Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental monitoring and microclimatic control strategies in “La Specola” museum of Florence

This work presents the results of the environmental monitoring of some rooms of the “La Specola” Museum in Florence, affected by significant overheating problem in summer mainly due to the absence of efficient solar shadings. The elaboration and analysis of the microclimatic data have been carried out according to the Italian Standard UNI 10829 and the Performance Index of the most important thermo hygrometric parameters has been calculated and assessed. This analysis shows that temperature and RH conditions were not reasonably acceptable for the preservation of the kind of objects exhibited. In order to reduce this problem, solar gain control solutions (shadings and solar control glasses) has been analysed with a dynamic thermal simulation tool for two sample rooms, as a possible solution to improve architectural integration with the historical context. In order to reduce the risk of damage, the evaluation of different strategies has been expressed in terms of the reduction of energy need for space cooling and in terms of the ability to control dry bulb temperature values. The results can be extended to several historical buildings, where large windows and skylights cause high energy consumption and poor indoor environmental conditions that can cause damage to the artefacts.
Pneumatization Pattern of the Frontal Recess: Relationship of the Anterior-to-Posterior Length of Frontal Isthmus and/or Frontal Recess with the Volume of Agger Nasi Cell

Objectives We analyzed the pneumatization pattern of the frontal recess (FR) in a Korean population. We also determined the correlation between the volume of the agger nasi cell (ANC) and the anterior-to-posterior (A-P) length of the frontal isthmus (FI) and FR. Methods Multiplanar paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) images from 105 patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery were reviewed. The prevalence of frontal recess cells (FRCs), thickness of the frontal beak (FB), volume of the ANC, A-P length of the FI, and FR were evaluated. Results The ANC was identified in 96% of the patients and frontal cells (FCs) in 32% (FC type 1, 24.2%; type 2, 4.2%; type 3, 3.1%; and type 4, 0%). The prevalences of frontal bullar, suprabullar, supraorbital ethmoidal, and interfrontal sinus septal cells were 10%, 7.8%, 3.6%, and 6.8%, respectively. The A-P lengths of the FR and FI were 10.1±3.1 and 8.4±2.9 mm, respectively. The thickness of the FB was 7.8±1.8 mm and the volume of the ANC averaged 394.1±240.5 mm3. The thickness of the FB did not correlate with the volume of the ANC. In contrast, the A-P length of the FI and FR were positively correlated with the volume of the ANC. Conclusion ANCs and FCs were found in 96% and 32% of the cases in this series. FC type 4 was not seen. What appeared to be FC4 on conventional CT was identified as FBC from reconstructed parasagittal images. A large ANC increased the A-P length of the FI and FR, regardless of the thickness of the FB.
Attack Resilience of the Evolving Scientific Collaboration Network

Stationary complex networks have been extensively studied in the last ten years. However, many natural systems are known to be continuously evolving at the local (“microscopic”) level. Understanding the response to targeted attacks of an evolving network may shed light on both how to design robust systems and finding effective attack strategies. In this paper we study empirically the response to targeted attacks of the scientific collaboration networks. First we show that scientific collaboration network is a complex system which evolves intensively at the local level – fewer than 20% of scientific collaborations last more than one year. Then, we investigate the impact of the sudden death of eminent scientists on the evolution of the collaboration networks of their former collaborators. We observe in particular that the sudden death, which is equivalent to the removal of the center of the egocentric network of the eminent scientist, does not affect the topological evolution of the residual network. Nonetheless, removal of the eminent hub node is exactly the strategy one would adopt for an effective targeted attack on a stationary network. Hence, we use this evolving collaboration network as an experimental model for attack on an evolving complex network. We find that such attacks are ineffectual, and infer that the scientific collaboration network is the trace of knowledge propagation on a larger underlying social network. The redundancy of the underlying structure in fact acts as a protection mechanism against such network attacks.
Hidden Structure: Using Network Methods to Map System Architecture

In this paper, we describe an operational methodology for characterizing the architecture of complex technical systems and demonstrate its application to a large sample of software releases. Our methodology is based upon directed network graphs, which allows us to identify all of the direct and indirect linkages between the components in a system. We use this approach to define three fundamental architectural patterns, which we label core–periphery, multi-core, and hierarchical. Applying our methodology to a sample of 1286 software releases from 17 applications, we find that the majority of releases possess a “core–periphery” structure. This architecture is characterized by a single dominant cyclic group of components (the “Core”) that is large relative to the system as a whole as well as to other cyclic groups in the system. We show that the size of the Core varies widely, even for systems that perform the same function. These differences appear to be associated with different models of development – open, distributed organizations develop systems with smaller Cores, while closed, co-located organizations develop systems with larger Cores. Our findings establish some “stylized facts” about the fine-grained structure of large, real-world technical systems, serving as a point of departure for future empirical work.
Protective effect of royal jelly on fertility and biochemical parameters in bleomycin-‎induced male rats

