Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Going Negative: Candidate Usage of Internet Web Sites during the 2000 Presidential Campaign

This study examines the news releases that were posted on the official campaign Web sites of George W. Bush and Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign. Analysis of each of the 487 news releases posted during the campaign season reveals that nearly three-quarters of these contained an attack on the opponent. This parallels data on the incidence of attacks appearing in televised political advertising during the 2000 campaign. The study provides support for the Political Competition Model, which posits that close races produce significant negativity. Furthermore, the study offers insights on how presidential political campaigns may use campaign Web sites in the future.
Adaptive RD Optimized Hybrid Sound Coding

Traditionally, sound codecs have been developed with a particular application in mind, their performance being optimized for specific types of input signals, such as speech or audio (music), and application constraints, such as low bit rate, high quality, or low delay. There is, however, an increasing need for more generic sound codecs, created by the emergence of heterogeneous networks and the convergence of communication and entertainment devices. To obtain such versatility, this study employs hybrid sound coding based on operational rate-distortion (RD) optimization principles. Applying this concept, a prototype coder has been implemented with emphasis on (dynamic) adaptation to the input and to application constraints. With this prototype, listening tests have been performed for different application scenarios. The results demonstrate the versatility of the concept while keeping competitive sound quality compared to dedicated state-of-the-art codecs.
Daily Activities and Survival at Older Ages

Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that time spent on activities that are considered regenerative (e.g., resting), productive (e.g., housework), and consumptive (e.g., meeting friends) is associated with survival in persons aged 70 and older. Methods: An observational study with mortality follow-ups was carried out in the former West Berlin, Germany. The sample was stratified by age and sex, and it consisted of 473 persons aged 70 to 103 years. Study participants lived in the community as well as in institutions. Activity measures were assessed from 1990 to 1993 by structured interviews in the participants' homes. Cox regression was used to model survival from time of interview. The main outcome measure was survival on August 1, 2003. Results: Consumptive activities were related to survival (relative risk = 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 0.97), after several confounding factors were controlled for. The effect diminished over time. Discussion: Results support the idea that daily activities are linked to survival via a psychosocial pathway that might involve perceived quality of life. Consumptive activities (e.g., meeting friends, reading a novel) may contribute considerably to maintaining health and achieving longevity because they are performed on a daily basis and their effects may accumulate over the life course.
Vocational Guidance for Adults: A Study of Demand

Abstract A sample study was conducted of economically active adults and of non-employed adults who intended to return to work. It demonstrated first, considerable uncertainty concerning the existence of adult vocational guidance; second, substantial public support for guidance provision; and third, widespread demand. The correlates of demand are investigated. It is not merely those seeking work who require guidance. Strong demand emanates from those in employment, too. The types of guidance demanded by adults are described.
Discovery and Current Status of Evaluation System of Bioavailability and Related Pharmaceutical Technologies for Traditional Chinese Medicines—Flos Lonicerae Japonicae—Fructus Forsythiae Herb Couples as an Example

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have attracted extensive interest throughout the world due to their long history of health protection and disease control, and the internalization of TCM preparations or patented drugs has been considered a wind vane in the process of TCM modernization. However, multi-target effects, caused by multiple components in TCMs, hinder not only the construction of the quality evaluation system (bioavailability), but also the application of pharmaceutical technologies, which results in the poor efficacy in clinical practice. This review describes the methods in the literature as well as in our thoughts about how to identify the marker components, establish the evaluation system of bioavailability, and improve the bioavailability in TCM preparations. We expect that the current study will be positive and informative.
Influence of a TNF-α Polymorphism on the Severity of Schistosomiasis Periportal Fibrosis in the Northeast of Brazil.

AIMS The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an essential component in the host immune response to infection, and it has been reported to be an important mediator in severe periportal fibrosis (PPF). We hypothesized that the (-G308A) polymorphism of the TNF-α gene is associated with the severity of PPF and that these polymorphisms influence TNF-α expression. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we genotyped these polymorphisms within the TNF-α gene in 256 Brazilian subjects infected with Schistosoma mansoni, with different patterns of PPF. RESULTS The genotype (-308) AA was associated with a significant increase in the risk to advanced PPF (OR = 4.60; p = 0.009). In addition, median levels of TNF-α were higher in patients with moderate to advanced PPF, compared with mild fibrosis (20 and 17.3 pg/mL, respectively; p = 0.040). There was no association between average serum levels of TNF-α and (-G308A) TNF-α polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the (-308) AA genotype may be a risk factor for severity in advanced PPF, in this Brazilian population, and could potentially be used to predict the severity of advanced PPF in schistosomiasis.
NOT ALL RESPONSES TO BREACH ARE THE SAME: THE INTERCONNECTION OF SOCIAL EXCHANGE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT PROCESSES IN ORGANIZATIONS

