Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Believe and Achieve: An Examination of Predictors of Mathematical Achievement in Secondary Mathematics Students

This research addressed the following research question: which specific variable has the greatest predictive power of mathematical literacy and problem solving competency while controlling for socioeconomic status (SES)? The variables that were studied were categorized as follows: demographic and personal history variables, attitudinal variables, behavioral variables, and school organization and structure variables. Much of the existing literature cites SES as the most powerful predictor of math achievement. Using multiple linear regression modeling, this study found that many variables studied were determined to be significant predictors of mathematical literacy and/or problem solving competency while controlling for SES. Every category of variables had at least one statistically significant predictor: demographic and personal history variables, attitudinal variables, behavioral variables, and school organization and structure variables. The attitudinal variables had the most significant predictors of math literacy and problem solving competency and categorically proved to be the most powerful. The statistically significant predictors were categorized as major predictors and minor predictors of mathematical achievement. The variables with a significant but less powerful effect on math achievement are designated as minor predictors; these minor predictors include: gender, immigration status, student attribution to failure, perceived math support, number of minutes in math class, math education of teachers, and class size. The variables with the greatest significant and powerful effect on math achievement are designated as major predictors; these major predictors include: socioeconomic status, math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and math teacher certification. The associated predictive powers of the major predictors were greater than the predictive power of SES, the control variable. Even when not controlling for SES, the
Vertical Jump Performance and Blood Ammonia and Lactate Levels During Typical Training Sessions In Elite 400-m Runners

Gorostiaga, EM, Asiáin, X, Izquierdo, M, Postigo, A, Aguado, R, Alonso, JM, and Ibáñez, J. Vertical jump performance and blood ammonia and lactate levels during typical training sessions in elite 400-m runners. J Strength Cond Res 24(4): 1138-1149, 2010-This study described the effects of 6 typical high-intensity intermittent running training sessions of varying distances (60-300 m) and intensities (80-105% of the individual best 400-m record time) on blood ammonia and lactate concentration changes and on vertical jumping height, in twelve 400-m elite male runners. At the end of the training sessions, similar patterns of extremely high blood lactate (14-23 mmol·L−1) and ammonia levels (50-100 μmol·L−1) were observed. Vertical jumping performance was maintained during the initial exercise bouts up to a break zone of further increase in the number of exercise bouts, which was associated, especially in subjects with the highest initial vertical jump, with a pronounced decrease (6-28%) in vertical jumping performance, as well as with blood lactate concentrations exceeding 8-12 mmol·L−1, and blood ammonia levels increasing abruptly from rest values. This break zone may be related to signs of energetic deficiency of the muscle contractile machinery associated with the ability to regenerate adenosine triphosphate at high rates. It is suggested that replacing some of these extremely demanding training sessions with other intermittent training sessions that preserve muscle generating capacity should allow elite athletes to practice more frequently at competitive intensity with lower fatigue.
The concurrent use of antithrombotic therapies and the risk of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation

Summary Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) often receive, in addition to warfarin, antithrombotic drugs to manage other comorbid conditions. To date, few population-based studies have quantified the bleeding risk associated with the concurrent use of these therapies. The United Kingdom General Practice Research Database was used to identify a cohort of 70,760 patients newly-diagnosed with AF between 1993 and 2008. A nested case-control analysis was conducted within that cohort, and conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted rate ratios (RRs) of bleeding associated with current use of warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel in single therapy, as well as in dual and triple therapy, as compared with non-use of any therapy. A total of 10,850 patients experienced a bleeding event during follow-up. In single therapy, warfarin was associated with the highest increased risk (RR: 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.95–2.23), followed by clopidogrel (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.37–1.81) and aspirin (RR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.17–1.34). In dual therapy, combinations containing warfarin were associated with a higher increased risk (warfarin-aspirin: RR: 2.87, 95% CI: 2.58–3.19, and warfarin-clopidogrel: RR: 2.74, 95% CI: 2.14–3.51), than those not containing warfarin (aspirin-clopidogrel: RR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.44–1.97). Triple therapy of warfarin-aspirin-clopidogrel was associated with the highest increased risk (RR: 3.75, 95% CI: 2.71–5.19). This large population-based study suggests that while all antithrombotic therapies are associated with an elevated risk of bleeding, the risks increase in an additive fashion with dual and triple therapy, particularly in combinations containing warfarin.
Biopesticides in the framework of the European Pesticide Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009.

