Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How to Tackle Key Challenges in the Promotion of Physical Activity among Older Adults (65+): The AEQUIPA Network Approach

The paper introduces the theoretical framework and methods/instruments used by the Physical Activity and Health Equity: Primary Prevention for Healthy Ageing (AEQUIPA) prevention research network as an interdisciplinary approach to tackle key challenges in the promotion of physical activity among older people (65+). Drawing on the social-ecological model, the AEQUIPA network developed an interdisciplinary methodological design including quantitative/qualitative studies and systematic reviews, while combining expertise from diverse fields: public health, psychology, urban planning, sports sciences, health technology and geriatrics. AEQUIPA tackles key challenges when promoting physical activity (PA) in older adults: tailoring of interventions, fostering community readiness and participation, strengthening intersectoral collaboration, using new technological devices and evaluating intervention generated inequalities. AEQUIPA aims to strengthen the evidence base for age-specific preventive PA interventions and to yield new insights into the explanatory power of individual and contextual factors. Currently, the empirical work is still underway. First experiences indicate that the network has achieved a strong regional linkage with communities, local stakeholders and individuals. However, involving inactive persons and individuals from minority groups remained challenging. A review of existing PA intervention studies among the elderly revealed the potential to assess equity effects. The results will add to the theoretical and methodological discussion on evidence-based age-specific PA interventions and will contribute to the discussion about European and national health targets.
Identification of a Novel Region of the Cytoplasmic Dynein Intermediate Chain Important for Dimerization in the Absence of the Light Chains*

Cytoplasmic dynein is the multisubunit protein complex responsible for many microtubule-based intracellular movements. Its cargo binding domain consists of dimers of five subunits: the intermediate chains, the light intermediate chains, and the Tctex1, Roadblock, and LC8 light chains. The intermediate chains have a key role in the dynein complex. They bind the three light chains and the heavy chains, which contain the motor domains, but little is known about how the two intermediate chains interact. There are six intermediate chain isoforms, and it has been hypothesized that different isoforms may regulate specific dynein functions. However, there are little data on the potential combinations of the intermediate chain isoforms in the dynein complexes. We used co-immunoprecipitation analyses to demonstrate that all combinations of homo- and heterodimers of the six intermediate chains are possible. Therefore the formation of dynein complexes with different combinations of isoforms is not limited by interaction between the various intermediate chains. We further sought to identify the domain necessary for the dimerization of the intermediate chains. Analysis of a series of truncation and deletion mutants showed that a 61-amino-acid region is necessary for dimerization of the intermediate chain. This region does not include the N-terminal coiled-coil, the C-terminal WD repeat domain, or the three different binding sites for the Tctex1, LC8, and Roadblock light chains. Analytical gel filtration and covalent cross-linking of purified recombinant polypeptides further demonstrated that the intermediate chains can dimerize in vitro in the absence of the light chains.
A Generalized Stochastic Production Frontier Analysis of Technical Efficiency of Rice Farming: A Case Study from Assam, India

Purpose: This study analyzes farm-level technical inefficiency of rice farming in Assam, India, using a multiple-output generalized stochastic frontier framework. Design/Methodology/Approach: Primary data for this study was collected in 2009-2010 from 310 farm-households in four non- contiguous districts of Dhubri, Morigaon, Dibrugarh, and Cachar that are located in different agro-climatic regions of Assam. Based on a Cobb-Douglas production function for multiple rice varieties, the paper simultaneously estimates the Generalized Stochastic Production Frontier and examines effects of exogenous factors on farm-level technical inefficiency. Findings: Results of this study show that the average technical inefficiency of farms is 8.5% in the sample. Further, inefficiency is lower in the frequently flood prone areas, and availability of government support helps reduce such inefficiency as well. However, technical efficiency is higher for the Muslim farm-households, and it decreases with greater land fragmentation. The study also finds that the use of primitive technology like bullock reduces technical effciency of rice farming. Originality/Value: This paper is based on a novel data set that has specially been collected to examine productivity and efficiency of rice cultivation in the flood plains of Assam that has not been studied before. Further, to the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first one to model rice production as a multiple-output stochastic production frontier and analyze technical efficiency of rice production accordingly.
G protein coupling profile of mGluR6 and expression of Gα proteins in retinal ON bipolar cells

