Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OBESITY, LIFE STYLE AND SOCIETY

This dissertation consists of two cross-sectional population studies (studies I and IV), and two prospective studies (studies II and III). In study I the relative importance of obesity for self-rated health with focus on age and gender differences were examined among 5,080 (2,366 males) participants in a national survey. Data were gathered through questionnaires. An inverse association was found between BMI and self-rated health. The relation was most pronounced among middle-aged men and women. An association between obesity and functional impairment, chronic disease and an impaired mental well-being was found for both men and women. For women there was also an association between obesity and chronic pain. In study II a qualitative method was used to examine which factors 15 participants in a one-year behaviour modification weight reduction programme considered important for eating habits and weight change. The participants were interviewed three times during the programme and once one year after the programme had ended. The interviews were analysed with a qualitative method, grounded theory. External stimuli, stress and emotional reasons affected eating habits before the programme started and one year after the programme had ended. Non-sufficient support was another reason mentioned for regain of lost weight. In study III an association between locus of control orientation and weight loss was examined in a one-year follow up of 41 participants in a weight reduction programme. A questionnaire with 40 questions was used to assess the locus of control orientation before the programme started and one year later. There was no change in locus of control orientation after one year. The weight loss after one year was positively associated with an initial internal locus of control orientation. In study IV a representative sample of 2,810 subjects from a population study was interviewed on sexual satisfaction, sexual abuse and life satisfaction. Age and gender were controlled for in the analyses. The older group of obese men reported a decrease in sexual desire compared with five ears earlier and the older group of overweight men reported involuntary participation in sexual activities more often than the normal weight group. Though the older group of obese women more often than the other BMIgroups were diagnosed with a lingering disease, there was no difference in satisfaction with physical health between the BMI-groups. An inverse association between BMI and self-rated health as well as an association between obesity and impaired physical and mental well-being implies a dialogue between care taker and care giver on which treatment would match the care taker’s current needs for an improved well being. The results indicate that unless the factors behind an excessive eating are addressed in obesity treatment, they will obstruct the weight reduction and maintenance of lost weight. An internal locus of control orientation could be supported in weight reduction treatment. Untreated experiences of sexual trauma could be an important pre-treatment variable to consider in weight reduction programmes.
Structural Characterization of Bamboo Lignin Isolated With Formic Acid and Alkaline Peroxide by Gel Permeation Chromatography and Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Fractionation is an effective technology to maximize the utilization of lignocelluloses for the production of chemicals and materials. In this case, bamboo was subjected to a two-step fractionation process based on the concept of biorefinery: (a) formic acid treatment at boiling point under atmospheric pressure for 2 h, and (b) posttreatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution containing 1% NaOH and 1% H2O2 at 80 oC. The combination of formic acid delignification and alkaline hydrogen peroxide degradation achieved an effective removal of both lignin (delignification rate 94.9%) and hemicelluloses (removal rate 87.4%) from bamboo, producing celluloserich pulp, formic acid lignin and sugars. To investigate the structural modification of lignin during the fractionation process, the residual lignin in the treated samples was isolated and characterized with multiply techniques including gel permeation chromatography, pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. The relative ratio of S/G was 1.63 for bamboo milled wood lignin (L1), whereas the lignin isolated from the formic acid treated cellulose-rich fraction (L2) presented a chromatograph similar to that of L1 but had a lower S/G ratio of 1.28. This indicated that a preferential removal of S units during the formic acid fractionation process. In addition, alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment resulted in more removal of S units, as indicated by a lower S/G ratio of 0.71.
The role of Vitamin D in muscle strength, neuromuscular function and risk of fall in the elderly

Aims: Vitamin D deficiency is very common in elderly populations throughout the world and seems to be related with poorer muscle strength, function and risk of falls. This review aims to summarize the available data about the vitamin D role in this matter. Methods: A search was conducted in the Pubmed database for articles with the following terms: “muscle strength”, “body sway”, “balance”, “risk of fall”, “vitamin D”, “elderly”, “cholecalciferol” and “ergocalciferol”. Further articles were obtained thru reference lists. Results: Observational studies point to a relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and muscle strength, neuromuscular function and falls. Concentrations ≥ 40 nmol/L or ≥ 25 nmol/L were associated with better short physical performance battery test and ≥ 50 nmol/L with handgrip strength. Levels below 25 nmol/L had worst stride-to-stride variability of stride test and diminished handgrip strength overtime. One study found an association with falls while two studies found no association. Randomized controlled trials convey contradictory results. Muscle strength was only seen to be related with treatment in women with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 60 nmol/L and with lowest strength. Associations were found with body sway, timed up and go test and preferred walking speed. In terms of falls a reduction from 19% to 49% was seen in studies but others didn’t achieve statistical significance and one even showed adverse effect when very high doses were used. A systematic review concluded that randomized trials with low 25-hydroxyvitamin D baseline levels showed a positive effect on muscle function. Several meta-analysis attribute a positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on falls and one showed a tendency without statistical significance. Conclusions: Vitamin D, especially when combined with calcium and in vitamin D deficient elderly, provides some fall prevention. Its effects on muscle strength and function are less
O ct 2 01 8 How to switch between relational quantum clocks

