Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intimate Partner Violence Within Law Enforcement Families

Using data from the Baltimore Police Stress and Domestic Violence study, the authors examined how exposure to stressful events on the job affects law enforcement employees’ physical aggression toward domestic partners, evaluating the role of negative emotions and authoritarian spillover in mediating the impact of such task-related stress. The authors consulted general strain theory and angry aggression theory to explain domestic violence in police families. Significant positive effects on physical aggression toward an intimate partner were found for variables measuring authoritarian spillover and negative emotions. However, these effects were different for different gender and racial groups.
Categorization in The Affective Domain

Data collected in Romance and Scandinavian languages (N=474) in a superordinate category name production task indicate that a multiple-strategy approach would be more suitable for accounting of categorization in the affective domain instead of a prototype approach as suggested by previous studies. This paper will highlight performance aspects which appear to be consistent with such an interpretation, as well as an important laymanexpert knowledge asymmetry in affective categorization.
A Eulerian approach to the analysis of rendez-vous algorithms

In this paper we analyze rendez-vous algorithms in the situation when agents can only exchange information below a given distance threshold R. We study the system under an Eulerian point of view considering (possibly continuous) probability distributions of agents and we present convergence results both in discrete and in continuous time. The limit distribution is always necessarily a convex combination of delta functions at least R far apart from each other: in other terms these algorithms are locally aggregating. Numerical simulations seem to show that starting from continuous distributions, in general these algorithms do not converge to a unique delta (rendez-vous) in agreement with previous literature on this subject.
In vitro antioxidant and in vivo hepatoprotective activity of leave extract of Raphanus sativus in rats using CCL4 model.

BACKGROUND Raphanus sativus is reported to have a variety of biological activities. This work screened the hepato-protective and antioxidant activity of ethanol (ERS), and aqueous (ARS), extracts of leaves of Raphanus sativus in Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), model in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS The extracts were subjected to antioxidant tests (Total reducing power and Total phenolic content), and preliminary phytochemical screening. A pilot study was done on 100 and 300 mg/kg extracts, form which 300 mg was chosen for further experiments. The albino rats (200-250 grams), were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each (n=6). There were three control groups comprising of normal control (normal saline -1ml/kg), negative control group (CCl4 1ml/kg in olive oil in a ratio of 1:1 v/v), and positive control group (Silymarin 50mg/kg). The Test drugs were given in a dose of 300 mg/kg for both ERS and ARS extract for 7 days. Biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, Alkaline phosphatase, Total Bilirubin), histo-pathological examination of liver and in vivo antioxidant tests [CAT, GSH and MDA] were done. RESULTS The phytochemical study showed the presence of flavanoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins and sterols. A dose dependent increase in the oxidative potential was observed in both the extracts with total phenolic content 70.1 and 44.4 GAE/g extract for ERS and ARS respectively. ERS 300mg/kg showed a significant (p<0.001) increase in levels of AST, ALT and alkaline phosphatase as compared to negative control (percentage hepatoprotection =45.3%) while ARS 300 mg/kg (p<.01) group showed 30% hepatoprotection. The GSH (p<0.001) and CAT (p<0.05) in ERS and ARS were significantly increased while MDA levels were decreased (P< 0.01), as compared negative control. The findings were confirmed histo-pathological examination. CONCLUSION The ethanol and aqueous extract of Raphanus sativus have partial hepatoprotection against CCl4 toxicity.
Optimizing Delay Performance over MIMO Fading Channels with Adaptive Transmission

In this paper, we consider the problem of transmitting a delay-sensitive and bursty traffic over a time- varying MIMO Nakagami-ra fading channel, and optimize the delay performance of packet queuing at the data link layer. We use a statistical model to characterize the packet delay derived from a known large deviations result, and allows for analytical insights into transmission policy design. We derive power and rate adaptation policies for coded M-QAM modulation schemes that are implemented in conjunction with a MIMO diversity system; such that the packet delay probability is minimized subject to a prescribed channel packet error rate constraint. This is also equivalent to minimizing the system packet loss rate. The proposed adaptation policies depend not only on channel conditions but also on the quality of service performance at the data link layer. Numerical results show that the proposed cross- layer adaptation policies significantly improve the delay performance for delay-sensitive bursty traffic over MIMO fading channels, when compared to others adaptive solutions.
Specialization among mountaineers and its relationship to environmental attitudes.

