Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptual-Cognitive Training Can Improve Cognition in Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline

Introduction: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in older adults are an early risk indicator for Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, making older adults with SCD a target population for proactive interventions. The aim of this study was to determine if perceptual-cognitive training (PCT) can serve as a proactive intervention and enhance cognition in older adults with SCD. Method: Forty-seven subjects aged 60–90 years of age were assigned to control and treatment groups using a randomised controlled trial. All the participants were asked to complete three neuropsychological assessments over a three-month period. The first assessment was prior to the PCT (T1). The second assessment (T2) was performed immediately after either seven weeks of PCT (treatment group), or after seven weeks of no training (control group). Four weeks after the completion of the PCT, a third assessment (T3) was performed to determine the veracity and persistence of any PCT benefits on cognitive performance. Results: The results indicate a significant difference between groups at T1 and T2, wherein the treatment group has improved scores in memory tasks (e.g., CVLT-II: Immediate Free Recall; Short-Term Memory Recall, and Long-Term Memory Recall), working memory task (e.g., Digit Span Backward) and cognitive flexibility task (e.g., D-KEFS Verbal Fluency Category Switching and D-KEFS Verbal Fluency Letter Fluency). Within the treatment group the PCT scores of the last session were also significantly correlated with processing speed and cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, higher scores in memory performance were related to faster processing speeds. Conclusion: These data suggest that PCT may serve as a proactive intervention to enhance memory, working memory and cognitive flexibility in older adults with SCD.
The Representativeness of Automated Web Crawls as a Surrogate for Human Browsing

Large-scale Web crawls have emerged as the state of the art for studying characteristics of the Web. In particular, they are a core tool for online tracking research. Web crawling is an attractive approach to data collection, as crawls can be run at relatively low infrastructure cost and don’t require handling sensitive user data such as browsing histories. However, the biases introduced by using crawls as a proxy for human browsing data have not been well studied. Crawls may fail to capture the diversity of user environments, and the snapshot view of the Web presented by one-time crawls does not reflect its constantly evolving nature, which hinders reproducibility of crawl-based studies. In this paper, we quantify the repeatability and representativeness of Web crawls in terms of common tracking and fingerprinting metrics, considering both variation across crawls and divergence from human browser usage. We quantify baseline variation of simultaneous crawls, then isolate the effects of time, cloud IP address vs. residential, and operating system. This provides a foundation to assess the agreement between crawls visiting a standard list of high-traffic websites and actual browsing behaviour measured from an opt-in sample of over 50,000 users of the Firefox Web browser. Our analysis reveals differences between the treatment of stateless crawling infrastructure and generally stateful human browsing, showing, for example, that crawlers tend to experience higher rates of third-party activity than human browser users on loading pages from the same domains.
CEDAR Technical Report Number 12 Design and Implementation of an Efficient Semantic Web Reasoner

We present an extended version of the CEDAR taxonomic reasoner for large ontologies. This new version provides fuller support for TBox reasoning, checking consistency, and retrieving instances. The CEDAR system is based upon the OSF formalism. It is implemented on an entirely new architecture which includes several optimization techniques. We define a bidirectional mapping between OSF graph structures and the Resource Description Framework (RDF) allowing a translation from OSF queries into SPARQL for retrieving instances from an ABox consisting of an RDF triplestore. We carried out comparative performance evaluation experiments using CEDAR as well as well-known Semantic Web reasoners (such as FaCT++, Pellet, HermiT, TrOWL, and RacerPro) on very large public ontologies. For the same queries on the same ontologies, the results achieved by CEDAR were compared to those obtained by all the other reasoners. The results of experiments show that CEDAR consistently performs on a par with the fastest systems for concept classification, and several orders of magnitude more efficiently in terms of response time for Boolean query-answering over attributed concepts, as well as for ABox triplestore querying. The latter result is irrespective of the triplestore management used because the CEDAR reasoner uses its knowledge to optimize SPARQL queries before submitting them to the triplestore.
Relative financial leverage, product market structure, and the wealth effects of product recalls

We empirically document a previously overlooked cost for firms experiencing severe product failures. This cost stems from increased risk of predation by industry rivals following recalls and is exacerbated when recalling firms are financially constrained by higher levels of debt relative to their industry rivals. We find the wealth effects of recalling firms, industry rivals, and key suppliers upon announcements of product recalls depend on the relative financial position of the recalling firm compared to its rivals. Higher relative leverage negatively affects the recalling firm and its key suppliers, but benefits the industry rivals. Consistent with theory, these effects are confined to economic environments where competitive effects are likely to be discernible such as those with low entry costs, high product substitutability, and high product market risk, suggesting strategic effects are at play and that recalling firms with high relative leverage are especially vulnerable to strategic responses by rivals.
The impact of Islamic Events on herding Behaviour in Saudi Arabia financial market