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 6 (mGluR6) is a group III, pertussis toxin (PTX)-sensitive G protein coupled mGluR that plays a specialized role in the retina. Retinal ON bipolar cells, which receive direct glutamatergic input from photoreceptor cells, express mGluR6 as their primary postsynaptic glutamate receptor. Activation of mGluR6 in these cells initiates an intracellular signaling cascade ultimately leading to inhibition of a cation channel and cell hyperpolarization. The primary mediator of this pathway in vivo is Gαo, but the potential roles of other G proteins from the Gαi/o family in the regulation of this or other signaling pathways in ON bipolar cells are unclear. To determine which specific G proteins from the Gαi/o family are able to couple to mGluR6, a Gα reconstitution system was employed using PTX-insensitive Gα mutants expressed with mGluR6 in PTX-treated sympathetic neurons from the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG). The efficiency of coupling to mGluR6 was Goa > Gob, Gi1 > Gi2, Gi3, whereas no coupling was observed with Gαz, nor with the retinal Gα proteins, rod (GNAT2) or cone (GNAT1) transducin (GαTr-R, GαTr-C). Finally, the expression of Gα proteins determined to couple with mGluR6 was examined in rat ON bipolar cells using single cell RT-PCR. Co-expression of mGluR6 message was used to distinguish ON from OFF bipolar cells. Expression of Gαo was detected in every ON bipolar cell examined. Message for Gαi1, which coupled moderately to mGluR6, was not detected in ON bipolar cells, nor was Gαi3, which coupled to mGluR6 in only a few cells but on average did not exhibit statistically significant coupling. Finally, though Gαi2 was detectable in ON bipolar cells, its coupling to mGluR6 in the SCG system was not significant. Together, these data indicate that signaling through mGluR6 in mammalian ON bipolar cells is highly focused, apparently acting through a single Gα protein subtype.
Benefits and risks of diversification for individual fishers

Significance Individuals who rely on natural resources for their livelihoods, such as fishers, farmers, and forestry workers, face high levels of income variability. For fishers, catching multiple species has been shown to reduce revenue variability at large scales (vessels and communities), but the individual-level consequences of maintaining catch diversity are unknown. Our work demonstrates that individuals in fisheries targeting a diversity of species and individuals who participate in multiple fisheries buffer income variability compared with less diverse individuals. However, large adjustments in diversification strategies from year to year are risky and usually increase revenue variability. The most effective option to reduce revenue variability via diversification—purchasing additional permits—is also expensive, often limited by regulations, and therefore unavailable to many. Individuals relying on natural resource extraction for their livelihood face high income variability driven by a mix of environmental, biological, management, and economic factors. Key to managing these industries is identifying how regulatory actions and individual behavior affect income variability, financial risk, and, by extension, the economic stability and the sustainable use of natural resources. In commercial fisheries, communities and vessels fishing a greater diversity of species have less revenue variability than those fishing fewer species. However, it is unclear whether these benefits extend to the actions of individual fishers and how year-to-year changes in diversification affect revenue and revenue variability. Here, we evaluate two axes by which fishers in Alaska can diversify fishing activities. We show that, despite increasing specialization over the last 30 years, fishing a set of permits with higher species diversity reduces individual revenue variability, and fishing an additional permit is associated with higher revenue and lower variability. However, increasing species diversity within the constraints of existing permits has a fishery-dependent effect on revenue and is usually (87% probability) associated with increased revenue uncertainty the following year. Our results demonstrate that the most effective option for individuals to decrease revenue variability is to participate in additional or more diverse fisheries. However, this option is expensive, often limited by regulations such as catch share programs, and consequently unavailable to many individuals. With increasing climatic variability, it will be particularly important that individuals relying on natural resources for their livelihood have effective strategies to reduce financial risk.
From Summitry to EU Government: An Agenda Formation Perspective on the European Council

While some observers have claimed that the European Council has become the key institution in European Union politics, others have argued that the Council's role has remained relatively stable over time. In this article, we argue that an analysis of agenda formation dynamics in the European Council may help us understand better how the European Council works and how its role has evolved over time. Building on theories of agenda‐setting, we identify two ideal‐typical modes of agenda formation: selective targeting and routine monitoring. Based on a comprehensive dataset of coded European Council Conclusions in the period 1975–2011, we show that the substantive content of the European Council agenda shows little change over time. However, in terms of agenda formation dynamics, we find a marked shift toward routine monitoring of issues. This supports the claim that the European Council is developing into the EU's de facto government.
A novel approach to dynamic livelihood clustering: Empirical evidence from Nepal

Rural households are heterogeneous: different socio-economic characteristics and asset endowments dictate their engagement with different livelihood activities resulting in different livelihood outcomes. Poverty reduction policies should consider this. Using a unique environmentally augmented three-wave panel dataset from 427 households in three locations of Nepal, we proposed an approach that combines households’ income and assets to identify different livelihood strategy clusters. Based on a Latent Markov Model we identify seven distinct livelihood strategies and analyse households’ movements between strategies through time. Most sampled households changed their livelihood strategy at least once between 2006 and 2012, and very few households transited directly from the least to the most remunerative strategy. A common pathway out of poverty appears to have involved an intermediate step during which households accumulated assets and capital through farming, petty trading and migratory work. The applied approach of combining income and assets better distinguishes the identified livelihood strategies compared to both the income and the asset approach and allows targeting of interventions towards specific strategies and transition pathways.
Nanoscale evidence for the superior reliability of SiGe high-k pMOSFETs

