Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between career and job opportunities: women’s employment in the hospitality industry as a microcosm of women’s employment

Points out that in virtually all cultures and within the majority of organizations, there are differences in the distribution of women and men throughout the workforce, with clear understandings about appropriate work for women and men and which incumbents of posts are in “gender atypical” occupations. States that women managers are a case in point. Explores the dynamics which lead to and reinforce gendered occupational segregation by focusing on the hospitality industry, in which women predominate in the UK workforce but remain under‐represented in management. Postulates that there are three mutually‐reinforcing but distinct elements which influence the allocation or denial of particular work to women: labour cost, sexuality and patriarchal prescription. Presents research findings which suggest that women in “feminized” industries and occupations may face more formidable barriers and prejudices when they seek to develop careers rather than jobs because of the entrenched roles already allocated to women in such employment contexts.
ming, Propositional Logic, and Stochastic Search

Planning is a notoriously hard combinatorial search problem. In many interesting domains, current planning algorithms fail to scale up gracefully. By combining a general, stochastic search algorithm and appropriate problem encodings based on propositional logic, we are able to solve hard planning problems many times faster than the best current planning systems. Although stochastic methods have been shown to be very effective on a wide range of scheduling problems, this is the first demonstration of its power on truly challenging classical planning instances. This work also provides a new perspective on representational issues in planning.
Blood Platelets in the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by neurotoxic amyloid-ß plaque formation in brain parenchyma and cerebral blood vessels known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Besides CAA, AD is strongly related to vascular diseases such as stroke and atherosclerosis. Cerebrovascular dysfunction occurs in AD patients leading to alterations in blood flow that might play an important role in AD pathology with neuronal loss and memory deficits. Platelets are the major players in hemostasis and thrombosis, but are also involved in neuroinflammatory diseases like AD. For many years, platelets were accepted as peripheral model to study the pathophysiology of AD because platelets display the enzymatic activities to generate amyloid-ß (Aß) peptides. In addition, platelets are considered to be a biomarker for early diagnosis of AD. Effects of Aß peptides on platelets and the impact of platelets in the progression of AD remained, however, ill-defined. The present study explored the cellular mechanisms triggered by Aß in platelets. Treatment of platelets with Aß led to platelet activation and enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane scrambling, suggesting enhanced platelet apoptosis. More important, platelets modulate soluble Aß into fibrillar structures that were absorbed by apoptotic but not vital platelets. This together with enhanced platelet adhesion under flow ex vivo and in vivo and platelet accumulation at amyloid deposits of cerebral vessels of AD transgenic mice suggested that platelets are major contributors of CAA inducing platelet thrombus formation at vascular amyloid plaques leading to vessel occlusion critical for cerebrovascular events like stroke.
Clinical presentation and management of empyema, lung abscess and pleural effusion

Purpose of review Pleural effusions, lung abscess and empyema remain a commonly encountered clinical problem and a significant source of morbidity. The aim of this review is to summarize recent developments with emphasis on controlled trials. Recent findings There is wide variation in the management of infectious pleural effusions, partly because of the relative lack of randomized controlled trials. The recent MRC/BTS UK controlled trial of interapleural streptokinase for pleural infection assessed the efficacy of intrapleural streptokinase compared with placebo in complicated parapneumonic effusions. The study showed no difference in the primary end point, mortality, or in the need for surgery or length of the hospital stay among patients with pleural infection. The first large report published for over a decade has suggested that the bacteriological characteristics of lung abscess have changed. Summary The major recent development in the management of pleural infections is the finding that we should dampen the ardor for the routine use of fibrinolytic agents in all patients with pleural infections. We strongly recommend the necessity for additional, well-designed trials to help determine optimal care for these seriously ill patients.
Driven to Kill: British Serial Killers and Their Occupations

Despite the wealth of academic literature relating to serial murder, there has been little research into how the occupational choice of serial killers influences their behaviour and subsequent offending. This article seeks to address this current gap by first examining the occupational history of known British serial murderers and determining if there were any particular work environments which were commonly selected. It was determined that there are four particular occupational ‘groups’ that known British serial murderers selected and these are described as: ‘Healthcare’; ‘Business’; ‘Public and personal service’; and ‘Driving and transient dependent work’. It is this latter occupational ‘grouping’ that was the most commonly selected form of employment. Through using a case study of Peter Sutcliffe – a serial murderer who was active during the 1970s and early 1980s – the reasons why such occupations may be so popular among serial sexual murderers are explored.
Highly Efficient Tandem Affinity Purification of Trypanosome Protein Complexes Based on a Novel Epitope Combination