The focus of this study is to look at the impact of social mood on the herd behavior in religious context. Muslims mood associated with Islamic events may encourage herding around these days more than non-event days. We investigate the impact of different religious events using the Saudi equity market setting for the period of October 2005-February 2016. This period includes the events of global financial crisis and the Arab Spring and thus leads comparison of herding results across various subsamples. Our results show a significant effect of Eid-ul-Fitr and Ashoura in Saudi Arabia stock market. In our subsample analysis, evidence of herding around Eid-ul-Fitr and Ashoura is present during the financial crisis period only. Our results support our motivation that investor mood is carried over during the festive months of the Eidul-Fitar, Ashoura and Eid-ul-Adha instead of earlier reported evidence of herding in Ramadan.
Cytokines and the regulation of heat shock proteins in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Previous studies have reported elevated levels of the 90 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp 90) and autoantibodies to Hsp 90 in a subset of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the mechanisms leading to the overexpression of Hsp 90 in SLE and a link between this event and the induction of Hsp 90 autoantibodies, have remained unclear. Recent studies have shown that the cytokine IL-6, which is elevated in SLE, activates Hsp 90 gene expression in cultured cells via specific transcription factors, that include STAT-3. In view of the known role of STAT proteins in signalling pathways of the cytokine IL-10, the effect of IL-10 on Hsp 90 levels in different cells was investigated. IL-10 enhanced the expression of Hsp 90 in cultured cells. In reporter gene assays, IL=10 activated both the Hsp 90a and Hsp 90p promoters directly. Activation of the Hsp 90p promoter was mediated by a short specific region of the promoter which contains a binding site for STAT-3. Cytokines and Hsps, were quantified in individual blood samples from patients with SLE. Levels of Hsp 90 positively correlated with levels of IL-6 but not IL-10, in patients with SLE. Furthermore, this correlation was enhanced in patients who overexpressed Hsp 90 (a subset of patients associated with HLA DR3 negativity). A link between Hsp 90 overexpression and the development of Hsp 90 autoantibodies was also investigated. Antibodies to Hsps in patients with SLE were quantified. Overexpression of Hsp 90 in SLE correlated with raised levels of antibodies to Hsp 90 in the same patients. Furthermore, antibodies to Hsp 90 were associated with active general disease features of SLE. These results support a role for IL-6 in the overexpression of Hsp 90, leading to raised levels of antibodies to Hsp 90 and active disease in SLE.
Reciprocal heterospecific pollen interference among alien and native species

1. Heterospecific pollen interference has recently been proposed as a mechanism contributing to the success of alien invaders, as heterospecific pollen of alien plants interferes with the reproduction of natives by reducing fruit and seed set. However, no study has looked at the opposite interaction. Moreover, few studies have considered the roles of phylogenetic and trait distances between pollen donors and recipients. 2. We did a large multi-species experiment in which we used alien and native species both as pollen recipients and as pollen donors, and included phylogenetic as well as trait distance as explanatory variables. 3. We found that both alien and native recipients suffered from heterospecific pollen from donors of the opposite status in terms of seed and fruit set. Phylogenetic distance and trait distance both affected heterospecific pollen interference, but the effect depended on recipient and donor statuses. 4. We conclude that heterospecific pollen interference affects both native and alien recipients, thus indirectly altering community composition and increasing biotic resistance against invaders.
Water Purifying by Gas Hydrate: Potential Applications to Desalination and Wastewater Treatments

Freshwater scarcity has been troubling the high-quality development of many countries and regions, and water purification process is a vital source of freshwater. The traditional water purification processes such as distillation (multi-stage flash) and membrane processes (reverse osmosis) have been evaluated to be reliable and established processes. The desalination or water treatment technologies are mature enough to be a reliable source for fresh water but there is still a need to develop innovative technologies that can reduce energy costs. The water purifying by gas hydrate (hydrate-based) process is based on a liquid to solid phase change coupled with a physical process to separate the solids from the remaining liquid. In this study, we investigated the water purification by hydrate process for seawater and wastewater samples. In a single stage of hydrate process without any pre-treatment, dissociated water from the extracted hydrate pellets show that the removal efficiency of each ionic compound in seawater was 89 % (average). In the case of wastewater test from leachate sample, 77-95 % of dissolved contaminants and nutrients were excluded. Therefore, the experimental proposal and results of this study are of great significance to the development of water purification technology.
An Experimental Investigation on Condensation in Horizontal Microchannels