Background: Bleomycin (BL) is a glycopeptide antibiotic obtained from the bacterium Streptomyces verticillus which is routinely used for treatment of human cancers. Royal jelly (RJ) is a production from the hypo pharyngeal, mandibular and post cerebral glands of nurse bees. RJ consists of 66% water, 15% sugars, 5% lipids, and 13% proteins, essential amino acids and vitamins. Objective: The aim of present study was to evaluate protective effect of royal jelly on sperm parameters and malondialdehyde (MDA) production in rat. Materials and Methods: Forty adult male wistar rats (220±20gr) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10). Control group (CG) received normal saline 10 ml/kg twice a week with Intraperitoneal (I.P) for 48 days (0.3 ml/rat(. Royal Jelly group (RJG) received jelly (100 mg/kg daily) for 48 days orally. Bleomycin group (BLG) received BL (10 mg/kg twice a week) with I.P for 48 days. Royal Jelly+ Bleomycin group (RJ+BLG) received royal Jelly (100 mg/kg /day) orally concomitant with BL administration. Sperm count, motility, and viability were investigated and chromatin quality and DNA integrity were also analyzed. Serum testosterone and MDA concentrations were measured as well. Results: BL caused decline significantly (p<0.05) sperm count, sperm viability, motility as well as testosterone concentration compared to control group while significant (p<0.05) increases in immature sperm, sperm with damaged DNA and MDA concentration were announced in BL in comparison with CG and RJ+BLG. Royal jelly improved Bleomycin-induced toxicity on sperm parameters and testosterone and MDA concentrations. Conclusion: The present results support the idea that BL adversely affects sperm parameters and MDA and the RJ with antioxidant properties has positive effects on these parameters. This article extracted from M.Sc. thesis. (Tayebeh amirshahi)
Growth and Adjustment in East Asia and Latin America

This paper compares the experience of growth performance and macroeconomic adjustment between East Asia and Latin America from 1970 to 2000. We find that the difference in growth performance between two regions can largely be attributed to the differences in fundamental growth factors such as investment rate, human resources, fertility, institutional quality, macroeconomic stability and the degree of trade openness. We also discuss the role of quality of education and differences in inequality between the two regions. Balance-of-payments crisis shocks have also contributed significantly to differences in growth performance. Analysis reveals that growth rates tend to fall only temporarily following a balance-of-payments crisis and then rebound to the pre-crisis levels, producing the typical v-type pattern for output in both East Asia and Latin America. However, a balance-of-payments crisis is often associated with a large decline of growth rates and develops into another crisis in the future. Analyzing what determines the output cost of crises we find that international liquidity, financial soundness, real exchange rate depreciation and monetary policy play a critical role in reducing output losses.
Mapping Cold-Water Coral Habitats at Different Scales within the Northern Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean): An Assessment of Coral Coverage and Associated Vulnerability

In this study, we mapped the distribution of Cold-Water Coral (CWC) habitats on the northern Ionian Margin (Mediterranean Sea), with an emphasis on assessing coral coverage at various spatial scales over an area of 2,000 km2 between 120 and 1,400 m of water depth. Our work made use of a set of data obtained from ship-based research surveys. Multi-scale seafloor mapping data, video inspections, and previous results from sediment samples were integrated and analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tools. Results obtained from the application of spatial and textural analytical techniques to acoustic meso-scale maps (i.e. a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the seafloor at a 40 m grid cell size and associated terrain parameters) and large-scale maps (i.e. Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) mosaics of 1 m in resolution ground-truthed using underwater video observations) were integrated and revealed that, at the meso-scale level, the main morphological pattern (i.e. the aggregation of mound-like features) associated with CWC habitat occurrences was widespread over a total area of 600 km2. Single coral mounds were isolated from the DTM and represented the geomorphic proxies used to model coral distributions within the investigated area. Coral mounds spanned a total area of 68 km2 where different coral facies (characterized using video analyses and mapped on SSS mosaics) represent the dominant macro-habitat. We also mapped and classified anthropogenic threats that were identifiable within the examined videos, and, here, discuss their relationship to the mapped distribution of coral habitats and mounds. The combined results (from multi-scale habitat mapping and observations of the distribution of anthropogenic threats) provide the first quantitative assessment of CWC coverage for a Mediterranean province and document the relevant role of seafloor geomorphology in influencing habitat vulnerability to different types of human pressures.
Sustainability of professionals’ adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care: a systematic review