We examined psychological contract breach and violation as they occur within social exchange relationships to account for employee outcomes. Results of a longitudinal study suggested that contract breach partially mediated the effects of perceived organizational support (POS) and leader-member exchange (LMX) (time 1 measures) on intentions to quit (time 2 measure). POS and LMX moderated the relationship between breach and violation (time 2 measure). Violation fully mediated the effects of breach on commitment and trust and partially mediated the effect of breach on turnover intentions. These findings highlight the interconnection of social exchange and psychological contract processes.
Granuloma annulare: relationship to diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders and tuberculin skin test

Background Granuloma annulare is a benign inflammatory disease of the skin. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease are not yet determined, but some authors have proposed that it might be associated with a variety of underlying conditions such as thyroid disorders, diabetes mellitus and positive tuberculin skin test. Objective This study was conducted to find the probable relationship between granuloma annulare and diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders and positive tuberculin skin test. Patients and methods A total of 28 patients with granuloma annulare were recruited from our dermatology outpatient clinic, and data on sex, age and distribution of granuloma annulare lesions were collected. Forty-one age- and sex-matched apparently healthy volunteers serving as controls were also included. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), fasting blood sugar (FBS) and tuberculin skin tests were performed for both groups. Results Mean serum level of FBS in the patient group was significantly higher than the mean serum level of FBS in the control group (110.60±46.31 mg/dL versus 88.39±10.58 mg/dL, respectively, p=0.004). Mean serum level of TSH in the patient group was 3.43±2.73 mIU/L, which was not significantly different from the mean serum level of TSH in the control group (3.26±2.11 mIU/L, p=0.772). Four individuals in the patient group and only 1 in the control group had a positive tuberculin skin test. Conclusion Granuloma annulare patients are better to be assessed for diabetes mellitus, but the relationship between this skin disease and thyroid disorders or tuberculin skin test still needs to be investigated.
Discrete Molecular Dynamics Can Predict Helical Prestructured Motifs in Disordered Proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) lack a stable tertiary structure, but their short binding regions termed Pre-Structured Motifs (PreSMo) can form transient secondary structure elements in solution. Although disordered proteins are crucial in many biological processes and designing strategies to modulate their function is highly important, both experimental and computational tools to describe their conformational ensembles and the initial steps of folding are sparse. Here we report that discrete molecular dynamics (DMD) simulations combined with replica exchange (RX) method efficiently samples the conformational space and detects regions populating α-helical conformational states in disordered protein regions. While the available computational methods predict secondary structural propensities in IDPs based on the observation of protein-protein interactions, our ab initio method rests on physical principles of protein folding and dynamics. We show that RX-DMD predicts α-PreSMos with high confidence confirmed by comparison to experimental NMR data. Moreover, the method also can dissect α-PreSMos in close vicinity to each other and indicate helix stability. Importantly, simulations with disordered regions forming helices in X-ray structures of complexes indicate that a preformed helix is frequently the binding element itself, while in other cases it may have a role in initiating the binding process. Our results indicate that RX-DMD provides a breakthrough in the structural and dynamical characterization of disordered proteins by generating the structural ensembles of IDPs even when experimental data are not available.
Effect of inhaled ozone on exhaled nitric oxide, pulmonary function, and induced sputum in normal and asthmatic subjects

BACKGROUND Nitric oxide (NO) may have a role in the pathophysiology of tissue injury in response to inhaled ozone in animals. METHODS A double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, crossover study was undertaken to investigate the effects of inhaled ozone in 10 normal and 10 atopic asthmatic volunteers. Subjects were exposed to 200 ppb ozone or clean air for four hours with intermittent exercise, followed by hourly measurement of spirometric parameters and exhaled NO for four hours. Nasal NO and methacholine reactivity were measured and exhaled breath condensate and induced sputum samples were collected four and 24 hours after exposure. RESULTS Exposure to ozone caused a fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) of 7% in normal subjects (p<0.05) and 9% in asthmatic subjects (p<0.005). There was a 39% increase in sputum neutrophils at four hours in normal subjects (p<0.05) and a 35% increase at four hours in asthmatic subjects, remaining high at 24 hours (p<0.005 and p<0.05, respectively). There were no differences between normal and asthmatic subjects. There were no changes in methacholine reactivity, exhaled or nasal NO, nitrite levels in exhaled breath condensate, or sputum supernatant concentrations of interleukin 8, tumour necrosis factor α, or granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor in either group. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to 200 ppb ozone leads to a neutrophil inflammatory response in normal and asthmatic subjects but no changes in exhaled NO or nitrite levels.
Child protection as surveillance of African American families

