Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A cross-cultural comparison of the self-determination construct in Italian and American adolescents

The functional theory of self-determination (fSDT) defines and operationalises self-determination within a human agentic context. It emerged from research on adolescents with disabilities, however has been increasingly applied to youth without disabilities. While comparability has been evaluated in youth with and without disabilities, it has not been explored across cultures. The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural comparability of the fSDT in a sample of Italian and American adolescents. We were specifically interested in examining the universal aspects of the self-determination construct, as well as specific differences in the operationalisation of self-determination across cultures. The findings tentatively suggest that the construct of self-determination is comparable across Italian and American adolescents; however, there are specific differences in the measurement and operationalisation of self-determination across cultures. Directions for future research are discussed.
FUNGAL ELICITOR-MEDIATED CHANGES IN POLYAMINE CONTENT, PHENYLALANINE-AMMONIA LYASE AND PEROXIDASE ACTIVITIES IN BEAN CELL CULTURE

Summary. Plant cells are able to shift their metabolism in response to aggressive environmental factors such as salinity, water stress, anoxia, flooding or biotic elicitors. In this work, cell suspensions of four bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes were stabilized and treated with elicitors isolated from fungal (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli) cell walls. The elicitation of the cells was effective in the induction of the activity of L-phenylalanine-ammonia lyase (PAL), a key enzyme related to defense reactions, as well as the peroxidase, an enzyme related to the antioxidative response system. The same effect was also verified in relation to the polyamine metabolism, mainly for the accumulation of the diamine putrescine. The obtained results give important information regarding the plant-pathogen interactions, mainly as subsidy for bean improvement programs seeking the adaptation to adverse environmental factors.
Dependency Parsing of Japanese Spoken Monologue Based on Clause Boundaries

Spoken monologues feature greater sentence length and structural complexity than do spoken dialogues. To achieve high parsing performance for spoken monologues, it could prove effective to simplify the structure by dividing a sentence into suitable language units. This paper proposes a method for dependency parsing of Japanese monologues based on sentence segmentation. In this method, the dependency parsing is executed in two stages: at the clause level and the sentence level. First, the dependencies within a clause are identified by dividing a sentence into clauses and executing stochastic dependency parsing for each clause. Next, the dependencies over clause boundaries are identified stochastically, and the dependency structure of the entire sentence is thus completed. An experiment using a spoken monologue corpus shows this method to be effective for efficient dependency parsing of Japanese monologue sentences.
On multiplicative matrix channels over finite chain rings

Motivated by nested-lattice-based physical-layer network coding, this paper considers communication in multiplicative matrix channels over finite chain rings. Such channels are defined by the law Y = AX, where X and Y are the input and output matrices, respectively, and A is called the transfer matrix. We assume that the instances of the transfer matrix are unknown to the transmitter, but available at the receiver. As contributions, we obtain a closed-form expression for the channel capacity, and we propose a coding scheme that can achieve this capacity with polynomial time complexity. Our results extend the corresponding ones for finite fields.
Meta-Analysis of Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphism and Susceptibility of Myocardial Infarction

A number of case-control studies have been conducted to clarify the association between ApoE polymorphisms and myocardial infarction (MI); however, the results are inconsistent. This meta-analysis was performed to clarify this issue using all the available evidence. Searching in PubMed retrieved all eligible articles. A total of 33 studies were included in this meta-analysis, including 18752 MI cases and 18963 controls. The pooled analysis based on all included studies showed that the MI patients had a decreased frequency of the ε2 allele (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.70–0.87) and an increased frequency of the ε4 allele (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.10–1.20); The results also showed a decreased susceptibility of MI in the ε2ε3 vs. ε3ε3 analysis (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.68–0.90) and in the ε2 vs. ε3 analysis (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.69–0.89), an increased susceptibility of MI in the ε3ε4 vs. ε3ε3 analysis (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.12–1.41), in the ε4 vs. ε3 analysis (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.12–1.32) and in the ε4ε4 vs. ε3ε3 analysis (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.15–2.19). However, there were no significant associations among polymorphisms and MI for the following genetic models: frequency of the ε3 allele (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.96–1.02); ε2ε2 vs. ε3ε3 analysis (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.40–1.32); or ε2ε4 vs. ε3ε3 analysis (OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.99–1.21). Our results suggested that the ε4 allele of ApoE is a risk factor for the development of MI and the ε2 allele of ApoE is a protective factor in the development of MI.
Serum cystatin C is a sensitive early marker for changes in the glomerular filtration rate in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery

OBJECTIVE: Pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy results in transient oliguria and decreased glomerular filtration and renal blood flow. The presence of oliguria and elevated serum creatinine is suggestive of acute renal injury. Serum cystatin C has been described as a new marker for the detection of this type of injury. In this study, our aim was to compare the glomerular filtration rate estimated using cystatin C levels with the rate estimated using serum creatinine in patients with normal renal function who were undergoing laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: In total, 41 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy or hiatoplasty were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected at three time intervals: first, before intubation (T1); second, 30 minutes after the establishment of pneumoperitoneum (T2); and third, 30 minutes after deflation of the pneumoperitoneum (T3). These blood samples were then analyzed for serum cystatin C, creatinine, and vasopressin. The Larsson formula was used to calculate the glomerular filtration rate based on the serum cystatin C levels, and the Cockcroft-Gault formula was used to calculate the glomerular filtration rate according to the serum creatinine levels. RESULTS: Serum cystatin C levels increased during the study (T1 = T2T3; p<0.05). The calculated eGlomerular filtration rate-Larsson decreased, whereas the eGlomerular filtration rate-Cockcroft-Gault increased. There was no correlation between cystatin C and serum creatinine. Additionally, Pearson's analysis showed a better correlation between serum cystatin C and the eGlomerular filtration rate than between serum creatinine and the eGlomerular filtration rate. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that serum cystatin C is a more sensitive indicator of changes in the glomerular filtration rate than serum creatinine is in patients with normal renal function who are undergoing laparoscopic procedures.
EVOLUTIONARY SIGNATURES IN THE FORMATION OF LOW-MASS PROTOSTARS. II. TOWARD RECONCILING MODELS AND OBSERVATIONS

A long-standing problem in low-mass star formation is the “luminosity problem,” whereby protostars are underluminous compared to the accretion luminosity expected both from theoretical collapse calculations and arguments based on the minimum accretion rate necessary to form a star within the embedded phase duration. Motivated by this luminosity problem, we present a set of evolutionary models describing the collapse of low-mass, dense cores into protostars. We use as our starting point the evolutionary model following the inside-out collapse of a singular isothermal sphere as presented by Young & Evans. We calculate the radiative transfer of the collapsing core throughout the full duration of the collapse in two dimensions. From the resulting spectral energy distributions, we calculate standard observational signatures (Lbol, Tbol, Lbol/Lsmm) to directly compare to observations. We incorporate several modifications and additions to the original Young & Evans model in an effort to better match observations with model predictions; we include (1) the opacity from scattering in the radiative transfer, (2) a circumstellar disk directly in the two-dimensional radiative transfer, (3) a two-dimensional envelope structure, taking into account the effects of rotation, (4) mass-loss and the opening of outflow cavities, and (5) a simple treatment of episodic mass accretion. We find that scattering, two-dimensional geometry, mass-loss, and outflow cavities all affect the model predictions, as expected, but none resolve the luminosity problem. On the other hand, we find that a cycle of episodic mass accretion similar to that predicted by recent theoretical work can resolve this problem and bring the model predictions into better agreement with observations. Standard assumptions about the interplay between mass accretion and mass loss in our model give star formation efficiencies consistent with recent observations that compare the core mass function and stellar initial mass function. Finally, the combination of outflow cavities and episodic mass accretion reduces the connection between observational class and physical stage to the point where neither of the two commonly used observational signatures (Tbol and Lbol/Lsmm) can be considered reliable indicators of physical stage.
Driving forces behind the sectoral wage costs differentials in Europe

In 2004, Eurostat starts publishing new figures on hourly wage costs for all European countries. These figures are new in several respects: It is the first time that internationally comparable hourly figures on wage costs are available covering a quite important time period (1995-2005), so that not only cross-country comparisons but also dynamic analyzes are possible. Furthermore, these figures are fairly detailed at the sectoral level, therefore allowing for inter-sectoral comparisons. Concerning Germany, the Eurostat statistics provide quite unexpected insights; the gap between wage costs in the manufacturing sector and the (private and business) services sector is much larger than in other countries. This study aims at giving some explanations. According to theory, various explanations are possible. First, the neo-classical theory emphasizes factors affecting or indicating the level of individual productivity, as well as firm or sectoral productivity; indicators corresponding to this approach are tested. Second, dropping the assumption of perfect competition on both labor and goods markets allows for other factors (mark-up, market power) to influence the wage costs levels; these potential determinants are also tested. Finally, we think that the structure of demand (driven by domestic or foreign demand) could also have a major impact on wages in the industry and the services sector and indeed this factor seems to play an important role. This paper is structured as follows: First, the new Eurostat statistics is presented focussing on some interesting descriptive results. In the second section, we present a list of potential determinants of wage differentials between the industry and the services sector derived from theory and literature. A bivariate analysis (correlation) is then performed and conclusions are drawn. In a third step, a multivariate analysis (panel estimation) is performed. The final section concludes.
On the extension problem for partial permutations

