Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potholes on the Road to College

This article examines the extent to which indicators of the college-going climate of urban high schools are associated with students’ application to, enrollment in, and choice among four-year colleges. The investigators examine two mechanisms by which high schools may shape college enrollment among low-income students in an urban school system: (1) by ensuring whether seniors who aspire to a four-year college degree take the steps to apply to and enroll in a four-year college, and (2) by influencing whether students enroll in colleges with selectivity levels at or above the kinds of colleges they are qualified to attend (a “college match”). We investigate different approaches to measuring college-going climate and develop new indicators. Findings suggest that qualifications and college aspirations will not necessarily translate into four-year college enrollment if urban high schools do not develop organizational norms and structures that guide students effectively through the college application process. Urban students who attend high schools where there is a pattern of four-year college-going, where teachers report high expectations and strong supports for college attendance, and where there is high participation in financial aid application are more likely to plan to attend, apply to, be accepted into, and enroll in a four-year college that matches their qualifications.
Effects of “physical attractiveness” in the evaluation of print advertisements

Investigates the influence of physical attractiveness of endorsers in print advertisements to consumer purchase intention. Studies two products and suggests that an openly stated desire by an attractive endorser to influence the views of the audience is more effective for high involvement products than low involvement, especially if the endorser is from a credible source. States that an endorser’s effect is stronger with less established products with less observable benefits.
Biogeosciences Suitability of quantum cascade laser spectroscopy for CH 4 and N 2 O eddy covariance flux measurements

A quantum cascade laser spectrometer was evaluated for eddy covariance flux measurements of CH 4 and N2O using three months of continuous measurements at a field site. The required criteria for eddy covariance flux measurements including continuity, sampling frequency, precision and stationarity were examined. The system operated continuously at a dairy farm on peat grassland in the Netherlands from 17 August to 6 November 2006. An automatic liquid nitrogen filling system for the infrared detector was employed to provide unattended operation of the system. The electronic sampling frequency was 10 Hz, however, the flow response time was 0.08 s, which corresponds to a bandwidth of 2 Hz. A precision of 2.9 and 0.5 ppb Hz −1/2 was obtained for CH4 and N2O, respectively. Accuracy was assured by frequent calibrations using low and high standard additions. Drifts in the system were compensated by using a 120 s running mean filter. The average CH 4 and N2O exchange was 512 ngC m−2 s−1 (2.46 mg m−2 hr−1) and 52 ngN m−2 s−1 (0.29 mg m−2 hr−1). Given that 40% of the total N 2O emission was due to a fertilizing event.
Coagulation Factor and Hemostatic Protein Content of Canine Plasma after Storage of Whole Blood at Ambient Temperature

Background Standard practice in canine blood banking is to produce fresh frozen plasma (FFP) by separating and freezing plasma produced from blood within 8 hours of collection. Within canine blood donation programs, this can limit the number of units collected. Hypothesis/Objectives The aim was to compare the coagulation factor and hemostatic protein content (CF&HPC) of plasma produced from blood stored at ambient temperature for 8, 12, and 24 hours. Another aim was to compare the CF&HPC between Greyhound types and other breeds. Animals None. Methods In vitro study. A convenience sample of 58 units of canine blood from a blood donor pool was processed to prepare and freeze plasma 8, 12, or 24 hours following collection. Results Regardless of time of processing, the units contained therapeutic CF&HPC. Frozen plasma prepared after 24 hours had significantly higher factor VIII (P = .014) and factor X (P = .03) when compared with the frozen plasma prepared at 8 hours. Factor X (P < .01), fibrinogen (P < .01), and vWF (P = .04) were significantly lower in plasma collected from Greyhound types than in plasma collected from other breeds. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Storing whole blood for up to 24 hours is a suitable method for producing FFP. Lower values for some coagulation factors and hemostatic proteins in plasma produced from Greyhound types would not preclude these dogs as FFP donors.
Creative Confidence and the Arts: Measuring a Potential Contributing Factor to Students' Motivation to Engage in Engineering Creativity

Engineering is well established as a profession which requires complex, open-ended problem solving. Creativity is instrumental in these processes, but graduating engineering students have been found to lack creative thinking skills. In order to engage in creative thinking, students must first be motivated to do so. Creative self-efficacy (or creative confidence) has been tied to increased internal motivation, and involvement in creative arts activities can lead to increased self-efficacy beliefs. This paper will discuss the development of a survey instrument that will be used to investigate the potential correlation between student involvement in creative arts and their internal motivation to engage in engineering creativity.The survey instrument includes 1 open-ended question, a creative arts inventory, and 46 closed-ended questions to measure creative self, creative mindset, and tolerance of fears that hinder creative confidence. Evidence for validity of the instrument is established through the pilot study.
Polyetheretherketone Cages Alone with Allograft for Three-Level Anterior Cervical Fusion

