Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of interdisciplinary service learning experience for audiology and speech-language pathology students working with adults with dementia.

PURPOSE An interdisciplinary service learning (SL) experience with audiology and speech-language pathology students was designed to examine changes in students' attitudes toward adults with dementia following an SL experience in which they socialized with nursing home residents who had dementia. METHOD Nineteen audiology and 24 speech-language pathology students completed an SL course, and 14 audiology and 18 speech-language pathology students did not participate in the SL course. The students interacted with 24 nursing home residents with dementia; specifically, the audiology students conducted 2 hearing evaluations with the residents, and the speech-language pathology students socialized with the residents during 15 visits. The students' attitudes toward older adults with dementia were assessed using Kogan's Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (Kogan, 1961) and qualitative analysis of their journal entries. The results were compared across groups over time. RESULTS The SL groups showed more positive attitudes than the non-SL students, and their later journal entries were more positive than earlier entries. CONCLUSIONS This SL experience provided clinical opportunities for audiology and speech-language pathology students to work with adults with dementia. Direct contact with the residents resulted in more positive attitudes toward older adults in residential facilities.
Who You Are or What You Do: Comparing the Predictive Power of Demographics vs. Activity Patterns in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

Demographics factors have been used successfully as predictors of student success in traditional higher education systems, but their relationship to achievement in MOOC environments has been largely untested. In this work we explore the predictive power of user demographics compared to learner interaction trace data generated by students in two MOOCs. We show that demographic information offers minimal predictive power compared to activity models, even when compared to models created very early on in the course before substantial interaction data has accrued.
The development and validation of a theory-based expatriate adjustment scale

This study investigates the dimensionality of a new theoretically based measure of expatriate adjustment using a sample of 825 expatriates drawn from a broad range of home and host countries. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified a stable 10-factor structure with good psychometric properties. This study also presents supporting validity evidence for the new scale from a sample of 209 expatriates. This new measure of expatriate adjustment is shown to relate to assignment performance, assignment development and general satisfaction. Compared with past measures, this measure is based on (1) the full content domain of expatriate adjustment facets and (2) the theoretical underpinnings of adjustment, including the link between the environment in the person–environment fit relationship and the role of the person in this individually based state (i.e. not all facets of expatriate adjustment are of equal importance for all individuals).
Europe and the Arab Uprisings: EU Vision versus Member State Action

Since the start of the popular uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the EU has acknowledged the blunders made in its previous foreign policy towards the region. Although reactions to events in Tunisia and Egypt were frustratingly slow, the External Action Service did gradually become quicker in issuing statements and firmer in its condemnation of acts perpetrated by autocrats clamping down on popular dissent. EU Council President Herman van Rompuy has even suggested the EU take credit for helping to prevent a bloodbath in Libya. But imposing sanctions, freezing assets and delivering humanitarian aid cannot entirely detract from disunity between member states. Whilst France and Britain took on leadership of the intervention coalition, Germany remained wary of such action. Pro-active responses to post-dictatorial Tunisia and Egypt should not eclipse the importance of articulating longer term reform initiatives, assessment criteria and implementation mechanisms. Domestic-led uprisings supported politically and economically by international actors offer opportunities for positive change, but in a region where the legitimacy of Western actors is concerned, also risk provoking authoritarian backlashes. The EU must also consider how to address countries still under the yoke of dictatorship. The Joint communiqué published by the European Commission on 8 March 2011 and endorsed by the European Council later that same month is a step in the right direction. This article analyses the communiqué as an example of the EU’s response to events across the MENA, and what these changes are likely to mean for policies in the region. The article then analyses the French and Spanish reaction to events in the region.
The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Domestic Capital Formation, Trade, and Economic Growth in a Transition Economy: Evidence from China

Studies of the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the developing countries have reported many conflicting results. In this study, we test the effects of inward FDI on China's domestic capital formation, exports, imports, and GDP growth. To that end, we estimated four econometric equations using a data set covering the 1980-1999 period. A key finding of our research is that it was in the 1990s that inward FDI began to exert a significant effect in the Chinese economy. Our regression results show that the inflow of FDI has stimulated domestic investment in China. The growing presence of FDI appears to have enhanced the investment efficiency in the Chinese economy. Inward FDI is also found to have significantly increased China's exports and imports. The policy implications of our main findings are discussed. Several methodological issues pertaining to FDI research in China are also discussed.
Early career consequences of temporary employment in Germany and the UK

