Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Academic Achievements, Satisfaction with Studies and Risky Behaviours among First-Year Students of Kaunas (Lithuania) Universities, 2000–2017

Risky behaviours are prevalent among university students and may affect academic achievements. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between academic achievements, satisfaction with studies and risky behaviours among first-year students of Kaunas (Lithuania) universities. Three cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2000, 2010, and 2017. The self-administered questionnaires were filled in during lectures and assessed frequency and amount of alcohol consumption, drinking problems (CAGE test), smoking and drug use frequency, and academic achievements. The associations between risky behaviours and academic achievements were analysed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Altogether 3325 students (1341 men and 1984 women) aged 20.0 (1.5) years participated in the survey. The proportion of students who consumed alcohol at least once a week and drank 11 or more standard alcoholic units (SAU) a week decreased. Every fifth student reported a drinking problem. Daily smoking prevalence declined, and drug use increased among male students. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that frequent alcohol consumption and problem drinking were associated with low importance of good grades. Students who rated their academic performance below average and were dissatisfied with studies were more likely to consume ≥11 SAU a week. Daily smoking was more common among students who reported low importance of good grades and academic performance below average. A higher prevalence of drug use was found only in male students who declared low importance of good grades. Health promoting interventions at the individual and student community level are required to reduce the prevalence of substance use and improve the academic achievements of students.
Reverse-Coded Items Do Not Work in Spanish: Data From Four Samples Using Established Measures

The potential for suboptimal psychometric performance of reverse-coded items may be particularly pronounced when scales are translated and administered in Spanish with these problems exacerbated in youth respondents. This is a significant concern, given the rapid rise in Hispanic-American and Spanish-speaking individuals in the US and their rightful, growing representation in psychological research and clinical care. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric performance of reverse-coded items across four Spanish-speaking samples spanning developmental stages including youth, college students, and parents (N = 1,084; Adolescents n = 107; M = 19.79; SD = 2.09; 41.1% female; Caregivers n = 58; M = 40.79; SD = 7.94; 60.3% female; Spanish-speaking adults in the US n = 157; M = 33.4; SD = 9.5; 68.8% female; and College students living in Latin America n = 783; M = 21.04; SD = 3.13; 69.2% female) and four scales (Big Five Inventory; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; Beck Hopelessness Scale); we expected reverse-coded items would demonstrate inadequate item–total correlations and their inclusion would compromise scale internal consistency. Hypotheses were supported with evidence of poor psychometric performance for at least two reverse-coded items on each instrument, such that un-reversing the items improved their item–total correlations. Across every instrument, alpha was either improved by excluding reverse-coded items or by including them in an un-reversed fashion and, overall, there was a moderate, negative effect of reverse-coded items on scale alphas. In growing consensus with previous authors, we recommend that reverse-coded items not be included in Spanish scales.
The warm winter paradox in the Pliocene northern high latitudes

Abstract. Reconciling palaeodata with model simulations of the Pliocene climate is essential for understanding a world with atmospheric CO2 concentration near 400 ppmv (parts per million by volume). Both models and data indicate an amplified warming of the high latitudes during the Pliocene; however, terrestrial data suggest that Pliocene northern high-latitude temperatures were much higher than can be simulated by models. We focus on the mid-Pliocene warm period (mPWP) and show that understanding the northern high-latitude terrestrial temperatures is particularly difficult for the coldest months. Here the temperatures obtained from models and different proxies can vary by more than 20 ∘C. We refer to this mismatch as the “warm winter paradox”. Analysis suggests the warm winter paradox could be due to a number of factors including model structural uncertainty, proxy data not being strongly constrained by winter temperatures, uncertainties in data reconstruction methods, and the fact that the Pliocene northern high-latitude climate does not have a modern analogue. Refinements to model boundary conditions or proxy dating are unlikely to contribute significantly to the resolution of the warm winter paradox. For the Pliocene high-latitude terrestrial summer temperatures, models and different proxies are in good agreement. Those factors which cause uncertainty in winter temperatures are shown to be much less important for the summer. Until some of the uncertainties in winter high-latitude Pliocene temperatures can be reduced, we suggest a data–model comparison should focus on the summer. This is expected to give more meaningful and accurate results than a data–model comparison which focuses on the annual mean.
Finite element modeling of debonding mechanisms in carbon fiber reinforced polymer‐strengthened reinforced concrete continuous beams