A total of 25 consecutive patients suffering from degenerative cervical disc disease who underwent three-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) including polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages packed with allograft were followed up for at least two years. The fusion rate reached 72% (18/25), and asymptomatic pseudarthrosis was seen in 6 patients but without mobility on flexion-extension radiographs, and revision surgery was not needed. Cage subsidence occurred at one level (C67), but it was not progressive, and reoperation was not necessary. A significant increase (P < 0.001) in fused segment angle (FSA) and fused segment height (FSH) was observed postoperatively. Similarly, a significant clinical improvement (P < 0.001) was demonstrated postoperatively in terms of Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and visual analog scales (VASs) score. PEEK cages alone with allograft proved to be a safe and effective surgical option in the treatment of three-level degenerative cervical disc disease. Although the fusion rate was not high, this technique may offer improvement of symptomatology and maintenance of cervical spine's sagittal profile.
The Influence of Corporatization Process on the Cost of Publicly Provided Local Utilities: Some Insights from Bus Transit Systems

This study investigates the effects of the corporatization process - i.e. the transformation of a municipal firm into a limited responsibility company - on the production costs of local public services whose ownership is maintained by the local government. To that purpose, we use information on a typical local utility such as the bus service provided by public transit systems in Italy, which experienced a change of the governance towards the corporation form during the 90's and especially in the first years of 2000's. A total cost function approach is applied to a sample of 33 local bus companies over the period 1993-2002, relying on a random effects estimation procedure. The results point to that, even if public ownership persists, the transformation of a municipal enterprise into an autonomous company - corresponding to the first stage of the corporatization of local utilites in Italy - or into a limited responsibility company exerts a reducing impact on the production costs. This evidence supports the theoretical argument that under corporatization effective incentive schemes can be put into place (Shleifer and Vishny, 1994; Hart et al., 1997) and therefore that considerable efficiency gains can occur also in such an intermediate stage preceding a privatization process.
Compliance, clinical outcome, and quality of life of patients with stable angina pectoris receiving once-daily betaxolol versus twice daily metoprolol: a randomized controlled trial

Background A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in an outpatient setting to examine the effect of beta-blocker dosing frequency on patient compliance, clinical outcome, and health-related quality of life in patients with stable angina pectoris. Methods One hundred and twelve beta-blockers-naive outpatients with stable angina pectoris were randomized to receive betaxolol, 20 mg once daily or metoprolol tartrate, 50 mg twice daily for 8 weeks. The principal outcome measure was overall compliance measured electronically, whereas secondary outcome measures were drug effectiveness and health-related quality of life. Results The overall compliance was 86.5 ± 21.3% in the betaxolol group versus 76.1 ± 26.3% in the metoprolol group (p < 0.01), and the correct number of doses was taken on 84.4 ± 21.6% and 64.0 ± 31.7% of treatment days, respectively (p < 0.0001). The percentage of missed doses was 14.5 ± 21.5% in the once-daily group and 24.8 ± 26.4% in the twice-daily group (p < 0.01). The percentage of doses taken in the correct time window (58.6% vs 42.0%, p = 0.01), correct interdose intervals (77.4% v 53.1%, p < 0.0001), and therapeutic coverage (85.6% vs 73.7%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the once-daily group. Both studied drugs had similar antianginal effectiveness. Health-related quality of life improved in both groups, but this increase was more pronounced in the betaxolol arm in some dimensions. Conclusions The study demonstrates that patient compliance with once-daily betaxolol is significantly better than with twice daily metoprolol. Similarly, this treatment provides better quality of life. These results demonstrate possible therapeutic advantages of once-daily over twice-daily beta-blockers in the treatment of stable angina pectoris.
Formal Volunteering in Europe: Evidence Across Nations and Time

For the first time, this study examined both cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of contextual cultural and economic characteristics of individual formal volunteering. A study sample of 116,380 respondents from 33 countries and four waves from the European Values Study (1981-2008) was used. The hierarchical logistic models indicate that a long-standing theoretical idea regarding the positive relationship between contextual religiosity and formal volunteering is not supported by European data. Specifically, I found that people living in secular and economically equal countries are more likely to engage in voluntary activities. Longitudinally, there is a decrease in formal volunteering over 27 years; however, none of the cultural and economic country-level variables explain variation across time. These differential cross-sectional and longitudinal effects highlight the need to use repeated cross-sectional data.
Adverbs in VP ellipsis: an experimental investigation of antecedent selection