Every clock is a physical system and thereby ultimately quantum. A naturally arising question is thus how to describe time evolution relative to quantum clocks and, specifically, how the dynamics relative to different quantum clocks are related. This is a particularly pressing issue in view of the multiple choice facet of the problem of time in quantum gravity, which posits that there is no distinguished choice of internal clock in generic general relativistic systems and that different choices lead to inequivalent quantum theories. Exploiting a recent unifying approach to switching quantum reference systems [1,2], we exhibit a systematic method for switching between different clock choices in the quantum theory. We illustrate it by means of the parametrized particle, which, like gravity, features a Hamiltonian constraint. We explicitly switch between the quantum evolution relative to the non-relativistic time variable and that relative to the particle’s position, which requires carefully regularizing the zero-modes in the so-called time-of-arrival observable. While this toy model is simple, our approach is general and, in particular, directly amenable to quantum cosmology. It proceeds by systematically linking the reduced quantum theories relative to different clock choices via the clockchoice-neutral Dirac quantized theory, in analogy to coordinate changes on a manifold. This method overcomes the multiple choice problem here, showing that it is actually a multiple choice feature of the complete relational quantum theory, taken as the conjunction of Dirac and reduced quantized theories. Precisely this conjunction permits to consistently switch between different temporal reference systems, which is a prerequisite for a quantum notion of general covariance.
Measurements and Simulations for Validation of the Random-LOS Measurement Accuracy for Vehicular OTA Applications

Over-the-air (OTA) measurement techniques are essential to verify the performance of antennas and wireless devices. The random line-of-sight (random-LOS) measurement setup offers the advantage to test the OTA performance of antennas mounted on cars in existing, or new, semianechoic chamber and full-anechoic chamber. Hence, reusing currently available infrastructures together with a cost-efficient measurement setup will reduce OTA costs for the automotive industry. In random-LOS, a plane wave is synthesized in the test zone, where the far field of a radio base station is emulated. We present measurements and simulations of a random-LOS OTA setup operating at the 2.7 GHz band. We compare the cases when the emulated base station signals are generated by a single dual-polarized bowtie antenna, a uniform linear array of bowties and a uniform planar array of bowties. The evaluation of the standard deviation of the reference received signal in the test zone shows good agreement between measurements and simulations. We show with measurements that for a test zone with a radius of 0.5 m, the standard deviation can be less than 0.8 dB for the analyzed random-LOS OTA setup.
DUAL-POLARIZED FREQUENCY-TUNABLE COMPOSITE LEFT-HANDED

A dual-polarized frequency-tunable composite left-handed slab (CLS) is proposed. The CLS consists of periodic split-ring resonators (SRRs) along with thin wires. Two orthogonal SRR/wire arrays are utilized for dual-polarization purposes. Polarizationselectivity and frequency-tuning are achieved by means of on/off switches placed between the rings of the SRR. By opening all of the switches for one array and closing them for the other, the left-handed behavior can be switched on and off, respectively. Frequency-tuning performance is then achieved by turning on/off the switches in the former array. Transmission characteristics of the composite structure are predicted using a fast periodic array simulator based on the hybrid finite element-boundary integral (FE-BI) method in conjunction with the fast spectral domain algorithm (FSDA). Numerical results demonstrate dual-polarization and frequency-tuning performance of the proposed switching configuration.
Child Endowments and the Quantity and Quality of Children

This paper brings together and integrates social interactions and the special relation between quantity and quality. We are able to show that the observed quality income elasticity would be relatively high and the quantity elasticity relatively low and sometimes negative, even if the true "unobservedâ€? income elasticities for quantity and quality were equal and of average value. Moreover, the observed quality elasticity would fall, and the observed quantity elasticity would rise, as parental income rose.
The Touch Metaphors : A cognitive and corpus-based study