This paper presents three‐dimensional (3D) and two‐dimensional (2D) finite element models to analyze strengthened reinforced concrete (RC) continuous beams with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) which has become familiar technique in the last decade. Experimental results in the literature showed that two different debonding failure modes, either by interfacial debonding of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) or by concrete cover separation may occur. This study takes the two possible debonding failure modes into account by considering two cohesive surfaces; the first is inserted in the adhesive layer, whereas the second is inserted between the reinforcing steel and the concrete cover. The proposed cohesive surfaces take the slippage into account considering the cohesive surface fracture energy. The numerical models are verified utilizing five symmetrical RC continuous beams available in the literature. The numerical results of 3D and 2D models for the plated beams (beams strengthened with FRP plates) agreed well with the experimental results. Additionally, the effect of the CFRP plate length, and the parameters of the cohesive surfaces on the behavior and debonding failure modes (in the adhesive layer and between the reinforcing steel and the concrete cover) of CFRP‐strengthened RC continuous beams are investigated.
Bi-directional superluminal ring lasers without crosstalk and gain competition

In this paper, we present the experimental observation of simultaneous bi-directional superluminal lasing in a triangular ring cavity without gain competition and crosstalk as needed for realizing a gyroscope based on the Sagnac effect. The gain spectrum for each of the lasers is tailored to be a narrow dip on top of a broad gain using two stable isotopes of Rb. Specifically, we make use of 85Rb to produce a broad gain spectrum via the optically pumped Raman gain process and 87Rb to produce a narrow absorption spectrum via the optically pump Raman depletion process. A separate gain cell is used for the laser in each direction. Inferred from the simulation, the spectral sensitivity enhancements of the clock-wise and counter-clock-wise superluminal ring lasers are ∼362 and ∼505, respectively, with the imbalance attributed to differences in pump powers.
Stability of long combination vehicles

In general, long combination vehicles (LCVs) show poor performance with regard to stability, and this has been the focus of many studies around the world. Some characteristics such as the suspension topology, tyres, chassis and fifth wheel have been analysed, separately, to determine their influence on the vehicle stability calculation. Most vehicle stability models are developed in two dimensions, and they do not consider the longitudinal aspects of the vehicle and the road such as the stiffness of the chassis, the gravity centre location and the longitudinal slope angle of the road. In this context, the aim of this study was to develop a three-dimensional mechanism model of the trailer to represent all of these characteristics and their influence on the lateral stability.
Evolution of Procedure Indication and Cardiovascular Risk in Transvenous Lead Extraction

Background: The use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) to treat tachy- and bradyarrhythmia has significantly increased over the past decades. Consequently, transvenous lead extractions (TLE) have been performed more frequently, particularly in the treatment of device infection or malfunction. We aimed to evaluate the development of procedure indications and cardiovascular risk factors of patients undergoing TLE over time. Materials and methods: 277 TLE cases from 2013 to 2020 performed at the University Hospital Zurich were included in this retrospective analysis. Patient charts and follow-up letters were screened for procedure indication and cardiovascular risk factors to evaluate trends over time. Results: 502 leads were extracted in 273 patients. The main indications for TLE remained lead dysfunction (48.7%) and infection (31.4%) throughout the investigated period; however, infections were less and device upgrade more frequently encountered indications for TLE over time. Mean patient age at the time of TLE (64.0 ± 0.9 in the entire sample) decreased over time, while the incidence of chronic kidney disease (33.6%), heart failure (48.6%), or diabetes mellitus (22%) demonstrated an increasing trend. Conclusions: The main indications for TLE remain device malfunction and infection, while device upgrade was increasingly encountered as an indication for TLE in recent years. Over time, patients undergoing TLE were increasingly younger and more often presented with cardiovascular risk factors.
Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 and their inhibitor, TIMP-1, in human term decidua and fetal membranes: the effect of prostaglandin F 2 α and indomethacin

Degradation and breakdown of gestational membranes and the adjacent decidua are essential processes for the advancement of labour. We have assessed the effect of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis on the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) in fetal membranes at the edge of the placenta and decidua, by using ex-vivo organ culture of the tissues in the absence or presence of PGF 2 α (0.1, 1.0 and 10 µ g/ml) or a PG synthesis inhibitor, indomethacin (10 –4 –10 –6 mol/l). Conditioned media were assessed for MMP by zymography on gelatin containing sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gels and for TIMP-1 by Western blot analysis. Compared to the membranes, decidua produced signiﬁcantly more MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as TIMP-1. PGF 2 α caused a 2.4- and 1.9-fold increase in the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the decidua, respectively ( P < 0.05), and an 11.3-fold increase of the active form of MMP-2 (62 kDa) which could hardly be detected in basal culture conditions ( P < 0.01). PGF 2 α decreased TIMP-1 production by 70% in the decidua. The production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and TIMP-1 by the amniotic and chorionic membranes was not affected by PGF 2 α . Indomethacin decreased the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by 78 and 35% in chorion, and by 70 and 58% in amnion, respectively ( P < 0.05), but did not affect production in decidual tissue. Indomethacin increased the production of TIMP-1 in chorion and amnion [by 4.1- and 4.5-fold respectively ( P < 0.01)], but had no effect on decidua. Cumulatively, PGF 2 α increases decidual gelatinolytic activity. Meanwhile the inhibition of PG production by indomethacin reduces total gelatinolytic activity in fetal membranes, possibly accounting for some of its labour-arresting property.
Plasmodium falciparum evades innate immunity by hybrid ABO blood group phenotype formation

