Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Involvement in Sports on Attitudes Toward Native American Sport Mascots

This study investigated whether the degree of involvement in sports affected attitudes about the acceptability of Native American sport mascots. A multidimensional measure of sport involvement showed that high sport involvement predicted greater acceptance of Native American mascots. Only 16% of respondents found any of the Native American sport mascots presented in the study to be at all offensive whereas the rest of the participants showed approval. Men scored significantly higher on every indicator of sport involvement and also showed more approval for Native American mascots. Implications of these findings for continued use of Native American sport mascots by sports organizations are discussed.
School-Related Social Support and Students' Perceived Life Satisfaction

The authors examined the effect of school-related social support from teachers, classmates, and parents on students' life satisfaction that school satisfaction, scholastic competence, and general self-efficacy, respectively, mediated. The authors based the analyses on data from a nationally representative sample of 13- and 15-year-old students (N = 3,358) from the Norwegian part of the 6th World Health Organization international survey of Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (C. Currie et al., 2004; T. Torsheim, O. Samdal, B. Wold, & J. Hetland, 2004). The authors used the analytic approach of structural equation modeling through the statistical program Mplus (5th ed.; L. K. Muthén & B. O. Muthén, 2007). Results confirmed the importance of self-related domains, such as general self-efficacy, to students' life satisfaction. Teacher support strongly related to school satisfaction. On the basis of significance tests between correlations, school satisfaction more strongly related to girls' life satisfaction than to that of boys.
THE ELECTROLYTE AND PROTEIN CONTENTS AND OUTPUTS IN DUODENAL JUICE AFTER PANCREOZYMIN AND SECRETIN STIMULATION IN NORMAL CHILDREN AND IN PATIENTS ITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS. 1

The total pancreatic outputs and the secretion rates of fluid volume, protein, bicarbonate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were studied after pancreozymin and secretin stimulation in 12 control children and in 5 patients with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (CF). Duodenal contents were collected through a double‐balloon, triple‐lumen rubber tube, thus avoiding contamination by gastric juce and distal losses. In CF patients, compared to the normal controls, decreased outputs of fluid volume, protein and electrolytes were found.
Pretubulysin: From Hypothetical Biosynthetic Intermediate to Potential Lead in Tumor Therapy

Pretubulysin is a natural product that is found in strains of myxobacteria in only minute amounts. It represents the first enzyme-free intermediate in the biosynthesis of tubulysins and undergoes post-assembly acylation and oxidation reactions. Pretubulysin inhibits the growth of cultured mammalian cells, as do tubulysins, which are already in advanced preclinical development as anticancer and antiangiogenic agents. The mechanism of action of this highly potent compound class involves the depolymerization of microtubules, thereby inducing mitotic arrest. Supply issues with naturally occurring derivatives can now be circumvented by the total synthesis of pretubulysin, which, in contrast to tubulysin, is synthetically accessible in gram-scale quantities. We show that the simplified precursor is nearly equally potent to the parent compound. Pretubulysin induces apoptosis and inhibits cancer cell migration and tubulin assembly in vitro. Consequently, pretubulysin appears to be an ideal candidate for future development in preclinical trials and is a very promising early lead structure in cancer therapy.
Measuring consumer attitudes towards gambling

The main objective of this study was to measure consumer attitudes towards gambling amongst various sociodemographic groups in Port Elizabeth. The study was based on past research and used a modified version of a questionnaire developed by various authors. The sample (N=355) was drawn, using a non-probability sampling technique from English, Afrikaans and Xhosa speaking respondents in the Port Elizabeth Uitenhage area. Fieldwork was carried out by students of Industrial Psychology at the University of Port Elizabeth. Results showed significant differences between socio-demographic groups regarding attitudes towards gambling. Cultural influences deduced from home language and religion seems to influence gambling attitudes in particular. These results have important implications for the gaming industry and welfare organisations. Opsomming Die hoof doelstelling van hierdie studie was om verbruikerhoudings ten opsigte van dobbel onder verskeie sosiodemografiese groepe in Port Elizabeth te ondersoek. Die studie is gegrond op vorige navorsing in die veld en maak gebruik van n aangepaste vraelys, ontwikkel deur verskeie outeurs. ‘n Nie-ewekansige steekproef (N=355) is getrek uit Engels, Afrikaans en Xhosa-sprekende respondente in die Port Elizabeth Uitenhage gebied. Veldwerk is uitgevoer deur Bedryfsielkunde studente van die Universiteit van Port Elizabeth. Bevindinge toon beduidende verskille tussen sosio-demografiese groepe ten opsigte van houdings oor dobbel. Kultuurinvloede afgelei uit taal en godsdiens blyk om dobbelhoudings te beinvloed. Die resultate het belangrike implikasies vir die dobbelspelbedryf en welsynsorganisasies.
Implementing Cooperative Learning, Teacher Collaboration and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy in Heterogeneous Junior High Schools

