Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
One family in two countries: mothers in Korean transnational families

This qualitative study explores Korean transnational families, known as gireogi gah-jok. In this type of family, the mother and her children move to an English-speaking country for the children's education while the father stays and supports his family financially from the country of origin. We conducted interviews with thirteen mothers who resided with at least one adolescent child in the northwest area of the USA. Guided by symbolic interactionism, we examined how women perceived the gireogi family situation separated in the two countries and how their perception influenced their maternal roles as gireogi mothers. Findings indicate that these women reshaped their maternal self and renegotiated gendered roles in response to their residence in the foreign country and physical separation from their husbands. The findings also suggest that participants made an effort to maintain family cohesion by frequent communication using technology and sporadic reunions.
(ING): A VERNACULAR BASELINE FOR ENGLISH IN APPALACHIA

In order to provide a contemporary description of Appalachian English, this article investigates the (ING) variable in Appalachian speech, explaining both the linguistic and social constraints on variation. Data from 67 West Virginia speakers are qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed for grammatical context, preceding and following place of articulation, sociogeographic orientation, age, sex, ethnicity, social class, and interview context. Results indicate that the only linguistic conditioning factor for this speech community is (lie syntactic category. Socially, the patterns of variation are considerably more complex than the grammatical patterns. Reflecting the sociogeographic boundary found by previous scholars, a Southern-Northern divide exists in the production of variants: the Southern speakers have a higher rate of the alveolar variant than the Northern n speakers. The other social factors work within this sociogeographic divide. Yet, contrary to most references to Appalachian rates of (ING), speakers in this sample are far from categorical, with rates ranging from 1% to 96% for the alveolar variant.
Do Ideologically Intolerant People Benefit From Intergroup Contact?

The time-tested notion that increased contact improves intergroup attitudes, particularly under optimal conditions, is well established. Yet early theorists doubted whether contact could benefit intolerant, prejudice-prone persons. Without tackling the question directly, the contemporary contact field embraces an assumption opposed to that of its predecessors: that contact benefits intolerant individuals, given its general effectiveness. However, other prejudice interventions have failed or backfired among such people. Thus, established contact benefits among people generally may mask the failure of such interventions among intolerant people. I review contemporary evidence and conclude that the contact hypothesis retains its prominence among prejudice-reduction strategies: Intergroup contact and friendships work well (and often best) among intolerant and cognitively rigid persons—by reducing threat and anxiety and increasing empathy, trust, and outgroup closeness. Historically untested assumptions about contact have therefore tested favorably. Future imperatives involve directly addressing contemporary criticisms of contact research.
YKL-40, a Marker of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction, Is Elevated in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Increases With Levels of Albuminuria

OBJECTIVE—The inflammation marker YKL-40 is elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes and is associated with atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular mortality. In the present study, YKL-40 levels were examined in patients with type 1 diabetes with increasing levels of albuminuria, known to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 149 patients with type 1 diabetes attending Steno Diabetes Center were examined: 58 had normoalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion rate <30 mg/24 h), 46 had persistent microalbuminuria (urinary albumin excretion rate 30–300 mg/24 h), and 45 had persistent macroalbuminuria/diabetic nephropathy (urinary albumin excretion rate >300 mg/24 h). The control group consisted of 55 healthy individuals. Groups were matched according to sex and duration of diabetes (>30 years). RESULTS—Median levels [interquartile range] of serum YKL-40 were significantly higher in normoalbuminuria versus control (37 [29–52] vs. 53 [32–105] ng/ml, P < 0.01) and were increasing with increasing levels of albuminuria (microalbuminuria 74 [45–160] ng/ml and diabetic nephropathy 117 [68–215] ng/ml; P < 0.001 for all comparisons). YKL-40 levels correlated with the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio in the total group of participants (r2 = 0.25, P < 0.001). Significant but weak intercorrelations of YKL-40 were found with age, diastolic blood pressure, A1C, and serum creatinine. After adjustment for significant covariates, albuminuria was significantly associated with YKL-40 levels (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS—YKL-40 levels are elevated in patients with type 1 diabetes with an independent association between increasing YKL-40 levels and increasing levels of albuminuria. The present study is the first to suggest a role of YKL-40 in the gradually progressing vascular complications in patients with type 1 diabetes.
Correlation between C-Reactive Protein in Peripheral Vein and Coronary Sinus in Stable and Unstable Angina

