear to be due to ethnic variations in dyslipidemia (especially differences in triglyceride levels); ethnic differences in LDL size are not consistent with previously reported ethnic dissimilarities in CVD or atherosclerosis.
La adquisición en el aula sin input formal : los compuestos 'exocéntricos' de las interlenguas del español

l contrario de lo que sucede en el caso de la adquisición que se produce en lo que se conoce como ‘contexto natural’ (e incluso lo mismo se podría decir de muchos contextos de inmersión) cuando se realiza una investigación con sujetos cuyo contacto con la lengua objeto se produce en un medio institucional se da por supuesto que en la mayoría de los casos ha habido algún tipo de instrucción formal Y si bien la instrucción formal no supone que se expliquen reglas de gramática sí que implica que de una u otra forma se manipule el input En ocasiones esa manipulación consiste únicamente en utilizar ejemplos de construcciones en las que se quiere poner énfasis Ahora bien hay construcciones que no forman parte de los programas de enseñanza y que por sus características no aparecen en los intercambios que se producen en la clase A esos casos nos referimos cuando hablamos de instrucción en el aula sin input formal: a que es muy probable que muchos aprendices de español como lengua extranjera no hayan tenido contacto alguno con los llamados compuestos deverbales como los de ( ) que constituyen el objeto de este trabajo de investigación
Genetic variants associated with Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is an immune-related disorder characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, which can occur in any area throughout the digestive tract. This life-long disease commonly presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss. While the exact etiology of this disease is largely unknown, it is thought to arise from an interaction between microbial, immunological, and environmental factors in a genetically susceptible host, whereby the immune system attacks the intestine as it cross reacts against gut microbial antigens. The study of genetic variants associated with Crohn’s disease has shed light on our understanding of disease pathophysiology. A large number of genetic variants identified in Crohn’s disease are related to genes targeting microbial recognition and bacterial wall sensing, the most common being NOD2/CARD15 gene. This review will discuss the recent advance in our knowledge of genetic variants of this disease and how they influence the disease course and prognosis.
Hemodynamics of Increased Pulse Pressure in Older Women in the Community-Based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility–Reykjavik Study

Pulse pressure increases with advancing age particularly in women. As a result, women have a higher pulse pressure than men from midlife onward. Higher pulse pressure in older women as compared to men is often attributed to increased aortic wall stiffness and premature wave reflection. To evaluate this hypothesis, we measured central aortic input impedance, pulse wave velocity, and wave reflection in 408 older men and women (age range, 69 to 94 yr, mean 75 yr) participating in the community-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility–Reykjavik Study (AGES-Reykjavik). Women as compared to men had higher pulse pressure (75.8±18.7 versus 69.5±16.8 mm Hg, P<0.001) and smaller aortic diameters (2.74±0.24 versus 2.97±0.28 cm, P<0.001). Augmentation index (AI) was higher (11.0±15.9 versus 7.9±12.9%, P=0.032) in women whereas proximal aortic elastance-wall thickness product (Eh) did not differ (P=0.61). In a stepwise model for pulse pressure that included age and sex and offered aortic diameter, Eh, mean pressure, AI, pulse wave velocity, height, weight, and body surface area as additional covariates, higher pulse pressure was associated with increased wall stiffness, smaller aortic diameter, higher mean pressure, and increased AI (Model R2=0.59, P<0.001). The sex difference in pulse pressure (6.6±1.7 mm Hg, P<0.001) persisted after Eh entered the model (6.9±1.5 mm Hg, P<0.001) but not after aortic diameter entered the model (−0.4±1.4 mm Hg, P=0.75). Thus, reduced aortic diameter and impaired matching between diameter and flow accounts for the sex difference in pulse pressure in an unselected community-based cohort of older people.
Mixed Red-Complex Bacterial Infection in Periodontitis

The red complex, which includes Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia (formerly Bacteroides forsythus), are recognized as the most important pathogens in adult periodontal disease. These bacteria are usually found together in periodontal pockets, suggesting that they may cause destruction of the periodontal tissue in a cooperative manner. This article discusses the interspecies pathogenic interactions within the red complex.
Multicast traffic grooming in WDM optical mesh networks

