Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Diversification According to Stochastic Dominance Criteria

This paper develops the first operational tests of portfolio efficiency based on the general stochastic dominance (SD) criteria that account for an infinite set of diversification strategies. The main insight is to preserve the cross-sectional dependence of asset returns when forming portfolios by reexpressing the SD criteria inT-dimensional Euclidean space, with elements representing rates of return inT different states of nature. We characterize subsets of this state-space that dominate a given evaluated return vector by first- and second-order SD. This allows us to derive simple SD efficiency measures and test statistics, computable by standard mathematical programming algorithms. The SD tests and efficiency measures are illustrated by an empirical application that analyzes industrial diversification of the market portfolio.
Utilization of blood‐borne and intramuscular substrates during continuous and intermittent exercise in man.

1. Substrate utilization in the legs during bicycle exercise was studied in five subjects when performing intermittent intense exercise (15 sec work‐‐15 sec rest) as well as continuous exercise during 60 min, with an almost identical average power output and oxygen uptake in both situations. 2. Muscle biopsies were obtained from vastus lateralis at rest, during, and after exercise in order to determine intramuscular lipid and carbohydrate utilization. The contribution from blood‐borne substrates to total oxidative metabolism was determined by arterial‐femoral venous (a‐fv) differences for oxygen, FFA, glucose, and lactate and leg blood flow. 3. Intermittent and continuous exercise revealed a similar glycogen depletion and the intramuscular lactate accumulation was rather small. A similar uptake of blood‐borne substrate (FFA, glucose) was found in both situations whereas a release of lactate only was observed in intermittent exercise. 4. ATP and CP levels oscillated between work and rest periods in intermittent exercise but were not resynthesized to resting levels at the end of the rest periods. The mainly aerobic energy release during each work period in intermittent exercise is partly caused by myoglobin functioning as an oxygen store; this factor was calculated to be more important than ATP and CP or lactate level oscillations. 5. The metabolic response to intermittent exercise was found to be similar to that found in continuous exercise with approximately the same average power output and oxygen uptake. This indicates that some factor in the intermediary metabolism, for instance citrate, functions as a regulator retarding glycolysis and favouring lipid utilization and an aerobic energy release in intermittent exercise.
EARLY EXCITATION OF SPIN–ORBIT MISALIGNMENTS IN CLOSE-IN PLANETARY SYSTEMS

Continued observational characterization of transiting planets that reside in close proximity to their host stars has shown that a substantial fraction of such objects possess orbits that are inclined with respect to the spin axes of their stars. Mounting evidence for the wide-spread nature of this phenomenon has challenged the conventional notion that large-scale orbital transport occurs during the early epochs of planet formation and is accomplished via planet–disk interactions. However, recent work has shown that the excitation of spin–orbit misalignment between protoplanetary nebulae and their host stars can naturally arise from gravitational perturbations in multi-stellar systems as well as magnetic disk–star coupling. In this work, we examine these processes in tandem. We begin with a thorough exploration of the gravitationally facilitated acquisition of spin–orbit misalignment and analytically show that the entire possible range of misalignments can be trivially reproduced. Moreover, we demonstrate that the observable spin–orbit misalignment only depends on the primordial disk–binary orbit inclination. Subsequently, we augment our treatment by accounting for magnetic torques and show that more exotic dynamical evolution is possible, provided favorable conditions for magnetic tilting. Cumulatively, our results suggest that observed spin–orbit misalignments are fully consistent with disk-driven migration as a dominant mechanism for the origin of close-in planets.
Phenomenology of supersymmetric Gauge-Higgs unification