Objectives To evaluate (1) the state of the art in sustainability research and (2) the outcomes of professionals’ adherence to guideline recommendations in medical practice. Design Systematic review. Data sources Searches were conducted until August 2015 in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Guidelines International Network (GIN) library. A snowball strategy, in which reference sections of other reviews and of included papers were searched, was used to identify additional papers. Eligibility criteria Studies needed to be focused on sustainability and on professionals’ adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care. Studies had to include at least 2 measurements: 1 before (PRE) or immediately after implementation (EARLY POST) and 1 measurement longer than 1 year after active implementation (LATE POST). Results The search retrieved 4219 items, of which 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 18 sustainability evaluations. The mean timeframe between the end of active implementation and the sustainability evaluation was 2.6 years (minimum 1.5–maximum 7.0). The studies were heterogeneous with respect to their methodology. Sustainability was considered to be successful if performance in terms of professionals’ adherence was fully maintained in the late postimplementation phase. Long-term sustainability of professionals’ adherence was reported in 7 out of 18 evaluations, adherence was not sustained in 6 evaluations, 4 evaluations showed mixed sustainability results and in 1 evaluation it was unclear whether the professional adherence was sustained. Conclusions (2) Professionals’ adherence to a clinical practice guideline in medical care decreased after more than 1 year after implementation in about half of the cases. (1) Owing to the limited number of studies, the absence of a uniform definition, the high risk of bias, and the mixed results of studies, no firm conclusion about the sustainability of professionals’ adherence to guidelines in medical practice can be drawn.
The hierarchical organization of molecular structure computations

The task of computing molecular structure from combinations of experimental and theoretical constraints is expensive because of the large number of estimated parameters (the 3D coordinates of each atom) and the rugged landscape of many objective functions. For large molecular ensembles with multiple protein and nucleic acid components, the problem of maintaining tractability in structural computations becomes critical. A well-known strategy for solving difficult problems is divide-and-conquer. For molecular computations, there are two ways in which problems can be divided: (1) using the natural hierarchy within biological macromolecules (taking advantage of primary sequence, secondary structural subunits and tertiary structural motifs, when they are known); and (2) using the hierarchy that results from analyzing the distribution of structural constraints (providing information about which substructures are constrained to one another). In this paper, we show that these two hierarchies can be complementary and can provide information for efficient decomposition of structural computations. We demonstrate five methods for building such hierarchies--two automated heuristics that use both natural and empirical hierarchies, one knowledge-based process using both hierarchies, one method based on the natural hierarchy alone, and for completeness one random hierarchy oblivious to auxiliary information--and apply them to a data set for the procaryotic 30S ribosomal subunit using our probabilistic least squares structure estimation algorithm. We show that the three methods that combine natural hierarchies with empirical hierarchies create decompositions which increase the efficiency of computations by as much as 50-fold. There is only half this gain when using the natural decomposition alone, while the random hierarchy suggests that a speedup of about five can be expected just by virtue of having a decomposition. Although the knowledge-based method performs marginally better, the automatic heuristics are easier to use, scale more reliably to larger problems, and can match the performance of knowledge-based methods if provided with basic structural information.
The Effects of Politically Biased Performance Appraisal on Ratee Job Attitudes and Desire to Respond to Feedback.

The present study examined the relationships of politics in appraisal and political use of appraisal to ratee attitudes and desire to respond to appraisal feedback. Hypotheses were developed from research on politics in appraisal, the feedback process model of Ilgen, Fisher, and Taylor, 1979, and equity theory (Adams, 1965). Negative relationships between politics and dependent variables were predicted. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 used 97 professionals in two organizations to test the effects of hypothetical political use of appraisal on their attitudes and desire to respond to appraisal feedback. Study 2 used 145 professionals in two organizations to investigate the relationship of politics in performance appraisal to ratee atitudes and desire to respond to appraisal feedback. Results of both studies generally supported the hypothesized negative relationship between political distortion of ratings and ratee attitudes and desire to respond to feedback. A tentative model of the effects of politics in performance appraisal was presented and implications for researchers and
Exploring societal-level privacy rules for talking about miscarriage