ABSTRACT Tandem affinity purification (TAP) allows for rapid and efficient purification of epitope-tagged protein complexes from crude extracts under native conditions. The method was established in yeast and has been successfully applied to other organisms, including mammals and trypanosomes. However, we found that the original method, which is based on the TAP tag, consisting of a duplicate protein A epitope, a tobacco etch virus protease cleavage site, and the calmodulin-binding peptide (CBP), did not yield enough recovery of transcription factor SNAPc (for small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex) from crude trypanosome extracts for protein identification. Specifically, the calmodulin affinity chromatography step proved to be inefficient. To overcome this problem, we replaced CBP by the protein C epitope (ProtC) and termed this new epitope combination PTP tag. ProtC binds with high affinity to the monoclonal antibody HPC4, which has the unique property of requiring calcium for antigen recognition. Thus, analogous to the calcium-dependent CBP-calmodulin interaction, ProtC-tagged proteins can be released from immobilized HPC4 by a chelator of divalent cations. While this property was retained, epitope substitution improved purification in our experiments by eliminating the inefficiency of calmodulin affinity chromatography and by providing an alternative way of elution using the ProtC peptide in cases where EGTA inactivated protein function. Furthermore, HPC4 allowed highly sensitive and specific detection of ProtC-tagged proteins after protease cleavage. Thus far, we have successfully purified and characterized the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle, the transcription factor complex TATA-binding protein related factor 4 (TRF4)/SNAPc/transcription factor IIA (TFIIA), and RNA polymerase I of Trypanosoma brucei.
Molecular Sciences Isolation and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers in the Domestic Ferret (mustela Putorius Furo)

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is an important model organism for the study of avian influenza and other diseases of humans and animals, as well as a popular pet animal. In order to evaluate genetic diversity and study disease relationships in ferrets, 22 nuclear microsatellite loci (17 dinucleotide and 5 tetranucleotide) were developed from ferret genomic libraries and organized into seven multiplex sets. Polymorphism was preliminarily assessed in one population in Australia and one in the USA, sampled with 25 individuals each. The loci displayed allelic diversity ranging from 1 to 5 alleles, and expected and observed heterozygosities ranging from 0.04 to 0.65 and 0.04 to 0.76, respectively. Additionally, the loci amplified products in 15 samples from the wild ancestor, European polecat (Mustela putorius) and domestic ferret-polecat hybrids. In polecat/hybrid samples, allelic diversity ranged from 3 to 8 alleles, and expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.13 to 0.81 and 0.13 to 0.80 respectively. These markers will be useful for molecular assessments of genetic diversity and applications to evolution, ecology, and health in domestic ferrets and wild polecats.
Behavioral and neurochemical changes in the zebrafish leopard strain

The zebrafish leopard phenotype (leo) displays abnormal pigmentation and shows increased anxiety‐like behavior. The neurochemical changes associated with this anxious phenotype are not known. Here, we demonstrate that leo show increased anxiety‐like behavior in the light/dark box and in the novel tank test. This anxious phenotype is rescued by acute treatment with a dose of a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, that is inactive in wild‐type animals. Moreover, leo show decreased tissue levels of serotonin, increased serotonin turnover and slightly increased monoamine oxidase activity. These results suggest that the anxious phenotype observed in leo zebrafish is caused by a decrease in serotonin uptake. This work could open an important avenue in defining the neurochemical underpinning of natural variation in anxiety disorders.
Interorganizational Trust, Governance Choice, and Exchange Performance

This paper looks at when and how preexisting interorganizational trust influences the choice of governance and in turn the performance of exchange relationships. We theorize that preexisting interorganizational trust complements the choice of governance mode (make, ally, or buy) and also promotes substitution effects on governance mode choice while impacting exchange performance. We evaluate hypotheses using a novel three-stage switching regression model and a sample of 222 component-sourcing arrangements of two assemblers in the automobile industry. Analysis of our data broadly supports our hypotheses. High levels of preexisting interorganizational trust increased the probability that a less formal, and thus less costly, mode of governance was chosen over a more formal one. This finding suggests a substitution effect of interorganizational trust on governance mode choice that in turn shapes exchange performance. We also found a complementary effect of trust on performance: Regardless of the governance mode chosen for an exchange, trust enhanced exchange performance. Additional evidence of the complementary effect of trust on performance was that trust somewhat reduced interorganizational conflict.
Virtual 3D sculpturing with a parametric hand surface