Supersymmetric Gauge-Higgs Unification is a well-motivated new physics scenario, both in heterotic model building and from the perspective of higher-dimensional Grand Unified Theories. When combined with radion mediated supersymmetry breaking, it allows for very specific predictions concerning the high-scale parameters of the MSSM. Using an appropriately modified version of a standard RGE evolution code (SuSpect), we derive low-scale predictions which can be tested at the LHC. The phenomenological success of our setting depends crucially on the 5d Chern-Simons term, which has not been used in previous, less encouraging studies of gauge-Higgs unification in supersymmetry.
Maternal sensitivity and physiological processes as predictors of infant emotion regulation

The current study examined the way in which regulatory processes of the central and parasympathetic nervous system are associated with one another, and linked to behavioral regulation, during both mild and moderate frustration. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of emotion regulation and the process through which it develops, the current study also examined the associations between maternal sensitivity and infants' physiological and behavioral regulation, in addition to assessing the influence of maternal sensitivity on the development of infants' physiological and behavioral regulation across early infancy. Finally, the current study assessed whether physiological regulation was a mediating mechanism through which maternal sensitivity was associated with infant's behavioral regulation. Results demonstrated that vagal withdrawal and EEG activation were only associated at 10 months during mild frustration; as vagal withdrawal increased EEG activation also increased indicating more active processing in the right hemisphere. This positive association suggests that by 10 months of age, when infants encounter a frustrating situation that is at least moderate in intensity, cortical and autonomic processes respond in similar ways. At 5 months, there was a negative association between vagal withdrawal and observed distraction during mild frustration and a positive association during moderate frustration. This inconsistent pattern suggests that the mildly frustrating task may have been more interesting than frustrating for 5 month-old infants. EEG activation at 5 months was not associated with any observed regulatory behaviors during mild or moderate frustration, but was associated positively with mother reported infant regulation; this positive association conveys that infants who increased in active right frontal processing from baseline to task were also likely to be reported by their mothers as better able to recover from peak distress, excitement, or general arousal. During moderate frustration at 10 months, EEG activation and vagal withdrawal were associated positively with infant's mother orientation behaviors and associated negatively with infant's distraction behaviors; this suggests that 10 month-old infants thought to be better physiologically regulated may use more co-regulatory strategies when engaging in an novel and intense frustration task rather than employing more independent self-regulatory strategies. Maternal sensitivity at 5 months was associated with increases in vagal withdrawal during moderate frustration from 5 to 10 months but was not associated with increases in EEG activation or behavioral regulation from 5 to 10 months. It is possible maternal sensitivity at 5 months may help infants' manage physiological arousal in a way that facilitates greater myelination of vagal fibers and subsequently greater vagal regulation from 5 to 10 months. No indirect effects were found for maternal sensitivity on behavioral regulation via infant's physiological regulation.
Immunological Properties of Murine Parthenogenetic Stem Cells and Their Differentiation Products

The perspective to transplant grafts derived from pluripotent stem cells has gained much attention in recent years. Parthenogenetic stem cells (PSCs) are an alternative pluripotent stem cell type that is attractive as source of grafts for allogeneic transplantations because most PSCs are haploidentical for the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This reduced immunogenetic complexity of PSCs could tremendously simplify the search for MHC-matched allogeneic stem cells. In this study, we have characterized immunological properties of the MHC haploidentical PSC line A3 (H2d/d) and the heterologous PSC line A6 (H2b/d). Both PSC lines largely lack MHC class I molecules, which present peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and serve as ligands for inhibitory natural killer (NK) receptors. They express ligands for activating NK receptors, including the NKG2D ligand RAE-1, and the DNAM-1 ligands CD112 and CD155. Consequently, both PSC lines are highly susceptible to killing by IL-2-activated NK cells. In vitro-differentiated cells acquire resistance and downregulate ligands for activating NK receptors but fail to upregulate MHC class I molecules. The PSC line A6 and differentiated A6 cells are largely resistant to CTLs derived from T cell receptor transgenic OT-I mice after pulsing of the targets with the appropriate peptide. The high susceptibility to killing by activated NK cells may constitute a general feature of pluripotent stem cells as it has been also found with other pluripotent stem cell types. This activity potentially increases the safety of transplantations, if grafts contain traces of undifferentiated cells that could be tumorigenic in the recipient.
Delay in introducing antiretroviral therapy in patients infected by HIV in Brazil, 2003-2006.