In English the word “touch” can not only mean the sense of touch, one of the five senses, but can also be used metaphorically to show the meaning of other domains. For example, in sentences such as “No one can touch him when it comes to interior design” and “His story touched us all deeply”, the meanings of “touch” are no longer within the tactile domain. This phenomenon is what we call a “mapping” from a source domain to a target domain. However, this metaphorical use is so common that people are hardly aware of it and it has become what is known as dead metaphor. This paper aims to briefly discuss the metaphorical use of the word “touch” in an attempt to uncover the working mechanism beneath this use and its function. Besides, women are often said to be sensory animals. This kind of saying, to a large degree, is intuitive. However, the BNC corpus can provide us with the situation of the metaphorical use of “touch” by women and men respectively. As touch is one of the five senses, we can thus examine if the intuition is true or not. The result of the examination shows that men tend to use metaphors of “touch” more frequently than women do. This paper can be seen as one more example of demonstrating how we human beings cognize the world and how the meaning of a word develops, and an examination of people’s intuition about gender difference from the perspective of the situation of the metaphorical use of “touch”. Key terms: touch; metaphorical use; mapping; corpus; gender
The Added Value of Women in Management: The Czech Case

The paper attempts to assess the added value of women in management in the context of the Czech Republic. The wider purpose is to contribute to the debate for the need of gender-balanced top managerial teams. It additionally contributes new inputs to the discussion as to whether quotas or other special measures are relevant to promote or engage more women in higher management positions within both the Czech public and private sectors. According to the results, Czech respondents view women as added value to management given the different characteristics of their approach over that of their male counterparts. However, the research reveals that women who obtain higher managerial positions demonstrate the same set of characteristics as men. In conclusion, the promotion system is designed for candidates that demonstrate typically male characteristics.
Assessing the Role of Multiple Environmental Factors on Eurasian Spoonbill Departure Decisions from Stopover Sites

Understanding the factors driving departure decisions from stopover sites is critical when predicting the dynamics of bird migration. We Investigated the Interactive effects of wind, tidal characteristics, and precipitation on the departure decisions of the Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea l. leucorodia from a major coastal stopover locality in northern Iberia. Most departing Spoonbills (>80%) crossed an adjacent mountain range to follow a direct route over Inland Iberia, while the remainder made a detour following an Indirect coastal route along the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. During four consecutive autumns, we daily monitored departing Spoonbills leaving along these two routes. The birds taking the Inland route, crossing unsuitable habitats and needing therefore higher fuel-loads, departed preferentially under favourable tailwind conditions (TWC). This represented a significant increase in distance covered and/or a decrease in energy spent per unit time. Moreover, Spoonbills taking the inland route often departed during spring tides. For the indirect coastal route, TWC did not affect the onset of migration but bird departures increased with neap tides. Precipitation and date were negatively correlated with departures towards both routes, whereas Spoonbill density at the stopover had a positive effect. Our findings provide empirical support for the role that wind assistance may play for Spoonbills to resume migration.
Multivariate functional clustering for the morphological analysis of electrocardiograph curves

Summary. Cardiovascular ischaemic diseases are one of the main causes of death all over the world. In this class of pathologies, a quick diagnosis is essential for a good prognosis in reperfusive treatment. In particular, an automatic classification procedure based on statistical analysis of teletransmitted electrocardiograph (‘ECG’) traces would be very helpful for an early diagnosis. This work presents an analysis of ECG traces, either physiological or pathological, of patients whose 12‐lead prehospital ECG has been sent to the 118 Dispatch Center in Milan by life‐support personnel. The statistical analysis starts with a preprocessing step, where functional data are reconstructed from noisy observations and biological variability is removed by a non‐linear registration procedure. Then, a multivariate functional k‐means clustering procedure is carried out on reconstructed and registered ECGs and their first derivatives. Hence, a new semi‐automatic diagnostic procedure, based solely on the ECG morphology, is proposed to classify ECG traces; finally, the performance of this classification method is evaluated.
The conservation status of Niugini black bass: a world‐renowned sport fish with an uncertain future

The Niugini black bass, Lutjanus goldiei Bloch, is an estuarine and freshwater fish species endemic to New Guinea and the surrounding islands. It is the focus of a growing sport fishing industry that has the potential to provide long-standing benefits to local people. Plantation agriculture, mining and logging are expanding in many catchments where L. goldiei is found, creating the potential for these industries to impact on L. goldiei and the environments it relies on. Understanding of the current status of the species, including its biology, ecology and distribution, is essential for its sustainable management. However, very little is known about the species. Here, the published literature, unpublished data and interviews with anglers and fisheries officers were used to draw together existing knowledge, assess the current conservation status, make a preliminary analysis of threats and identify key areas for research that will support the sustainable development of the L. goldiei sport fishing industry while fostering positive conservation outcomes.
Attachment of tumor cells to the micropatterns of glutaraldehyde (GA)-crosslinked gelatin

