Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Olympism: The Global Vision: From Nationalism to Internationalism

* Preface: The IOC Olympic Studies Centre Philippe Blanchard * The Lausanne Olympic Studies Centre Research Grants Programme John J. MacAloon * Prologue: The Story of the Homecoming: IOC weds IJHS Boria Majumdar * The Latin American 'Olympic Explosion' of the 1920s: Causes and Consequences Cesar Torres * Conflicts of 1930s Japanese Olympic Diplomacy in Universalizing the Olympic Movement Sandra Collins *'A Debt Was Paid Off in Tears': Science, IOC Politics and the Debate about High Altitude in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics Alison M. Wrynn *'If You Want to Cry, Cry on the Green Mats of Kodokan': Expressions of Japanese Cultural and National Identity in the Movement to Include Judo into the Olympic Games Andreas Niehaus * Revisiting South Africa and the Olympic Movement: The Correspondence of Reginald S. Alexander and the International Olympic Committee, 1961-86 Maureen Margaret Smith * When North-South Fight, the Nation is out of Sight: The Politics of Olympic Sport in Postcolonial India Boria Majumdar * A Brief Historical Review of Olympic Urbanization Hanwen Liao and Adrian Pitts * Epilogue Sandra Collins
Information-Theoretic Domain Adaptation Under Severe Noise Conditions

Cross-domain data reconstruction methods derive a shared transformation across source and target domains. These methods usually make a specific assumption on noise, which exhibits limited ability when the target data are contaminated by different kinds of complex noise in practice. To enhance the robustness of domain adaptation under severe noise conditions, this paper proposes a novel reconstruction based algorithm in an information-theoretic setting. Specifically, benefiting from the theoretical property of correntropy, the proposed algorithm is distinguished with: detecting the contaminated target samples without making any specific assumption on noise; greatly suppressing the negative influence of noise on cross-domain transformation. Moreover, a relative entropy based regularization of the transformation is incorporated to avoid trivial solutions with the reaped theoretic advantages, i.e., non-negativity and scale-invariance. For optimization, a half-quadratic technique is developed to minimize the non-convex information-theoretic objectives with explicitly guaranteed convergence. Experiments on two real-world domain adaptation tasks demonstrate the superiority of our method.
Comparison of 8 vs 15 days of antibiotic therapy for ventilator-associated pneumonia in adults: a randomized trial.

CONTEXT The optimal duration of antimicrobial treatment for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is unknown. Shortening the length of treatment may help to contain the emergence of multiresistant bacteria in the intensive care unit (ICU). OBJECTIVE To determine whether 8 days is as effective as 15 days of antibiotic treatment of patients with microbiologically proven VAP. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective, randomized, double-blind (until day 8) clinical trial conducted in 51 French ICUs. A total of 401 patients diagnosed as having developed VAP by quantitative culture results of bronchoscopic specimens and who had received initial appropriate empirical antimicrobial therapy were enrolled between May 1999 and June 2002. INTERVENTION A total of 197 patients were randomly assigned to receive 8 days and 204 to receive 15 days of therapy with an antibiotic regimen selected by the treating physician. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome measures-death from any cause, microbiologically documented pulmonary infection recurrence, and antibiotic-free days-were assessed 28 days after VAP onset and analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis. RESULTS Compared with patients treated for 15 days, those treated for 8 days had neither excess mortality (18.8% vs 17.2%; difference, 1.6%; 90% confidence interval [CI], -3.7% to 6.9%) nor more recurrent infections (28.9% vs 26.0%; difference, 2.9%; 90% CI, -3.2% to 9.1%), but they had more mean (SD) antibiotic-free days (13.1 [7.4] vs 8.7 [5.2] days, P<.001). The number of mechanical ventilation-free days, the number of organ failure-free days, the length of ICU stay, and mortality rates on day 60 for the 2 groups did not differ. Although patients with VAP caused by nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, did not have more unfavorable outcomes when antimicrobial therapy lasted only 8 days, they did have a higher pulmonary infection-recurrence rate compared with those receiving 15 days of treatment (40.6% vs 25.4%; difference, 15.2%, 90% CI, 3.9%-26.6%). Among patients who developed recurrent infections, multiresistant pathogens emerged less frequently in those who had received 8 days of antibiotics (42.1% vs 62.0% of pulmonary recurrences, P =.04). CONCLUSIONS Among patients who had received appropriate initial empirical therapy, with the possible exception of those developing nonfermenting gram-negative bacillus infections, comparable clinical effectiveness against VAP was obtained with the 8- and 15-day treatment regimens. The 8-day group had less antibiotic use.
Implementing problem-based learning in higher education in Asia: challenges, strategies and effect