The over-representation of black children in US out of home care results from racial bias in placement decisions and a political choice to address startling rates of child poverty by investigating parents instead of tackling poverty's societal roots. The impact of state disruption and supervision of African American families is intensified when it is concentrated in inner-city neighbourhoods – the system's ‘racial geography. ’ A small case study of a black neighbourhood in Chicago with high rates of out of home placement found profound effects on both family and community social relationships, as well as reliance on child protective services for financial assistance, linking surveillance of black families to the neoliberal shrinking of public programmes. The surveillance of African American women by the child welfare system is also intensified by these women's disproportionate involvement in the prison system. Acknowledging racial bias in child welfare reveals the need to radically transform the system from one that relies too much on punitive disruption of families to one that generously supports them.
The interplay of restriction-modification systems with mobile genetic elements and their prokaryotic hosts

The roles of restriction-modification (R-M) systems in providing immunity against horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and in stabilizing mobile genetic elements (MGEs) have been much debated. However, few studies have precisely addressed the distribution of these systems in light of HGT, its mechanisms and its vectors. We analyzed the distribution of R-M systems in 2261 prokaryote genomes and found their frequency to be strongly dependent on the presence of MGEs, CRISPR-Cas systems, integrons and natural transformation. Yet R-M systems are rare in plasmids, in prophages and nearly absent from other phages. Their abundance depends on genome size for small genomes where it relates with HGT but saturates at two occurrences per genome. Chromosomal R-M systems might evolve under cycles of purifying and relaxed selection, where sequence conservation depends on the biochemical activity and complexity of the system and total gene loss is frequent. Surprisingly, analysis of 43 pan-genomes suggests that solitary R-M genes rarely arise from the degradation of R-M systems. Solitary genes are transferred by large MGEs, whereas complete systems are more frequently transferred autonomously or in small MGEs. Our results suggest means of testing the roles for R-M systems and their associations with MGEs.
SCADE 6: A formal language for embedded critical software development (invited paper)

SCADE is a high-level language and environment for developing safety-critical embedded control software. It has been used for more than twenty years in various application domains like avionics, nuclear plants, transportation, and automotive. SCADE was founded on the synchronous data-flow language Lustre invented by Caspi and Halbwachs. In the early years, it was mainly seen as a graphical notation for Lustre but with the unique and key addition of a code generator qualified to the highest standards for safety-critical applications. In 2008, a major revision based on the new language ‘Scade 6’ was released. This language is an original combination of the Lustre data-flow style with control structures borrowed from Esterel and SyncCharts, and compilation and static analyses from Lucid Synchrone for ensuring safety properties. This increase in expressiveness together with the qualified code generator have dramatically widened SCADE scope of applications. While previous publications have described some of its language constructs and compiler algorithms, no reference publication on ‘Scade 6’ exists to date. In this paper, we recall the decisions made in its design, illustrate the main language features and static analyses, and describe the compiler organization developed to satisfy the qualification process.
College students attitudes beliefs and behaviors about AIDS: implications for family life educators.

This study examines college students attitudes toward people with AIDS their beliefs about AIDS in relationship to themselves and their sexual behaviors and communication patterns. Results indicate that AIDS was not an issue of personal concern to the majority of students. Data indicate an inconsistency between students accepting attitudes toward people with AIDS and willingness to become involved on a personal basis. Students sexual behavior and communication patterns are discussed and implications for family life educators are presented. (authors)
Exploring adolescents' sense of community and its relationship to loneliness

Two studies explored adolescents' neighborhood and school psychological sense of community. Multiple regression analyses of subscale scores from two social support measures showed that psychological sense of community was related to different aspects of social support depending on the community setting; the number of supportive persons identified was most significantly related to neighborhood sense of community, and the amount of tangible assistance received was most significantly related to school sense of community. Multiple regression results indicated that school sense of community accounted for the highest proportion of variance on the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, followed by satisfaction with social support, and nondirective support received. The data suggest that sense of community is a significant aspect of adolescents' environments, as demonstrated by its relationship to loneliness. Further investigation of the components of adolescent sense of community and their relevance to adolescent development is warranted.
Carpal tunnel syndrome among Minnesota dental hygienists.