BACKGROUND The European Pesticide Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 encourages the use of less harmful active substances. Two main concerns involve the application of cut-off criteria for pesticides without losing tools for future agriculture (especially for minor uses) and the implementation of zonal evaluations. Biopesticides are considered to have lower risks than synthetic pesticides; consequently, there is strong interest for their use in integrated pest management practices. RESULTS This paper provides an analysis of the current European situation, starting with the first attempts to regulate the use of plant protection products and focusing on the implications of the new legislative criteria for biopesticides. CONCLUSION It is important to be aware that biopesticides are still pesticides and fall under the same regulations as their synthetic counterparts. Although manufacturers are still reluctant to commit to such alternatives due to difficulties with approval and registration, biopesticides could be alternatives for traditional plant protection products, either as a base for the synthesis of new products or integrated with traditional plant protection products. In addition, biopesticides have to be used only as indicated on the label, which provides critical information about how to safely handle and use plant protection products.
Birth Order, Psychological Well-Being, and Social Supports in Young Adults

Enduring aspects of childhood family structure that reflect emotional and interpersonal ties throughout development are assumed to affect the psychological well-being and social relatedness of the mature individual. This study examined one facet of family structure — birth order — and its effects on psychological well-being (PWB) and social networks in young adult high school graduates 17 to 23 years old (N=2886: male=76%, female=24%). PWB was measured as an overall score with positive feelings and negative feelings subscores. First-born males scored greater on the negative feelings subscale of PWB, and male later borns had higher total psychological well-being. No differences were found for females. First borns and later borns did not differ in positive feelings or social relatedness. Further study is needed on the relationship of birth order and social relatedness in young adults, particularly females.
Spatial Auditory Interface for an Embedded Communication Device in a Car

In this paper we evaluate the safety of the driver when using an embedded communication device while driving. As a part of our research, four different tasks were preformed with the device in order to evaluate the efficiency and safety of the drivers under three different conditions: one visual and two different auditory conditions. In the visual condition, various menu items were shown on a small LCD screen attached to the dashboard. In the auditory conditions, the same menu items were presented with spatial sounds distributed on a virtual ring around the user's head. The same custom-made interaction device attached to the steering wheel was used in all three conditions, enabling simple and safe interaction with the device while driving. The auditory interface proved to be as fast as the visual one, while at the same time enabling a significantly safer driving and higher satisfaction of the users. The measured workload also appeared to be lower when using the auditory interfaces.
A 6 mW, 5,000-Word Real-Time Speech Recognizer Using WFST Models