Abstract Four scales were employed to assess the effects on teachers’ sense of efficacy of a year-long inservice teacher training program on cooperative learning methods. One hundred twenty-one teachers from nine junior high schools in one town in Israel responded to the teacher efficacy questionnaire, as well as to a questionnaire assessing the extent to which teachers collaborated with one another. The data were analyzed as a function of three different frequencies with which teachers implemented cooperative learning in their classrooms. Results indicated that teachers who implemented cooperative learning most frequently also expressed a higher level of efficacy in promoting the learning of slow students than did other teachers. Teachers who reported a higher level of collaboration with colleagues also expressed a higher level of general teaching efficacy and of efficacy in enhancing students’ social relations, than did teachers who reported a low level of collaboration with colleagues. Regression analyses demonstrated that frequency of implementing cooperative learning and collaboration with colleagues explained the largest portion of the variance in teachers’ sense of efficacy, while teachers’ background variables accounted for only negligible amounts of variance in teachers’ sense of efficacy.
Multiplex Immunoassay for Lyme Disease Using VlsE1-IgG and pepC10-IgM Antibodies: Improving Test Performance through Bioinformatics

ABSTRACT The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends a 2-tier serologic approach to Lyme disease laboratory diagnosis, comprised of an initial serum enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi followed by supplementary IgG and IgM Western blotting of EIA-positive or -equivocal samples. Western blot accuracy is limited by subjective interpretation of weakly positive bands, false-positive IgM immunoblots, and low sensitivity for detection of early disease. We developed an objective alternative second-tier immunoassay using a multiplex microsphere system that measures VlsE1-IgG and pepC10-IgM antibodies simultaneously in the same sample. Our study population comprised 79 patients with early acute Lyme disease, 82 patients with early-convalescent-phase disease, 47 patients with stage II and III disease, 34 patients post-antibiotic treatment, and 794 controls. A bioinformatic technique called partial receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) regression was used to combine individual antibody levels into a single diagnostic score with a single cutoff; this technique enhances test performance when a high specificity is required (e.g., ≥95%). Compared to Western blotting, the multiplex assay was equally specific (95.6%) but 20.7% more sensitive for early-convalescent-phase disease (89.0% versus 68.3%, respectively; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] for difference, 12.1% to 30.9%) and 12.5% more sensitive overall (75.0% versus 62.5%, respectively; 95% CI for difference, 8.1% to 17.1%). As a second-tier test, a multiplex assay for VlsE1-IgG and pepC10-IgM antibodies performed as well as or better than Western blotting for Lyme disease diagnosis. Prospective validation studies appear to be warranted.
Touch & activate: adding interactivity to existing objects using active acoustic sensing

In this paper, we present a novel acoustic touch sensing technique called Touch & Activate. It recognizes a rich context of touches including grasp on existing objects by attaching only a vibration speaker and a piezo-electric microphone paired as a sensor. It provides easy hardware configuration for prototyping interactive objects that have touch input capability. We conducted a controlled experiment to measure the accuracy and trade-off between the accuracy and number of training rounds for our technique. From its results, per-user recognition accuracies with five touch gestures for a plastic toy as a simple example and six hand postures for the posture recognition as a complex example were 99.6% and 86.3%, respectively. Walk up user recognition accuracies for the two applications were 97.8% and 71.2%, respectively. Since the results of our experiment showed a promising accuracy for the recognition of touch gestures and hand postures, Touch & Activate should be feasible for prototype interactive objects that have touch input capability.
Methanolic Extract of Cuminum cyminum Inhibits Ovariectomy-Induced Bone Loss in Rats

Several animal and clinical studies have shown that phytoestrogens, plant-derived estrogenic compounds, can be useful in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. Phytoestrogens and phytoestrogen-containing plants are currently under active investigation for their role in estrogen-related disorders. The present study deals with anti-osteoporotic evaluation of phytoestrogen-rich plant Cuminum cyminum, commonly known as cumin. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) and randomly assigned to 3 groups (10 rats/group). Additional 10 animals were sham operated. OVX and sham control groups were orally administered with vehicle while the other two OVX groups were administered 0.15 mg/kg estradiol and 1 g/kg of methanolic extract of Cuminum cyminum fruits (MCC) in two divided doses for 10 weeks. At the end of the study blood, bones and uteri of the animals were collected. Serum was evaluated for calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and tartarate resistant acid phosphatase. Bone density, ash density, mineral content and mechanical strength of bones were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis of bones (tibia) was performed. Results were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukeys multiple comparison test. MCC (1 g/kg, p.o.) significantly reduced urinary calcium excretion and significantly increased calcium content and mechanical strength of bones in comparison to OVX control. It showed greater bone and ash densities and improved microarchitecture of bones in SEM analysis. Unlike estradiol it did not affect body weight gain and weight of atrophic uterus in OVX animals. MCC prevented ovariectomy-induced bone loss in rats with no anabolic effect on atrophic uterus. The osteoprotective effect was comparable with estradiol.
Practical Private Computation and Zero-Knowledge Tools for Privacy-Preserving Distributed Data Mining