Many techniques have been developed for 3D object deformation. These techniques have been widely used in most CAD/CAM systems. Intuitive while efficient methods for interactive 3D object deformation in a VR environment, however, are rare. One of our current research projects is to develop such a technique based on the use of a sensor glove. The idea is to create a hand surface interpolating through all the data points of the sensor glove. Through mapping the vertices of an object model to the hand surface, the object model may be deformed simply by changing the hand gesture. An initial method for implementing this idea was presented in our recent paper. In this paper, we discuss some of the limitations of the earlier method and present a refined method that overcomes most of the limitations. The resulting method is both efficient and intuitive as demonstrated by the results of our experiments.
Changes in the technological landscape over time : everyday technologies relevance and difficulty levels as perceived by older adults with and without cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND: Everyday technology, ET (e.g. computers, TV´s and vending machines) perceived as relevant and used in everyday activities change continuously. Not being able to keep up with these changes may hinder participation in activities. OBJECTIVE: To investigate stability and change in perceived relevance of ET, and in levels of perceived ET difficulty across two different occasions in time and between two similar samples of older adults with and without cognitive impairment. METHODS: Data of perceived relevance and difficulty in ET use in the samples (n=157/118), collected with the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ) was investigated. RESULTS: Thirty-three (70%) of the ETs in the ETUQ significantly increased in relevance, while the perceived levels of difficulty were statistically similar in 40/47 ETs (85%) across the two time occasions.
Crystal structure of bis{2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-[(isopropylimino)methyl]phenolato-κ2 N,O}zinc dichloromethane monosolvate

In the title compound, [Zn(C18H28NO)2]·CH2Cl2, the ZnII atom is N,O-chelated by two crystallographically independent salicylaldehyde imine ligands, leading to a distorted tetrahedral coordination sphere. The dihedral angle between the planes of the two metallacycles is 88.69 (6)°. Intramolecular non-classical C—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding interactions are observed. In the crystal, the complex molecules stack into columns along the a axis. Dichloromethane solvent molecules are situated in the voids of this arrangement.
Selective Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibition Reduces Left Ventricular Remodeling but Does Not Inhibit Angiogenesis After Myocardial Infarction

Background—Broad inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) attenuates left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). However, it is not clear if selective MMP inhibition strategies will be effective or if MMP inhibition will impair angiogenesis after MI. Methods and Results—We used a selective MMP inhibitor (MMPi) that does not inhibit MMP-1 in rabbits, which, like humans but unlike rodents, express MMP-1 as a major collagenase. On day 1 after MI, rabbits were randomized to receive either inhibitor (n=10) or vehicle (n=8). At 4 weeks after MI, there were no differences in infarct size or collagen fractional area. However, MMPi reduced ventricular dilation. The increase in end-diastolic dimension from day 1 to week 4 was 3.1±0.5 mm for vehicle versus 1.3±0.3 mm for MMPi (P <0.01). The increase in end-systolic dimension was 2.8±0.5 mm for vehicle and 1.3±0.4 mm for MMPi (P <0.05). Furthermore, MMPi reduced infarct wall thinning; the minimal infarct thickness was 0.8±0.1 mm for vehicle and 1.6±0.3 mm for MMPi (P <0.05). Interestingly, the MMPi group had increased numbers of vessels in the subendocardial layer of the infarct; the number of capillaries was increased in the subendocardial layer (46±4 vessels/field versus 17±3 vessels/field for vehicle;P <0.001), and the number of arterioles was also increased (4.0±0.8 vessels/field versus 2.0±0.4 vessels/field for vehicle;P <0.05). Conclusions—MMP inhibition attenuates left ventricular remodeling even when the dominant collagenase MMP-1 is not inhibited; furthermore, this selective MMP inhibition appears to increase rather than decrease neovascularization in the subendocardium.
From Intentions to Actions: The Role of Environmental Awareness on College Students

This study examined the ways environmental education influences the attitudes and behaviors of university students. Previous research has been able to associate strong attitudes with intentions; this research goes beyond intentions by measuring behaviors. Surveys were used to verify the impact of an introductory environmental course on participants’ environmental awareness. Two independent groups were divided by the characteristic of enrollment in the course. Students in the course reported greater pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors than students who were not enrolled. Results also revealed a positive correlation between attitudes and behaviors at the end of the course. These findings suggest a need for stressing the importance of environmental awareness in an educational setting, in order to benefit both student knowledge and future welfare of the greater population.
Modeling and Performance Analysis of Clustered Device-to-Device Networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication enables direct communication between proximate devices thereby improving the overall spectrum utilization and off-loading traffic from cellular networks. This paper develops a new spatial model for D2D networks in which the device locations are modeled as a Poisson cluster process. Using this model, we study the performance of a typical D2D receiver in terms of coverage probability under two realistic content availability setups: 1) content of interest for a typical device is available at a device chosen uniformly at random from the same cluster, which we term uniform content availability, and 2) content of interest is available at the kth closest device from the typical device inside the same cluster, which we term k-closest content availability. Using these coverage probability results, we also characterize the area spectral efficiency (ASE) of the whole network for the two setups. A key intermediate step in this analysis is the derivation of the distributions of distances from a typical device to both the intra-and inter-cluster devices. Our analysis reveals that an optimum number of D2D transmitters must be simultaneously activated per cluster in order to maximize ASE. This can be interpreted as the classical tradeoff between more aggressive frequency reuse and higher interference power. The optimum number of simultaneously transmitting devices and the resulting ASE increase as the content is made available closer to the receivers. Our analysis also quantifies the best and worst case performance of clustered D2D networks both in terms of coverage and ASE.
Loss-of-Function Mutations in PTPN11 Cause Metachondromatosis, but Not Ollier Disease or Maffucci Syndrome