This paper presented an experimental study on condensation in two horizontal microchannel condensers (M1 and M2) with different substrate and channel lengths. The mass flow rate of steam and pressure drop affected to oscillation of condensati on profile, beginning condensation point, and performa nce index. Moreover, heat transfer rate of model M1 was higher than that of model M2 at the same flow rate or pressure drop of steam. The heat transfer rate of 1 64 W was achieved for the model M1 at inlet vapor temper ature of 101.9 C. Besides, the pressure drop obtained from the microchannel condenser M1 was lower than that obtained from the microchannel condenser M2: at mas s flow rate of 0.0264 g/s, the pressure drop of M1 wa s 1,257 Pa while the pressure drop of M2 was 6,105 Pa . In addition, the performance index decreased as rising mass flow rate of steam for both condensers. With the microchannel condenser M1, the performance index wa s decreasing from 0.053 W/Pa to 0.038 W/Pa as varying mass flow rate of steam from 0.0264 g/s to 0.0314 g /s. The performance indexes decreased linearly for both condensers. Keywords— Condensation, heat transfer, microchannel, pressure drop, temperature.
The Effect of the PSI in the Relationship between Sovereign and Bank Credit Risk Evidence from the Euro Area

This study examines the nexus between sovereigns and banks during a crisis with a focus on the effects of PSI, the voluntary exchange program of Greek sovereign bonds with private sector involvement. The effectiveness of the program is evaluated through its impact on credit default swaps of 8 Eurozone countries and 21 banks, using daily data from 2009 to 2014. Using linear and nonlinear causality analyses, it is found that the link between sovereign and bank risk weakened after PSI, while the persistence and magnitude of lead-lag interactions also declined in the same period. A difference-in-difference model confirms this result. The findings are also robust to second moment filtering, with GARCH-BEKK residuals indicating the presence of significant albeit declining nonlinear causal effects. The empirical evidence suggests that sovereign debt restructuring initiatives, such as PSI, could be an effective policy measure to ease off pressure on the nexus between banks and their sovereigns.
Cognitive functions in opioid-dependent males according to duration of abstinence

1Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Rize Turkey 2Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara Turkey 3Ankara Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara Turkey 4Yildirim Beyazit University Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara Turkey 5Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara Turkey
Experiential Learning Approach: Its Effects on the Academic Performance and Motivation to Learn Physics of Grade 10 Students

This study explored the effects of Experiential Learning Approach on the academic performance and motivation to learn physics of grade 10 students. This was conducted at Kinawe National High School (KNHS) during the school year 2016-2017. The study determined the significant difference in the academic performance between the students taught with the experiential learning approach and those taught with the conventional method. This study employed the quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design with two intact groups who were randomly chosen to constitute the experimental and the control groups. An adopted motivation scale administered to the experimental group was used to assess the level of motivation of students taught with experiential learning approach. The statistical tools used were the mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that there was a significant difference in the academic performance between the students taught with experiential learning approach and the students taught with the conventional method. The students taught with experiential learning approach had meaningful and significant learning experiences using the stages of the experiential learning approach.
Impact of Capital Inflows on Domestic Inflation: A Case Study of Pakistan

Inflation is a very important issue for an economy that’s why several empirical and theoretical studies have been done on it in different time period. This study is an attempt to find out the impact of capital inflows on domestic inflation. The variables used in this study are export, foreign direct investment, remittances, and inflation. By using the data from 1980-2010, we use unit root test to check the stationary. Cointegration Test and Error Correction Mechanism (ECM) are used to check the long run and short run relationship of FDI, REM, EXP and inflation. The results show that all the variables are stationary at 1 st difference and there is positive relationship between FDI, REM, EXP and inflation. The results of cointegrating equation show that there is long run and significant relationship. So the policy implication for the high inflation is that we should use the capital inflows like remittances not only increase the consumption but also to increase the investment that causes economic growth.
Dizertace 02 Hlavac.indd

Discharge of aquacultural wastewater can lead to eutrophication and disruption of natural ecosystems in receiving water bodies. A controlled waste production strategy is necessary, therefore, in order to maintain sustainable aquacultural growth. Along with fertilisation, supplementary feeding is the major source of allochthonous matter in aquaculture and management of aquacultural waste, therefore, should be approached through diet formulation and/or feeding strategy. The introduction of highly digestible feed has reduced solid waste excretion, and further reductions can be achieved through careful selection of ingredients and processing to improve nutrient availability. Dissolved nitrogen waste can be reduced by ensuring a balance between protein and energy, such that fish use non-protein sources as energy, while phosphorous waste can be reduced through careful ingredient selection and processing to improve digestibility. Thermal and mechanical treatment of feed cereals prior to application can also help decrease the amount of poorly or undigested feed. Finally, feeding practices that minimise wastage should also be explored as they have a significant impact, not only on waste output but also on the overall economy of carp pond farming.
Role of Collateral in Mitigating Adverse Selection: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India