Background High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is commonly used in clinical practice to assess cardiovascular risk. However, a correlation has not yet been established between the absolute levels of peripheral and central hs-CRP. Objective To assess the correlation between serum hs-CRP levels (mg/L) in a peripheral vein in the left forearm (LFPV) with those in the coronary sinus (CS) of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and a diagnosis of stable angina (SA) or unstable angina (UA). Methods This observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted at the Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, and at the Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa de Sao Paulo, where CAD patients referred to the hospital for coronary angiography were evaluated. Results Forty patients with CAD (20 with SA and 20 with UA) were included in the study. Blood samples from LFPV and CS were collected before coronary angiography. Furthermore, analysis of the correlation between serum levels of hs-CRP in LFPV versus CS showed a strong linear correlation for both SA (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) and UA (r = 0.976, p < 0.001) and for the entire sample (r = 0.985, p < 0.001). Conclusion Our data suggest a strong linear correlation between hs-CRP levels in LFPV versus CS in patients with SA and UA.
Title : The Effects of a Financial Transaction Tax in an Artificial Financial Market Author :

We investigate the effects of a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) in an order-driven artificial financial market. FTTs are meant to limit short-term speculative behavior by reducing the amount of excess liquidity in the system. To quantify these effects, adjustments in trading strategies and their effects on liquidity need to be taken into account. We model an agentbased continuous double-auction, allowing for a continuum of investment strategies within the chartist/fundamentalist framework. For certain parameter combinations, our model is able to reproduce certain stylized facts of financial time-series. We find largely positive effects of the FTT for small tax rates. Additionally, for large tax rates we find the effects not to be as negative as previously found.
Atherosclerosis-Related Circulating miRNAs as Novel and Sensitive Predictors for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background The dysregulated expressions of circulating miRNAs have been detected in various cardiovascular diseases. In our previous experiments, the altered expressions of circulating miRNA-21-5p, miRNA-361-5p and miRNA-519e-5p were confirmed in patients with coronary atherosclerosis by miRNA microarrays. However, the expression levels of these circulating miRNAs in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are still unknown. In the present study, our aims were to examine the expressions of circulating miR-21-5p, miR-361-5p and miR-519e-5p in AMI patients, and assess their clinical applications for diagnosing and monitoring AMI. Results Two different cohorts were enrolled in this study. The first cohort included 17 AMI patients and 28 healthy volunteers, and the second cohort included 9 AMI patients, 9 ischemic stroke patients, 8 patients with pulmonary embolism, and 12 healthy volunteers. Quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA assays were preformed to detect the concentrations of plasma miRNAs and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), respectively. The results showed that the plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-361-5p were significantly increased in AMI patients, whereas the concentration of circulating miR-519e-5p was reduced. Interestingly, the levels of these circulating miRNAs correlated with the concentrations of plasma cTnI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that these three circulating miRNAs had considerable diagnostic accuracy for AMI with high values of area under ROC curve (AUC). Importantly, combining the three miRNAs significantly increased the diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, cell experiments demonstrated that these plasma miRNAs may originate from injured cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. In addition, the levels of all the three circulating miRNAs in ischemic stroke (IS) and pulmonary embolism (PE) were elevated, whereas the decreased level of plasma miR-519e-5p was only detected in AMI. ROC analysis demonstrated that circulating miR-519e-5p may be a useful biomarker for distinguishing AMI from other ischemic diseases. Conclusions Circulating miRNAs may be novel and powerful biomarkers for AMI and they could be potential diagnostic tool for AMI.
Predicting Free Energy Contribution to the Conformational Stability of Folded Proteins From the Residue Sequence with Radial Basis Function Networks

Radial basis function neural networks are trained on a data base comprising 38 globular proteins of well resolved crystallographic structure and the corresponding free energy contributions to the overall protein stability (as computed partially from chrystallographic analysis and partially with multiple regression from experimental thermodynamic data by Ponnuswamy and Gromiha (1994)). Starting from the residue sequence and using as input code the percentage of each residue and the total residue number of the protein, it is found with a cross-validation method that neural networks can optimally predict the free energy contributions due to hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions and the unfolded state. Terms due to electrostatic and disulfide bonding free energies are poorly predicted. This is so also when other input codes, including the percentage of secondary structure type of the protein and/or residue-pair information are used. Furthermore, trained on the computed and/or experimental delta G values of the data base, neural networks predict a conformational stability ranging from about 10 to 20 kcal mol-1 rather independently of the residue sequence, with an average error per protein of about 9 kcal mol-1.
Association of human β-herpesviruses with the development of cervical cancer: bystanders or cofactors