Mountaineers participate in a highly technical activity in environmentally sensitive areas. Subsequently, understanding their attitudes toward minimum-impact practices is critical to manage and protect resources and sustain satisfactory experience opportunities. Mountaineering participants’ general environmental attitudes and attitudes toward low-impact practices were evaluated in this study, with a focus on potential differences in these attitudes across specialization level. A mail questionnaire sent to 450 members of a mountaineering organization assessed mountaineering specialization, environmental attitudes, and attitudes toward low-impact practices (60% response rate, N=270). Results suggested that recreation specialization is a reliable measure of intra-group activity among the sample. Attitudes toward low-impact practices significantly differed among specialization levels, whereas general environmental attitudes did not. Contrary to what managers might expect for such a technically competent group, mountaineers’ attitudes toward low-impact practices vary. Consequently, planning and education efforts for mountaineers can be tailored toward specialization level, resulting in more effective education programs as well as continued resource protection and experience opportunity provision.
Addressing math anxiety in the classroom

In today’s educational systems, students of all levels of education experience math anxiety. Furthermore, math anxiety is frequently linked to poor achievement in mathematics. The purpose of this study is to examine the causes of math anxiety and to explore strategies which pre-service teachers have identified to overcome math anxiety. The methodology included conducting surveys with 70 pre-service teachers in Canada and completing a critical analysis of the data to provide an overview of the causes of math anxiety. These data indicate that pre-service teachers have encountered math anxiety in many situations. These causes include: lack of self-confidence, fear of failure; teaching styles; ineffective learning practices, and non-engagement of students. Furthermore, these data indicate that facing math anxiety have empowered the participants to devise strategies which have enabled them to overcome math anxiety. The author suggests that an improved understanding of math anxiety hold implications for all students and educators of mathematics.
Mechanical Turk-based Experiment vs Laboratory-based Experiment: A Case Study on the Comparison of Semantic Transparency Rating Data

In this paper, we conducted semantic transparency rating experiments using both the traditional laboratory-based method and the crowdsourcing-based method. Then we compared the rating data obtained from these two experiments. We observed very strong correlation coefficients for both overall semantic transparency rating data and constituent semantic transparency data (rho > 0:9) which means the two experiments may yield comparable data and crowdsourcing-based experiment is a feasible alternative to the laboratorybased experiment in linguistic studies. We also observed a scale shrinkage phenomenon in both experiments: the actual scale of the rating results cannot cover the ideal scale [0;1], both ends of the actual scale shrink towards the center. However, the scale shrinkage of the crowdsourcing-based experiment is stronger than that of the laboratory-based experiment, this makes the rating results obtained in these two experiments not directly comparable. In order to make the results directly comparable, we explored two data transformation algorithms, z-score transformation and adjusted normalization to unify the scales. We also investigated the uncertainty of semantic transparency judgment among raters, we found that it had a regular relation with semantic transparency magnitude and this may further reveal a general cognitive mechanism of human judgment.
24-hour time-dependent aspirin efficacy in patients with stable coronary artery disease

