Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intra-EU Labor Mobility: A Key Pillar of the EU Architecture Subject to Challenge

Intra-EU labor mobility is often characterized as a major contributor to better functioning European labor markets. Does the evidence of recent cross-border labor mobility support this positive expectation? Does the EU live up to its potential of being a role model by showing that managing free movement of labor in turbulent times is possible? We will show that, in spite of its potential, the challenges facing free movement of labour are tremendous. We address four important aspects: enlargement; transitional measures and their consequences; the crisis and its effects; and the potential offered by free movement for better labor allocation.
Molecular analysis of DNA and construction of genomic libraries of Mycobacterium leprae

Molecular analysis of DNA from Mycobacterium leprae, "Mycobacterium lufu," and Mycobacterium vaccae has demonstrated that the G + C (guanine plus cytosine) contents of the DNAs are 56, 61, and 65%, respectively, and that the genome sizes are 2.2 X 10(9), 3.1 X 10(9), and 3.1 X 10(9) daltons, respectively. Because of the significant differences in both G + C content and genome size among M. leprae, "M. lufu," and M. vaccae DNAs, these species are not related, although hybridization experiments under nonstringent conditions, with two separate cloned M. leprae DNA inserts as probes, indicate that there are some conserved sequences among the DNAs. The G + C content of Dasypus novemcinctus (armadillo, the animal of choice for cultivating M. leprae) DNA was determined to be 36%. Genomic libraries potentially representing more than 99.99% of each genome were prepared by cloning into the cosmid vector, pHC79, in Escherichia coli K-12. A genomic library representing approximately 95% of the genome of M. vaccae was prepared in pBR322. M. leprae DNA was subcloned from the pHC79::M. leprae library into an expression vector, pYA626. This vector is a 3.8-kilobase derivative of pBR322 in which the promoter region of the asd (aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase) gene from Streptococcus mutans has been inserted in place of the EcoRI-to-PstI fragment of pBR322. Several (44% of those tested) pYA626::M. leprae recombinants and one pBR322::M. vaccae recombinant synthesized new polypeptides in minicells of E. coli, indicating that mycobacterial DNA can be expressed in E. coli K-12, although expression is probably dependent upon use of nonmycobacterial promoters recognized by the E. coli transcription-translation apparatus.
Prosody and levodopa in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE Research is scarce regarding the use of prosodic parameters in the expression of attitudes in Parkinson's disease (PD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the parameters used in prosodic expression of attitudes in individuals with idiopathic PD and the effect of levodopa on these parameters. METHOD We studied the use of levodopa in 10 individuals with idiopathic PD during the "off" and "on" periods, and 10 individuals without neurological abnormalities. RESULTS PD patients showed lower frequency measurements and longer duration measurements. The levodopa caused reduction in the duration parameter. CONCLUSION PD patients use prosody to express their attitudes in the same way as controls in both off and on periods. However, when attitudes are not taken into account, levodopa is effective in improving the duration parameter.
Intracranial Dural Marginal Zone Lymphoma : A Case Report

We present a case of low grade Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL) presenting as a dural mass in a 21 year old woman. The patient presented with symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Imaging findings were suggestive of meningioma. Histological analysis showed proliferation of CD20 positive small lymphoid cells forming nodules that were reminiscent of lymphoid follicles with attenuated germinal centers. In between the follicles, cells with plasmacytic differentiation were seen, which were CD138 positive and showed kappa light chain restriction by immunohistochemistry. Ki 67 proliferation index was 20-30%. The patient’s symptoms were alleviated after the surgery and the patient remains disease free more than two yearsafter resection. This case illustrates that although rare, Extra Nodal MZL should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a dura-based mass that fails to show typical meningioma morphology. Ahmed Gilani1*, Khurram Shafique1, Jordan Iordanou2, Ali Sadr3, Charles Shao3 and Jinli Liu3 1Department of Pathology, Kings County Hospital Center, USA 2SUNY Downstate School of Medicine, USA 3Department of Neurosurgery, Kings County Hospital, USA Ahmed Gilani, et al., Clinics in Oncology Lymphoma Remedy Publications LLC. , | http://clinicsinoncology.com/ 2016 | Volume 1 | Article 1145 2 present, 1) cells with small centrally placed nuclei and a clear or place cytoplasm resembling centrocytes (Figure 2C), 2) Cells with plasmacytic differentiation (Figure 2C), 3) cells of germinal center (Figure 2D). Based on the location and histopathologic findings the differential diagnosis included: a low grade lymphoma such as MALT or Mantle cell lymphoma, plasmacytoma, IgG4 related sclerosing pachymeningitis, and lymphoplasmacyte-rich meningioma. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed to rule out these possibilities. The results are summarized in Table 1. In summary, CD20 stain outlined the follicles with attenuated germinal centers, which were positive for CD21 (Figure 3). Between the follicles, the plasmatic cells were positive for CD138. Kappa light chain restriction was demonstrated by both IHC and in situ hybridization (ISH) (Figure 3). Heavy chain studies showed that the plasma cells were weakly positive for IgG, however negative for IgG4. Ki 67 proliferation index was estimated to be 20-30%, consistent with the indolent feature of this entity. The specimen was received prefixed in formalin; hence flow cytometry was not attempted. These findings are diagnostic for a low gradeB cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with plasmacytoid differentiation, most consistent with marginal zone lymphoma.
Normal Aging of the Attentional Control Functions That Underlie Working Memory.

