Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of Direct Versus Indirect Approaches to Measure Loneliness in Later Life

The aim of the current investigation was to compare a direct versus an indirect approach for measuring loneliness by comparing the one-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, representing the direct approach, with the shortened version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, representing the indirect approach, using approximately 2,000 observations from the 2002 Health and Retirement Study. The authors artificially identified a cut point of ≥6 on the three-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale to potentially yield the most similar results to the single-item scale and demonstrate the best sensitivity and specificity. Nonetheless, a high rate of respondents (57%) who reported being lonely on the direct item were classified as not lonely on the indirect scale. Inconsistency between the two approaches was also evident with regard to the associations between loneliness and age, as well as with education. These findings indicate that the different measures of loneliness provide a somewhat different picture of both the prevalence of loneliness and the characteristic of the people who suffer from it.
Efficient evolution of neural network topologies

Neuroevolution, i.e. evolving artificial neural networks with genetic algorithms, has been highly effective in reinforcement learning tasks, particularly those with hidden state information. An important question in neuroevolution is how to gain an advantage from evolving neural network topologies along with weights. We present a method, NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT) that outperforms the best fixed-topology methods on a challenging benchmark reinforcement learning task. We claim that the increased efficiency is due to (1) employing a principled method of crossover of different topologies, (2) protecting structural innovation using speciation, and (3) incrementally growing from minimal structure. We test this claim through a series of ablation studies that demonstrate that each component is necessary to the system as a whole and to each other. What results is significantly faster learning. NEAT is also an important contribution to GAs because it shows how it is possible for evolution to both optimize and complexify solutions simultaneously, making it possible to evolve increasingly complex solutions over time, thereby strengthening the analogy with biological evolution.
Development of biologically active peptides based on antibody structure.

Antibody molecules are composed of several functional domains, including a variable domain that contacts antigen and a constant domain. The hypervariable regions of antibody molecules play an integral role in determining their specificity. However, the delineation of specific residues most critical in binding is difficult. We have been studying a monoclonal antibody (87.92.6) that binds to the reovirus type 3 receptor on a number of cell types, down-modulates the receptor, and inhibits DNA synthesis in the cells. We have shown that a peptide derived from the second complementarity-determining region of the monoclonal antibody 87.92. 6 light-chain variable region can reproduce both of these effects. We were also able to demonstrate specific amino acid residues and structural features involved in producing these effects. The study of antibody structure, coupled with molecular synthetic techniques, can lead to the development of biologically active substances with potential clinical use.
Qualitative Research as a Perspective for Urban Open Space Planning

In the twentieth century, German open space planning was based mainly on quantitative arguments. The recent change of attitudes and ideas in society and space has led to a discussion of ‘quality instead of quantity’ in politics and landscape architecture. However, this alteration has until now remained focused on concrete objects without grasping the changed nature of the general purposes and concepts of open space in an urban landscape. These fundamentally changed relationships are the topics of research in the social, cultural and economic sciences with the help of specific – so called qualitative – methods. In the largest possible spectrum of perspective considerations, that which is under investigation is not submitted to inductive measurement or deductive derivation, but to ‘abductive’ interpretation. In this approach, with the help of certain technologies, unknowns are searched for and a new structure of relationships is being developed. In doing this, qualitative science not only affects the understanding of the cultural context, but also, because of its methodological requirements, the ideas behind landscape architecture. Using Berlin as an example, a process of qualitative open space planning is introduced, with which contemporary, structural qualities and purposes of open space are defined and categorized. Although the categories stemming from these qualitative methods have a narrow regional context, the methods of this investigation and their perspectives are applicable for other cities as well.
Effects of Adult Male Circumcision on Premature Ejaculation: Results from a Prospective Study in China

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of adult male circumcision on premature ejaculation (PE). Therefore, between December 2009 and March 2014, a total of 575 circumcised men and 623 uncircumcised men (control group) were evaluated. Detailed evaluations (including circumcision and control groups) on PE were conducted before circumcision and at the 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up visits after circumcision. Self-estimated intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), Patient-Reported Outcome measures, and 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function were used to measure the ejaculatory and erectile function for all subjects. The results showed that, during the one-year follow-up, men after circumcision experienced higher IELT and better scores of control over ejaculation, satisfaction with sexual intercourse, and severity of PE than men before circumcision (P < 0.001 for all). Similarly, when compared with the control group, the circumcised men reported significantly improved IELT, control over ejaculation, and satisfaction with sexual intercourse (P < 0.001 for all). These findings suggested that circumcision might have positive effects on IELT, ejaculatory control, sexual satisfaction, and PE severity. In addition, circumcision was significantly associated with the development of PE.
E-Plane Cut UWB Monopole