We investigate the role of collateral as a signaling device to mitigate adverse selection by examining the corporate debt structure of unlisted (informationally opaque) and listed (informationally transparent) firms following a securitization reform in India, the SARFAESI Act 2002, which increased the access to collateral. Using difference-in-difference (DID) methodology and data on over 22,000 firms during FY 1999-2006, we find that unlisted firms moved more towards secured debt than listed firms. We also disentangle the moral hazard reducing role of collateral from its signaling role and find that the signaling role takes prominence for unlisted firms. We find that the risk premia decreased and the long term debt increased post SARFAESI indicating a reduction in information asymmetry. We additionally find that debt maturity acts as a complementary signaling device to collateral for unlisted firms. These results are consistent with the theoretical strand of literature which proposes collateral as a means to mitigate adverse selection problems via improved signaling.
Stabilized Lateritic Bricks as Alternative To Mud Housing In Bauchi, North East Nigeria

Samples of laterites from borrow pits in mud house construction locations of Bauchi, North East Nigeria were investigated. The laterites had particle components of 22.0% clay, 16.8% silt and 61.2% sand. They were stabilized with cement, lime and bitumen respectively and tested for compressive strength, water absorption capacity, linear Shrinkage and permeability. The stabilizers were introduced to the laterite in ratios of 3%, 5% and 7% respectively before testing. They were cured for 7, 14, 28 and 42 days respectively. After 28 days of curing, cement stabilized laterites (CSL) possessed compressive strengths of 1.98N/mm 2 , 2.83N/mm 2 and 3.48N/mm 2 respectively. Zero stabilized laterite (ZSL) had a maximum value of 1.27 N/mm 2 after 42 days. The water absorption capacities were 6.65%, 5.23% and 4.88%. Lime stabilized laterite (LSL) had compressive strengths of 0.84N/mm 2 , 0.94N/mm 2 and 1.02N/mm 2 and water absorption capacities of 10.3%, 9.48% and 9.14%. ZSL had 16.41% value. Compressive strength for bitumen stabilized laterite (BSL) were 0.92N/mm 2 , 1.03 and 1.11N/mm 2 with water absorption capacities of 3.13%, 1.73% and 1.49%. Further results showed that 7% CSL had a permeability of 4.47 x 10 -9 m/s at 20 o C and 7% LSL had a permeability of 7.30 x 10 -9 m/s. Generally the bricks experienced less linear shrinkage with increase of % stabilizers, however CSL had least shrinkage of 0.47% while BSL had highest of 1.33%. The results showed that stabilized laterites produced superior performance than ZSL. Cement was the best characteristic performer except in water absorption where BSL absorbed least water. Combinations of the stabilizers is suggested for further investigation to obtain optimum performance.
China cardiovascular diseases report 2018: an updated summary

Rapid socioeconomic progress has greatly affected the lifestyle in China. Consequently, owing to lifestyle changes, urbanization, and accelerated population aging, the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has increased. The incidence of CVD has been increasing continuously and this upward trend is projected to continue in the next decade. The growing burden of CVD has become a major public health issue. Accordingly, since 2005, the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases of China has directed experts in cardiology, neurology, nephrology, diabetes, epidemiology, community healthcare, health economics, biostatistics, and other related fields to prepare the annual Report on Cardiovascular Diseases in China. This report aims to provide a timely review of the growing epidemic of CVD in the country as well as to assess the progress made in its prevention and control. We present herein an updated summary of the Report on Cardiovascular Diseases in China 2018 that includes trends in CVD, the morbidity and mortality of CVD, risk factor assessment, health resources for CVD, and a profile of medical expenditure.
Understanding Restaurant Clients' Intention to Use Mobile Applications: A Comparative Study of France and Russia

Smartphones have changed consumer behavior by providing new mobile technology applications. In order to understand the intention to use mobile applications, this study highlights the factors of usability, loyalty, and trust based on technology acceptance models and relationship marketing by using mobile restaurant guides. This research fills a gap regarding the comparison of mobile application users' behavior in France and Russia. The authors tested the model by a total sample of 244 respondents (123 from Paris and 121 from Moscow) and analysed it with SmartPLS. The comparison of subgroups indicates that Russian users are sensitive toward the variable of trust, while French users are more impacted by mobile application usability. This study can be relevant for practitioners who work internationally, developers of mobile applications, and restaurant managers.
Winners and losers in an urban bat community: a case study from southeastern Europe

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Prof. Athanassios Argiriou from the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics of the University of Patras for kindly providing the meteorological data. We are grateful to Robert Nudds for improving and proofreading an earlier version of the manuscript, as well as to Christina Kassara for statistical support. George Iliopoulos, Dimitris Papandropoulos and Philippos Katsigiannis supported the first author during field work and provided important information about the study area. Two anonymous reviewers provided constructive comments, which largely contributed to improving the final version of the manuscript. Abstract