Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robustifying Convex Risk Measures for Linear Portfolios: A Nonparametric Approach

This paper introduces a framework for robustifying convex, law invariant risk measures. The robustified risk measures are defined as the worst case portfolio risk over neighborhoods of a reference probability measure, which represent the investors' beliefs about the distribution of future asset losses. It is shown that under mild conditions, the infinite dimensional optimization problem of finding the worst-case risk can be solved analytically and closed-form expressions for the robust risk measures are obtained. Using these results, robust versions of several risk measures including the standard deviation, the Conditional Value-at-Risk, and the general class of distortion functionals are derived. The resulting robust risk measures are convex and can be easily incorporated into portfolio optimization problems, and a numerical study shows that in most cases they perform significantly better out-of-sample than their nonrobust variants in terms of risk, expected losses, and turnover.
Signals in Expository Prose: Effects on Reading Comprehension.

THE AUTHORS examine the effects of three signal types on relatively sophisticated readers and their comprehension of technical expository prose. A signal is generally described as a word, phrase, or statement that preannounces content and/or reveals relationships in content. Previous studies have failed to show consistent effects for signals with good comprehenders. Approximately 300 college-level subjects (pre-engineering majors) read one of four passages and then answered questions examining detail information, superordinate information, and implicit relationships. The passages were of different lengths and reading levels and covered four technical topics (nitrates, corrosion, algae, and biomedical research). Eight versions of each passage were constructed through addition, deletion, and combination of the three signal types: (a) headings, (b) previews, and (c) logical connectives. The authors conclude from the results that all three signal types can enhance comprehension, but that such facilitation depends on passage length and difficulty. In this study, the passage that was most appropriately challenging for the readers, neither too easy nor too difficult, produced the clearest effect for signals.
Sh3tc2 deficiency affects neuregulin‐1/ErbB signaling

Mutations in SH3TC2 trigger autosomal recessive demyelinating Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth type 4C (CMT4C) neuropathy. Sh3tc2 is specifically expressed in Schwann cells and is necessary for proper myelination of peripheral axons. In line with the early onset of neuropathy observed in patients with CMT4C, our analyses of the murine model of CMT4C revealed that the myelinating properties of Sh3tc2‐deficient Schwann cells are affected at an early stage. This early phenotype is associated with changes in the canonical Nrg1/ErbB pathway involved in control of myelination. We demonstrated that Sh3tc2 interacts with ErbB2 and plays a role in the regulation of ErbB2 intracellular trafficking from the plasma membrane upon Nrg1 activation. Interestingly, both the loss of Sh3tc2 function in mice and the pathological mutations present in CMT4C patients affect ErbB2 internalization, potentially altering its downstream intracellular signaling pathways. Altogether, our results indicate that the molecular mechanism for the axonal size sensing is disturbed in Sh3tc2‐deficient myelinating Schwann cells, thus providing a novel insight into the pathophysiology of CMT4C neuropathy.
Storying my self: negotiating a relational identity in professional sport

Much existing sport research subscribes to a dominant performance narrative which prescribes sacrifice, dedication, discipline and an overriding focus on winning as prerequisites for success in sport. Recently, however, narrative scholars have criticised the performance narrative on the basis of its damaging effects on identity development and psychological well‐being and have identified alternative but silenced life stories among highly successful professional sportspeople. These alternative stories allow athletes to resist the dominant performance narrative and thereby sustain a multi‐dimensional identity and sense of self. My purpose with this paper is to provide some insight into how these narrative processes unfold through an autoethnographic approach which foregrounds particular moments of my own life in sport. Through telling these stories I hope to illuminate processes of identity construction and negotiation in the context of a golf career which included multiple professional tournament wins, two European Master’s Championships and representation of England, Great Britain and Europe.
The Ecological Structure of Negro Homicide

State rates of Negro American homicide vary sharply across the nation. An ecological analysis of these differences reveals two principal correlates: homicidal culture (as measured by the white homicide rates of the native states of Negroes) and the percentage of non-white makes born out of state. Two orthogonal patterns of high Negro homicide rates emerge: one involves high homocidal culture with rapid social change and is centered in fringe southern states; the other involves medium homicidal culture with high non-white in-migration and is centered in the Midwest. These findings are consistent with a variety of historical, survey, and crime data on homicidal culture and migration.
Wnt/β-catenin signaling directs the regional expansion of first and second heart field-derived ventricular cardiomyocytes