During the past 30 years academic leaders have advocated for the adoption of ‘pedagogies of engagement’ in the hopes of increasing student involvement and retention, as well as learning outcomes in higher education. More recently, universities in Asia have joined this movement, despite barriers arising from cultural norms and teaching traditions that reify knowledge and reinforce status differentiation between teachers and students. This paper explores the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL), one pedagogy of engagement in higher education in Asia. The research presents a longitudinal, mixed-methods case study of PBL implementation at a graduate school of business in Thailand. The data, collected over a seven-year period, suggest that implementation of a PBL track in the college's management curriculum was successful when judged on a variety of academic staff and student indicators. Although the capacity to generalise case study findings are inherently limited, the statistical analyses suggest that PBL can exert a positive impact on instructional effectiveness in an East Asian context known for its reliance on traditional approaches to teaching and learning.
The brain tumor microenvironment

High‐grade brain tumors are heterogeneous with respect to the composition of bona fide tumor cells and with respect to a range of intermingling parenchymal cells. Glioblastomas harbor multiple cell types, some with increased tumorigenicity and stem cell‐like capacity. The stem‐like cells may be the cells of origin for tumor relapse. However, the tumor‐associated parenchymal cells such as vascular cells, microglia, peripheral immune cells, and neural precursor cells also play a vital role in controlling the course of pathology. In this review, we describe the multiple interactions of bulk glioma cells and glioma stem cells with parenchymal cell populations and highlight the pathological impact as well as signaling pathways known for these types of cell‐cell communication. The tumor‐vasculature not only nourishes glioblastomas, but also provides a specialized niche for these stem‐like cells. In addition, microglial cells, which can contribute up to 30% of a brain tumor mass, play a role in glioblastoma cell invasion. Moreover, non‐neoplastic astrocytes can be converted into a reactive phenotype by the glioma microenvironment and can then secrete a number of factors which influences tumor biology. The young brain may have the capacity to inhibit gliomagenesis by the endogenous neural precursor cells, which secrete tumor suppressive factors. The factors, pathways, and interactions described in this review provide a new prospective on the cell biology of primary brain tumors, which may ultimately generate new treatment modalities. However, our picture of the multiple interactions between parenchymal and tumor cells is still incomplete. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Auxiliary variables and adjustments for missingness in longitudinal studies

Different sorts of auxiliary variables ? variables measured at previous waves, frame variables and paradata - can be used to improve the accuracy of response propensity models, and to enhance adjustments for missing longitudinal data. All these variables are used in this paper when constructing iterative probability weights, carrying out multiple imputations, and specifying models that jointly model a substantive process and the missingness mechanism. Data from the first two waves of the UK Millennium Cohort Study are used to illustrate the potential value of auxiliary variables. We find that the accuracy of response probability models ? as measured by the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve ? is improved by the inclusion of frame variables and paradata but these variables have rather little effect when adjusting the chosen longitudinal estimates. There is, however, evidence to suggest that unobserved variables are correlated with the outcome of interest and with the probability of being a respondent at wave two.
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease: Analysis of Tissues by Amplification and In Situ Hybridization Reveals Widespread Orbivirus Infection at Low Copy Numbers

