Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring VET Systems of Major EU Competitor Countries. The Cases of Australia, Canada, U.S.A. and Japan

Diese Untersuchung der Berufsbildungssysteme der wichtigsten mit der EU konkurrierenden Länder basiert auf den überarbeiteten Zielen der Lissabon-Agenda, die Europa auf der Grundlage wissensbasierter Produktionssysteme zum wettbewerbsfähigsten und dynamischsten Wirtschaftsraum in der Welt entwickeln will, der zugleich sozialer Gerechtigkeit verpflichtet ist. Die vorgelegte Studie zielt darauf ab, mit Hilfe von Expertenmeinungen und durch Literaturrecherchen die Berufsbildungspolitik in Australien, Kanada, Japan und den U.S.A. zu analysieren und die Lernchancen für europäische Länder aufzuzeigen. Dabei werden fünf Felder identifiziert, die für das Verständnis der aktuellen Leistungsfähigkeit und der Entwicklungspotenziale von Berufsbildungssystemen von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung sind: – Grundlagen und Struktur der Bildungssysteme, – Aktuelle allgemeine Trends in der Berufsbildungspolitik, – Image und Attraktivität von beruflicher Bildung, – Finanzierung beruflicher Bildung, – Früherkennung von Qualifikationsbedarf. Die Untersuchung schließt mit Empfehlungen für die EU und deren Mitgliedsstaaten, was von den Wettbewerberländern zu lernen wäre, um die Ziele der Lissabon-Agenda – erhöhte globale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, verbesserte Innovationsfähigkeit, die zusätzliche und bessere Arbeitsplätze schafft und eine größere soziale Gerechtigkeit in den kommenden Jahrzehnten ermöglicht – umzusetzen. The study on VET systems of major EU competitor countries is based on the objective of the (revised) Lisbon agenda to become the most competitive region of the world based on a knowledge driven production and social cohesion. Building on experts opinion and literature research this study aims at monitoring VET policies in Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The study analyses five themes which are assumed to be of outstanding importance for understanding the current performance and the developing potentials of VET systems. The addressed thematic fields are – background and structure of the education systems, – current general policies in VET, – image and attractiveness, – financing of VET, – early skills recognition. The study ends up with a set of conclusions emphasising possible recommendations that might be formulated for European countries and the European Union in order to support their struggle for achieving the Lisbon goals, i.e. achievieng a good position in the global economy, innovation with more and better jobs and social cohesion during the coming decades.
Mutations and Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein

The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mediates target recognition, cellular entry, and ultimately the viral infection that leads to various levels of COVID-19 severities. Positive evolutionary selection of mutations within the spike protein has led to the genesis of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with greatly enhanced overall fitness. Given the trend of variants with increased fitness arising from spike protein alterations, it is critical that the scientific community understand the mechanisms by which these mutations alter viral functions. As of March 2022, five SARS-CoV-2 strains were labeled “variants of concern” by the World Health Organization: the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms by which the common mutations on the spike protein that occur within these strains enhance the overall fitness of their respective variants. In addressing these mutations within the context of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure, spike/receptor binding interface, spike/antibody binding, and virus neutralization, we summarize the general paradigms that can be used to estimate the effects of future mutations along SARS-CoV-2 evolution.
A Study on Crack Propagation and Crack Branching In Lightly Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Digital Image Correlation- A Review

It is a recent advancement in the construction technology,since it is light in weight, therefore bringing economy in the construction. Steel is replaced by the glass fibre helps in avoiding structural deterioration and corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. Keeping in mind about the global environmental conditions, many alternatives are searched to increase the strength, durability, shrinkage characteristics and serviceability of concrete. Hence, here glass fibre is added and tests have been performed with varying percentage of 1%, 2% and 3% of cement by adding as an admixture.
About Time: Do Transformers Learn Temporal Verbal Aspect?

Aspect is a linguistic concept that describes how an action, event, or state of a verb phrase is situated in time. In this paper, we explore whether different transformer models are capable of identifying aspectual features. We focus on two specific aspectual features: telicity and duration. Telicity marks whether the verb’s action or state has an endpoint or not (telic/atelic), and duration denotes whether a verb expresses an action (dynamic) or a state (stative). These features are integral to the interpretation of natural language, but also hard to annotate and identify with NLP methods. We perform experiments in English and French, and our results show that transformer models adequately capture information on telicity and duration in their vectors, even in their non-finetuned forms, but are somewhat biased with regard to verb tense and word order.
Histidine 6.55 is a major determinant of ligand biased signaling in dopamine D 2L receptor

butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)imidazoline; p K 0.5 , negative decadic logarithm of the concentration of the compound producing 50% inhibition of the specific binding of the radioactive ligand; EC 50 , half maximal effective concentration; IC 50 , half maximal inhibitory concentration; PKA, protein kinase A; ERK1/2, extracellular regulated kinase 1/2. ABSTRACT In our previous studies, we demonstrated that the mutation of His393 6.55 to alanine results in an increased affinity of 1,4-disubstituted phenylpiperazines to the dopamine D 2L receptor. This change most likely accounts for the reduced steric hindrance in this part of the binding pocket. In this work, we investigated the role of the steric hindrance imposed by the residue His393 6.55 for the receptor activation modulated by 1,4-DAPs. Site-directed mutagenesis and ligand modifications were used to probe the structural basis of ligand efficacy. The operational model of agonism was employed to quantify the ligand bias between the ability of compounds to inhibit cAMP accumulation and to stimulate ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Whereas substantial ligand biased signaling was observed for the D 2L wild type receptor, an overall increase in agonism was observed for the D 2L His393 6.55 Ala mutant without noteworthy functional selectivity. Targeted chemical modification of the phenylpiperazine moiety at the site of its interaction with the residue His393 6.55 led to the functionally selective ligand FAUC350 that has distinct signaling profiles toward adenylyl cyclase and ERK1/2. FAUC350 behaves as an antagonist in the inhibition of cAMP accumulation and as a partial agonist in the stimulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation (efficacy = 55%). Overall, the residue His393 6.55 and proximate molecular substructures of receptor ligands were identified to be crucial for multidimensional ligand efficacy. of the of 20 µM forskolin in serum-free medium that contained 500 µM IBMX and 100 µM Ro 20-1724, pH 7.4. After 15 min of incubation at 25 o C, the cells were lysed with cAMP-Glo lysis buffer. After lysis, the kinase reaction was performed with a reaction buffer containing PKA. At the end of the kinase reaction an equal volume of Kinase-Glo reagent was added. The plates were read with a luminescence protocol on a microplate reader Victor 3 V (Perkin-Elmer). The experiments were performed three to nine times per compound with each concentration in duplicate. The absolute E max values for quinpirole were 16 000 ± 2400 RLU (relative luminescence units), 13 700 ± 1800 RLU and 12 800 ± 2100 RLU for the D 2L wild type, D 2L His393 6.55 Ala and D2L His393 6.55 Phe, respectively.
Mouse Degenerating Optic Axons Survived by Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells

Objective Any damage to the optic nerve can potentially lead to degeneration of non-regenerating axons and ultimately death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that in most cases, are not curable by surgery or medication. Neuroprotective functions of different types of stem cells in the nervous system have been evaluated in many studies investigating the effectiveness of these cells in various retinal disease models. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) secrete an assortment of trophic factors that are vital to the protection of the visual system. We aimed to assess the therapeutic potentials of NPCs in an ONC mouse model. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, NPCs were produced using noggin and retinoic acid from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Fifty mice were divided into the following three groups: i. Intact , ii. Vehicle [optic nerve crush+Hank’s balanced salt solution (HBSS)], and iii. Treatment (optic nerve crush+NPCs). The visual behavior of the mice was examined using the Visual Cliff test, and in terms of RGC numbers, they were assessed by Brn3a immunostaining and retrograde tracing using DiI injection. Results Intravenous injection of 50,000 NPCs through visual cliff did not produce any visual improvement. However, our data suggest that the RGCs protection was more than two-times in NPCs compared to the vehicle group as examined by Brn3a staining and retrograde tracing. Conclusion Our study indicated that intravenous injection of NPCs could protect RGCs probably mediated by trophic factors. Due to this ability and good manufacturing practices (GMP) grade production feasibility, NPCs may be used for optic nerve protection.
Metabolic Syndrome but Not Fatty Liver-Associated Genetic Variants Correlates with Glomerular Renal Function Decline in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been extensively demonstrated. Recent studies have focused attention on the role of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphism in the association between NAFLD and CKD in non-metabolic adults and children, but the genetic impact on NAFLD-CKD association is still a matter of debate. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of PNPLA3, transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2), membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 7 (MBOAT7) and glucokinase regulatory protein (GCKR) gene variants rather than metabolic syndrome features on renal function in a large population of NAFLD patients. The present study is a post hoc analysis of the Plinio Study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04036357). PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7 and GCKR genes were analyzed by using real-time PCR with TaqMan probes. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated with CKD-EPI. We analyzed 538 NAFLD; 47.2% had GFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 while 5.9% had GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The distribution of genotypes was superimposable according to GFR cut-offs. Results from the multivariable regression model did not show any correlation between genotypes and renal function. Conversely, metabolic syndrome was highly associated with GFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 (odds ratio (OR): 1.58 [1.10–2.28]) and arterial hypertension with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (OR: 1.50 [1.05–2.14]). In conclusion, the association between NAFLD and CKD might be related to the shared metabolic risk factors rather than the genetic NAFLD background.
A Population Study on COVID-19 Information Sharing: Sociodemographic Differences and Associations with Family Communication Quality and Well-Being in Hong Kong