This article investigates the effects of temporary employment at labour market entry on subsequent individual careers, drawing on data from the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) and the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) from the period 1991 to 2007. The results show that German temporarily employed entrants suffer from higher initial wage penalties and risks of temporary employment cycles but that all differences compared to entrants with permanent contracts diminish after five years. The integration scenario works more effectively in the UK, where disadvantages are less pronounced and employment losses are primarily related to further education. Moreover, these tendencies vary by education groups and gender. Disadvantages of initial temporary employment are weaker for women in Germany, while gender differences in the UK apparently have less impact. Across borders, temporary contracts are associated with greater initial but vanishing wage penalties and temporary employment cycles for tertiary graduates.
Global Epiproteomic Signatures Distinguish Embryonic Stem Cells from Differentiated Cells

Complex organisms contain a variety of distinct cell types but only a single genome. Therefore, cellular identity must be specified by the developmentally regulated expression of a subset of genes from an otherwise static genome. In mammals, genomic DNA is modified by cytosine methylation, resulting in a pattern that is distinctive for each cell type (the epigenome). Because nucleosomal histones are subject to a wide variety of post‐translational modifications (PTMs), we reasoned that an analogous “epiproteome” might exist that could also be correlated with cellular identity. Here, we show that the quantitative evaluation of nucleosome PTMs yields epiproteomic signatures that are useful for the investigation of stem cell differentiation, chromatin function, cellular identity, and epigenetic responses to pharmacologic agents. We have developed a novel enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay‐based method for the quantitative evaluation of the steady‐state levels of PTMs and histone variants in preparations of native intact nucleosomes. We show that epiproteomic responses to the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A trigger changes in histone methylation as well as acetylation, and that the epiproteomic responses differ between mouse embryonic stem cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). ESCs subjected to retinoic acid‐induced differentiation contain reconfigured nucleosomes that include increased content of the histone variant macroH2A and other changes. Furthermore, ESCs can be distinguished from embryonal carcinoma cells and MEFs based purely on their epiproteomic signatures. These results indicate that epiproteomic nucleosomal signatures are useful for the investigation of stem cell identity and differentiation, nuclear reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, chromatin dynamics, and assays for compounds with epigenetic activities.
Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011 and 2012

Nearly 90% of adult smokers in the United States began smoking by age 18 years. To assess current tobacco product use among youths, CDC analyzed data from the 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which found that, in 2012, the prevalence of current tobacco product use among middle and high school students was 6.7% and 23.3%, respectively. After cigarettes, cigars were the second most commonly used tobacco product, with prevalence of use at 2.8% and 12.6%, respectively. From 2011 to 2012, electronic cigarette use increased significantly among middle school (0.6% to 1.1%) and high school (1.5% to 2.8%) students, and hookah use increased among high school students (4.1% to 5.4%). During the same period, significant decreases occurred in bidi and kretek use among middle and high school students, and in dissolvable tobacco use among high school students. A substantial proportion of youth tobacco use occurs with products other than cigarettes, so monitoring and prevention of youth tobacco use needs to incorporate other products, including new and emerging products. Implementing evidence-based interventions can prevent and reduce tobacco use among youths as part of comprehensive tobacco control programs. In addition, implementation of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, also is critical to addressing this health risk behavior.
No Mangoes in the Tundra: Spatial Heterogeneity in Agricultural Productivity Analysis

In line with the wider macro productivity literature existing studies of agricultural production largely neglect technology heterogeneity, variable time-series properties and the potential for heterogeneous but correlated total factor productivity (TFP) across countries. Our empirical approach accommodates these difficulties and seeks to model the nature of the cross-section dependence in a sample of 128 countries (1961–2002). Our results suggest that agro-climatic environment drives similarity in TFP evolution across countries with heterogeneous production technology. This provides a possible explanation for the failure of technology transfer from advanced countries of the temperate ‘North’ to arid and/or equatorial developing countries of the ‘South’.
Incomplete Resolution of Deep Vein Thromboses during Rivaroxaban Therapy

