Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What are the Motivations of Pathways to Retirement in Europe: Individual, Familial, Professional Situation or Social Protection Systems?

The aim of this research is to identify the determinants of pathways to retirement in Europe and, by measuring the influence or combined influence of individual, contextual and institutional domains on labor force participation, to better understand inter-country variations in the employment rates of older citizens. The dataset consists of both the first two longitudinal waves of SHARE (2004-2006) and some macroeconomic series from the OECD describing three complementary social protection systems (pensions, disability, employment). The analysis is simultaneously carried out in terms of "stocks" (labor force participation in 2004) and "flows" (pathways from employment in 2004 to retirement in 2006). Indicators are developed to measure the contribution of each domain (individual, contextual, institutional), and their various combinations to the employment rate of older citizens, and their role in explaining inter-country differences. As expected, results demonstrate that labor force participation and the decision to retire are determined by the various individual and contextual domains with social protection systems, each playing a significant role. Institutional determinants explain most of the inter-country differences. There appears to be a complementary effect between the different categories of social protection, and the global effect of the three systems combined is greater than the sum of the idiosyncratic effect of each system. Future public policies aiming at increasing the workforce participation of older citizens should therefore take into account that retirement decisions are determined by complex, interactive and individual determinants, and that within the European Union, the main convergence factors are to be found in the differences in social protection systems.
Calibration of a synchronized multi-camera setup for 3D videoconferencing

In this paper we present an efficient camera calibration workflow. Our target application is the calibration of a 3D videoconferencing setup. Nevertheless, it is also well suited for almost every small-scale environment and any number of cameras. The main contribution of this work is a novel integrated high precision pattern based calibration workflow which accounts for color channel-wise lens un-distortion, chromatic aberration correction and linear camera parameter estimation simultaneously. Moreover, our calibration workflow incorporates a convenient automatic spatial camera registration, in case the calibration pattern is not concurrently visible for all cameras.
The Impact of Institutional Reforms on Characteristics and Survival of Foreign Subsidiaries in Emerging Economies

abstract This study goes beyond the conventional notion of the institutional environment of emerging economies and investigates their dynamic context. It examines the complex influences of policy reforms on the characteristics and survival of foreign subsidiaries in emerging economies before and after the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis. This study proposes that FDI policy reforms during times of crisis may not only have a positive effect on institutional munificence for foreign firms, but such drastic reforms may also produce a negative effect (e.g. institutional volatility and complexity) on the environment. We consider how foreign firms effectively respond to the unfavourable forces of the post‐crisis environments while taking advantage of the munificence of the policy reforms. We find that foreign subsidiaries tend to take the form of wholly‐owned subsidiaries (versus joint ventures), majority joint‐ventures (versus minority joint‐ventures), or trading operations (versus manufacturing operations) in the post‐crisis institutional environment. Consistently, foreign subsidiaries with these characteristics are more likely to survive in the post‐crisis environment.
The eosinophil.

The eosinophil has characteristic granules containing a variety of mediators that may be important in the pathogenesis of cutaneous disease. Although numerous cutaneous diseases may be associated with tissue infiltration with eosinophils, in very few disorders, including Wells' syndrome, angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, and granuloma faciale, does the pattern of eosinophil infiltration contribute to the characteristic histopathologic picture. Immunofluorescence studies demonstrating eosinophil degranulation in the skin, particularly in urticaria and angioedema, have provided evidence to support a role for eosinophil mediators in the pathogenesis of certain cutaneous diseases.
Security Analysis of Android Applications using Machine Learning

Android, a word which does not require any introduction now is by definition an open source operating system for smartphones, tablets and also used in wearable devices. Android in recent years has dominated the world market share of smartphones using it and has become a large industry economically even after its open source nature. The report is a literature-based review of the security analysis of Android applications. To restrict the scope of the project, the security measures are restricted to machine learning methodologies as used in Android apps for detection of malware, data leaks and system performance. The report consists of two parts, building on the basic architecture of Android and further goes in the evaluation of apps, threats, evaluation parameters and countermeasures which are to be taken for giving a comprehensive view of Android. Finally, in addition to the static system parameters of an application, framework is built on social data like reviews and ratings obtained from Google Play Store and textual tweets obtained from Twitter which were used to assign a score that evaluates the app in terms of security.
The efficiency of the Warsaw Stock Exchange : the first few years 1991-1996