ABSTRACT A recent outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in wild ruminants in the northwest United States was characterized by rapid onset of fever, followed shortly thereafter by hemorrhage and death. As a result, a confirmed 1,000 white-tailed deer and pronghorn antelope died over the course of 3 months. Lesions were multisystemic and included severe edema, congestion, acute vascular necrosis, and hemorrhage. Animals that died with clinical signs and/or lesions consistent with hemorrhagic fever had antibody to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 (EHDV-2) by radioimmune precipitation but the antibody was limited exclusively to class immunoglobulin M. These findings, indicative of acute infection, were corroborated by the observation that numerous deer were found dead; however, clinically affected deer were rarely seen during the outbreak. Furthermore, only in animals with hemorrhagic lesions was EHDV-2 isolated and/or erythrocyte-associated EHDV-2 RNA detected by serotype-specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. By using a novel RT in situ PCR assay, viral nucleic acid was localized to the cytoplasm of large numbers of tissue leukocytes and vascular endothelium in tissues with hemorrhage and to vessels, demonstrating acute intimal and medial necrosis. Because PCR amplification prior to in situ hybridization was essential for detecting EHDV, the virus copy number within individual cells was low, <20 virus copies. These findings suggest that massive covert infection characterized by rapid dissemination of virus facilitates the severe and lethal nature of this disease.
Compact dual-band patch antenna for wireless communication applications

This paper presents a small dual band patch antenna for wireless communication applications. The antenna consists of a folded patch, 4 shorting strips and excited by a U-shaped bridge feed. With the introduction of shorting strips and folded wall, the total size reduction achieves about 60%, as compared to the conventional TM01 mode monopolar radiating patch. The antenna has nearly omni-directional radiation patterns. Wide impedance bandwidths of 43.2% and 31.4% (SWR<2) in the frequency bands of 2.03 to 3.15 GHz and 5.34 to 7.33 GHz, respectively, have been obtained experimentally.
The Future Of The Euro As a Global Key Currency: First Place Or Second Fiddle?

Abstract In a globalised world efficient international trade and investment require a respected and stable international key currency. The current key currency, the US dollar (hereafter dollar), faces serious predicaments because of its home country’s economic woes. This strengthens the likelihood of the euro assuming future primacy in the constellation of global key currencies. This paper assesses such likelihood by researching the requirements and determinants for the attainment of international key currency status and applying them to the euro. It is argued that any expectation about the euro becoming the dominant key currency in the foreseeable future is unrealistic. This is because the euro lacks a competitive financial and structural basis in comparison to the dollar, but even more so because the euro is deficient in its geostrategic and political support base in the global economy.
Measuring Supplier Performance in Collaborative Design: Proposition of a Framework

With the rapid increase of component outsourcing, suppliers play more important roles in New Product Development (NPD) projects. Previous research has shown that the selection of the appropriate supplier, as well as the choice of both the time and the degree of its involvement, have a major impact on NPD performance. However, the customer firms involved in this activity of collaborative design with suppliers express a need for methods and tools in order to effectively manage these particular relations. This paper presents a framework for the measurement of supplier's performance in the context of NPD projects. This framework has been supported by evidence from the literature and feedbacks from practitioners. It has been developed iteratively by application of an action research approach conducted within six industrial French companies. This development enabled the generation of a robust framework that allows: (a) identifying four main areas of performance expected by the customer in collaborative setting and (b) evaluating suppliers' development efforts throughout the NPD project with appropriate criteria for each stage of the project.
Maternal DHA Status during Pregnancy Has a Positive Impact on Infant Problem Solving: A Norwegian Prospective Observation Study

