Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is Age of 80 Years a Threshold for Carotid Revascularization?

Background and purpose: Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting (CAS) has emerged as an alternative to Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) in treatment of carotid stenotic disease. With increasing life expectancy clinicians are more often confronted with patients of higher age. Octogenarians were often excluded from randomized trials comparing CAS to CEA because they were considered high-risk for revascularization. Conflicting results on the peri-procedural outcome of carotid revascularization in these patients have been reported. In order to objectively evaluate whether age above 80 years should be an upper limit for indicating carotid revascularization we systematically reviewed the currently available literature. Methods: Literature was systematically reviewed between January 2000 and June 2010 using Pubmed and Embase, to identify all relevant studies concerning CAS and CEA in octogenarians. Inclusion criteria were 1) reporting outcome on either CEA or CAS; and 2) data subanalysis on treatment outcome by age. The 30-day Major Adverse Event (MAE) rate (disabling stroke, myocardial infarction or death) was extracted as well as demographic features of included patients. Results: After exclusion of 23 articles, 46 studies were included in this review, 18 involving CAS and 28 involving CEA. A total of 2.963 CAS patients and 14.365 CEA patients with an age >80 years were reviewed. The MAE rate was 6.9% (range 1.6 - 24.0%) following CAS and 4.2% (range 0 – 8.8%) following CEA. A separate analysis in this review included the results of one major registry 140.376 patients) analyzing CEA in octogenarians only reporting on 30-day mortality and not on neurological or cardiac adverse events. When these data were included the MAE following CEA is 2.4% (range 0 – 8.8%) Conclusions: MAE rates after CEA in octogenarians are comparable with the results of large randomized trials in younger patients. Higher complication rates are described for CAS in octogenarians. In general, age > 80 years is not an absolute cut off point to exclude patients from carotid surgery. In our opinion, CEA should remain the golden standard in the treatment of significant carotid artery stenoses, even in the very elderly.
An Algorithm to Find Minimal Sound and Complete Partitions for Model Checking

ION1: For each variable, put all variable values that do not appear in the property in the same equivalence class. Formally, 8i; 1 i n, let D i ( ) = fd i;1 ; :::; d i;k g, 1 k m. Then create a class ^ d i;l 2 PART (D i ), 1 l < m, for which h i (d i;1 ) = h i (d i;2 ) = . = h i (d i;k ) = ^ d i;l . Using our abbreviation, 8i; 1 i n, A(D i ( )) 2 PART (D i ). Lemma p1: For each variable v i , Abstraction1 creates a partition over D i ( ). (proof is obvious) Theorem1: Abstraction1 is sound.
Attitudinal Dimensions of Supervising Teachers and of Elementary and Secondary Student Teachers

As Getzels and Jackson (2) have indicated, the personality of the teacher is a significant variable in the classroom. However, the single most general reason for conceptual and experimental limitation on personality has been the failure to develop an adequate theoretical base. This is as true of research on attitudes as on any other aspect of personality. In their work in experimental semantics, Osgood, Suci, and Tannenbaum (5) have developed a rationale for attitude measure-
The use/non-use of ne in the spoken French of university-level learners of French as a second language in the Canadian context

ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of a sociolinguistic analysis of ne use/non-use in the spoken French of learners of French as a second language enrolled in their first or fourth year of undergraduate studies in a bilingual university in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, it examines the impact of various linguistic and extra-linguistic factors on the students’ use of the variants and compares the patterns found to previous research on ne use/non-use among Ontario high school FSL learners and on other sociolinguistic variables in the speech of the same university FSL learners under study here. The paper concludes that while many of the same influences are at work in the speech of both the university and high school learners, the precise influences appear to be modified with continued study and that many of these patterns are similar across variables within the university FSL learners’ speech.
Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease among Adult Patients Attending Outpatient Clinic at a General Hospital in South Angola

Background. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis, whose prevalence is increasing worldwide, and is associated with all-cause mortality. However, no study has assessed this disease in Huambo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of PAD in patients attending an outpatient clinic at a general hospital in Huambo, South Angola. Methods. A cross-sectional study, including 115 patients aged 40 years and older attending an outpatient service. The evaluation included a basic questionnaire for lifestyle and medical history and ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement using hand-held Doppler. PAD was defined as an ABI ≤0.9 in either lower limb. Results. Of 115 patients, 62.60% were women with a median age of 52.5 (range of 40 to 91) years. The prevalence of PAD was 42.6% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 95%: 33.91–52.17%). Among patients with PAD, 95.92% had mild disease and 4.08% moderate to severe disease. The main risk factor for PAD was age (≥60 years) (χ 2 = 3.917, P ≤ 0.05). The prevalence was slightly higher in men and hypertensive subjects, but without statistical significance with ORs of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.69–3.21) and 1.42 (95% CI: 0.64–3.17), respectively. Hypertension was also high in the group (66.95%). Conclusion. The prevalence of PAD was 42.6%, higher in those aged 60 years and older. More studies, with representative samples, are necessary to clarify PAD prevalence and associated risk factors.
Social Norms of Sharing in High School: Teen Giving in the Dictator Game