: Because of inherent aspects of clinical practice, dental hygiene practitioners may be at risk for developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of CTS among dental hygienists and its effects on clinical practice. A 33-item questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 493 dental hygienists. A 90% response rate was achieved. Results revealed that 7% of the respondents had been diagnosed as having CTS. However, 63% had experienced one or more symptoms. Six percent reported that CTS had affected their clinical practice in ways such as limiting the number of days practiced, diminishing their hand strength, or forcing them to leave the profession. The findings suggest a need for dental hygienists to obtain information on CTS symptoms to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.
Utility of Symptoms to Predict Treatment Outcomes in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Polysomnography defines the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) but does not predict some important comorbidities or their response to adenotonsillectomy. We assessed whether OSAS symptoms, as reflected on the Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders Scale of the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ), may offer clinical predictive value. METHODS: Baseline and 7-month follow-up data were analyzed from 185 participants (aged 5–9 years with polysomnographically confirmed OSAS) in the surgical treatment arm of the multicenter Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial. Associations were assessed between baseline PSQ or polysomnographic data and baseline morbidity (executive dysfunction, behavior, quality of life, sleepiness) or postsurgical improvement. RESULTS: At baseline, each 1-SD increase in baseline PSQ score was associated with an adjusted odds ratio that was ∼3 to 4 times higher for behavioral morbidity, 2 times higher for reduced global quality of life, 6 times higher for reduced disease-specific quality of life, and 2 times higher for sleepiness. Higher baseline PSQ scores (greater symptom burden) also predicted postsurgical improvement in parent ratings of executive functioning, behavior, quality of life, and sleepiness. In contrast, baseline polysomnographic data did not independently predict these morbidities or their postsurgical improvement. Neither PSQ nor polysomnographic data were associated with objectively assessed executive dysfunction or improvement at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: PSQ symptom items, in contrast to polysomnographic results, reflect subjective measures of OSAS-related impairment of behavior, quality of life, and sleepiness and predict their improvement after adenotonsillectomy. Although objective polysomnography is needed to diagnose OSAS, the symptoms obtained during an office visit can offer adjunctive insight into important comorbidities and likely surgical responses.
Mauritian Undergraduate University Students' Sources of Stress and Support

Stress among university students is a significant problem, and apart from its effect on personal well being, it is known to influence rates of academic failure and drop-out. This issue is especially relevant in poorer countries, where resources are few and the pressure for academic excellence is high. In this context, sources of stress and support were examined in 327 undergraduate students at a university in Mauritius. The results showed that academic concerns were the most stressful areas, with women significantly more affected than men. Family issues, including deaths, illness and financial difficulties were also prominent. Over 90% of the participants perceived their parents and friends as supportive, while about three-quarters of the sample viewed siblings and classmates as supportive. The results are discussed within the context of national social issues.
Social psychiatry in practice : the idea of the therapeutic community

In undergoing this life, many people always try to do and get the best. New knowledge, experience, lesson, and everything that can improve the life will be done. However, many people sometimes feel confused to get those things. Feeling the limited of experience and sources to be better is one of the lacks to own. However, there is a very simple thing that can be done. This is what your teacher always manoeuvres you to do this one. Yeah, reading is the answer. Reading a book as this social psychiatry in practice the idea of therapeutic community and other references can enrich your life quality. How can it be?
Update in transplantation 2005.

The current status of the field over the past several years was summarized in the 2005 Official Report of the Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) (1). The overall level of activity reported in 2003 was close to that of 2002, including 931 bilateraland 772 singlelung transplantations, and 74 heart–lung transplantations. The number of bilateral procedures surpassed the number of single procedures by a larger amount in 2003 than in 2002, and the number of heart–lung procedures continued to decrease. The primary indications were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)/ 1-antitrypsin deficiency for 61.2% of all single procedures and 32% of all bilateral procedures, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) for 24% of all single procedures, and cystic fibrosis (CF) for 32% of all bilateral procedures. Survival rates at 3 yr have improved from 55.7% for patients undergoing transplantation surgery between 1988 and 1994 to 63.3% for patients undergoing transplantation between 2000 and June 2003.
The Structure of Attitudes toward Work and Technological Change within an Organization

This study is part of a larger research project on the responses of employees in administrative organizations in Israel and Holland to the introduction of automatic data processing through electronic computers. For a more detailed analysis, see Elizur (1970) and Elizur and Ushpiz (1973). The authors thank Aaron Antonovsky, Howard Fromkin, and Ben Schneider for their valuable comments on an earlier draft.