Background/Aim—Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are important, but not sufficient, for the development of cervical cancer. All three human β-herpesviruses—cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesviruses (HHV) types 6 and 7—have been detected in the cervix. In addition, CMV and HHV-6 can interact with HPVs in vivo. This study examined the possible role of β-herpesviruses in cervical cancer development. Methods—HPV, CMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 were detected by the polymerase chain reaction using cervical scrapes taken at colposcopy from 388 women. HPV types were identified using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Colposcopy guided biopsies were taken from abnormal areas, and the histological findings were regarded as the final diagnoses. The associations between herpesvirus infection and the degree of cervical lesion were analysed with respect to HPV status. Results—Of the 388 women, 51.8% had a normal cervix, 14.4% had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), 8.2% had CIN2, 19.3% had CIN3, and 6.2% had invasive carcinoma. Overall, the positive rates for high, intermediate, and low risk HPVs were 18.8%, 21.4%, and 5.2%, respectively. Fifteen patients harboured HPVs for which the genotype could not be identified. Positive rates for CMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 were 9.5%, 3.6%, and 3.4%, respectively. HPV positive patients carried a higher risk for high grade lesions (CIN2/3 or carcinoma) (odds ratio (OR), 5.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.19 to 8.62; χ2 = 51.79; p < 0.001), whereas those positive for CMV, HHV-6, or HHV-7 did not. Thirteen of 131 patients with high grade lesions had HPV/herpesvirus coinfections, but no association with the cervical lesion was noted. Furthermore, positive rates for herpesviruses among HPV negative, high/intermediate risk HPV negative, and high risk HPV negative subgroups were similarly low and without a significant association. Conclusions—The ubiquitous nature of herpesviruses may pose difficulty in elucidating their pathogenic role. These results indicate that CMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 are bystanders rather than cofactors in the oncogenesis of cervical cancer.
The Rival Concept: An Analysis of the 2002 Monday Night Football Season

The 2002 season represented the fourth consecutive year in which ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football ratings have declined. The difficulty of predicting which teams will be good has made it challenging to put together a schedule of compelling games that will attract an audience. If team success is not a certain predictor, perhaps the behavior of the sports audience can be used as a more efficient variable in the scheduling of games. This study examined the overall national rating of the teams and the TV ratings in each NFL city for the 17 Monday Night Football games in 2002. The findings, as expected, demonstrated that more people of a particular city watched Monday Night Football when the team from that city was playing as compared with when they were not. It was also found, interestingly, that games in which a rival of the home team was playing also drew an audience from the home city.
Analysis and evaluation of the maximum throughput for data streaming over IEEE 802.15.4 wireless networks

Recently, multiple novel applications have been developed using IEEE 802.15. 4-based radio modules. In this paper, we focus on the maximum throughput that one can obtain with IEEE 802.15. 4-based transceivers that operate in the license-free 2.4 GHz band using the 2450 direct-sequence spread spectrum physical layer. The results of the thorough maximum throughput analysis for single-hop and multi-hop data streaming scenarios in the beacon-enabled with both contention access and contention-free periods and nonbeacon-enabled networks are presented. The results of the analysis are compared with the results of the experiments, which were performed using contemporary IEEE 802.15. 4 hardware transducers. Aside from defining the maximum possible throughput for the different scenarios, the presented data disclose the effect of various parameters on communication throughput and latency. The presented results reveal the capabilities of the IEEE 802.15. 4 technology and enable one to estimate the feasibility of using the technology for particular applications.
Minding the Metaphor: The Elusive Character of Moral Disgust

Aiming to circumvent metaphor-prone properties of natural language, Chapman, Kim, Susskind, and Anderson (2009) recently reported evidence for morally induced activation of the levator labii region (manifest as an upper lip raise and a nose wrinkle), also implicated in responding to bad tastes and contaminants. Here we point out that the probative value of this type of evidence rests on a particular (and heavily contested) account of facial movements, one which holds them to be “expressions” or automatic read-outs of internal states. We also observe a largely neglected difference between morally induced disgust and moral disgust proper, arguing that data such as Chapman et al.’s (2009) provide evidence only for the former.
Superiority of virtual microscopy versus light microscopy in transplantation pathology

Ozluk Y, Blanco PL, Mengel M, Solez K, Halloran PF, Sis B. Superiority of virtual microscopy versus light microscopy in transplantation pathology. Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011. 01506.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Preliteracy speech sound production skill and later literacy outcomes: a study using the Templin Archive.