In this paper we explore private computation built on vector addition and its applications in privacypreserving data mining. Vector addition is a surprisingly general tool for implementing many algorithms prevalent in distributed data mining. Examples include linear algorithms like voting and summation, as well as non-linear algorithms such as SVD, PCA, k-means, ID3, machine learning algorithms based on Expectation Maximization (EM), etc., and all algorithms in the statistical query model [27]. The non-linear algorithms aggregate data only in certain steps, such as conjugate gradient, which are linear in the data. We introduce a new and highly efficient VSS (Verifiable Secret-Sharing) protocol in a special but widely-applicable model that allows secret-shared arithmetic operations in such aggregation steps to be done over small fields (e.g. 32 or 64 bits). There are two major advantages: (1) in this framework private arithmetic operations have the same cost as normal arithmetic and (2) the scheme admits extremely efficient zero-knowledge (ZK) protocols for verifying properties of user data. As a concrete example, we present a very efficient zero-knowledge method based on random projection for verification that uses a linear number of inexpensive small field operations, and only a logarithmic number of large-field (1024 bits or more) cryptographic operations. Our implementation shows that the approach can achieve orders of magnitude reduction in running time over standard techniques (from hours to seconds) for large scale problems. The ZK tools provide efficient mechanisms for dealing with actively cheating users, a realistic threat in distributed data mining which has been lacking practical solutions.
Changing Resources and the Division of Housework: A Longitudinal Study of Swedish Couples

Most research on the division of housework is based on cross-sectional studies. This study instead focuses on the way in which changes in spouses’ relative resources are related to changes in housework. The data come from the Swedish Level of Living Survey for the years 1991 and 2000. An important issue is whether spouses can use their relative resources in negotiations about housework. The analyses show that changes in spouses’ relative resources only result in a moderate change in women's share of the housework between 1991 and 2000. The change that nevertheless does take place indicates that women's share of the housework decreases if their relative resources in terms of level of education and social status increased between 1991 and 2000. If a woman's economic dependency on her spouse decreased between the two years, her share of the housework also decreases. The decrease in women's share of the housework is mainly due to an increase in men's time spent in housework. However, regardless of access to resources, Swedish men do less housework than Swedish women do.
Analysis of Pulmonary Vasodilator Responses to SB-772077-B [4-(7-((3-Amino-1-pyrrolidinyl)carbonyl)-1-ethyl-1H-imidazo(4,5-c)pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-amine], a Novel Aminofurazan-Based Rho Kinase Inhibitor

The effects of SB-772077-B [4-(7-((3-amino-1-pyrrolidinyl)carbonyl)-1-ethyl-1H-imidazo(4,5-c)pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,5-oxadiazol-3-amine], an aminofurazan-based Rho kinase inhibitor, on the pulmonary vascular bed and on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension were investigated in the rat. The intravenous injections of SB-772077-B decreased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures and increased cardiac output. The decreases in pulmonary arterial pressure were enhanced when pulmonary vascular resistance was increased by U46619 [9,11-dideoxy-11α,9α-epoxymethanoprostaglandin F2α], hypoxia, or Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester. SB-772077-B was more potent than Y-27632 [trans-4-[(1R)-1-aminoethyl]-N-4-pyridinyl-cyclohexanecarboxamide dihydrochloride] or fasudil [5-(1,4-diazepane-1-sulfonyl)isoquinoline] in decreasing pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures. The results with SB-772077-B, fasudil, and Y-27632 suggest that Rho kinase is constitutively active and is involved in the regulation of baseline tone and vasoconstrictor responses. Chronic treatment with SB-772077-B attenuated the increase in pulmonary arterial pressure induced by monocrotaline. The intravenous injection of SB-772077-B decreased pulmonary and systemic arterial pressures in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. The decreases in pulmonary arterial pressure in response to SB-772077-B in monocrotaline-treated rats were smaller than responses in U46619-infused animals, and the analysis of responses suggests that approximately 60% of the pulmonary hypertensive response is mediated by a Rho kinase-sensitive mechanism. The observation that Rho kinase inhibitors decrease pulmonary arterial pressure when pulmonary vascular resistance is increased by interventions such as hypoxia, U46619, angiotensin II, nitric-oxide synthase inhibition, and Bay K 8644 [S-(-)-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-(2-[trifluoromethyl]phenyl)-3-pyridine carboxylic acid methyl ester] suggest that the vasodilatation is independent of the mechanisms used to increase intracellular calcium and promote vasoconstriction. The present results suggest that SB-772077-B would be beneficial in the treatment of pulmonary hypertensive disorders.
Cerebral Phosphoinositide, Triacylglycerol, and Energy Metabolism in Reversible Ischemia: Origin and Fate of Free Fatty Acids