We consider the grooming of multicast traffic in WDM optical mesh networks with sparse nodal light splitting capability. Given multicast routing trees for individual multicast sessions, the multicast traffic grooming problem is NP-hard. Moreover, constructing an optimal multicast routing tree in WDM optical mesh networks is also an NP-hard problem. We formulate the problem of multicast traffic grooming in WDM optical mesh networks as an integer linear program. We propose a heuristic algorithm for constructing multicast routing trees and a first-fit algorithm for traffic grooming, assuming wavelength conversion capability in the network nodes. By intelligently grooming several multicast sessions with fractional wavelength bandwidth requirements onto a single wavelength, we demonstrate that our algorithms achieve a significant reduction in the maximum number of wavelengths required in a link as well as in the total number of wavelength links needed.
A Matter of Taste: Lineage-Specific Loss of Function of Taste Receptor Genes in Vertebrates

Vertebrates can perceive at least five different taste qualities, each of which is thought to have a specific role in the evolution of different species. The avoidance of potentially poisonous foods, which are generally bitter or sour tasting, and the search for more nutritious ones, those with high-fat and high-sugar content, are two of the most well-known examples. The study of taste genes encoding receptors that recognize ligands triggering taste sensations has helped to reconstruct several evolutionary adaptations to dietary changes. In addition, an increasing number of studies have focused on pseudogenes, genomic DNA sequences that have traditionally been considered defunct relatives of functional genes mostly because of the presence of deleterious mutations interrupting their open reading frames. The study of taste receptor pseudogenes has helped to shed light on how the evolutionary history of taste in vertebrates has been the result of a succession of gene gain and loss processes. This dynamic role in evolution has been explained by the “less-is-more” hypothesis, suggesting gene loss as a mechanism of evolutionary change in response to a dietary shift. This mini-review aims at depicting the major lineage-specific loss of function of taste receptor genes in vertebrates, stressing their evolutionary importance and recapitulating signatures of natural selection and their correlations with food habits.
Influencing green consumer choice through environmental goal activation

Today the world faces some of the most unprecedented environmental challenges ever seen. Many of these challenges are driven by human behaviour. Subsequently, solutions involving human behavioural change are essential to mitigate the environmental threats faced. Although many people express concern about environmental issues and report intentions to engage in pro-environmental activities, often these two factors do not align with behaviour. One possibility for this discrepancy is that environmental goals are not always salient during decision-making contexts. Based on theories which propose that goals can be automatically activated, this thesis aims to investigate whether environmental goals can be automatically activated to produce pro-environmental goal consistent behaviour. It also aims to explore some of the psychological mechanisms involved in the pursuit of environmental goals. These aims are explored across five quantitative experiments which form the three empirical chapters of this thesis. The first empirical chapter comprises three experiments which examine whether environmental goal priming influences environmental behaviour and whether goal pursuit is driven by changes in the automatic evaluation of goal relevant objects. The second empirical chapter investigates whether environmental goal priming enhances attention to environmental product labelling. Lastly, the third empirical chapter explores the efficacy of behavioural feedback as a tool to enhance environmental behaviour. The findings from this thesis reveal that environmental goals can be automatically activated and that this can lead to behaviour consisted with the primed goal. Environmental goals also exhibit features typical of goal pursuit, such as persistence over time. This thesis also provides evidence that environmental labelling is partly goal-dependent, as participants who report stronger motivation to protect the environment devote greater eye gaze towards environmental labelling. Finally, this thesis provides evidence that negative feedback is an effective tool in promoting compensatory environmental behaviour. A key conclusion of this research is that while environmental goals are important, to be effective in promoting pro-environmental behaviour they must be salient during decision-making. Techniques which focus on activating environmental goals may therefore be an important tool to facilitate more sustainable consumer behaviour.
Innovation in sexually transmitted disease and HIV prevention: internet and mobile phone delivery vehicles for global diffusion.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Efficacious behavioral interventions and practices have not been universally accepted, adopted, or diffused by policy makers, administrators, providers, advocates, or consumers. Biomedical innovations for sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV prevention have been embraced but their effectiveness is hindered by behavioral factors. Behavioral interventions are required to support providers and consumers for adoption and diffusion of biomedical innovations, protocol adherence, and sustained prevention for other STDs. Information and communication technology such as the Internet and mobile phones can deliver behavioral components for STD/HIV prevention and care to more people at less cost. RECENT FINDINGS Recent innovations in STD/HIV prevention with information and communication technology-mediated behavioral supports include STD/HIV testing and partner interventions, behavioral interventions, self-management, and provider care. Computer-based and Internet-based behavioral STD/HIV interventions have demonstrated efficacy comparable to face-to-face interventions. Mobile phone STD/HIV interventions using text-messaging are being broadly utilized but more work is needed to demonstrate efficacy. Electronic health records and care management systems can improve care, but interventions are needed to support adoption. SUMMARY Information and communication technology is rapidly diffusing globally. Over the next 5-10 years smart-phones will be broadly disseminated, connecting billions of people to the Internet and enabling lower cost, highly engaging, and ubiquitous STD/HIV prevention and treatment support interventions.
Expertise and the Ideological Consequences of the Authoritarian Predisposition