Summary Aspirin-induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 acetylation is irreversible and it is assumed that the platelet thromboxane-A2 aggregation pathway is inhibited for at least 24 hours (h) after aspirin ingestion. However, time course of biological efficacy of daily low-dose aspirin has rarely been assessed in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to assess the 24-h biological efficacy of daily low-dose aspirin in CAD patients. The peak and trough (2 h –24 h) effect of a chronic treatment with once daily dose aspirin were studied in 150 consecutive stable CAD patients. The main outcome measure was light transmission aggregometry (LTA) triggered with 0.5 mg/ml arachidonic acid (AA). In the last 47 consecutive patients, additional tests were conducted at 6, 12, 16, 20 h after last aspirin administration. 4.7% of the patients had significant aggregation (>20% maximal intensity LTA-AA) 2 h after aspirin ingestion and 24.7% at 24 h (p<0.0001). The more precise assessments in the last 47 patients showed that significant platelet aggregation progressively reappeared with time after aspirin intake (2 h – 4% of patients, 6 h – 4%, 12 h – 11%, 16 h – 16%, 20 h – 19% and 24 h – 28%). Concordant results were observed using production of thromboxane-B2 and other techniques evaluating AA-induced platelet aggregation/activation. No significant differences were found between lower (75–100 mg/day) and higher (>100 mg/day) dose aspirin. Such aspirin «resistance» at 24 h after ingestion was related to biological inflammatory markers, current smoking and diabetes. In conclusion, once daily aspirin does not provide stable 24-h antiplatelet protection in a significant proportion of CAD patients. Any biological assessment of aspirin efficacy should take time since last aspirin intake into consideration.
Oxygen Tissue Saturation Is Lower in Nonsurvivors than in Survivors after Early Resuscitation of Septic Shock

Background:Growing evidence suggests that the microvascular dysfunction is the key element of the pathogenesis of septic shock. This study's purpose was to explore whether the outcome of septic shock patients after early resuscitation using early goal-directed therapy is related to their muscle tissue oxygenation. Methods:Tissue oxygen saturation (Sto2) was monitored in septic shock patients using a tissue spectrometer (InSpectra Model 325; Hutchinson Technology, Hutchinson, MN). For the purpose of this retrospective study, the Sto2 values were collected at the first measurement done after the macrohemodynamic variables (mean arterial pressure, urine output, central venous saturation in oxygen) were optimized. Results:After the hemodynamic variables were corrected, no difference was observed between the nonsurvivors and survivors, with the exception of pulse oximetry saturation (94% [92–97%] vs. 97% [94–99%], P = 0.04). The Sto2 values were significantly lower in the nonsurvivors than in the survivors (73% [68–82%] vs. 84% [81–90%], P = 0.02). No correlations were found between the Sto2 and Spo2 (P = 0.7). Conclusions:In septic shock patients, tissue oxygen saturation below 78% is associated with increased mortality at day 28. Further investigations are required to determine whether the correction of an impaired level of tissue oxygen saturation may improve the outcome of these patients.
Bone Marrow Stromal Cells That Enhanced Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Secretion by Herpes Simplex Virus Vector Improve Neurological Outcome After Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

Background and Purpose— Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) administration and bone marrow stromal cell (MSC) transplantation could improve neurological deficits after occlusive cerebrovascular disease. In the present study, we examined the effects of neurological improvement after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats by a novel therapeutic strategy with FGF-2 gene–transferred MSCs by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vector. Methods— Adult Wistar rats were anesthetized. Nonmodified MSCs, FGF-2–modified MSCs with HSV-1 1764/-4/pR19/ssIL2-FGF-2, or PBS was administered intracerebrally 24 hours after transient right MCAO. All animals underwent behavioral tests for 21 days, and the infarction volume with 2-3-5-triphenylterazolium was detected 3 days and 14 days after the MCAO. Three days and 7 days after the MCAO, the FGF-2 production in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the MCAO was measured with ELISA. Seven and 14 days after the MCAO, immunohistochemical staining for FGF-2 was applied. Results— The stroke animals receiving FGF-2–modified MSCs demonstrated significant functional recovery compared with the other groups. Fourteen days after the MCAO, there was a significant reduction in infarction volume only in FGF-2–modified MSC-treated group. FGF-2 production in the FGF-2–modified MSC-treated brain was significantly higher compared with the other groups at 3 and 7 days after MCAO. Administrated FGF-2–modified MSCs strongly expressed the FGF-2 protein, which was proven by ELISA. Conclusions— Our data suggest that the FGF-2 gene–modified MSCs with the HSV-1 vector can contribute to remarkable functional recovery after stroke compared with MSCs transplantation alone.
Winning Hearts and Minds: Television and the Very Young Audience