It is commonly accepted that the susceptibility of conventional Si channel pMOSFETs to the negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is a serious threat to further scaling. One possible solution of this problem is the use of SiGe quantum-well devices, which not only offer high mobilities but also superior NBTI reliability compared to conventional silicon transistors. It has been speculated that the latter is due to the energetically higher valence band edge of the SiGe channel with respect to Si, which increases the energetic separation between the defect bands in the high-k gate stack and the channel. We investigate this claim by comparing the behavior of single-defects in nanoscale devices to the averaged behavior of the large number of defects visible in large-area devices. Using detailed TCAD simulations together with the four-state non-radiative multiphonon model we determine the energetic and spatial locations of the traps in the gate stack and confirm that the previously developed picture correctly explains the significant reliability benefits of SiGe channel devices.
Brain region binding of the D2/3 agonist [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO and the D2/3 antagonist [11C]raclopride in healthy humans

The D2 receptors exist in either the high‐ or low‐affinity state with respect to agonists, and while agonists bind preferentially to the high‐affinity state, antagonists do not distinguish between the two states. [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO is a PET D2 agonist radioligand and therefore provides a preferential measure of the D2high receptors. In contrast, [11C]raclopride is an antagonist radioligand and thus binds with equal affinity to the D2 high‐ and low‐affinity states. The aim was to compare the brain uptake, distribution and binding characteristics between [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO and [11C]raclopride in volunteers using a within‐subject design. Both radioligands accumulated in brain areas rich in D2/D3‐receptors. However, [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO showed preferential uptake in the ventral striatum and globus pallidus, while [11C]raclopride showed preferential uptake in the dorsal striatum. Mean binding potentials were higher in the putamen (4.3 vs. 2.8) and caudate (3.4 vs 2.1) for [11C]raclopride, equal in the ventral‐striatum (3.4 vs. 3.3), and higher in the globus pallidus for [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO (1.8 vs. 3.3). Moreover [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO kinetics in the globus pallidus showed a slower washout than other regions. One explanation for the preferential binding of [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO in the globus pallidus and ventral‐striatum could be the presence of a greater proportion of high‐ vs. low‐affinity receptors in these areas. Alternatively, the observed distribution could also be explained by a preferential binding of D3‐over‐D2 with [11C]‐(+)‐PHNO. This differential binding of agonist vs. antagonist radioligand, especially in the critically important region of the limbic striatum/pallidum, offers new avenues to investigate the role of the dopamine system in health and disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of performance measures in Indian automobile industry: a green supply chain management approach

The environment is experiencing pressure from various manufacturing industries. Environmental pollution produced from process industries causing very dangerous issues like global warming, production of green house gases and depletion of ozone layer. Green supply chain management (GSCM) is the approach by which we minimise the effect of this environmental hazard. This study aims to identify the various measures on which performance of GSCM can be evaluated and further validation of the identified performance measures (PM). The automobile sector in India is considered to carry out the study in order to limit the scope of the research work. After comprehensive literature review and study we have identified six performance measures having 28 variables. Based on this, factor and reliability analysis has been performed. These measures are identified with exhaustive literature survey and its validation is tested using confirmative factor analysis to test the fitness of classification of elements among these measures. The study is done in central India, though the factors identified are relevant to Indian as well as global context.
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a prevalence of 36.7/100 000 in Germany and a female/male ratio of 4:1. The clinical course is variable, with a broad spectrum of organ manifestations; lupus nephritis develops in about half of all patients. METHODS This review is based on a selective search of PubMed and the Cochrane Library, including current guidelines and expert recommendations. RESULTS Assessment of clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and optional biopsy results are the basis for early diagnosis of SLE. All patients should be treated with antimalarials as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. In particular, hydroxychloroquine is associated with a higher rate of remission, fewer relapses, and reduced damage in the course of the disease, even in lupus nephritis. High-dose glucocorticoids should be given only when acutely indicated; immunosuppressives such as azathioprine, methotrexate, or mycophenolate mofetil may be administered to reduce glucocorticoids, according to the EULAR recommendations. Belimumab was recently approved as add-on therapy in autoantibody-positive SLE patients with high disease activity unresponsive to standard treatment. Short-term induction pulse therapy with low-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide, as well as continued mycophenolate mofetil treatment are advances in lupus nephritis. CONCLUSION The long-term prognosis for SLE has improved markedly in recent decades because of earlier diagnosis and optimized treatment. Further research and randomized controlled trials are needed for the development of specifically targeted therapies.
Highly luminescent and stable hydroxypyridinonate complexes: a step towards new curium decontamination strategies.