Although the process of pathogen transmission across species barriers has not yet been completely elucidated, malaria tropica infection most likely utilizes hybrid glycosyations. The abundant serine syntheses of the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum , which apparently lacks the ability to perform O -GalNAc glycosylation and does not survive outside its metazoan host, hypothetically obtain access to the metazoan host’s evolutionarily first protein glycosylation (or serologically A-like, O -GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr-R, “T nouvelle” (Tn) antigen formation). In humans, this genetically undefined glycosylation undergoes carbohydrate chain elongation, which is completed after ABO-blood-group allele-specific mucin-type formation. This understanding implicates the downregulation of corresponding "natural" isoagglutinins or nonimmune immunoglobulin M (IgM) reactivities and - in the case of infections - creates additional potential hybrid bonds, which burden the non-O blood groups A/B/AB with the risk of developing live-threatening disease. AB blood group synthesis might develop the strongest contact with the pathogen and precludes any normal corresponding antibody response, which makes this group the smallest among the ABO-blood groups. In contrast, the O(H) blood group maintains natural isoagglutinin power and O(H)-blood-group individuals, which form the most frequently occurring, largest blood group worldwide, rarely develop severe disease and survive this coevolution in an immunological balance with the pathogen.
Divergent Inflation in Euroland A Curve approach to the

This thesis investigates the cause and implications of the divergent inflation rates of the EMU-12 countries between the years 1998 and 2010. The EMU and the euro are put into a context with the classic theory of Optimum Currency Area, where the economic benefits and cost of joining a monetary union is reviewed. The inflation divergence in the euro area is then described and investigated. Empirically, a Phillips Curve model is constructed in order to determine if the EMU-12 nations’ inflation rates are equally sensitive to changes in unemployment as the EMU average. This is done using a Panel Least Square estimation for the EMU-12. Each nation is then tested separately against the EMU average. The result provides evidence that the EMU-12 nations’ inflation rates are not equally sensitive to changes in unemployment as the EMU average. The result is negative for the EMU-12 in an Optimum Currency Area context. Given the results, the EMU-12 cannot be considered to be an Optimum Currency Area, at least not yet.
Receptor 4 Chemokine Secretion Through Toll-Like Fibrinogen Stimulates Macrophage

Extravascular ﬁbrin deposition is an early and persistent hallmark of inﬂammatory responses. Fibrin is generated from plasma-derived ﬁbrinogen, which escapes the vasculature in response to endothelial cell retraction at sites of inﬂammation. Our ongoing efforts to deﬁne the physiologic functions of extravasated ﬁbrin(ogen) have led to the discovery, reported here, that ﬁbrinogen stimulates macrophage chemokine secretion. Differential mRNA expression analysis and RNase protection assays revealed that macrophage inﬂammatory protein-1 (cid:1) (MIP-1 (cid:1) ), MIP-1 (cid:2) , MIP-2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 are ﬁbrinogen inducible in the RAW264.7 mouse macrophage-like cell line, and ELISA conﬁrmed that both RAW264.7 cells and primary murine thioglycolate-elicited peritoneal macrophages up-regulate the secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 > 100-fold upon exposure to ﬁbrinogen. Human U937 and THP-1 precursor-1 (THP-1) monocytic cell lines also secreted chemokines in response to ﬁbrinogen, upon activation with IFN- (cid:3) and differentiation with vitamin D 3 , respectively. LPS contamination could not account for our observations, as ﬁbrinogen-induced chemokine secretion was sensitive to heat denaturation and was unaffected by the pharmacologic LPS antagonist polymyxin B. Nevertheless, ﬁbrinogen- and LPS-induced chemokine secretion both apparently required expression of functional Toll-like receptor 4, as each was diminished in macrophages derived from C3H/HeJ mice. Thus, innate responses to ﬁbrinogen and bacterial endotoxin may converge at the evolutionarily conserved Toll-like recognition molecules. that extravascular induces microbial products trigger TLR activation, releasing the Dorsal homologue NF- (cid:3) B from the Cactus homologue I (cid:3) B (50, 52). These events stimulate transcription of inﬂammation-associated cytokines and chemokines. As we found that ﬁbrin(ogen) stimulates chemokine secretion via TLR, and as a serine protease cascade (factor VII (cid:3) factor X (cid:3) thrombin) activates the conversion of ﬁbrinogen to ﬁbrin (2), we suggest that this pathway evolved from the homologous Drosophila and Limulus inﬂammatory pathways.
Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Sensation-seeking hedge funds Sensation-seeking hedge funds