Abstract This paper presents a case study of verb phrase ellipses with adverbially modified antecedents. It is shown experimentally that there is a preference for resolving ellipses in certain embedded clauses with unmodified VPs. The effect is hypothesized to reflect a general requirement to minimize the complexity of accommodated content. Four experiments support this hypothesis over plausible candidate hypotheses, including syntactic approaches to the effect (Matsuo 2001; Sailor 2014). Résumé Cet article présente une étude de cas d'ellipses de syntagmes verbaux avec des antécédents modifiés de façon adverbiale. Il est démontré expérimentalement qu'il existe une préférence pour la résolution des ellipses dans certaines propositions enchâssées avec des SV non modifiés. On propose que cet effet provient d'une exigence générale visant à minimiser la complexité du contenu accommodé. Quatre expériences soutiennent cette hypothèse par rapport a d'autres hypothéses plausibles, y compris des analyses syntaxiques du phénomène (Matsuo 2001; Sailor 2014).
Effects of dairy products on intestinal integrity in heat-stressed pigs

Heat stress compromises intestinal integrity which may partially explain its negative effects on animal health and productivity. Research suggests that challenged intestinal barrier function improves with dietary dairy products in various models. Thus, the study objective was to evaluate the effects of bovine milk whey protein (WP) and colostral whey protein (CWP) on intestinal integrity in heat-stressed pigs. Crossbred gilts (39 ± 3 kg body weight) were fed 1 of 4 diets (n = 8 pigs/diet): control (Ct), control diet containing an 80% WP and 20% CWP product (WP80), control diet containing a 98% WP and 2% CWP product (WP98), and control diet containing a 100% WP product (WP100). After 7d on experimental diets, pigs were exposed to constant heat stress conditions (32 °C) for 24h. There were no treatment differences in growth or body temperature indices prior to heat stress. During heat exposure, both rectal temperature and respiration rate increased (+0.85 °C and 3-fold, respectively; P < 0.01), and feed intake and body weight decreased (44% and -0.5kg, respectively; P < 0.01), but neither variable was affected by dietary treatments. Plasma L-lactate and D-lactate concentrations increased (36%; P < 0.01) and tended to increase (19%; P = 0.09) with heat stress. After 24h of heat exposure, WP100-fed pigs had lower plasma D-lactate relative to Ct-fed pigs. Ileal transepithelial electrical resistance was decreased (37%; P = 0.02) in WP80 pigs, compared with controls. No differences were detected in other intestinal integrity ex vivo measurements. These data demonstrate that dietary WP and CWP did not mitigate intestinal integrity dysfunction during severe heat stress.
Enabling Context-Aware Computing for the Nomadic Mobile User: A Service Oriented and Quality Driven Approach

Context-awareness (CA) enables the development of personalized applications for highly mobile and demanding users in the pervasive environments. These applications rely on the components responsible for context sensing, processing, storage and inference. Various context-aware computing infrastructures exist to shield the application developers from the complexity of developing these components. However, some additional concerns including the distribution of context sources in the pervasive environments, quality of context (QoC) and user privacy demand that a context-aware computing infrastructure should also handle these aspects. This paper introduces our work in progress on the context distribution framework (CDF) aimed at providing a service oriented infrastructure for the context-aware applications hosted on a mobile device. In the current version of CDF, we focus on three aspects: a) transparent off-loading of resource intensive context manipulation from the mobile device; b) selection of the suitable context sources based on the quality of context (QoC); and c) modeling mobile context sources as services.
Thermodynamics of Einstein-Born-Infeld black holes with negative cosmological constant

We study the thermodynamics associated to topological black hole solutions of AdS gravity coupled to nonlinear electrodynamics (Born-Infeld) in any dimension, using a background-independent regularization prescription for the Euclidean action given by boundary terms, which explicitly depend on the extrinsic curvature (Kounterterms series). A finite action principle leads to the correct definition of thermodynamic variables as Noether charges, which satisfy a Smarr-like relation. In particular, for the odd-dimensional case, a consistent thermodynamic description is achieved if the internal energy of the system includes the vacuum energy for AdS spacetime.
Empirical Evidence of Associations Between Trial Quality and Effect Size