PURPOSE To characterize the population of HIV+ Brazilian patients with late introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ARVT), using information from the Laboratory Exam Control System. METHODS The study analyzed 84,694 patients, representing all individuals in Brazil age 15 or over with an initial CD4+ T lymphocyte count requested between 2003 and 2006, and whose ARVT start date was later than their initial CD4+ T cell count. These patients were considered antiretroviral treatment naive. The initial CD4+ T cell distribution was analyzed according to sex, age, region and year. RESULTS Most of the patients were between 15 and 49 years of age (91%); 56% were males; 76% were asymptomatic; 50% lived in the Southeastern region of the country, with an additional 20% in the South. Initial CD4+ counts for one-third of the patients were less than 200 cells/mm(3). When combined with the number of symptomatic individuals, 41% of the total group was in need of immediate ARVT. This group included 47% of the men and 53% of the patients aged 50 years and over. CONCLUSIONS Despite universal access to ARVT in Brazil, results show that a high proportion of patients initiate ARVT at an advanced stage of disease, indicating the need to develop strategies to promote early diagnosis of HIV infection nationwide.
I cheat because I can: Power, sexism, and approval of infidelity

I CHEAT BECAUSE I CAN: POWER, SEXISM, AND APPROVAL OF INFIDELITY Teni Davoudian, M.S. Marquette University, 2014 This study examined the moderating role of ambivalent sexism in the relationship between power and approval of infidelity. College students were randomly assigned to highand low-power conditions and completed measures assessing their perceived power, endorsed sexism toward men and women, and approval of their own possible infidelity. It was hypothesized that the association between perceived power and permissive attitudes toward infidelity would vary according to participants’ endorsement of hostile and benevolent sexism. The hypotheses were partially supported, and the results revealed the importance of both participant gender and sexism as predictors of attitudes toward infidelity. Hostile sexism toward men and women moderated the relationship between power and approval of uncommitted sexual relationships and infidelity. For women, hostile sexism toward men was positively associated with permissive attitudes toward infidelity. For men, hostile sexism toward women was positively associated with approval of uncommitted sexual relationships. In addition, while hostile sexism toward women predicted approval of uncommitted sexual relationships, hostile sexism toward men was associated with approval of infidelity. Exploratory analyses examining participant’s reported narcissism were also conducted. For men, hostile sexism toward women marginally moderated the relationship between narcissism and approval of uncommitted sexual relationships. These findings partially support an integrated model of infidelity that accounts for attitudinal differences as well as macro-level issues, such as gendered power.
Antioxidant capacity and in vitro prevention of dental plaque formation by extracts and condensed tannins of Paullinia cupana.

Chemical evaluation of the semi-purified fraction from the seeds of guaraná, Paullinia cupana H.B. K. var. sorbilis (Mart.) Ducke, yielded the following compounds: caffeine, catechin, epicatechin, ent-epicatechin, and procyanidins B1, B2, B3, B4, A2, and C1. Measurement of the antioxidant activity by reduction of the DPPH radical confirmed the anti-radical properties of the aqueous (AqE) and crude (EBPC) extracts and semi-purified (EPA and EPB) fractions. The EPA fraction showed radical-scavenging activity (RSA) and protected DPPH from discoloration at 5.23 +/- 0.08 (RSD% = 1.49) microg/mL, and for the phosphomolybdenum complex showed a higher Relative Antioxidant Capacity (RAC) at 0.75 +/- 0.01 (1.75). The EPA fraction had a total polyphenolics content of 65.80% +/- 0.62 (RSD% = 0.93). The plant drug showed 5.47% +/- 0.19 (RSD% = 3.51) and 6.19% +/- 0.08 (RSD% = 1.29) for total polyphenolics and methylxanthines, respectively. In vitro assessment of the antibacterial potential of the Paullinia cupana extracts against Streptococcus mutans showed that these could be used in the prevention of bacterial dental plaque.
Asymmetry in the Duration of El Niño and La Niña