The photophysical properties, solution thermodynamics, and in vivo complex stabilities of Cm(III) complexes formed with multidentate hydroxypyridinonate ligands, 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO), are reported. Both chelators were investigated for their ability to act as antenna chromophores for Cm(III), leading to highly sensitized luminescence emission of the metal upon complexation, with long lifetimes (383 and 196 μs for 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO), respectively) and remarkable quantum yields (45 % and 16 %, respectively) in aqueous solution. The bright emission peaks were used to probe the electronic structure of the 5f complexes and gain insight into ligand field effects; they were also exploited to determine the high (and proton-independent) stabilities of the corresponding Cm(III) complexes (log β110 = 21.8(4) for 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) and log β120 = 24.5(5) for 5-LIO(Me-3,2-HOPO)). The in vivo complex stability for both ligands was assessed by using (248) Cm as a tracer in a rodent model, which provided a direct comparison with the in vitro thermodynamic results and demonstrated the great potential of 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) as a therapeutic Cm(III) decontamination agent.
Validation studies in epidemiology: the relative precision of different designs.

BACKGROUND In epidemiological studies, estimation of disease exposure associations will be biased if the exposure is measured with error. In previous papers, we considered the validity of an estimator of the correction factor under a variety of assumptions. In particular, in both univariate and bivariate cases, we considered the error in estimating the correction factor induced by incorrect assumptions on the independent errors of repeated measures, or of different types of measures. METHOD We concentrate our discussion in this paper on the optimal design of the validation study based on the asymptotic variance of the estimate of the correction factor. Only the univariate situation is considered. We also present an example to illustrate the importance of suitable design. RESULTS The value of a good biomarker is demonstrated again.
TRANSITIONS TO RETIREMENT: PERCEPTIONS OF PORTUGUESE OLDER MEN

In this paper we present results based on the project Old Guys Say Yes to Community. We interviewed 90 men in southern Portugal between 60 and 93 years of age. Our main aim was to understand how older men experienced their transitions from work to retirement. We clarify the concept of transition and the models that explain transitions in the life course perspective. There are a number of factors to consider during the processes of retirement. Also, not much is known about the role of education and learning during the transition process. We try to contribute to the field, reflecting on the learning processes that result from this transition. Our findings show that work is one of the most crucial dimensions to consider in transitions to retirement (despite the fact that we identify many others). But education and learning do have an immense impact on the lives of older adults, either negative or positive.
Unknown input and state estimation for linear discrete-time systems with missing measurements and correlated noises

This paper is concerned with the problem of simultaneous input and state estimation for a class of linear discrete-time systems with missing measurements and correlated noises. The missing measurements occur in a random way and are governed by a series of mutually independent random variables obeying a certain Bernoulli distribution. The process and measurement noises under consideration are correlated at the same time instant. Our attention is focused on the design of recursive estimators for both input and state such that, for all missing measurements and correlated noises, the estimators are unbiased and the estimation error covariances are minimized. This objective is achieved using direct algebraic operation and the design algorithm for the desired estimators is given. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design scheme.
Multiple founder haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA in Amerindians revealed by RFLP and sequencing

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 139 individuals from eight tribes which belong to four linguistic groups of the Brazilian Amazon Region was studied both by RFLP and by sequencing of the D‐loop region. RFLP analysis showed that 41 haplotypes (29%) belonged to haplogroup A, 39 (28%) to haplogroup B, 38 (27%) to haplogroup C. , 19 (14%) to haplogroup D, and 2 (<2%) could not be assigned to any of the four haplogroups. Among the 92 individuals analyzed by direct sequencing of the D‐loop region, we observed 43 different haplotypes defined by 48 polymorphic points, while one haplotype could not be assigned to any of the clusters previously described. Joint analysis of data obtained by RFLP and by sequencing of mtDNA demonstrated that, regardless of the method of analysis, the mtDNA haplotypes of contemporary Amerindians cluster into four groups, similar to those previously described, even though 7% of the total sample or 12% of the haplotypes have discrepancies between results obtained by RFLP and sequencing. In addition to supporting the prevalence of four major haplogroups among contemporary Amerindians, our data are compatible with multiple founder haplotypes in each haplogroup, based on: i) a high prevalence of unusual haplotypes; ii) presence of multiple polymorphic sites shared by different haplogroups; iii) relative differences in nucleotide diversity based on RFLP or sequencing within the different haplogroups.