In mammals, cardiac development proceeds from the formation of the linear heart tube, through complex looping and septation, all the while increasing in mass to provide the oxygen delivery demands of embryonic growth. The developing heart must orchestrate regional differences in cardiomyocyte proliferation to control cardiac morphogenesis. During ventricular wall formation, the compact myocardium proliferates more vigorously than the trabecular myocardium, but the mechanisms controlling such regional differences among cardiomyocyte populations are not understood. Control of definitive cardiomyocyte proliferation is of great importance for application to regenerative cell-based therapies. We have used murine and human pluripotent stem cell systems to demonstrate that, during in vitro cellular differentiation, early ventricular cardiac myocytes display a robust proliferative response to β-catenin-mediated signaling and conversely accelerate differentiation in response to inhibition of this pathway. Using gain- and loss-of-function murine genetic models, we show that β-catenin controls ventricular myocyte proliferation during development and the perinatal period. We further demonstrate that the differential activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway accounts for the observed differences in the proliferation rates of the compact versus the trabecular myocardium during normal cardiac development. Collectively, these results provide a mechanistic explanation for the differences in localized proliferation rates of cardiac myocytes and point to a practical method for the generation of the large numbers of stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes necessary for clinical applications.
Development and Validation of the Affect Intolerance Scale to Assess Maladaptive Beliefs and Avoidance of Emotion

Cognitive processes are considered integral to the conceptualisation of emotional disorders and distress. Contemporary models have emphasised the importance of individual differences in the interpretation of internal events, including emotions. Maladaptive beliefs about emotional experience may motivate unhelpful control strategies, and impact negatively on psychological wellbeing. Building on existing measures of emotion, an integrative scale was developed to assess a range of maladaptive beliefs about the experience of negative emotions. Psychometric evaluation provided preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the Affect Intolerance Scale (AIS). Furthermore, the scale demonstrated a unique relationship with clinical symptomatology (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress and worry) above and beyond existing measures assessing dimensions of emotional experience. Potential utility of the measure for clinical practice and avenues for future research are discussed.
Cognitive Therapy for Adolescent and Young Adult Suicide Attempters

Although there is a large and increasing literature on biological, psychological, and social characteristics of suicidal behavior, there is a relative lack of information dealing specifically with how to treat suicidal adolescents and young adults. A 10-session cognitive intervention for older adolescents and young adults who have attempted suicide is described in detail. A novel element of the therapy is that the treatment can be applied to individuals exhibiting suicidal behavior, regardless of psychiatric diagnosis. Information is provided about how to structure therapy sessions and how therapy progresses through the early, middle, and later stages. New, specific strategies are offered for helping suicidal individuals learn to cope more adaptively with crises and distress.
Individuality and the prejudiced personality

Many researchers maintain that individual psychological processes related to our human evolutionary inheritance, a person's particular genetic make-up, and/or childhood learning and socialisation patterns are a root cause of prejudice. The effects of collective processes on the individual are considered to be largely in the past, producing individual personalities and social attitudes that are relatively fixed and enduring. There is, however, an alternative perspective on the impact of the collective embodied in self-categorization theory (SCT). From the SCT perspective, the self is both personal and collective, and shifts in the nature of self-categorisation produce qualitative shifts in judgements of oneself and others. Through one's identity as a group member, contemporary social forces can shape the psychology of the person. This analysis not only has direct implications for how we understand the relationship between personality and prejudice, but also offers an alternative way of thinking about personality itself. What emerges from our own and related research on prejudice is a more complex analysis of individuality, one that is ineluctably embedded in contemporary intragroup and intergroup identities and the societal and ideological realities that define group life as well as in past learning and maturation.
The Fading Abnormal Returns of Momentum Strategies

We find increasingly large variations in returns from momentum strategies in recent years. Momentum strategies did not earn significant excess returns during the period of 1993-2004 which was due to their poor performance over the period from 2001-2004. Using sub-samples of smaller capitalization stocks increases momentum portfolio returns and reduces return volatity. We also evaluate momentum portfolios that are formed prior to the end of month portfolio formation universally used in the academic literature. Consistent with institutional momentum trading affecting end of month returns and volatility, we find that 'front-running' a momentum strategy generates similar, but less volatile returns than following a month-end strategy.
Adding Synchronization and Rolling Shutter in Multi-Camera Bundle Adjustment

Multi-cameras built by fixing together several consumer cameras become popular and are convenient for applications like 360 videos. However, their self-calibration is not easy since they are composed of several unsynchronized and rolling shutter cameras. This paper introduces a new bundle adjustment for these multi-cameras that estimates not only the usual parameters (camera poses and 3D points) but also the synchronization and the rolling shutter of the cameras. We experiment using videos taken by GoPro cameras mounted on a helmet, moving along trajectories of several hundreds of meters or kilometers, and compare our results to ground truth.
Long-term endurance exercise decreases antiangiogenic endostatin signalling in overweight men aged 50–60 years