This paper presents a novel compact, dual layer UWB monopole antenna design. The low profile dimensions of the antenna are achieved by removing a symmetrical section of a previously developed dual layer design. Similarly to the original antenna, the antenna uses two substrate layers and a 50 ohms part-shielded strip-line with an array of metal vias making the conducting walls. A half disc monopole forms the radiating element and the novel dual layer part-shielded strip line feed allows for integration in multilayer technologies. The ultra-wideband monopole characteristics of the antenna are confirmed experimentally.
Telomeres shorten more slowly in long-lived birds and mammals than in short–lived ones

We know very little about physiological constraints on the evolution of life-history traits in general, and, in particular, about physiological and molecular adjustments that accompany the evolution of variation in lifespan. Identifying mechanisms that underlie adaptive variation in lifespan should provide insight into the evolution of trade–offs between lifespan and other life–history traits. Telomeres, the DNA caps at the ends of linear chromosomes, usually shorten as animals age, but whether telomere rate of change is associated with lifespan is unknown. We measured telomere length in erythrocytes from five bird species with markedly different lifespans. Species with shorter lifespans lost more telomeric repeats with age than species with longer lifespans. A similar correlation is seen in mammals. Furthermore, telomeres did not shorten with age in Leach's storm–petrels, an extremely long–lived bird, but actually lengthened. This novel finding suggests that regulation of telomere length is associated not only with cellular replicative lifespan, but also with organismal lifespan, and that very long–lived organisms have escaped entirely any telomeric constraint on cellular replicative lifespan.
The relevance of pharmacokinetic studies in designing efficacy trials in juvenile major depression.

INTRODUCTION Identifying evidence-based dosing strategies is a key part of new drug development in pediatric populations. Pharmacokinetic (PK) studies can provide important information regarding how best to dose medications in children and adolescents. Utilizing scientifically supported dosing strategies provides the best chance for any given drug to demonstrate both efficacy and acceptable tolerability in definitive, placebo-controlled studies. METHODS Results of both PK studies and randomized, placebo-controlled efficacy trials (RPCTs) in juvenile major depressive disorder (MDD) are reviewed. The degree to which the medication dosing strategies that were employed in the efficacy studies were supported by the extant PK data is considered. Medications that are reviewed include fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine, nefazodone, and mirtazapine. RESULTS In many instances, the dosing paradigms that were used in the RPCTs differed, sometimes substantially, from the dosing strategies that would have been supported based on the results of PK studies. CONCLUSIONS Medication dosing regimens may have contributed to the failure of several RPCTs to show drug efficacy in the treatment of pediatric MDD. In addition, the doses of medication used in these RPCTs may also have contributed to the safety and tolerability concerns that have been raised with these drugs. PK and dose-ranging studies should be performed prior to the initiation of definitive efficacy trials so that empirically supported dosing strategies can be incorporated into the design of RPCTs of antidepressants in children and adolescents suffering from MDD.
High-Dose Resveratrol Supplementation in Obese Men

Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia constitute risk factors for morbidity and premature mortality. Based on animal and in vitro studies, resveratrol reverts these risk factors via stimulation of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1), but data in human subjects are scarce. The objective of this study was to examine the metabolic effects of high-dose resveratrol in obese human subjects. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and parallel-group design, 24 obese but otherwise healthy men were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of resveratrol or placebo treatment. Extensive metabolic examinations including assessment of glucose turnover and insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp) were performed before and after the treatment. Insulin sensitivity, the primary outcome measure, deteriorated insignificantly in both groups. Endogenous glucose production and the turnover and oxidation rates of glucose remained unchanged. Resveratrol supplementation also had no effect on blood pressure; resting energy expenditure; oxidation rates of lipid; ectopic or visceral fat content; or inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers. The lack of effect disagrees with persuasive data obtained from rodent models and raises doubt about the justification of resveratrol as a human nutritional supplement in metabolic disorders.
Specific binding of the NikA protein to one arm of 17-base-pair inverted repeat sequences within the oriT region of plasmid R64

Products of the nikA and nikB genes of plasmid R64 have been shown to form a relaxation complex with R64 oriT DNA and to function together as an oriT-specific nickase. We purified the protein product of the nikA gene. The purified NikA protein bound specifically to the oriT region of R64 DNA. Gel retardation assays and DNase I footprinting analyses indicated that the NikA protein bound only to the right arm of 17-bp inverted repeat sequences; the right arm differed from the left arm by a single nucleotide. The binding site is proximal to the nick site and within the 44-bp oriT core sequence. Binding of the NikA protein induced DNA bending within the R64 oriT sequence.
Pulmonary complications following orthotopic liver transplant