Abstract El Nino and La Nina are not a simple mirror image, but exhibit significant differences in their spatial structure and seasonal evolution. In particular, sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over the equatorial Pacific cold tongue are larger in magnitude during El Nino compared to La Nina, resulting in positive skewness of interannual SST variations. The associated atmospheric deep convection anomalies are displaced eastward during El Nino compared to La Nina because of the nonlinear atmospheric response to SST. In addition to these well-known features, an analysis of observational data for the past century shows that there is a robust asymmetry in the duration of El Nino and La Nina. Most El Ninos and La Ninas develop in late boreal spring/summer, when the climatological cold tongue is intensifying, and they peak near the end of the calendar year. After the mature phase, El Ninos tend to decay rapidly by next summer, but many La Ninas persist through the following year and often reintensify in.
A Dopaminergic Axon Lattice in the Striatum and Its Relationship with Cortical and Thalamic Terminals

Interactions between glutamatergic corticostriatal afferents and dopaminergic nigrostriatal afferents are central to basal ganglia function. The thalamostriatal projection provides a glutamatergic innervation of similar magnitude to the corticostriatal projection. We tested the hypotheses that (1) thalamostriatal synapses have similar spatial relationships with dopaminergic axons as corticostriatal synapses do and (2) the spatial relationships between excitatory synapses and dopaminergic axons are selective associations. We examined at the electron microscopic level rat striatum immunolabeled to reveal vesicular glutamate transporters (VGluTs) 1 and 2, markers of corticostriatal and thalamostriatal terminals, respectively, together with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) to reveal dopaminergic axons. Over 80% of VGluT-positive synapses were within 1 μm of a TH-positive axon and >40% were within 1 μm of a TH-positive synapse. Of structures postsynaptic to VGluT1- or VGluT2-positive terminals, 21 and 27%, respectively, were apposed by a TH-positive axon and about half of these made synaptic contact. When structures postsynaptic to VGluT-positive terminals and VGluT-positive terminals themselves were normalized for length of plasma membrane, the probability of them being apposed by, or in synaptic contact with, a TH-positive axon was similar to that of randomly selected structures. Extrapolation of the experimental data to more closely reflect the distribution in 3D reveals that all structures in the striatum are within ∼1 μm of a TH-positive synapse. We conclude that (1) thalamostriatal synapses are in a position to be influenced by released dopamine to a similar degree as corticostriatal synapses are and (2) these associations arise from a nonselective dopaminergic axon lattice.
Long-Term Absenteeism Due to Sickness: The Swedish Experience, 1986-1991

Long-term absenteeism due to sickness has been increasing in the past two decades. This has raised many questions about causes, financing, and policy measures to prevent further increases. Answering these questions is even more important in a society with an aging population, which is expected to record even more cases. With data from the Swedish National Insurance Board, proportional hazards models for multiple spells are used in this study to account for shared unobserved group-level characteristics (or frailty) associated with long-term sickness. When the spells were grouped by individual,diagnosis or region, there were significant positive random effects. There was "more" heterogeneity among diagnosis-groups and individual-groups than among regions as groups. Both individual and labor market characteristics had significant effects on the length of absence, which suggests policies aimed to prevent and slow down the increasing trend of long-term sickness of those in older age-groups, but also special policies orientated to prevent deterioration of health status of younger employees.
Characterization of a Novel Small Molecule That Potentiates β-Lactam Activity against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Pathogens