Using a novel dataset of hedge fund manager automobile purchases, we show that, motivated by sensation seeking, hedge fund managers often take risk for personal and non-pecuniary reasons. In line with the sensation seeking view, managers who own powerful sports cars take on more investment risk but do not deliver higher returns, resulting in lower Sharpe ratios. Moreover, funds managed by performance car owners exhibit higher operational risk and are more likely to fail. Performance car owners demonstrate other attributes associated with sensation seeking, such as a preference for lottery-like stocks, unconventional strategies, and active trading. We have beneﬁtted from helpful conversations with Malcolm Baker, Matthew Cain, Darwin Choi, Jennifer Conrad, Elroy Dimson, Rich Evans, Ken Froot, Wes Gray, Marty Gruber, Danling Jiang, Matti Keloharju, Min Kim, Marc Lipson, Deborah Lucas, David Nawrocki, Richard Roll, Steve Satchell, Bill Sharpe, Andrei Shleifer, Rob Stambaugh, Laura Starks, Jeremy Stein, Neng Wang, In-grid Werner, Tina Yang, and Jingjing Zhang as well as seminar participants at the Singapore Management University, Massey University, Nanyang Technological University, University of Sydney, Deakin University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, the 2017 Monash University Q Group Colloquium, the University of Mel-bourne 2017 Financial Institutions, Regulation, and Corporate Governance conference, the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Research Conference in Finance, and the 2017 World Investment Forum. Korey Adkins, Nick Derobertis, Antonia Kirilova, and Charles Lowell IV provided excellent research assistance. We are also indebted
Seeding Properties of Amyloid-beta and Tau in the Cerebrospinal Fluid

Tau is a microtubule stabilizing protein that forms aggregates in many neurodegenerative diseases named tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It was shown that tau derived from tauopathy patient brains could induce local protein aggregation in a prion-like manner when injected into susceptible mice models. At the same time, increase of tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients correlates with severity of the disease. However, a reliable presymptomatic marker in AD is currently unavailable. A potential prion like property of tau in the CSF could have a possible diagnostic application. Here we investigated the seed-like potential of tau present in the CSF of mice carrying a tau mutation (P301S). We collected CSF from aged, tangle bearing P301S mice and injected it into young, pretangle staged P301S mice. As a result, we observed significantly higher number of pathologically hyperphosphorylated, AT8 positive NFTs in mice treated with CSF from P301S mice. Increased tau pathology was noted anterior and posterior to the inoculation site, as well as in the contralateral hippocampus. This suggests that CSF tau can exhibit seed like properties in vivo, and can induce tau hyperphosphorylation and fibrillization that is transmitted along existing anatomical networks. This knowledge could be useful in the development of future diagnostic tools.
Dehumanization and Proclivity to Torture

Several authors have argued that dehumanization may be the psychological process that underlies people’s willingness to torture outgroup members. In the current research, we directly examined this question among Christian participants, with Muslims as the target outgroup. Across two studies, we found that to the extent that Christians dehumanized Muslims, they were more likely to self-report the willingness to torture Muslim prisoners of war. We also found that perceiving Muslims as a threat moderated the relationship between dehumanization and the self-reported proclivity to torture. These findings support the propositions made by previous authors on the role of dehumanization in torture, war and genocide.
PROBIOTICS AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE MICROBIAL QUALITY OF SOFT CHEESE

significant (P >0.05) differences in the counts of c oliforms and S.aureus in the probiotic cheese with those in control cheese. The obtained results verify that using Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis as probiotics had a greater inhibitory effect on coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus counts in cheese. Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotic cheese is more effective in inhibition of S.aureus than either probiotic cheese with Bifidobacterium lactis or combination of them (P >0.05). The final numbers of L. acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis were greater than the minimum (10 7 cfu /g), as suggested by Ishibashi and Shimamura (1993), required to produce health benefits claimed for probiotic cheese. The results showed that Damietta cheese can be an effective carrier of probiotics to consumer.
4. Changing brains, changing perspectives: The neurocognitive development of reciprocity

Adolescence is characterized by the emergence of advanced forms of social perspective-taking and substantial changes in social behavior. Yet, little is known about how changes in social cognition are related to changes in brain function during adolescence. This study investigated the neural correlates of social behavior in three phases of adolescence using fMRI while participants played the second player in a Trust Game. With age, adolescents were increasingly sensitive to the perspective of the other player as indicated by their reciprocal behavior. These advanced forms of social perspective-taking were associated with increased involvement of the left temporal parietal junction (TPJ) and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In contrast, young adolescents showed more activity in the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC), a region previously associated with self-oriented processing and mentalizing. These findings suggest that the asynchronous development of these neural systems may underlie the shift from self towards other-oriented thought.