Abstract Pulmonary complications after orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) are frequent, involving high morbidity and mortality. We have determined the pulmonary complication incidence in 187 patients submitted to OLT at the General University Hospital “Gregorio Marañón” in the last 4 years, analyzing the type of infection, evolution, diagnostic and therapeutic measures and their influence on OLT mortality. A total of 120 patients had pulmonary complications, the most frequent being pleural effusion (61.94 %), pneumonia (43.36 %), and pneumothorax (11.5 %). Serious pulmonary hypertension was diagnosed by invasive methods in two patients at the time of surgery (unidentified before OLT); both died at early post postoperative times. Pleural effusion was noted in 70 patients, 31.42 % of them requiring thoracic tube drainage, complications developing in 22.72 %. Thirteen patients were diagnosed of pneumothorax, the most frequent etiologies being percutaneous liver biopsy, thoracic tube drainage for pleural effusion, and postoperative complications in 41.6, 33.3, and 23.3 %, respectively. Pneumonia was diagnosed in the 1st month after OLT in 45 patients. Tests to diagnose and identify the etiological agent were made in 71.1 % of diagnosed pneumonia patients, identification being obtained in 62.5 %. Telescope catheter culture identified the agent in 48 %, fiber optic bronchoscopy in 50 %, and lung or pleural biopsy in 100 %. Respiratory insufficiency was noted in 64 patients (34.22 % of transplanted patients). Factors involved in their development were pneumonia (42.18 %), graft dysfunction (39.06 %, pleural effusion (34.37 %), sepsis (28.18 %), and poor nutritional status (7.81 %). Fifty patients (41.66 %) died, pulmonary pathology being the determinant factor in 28.8 %. Patient mortality with respiratory insufficiency was greater, especially in those with three factors involved the development of respiratory insufficiency.
Interval Valued R-Implications and Automorphisms

The diversity receiver including plural antennas and one receiver comprises a detector means to detect a signal voltage responsive to an antenna output from an IF amplifier of the receiver and a comparator which is supplied with the signal voltage separated in two courses, one including a fixed bias applying circuit and the other including a time constant circuit, so as to select one of the antennas which is in a good receiving condition.
Organizational slack: is more or less better?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to attempt to reconcile previous views of the relationship between organizational slack and performance by examining the influences of heterogeneous corporate strategy and different slack resources. Differences in performance resulting from variations in slack can also be moderated by strategy.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed model was tested by examining operating and financial information from 529 Taiwan high‐tech companies during the period 1997‐2005. Owing to the study, data were both cross‐sectional (across firms) and time series (over years), a panel data approach were applied for hypothesis testing.Findings – The results broadly demonstrate that relationships differ based on strategy and organizational slack. Additionally, this study is the first to empirically identify a U‐shaped relationship between slack and performance, indicating that, in certain circumstances, either more or less slack is better for performance.Originality/value – The results s.
Client and counselor trainee attachment as predictors of session evaluation and countertransference behavior in first counseling sessions

This study investigated client and counselor trainee attachment as predictors of session evaluation and countertransference behavior in 93 first counseling sessions. Results indicated that client attachment predicted aspects of session evaluation, whereas counselor attachment and the interaction of client and counselor attachment predicted aspects of countertransference. Specifically, client fearful attachment was negatively associated with client ratings of session smoothness and depth and with counselor ratings of session smoothness. Counselor dismissing attachment was positively associated with supervisor ratings of hostile countertransference. Furthermore, interactions between client and counselor attachment predicted hostile and distancing countertransference reactions, such that countertransference was highest when the client had a preoccupied attachment pattern and the counselor trainee had a fearful or dismissing attachment pattern.
O processo de internacionalização na ótica da escola nórdica: evidências empíricas em empresas brasileiras

Based on the theoretical background generated by the Nordic School of International Business, research on the process of internationalization of the Brazilian firms has been developed, looking for points of convergence between the Swedish and the Brazilian modes of expansion of the firms beyond the borders. The present paper analyses the main ideas of that school, as well as to present empirical evidences extracted from research on the internationalization process of the Brazilian firm, confirming its main points.
'The residues of freedom,… tendencies toward true humanism': thoughts on the role of the humanities at the beginning of the twentyfirst century