ABSTRACT In a loss-of-viability screen using small molecules against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain USA300 with a sub-MIC of a β-lactam, we found a small molecule, designated DNAC-1, which potentiated the effect of oxacillin (i.e., the MIC of oxacillin decreased from 64 to 0.25 μg/ml). Fluorescence microscopy indicated a disruption in the membrane structures within 15 min of exposure to DNAC-1 at 2× MIC. This permeabilization was accompanied by a rapid loss of membrane potential, as monitored by use of the DiOC2 (3,3′-diethyloxacarbocyanine iodide) dye. Macromolecular analysis showed the inhibition of staphylococcal cell wall synthesis by DNAC-1. Transmission electron microscopy of treated MRSA USA300 cells revealed a slightly thicker cell wall, together with mesosome-like projections into the cytosol. The exposure of USA300 cells to DNAC-1 was associated with the mislocalization of FtsZ accompanied by the localization of penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2) and PBP4 away from the septum, as well as mild activation of the vraRS-mediated cell wall stress response. However, DNAC-1 does not have any generalized toxicity toward mammalian host cells. DNAC-1 in combination with ceftriaxone is also effective against an assortment of Gram-negative pathogens. Using a murine subcutaneous coinjection model with 108 CFU of USA300 as a challenge inoculum, DNAC-1 alone or DNAC-1 with a sub-MIC of oxacillin resulted in a 6-log reduction in bacterial load and decreased abscess formation compared to the untreated control. We propose that DNAC-1, by exerting a bimodal effect on the cell membrane and cell wall, is a viable candidate in the development of combination therapy against many common bacterial pathogens.
What's inside a tree? The ideas of five year-old children

Children discover the world surrounding them from very early childhood, as they observe, listen and experience what is in their everyday environment. Plants, and trees in particular, are usually accessible and likely to be noticed because they are very common in our landscape. Whilst observing living things, these children construct a mental model, which stays in their minds and may influence their development. Fifty­seven children, aged 5, from a kindergarten in Poznan (Poland) were asked to draw what they thought was inside a tree. Children drew both internal and external structures on a drawing of a tree. Our research showed that the conceptions of these children about trees varied. Moreover, they did not always consider trees as living organisms. Since 5 year­olds are pre­school children, early years teachers should focus on such ideas in order to help the children develop positive attitudes towards nature and an understanding of prominent plants in the environment.
The prevalence and role of avoidance coping methods for Latinos in the United States

Title of Thesis: THE PREVALENCE AND ROLE OF AVOIDANCE COPING METHODS FOR LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES. Tiffani Debra Stevenson, Master of Science, 2009 Thesis Directed by: Associate Professor Leigh A. Leslie Department of Family Science Current research concerning Latinos in the United States has indicated that they are at a higher risk for mental illness (e.g., PTSD) than other racial/ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to understand the possible function a culturally normative coping style plays in the occurrence of depression for Latinos when compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The prevalence of avoidance coping methods and the relationship of depression and avoidance coping was examined for a sample (N=429) of Latino (n=129) White (n=150) and Black (n=150) clients. Results indicated that the frequency with which Latinos engaged in avoidance coping was no different than other groups. However, Black participants were significantly more likely to use avoidance coping that White participants. Furthermore, the use of defensive avoidance coping was linked to high depression; however there was no race/ethnicity by avoidance coping interaction. The empirical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Diabetes in the Competitive Athlete

Diabetes mellitus is the most common group of metabolic diseases and is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Most patients with diabetes are type 2 (90%); the remaining patients have type 1 disease. Athletes with diabetes range from the athlete participating in various youth sports to the competitive Olympic athlete and present a significant challenge to themselves and the medical staff who care for them on a daily basis. Each sport and the type of exercise have their own effects on diabetes management with numerous factors that significantly affect glucose levels, including stress, level of hydration, the rate of glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, and the secretion of counter-regulatory hormones. This article provides a general overview of diabetes mellitus, the effects of exercise on glucose levels, and a detailed review of the potential complications encountered in the management of diabetes in the athlete.