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6, n-3) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid necessary for normal brain growth and cognitive development. Seafood and dietary supplements are the primary dietary sources of DHA. This study addresses the associations between DHA status in pregnant women and healthy, term-born infant problem-solving skills assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. The fatty acid status of maternal red blood cells (RBCs) was assessed in the 28th week of gestation and at three months postpartum. The infants’ fatty acid status (RBC) was assessed at three, six, and twelve months, and problem-solving skills were assessed at six and twelve months. Maternal DHA status in pregnancy was found to be positively associated with infants’ problem-solving skills at 12 months. This association remained significant even after controlling for the level of maternal education, a surrogate for socio-economic status. The infants’ DHA status at three months was associated with the infants’ problem solving at 12 months. The results accentuate the importance for pregnant and lactating women to have a satisfactory DHA status from dietary intake of seafood or other sources rich in DHA.
Components of the profitability of technical currency trading

This paper investigates the sources of the profitability of 1024 technical models when trading in the German mark (euro)/U.S. dollar market. The main results are as follows. First, each of these models would have been profitable over the entire sample period. Second, this profitability is exclusively due to the exploitation of exchange rate trends. Third, these results do not change substantially when trading is examined within subperiods. Fourth, the 25 best performing models in each in-sample period examined were profitable also out of sample in most cases. Fifth, the profitability of technical currency trading has been declining since the late 1980s.
Transformer for Emotion Recognition

This paper describes the UMONS solution for the OMG-Emotion Challenge. We explore a context-dependent architecture where the arousal and valence of an utterance are predicted according to its surrounding context (i.e. the preceding and following utterances of the video). We report an improvement when taking into account context for both unimodal and multimodal predictions.
Optimum Bond Calling and Refunding

Long-term corporate bonds have traditionally been issued with a call option, whereby the issuing company reserves the right to call the bond, that is, to redeem or buy back the bond prior to maturity. Usually the purpose of calling the bond is to be able to refund it, that is, replace it with one having a lower interest rate, or coupon. During 1976--77, when interest rates had dropped significantly from the rates of 1969--70 and 1974--75, Bell System companies called or refunded over $2 billion of long-term debt. This paper describes how analytical techniques developed at Bell Labs and AT&T played a significant role in these refundings.
Community carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli is associated with strains of low pathogenicity: a Swedish nationwide study

Objectives Community carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (EPE) is common worldwide and there is a need to understand the connection between carriage and infection. We compared the molecular characteristics of EPE among Swedish community carriers with those of EPE causing invasive infections. Methods We collected 2134 faecal samples from randomly selected Swedish inhabitants and examined them for the presence of EPE. All participating volunteers answered a questionnaire about putative risk factors for EPE carriage. Suspected EPE isolates (n = 418) from patients with bloodstream infection (BSI) were collected from Swedish laboratories. Isolates were genotypically and phenotypically characterized. Results Our results show that the EPE population found in carriers generally had lower pathogenicity compared with the isolates from BSIs, since carriers had a lower proportion of E. coli belonging to phylogroup B2, ST131 and ST131 subclone H30-Rx. Isolates from carriers also had lower levels of multiresistance. The Swedish carriage rate of EPE was 4.7% (101/2134) among healthy volunteers. Risk factors associated with carriage were travel to countries in Asia (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.4–9.2) and Africa (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.7–7.7) and a diet without pork (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3–0.8 for pork eaters). Conclusions E. coli host factors previously associated with higher pathogenicity were all more common in BSIs compared with carriers. This indicates that the risk of invasive infection with EPE may be relatively modest in many community carriers and that EPE carriage of high-risk strains should be the focus of attention for prevention.
Democratization and the Military in Nigeria: A Case for an Enduring Civil-Military Relations in the Fourth Republic and Beyond

This paper examines the military and democracy within the context of Nigeria’s historical and socio political reality. Nigeria’s inability to foster a sustainable democratic tradition has negative consequences for the country. The quest for democracy and therefore development in Nigeria has been hindered by the disruptive influences of militarism. The military’s love for power stems partially from a love for wealth and partly from its self-image as the custodian of the independent and corporate existence of the country. If the democratic tradition is to be sustained in Nigeria, constitutional as well as policy measures should be adopted to tackle the issue of militarism.
Negative Regulation of Placental Fibronectin Expression by Glucocorticoids and Cyclic Adenosine 3′,5′‐Monophosphate a b