A family of pseudovarieties of solvable groups is constructed, each of which has decidable membership and undecidable extension problem for partial permutations. Included are a pseudovariety U satisfying no non-trivial group identity and a metabelian pseudovariety Q. For each of these pseudovarieties V, the inverse monoid pseudovariety Sl*V has undecidable membership problem. As a consequence, it is proved that the pseudovariety operators *, **, ? , =, = n , and P do not preserve decidability. In addition, several joins, including A V U, are shown to be undecidable.
Risk, Cooperation and the Economic Origins of Social Trust: An Empirical Investigation

Extensive research has documented the importance of social trust for economic development, yet the origins of trust remain largely unexplored. This paper examines the historical relationship between risk, cooperation and the emergence of social trust. I hypothesize that norms of trust developed in preindustrial times as a result of experiences of collective action and mutual insurance triggered by the need for subsistence farmers to cope with climatic risk. These norms persisted over time, even after climate had become largely unimportant for economic activity. I test this hypothesis in the context of Europe combining high-resolution climate data for the period 1500-2000 with contemporary survey data at the sub-national level. I find that regions characterized by higher year-to-year variability in precipitation and temperature display higher levels of trust. Consistent with a theory of insurance through geographic differentiation, I also find that trust is higher in regions with more spatially heterogeneous precipitation. Furthermore, variation in social trust is driven by weather patterns during the growing season and by historical rather than recent variability. These results are robust to the inclusion of country fixed-effects, a variety of geographical controls, and regional measures of early political and economic development.
The Necessity of Relay Selection

We determine necessary conditions on the structure of symbol error rate (SER) optimal quantizers for limited feedback beamforming in wireless networks with one transmitter-receiver pair and R parallel amplify-and-forward relays. We call a quantizer codebook "small" if its cardinality is less than R, and "large" otherwise. A "d-codebook" depends on the power constraints and can be optimized accordingly, while an "i-codebook" remains fixed. It was previously shown that any i-codebook that contains the single-relay selection (SRS) codebook achieves the full-diversity order, R. We prove the following: Every full-diversity i-codebook contains the SRS codebook, and thus is necessarily large. In general, as the power constraints grow to infinity, the limit of an optimal large d-codebook contains an SRS codebook, provided that it exists. For small codebooks, the maximal diversity is equal to the codebook cardinality. Every diversity-optimal small i-codebook is an orthogonal multiple-relay selection (OMRS) codebook. Moreover, the limit of an optimal small d-codebook is an OMRS codebook. We observe that SRS is nothing but a special case of OMRS for codebooks with cardinality equal to R. As a result, we call OMRS as "the universal necessary condition" for codebook optimality. Finally, we confirm our analytical findings through simulations.
An Empirical Investigation of the Relationship between Trust , Voice , and Proactive Personality

This research empirically examines the relationship between trust and voice, proactive personality and voice, and whether proactive personality moderates the relationship between trust and voice. A total of 105 employees were surveyed using a 14 item instrument to assess the subjects’ responses to the factors under investigation, as well as demographic characteristics. Based on regression analysis, the results indicate that higher levels of trust do not lead to higher levels of voice, individuals who have high levels of proactive personality will not express high levels of voice, and, as a result, it cannot be concluded that proactive personality will moderate the relationship between trust and voice.
Object-Oriented Approach and Texture Analysis for Change Detection in Very High Resolution Images

The objective of this paper is to develop an object-based change detection method able to qualify the nature of changes in landscapes from remotely sensed images, in terms of geometry and content. The originality of the approach consists in jointly dealing with the analysis of the object contours and the analysis of texture evolution. The method is applied on grassy strips, which are landscape buffers between crops and hydrologic networks. A geometric change index that quantify the intensity of change and that qualify it according its properties is proposed. We also present a content change index that discriminates partial change from diffuse change that affect the object of interest. It turned out that the geometric changes, most of abrupt content changes and some of subtle changes have been accurately detected. Lastly, our approach is suitable on airborne data with a Very High Resolution data and can be generalized to spaceborne images.
FLEXIBLE OBJECTS VIBRATION CONTROL AND HANDLING USING DD ROBOT ARMS

This paper addresses issue of flexible object manipulation by using robot arms. The main objective is to establish a suitable control system of the robot for performing flexible object manipulation tasks. A force sensor equipped at the wrist of the robot arm is used to measure the vibration of the flexible object. A vibration control scheme is designed based on linear feedback of vibration measured by the force sensor. The control system is established by adding the vibration control scheme into the joint trajectory tracking controller. A 2-link DD (Direct Drive) robot arm with a six axes force/torque sensor equipped at the end is used as experimental test bed. Both simulation and experiment are carried out based on joint trajectory tracking and link flexible object manipulation experiments are carried out. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed manipulating strategy based on vibration control and trajectory tracking.
DISCOVERY OF NEW DWARF GALAXIES IN THE M81 GROUP