We describe an IC that provides a local speech recognition capability for a variety of electronic devices. We start with a generic speech decoder architecture that is programmable with industry-standard WFST and GMM speech models. Algorithm and architectural enhancements are incorporated in order to achieve real-time performance amid system-level constraints on internal memory size and external memory bandwidth. A 2.5 × 2.5 mm test chip implementing this architecture was fabricated using a 65 nm process. The chip performs a 5,000 word recognition task in real-time with 13.0% word error rate, 6.0 mW core power consumption, and a search efficiency of approximately 16 nJ per hypothesis.
The evolution of renal function and the incidence of end-stage renal disease in patients aged ≥ 50 years.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is high, especially among older patients. METHODS In order to identify risk factors for the evolution towards end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a cohort of patients ≥ 50 years of age for whom at least four serum creatinine measurements were available were selected from a primary care-based database. The slope of changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula) was calculated, and ESRD was defined as eGFR <15 mL/min. Risk factors for ESRD were analysed using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS The cohort included 24,682 patients (13,305 women) with a mean age at first available measurement of 64 years. During follow-up (average 7.8 years), 212 patients (0.9%) developed ESRD. The incidence of ESRD per 10,000 person-years is low and depends on baseline eGFR (Stages 0-2: 3, Stage 3A: 13, Stage 3B: 121 and Stage 4: 765). Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for patients with baseline eGFR in Stage 3B or 4 depended on age (HR = 0.47 or 0.41 for patients 65-79 years and HR = 0.26 or 0.32 for patients ≥ 80 years compared with patients aged 50-64 years). Females (HR = 1.48) and patients with diabetes (HR = 1.20), hypertension (HR = 1.25), high total cholesterol (HR = 1.28) or high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (HR = 1.39) were at higher risk for ESRD. CONCLUSIONS Baseline eGFR, diabetes, high cholesterol, high LDL, hypertension and female gender are independent risk factors for developing ESRD. Older age at baseline predicts a lower risk.
The Use of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for Evaluation and Instruction in Graduate Medical Education

This study had two purposes : determining the reliability and validity of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in assessing performance by trainees at all levels, including medical students and chief residents ; and estimating the impact of providing OSCE participants with immediate feedback about their performance. A comprehensive 210-min OSCE was administered to 53 surgical residents and 6 junior medical students. Faculty experts proctored all patient stations and provided immediate feedback to participants after the patient interaction segments (Part A). The participants then answered questions about the patients seen (Part B). The reliability of the OSCE was high (.91), identical to that of a previous resident OSCE with no feedback. The standard error of measurement for both parts was approximately 4%. At the 95% confidence interval, each participant's actual level of clinical performance (Part A) and clinical knowledge (Part B) could be estimated with an error of ±8%. Participants showed significant differences in clinical performance (Part A, P < 0.01) and knowledge (Part B, P < 0.01) by level of training. Most participants (74%) rated the OSCE as an above average or outstanding educational method. The OSCE is a valid and reliable test of residents' clinical skills. Feedback to participants during the OSCE was positively received and did not perturb test reliability.
Conspicuous Consumption and Sophisticated Thinking

Consumers purchase conspicuous goods to satisfy not only material needs but also social needs such as prestige. In an attempt to meet these social needs, producers of conspicuous goods like cars, perfumes, and watches, highlight the exclusivity of their products. In this paper, we propose a monopoly model of conspicuous consumption using the rational expectations framework, and then examine how purchase decisions are affected by the desire for exclusivity and conformity. We show that snobs can have an upward-sloping demand curve but only in the presence of consumers who are (weakly) followers. Laboratory tests lend support for this model prediction and for the rational expectations framework. The experimental results suggest that subjects used some degree of sophisticated thinking to arrive at their first-period decisions. Their behavior in the subsequent trials, however, can be adequately captured by a purely adaptive learning mechanism. We discuss the implications of consumer learning for optimal dynamic pricing policy by a monopolist.
Repetition and young learners ́ initiations in the L 2 : a corpus-driven analysis

The present study is based on the analysis of classroom interactions between children and with their teacher in different types of foreign language contexts. The subjects of our study are five-year-old children and their teachers from different types of schools, with different degrees of immersion in the L2. The data comes from the UAM-corpus, which is collecting spoken data from different types of EFL contexts. The source of our analysis is based on Halliday ́s and Painter ́s classification of the communicative functions that children can convey in their mother tongue at the pre-school level (Halliday 1975; Painter 1999). In this paper, we will provide a corpus-driven classification of the different types of repetitions performed by both teachers and children. We believe that teachers should encourage certain types of repetitions in the children ́s discourse. The data shows that when children are encouraged to repeat certain utterances with specific discourse functions, even children in low immersion contexts will end up initiating the interaction with no help of the teacher. This is especially important in the case of foreign language learners, in order to avoid their functional language production being limited to responses to their teacher ́s initiations.
Rcf1 and Rcf2, Members of the Hypoxia-Induced Gene 1 Protein Family, Are Critical Components of the Mitochondrial Cytochrome bc1-Cytochrome c Oxidase Supercomplex