Family support through the sharing of information helps to shape and regulate the health and behaviours of family members, but little is known about how families are sharing COVID-19-related information, or about its associations with family communication quality and well-being. We examined the associations of COVID-19 information sharing methods with sociodemographic characteristics, the perceived benefits of information communication and technology (ICT) methods, and family communication quality and well-being in Hong Kong. Of 4852 respondents (53.2% female, 41.1% aged over 55 years), the most common sharing method was instant messaging (82.3%), followed by face-to-face communication (65.7%), phone (25.5%) and social media (15.8%). Female sex (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.09), older age (aPRs 1.14–1.22) and higher household income (aPR 1.06) (all p ≤ 0.04) were associated with instant messaging use, while post-secondary education was associated with face-to-face (aPR 1.10), video call (aPR 1.79), and email (aPR 2.76) communications (all p ≤ 0.03). Each ICT sharing method used was associated with a higher likelihood of both reported benefits (aPRs 1.26 and 1.52), better family communication quality and family well-being (adjusted βs 0.43 and 0.30) (all p ≤ 0.001). We have first shown that COVID-19 information sharing in families using both traditional methods and ICTs, and using more types of methods, was associated with perceived benefits and better family communication quality and well-being amidst the pandemic. Sociodemographic differences in COVID-19 information sharing using ICTs were observed. Digital training may help enhance social connections and promote family well-being.
Barrierless formation processes of acetone in the gas phase [version 2; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]

Background: Acetone is present in the earth ́s atmosphere and extraterrestrially. The knowledge of its chemical history in these environments represents a challenge with important implications for global tropospheric chemistry and astrochemistry. The results of a search for efficient barrierless pathways producing acetone from radicals in the gas phase are described in this paper. The spectroscopic properties of radicals needed for their experimental detection are provided. Methods: The reactants were acetone fragments of low stability and small species containing C, O and H atoms. Two exergonic bimolecular addition reactions involving the radicals CH3, CH3CO, and CH3COCH2, were found to be competitive according to the kinetic rates calculated at different temperatures. An extensive spectroscopic study of the radicals CH3COCH2 and CH3CO, as well as the CH2CHO isomer, was performed. Rovibrational parameters, anharmonic vibrational transitions, and excitations to the low-lying excited states are provided. For this purpose, RCCSD(T)-F12 and MRCI/CASSCF calculations were performed. In addition, since all the species presented non-rigid properties, a variational procedure of reduced dimensionality was employed to explore the far infrared region. Open Peer Review
Social Capital as a Mediator and Moderator in the Association between Loneliness and Health, Israel as a Case Study

Loneliness has been associated with poor health. Social capital (SC) could possibly prevent the ill effects of loneliness. The study aims to assess the association of loneliness with physical and mental health in four different communities in Israel and study the impact of structural and cognitive SC on that association. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey with 4620 adults in four towns was conducted. The questionnaire included self-rated health (SRH), mental health (MH), loneliness, cognitive and structural SC and socioeconomic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis and mediation and moderation effects were calculated. Loneliness was associated with worse SRH (OR = 0.4–0.5) and worse MH (OR = 2.0–10). Both SC variables were associated with health. However, towns differ in these associations. Structural SC serves as a significant mediator between loneliness and SRH in all towns and is a mediator between loneliness and MH in two towns. Cognitive social capital was a moderator between loneliness and MH in two towns. This study suggests that increasing SC could possibly compensate for loneliness and buffer its effect on health. The study reinforces the need for the performance of separate health profiles to assess possible interventions for each community, as not always can we generalize these results to all communities.
An Evaluation Dataset for Legal Word Embedding: A Case Study On Chinese Codex

Word embedding is a modern distributed word representations approach and widely used in many natural language processing tasks. Converting the vocabulary in a legal document into a word embedding model facilitates subjecting legal documents to machine learning, deep learning, and other algorithms and subsequently performing the downstream tasks of natural language processing vis-à-vis, for instance, document classification, contract review, and machine translation. The most common and practical approach of accuracy evaluation with the word embedding model uses a benchmark set with linguistic rules or the relationship between words to perform analogy reasoning via algebraic calculation. This paper proposes establishing an 1,134 Legal Analogical Reasoning Questions Set (LARQS) from the 2,388 Chinese Codex corpus using five kinds of legal relations, which are then used to evaluate the accuracy of the Chinese word embedding model. Moreover, we discovered that legal relations might be ubiquitous in the word embedding model.
The impact of trafﬁc air pollution on bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and mortality after lung transplantation