An order of magnitude more dwarf galaxies are expected to inhabit the Local Group, based on currently accepted galaxy formation models, than have been observed. This discrepancy has been noted in environments ranging from the field to rich clusters. However, no complete census of dwarf galaxies exists in any environment. The discovery of the smallest and faintest dwarfs is hampered by the limitations in detecting such faint and low surface brightness galaxies. An even greater difficulty is establishing distances to, or group/cluster membership for, such faint galaxies. The M81 Group provides an almost unique opportunity for establishing membership for galaxies in a low-density region complete to magnitudes as faint as . With a distance modulus of 27.8, the tip of the red giant branch just resolves in ground-based surveys. We have surveyed a 65 deg2 region around M81 with Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam. From these images, we have detected 22 new dwarf galaxy candidates. Photometric, morphological, and structural properties are presented for the candidates. The group luminosity function has a faint-end slope characterized by the parameter α = −1.27 ± 0.06. We discuss implications of this dwarf galaxy population for cosmological models.
Presenting features of newly diagnosed rheumatic heart disease patients in Mulago Hospital: a pilot study

INTRODUCTION Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) continues to cause gross distortions of the heart and the associated complications of heart failure and thromboembolic phenomena in this age of numerous high-efficacy drugs and therapeutic interventions. Due to the lack of contemporary local data, there is no national strategy for the control and eradication of the disease in Uganda. This study aimed to describe the presenting clinical features of newly diagnosed patients with RHD, with particular reference to the frequency of serious complications (atrial fibrillation, systemic embolism, heart failure and pulmonary hypertension) in the study group. METHODS One hundred and thirty consecutive patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were recruited over a period of eight months from June 2011 to January 2012 at the Mulago Hospital, Uganda. Data on demographic characteristics, disease severity and presence of complications were collected by means of a standardised questionnaire. RESULTS Seventy-one per cent of the patients were female with a median age of 33 years. The peak age of the study group was 20 to 39 years, with the commonest presenting symptoms being palpitations, fatigue, chest pain and dyspnoea. The majority of the patients presented with moderate-to-severe valvular disease. Pure mitral regurgitation was the commonest valvular disease (40.2%), followed by mitral regurgitation plus aortic regurgitation (29%). Mitral regurgitation plus aortic regurgitation plus mitral stenosis was found in 11% of patients. There was only one case involving the tricuspid valve. The pulmonary valves were not affected in all patients; 45.9% of patients presented in severe heart failure in NYHA class III/IV, 53.3% had pulmonary hypertension, 13.9% had atrial fibrillation and 8.2% had infective endocarditis. All patients presented with dilated atria (> 49 mm). CONCLUSION A significant proportion of RHD patients present to hospital with severe disease associated with severe complications of advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, infective endocarditis and atrial fibrillation. There is a need to improve awareness of the disease among the population, and clinical suspicion in primary health workers, so that early referral to specialist management can be done before severe damage to the heart ensues.
Study on Wavelet Transform in the Processing for ECG Signals

ECG signals often are mixed with the myo-electrical interference, the power frequency interference and the baseline drift, and traditional filtering methods have certain shortcomings, which badly impact on the detection and the analysis of ECG(Electrocardiogram) signals, so we use Wavelet Transform to filter out noise interferences of ECG signals for the above mentioned problem. Firstly, coif4 wavelet is adopted to scale decompose ECG signals containing noises, secondly, the soft and hard threshold value quantify high-frequency coefficients of every scale, finally, the wavelet reconstructs high-frequency coefficients of every scale which are quantified by the threshold value to get ECG signals being filtering. Experiments show that Wavelet Transform has well real-time and good filtering effect, and it has more obvious advantages more than traditional methods.
Class of bipartite quantum states satisfying the original Bell inequality

In a general setting, we introduce a new bipartite state property sufficient for the validity of the perfect correlation form of the original Bell inequality for any three bounded quantum observables. A bipartite quantum state with this property does not necessarily exhibit perfect correlations. The class of bipartite states specified by this property includes both separable and nonseparable states. We prove analytically that, for any dimension d ≥ 3, every Werner state, separable or nonseparable, belongs to this class.
Fast algorithms for liquid crystal modelling

We review different modeling and computational methods to determine the Q-tensor representation of the director field alignment in the absence of defects. Under this condition it is possible to represent the reorientation dynamics of the director field as the motion of the Q-tensor over an invariant manifold. This new representation allows us to develop very accurate codes for the alignment that are orders of magnitude faster than an equivalent full Q-tensor code. We illustrate this principle by discussing the case of a pure liquid crystal with or without flow and the case of a liquid crystal doped with fixed metallic nano-inclusions.