ABSTRACT We report that Rcf1 (formerly Aim31), a member of the conserved hypoxia-induced gene 1 (Hig1) protein family, represents a novel component of the yeast cytochrome bc1-cytochrome c oxidase (COX) supercomplex. Rcf1 (respiratory supercomplex factor 1) partitions with the COX complex, and evidence that it may act as a bridge to the cytochrome bc1 complex is presented. Rcf1 interacts with the Cox3 subunit and can do so prior to their assembly into the COX complex. A close proximity of Rcf1 and members of the ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) family was also established. Rcf1 displays overlapping function with another Hig1-related protein, Rcf2 (formerly Aim38), and their joint presence is required for optimal COX enzyme activity and the correct assembly of the cytochrome bc1-COX supercomplex. Rcf1 and Rcf2 can independently associate with the cytochrome bc1-COX supercomplex, indicating that at least two forms of this supercomplex exist within mitochondria. We provide evidence that the association with the cytochrome bc1-COX supercomplex and regulation of the COX complex are a conserved feature of Hig1 family members. Based on our findings, we propose a model where the Hig1 proteins regulate the COX enzyme activity through Cox3 and associated Cox12 protein, in a manner that may be influenced by the neighboring AAC proteins.
Cardiac Function in Perinatal Asphyxia

At present no clear-cut physiologic/serological parameter exist which enable an early identification of neonates who are at increased risk to develop myocardial dysfunction in perinatal asphyxia. This study was conducted to find out the incidence and features of cardiac dysfunction in perinatal asphyxia The present study was carried out on 48 neonates ,17 healthy neonates were taken as controls while 31 neonates with perinatal asphyxia enrolled within 72 hours of birth as cases. Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and biochemical parameters were obtained in all subjects and were correlated with the severity of disease and its outcome. Mean CK-MB level in neonates with perinatal asphyxia was 15.18 ng/ml while mean value in control group was 2.9 ng/ml(p< 0.001). Mean CK-MB values in Stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) were 8.69 ± 2.85 ng/ml, 11.03 ± 4.46 ng/ml and 24.85 ± 19.13 ng/ml, respectively(p< 0.001). Mean Troponin-I value in neonates with perinatal asphyxia was 0.18 ng/ml, while mean value in control group was 0.02 ng/ml (p< 0.001) Mean Troponin I values in Stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 were 0.09 ± 0.04 ng/ml, 0.17 ± 0.07 ng/ml and 0 . 26 ± 0.08 ng/ml, respectively (p< 0.001). Mean BNP level in neonates with perinatal asphyxia was 1111.2 ± 663.1 pg/ml while in control group it was 253.2 ± 86.1 pg/ml(p< 0.001). Mean BNP Values in Stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3 were 482.40 ± 114.83 pg/ml, 957.00 ± 336.94 pg/ml and 1823.27 ± 477.91 pg/ml , respectively(p< 0.001). CK-MB, cTnI and BNP levels were significantly higher among vasopressor recipients as compared to the non-recipients (p value < 0.01, <0.001, and < 0.001, respectively) Neonates who died had significantly higher level of CK-MB, cTnI and BNP (p value <0.001, <0.05 and <0.05 respectively) in comparison to patients who recovered and discharged. Significantly lower values of RVEF and LVEF were found with increasing grades of HIE (p<0.05 and <0.05 respectively). Myocardial dysfunction secondary to perinatal asphyxia is much more frequent than thought and it requires high index of suspicion. Thus, an early detection of myocardial dysfunction and prompt cardiovascular support will help in improving prognosis of these asphyxiated newborns.
The natural history of maternal immunization against foetal platelet alloantigens