Recent research on the psychological bases of political ideology suggests that a number of “pre-political” variables influence individuals‟ ideological positions. This paper examines how the political implications of one such variable – the authoritarian predisposition – may be conditioned by citizens‟ political expertise. An examination of the 2000 and 2004 American National Election Studies revealed that (1) the relation between the authoritarian predisposition and conservatism was stronger among experts; (2) relations between the authoritarian predisposition and the two component facets of conservatism – opposition to equality and support for traditionalism – were also stronger among experts; and (3) the interactive effect of expertise and the authoritarian predisposition on conservatism was mediated by orientations toward equality and traditionalism. These findings suggest that the linkage between psychological variables and ideology may be contingent on one‟s understanding of abstract political ideas and indicate the need for a more nuanced understanding of what expertise contributes to democratic citizenship.
Seeking industry perspectives to enhance experiential education in university-industry partnerships: Going beyond mere assumptions

Work-integrated learning through industry-based placements characterizes a degree program launched by an Australian University (Deakin) in 2000: the Bachelor of Business Information Technology (Hons) [BBIT]. In this program, industry mentors are the nexus between the world of the university and the world of industry. However, in setting up and running such programs, tertiary educators tend to make fundamental assumptions about the level of commitment and understanding of these industry mentors, about how they will be selected and the skills they will be able to demonstrate and impart. A shared vision of what constitutes a satisfying placement cannot be taken for granted. These tacit assumptions underpin key elements of the BBIT program, such as the preparation of students for their placements, the Handbook that is provided for industry partners and the site visits made by academics. Research was undertaken in 2003/4 to test these assumptions, and to determine whether the support infrastructure the University places around the industry placements is optimal. In-depth interviews were held with 10 experienced industry sponsors/mentors and one member of the relevant professional body. Reflecting on the rich data generated, this paper seeks to provide some insight into whether assumptions regarding industry mentors and also what constitutes a satisfying placement, are supported. This leads to a consideration of implications for tertiary educators who are directing such segments of degree programs. The paper advocates research to take us beyond assumptions, claiming that the articulation of industry perspectives is instructive for all those involved: industry sponsors/mentors, tertiary educators, students and the industry more broadly, as students are prepared more effectively for their professional roles. (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2006, 7(2), 1-9).
Traumatic Brain Injury – Modeling Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Rodents

Each year in the US, ∼1.5 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Victims of TBI can suffer from chronic post-TBI symptoms, such as sensory and motor deficits, cognitive impairments including problems with memory, learning, and attention, and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, aggression, and suicidal rumination. Although partially associated with the site and severity of injury, the biological mechanisms associated with many of these symptoms – and why some patients experience differing assortments of persistent maladies – are largely unknown. The use of animal models is a promising strategy for elucidation of the mechanisms of impairment and treatment, and learning, memory, sensory, and motor tests have widespread utility in rodent models of TBI and psychopharmacology. Comparatively, behavioral tests for the evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptomatology are rarely employed in animal models of TBI and, as determined in this review, the results have been inconsistent. Animal behavioral studies contribute to the understanding of the biological mechanisms by which TBI is associated with neurobehavioral symptoms and offer a powerful means for pre-clinical treatment validation. Therefore, further exploration of the utility of animal behavioral tests for the study of injury mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for the alleviation of emotional symptoms are relevant and essential.