Background: Endurance training may decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. It has been speculated that these effects may be due to an exercise-induced stimulation of angiogenesis. The underlying mechanisms are not yet clear. Therefore, using ELISA, we investigated the plasma level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, angiogenic factor) and endostatin (antiangiogenic factor) in a group of untrained men aged 50–60 years with obesity. Methods: All men were randomised into a “running” group (training 3 times/week, 60 min each, n = 7), a “cycling” group ( training 3 times/week, 90 min each, n = 7) and a sedentary control group ( n = 7). Both training groups worked at moderate intensity (2–4 mmol/l lactate). The intervention had a duration of 6 months. Before and after this period, blood samples were taken from the participants at rest and they underwent a medical investigation. Results: Body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and plasma levels of VEGF and endostatin were comparable in all three groups. Endurance training significantly reduced BMI in both exercise groups (mean (SEM) before v after 29.7 (0.7) v 29.1 (0.6) kg/m2 and 31.1 (0.7) v 30.1 (0.9) kg/m2 for the running and cycling groups respectively) but not in the control group (30.0 (1.0) v 30.2 (0.8) kg/m2). Endurance training did not influence VEGF plasma level (before v after 1.3 (0.4) v 1.5 (0.2) ng/ml for the running group; 1.6 (0.3) v 1.5 (0.2) ng/ml for the cycling group; and 2.5 (0.6) v 2.1 (0.7) ng/ml for the control group). Plasma level of endostatin was significantly reduced in both exercise groups (mean (SEM) before v after: 20.9 (1.6 v 17.5 (1.0) ng/ml and 21.3 (1.4 v 18.0 (1.6) ng/ml for the running and cycling groups respectively) but not in controls (19.7 (1.3 v 17.7 (1.1 ng/ml). Conclusions: Endurance training may reduce the antiangiogenic mechanisms in men aged 50–60 years by reducing endostatin plasma level and this may subsequently decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Decoupled-dynamics distributed control for strings of nonlinear autonomous agents

We introduce a novel distributed control architecture for a class of nonlinear dynamical agents moving in the “string” formation, while guaranteeing trajectory tracking and collision avoidance. Each autonomous agent uses information and relative measurements only with respect to its predecessor in the string. The performance of the scheme is entirely scalable with respect to the number of agents in formation. The scalability is a consequence of the “decoupling” of a certain bounded approximation of the closed-loop equations, entailing that individual, local analyses of the closed-loops stability at each agent will in turn guarantee the aggregated stability of the entire formation. An efficient, practical method for compensating communications induced delays is also presented.
Mediators of apoptosis Fas and FasL predict disability progression in multiple sclerosis over a period of 10 years

TNF-α, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-β1, CCR3, CXCR3, CCR5, Fas and FasL mRNA levels in PBMC of 25 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were quantified at baseline by real-time PCR according to a post-hoc study design. The baseline values of the different markers were analysed with respect to their correlation with the increase in disability over a period of 10 years. High levels of Fas mRNA were associated with a favourable disease course in relapsing-remitting (RR) MS (R2 = 0.74, P = 0.0001, n = 13), as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS); high levels of FasL mRNA were associated with relatively mild disease progression (R2 = 0.86, P = 0.0001, n = 12) in secondary progressive (SP) MS. These findings suggest that Fas-mediated apoptosis plays a major role in the mechanism underlying long-term disease progression in MS.
Helping Them Live Until They Die: Volunteer Practices in Palliative Home Care

Volunteers traditionally play an essential role in palliative care. Without them, many community and institutional programs would not survive. Despite the significant number of volunteers involved in palliative care, the nature and scope of their actions remain ambiguous. The blurred boundaries of their contribution create tensions between professionals, families, and volunteers with regards to patient care and sharing of responsibilities. This article reports on a comprehensive and descriptive qualitative study aimed at understanding volunteer practices in home palliative care in Canada through analysis of volunteers’ discourse. The conceptual framework not only allows for a description of volunteer practices but also for an understanding of those practices in terms of the meaning volunteers ascribe to their actions and interactions. The information gathered provides a better understanding of the place of volunteers within the palliative care system, thereby allowing communities to optimize their contribution to the palliative care mission.
Mucinous cystadenoma of the testis

A 35‐year‐old man complained of a painless enlargement of the right testis. Imaging diagnostic procedures demonstrated a multiloculated cystic tumor, 9 cm in maximal diameter, in the right testis with hydrocele. Orchidectomy specimen showed that the tumor was confined within the testis and separated from the epididymis. The locules of the tumor were lined by single‐layered columnar epithelium, intermingled with MUC2 immunopositive goblet and chromogranin‐A immunopositive neuroendocrine cells, exhibiting intestinal differentiation. No ciliated cell, teratomatous element or intratubular germ cell neoplasia were seen. Channels of rete testis were compressed peripherally by the tumor but there was no connection with the tumor locules. The tumor was diagnosed as mucinous cystadenoma of the testis. This seems to be the first published case of benign mucinous cystadenoma occurring within the testis. This intratesticular tumor with intestinal differentiation may represent a benign monodermal teratoma.
Laminin-311 (Laminin-6) Fiber Assembly by Type I-like Alveolar Cells