This paper reports a test of the changing pricing efficiency of the first stage of development of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE). Emerging stock markets are unlikely to be fully information-efficient, partly due to institutional rigidities which restrict information flows to the market and partly for lack of experienced market participants to rapidly impound new information into security prices. Tests for runs and autocorrelation were conducted for the 1991-1996 trading history of the WSE and also to segmented sub-periods during which different institutional arrangements applied. As the number of trading days per week increased, the general level of efficiency, although low, steadily improved (except for the "bubble" period of 1993-1994). Inefficiencies persist in some stocks, possibly explained by opportunities to conduct off-market, out-of-hours transactions in specific stocks, and the stock exchange authorities' continuing power to suspend trading. (original abstract)
Prevention of Anti-IgM-Induced Apoptosis Accompanying G1 Arrest in B Lymphoma Cells Overexpressing Dominant-Negative Mutant Form of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase 11

A family of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases comprising the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), and p38 MAP kinases are involved in proliferation and apoptosis. However, there are some arguments concerning the role of these kinases in Ag-induced B cell apoptosis. Two of the B lymphoma cell lines (CH31 and WEHI-231) susceptible to anti-IgM-induced apoptosis were used as a model. To address these issues, we examined the kinetics of anti-IgM-induced activation of MAP kinases and established cell lines overexpressing a dominant-negative (dn) mutant form of JNK1 (dnJNK1). Anti-IgM induced a sustained JNK1 activation with a peak at 8 h, with a marginal activation of ERK1/ERK2 in CH31 cells. The sustained JNK1 activation was not a secondary event through a caspase activation. The peak point of the JNK1 activation was just before the onset of a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential, which preceded anti-IgM-induced cell death. Following anti-IgM stimulation, dnJNK1 prevented a decline in mitochondrial membrane potential at 24 h, with a prolonged inhibition up to 72 h in WEHI-231, although it did so only partially during a later time period in CH31. The dnJNK1 cells also demonstrated diminished procaspase-3 activation and a decreased rate of apoptosis upon anti-IgM stimulation, with a concomitant increased arrest in G1 phase, which could be explained by enhanced levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27Kip1 protein. Thus, anti-IgM-induced JNK activation might be implicated in cell cycle progression as well as in apoptosis regulation, probably involving p27Kip1 protein.
The impact of physical connectedness on body height in Swiss conscripts.

BACKGROUND Human populations differ in height. Recent evidence suggests that social networks play an important role in the regulation of adolescent growth and adult height. We further investigated the effect of physical connectedness on height. MATERIAL AND METHODS We considered Switzerland as a geographic network with 169 nodes (district capitals) and 335 edges (connecting roads) and studied effects of connectedness on height in Swiss conscript from 1884 - 1891, 1908 - 1910, and 2004 - 2009. We also created exponential-family random graph models to separate possible unspecific effects of geographic vicinity. RESULTS In 1884 - 1891, in 1908 - 1910, and in 2004 - 2009, 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) order neighboring districts significantly correlate in height (p < 0.01). The correlations depend on the order of connectedness, they decline with increasing distance. Short stature districts tend to have short, tall stature districts tend to have tall neighbors. Random network analyses suggest direct road effects on height. Whereas in 1884 - 1891, direct road effects were only visible between 1(st) order neighbors, direct road effects extended to 2(nd) and 3(rd) in 1908 - 1910, and in 2004 - 2009, also to 4(th) order neighbors, and might reflect historic improvements in transportation. The spatial correlations did not significantly change when height was controlled for goiter (1884 - 1889) and for median per capita income (2006), suggesting direct road effects also in goiter-allowed-for height and income-allowed-for height. CONCLUSION Height in a district depends on height of physically connected neighboring districts. The association decreases with increasing distance in the net. The present data suggest that people can be short because their neighbors are short; or tall because their neighbors are tall (community effect on growth). Psycho-biological effects seem to control growth and development within communities that go far beyond our current understanding of growth regulation.
Neural correlates of apathy revealed by lesion mapping in participants with traumatic brain injuries

Apathy, common in neurological disorders, is defined as disinterest and loss of motivation, with a reduction in self‐initiated activity. Research in diseased populations has shown that apathy is associated with variations in the volume of brain regions such as the anterior cingulate and the frontal lobes. The goal of this study was to determine the neural signatures of apathy in people with penetrating traumatic brain injuries (pTBIs), as to our knowledge, these have not been studied in this sample. We studied 176 male Vietnam War veterans with pTBIs using voxel‐based lesion‐symptom mapping (VLSM) and apathy scores from the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), a structured inventory of symptoms completed by a caregiver. Our results revealed that increased apathy symptoms were associated with brain damage in limbic and cortical areas of the left hemisphere including the anterior cingulate, inferior, middle, and superior frontal regions, insula, and supplementary motor area. Our results are consistent with the literature, and extend them to people with focal pTBI. Apathy is a significant symptom since it can reduce participation of the patient in family and other social interactions, and diminish affective decision‐making. Hum Brain Mapp 35:943–953, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Preoperative Imaging Improves Surgical Success in Laparoscopy.