We conduct a study of altruistic behavior among high school students using the dictator game. We find a much stronger norm of equal splitting than previously observed in the typical university student population, with almost 45% of high school subjects choosing an equal split of the endowment. Tests indicate that this difference is not due to factors traditionally considered in the analysis of these games, such as demographics. Rather, we find that dictators who score higher on a Social Generosity measure are much more likely to conform to the 50/50 norm. Additionally, high school students who score in the high range of an Independence measure send significantly less to recipients.
Fitness Comparisons Among Three Different Levels of Elite Tennis Players

Three levels of elite junior tennis players were tested using a U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) protocol. The USTA National Team (M age 15.4 yrs), Development Camp (DC) participants (M age 13.6 yrs), and 250 juniors attending USTA area training centers (ATC) provided fitness and injury risk data. To determine whether any of these measures may be related to tennis performance, discriminant function analyses were conducted in an attempt to predict group membership. The results yielded an accurate prediction of 95.5, 91.3, and 85.7% for National Team, DC, and ATC players, respectively, based on personal fitness variables, without including either gender or age. This suggests a strong significant relationship between strength, flexibility and conditioning measures, and tennis performance. Therefore, training in speed, strength, agility, and flexibility as measured by the 3 tests may become more important determinants of competitive tennis ability as players reach higher skill levels.
Women of Mystery

This article explores the learning pathways of 15 Canadian and American female crime fiction authors. Using a critical feminist perspective, it argues that despite the neoliberal rhetoric of individual choice, as in most careers, there are social-structural factors that create opportunities and barriers for women mystery writers. The article explores the background factors that shape women’s interest in writing crime fiction, considers the challenges that they face in developing their careers, and looks at the supports that may help them to attain success. Despite challenges, there is often intrinsic value in doing meaningful work that may motivate women to develop a fiction-writing career.
A Comprehensive Approach to Technology Training for Early Childhood Teachers

This study describes the development and implementation of a comprehensive approach to computer technology training for early childhood teachers. Departing from the singular goal of conveying skills and knowledge, a comprehensive program targets the development of teachers' attitudes and practices as well as knowledge and skills. All 3 areas are regarded as equally important for the development of teacher technology proficiency. Evaluation of the program documented its effectiveness. Compared to nonparticipants, teachers in the training program had significantly higher scores in all 3 goal areas: attitudes, knowledge and skills, and practices. Results of the study indicate that a comprehensive approach is an effective means of training teachers in computer technology. Implications of the study are discussed with regard to the strategy of developing the "whole teacher" and emergence of the domain of educational technology.
Age at menarche in Congolese women: relative importance of determinants linked to physical activity and family structure

Objective: To assess the effects of family structure and physical activity on late menarche. Research Methods and Procedures: Retrospectively ages at menarche, family sizes, birth orders and other variables were studied in 238 Congolese women including 90 pre-menarche-trained athletes, 18 postmenarchetrained athletes and 130 non-athletes. Results: Mean age at menarche was later (p<0.001) in pre-menarche (15.36 + 1.04 yrs) compared to postmenarche athletes (13.93 + 1.03 yrs) or to non-athletes (14.03 + 1.22 yrs), but similar (p>0.4) between these two last groups. Mean birth order or birth order within a family size was higher (p<0.01) in athletes than in non-athletes. Mean family size or sex ratio did not differ between groups. Controlling for the effect of duration of training before menarche abolished family size or birth order slight effect (p<0.05) on age at menarche, while the duration of training substantial effect (p<0.001) on age at menarche persisted after controlling for family size and birth order effects. Regression analysis confirmed that duration of training was a better predictor of age at menarche than family size or birth order in pre-menarche athletes. Conclusion: Physical activity before puberty seems to be a more important determinant of late menarche than family structure.
Problem Finding in Professional Learning Communities: A Learning Study Approach