Background Approximately half of all patients who underwent a lung transplantation suffer from bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), the clinical correlate of chronic rejection, within 5 years after transplantation. This prevalence is much higher than for other solid organ transplantations, possibly due to the lung’s direct contact with the environment. The authors assessed the association between proximity of the home to major roads and BOS and mortality in a cohort of patients after lung transplantation. Methods The authors calculated hazard ratios for BOS and mortality in relation to proximity of the home to major roads, adjusting for relevant covariables, in 288 patients after lung transplantation at the Leuven University Hospital between 1997 and 2009 and with follow-up until August 2009. Inﬂammatory parameters in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage were assessed in 207 patients. Results During follow-up, 117 (41%) patients developed BOS and 61 (21%) died. Patients who lived within 171 m of a major road (lowest tertile) were 2.06 (95% CI 1.39 to 3.05) times more likely to develop BOS and 2.20 (1.25 to 3.86) times more likely to die than patients living farther away. The adjusted hazard ratios of BOS and mortality were 0.57 and 0.72 for each 10-fold increase in distance from major roads. Proximity to a major road was inversely associated with plasma C-reactive protein levels, neutrophil percentage and interleukin-6 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage. pollution appears to constitute a serious risk of BOS and mortality after lung transplantation.
How does labor mobility affect business adoption of a GPT? The case of machine learning*

We investigate how worker mobility influences the adoption of a new general-purpose technology (GPT). Using data from over 153,000 establishments between 2010 and 2018, we observe establishment decisions to adopt machine learning. Taking advantage of state-level changes to the enforceability of noncompete agreements as an exogenous shock to worker mobility, we find that changes that facilitate worker movements are associated with a significant decline in the likelihood of adoption. Moreover, the magnitude of establishment response depends upon characteristics of the establishment, the location in which it resides and its industry—in particular, establishment size and number of large establishments in the same industry-location and the level of experimentation with analytics technology. These results are consistent with the view that increases in worker mobility lead to greater risks for establishments that are contemplating adoption of a new GPT that involves significant downstream innovation.
Short and Long-Term Toxicity in Pediatric Cancer Treatment: Central Nervous System Damage

Simple Summary The purpose of this review is to describe central nervous system side effects in the treatment of pediatric cancer patients. Unfortunately, we must consider that the scarce data in the literature does not allow us to expand on some issues, especially those related to innovative immunotherapy. We have described the major neurotoxicities arising with the various types of treatment to help specialists who approach these treatments recognize them early, prevent them, and treat them promptly. Abstract Neurotoxicity caused by traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy is well known and widely described. New therapies, such as biologic therapy and immunotherapy, are associated with better outcomes in pediatric patients but are also associated with central and peripheral nervous system side effects. Nevertheless, central nervous system (CNS) toxicity is a significant source of morbidity in the treatment of cancer patients. Some CNS complications appear during treatment while others present months or even years later. Radiation, traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, and novel biologic and targeted therapies have all been recognized to cause CNS side effects; additionally, the risks of neurotoxicity can increase with combination therapy. Symptoms and complications can be varied such as edema, seizures, fatigue, psychiatric disorders, and venous thromboembolism, all of which can seriously influence the quality of life. Neurologic complications were seen in 33% of children with non-CNS solid malign tumors. The effects on the CNS are disabling and often permanent with limited treatments, thus it is important that clinicians recognize the effects of cancer therapy on the CNS. Knowledge of these conditions can help the practitioner be more vigilant for signs and symptoms of potential neurological complications during the management of pediatric cancers. As early detection and more effective anticancer therapies extend the survival of cancer patients, treatment-related CNS toxicity becomes increasingly vital. This review highlights major neurotoxicities due to pediatric cancer treatments and new therapeutic strategies; CNS primary tumors, the most frequent solid tumors in childhood, are excluded because of their intrinsic neurological morbidity.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM COOPETITION TO IMPROVE SDG 8.4 – A FUZZY-SET QUALITATIVE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

To ensure global sustainability, the UN has set 17 sustainable development goals (SDG). With the 8th goal, which is described as decent work and economic growth, the UN pursues economic growth with economically more efficient production and consumption. Many critics see these aspects as conflicting, so that meeting one goal in certain cases does not lead to reach the other goal. This paper examines the influence of employees' personalities on their preferences for economic efficiency and environmental friendliness in economically strong countries. This study provides a survey of 117 participants using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The results show that individuals can be categorized into the following personality profiles based on their preferences: Open minded and neurotic employee classified to environmental friendly thinking, and extravert employee classified to economic efficient thinking. In the theory of coopetition cross-functional and -thinking teams, it could be potentially assumed individuals can be brought together to improve reaching both aspects of SDG 8.4. The major contribution of this study is to provide a conceptual foundation and identify a possible way to improve team coopetition on the SDG 8.4 that shows promise for future research.