We present the case of a patient with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who failed rivaroxaban therapy. Our patient initially presented with left lower extremity edema, erythema, and pain. He was subsequently started on rivaroxaban therapy for a combined treatment period of 12 months, during and after which he persisted to have evidence of a DVT. The patient's prescribed drug regimen was changed from rivaroxaban to warfarin, which demonstrated a rapid resolution of the DVTs as determined by ultrasound assessment of our patient's lower extremity veins. Rivaroxaban, a factor Xa inhibitor, is a well-known oral anticoagulant that is used for a variety of indications and has become a mainstay in the treatment of deep vein thrombosis. With the introduction and emergence of this medication in the clinic, postmarketing reports of efficacy or lack thereof are important to review. In conclusion, we anticipate that it is likely that there are other patients with DVTs who may not respond to rivaroxaban and for whom alternative anticoagulation therapies should be explored.
Metabolic stress‐dependent regulation of the mitochondrial biogenic molecular response to high‐intensity exercise in human skeletal muscle

Low‐volume high‐intensity exercise training promotes muscle mitochondrial adaptations that resemble those associated with high‐volume moderate‐intensity exercise training. These training‐induced mitochondrial adaptations stem from the cumulative effects of transient transcriptional responses to each acute exercise bout. However, whether metabolic stress is a key mediator of the acute molecular responses to high‐intensity exercise is still incompletely understood. Here we show that, by comparing different work‐matched low‐volume high‐intensity exercise protocols, more marked metabolic perturbations were associated with enhanced mitochondrial biogenesis‐related muscle mRNA responses. Furthermore, when compared with high‐volume moderate‐intensity exercise, only the low‐volume high‐intensity exercise eliciting severe metabolic stress compensated for reduced exercise volume in the induction of mitochondrial biogenic mRNA responses. The present results, besides improving our understanding of the mechanisms mediating exercise‐induced mitochondrial biogenesis, may have implications for applied and clinical research that adopts exercise as a means to increase muscle mitochondrial content and function in healthy or diseased individuals.
Market reaction to quarterly earnings' announcements: a stochastic dominance based test of market efficiency

The use of the CAPM in empirical research is subject to some criticism. In light of this criticism the Stochastic Dominance criteria are offered as an alternative research method for the examination of market efficiency. The underlying assumptions of the two frameworks are discussed and the Stochastic Dominance technique is demonstrated via the examination of market reaction to quarterly earnings announcements during the 24 quarters commencing with October 1962. The findings are compared to those of Watts (Watts, R. The Time Series Behavior of Quarterly Earnings. Unpublished Paper, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, N.S.W. 1975, quoted in Watts [1978].) who utilized the same data base. In contrast to Watts' conclusion, our analysis suggests that the market was efficient during the entire period examined and that no significant differences in market behavior between the first and the second 12-month periods was evident. The discord may be attributed to the relative effectiveness of the two analytical tools and some differences in the research designs.
The Relationship Between Surface Adsorption and the Hydrolysis of Amitraz in Anionic Surfactant Solutions

Abstract The adsorption of amitraz to various adsorbents was studied in terms of the amount and rate of adsorption and the effect that adsorption had on the stability of amitraz in an aqueous environment. Adsorption results showed that in terms of their ability to adsorb amitraz from solution the adsorbents tested in this study can be ordered as follows: coarse carbon > cation exchange resin ≥ anion exchange resin > fine carbon. Amitraz was not adsorbed on sand and potassium oxihumate. Adding sodium lauryl sulfate and potassium oxihumate to aqueous suspensions of suspended adsorbents containing adsorbed amitraz showed that both these anionic surfactants significantly increased the hydrolysis rate because the half-lives for amitraz was reduced from 27 days for a suspension to only 8 hours for amitraz adsorbed to a cation exchange resin and suspended in an aqueous buffer pH 5.8 containing 0.5% of the anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and 12 hours when 1% potassium oxihumate was added.
Pay Comparability Across and within UK Boards: An Empirical Analysis of the Cash Pay Awards to CEOS and Other Board Members

Drawing on the literature on social comparison and equity theories, this paper analyses the determinants of, and the relationships between, the cash pay awards of CEOs and other board members for a sample of large UK companies over the period 1992–95. Our results suggest that external labour market and internal (i.e., within board) pay comparisons are important in explaining both CEO and other directors’ pay awards. In the case of CEOs, however, there is evidence of an asymmetric adjustment to prior period pay anomalies, whereby the pay of the relatively underpaid executives displays significantly greater sensitivity to external market comparison pay levels. This asymmetric adjustment process results in a ‘bidding-up’ of average CEO pay relative to other board members over the four year period investigated.
Sites of metastasis and overall survival in esophageal cancer: a population-based study