This study marries collaborative problem solving and learning study in understanding the onset of a cycle of teacher professional development process within school-based professional learning communities (PLCs). It aimed to explore how a PLC carried out collaborative problem finding—a key process involved in collaborative problem solving—that has received minimal attention in the extant literature. In line with this goal, we adopted the learning study approach, which highlights the application of a theory in research lessons. Multiple data sources were drawn upon to construct a narrative description of four consecutive meetings, detailing challenges and turning points that teachers experienced while engaged in collaborative problem finding, and how the process was facilitated by developing shared understandings of the complexity of possible curricular problems and establishing a common ground amongst teachers. Other modes of action and factors that can facilitate the process of collaborative problem finding are also presented.
Revisiting Activation Regularization for Language RNNs

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) serve as a fundamental building block for many sequence tasks across natural language processing. Recent research has focused on recurrent dropout techniques or custom RNN cells in order to improve performance. Both of these can require substantial modifications to the machine learning model or to the underlying RNN configurations. We revisit traditional regularization techniques, specifically L2 regularization on RNN activations and slowness regularization over successive hidden states, to improve the performance of RNNs on the task of language modeling. Both of these techniques require minimal modification to existing RNN architectures and result in performance improvements comparable or superior to more complicated regularization techniques or custom cell architectures. These regularization techniques can be used without any modification on optimized LSTM implementations such as the NVIDIA cuDNN LSTM.
The Neighborhood Diversity Index: A Complementary Measure of Racial Residential Settlement

This article proposes another research approach available to researchers for studying racial and ethnic integration. The measure, called the Neighborhood Diversity (ND) index, allows researchers to include multiple racial and ethnic categories while adhering to a comparable understanding of integration. The value of the ND index is illustrated through an examination of residential settlement by race in Chicago neighborhoods in 1980 and 1990. Despite the limitations of the measure, the ND index provides an important tool for measuring and categorizing increasingly multiethnic and multiracial populations, and for broadening our understanding of neighborhood integration and transition.
Detection of the Newcastle disease virus and its effect on development of post-vaccination immunity in a commercial flock of laying hens

The aim of this study was to monitor the concentration of antibodies against Newcastle disease after vaccination of laying hens at the beginning and in the end of the laying period. The study was carried out in one commercial flock of laying hens in Opatovice in the Czech Republic in the years 2008–2010. A total of 280 samples of blood sera were taken from laying hens coming from four poultry houses. The sera were tested by the haemagglutination inhibition test according to the OIE Manual. Virological testing was conducted as a consequence of atypical results of serological testing. Newcastle disease virus RNA was proved by the RT-nested PCR method in the pooled tissue samples of 5 hens, in the samples of intestines with ileocaecal tonsila, in trachea and also in one swab sample from the environment of one house. Based on sequencing analysis and subsequent phylogenetic analysis, the virus was identified as a low pathogenic strain of paramyxovirus (PMV-1). This low pathogenic strain did not have any impact on the health of laying hens.
Thioredoxin Ameliorates Cutaneous Inflammation by Regulating the Epithelial Production and Release of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines

Human thioredoxin-1 (TRX) is a 12-kDa protein with redox-active dithiol in the active site -Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys-. It has been demonstrated that systemic administration and transgenic overexpression of TRX ameliorate inflammation in various animal models, but its anti-inflammatory mechanism is not well characterized. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of topically applied recombinant human TRX (rhTRX) in a murine irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) induced by croton oil. Topically applied rhTRX was distributed only in the skin tissues under both non-inflammatory and inflammatory conditions, and significantly suppressed the inflammatory response by inhibiting the production of cytokines and chemokines, such as TNF-α, Il-1β, IL-6, CXCL-1, and MCP-1. In an in vitro study, rhTRX also significantly inhibited the formation of cytokines and chemokines produced by keratinocytes after exposure to croton oil and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. These results indicate that TRX prevents skin inflammation via the inhibition of local formation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. As a promising new approach, local application of TRX may be useful for the treatment of various skin and mucosal inflammatory disorders.
Facet Importance and the Job Satisfaction of School Principals

The theory that perceptions of job facet satisfaction are already weighted by importance was investigated with reference to elementary and junior high school principals in Alberta, Canada. Relationships were examined between (a) the importance of job facets for satisfaction and (b) satisfaction with job facets and overall job satisfaction. Results indicated that, contrary to findings in professions other than education, assessments of facet importance may not be implicit in assessments of job satisfaction. Facet importance and facet satisfaction should therefore be investigated as separate variables, and initiatives to enhance school administrators' satisfaction may best be focused on important matters such as involvement in hiring of staff (elementary schools) and the performance of students and teachers (junior high schools). In view of the changing role of school principals in many locations, studies of job satisfaction and the importance of job facets for satisfaction are needed urgently.
Long-Term Effects of Peace Workshops in Protracted Conflicts