Although we know that very young children watch television and indicate preferences for favourite programmes, very little research has been undertaken exploring the responses of such young viewers to media texts. Reasons for this are probably largely methodological — one cannot use the usual methods associated with social research with children who are in the early stages of language acquisition. In this article, the authors describe how they devised a unique technique for observing and recording the responses of 20 under two year-olds to a television text — Teletubbies. Faced with a large amount of rich textual data, they then developed a set of analytical criteria. The subsequent analysis revealed that very young children's responses to the chosen text were very diverse and included pleasure, parasocial and cognitive responses. In addition, new insights into very young children's attentional abilities were revealed.
International Breastfeeding Journal Infant Feeding in Sweden: Socio-demographic Determinants and Associations with Adiposity in Childhood and Adolescence

Background: Recent reviews and meta-analyses conclude that breastfeeding constitutes a small but consistent protective effect against obesity or higher values of body mass index (BMI) in children, though in some studies this effect was weakened after adjustment for potential confounders. The aim of this study was to explore the socio-demographic determinants of the duration of breastfeeding in Sweden and the associations between breastfeeding duration and adiposity in childhood and adolescence.
T cells in peripheral blood after gluten challenge in coeliac disease

Background: Current understanding of T cell epitopes in coeliac disease (CD) largely derives from intestinal T cell clones in vitro. T cell clones allow identification of gluten peptides that stimulate T cells but do not quantify their contribution to the overall gluten specific T cell response in individuals with CD when exposed to gluten in vivo. Aims: To determine the contribution of a putative dominant T cell epitope to the overall gliadin T cell response in HLA-DQ2 CD in vivo. Patients: HLA-DQ2+ individuals with CD and healthy controls. Methods: Subjects consumed 20 g of gluten daily for three days. Interferon γ (IFN-γ) ELISPOT was performed using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to enumerate and characterise peptide and gliadin specific T cells before and after gluten challenge. Results: In 50/59 CD subjects, irrespective of homo- or heterozygosity for HLA-DQ2, IFN-γ ELISPOT responses for an optimal concentration of A-gliadin 57–73 Q-E65 were between 10 and 1500 per million PBMC, equivalent to a median 51% of the response for a “near optimal” concentration of deamidated gliadin. Whole deamidated gliadin and gliadin epitope specific T cells induced in peripheral blood expressed an intestinal homing integrin (α4β7) and were HLA-DQ2 restricted. Peripheral blood T cells specific for A-gliadin 57–73 Q-E65 are rare in untreated CD but can be predictably induced two weeks after gluten exclusion. Conclusion: In vivo gluten challenge is a simple safe method that allows relevant T cells to be analysed and quantified in peripheral blood by ELISPOT, and should permit comprehensive high throughput mapping of gluten T cell epitopes in large numbers of individuals with CD.
Directing attention away from pain in children and adolescents: an experimental approach