OBJECTIVES This study assessed the effect of aging on 3 attentional control functions (ACFs)--shifting, inhibition, and updating--and on their contribution to working memory (WM) tasks. METHODS Complex WM tasks (the Brown-Peterson procedure, the reading span, and the alpha span) and tasks used to derive composite measures of the ACFs were administered to 75 younger and 75 older adults. RESULTS Of the 3 ACFs, only inhibition was impaired in aging after controlling for processing speed. Furthermore, the effect of aging on WM tasks was not pervasive, as older adults showed impaired performance on the Brown-Peterson procedure and the reading span but not on the alpha span. When examining the contribution of ACFs to WM in older adults, updating accounted for performance on the Brown-Peterson and reading span tasks, and inhibition was involved in performance on the alpha span task. In younger adults, it was processing speed that contributed the most to WM. DISCUSSION This pattern of results suggests that complex WM tasks reflect different ACFs and that this varies as a function of age.
Alcohol Consumption and Genetic Variation in Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase and 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate-Homocysteine Methyltransferase in Relation to Breast Cancer Risk

It has been hypothesized that effects of alcohol consumption on one-carbon metabolism may explain, in part, the association of alcohol consumption with breast cancer risk. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR) genes express key enzymes in this pathway. We investigated the association of polymorphisms in MTHFR (rs1801133 and rs1801131) and MTR (rs1805087) with breast cancer risk and their interaction with alcohol consumption in a case-control study—the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer study. Cases (n = 1,063) were women with primary, incident breast cancer and controls (n = 1,890) were frequency matched to cases on age and race. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. We found no association of MTHFR or MTR genotype with risk of breast cancer. In the original case-control study, there was a nonsignificant increased odds of breast cancer among women with higher lifetime drinking. In the current study, there was no evidence of an interaction of genotype and alcohol in premenopausal women. However, among postmenopausal women, there was an increase in breast cancer risk for women who were homozygote TT for MTHFR C677T and had high lifetime alcohol intake (≥1,161.84 oz; OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.13-3.28) and for those who had a high number of drinks per drinking day (>1.91 drinks/day; OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.03-3.28) compared with nondrinkers who were homozygote CC. Our findings indicate that among postmenopausal women, increased breast cancer risk with alcohol consumption may be as a result of effects on one-carbon metabolism. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(9):2453–9)
The Potential of Public Participation Geographic Information Systems in UK Environmental Planning: Appraisals by Active Publics

The paper draws on an empirical study of two workshops in which the issues that arise from the use of geographic information systems (GIS) as a planning tool in public participation settings were explored by local residents who take an active interest in local planning matters in their London borough. The paper demonstrates how issues concerned with the democratization of GIS and public participation GIS (PPGIS) informed the structure and conduct of the workshops and the qualitative analysis of the workshop discussions. Key themes raised by participants included: the potential of PPGIS as a means of extending knowledge networks; issues of data ownership and the responsiveness of data providers to public concerns; and the role that institutional norms and practices play in democratizing information availability and the transparency of the decision-making process. The paper concludes that the potential of PPGIS as a planning tool cannot be separated from public concerns about the legitimacy of the planning process or local government.
Major dietary patterns and carotid intima-media thickness in Bangladesh