PURPOSE To show the benefit of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of preoperative imaging for surgical performance. METHODS A laparoscopic training environment with 15 hidden lymph nodes was designed. Three of them were marked with radiographic contrast agent and were only distinguishable from unmarked nodes via CT imaging. Thirty-six surgeons were divided into two groups. To group 1 the unprocessed CT data were shown. Group 2 was additionally shown a 3D reconstruction of the anatomy. Time of studying the imaging was recorded. All surgeons had to find the three target lymph nodes laparoscopically. Time to fulfill this task and errors was measured. Afterward, the 3D reconstruction was also shown to group 1. Then, all participants completed a questionnaire. Furthermore, 3D reconstructions were used in 15 clinical cases of partial nephrectomy or lymphadenectomy, and surgeons' opinion was evaluated with an additional questionnaire. The imaging and 3D reconstructions were available on a mobile device. RESULTS The time of studying the imaging to gain confidence was significantly shorter with the 3D reconstruction. Laparoscopic intervention time was shortened and errors were reduced significantly within group 2. The clinical application of 3D reconstructions in difficult cases was believed to be helpful. CONCLUSIONS 3D reconstructions of preoperative imaging lead to better surgical performance in a difficult laparoscopic training environment. Surgeons gain a 3D impression of patients' individual anatomy easier, faster, and more reliable. Providing 3D reconstructions previous to surgery should be routinely implemented for patients with complex anatomical situations.
Services and Security Threats in SDN Based VANETs: A Survey

As the number of vehicles is increasing, the number of road side accidents is also increasing rapidly. The majority of these accidents is caused by the negligence of the driver. For intelligent transportation services, new protocols and architecture are continuously being developed by researchers around the globe. Thus to ensure the safety of drivers many countries are now adopting and investing a lot on vehicular ad hoc network (VANET). On the other perspective, there are many issues related to this field that must be resolved before VANET technology is practically adopted. In the case of no or low-security, several attacks can occur that may affect the efficiency and the reliability of the system. To make VANET systems more efficient software defined networking (SDN) technology is introduced in it. This technique was shortly named as SDN-based VANET. SDN-based VANET system helps us to get rid of the restriction and the challenges that are present in the simple VANET systems. It helps us to decrease the overall load on the network by managing the overall network through a single remote controller. In this survey paper, we will elaborate the concept of SDN-based VANET, its working, applications, services, security threats, and benefits over the previous techniques.
Securing aspect composition

Although research in AOP is increasing in maturity there remain many unresolved issues. While current AOP languages offer ever-increasing levels of flexibility, they still fail to offer a sufficient discipline of application to ensure that advanced AOP facilities are used safely and appropriately. Researchers have recognised the need to control aspect composition and have started to explore mechanisms to achieve this [2, 3, 4, 5]. In this paper we aim to provide a novel approach to control aspect composition (using AspectJ as reference) and we employ the concept of roles from Role Based Access Control Models [1] to characterise aspects in terms of both their internal behaviour and their external composition. Then, using policies, we express invariants and constraints on the associated advice and pointcuts.
Direct filter tuning and optimization in multivariable identification

Identification of linear time-invariant multivariable systems can best be understood as comprising three separate problems: selection of system model structure, filter design, and parameter estimation itself. A previous contribution approaches the first using matchable-observable models originally developed in the adaptive control literature. This paper uses direct or derivative-free optimization to design filters. The accuracy, robustness and moderate computational demands of the methods is demonstrated via simulations with randomly generated models. The results obtained are comparable or superior to the best results obtained using standard implementations of the algorithms described in the literature.
Estimating Price Elasticities with Theory-Based Priors

The authors show how price elasticity estimates can be improved in demand systems that involve multiple brands and stores. They treat these demand models in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. Unlike in more standard Bayesian hierarchical treatments, the authors use prior information based on the restrictions imposed by additive utility models. In an additive utility model approach, price elasticities are driven by a general substitution parameter as well as brand-specific expenditure elasticities. The authors employ a differential shrinkage approach in which price elasticities are held closely to the restrictions of the additive utility theory and store-to-store variation is accommodated through differences in expenditure elasticities. Application of these new methods to simulated and real store scanner data shows significant improvements over existing Bayesian and non–Bayesian methods.
Validation of a simplified grading of Gram stained vaginal smears for use in genitourinary medicine clinics