In this work, we propose a novel technique for inducing the attachment of tumor cells to the micropatterns of glutaraldehyde (GA)-crosslinked gelatin. It provides another method to crosslink gelatin other than using photosensitizing agents or selective GA crosslink techniques. This novel technique can ensure the degree of crosslink, prevent an over-crosslink from pattern deformation and enhance the adhesion between gelatin and a glass slide. The best spatial resolution of micro-gelatin bases can be 2 μm. The micropatterns of GA-crosslinked gelatin can still be formed successfully by conventional photolithography. The much less toxic and more biocompatible approaches of strengthening gelatin microstructures can be developed according to the idea herein.
MULTIPLEX HIGHLY SENSITIVE DETECTION OF CANCER BIOMARKERS IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

Gene alterations within tumoral DNA can be used as highly specific biomarkers to distinguish cancer cells. These DNA biomarkers are especially important for the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and follow-up of patients. In order to have the required sensitivity and specificity to detect rare tumoral DNA in patient samples, a simple, sensitive and quantitative procedure to measure the ratio of mutant to wild-type genes is required. This paper reports a new procedure allowing the highly sensitive multiplex detection of biomarkers within genomic DNA extracted from Cancer Cell-lines.
Mesoscale fine structure of a tropopause fold over mountains

Abstract. We report airborne remote-sensing observations of a tropopause fold during two crossings of the polar front jet over northern Italy on 12 January 2016. The GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) observations allowed for a simultaneous mapping of temperature, water vapour, and ozone. They revealed deep, dry, and ozone-rich intrusions into the troposphere. The mesoscale fine structures of dry filaments at the cyclonic shear side north of the jet and tongues of moist air entraining tropospheric air into the stratosphere along the anticyclonic shear side south of the jet were clearly resolved by GLORIA observations. Vertically propagating mountain waves with recorded temperature residuals exceeding ±3 K were detected above the Apennines. Their presence enhanced gradients of all variables locally in the vicinity of the tropopause. The combination of H2O−O3 correlations with potential temperature reveals an active mixing region and shows clear evidence of troposphere-to-stratosphere and stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange. High-resolution short-term deterministic forecasts of ECMWF's integrated forecast system (IFS) applying GLORIA's observational filter reproduce location, shape, and depth of the tropopause fold very well. The fine structure of the mixing region, however, cannot be reproduced even with the 9 km horizontal resolution of the IFS, used here. This case study demonstrates convincingly the capabilities of linear limb-imaging observations to resolve mesoscale fine structures in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, validates the high quality of the IFS data, and suggests that mountain wave perturbations have the potential to modulate exchange processes in the vicinity of tropopause folds.
The Use of Financial Derivatives in Measuring Bank Risk Management Efficiency: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

As risk-taking is an essential part of the banking industry, it is important for banks to practice efficient risk management to ensure survival in uncertain climates, such as the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. Due to banking operations being specifically affected by fluctuations in interest rates, which cause financial imbalances, banks are now required to put in place an effective management structure that incorporates risk management efficiency measures that help mitigate the wide range of risks they face. Such efficient risk management measures are paramount in building robust and sound financial systems. This study provides a new approach for measuring risk management efficiency levels in banks by offering a more detailed insight into the data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach based on the usage of a financial risk instrument. Comparatively, the results of this study confirm the findings by Hahn (2008) indicating that Japanese banks are superior in terms of managerial efficiency when compared to European and US banks. Risk management efficiency measurement contributes to the strengthening of the efficiency levels of banking risk management and the achievement of sound risk management in banking operations, thus underscoring the impact of derivative usage on banking risk management efficiency.
Probabilistic model and experimental identification of screw-attachment in plasterboard

In this paper, one provides a robust modelling for the screw-attachment of large light partition wall between plasterboard (CPC) plate and metallic frame. The analysis of shear behaviour of this attachment under mechanic loads has been carried out by using an experimental approach taking into account the complexity of the mechanical systems. A deterministic model is then proposed to fit the experimental results. A mean model is identified using the experiments. Since there is variability in the experimental results and since the mean model corresponds to a rough approximation, there are uncertainties in the mean model which are taken into account with a parameter probabilistic approach. The probabilistic approach of uncertain parameters is constructed using the Maximum Entropy Principle under the constraints defined by the available information. The identification of unknown parameters of the probability model is performed using the experimental data which lead us to an optimization problem which has to be solved. Finally, the numerical results are presented and validated with experiments.