The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s), who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients. This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied. This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission except those copyrighted materials noted for which further reproduction is prohibited without the specific permission of copyright holders. that conflict with material presented in this report. Preface The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through its Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), sponsors the development of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public-and private-sector organizations in their efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States. The reports and assessments provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies. The EPCs systematically review the relevant scientific literature on topics assigned to them by AHRQ and conduct additional analyses when appropriate prior to developing their reports and assessments. To improve the scientific rigor of these evidence reports, AHRQ supports empiric research by the EPCs to help understand or improve complex methodologic issues in systematic reviews. These methods research projects are intended to contribute to the research base and be used to improve the science of systematic reviews. They are not intended to be guidance to the EPC program, although may be considered by EPCs along with other scientific …
Uncertainty Regarding Waste Handling in Everyday Life

According to our study, based on interviews with households in a residential area in Sweden, uncertainty is a cultural barrier to improved recycling. Four causes of uncertainty are identified. Firstly, professional categories not matching cultural categories—people easily discriminate between certain categories (e.g., materials such as plastic and paper) but not between others (e.g., packaging and “non-packaging”). Thus a frequent cause of uncertainty is that the basic categories of the waste recycling system do not coincide with the basic categories used in everyday life. Challenged habits—source separation in everyday life is habitual, but when a habit is challenged, by a particular element or feature of the waste system, uncertainty can arise. Lacking fractions—some kinds of items cannot be left for recycling and this makes waste collection incomplete from the user’s point of view and in turn lowers the credibility of the system. Missing or contradictory rules of thumb—the above causes seem to be particularly relevant if no motivating principle or rule of thumb (within the context of use) is successfully conveyed to the user. This paper discusses how reducing uncertainty can improve recycling.
Same-Day CD4 Testing to Improve Uptake of HIV Care and Treatment in South Africa: Point-of-Care Is Not Enough

Background. We evaluated whether a pilot program providing point-of-care (POC), but not rapid, CD4 testing (BD FACSCount) immediately after testing HIV-positive improved retention in care. Methods. We conducted a retrospective record review at the Themba Lethu Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. We compared all walk-in patients testing HIV-positive during February, July 2010 (pilot POC period) to patients testing positive during January 2008–February 2009 (baseline period). The outcome for those with a ≤250 cells/mm3 when testing HIV-positive was initiating ART <16 weeks after HIV testing. Results. 771 patients had CD4 results from the day of HIV testing (421 pilots, 350 baselines). ART initiation within 16 weeks was 49% in the pilot period and 46% in the baseline period. While all 421 patients during the pilot period should have been offered the POC test, patient records indicate that only 73% of them were actually offered it, and among these patients only 63% accepted the offer. Conclusions. Offering CD4 testing using a point-of-care, but not rapid, technology and without other health system changes had minor impacts on the uptake of HIV care and treatment. Point-of-care technologies alone may not be enough to improve linkage to care and treatment after HIV testing.
Interactive tool for analysis of reset control systems

The paper describes an interactive tool focused on the analysis of reset control systems. Reset control systems are essentially linear control systems that reset certain controller states to zero according to a reset rule. The tool has been developed using Sysquake, a Matlab-like language with fast execution and excellent facilities for interactive graphics, and is delivered as a stand-alone executable that is readily accessible to students and users. The highly visual and strongly coupled nature of reset control system is very amenable to interactive tools, and the tool presented in this paper enables to discover a myriad of important properties of these systems.
Role of flm Locus in MesophilicAeromonas Species Adherence

ABSTRACT The adherence mechanism of Aeromonas caviae Sch3N to HEp-2 cells was initially investigated through four mini-Tn5 mutants that showed a 10-fold decrease in adherence. These mutants lost motility, flagella, and their lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen (O-Ag). Three genes,flmB-neuA-flmD, were found to be interrupted by the transposon insertions; additionally, two other genes, one lying upstream (flmA) and one downstream (neuB), were found to be clustered in the same operon. While the flmAand flmB genes were present in all mesophilicAeromonas spp. (A. hydrophila, A. caviae, A. veronii bv. veronii, andA. veronii bv. sobria) tested, this was not the case for the neuA-flmD-neuB genes. Construction and characterization of flmB insertion mutants in five other mesophilic Aeromonas strains revealed the loss of motility, flagella, and adherence but did not alter the LPS composition of these strains. Taking the above findings into consideration, we conclude (i) that flagella and possibly the LPS O-Ag are involved in the adherence of the mesophilic Aeromonas to human epithelial cells; (ii)flmA and flmB are genes widely distributed in the mesophilic Aeromonas and are involved in flagella assembly, and thus adherence; and (iii) in A. caviae Sch3N the flmA and flmB genes are found in a putative operon together with neuA, flmD, andneuB and are involved in LPS O-Ag biosynthesis and probably have a role in flagellum assembly.