Fibronectin is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix (ECM) protein known to play a critical role in cell adhesion. In the present study we dissected the effects of glucocorticoids and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) on FN expression in cultures of cytotrophoblasts isolated from human term placentas to identify compounds which may influence uterine-placental adherence. Based on immunoassay data, relative to controls, glucocorticoid treatment (1-1000 nM) of cytotrophoblasts specifically inhibited media levels of oncofetal FN (i.e., FNs bearing an oncofetal epitope) 65-92%. Treatment of cytotrophoblasts with androgens, estrogens, and progestins (1-1000 nM) did not markedly affect onfFN expression. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) treatment (200 nM) alone had no effect on levels on onfFN. In combination experiments using 100 nM dexamethasone (DEX), 1000 nM medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), 10 nM estradiol (E2) and 200 nM corticotropin-releasing hormone CRH, we observed that DEX treatment also promoted approximately an 85% reduction in media levels of onfFN. This indicated that glucocorticoids profoundly suppress FN expression in the presence of high concentrations of other steroids and pregnancy-associated paracrine effectors. To examine the influence of ECM protein composition on glucocorticoid-mediated suppression of onfFN expression, cells were inoculated on untreated culture wells or on wells coated with FN, laminin, or collagen I. We observed that DEX treatment downregulated onfFN levels 70-85% under each of these conditions, suggesting that glucocorticoid effects on FN expression were not dependent on the presence of an exogenous ECM. Treatment of cytotrophoblasts with 8-bromo-cAMP resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in onfFN expression to 3% of control levels with an EC50 of 150 nM. Based on Northern blotting, treatment of cytotrophoblasts with 100 nM DEX, 1 mM 8-bromo-cAMP, or 2 nM relaxin inhibited steady state levels of FN mRNA approximately 90% relative to controls. Our results suggest that during pregnancy glucocorticoids and compounds that alter intracellular concentrations of cAMP may profoundly suppress FN expression and therefore may have dramatic effects on uterine-placental adherence.
Managing Intellectual Capital in Italian Manufacturing SMEs

The purpose of the paper is to provide an operative framework to measure intellectual capital (IC) in SMEs and to apply it to the Italian manufacturing context. A second aim is to profile the level and the structure of IC in these firms, identifying different clusters with diverse IC profile and analysing the impact of IC on firm performance. A survey was conducted in the Italian manufacturing context. After a descriptive analysis revealing the level of IC components, cluster analysis was executed for IC profiling, while multiple linear regression models were developed to analyse the relationship between IC and firm performance. A heterogeneous IC structure emerged and three clusters were obtained and described. A positive relationship between IC components and firm performance was demonstrated. This research contributes to measuring IC in manufacturing SMEs by providing an operative integrated framework, to understand its structure and level and its effect on firm success. Managers of SMEs can draw guidelines for IC evaluation to develop internal auditing systems, to communicate adequately IC value to any stakeholders and to support decisions in managing their IC, thereby maximizing firm performance.
Assets Sales and Earnings Management in the Hotel Industry

In this article we investigate the behavior in asset sales of publicly traded U.S. hotel firms in relation to earnings management. Asset disposition has been regarded as one of the most efficient methods for controlling accounting income. Given a heavy weight of fixed assets in the asset composition of hotel firms, it is sensible to presume that it would be easier for hotel managers to manage earnings by tuning the timing of asset sales if they decide to do so. In view of the unique characteristics of the hotel business –high vulnerability to economic circumstances and substantial fluctuations in property values, this paper will verify how hotels behave with respect to asset sales under disparate economic circumstances and if the behavior is related to an intention to manage earnings especially when the economy does not treat them favorably.