Abstract Objective Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a validated surrogate marker of preclinical atherosclerosis and is predictive of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Research on the association between IMT and diet, however, is lacking, especially in low-income countries or low-BMI populations. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Dietary intakes were measured using a validated, thirty-nine-item FFQ at baseline cohort recruitment. IMT measurements were obtained from 2010–2011. Setting Rural Bangladesh. Subjects Participants (n 1149) randomly selected from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study, an ongoing, population-based, prospective cohort study established in 2000. Average age at IMT measurement was 45·5 years. Results Principal component analysis of reported food items yielded a ‘balanced’ diet, an ‘animal protein’ diet and a ‘gourd and root vegetable’ diet. We observed a positive association between the gourd/root vegetable diet and IMT, as each 1 sd increase in pattern adherence was related to a difference of 7·74 (95 % CI 2·86, 12·62) μm in IMT (P<0·01), controlling for age, sex, total energy intake, smoking status, BMI, systolic blood pressure and diabetes mellitus diagnoses. The balanced pattern was associated with lower IMT (−4·95 (95 % CI −9·78, −0·11) μm for each 1sd increase of adherence; P=0·045). Conclusions A gourd/root vegetable diet in this Bangladeshi population positively correlated with carotid IMT, while a balanced diet was associated with decreased IMT.
The contribution of holiday trips to life satisfaction: the case of people with disabilities

This study analyses the contribution of holiday trips to the life satisfaction (LS) of people with disabilities as compared to people without disabilities. Particular attention is paid to the effects of the intensity of taking part in holiday trips on LS. We are interested in testing two different hypotheses: (a) holiday trips increase individuals' LS and (b) the effects of holiday trips on LS are different for people without and with disabilities, being greater for this latter group. Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, we estimate LS equations (running generalised least square random-effects models) for people without and with disabilities which include a set of variables measuring participation or not in holiday trips and its intensity. Although people with disabilities are less likely to participate in holiday trips than people without disabilities, the results indicate that people with disabilities obtain higher levels of LS than people without disabilities from their participation in holiday trips, especially when this participation is more intense. Policy-makers and the tourism industry must promote and facilitate full access and participation of people with disabilities in holiday trips by eliminating all barriers, understanding their differential needs and providing an inclusive leisure environment.
ECONOMIC OPENNESS AND INCOME INEQUALITY: CHINESE PROVINCIAL EVIDENCE IN THE 1990S

China in the 1990s was a large labor-abundant country at its early phase of global integration. This paper develops a framework that applies a Gini-coefficient–related measure of income inequality to the Heckscher–Ohlin model and analyzes the effects on income inequality of economic openness to foreign trade and capital. Our findings from generalized least squares regression of Chinese provincial data suggest that increased openness tends to lower income inequality in China of the 1990s. Ignoring provincial differentials, China's income inequality decreases as the trade-to-GDP ratio and the interaction between FDI and fiscal deficit increase respectively, though income inequality increases with the deficit-to-GDP ratio and the interaction between trade and financial deepening. With respect to the province-specific effect, however, trade openness and FDI tend to increase income inequality when they are examined jointly with the interaction of financial deepening and government budget balance.
Shifting costs of caring for the elderly back to families in Japan: will it work?

Over the next 30 years the percentage of Japans population who are elderly will rise rapidly to unprecedented levels and the countrys population will become the oldest in the world. The financial pressures on Japans social security system will be severe. To alleviate these pressures the government is attempting to shift some of the costs of the social security system back to families. But fundamental economic social and value changes discussed in this article are eroding the capacity of the Japanese family to care for elderly parents. It is therefore unlikely that the government will succeed in shifting the costs appreciably. (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) (EXCERPT)
Analysis of AKAP7γ Dimerization

A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) constitute a family of scaffolding proteins that contribute to spatiotemporal regulation of PKA-mediated phosphorylation events. In particular, AKAP7 is a family of alternatively spliced proteins that participates in cardiac calcium dynamics. Here, we demonstrate via pull-down from transfected cells and by direct protein-protein association that AKAP7γ self-associates. Self-association appears to be an isoform specific phenomenon, as AKAP7α did not associate with itself or with AKAP7γ. However, AKAP7γ did associate with AKAP7δ, suggesting the long isoforms of the AKAP can form heterodimers. Surface plasmon resonance found that the AKAP7γ self-association occurs via two high affinity binding sites with K D values in the low nanomolar range. Mapping of the binding sites by peptide array reveals that AKAP7γ interacts with itself through multiple regions. Photon counting histogram analysis (PCH) of AKAP7γ-EGFP expressed in HEK-293 cells confirmed that AKAP7γ-EGFP self-associates in a cellular context. Lastly, computational modeling of PKA dynamics within AKAP7γ complexes suggests that oligomerization may augment phosphorylation of scaffolded PKA substrates. In conclusion, our study reveals that AKAP7γ forms both homo- and heterodimers with the long isoforms of the AKAP and that this phenomenon could be an important step in mediating effective substrate phosphorylation in cellular microdomains.
Service quality research on China’s hospitality and tourism industry