PURPOSE This archival study examined the relationship between the speech sound production skill of kindergarten children and literacy outcomes in Grades 1-3 in a data set where most children's vocabulary skills were within normal limits, speech therapy was not provided until 2nd grade, and phonological awareness instruction was discouraged at the time data were collected. METHOD Data were accessed from the Templin Archive (2004), and the speech sound production skill of 272 kindergartners were examined relative to literacy outcomes in 1st and 2nd grade (reading) and 3rd grade (spelling). RESULTS Kindergartners in the 7th percentile for speech sound production skill scored more poorly in 1st- and 2nd-grade reading and 3rd-grade spelling than did kindergartners with average speech sound production skill; kindergartners in the 98th percentile achieved superior literacy skills compared to the mean. Phonological awareness mediated the effects of speech sound production skill on reading and spelling; vocabulary did not account for any unique variance. CONCLUSION Speech sound disorders appear to be an overt manifestation of a complex interaction among variables influencing literacy skills, including nonlanguage cognition, vocabulary, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness. These interrelationships hold across the range of speech sound production skill, as children with superior speech sound production skill experience superior literacy outcomes.
Emotions and Teacher Identity: A poststructural perspective

This article illustrates the significance of teachers' emotions in the construction of teacher identity by invoking a poststructuralist lens in discussing the place of emotion in identity formation. In suggesting a poststructuralist perspective of emotions and teacher identity, it is argued that teacher identity is constantly becoming in a context embedded in power relations, ideology, and culture. In theorizing about teacher identity two ideas are developed: first, that the construction of teacher identity is at bottom affective, and is dependent upon power and agency, i.e., power is understood as forming the identity and providing the very condition of its trajectory; and second, that an investigation of the emotional components of teacher identity yields a richer understanding of the teacher self. This discussion is motivated by a desire to develop analyses that investigate how teachers' emotions can become sites of resistance and self-transformation. The emphasis on understanding the teacher-self through an exploration of emotion opens possibilities for the care and the self-knowledge of teachers and provides spaces for their transformation.
Effects of Resilience, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder on the Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify relationships of resilience, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), and quality of life of breast cancer patients. The findings from this study would provide baseline data needed for nursing intervention. METHODS A sample of 129 breast cancer patients was recruited from three hospitals in J and C cities in Korea. The survey was conducted with participants by utilizing self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS Quality of life showed statistically significant differences on religion (t=2.11, p=.033) and hobby (t=2.79, p=.006). Resilience and PTSD had a negative correlation (r=-.22, p=.010). Resilience and quality of life of the participants had a positive correlation (r=.58, p<.001), whereas PTSD and quality of life had a negative correlation (r=-.45, p<.001). Significant predictors of quality of life were resilience and PTSD. These variables explained 44.9% of the variance in quality of life. CONCLUSION Findings indicate that as resilience of breast cancer patients rose higher and PTSD got lower, their quality of life increased. Based on these results, nursing interventions directed towards improving resilience and relieving PTSD is proposed.
Climate Change in the Mainstream Turkish Press: Coverage Trends and Meaning Dimensions in the First Attention Cycle

This article examines how climate change is represented by the mainstream press in a developing country context characterized by long-term avoidance of the issue. Study 1 establishes the issue coverage trends in two mainstream Turkish newspapers (1997–2013). Study 2 focuses on the news sections of these papers that were used for reporting about the issue in the first attention cycle (1997–2009) to summarize the knowledge and meaning dimensions presented to the Turkish public sphere. The findings show that the issue became part of the press agenda only after the mid-2000s, with a peak in 2007 (Study 1), and that climate change is represented as anthropogenic and alarming/uncontroversial, by drawing on dramatic consequences. These are constructed simultaneously as already “out there” in the country, and as to be dealt with globally, that is, from outside (Study 2). We discuss the findings by linking them to findings from other developing countries.
Life skills development through sport: current status and future directions

This review is designed to summarize and critique current life skills through sport research. In particular, life skills are defined, the conditions needed to examine life skills development are explored, and the possible theoretical explanations of how, when, under what conditions and why life skills develop in sport participants are discussed. A heuristic model of coaching life skills is offered. To conclude, future research directions are forwarded and include the need for: (a) quantitative and qualitative research; (b) the development of valid life skills through sport measures; (c) an examination of sport program type differences; (d) evaluation research; (e) longitudinal studies; (f) studies focusing on identifying theoretical explanations for the life skill development sport participation link; (g) the utilization of experimental designs; and (h) an examination of the transferability of life skills. The importance of conducting this type of research for both theoretical and practical reasons is emphasized.
Writing about engaged scholarship: Misunderstandings and the meaning of “quality” in action research publications

What distinguishes one engaged approach to planning from another? In the bid to produce innovative planning scholarship which impacts theory and practice, there is growing interest in broadening the range of approaches to engaged planning research. This article looks specifically at action research – which moves away from more traditional research models and aims at generating collective learning processes through the relationship between researcher and community. Enriching the debate around the quality of action research writings, the paper discusses the theoretical foundations of action research, looks at the misconceptions surrounding it, compares its written outcomes to other planning publications and suggests criteria for the assessment of such publications.