Remarks from Kant’s third critique, “The Critique of Judgement”, are taken as guidelines to develop a view on works of art as vessels of knowledge and judgements about what the world appears to be, can be and ought to be. In itself, Kant’s remarks amount to a justification of the study of the arts, i.e. it is for the sake of a world where human beings may experience other human beings as companions in the project to sustain human life. The viability of such an endeavour is borne out by, for example, a recent performance of Beethoven in a most adverse context, and by the fact of international treaties in the past decade against some of the most serious violations of human rights. These treaties could not have been possible were it not for the artistic explorations of the tragedies of these violations.
Real-Time Human Pose Inference using Kernel Principal Component Pre-image Approximations

We present a real-time markerless human motion capture technique based on un-calibrated synchronized cameras. Training sets of real motions captured from marker based systems are used to learn an optimal pose manifold of human motion via Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA). Similarly, a synthetic silhouette manifold is also learnt, and markerless motion capture can then be viewed as the problem of mapping from the silhouette manifold to the pose manifold. After training, novel silhouettes of previously unseen actors are projected through the two manifolds using Locally Linear Embedding (LLE) reconstruction. The output pose is generated by approximating the pre-image (inverse mapping) of the LLE reconstructed vector from the pose manifold.
A Novel Mechanism Underlying the Innate Immune Response Induction upon Viral-Dependent Replication of Host Cell mRNA: A Mistake of +sRNA Viruses' Replicases

Viruses are lifeless particles designed for setting virus-host interactome assuring a new generation of virions for dissemination. This interactome generates a pressure on host organisms evolving mechanisms to neutralize viral infection, which places the pressure back onto virus, a process known as virus-host cell co-evolution. Positive-single stranded RNA (+sRNA) viruses are an important group of viral agents illustrating this interesting phenomenon. During replication, their genomic +sRNA is employed as template for translation of viral proteins; among them the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is responsible of viral genome replication originating double-strand RNA molecules (dsRNA) as intermediates, which accumulate representing a potent threat for cellular dsRNA receptors to initiate an antiviral response. A common feature shared by these viruses is their ability to rearrange cellular membranes to serve as platforms for genome replication and assembly of new virions, supporting replication efficiency increase by concentrating critical factors and protecting the viral genome from host anti-viral systems. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding cellular dsRNA receptors and describes prototype viruses developing replication niches inside rearranged membranes. However, for several viral agents it's been observed both, a complex rearrangement of cellular membranes and a strong innate immune antiviral response induction. So, we have included recent data explaining the mechanism by, even though viruses have evolved elegant hideouts, host cells are still able to develop dsRNA receptors-dependent antiviral response.
Necrotizing enterocolitis in a 16‐day‐old, term neonate

Necrotizing enterocolitis in a term neonate is a rare presentation to the ED. Prompt diagnosis and management is critical because of its rarity and the reported mortality of 5–20%. We report a case of necrotizing enterocolitis in a term neonate who presented at 16 days of age with bloody stool.
Cardiac Arrhythmias ClassificationMethod Based onMUSIC , Morphological Descriptors , and Neural Network

An electrocardiogram (ECG) beat classification scheme based on multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm, morphological descriptors, and neural networks is proposed for discriminating nine ECG beat types. These are normal, fusion of ventricular and normal, fusion of paced and normal, left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, premature ventricular concentration, atrial premature contraction, paced beat, and ventricular flutter. ECG signal samples from MIT-BIH arrhythmia database are used to evaluate the scheme. MUSIC algorithm is used to calculate pseudospectrum of ECG signals. The low-frequency samples are picked to have the most valuable heartbeat information. These samples along with two morphological descriptors, which deliver the characteristics and features of all parts of the heart, form an input feature vector. This vector is used for the initial training of a classifier neural network. The neural network is designed to have nine sample outputs which constitute the nine beat types. Two neural network schemes, namely multilayered perceptron (MLP) neural network and a probabilistic neural network (PNN), are employed. The experimental results achieved a promising accuracy of 99.03% for classifying the beat types using MLP neural network. In addition, our scheme recognizes NORMAL class with 100% accuracy and never misclassifies any other classes as NORMAL.
Switched Fuzzy Systems: Representation Modelling, Stability Analysis, and Control Design

Stability issues for switched systems whose subsystems are all fuzzy systems, either continuous-time or discrete-time, are studied and new results derived. Innovated representation models for switched fuzzy systems are proposed. The single Lyapunov function method has been adopted to study the stability of this class of switched fuzzy systems. Sufficient conditions for quadratic asymptotic stability are presented and stabilizing switching laws of the state-dependent form are designed. The elaborated illustrative examples and the respective simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method