Metachondromatosis (MC) is a rare, autosomal dominant, incompletely penetrant combined exostosis and enchondromatosis tumor syndrome. MC is clinically distinct from other multiple exostosis or multiple enchondromatosis syndromes and is unlinked to EXT1 and EXT2, the genes responsible for autosomal dominant multiple osteochondromas (MO). To identify a gene for MC, we performed linkage analysis with high-density SNP arrays in a single family, used a targeted array to capture exons and promoter sequences from the linked interval in 16 participants from 11 MC families, and sequenced the captured DNA using high-throughput parallel sequencing technologies. DNA capture and parallel sequencing identified heterozygous putative loss-of-function mutations in PTPN11 in 4 of the 11 families. Sanger sequence analysis of PTPN11 coding regions in a total of 17 MC families identified mutations in 10 of them (5 frameshift, 2 nonsense, and 3 splice-site mutations). Copy number analysis of sequencing reads from a second targeted capture that included the entire PTPN11 gene identified an additional family with a 15 kb deletion spanning exon 7 of PTPN11. Microdissected MC lesions from two patients with PTPN11 mutations demonstrated loss-of-heterozygosity for the wild-type allele. We next sequenced PTPN11 in DNA samples from 54 patients with the multiple enchondromatosis disorders Ollier disease or Maffucci syndrome, but found no coding sequence PTPN11 mutations. We conclude that heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in PTPN11 are a frequent cause of MC, that lesions in patients with MC appear to arise following a “second hit,” that MC may be locus heterogeneous since 1 familial and 5 sporadically occurring cases lacked obvious disease-causing PTPN11 mutations, and that PTPN11 mutations are not a common cause of Ollier disease or Maffucci syndrome.
Gaussian Process Modeling in Conjunction with Individual Patient Simulation Modeling: A Case Study Describing the Calculation of Cost-Effectiveness Ratios for the Treatment of Established Osteoporosis

Individual patient-level models can simulate more complex disease processes than cohort-based approaches. However, large numbers of patients need to be simulated to reduce 1storder uncertainty, increasing the computational time required and often resulting in the inability to perform extensive sensitivity analyses. A solution, employing Gaussian process techniques, is presented using a case study, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of a sample of treatments for established osteoporosis. The Gaussian process model accurately formulated a statistical relationship between the inputs to the individual patient model and its outputs. This model reducedthe time required for future runs from 150 min to virtually-instantaneous, allowing probabilistic sensitivity analyses-to be undertaken. This reduction in computational time was achieved with minimal loss in accuracy. The authors believe that this case study demonstrates the value of this technique in handling 1st- and 2nd-order uncertainty in the context of health economic modeling, particularly when more widely used techniques are computationally expensive or are unable to accurately model patient histories.
Quantitative Surface Coverage Measurements of Self-Assembled Monolayers by Nuclear Reaction Analysis of Carbon-12.

We report surface coverage measurements by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of both alkyl thiols and oligophenylene thiols on Au-coated mica, Si, and pyrolytic graphite. The 12C atom concentration was probed at 4.266 MeV 24He2+ primary beam energy, which enhances the 24He2+ scattering cross section by exciting 12C nuclear resonance states; this is a submode of RBS commonly referred to as nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). The surface coverage of 12C increased linearly with the number of 12C atoms in each SAM. The consistency of the 12C atom coverage values obtained by NRA was cross-checked by measuring the 32S atom concentration by conventional RBS. From these data, we obtained an average coverage of 3.5 ± 0.2 molecules/nm2 for both alkyl thiols and oligophenylene thiols on polycrystalline Au surfaces. The results show the utility of NRA for quantitative analysis of SAM coverage on Au.
Poly[[(μ3-5,6-dicarboxybicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3-dicarboxylato)(1,10-phenanthroline)copper(II)] monohydrate]

In the title compound, {[Cu(C12H10O8)(C12H8N2)]·H2O}n, the CuII ion is five-coordinated by two N atoms from one phenanthroline ligand and three O atoms from three different H2 L 2− anions (H4 L is bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic acid) in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. Each H2 L 2− ion bridges three CuII atoms to form a zigzag sheet parallel to the ab plane. The crystal structure is consolidated by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.