Distraction is a strategy that is often intuitively used to cope with pain, and is part of many pain treatment programs. Empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of distraction, however, is equivocal. Mixed research findings may be the result of methodological problems, but may also point to the role of influencing factors of distraction effectiveness. This dissertation aims to gain new insights in distraction research by investigating the role of beliefs, pain catastrophizing and executive functioning abilities (inhibition, working memory and task switching) in distraction in children and adolescents (age 8-24 years). For this purpose, a research design was developed which takes into account most methodological problems in previous distraction research. Overall, results showed that distraction is not always effective and influencing factors should be taken into account. For instance, the treat value of the pain seems to play an important role in the effectiveness of distraction. This dissertation has shown that distraction is believed to be less effective when the pain is experienced as threatening. Distraction was also found to be less effective in high pain catastrophizing individuals and might even increase the pain experience. Executive functioning abilities may play a less important role in the effectiveness of distraction. Although executive functioning abilities were related to the engagement with the distraction task, no relationship was found between distraction effectiveness and executive functioning, suggesting that this relationship might be influenced by other factors, such as motivation. In conclusion, this dissertation suggest that cognitive models of attention are insufficient in explaining distraction effectiveness. Cognitive-motivational models of attention may be more useful in explaining effects of distraction. According to these models, the effectiveness of distraction is likely to depend upon the interaction between bottom-up factors (e.g. characteristics of the pain such as the threat value of the pain) and top-down factors (e.g., goal-pursuit and motivation). Results of the current dissertation were used to extend these models by incorporating beliefs, executive functioning and pain catastrophizing and can be used to optimize the use of distraction techniques.
GAMBL, genetic algorithm optimization of memory-based WSD

GAMBL is a word expert approach to WSD in which each word expert is trained using memory based learning. Joint feature selection and algorithm parameter optimization are achieved with a genetic algorithm (GA). We use a cascaded classifier approach in which the GA optimizes local context features and the output of a separate keyword classifier (rather than also optimizing the keyword features together with the local context features). A further innovation on earlier versions of memory based WSD is the use of grammatical relation and chunk features. This paper presents the architecture of the system briefly, and discusses its performance on the English lexical sample and all words tasks in SENSEVAL-3.
GNSS correction services for ITS applications a performance analysis of EGNOS and IGS

Accurate positioning is the key technology for many safety and comfort related ITS and ADAS applications. In order to determine the absolute position, GPS is still the first choice for application designers. Within the European research project GAIN for example, an active green driving application is developed that highly relies on GPS/Galileo positioning. In order to get the best possible position estimation from low-cost GNSS receivers, all error sources must be taken into account. A large contribution of the error budged of a measurement from a single satellite is introduced when the signal passes the ionosphere. Depending on the condition of the ionosphere, the resulting error in the position solution can easily increase to several meters. There are several services and static models that provide correction information to determine the ionospheric error. In this paper the performance of several common ionospheric correction services is compared with a special focus on ITS and ADAS applications. The most common models are provided by the European Geostationary Overlay System EGNOS and by the International GNSS Service IGS. Next to the reached position accuracy, the services will be compared in terms of integrity which is a crucial point for safety relevant surface transportation systems.
Cloning and cell cycle-dependent expression of DNA replication gene dnaC from Caulobacter crescentus

Chromosome replication in the asymmetrically dividing bacteria Caulobacter crescentus is discontinuous with the new, motile swarmer cell undergoing an obligatory presynthetic gap period (G1 period) of 60 min before the initiation of DNA synthesis and stalk formation. To examine the regulation of the cell division cycle at the molecular level, we have cloned the DNA chain elongation gene dnaC from a genomic DNA library constructed in cosmid vector pLAFR1-7. To ensure that the cloned sequence corresponded to dnaC, we isolated the gene by genetic complementation of the temperature-sensitive allele dnaC303 on DNA fragment that contained a Tn5 insertion element tightly linked by transduction to dnaC. The size of the dnaC gene was estimated to be 1,500 bp or less based on the pattern of complementation by subcloned restriction and BAL 31 deletion fragments. Nuclease S1 assays were used to map the transcription start site and to determine the pattern of dnaC expression in the cell cycle. Large amounts of the dnaC transcript began to accumulate only in the late G1 period of the swarmer cell and then peaked early during chromosome replication. We confirmed that the gene is periodically transcribed by monitoring the rate of beta-galactosidase synthesis directed by a dnaC promoter-lacZ fusion in a synchronous cell culture. dnaC is the first C. crescentus cell cycle gene whose regulation has been reported, and the discontinuous pattern of its expression suggests that the DNA synthetic period in these dimorphic bacteria is regulated in part by the stage-specific expression of DNA replication genes.