Background There are few population-based studies of the sites of distant metastasis (DM) and survival from esophageal cancer (EC). The aim of this study was to assess the patterns and survival outcomes for site-specific DM from EC using a population-based approach. Methods Patients diagnosed with de novo stage IV EC between 2010 and 2014 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database. Overall survival (OS) was compared according to the site of DM. Results We included 3218 patients in this study; the most common site of DM was the liver, followed by distant lymph nodes, lung, bone and brain. Median OS for patients with liver, distant lymph node, lung, bone, and brain metastases was 5, 10, 6, 4, and 6 months, respectively (p<0.001). Site and number of distant metastases were independent prognostic factors for OS. In patients with a single site of DM, using liver metastases as reference, OS was lower for bone metastases (p=0.026) and higher for distant lymph node metastases (p=0.008), while brain (p=0.653) or lung (p=0.081) metastases had similar OS compared with liver metastases. Similar site-specific survival differences were observed in the subgroup with esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, distant lymph node metastases was associated with better survival (p=0.002) compared to liver, bone, or lung metastases in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion Site of metastasis affects survival in metastatic EC; OS was worst for bone metastases and greatest for distant lymph node metastases.
CTH04-2: A Multiple-Description Trellis Quantizer for Sources With Memory

An approach to multiple description block quantization of a correlated source for transmission over a lossy communication channel is presented. The main idea is to optimally control the redundancy due to both the quantizer index assignment and the residual temporal correlation within a block of quantizer outputs. This is achieved by using a trellis encoder in which each state has an associated index assignment, a finite-state central decoder, and a set of Markov-model based side-decoders which exploit the encoder residual redundancy to reconstruct the source based on an incomplete set of descriptions. An iterative descent algorithm is presented for optimizing the proposed coding system for source statistics and channel loss probability. Simulation results are given which demonstrate the performance of trellis quantizers designed for a Gauss-Markov source.
Connecting Self-Directed Learning with Entrepreneurial Learning to Entrepreneurial Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to explore the relationships among self-directed learning and entrepreneurial learning; and the relationships among entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurial performance through a literature review. This paper reviews the characteristics of self-directed learning that are important in supporting entrepreneurial learning. A conceptual framework outlining the relationships among self-directed learning and entrepreneurial learning is provided to illustrate how these relationships can enhance entrepreneurial performance.Design/methodology/approach – Key words are identified to use in the literature search. All of the several electronic databases available in the online library, including both journal and book sources, are used to search for resources, as well as Google Scholar and Google Search.Findings – Entrepreneurs who learn and develop their self-management and self-monitoring skills have more opportunities to enhance entrepreneurial knowledge and experiences in the entrepreneurial development process. The research generates valuable outcomes and findings for future business and entrepreneurship study: self-directed learning has emerged as an important area of inquiry in relation to entrepreneurial learning, as well as entrepreneurial performance.Research limitations/implications – The study was exploratory, based on the literature review. Further studies are needed using empirical research to examine why some characteristics of self-directed learning and entrepreneurial learning are better used to enhance the outcomes of entrepreneurial performance.Originality/value – The research constructs a conceptual framework to outline the relationships among self-directed learning, entrepreneurial learning, and entrepreneurial performance. Value was created when self-directed learning and entrepreneurial learning are identified as the key factors for the entrepreneurial performance.
In vivo imaging of autophagy in a mouse stroke model

Recent studies have suggested that autophagy is involved in a neural death pathway following cerebral ischemia. In vivo detection of autophagy could be important for evaluating ischemic neural cell damage for human stroke patients. Using novel green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) transgenic (Tg) mice, in vivo imaging of autophagy was performed at 1, 3 and 6 d after 60 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Ex vivo imaging of autophagy, testing of the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), estern blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling (TUNEL) and fluorescent analyses were performed on brain sections following tMCAO. In vivo fluorescent signals were detected above the ischemic hemisphere through the skull bone at 1, 3 and 6 d after tMCAO, with a peak at 1 d. Similar results were obtained with ex vivo fluorescence imaging. western blot analysis revealed maximum LC3-I and LC3-II expression at 1 d after tMCAO and fluorescence immunohistochemistry demonstrated that GFP-LC3-positive cells were primarily neuronal, not astroglial or microglial, cells. The number of GFP-LC3/TUNEL double-positive cells was greater in the periischemic area than in the core. These results provided evidence of in vivo autophagy detection, with a peak at 1 d, in a live animal model following cerebral ischemia. This novel technique could be valuable for monitoring autophagic processes in vivo in live stroke patients, as well as for clarifying the detailed role of autophagy in the ischemic brain, as well as in other neurological diseases.