Summary. Foetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FMAIT) occurs when maternal antibodies of an antigen‐negative mother cause destruction of sensitized foetal platelets. In Caucasian populations, 6–12% of human platelet antigen (HPA)‐1a‐negative women develop anti‐HPA‐1a, and the incidence of clinically affected cases is estimated to be 10–20% of immunized women. This study was performed in order to elucidate the rate of maternal immunization, incidence of FMAIT and the likely outcome of the condition in Asians. Excluding two or more pregnancies during the period, serum samples from 24 630 pregnant women, mainly Japanese, were screened for antibodies against platelet alloantigens by means of mixed passive haemagglutination (MPHA) (Anti‐HPA‐MPHA, Olympus, Tokyo). Antibodies were detected in 0·91% (223/24 630) of the women's samples and the immunization rate was correlated with the number of pregnancies. Antibody specificity included anti‐HPA‐4b (49), anti‐HPA‐5a (three), anti‐HPA‐5b (168), anti‐HPA‐4b + 5b (one) and anti‐Naka (CD36) (two). No alloimmunization was observed within the HPA‐1, HPA‐2, HPA‐3 or HPA‐6 systems. Among HPA‐4b‐ or HPA‐5b‐negative women, 24% or 14% estimated, respectively, had antibodies and 26% (10/38) or 10% (12/125) of neonates, respectively, born to these mothers developed thrombocytopenia. Two neonates born to mothers having anti‐HPA‐4b developed generalized purpura. No cases of intracranial bleeding or death due to FMAIT were recorded. Generalized purpura due to FMAIT occurs in one in 9359 (95% CI: 1 in 77 519–1 in 2591) pregnancies solely because of HPA‐4b incompatibility.
Why looking at the whole hippocampus is not enough—a critical role for anteroposterior axis, subfield and activation analyses to enhance predictive value of hippocampal changes for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis

The hippocampus is one of the earliest affected brain regions in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its dysfunction is believed to underlie the core feature of the disease-memory impairment. Given that hippocampal volume is one of the best AD biomarkers, our review focuses on distinct subfields within the hippocampus, pinpointing regions that might enhance the predictive value of current diagnostic methods. Our review presents how changes in hippocampal volume, shape, symmetry and activation are reflected by cognitive impairment and how they are linked with neurogenesis alterations. Moreover, we revisit the functional differentiation along the anteroposterior longitudinal axis of the hippocampus and discuss its relevance for AD diagnosis. Finally, we indicate that apart from hippocampal subfield volumetry, the characteristic pattern of hippocampal hyperactivation associated with seizures and neurogenesis changes is another promising candidate for an early AD biomarker that could become also a target for early interventions.
Too small to succeed? Lighting up massive dark matter subhaloes of the Milky Way

Using Constrained Local UniversE Simulations (CLUES) of the formation of the Local Group in a cosmological context, we investigate the recently highlighted problem that the majority of the most massive dark subhaloes of the Milky Way (MW) are too dense to host any of its bright satellites. In particular, we examine the influence of baryonic processes and find that they leave a twofold effect on the relation between the peak of the rotation curve and its position (Vmax and Rmax). Satellites with a large baryon fraction experience adiabatic contraction, thus decreasing Rmax while leaving Vmax more or less unchanged. Subhaloes with smaller baryon fractions undergo a decrease in Vmax possibly due to outflows of material. Furthermore, the situation of finding subhaloes in simulations that lie outside the confidence interval for possible hosts of the bright MW dwarf spheroidals appears to be far more prominent in cosmologies with a high σ8 normalization and depends on the mass of the host. We conclude that the problem cannot be simply solved by including baryonic processes and hence demands further investigations.