Purpose – The study aims to provide an inventory of the existing English and Chinese research on service quality in China’s hospitality and tourism industry. The study aims to identify the reasons for the lack of research on service quality in China’s hospitality and tourism industry and the ignorance of the Chinese language literature in the field. Design/methodology/approach – A synthesis review is conducted of 31 articles published in 11 leading Chinese and English academic journals from 1998 to 2013. Findings – Popular research themes are service quality management and evaluation in the hotel sector. The majority of the reviewed articles are empirical studies that adopt quantitative methods, and none of the English articles use qualitative methods. Recent studies tend to use sophisticated statistical techniques such as confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Changes in disciplines, publication trends and statistical techniques are observed. The theoretical and practical contribu.
The Market for Credit Default Swaps: New Insights into Investors' Use of Accounting Information?

type="main" xml:id="acfi12092-abs-0001"> The market for credit default swaps has developed into a well-functioning, global multi-trillion dollar market, wherein investors price and transfer corporate financial instruments on the basis of credit risk. This paper first summarizes the structure and growth of the market. Next, I introduce theory and evidence on how investors price credits risk and explain how the quality of financial statement information plays a unique role in the determination of credit spread. I then review the nascent empirical accounting literature on this topic. This review sheds light on several accounting research questions that might be understood better in the setting of the credit default swap market. The final section summarizes suggestions for future work.
Identifying and Verifying News through Social Media

Identifying and verifying new information quickly are key issues for journalists who use social media. This article examines what tools journalists think they need to cope with the growing volume and complexity of news on social media, and what improvements are needed in existing systems. It gives some initial results from a major European Union research project (Social Sensor), involving computer scientists, journalists, and media researchers, that is designing a new tool to search across social media for news stories, to surface trends, and to help with verification. Preliminary results suggest that an effective tool should focus on the role of key influencers, and should be customisable to suit the particular needs of individual journalists and news organisations.
Occupational radiation dose estimation for Finnish aircraft cabin attendants.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to develop a method for assessing dose radiation on the basis of individual flight history and to estimate whether this method is applicable for cabin attendants without flight log data. METHODS Questionnaire data were collected to determine attendants' flight history covering up to three decades. Finnair timetables and an expert panel of pilots were used to determine one to four representative flights in five route categories. The cumulative career and annual doses were calculated on the basis of the flight histories and route-specific exposure data. RESULTS Questionnaire data were obtained from 544 flight attendants. The mean number of active workyears was 10.5 (range 0-30) years, and the mean cosmic radiation dose was 3.2 (range 0-9.5) mSv per active workyear. The mean cumulative career dose for all the cabin attendants was 34.0 (range 0-156.8) mSv. CONCLUSIONS If no flight log data are available, survey data are needed for individual dose estimation when possible radiation effects on cabin crew are evaluated in epidemiologic studies. This method provides a crude procedure for assessing cosmic radiation exposure among attendants when survey data are missing.
High Variability in Nosocomial Clostridium difficile Infection Rates Across Hospitals After Colorectal Resection

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection is associated with adverse patient outcomes and high medical costs. The incidence and severity of C. difficile has been rising in both medical and surgical patients. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess risk factors and variation associated with the development of nosocomial C. difficile colitis among patients undergoing colorectal resection. DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study. SETTINGS: The study included segmental colectomy and proctectomy cases in New York State from 2005 to 2013. PATIENTS: The study cohort included 150,878 colorectal resections. Patients with a documented previous history of C. difficile infection or residence outside of New York State were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A diagnosis of C. difficile colitis either during the index hospital stay or on readmission within 30 days was the main measure. RESULTS: C. difficile colitis occurred in 3323 patients (2.2%). Unadjusted C. difficile colitis rates ranged from 0% to 11.3% among surgeons and 0% to 6.8% among hospitals. After controlling for patient, surgeon, and hospital characteristics using mixed-effects multivariable analysis, significant unexplained variation in C. difficile rates remained present across hospitals but not surgeons. Patient factors explained only 24% of the total hospital-level variation, and known surgeon and hospital-level characteristics explained an additional 8% of the total hospital-level variation. Therefore, ≈70% of the hospital variation in C. difficile infection rates remained unexplained by captured patient, surgeon, and hospital factors. Furthermore, there was an ≈5-fold difference in adjusted C. difficile rates across hospitals. LIMITATIONS: A limited set of hospital and surgeon characteristics was available. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal surgery patients appear to be at high risk for C. difficile infection, and alarming variation in nosocomial C. difficile infection rates currently exists among hospitals after colorectal resection. Given the high morbidity and cost associated with C. difficile colitis, adopting institutional quality improvement programs and maintaining strict prevention strategies are of the utmost importance.