Two epithelial cell types cover the alveolar surface of the lung. Type II alveolar epithelial cells produce surfactant and, during development or following wounding, give rise to type I cells that are involved in gas exchange and alveolar fluid homeostasis. In culture, freshly isolated alveolar type II cells assume a more squamous (type I-like) appearance within 4 days after plating. They assemble numerous focal adhesions that associate with the actin cytoskeleton at the cell margins. These alveolar epithelial cells lose expression of type II cell markers including SP-C and after 4 days in culture express the type I cell marker T1α. Those cells that express T1α also deposit fibers of laminin-311 in their matrix. The latter appears to be related to their development of a type I phenotype because freshly isolated, primary type I cells also assemble laminin-311-rich fibers in vitro. A β1 integrin antibody antagonist inhibits the assembly of laminin-311 matrix fibers. Moreover, the formation of laminin fibers is dependent on the activity of the small GTPases and is perturbed by ML-7, a myosin light chain kinase inhibitor. In summary, our data indicate that assembly of laminin-311 fibers by lung epithelial cells is integrin and actin cytoskeleton dependent, and that these fibers are characteristic of type I alveolar cells.
Kidney Stones in Children and Teenagers in the Central Coast Region of Tunisia

Objective Since 1980s, the clinical and biological characteristics of urolithiasis in Tunisian children have continuously evolved. This retrospective study defines the current status of urolithiasis among children and adolescents in Tunisia. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 310 children and adolescents (age: 3 months - 19 years) between 2003 and 2010, holding urolithiasis. A first-line metabolic, urine and plasma work-up was performed in all patients. Physical and chemical analysis of the stones was performed respectively by stereomicroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Statistical analysis of the results was performed with SPSS 11.0 software. The Chi-square test was used for comparison of percentages. Findings Our study shows a male predominance of urolithiasis with a sex ratio of 1.5. Stones were located in the upper urinary tract in 70.7% of cases. Calcium oxalate was the predominant constituent in 52.6% of stones. There was an increasing prevalence of calcium oxalate stones according to age in both genders (48.6% in infants vs 68.5% in teenagers (P<0.01)). Struvite was more frequent in patients aged 2-9 years (P<0.02) and significantly more prevalent in boys than in girls (P<0.001). Ammonium urate stones were observed in 14.2% and were more frequent in infants. Conclusion Our results emphasize a high percentage of calcium oxalate stones and a low percentage of struvite stones. The persistence of urate stones reflects the particular eating habits and the infectious risk factors. The patient's age is an important factor that must be taken into account during etiopathogenic work-up.
Grief as a Family Process: A Developmental Approach to Clinical Practice

Shapiro, Ester R. (1994). Grief as a Family Process: A Developmental Approach to Clinical Practice. New York: Guilford. 307 pp. Hardcover ISBN 0-89862-196-8, price $30.00. Using a comfortable narrative style and pertinent case studies, Shapiro gives clinicians and grief counselors an excellent new resource. This book is a well written professional accounting of an integrative systems approach to supporting not only those facing death but also the important people in their lives. Acknowledging that a culturally based denial of death as an imminent and final phase in the cycle of life is an awkward base for grief work, Shapiro challenges the reader to first address her or his own personal loss issues before attempting to help others. Shapiro argues that grief is a deeply shared family developmental transition, involving a crisis of attachment and a crisis of identity for family members. Both the management of intense emotions and the organization of a personal identity are achieved through a collaborative, mutually responsive family developmental process throughout the family life cycle. She proposes that managing the crisis of grief involves reestablishing a stable equilibrium necessary to support ongoing family development and day-to-day functioning by creating new family structures. The greater the family's resources and supports from each individual, the family system, the community, and the society, the greater flexibility with which they can reestablish shared family functioning. Shapiro explores the process of grief from the experiences of differentaged individuals within a family system. Beginning with adulthood, she describes the initial sensations of grief as profoundly and simply physiological. Not only does depression often accompany these physical symptoms, but the bereaved individual has to regulate the emotional fluctuations and thoughts in daily responsive relating to others. She reports that mourners often enter a world of unreality characterized by divided consciousness-they are completely split from their former life. It may take many years to reconstruct one's adult life and reorganize one's sense of self. Clinicians report that it may take 2 to 3 years to successfully accomplish this initial external functioning and much longer to process the internal confusion and transition. Emotional availability to one another for social and emotional support seems greatly diminished as each member attempts to cope with the death. …