The current study evaluates the efficacy of an intensive four-day contact intervention (a peace workshop) organized in Sri Lanka and represents an initial step toward understanding the long-term impact of such interventions on attitudes and behaviors in the context of protracted ethnic conflict. Compared with two control groups, the participant group showed greater empathy toward members of the “other”ethnicity, even one year after participation in the peace workshops. Consistent with the attitudinal data on empathy, participants donated more money to help poor children of the “other” ethnicity than did nonparticipants. Implications are discussed.
Contemporary Latin American Perspectives on Masculinity

This article reviews major studies carried out in recent decades on Latin American men as engendered actors—products and producers of gender relations. The materials analyzed are organized around the principal themes within which studies of masculinity in Latin America have been framed, namely the construction of masculine identity, fatherhood, practices and representations, homosocial spaces of masculinity, reproductive health, and masculine sexuality. Through an examination of the current literature, the aims are to provide information on some of the current debates that have emerged on masculinity in Latin America, to identify some of the unexplored themes, and to raise questions about the ways in which masculinity has been understood and studied.
Moving on: From Enterprise policy to Innovation Policy in the Western Balkans

Significant progress has been made in recent years in the development of enterprise policy in the Western Balkans. Issues remain, however, in the support provided for innovative enterprises. In this paper we use data from the 2005 Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey to identify the determinants of innovation in locally-owned firms in the Western Balkans and compare these to the other CEEE countries and the CIS. Based on an econometric examination of the innovation production function in each area we observe marked differences in the determinants of innovation. First, in the Western Balkan countries (WBCs) R&D and higher-level skills have little impact on firms' innovation outputs, a result which contrasts strongly with results for the CEEE, CIS and other more developed economies. Second, we find no evidence of innovation benefits from urban locations in innovation in the WBCs or that public support is having any positive effect on innovation outcomes. Again, this experience is at odds with evidence from other regions. Third, innovation outputs in the WBCs are being negatively influenced by aspects of the business environment. These results suggest a need for an active and rather interventionist innovation policy in the WBCs to address these system failures. A range of policy options are developed.
Start-Ups by the Unemployed: Characteristics, Survival and Direct Employment Effects

Start-Ups by the Unemployed: Characteristics, Survival and Direct Employment Effects Fostering and supporting start-up businesses by unemployed persons has become an increasingly important issue in many European countries. These new ventures are being supported by various governmental programs. Potential benefits include not only the end of unemployment for the new entrepreneur but also some further positive effects, e.g., direct job creation. However, it is often feared that the previously unemployed lack the basic qualifications to become entrepreneurs. Empirical evidence on skill-composition, direct job creation and other key variables is rather scarce, largely because of inadequate data availability. We base our analysis on a unique and very informative survey data containing a representative sample of over 3,100 start-ups founded by unemployed persons in Germany. Individuals were subsidized under two different schemes, and we are able to draw on extensive preand post-founding information concerning the characteristics of the business (start-up capital, industry, etc.) and of the business founders (education, motivation, preparation, etc.). We find that formerly unemployed founders are motivated by push and pull factors. Using a proportional hazard duration model with unobserved heterogeneity allows us to analyze the characteristics which drive success of the businesses. While survival rates 2.5 years after business founding are quite high (around 70%) for both programs and genders, the characteristics of the newly developed businesses are heterogeneous. JEL Classification: J68, M13
Receptor-mediated delivery of engineered nucleases for genome modification

Engineered nucleases, which incise the genome at predetermined sites, have a number of laboratory and clinical applications. There is, however, a need for better methods for controlled intracellular delivery of nucleases. Here, we demonstrate a method for ligand-mediated delivery of zinc finger nucleases (ZFN) proteins using transferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis. Uptake is rapid and efficient in established mammalian cell lines and in primary cells, including mouse and human hematopoietic stem-progenitor cell populations. In contrast to cDNA expression, ZFN protein levels decline rapidly following internalization, affording better temporal control of nuclease activity. We show that transferrin-mediated ZFN uptake leads to site-specific in situ cleavage of the target locus. Additionally, despite the much shorter duration of ZFN activity, the efficiency of gene correction approaches that seen with cDNA-mediated expression. The approach is flexible and general, with the potential for extension to other targeting ligands and nuclease architectures.