Communication privacy management (CPM) theory posits that culturally specific understandings of privacy guide how people manage private information in everyday conversations. We use the context of miscarriage to demonstrate how societal-level expectations about (in)appropriate topics of talk converge with micro-level decisions about privacy rules and privacy boundary management. More specifically, we explore how people’s perceptions of broad social rules about the topic of miscarriage influence their disclosure decisions. Based on interviews with 20 couples who have experienced pregnancy loss, we examined how couples described miscarriage as a topic that is bound by societal-level expectations about whether and how this subject should be discussed in interpersonal conversations. Participants reflected on their perceptions of societal-level privacy rules for protecting information about their miscarriage experiences and described how these rules affected their own privacy management decisions. We discuss these findings in terms of CPM’s theoretical tools for linking macro-level discourses to everyday talk.
Do bilinguals have a cognitive advantage? Examining effects of bilingualism and language use on executive control

xi Lay summary xv Chapter 1. Literature review 1 1.1. Bilingual language control 4 1.2. Lexical effects of bilingualism 7 1.3. Bilingualism and executive control 8 1.4. Bilingualism and memory 25 1.5. Bilingualism and dementia 26 1.6. Neuronal mechanisms 31 1.7. Summary 45 Chapter 2. Evaluation of the literature on bilingualism and executive control 47 2.1. Changing perspectives on the nature of a bilingual advantage 48 2.2. Issues affecting the literature on bilingualism and executive control 55 2.3. Summary 73 Chapter 3. Cognitive advantage in bilingualism: 77 An example of publication bias? 3.
Ventajas e inconvenientes de la encuesta por Internet

The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the results of an internet survey are similar to face-to-face, telephone and mail surveys. The analysis of the research reveals that the people who answer the internet survey are younger and better-educated, making it impossible to accept the first part of the hypothesis. Most of the research about this topic show differences between modes in attitude questions. Those who respond to the face-to-face surveys provide a more positive ideas about the use of the survey, as well as greater confidence in their results. However, people who responded to the questionnaire on the Internet believe that more respondents answered with total honesty, carry out better monitoring of results of surveys on political, social and cultural rights, as well as a higher valuation on the usefulness of the surveys.
Psychological needs satisfaction and value in students’ intentions to study music in high school

A major issue concerning music educators is declining participation in music over the school years. This study aimed to explain why students choose to study music at school. The theoretical lens of self-determination theory was used to examine how the satisfaction of basic psychological needs might lead to students valuing music and choosing to study it at school. Participants were 204 male students in an Australian high school. A structural equation model was evaluated, with elective intentions predicted by value, psychological needs satisfaction, and instrumental experience. The hypothesized model was supported and explained 65% of variance in elective intentions and 50% of variance in students’ valuing of music. Students with higher psychological needs satisfaction and value for music had stronger intentions to continue studying music. Psychological needs satisfaction explained a considerable proportion of why students valued music. Students with more experience learning an instrument were also more likely to choose music, but psychological needs satisfaction and value were far more influential. These findings extend existing research on Self-Determination Theory(SDT) in educational and music contexts, and suggest implications for teachers wishing to increase participation in school music education.
New upper bounds on the decomposability of planar graphs and fixed parameter algorithms

It is known that a planar graph on n vertices has branch-width/tree-width bounded by alphasqrt{n}. In many algorithmic applications it is useful to have a small bound on the constant alpha. We give a proof of the best, so far, upper bound for the constant alpha. In particular, for the case of tree-width, alpha<3.182 and for the case of branch-width, alpha<2.122. Our proof is based on the planar separation theorem of Alon, Seymour & Thomas and some min-max theorem of the graph minors series. Based on these bounds we introduce a new method for solving different fixed parameter problems on planar graphs. We prove that our method provides the best so far exponential speed-up for fundamental problems on planar graphs like Vertex Cover, Dominating Set, Independent Set and many others.
Metáforas y emociones en el twitter corporativo: una aproximación discursivo-lingüística a los microblogs de Acciona e Iberdrola

En los ultimos anos los estudios sobre las emociones en Twitter han aumentado de modo considerable, especialmente en areas como el marketing, pero se echa en falta una investigacion que aborde la expresion figurada de las emociones en la comunicacion digital de las empresas. El objetivo principal de esta investigacion es analizar las metaforas que describen o evocan las emociones en las cuentas de Twitter corporativos de Acciona e Iberdrola, dos empresas del Ibex 35 que destacan en el uso de las redes sociales (Epsilon Technologies, 2016). El corpus analizado esta constituido por 798 tuits publicados durante el segundo trimestre del 2016 y, a traves de el, se identifican, por una parte, las emociones con mas presencia y los sistemas lexicos que las describen (Sherer, 2013; Storm y Storm, 1987); por otra, se crea un corpus de metaforas especificas que describen o evocan las emociones; dichas metaforas se analizan a la luz de la linguistica cognitiva (Lakoff y Johnson, 1980; Kovecses, 2005). Los resultados permiten extraer las siguientes conclusiones: 1) la importancia de las emociones en la comunicacion digital de las empresas, especialmente a traves de redes como Twitter; 2) la relevancia de la metafora a la hora de describir o evocar las emociones; 3) la influencia de la mision, vision y valores en el mapa conceptual de las metaforas construidas en torno a las emociones.