Objectives: To validate a simplified grading scheme for Gram stained smears of vaginal fluid for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) against the accepted “gold” standard of Amsel’s composite criteria. Methods: Women attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, as part of a multicentre study, were diagnosed as having BV if three or more of the following criteria were present; homogeneous discharge, elevated vaginal pH, production of amines, and presence of “clue” cells. Women with less than three of the criteria were considered as normal. Simultaneously, smears were made of vaginal fluid and Gram stained and then assessed qualitatively as normal (grade I), intermediate (grade II), or consistent with BV (grade III). Two new grades were used, grade 0, epithelial cells only with no bacteria, and grade IV, Gram positive cocci only. Results: BV was diagnosed in 83/162 patient visits using the composite criteria, the remainder being regarded as normal. The majority of patients with BV had a smear assessed as grade III (80/83, 96%) and the majority of normal women had a smear assessed as grade I (normal, 48/79, 61%), giving a high sensitivity (97.5%), specificity (96%), and predictive value for a positive (94.1%) and negative (96%) test, kappa index = 0.91. Smears assessed as grade II were found predominantly (12/13) among patients diagnosed as normal, with less than three of the composite criteria. Grades 0 and IV were both only found among normal women. Conclusion: This simplified assessment of Gram stained smears can be used as an alternative to Amsel’s criteria and is more applicable for use in busy GUM clinics.
Bank Lending and the Transmission of Monetary Policy: A Vecm Analysis for Germany

This paper addresses the relevance of the bank lending channel in the transmission of monetary policy in Germany on the basis of a structural vector error correction model (VECM). In order to deal with the fundamental problem of identification we use restriction tests on cointegration vectors to identify long-run supply and demand relationships in the market for bank loans. We find empirical evidence that is consistent with a bank lending channel in Germany. To our knowledge, this analysis is the first study that looks at the German loan market in the context of monetary transmission by applying such a structural approach to aggregate data.
Optimal hedge ratio under a subjective re-weighting of the original measure

ABSTRACT In this article we study a risk-minimizing hedge ratio with futures contracts, where the risk of the hedged portfolio is measured through a spectral risk measure (SRM), thus incorporating the degree of agent’s risk aversion. We empirically estimate the optimal hedge ratio (OHR) using a long time series of UK and US equity indices, the EURUSD and EURGBP exchange rates and four liquid commodities (Brent crude oil, corn, gold and copper), to represent different asset classes. Comparing the results with common OHRs (such as the minimum variance and the minimum expected shortfall), we find that the agent’s risk aversion has a material impact, and should not be ignored in risk management.
A-Kad: an anonymous P2P protocol based on Kad network

With the growth of decentralized network users, preserving privacy becomes a critical issue in this open community. Kad-based network, as a typical decentralized system, has been widely used nowadays. However, there is not enough research to achieve anonymity on it. In this paper, we propose an anonymous protocol based on Kad network, named Anonymous Kad (A-Kad), which achieves complete privacy and security for file providers and requesters. A-Kad has the desired property of anonymity and still keeps high efficiency in publishing and querying phases. To achieve anonymity, we establish two anonymous channels which help file providers to anonymously publish file information and securely transfer files. Through these two channels, the file requester can also efficiently query and retrieve files without worrying about exposing its behavior. Moreover, we propose an anonymity degree evaluation model (ADEM) according to three different attacking capabilities and anonymity degree.
HLH54F is required for the specification and migration of longitudinal gut muscle founders from the caudal mesoderm of Drosophila

HLH54F, the Drosophila ortholog of the vertebrate basic helix-loop-helix domain-encoding genes capsulin and musculin, is expressed in the founder cells and developing muscle fibers of the longitudinal midgut muscles. These cells descend from the posterior-most portion of the mesoderm, termed the caudal visceral mesoderm (CVM), and migrate onto the trunk visceral mesoderm prior to undergoing myoblast fusion and muscle fiber formation. We show that HLH54F expression in the CVM is regulated by a combination of terminal patterning genes and snail. We generated HLH54F mutations and show that this gene is crucial for the specification, migration and survival of the CVM cells and the longitudinal midgut muscle founders. HLH54F mutant embryos, larvae, and adults lack all longitudinal midgut muscles, which causes defects in gut morphology and integrity. The function of HLH54F as a direct activator of gene expression is exemplified by our analysis of a CVM-specific enhancer from the Dorsocross locus, which requires combined inputs from HLH54F and Biniou in a feed-forward fashion. We conclude that HLH54F is the earliest specific regulator of CVM development and that it plays a pivotal role in all major aspects of development and differentiation of this largely twist-independent population of mesodermal cells.