Abstract: Levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol (DAG), triacylglycerol (TAG), and free fatty acids (FFAs), as well as their fatty acid composition, were determined in rat forebrain during ischemia and postischemic recirculation. Cerebral energy state and electroencephalograms (EEGs) were also studied. Fifteen minutes of ischemia resulted in a decrease in PIP2 and PIP contents but not in PI content, concurrent with an enlargement of the FFA and DAG pools. The latter were enriched in stearate and arachidonate. Prolongation of ischemia did not produce further changes in content of any of the inositol phosphalipids, but the increase in levels of FFAs and DAG continued. At the end of 45 min of ischemia, levels of both PIP2 and PIP decreased by 45–50%, and the total phosphoinositide content (PIP2+ PIP + PI) decreased by 21%, whereas levels of FFAs and DAG increased to 14– and 3.6‐fold of control levels, respectively. During ischemia, the TAG‐palmitate level decreased, but the TAG‐arachidonate level increased; the tissue energy state deteriorated severely; and the EEG was suppressed. A 30‐min recirculation period after 15 or 45 min of ischemia led to increases in PIP2, PIP, and total phosphoinositide contents, whereas levels of FFAs and DAG promptly decreased toward control values. The TAG‐arachidonate level peaked and the TAG‐palmitate level returned to a low control value during early recirculation. The ischemic changes in tissue lipids were completely reversed within 3 h of recirculation after both periods of ischemia. Adenylates were fully phosphorylated with as little as 30 min of reflow. The EEG activity partially recovered during reflow after 15 min of ischemia, whereas it remained depressed after prolonged ischemia. Thus, phosphodiesteric cleavage of PIP2 and PIP followed by deacylation of DAG is likely to contribute to the production of FFAs in early ischemia. Deacylation of undetermined lipids plays a role for the increment in levels of FFAs in the later period of ischemia. The rapid postischemic increase in levels of PIP2 and PIP indicates active synthesis not only from existing PI, but probably also by means of accumulated FFAs and DAG. These results indicate that the impaired resynthesis of inositol phospholipids cannot be a cause of the poor EEG activity after prolonged ischemia. Degradation and resynthesis of polyphosphoinositides and formation of TAG‐arachidonate may be important for modulation of free arachidonic acid levels in the brain during temporary ischemia.
The clinical characteristics of tinnitus in patients with vestibular schwannoma.

OBJECTIVES To review the symptoms, signs, and clinical findings in a large series of patients diagnosed with unilateral sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) to describe the clinical characteristics of tinnitus in this population. Further, to ascertain which of the proposed mechanisms of tinnitus generation in VS was supported. DESIGN Retrospective case note and database review. SETTING Tertiary university teaching hospital departments of audiology and neuro-otology. PARTICIPANTS Nine hundred forty-one patients with unilateral sporadic VS, diagnosed during the period 1986 to 2002. Twenty-three additional patients were excluded due to missing clinical data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The presence or absence of tinnitus, and its rated subjective severity were analyzed in conjunction with data regarding patient demographics, symptoms, signs, and diagnostic audiovestibular test findings. RESULTS No statistical association at the 5% level was found between tinnitus presence/absence and patient age, gender, 2- to 4-kHz audiometric thresholds, ipsilateral auditory brainstem response abnormality, length of history, tumor side, nor caloric test abnormality. Statistically significant associations were found between tinnitus presence/absence and tumor size (p = 0.012) and type of hearing loss (progressive, sudden, fluctuant, nil) with a tendency for patients without hearing loss to be less likely to experience tinnitus. Statistically significant associations were identified between classification of tinnitus severity and age at diagnosis (p < 0.001) (greater age being associated with greater tinnitus severity), abnormal findings on caloric testing (p = 0.01) (abnormal calorics being associated with greater tinnitus severity), and tinnitus as a principal presenting symptom (p < 0.001) (this being associated with greater tinnitus severity). CONCLUSIONS The analysis does not identify any single one of the proposed mechanisms for tinnitus as being the obvious culprit. In fact, even in a homogeneous group of patients such as this, there is evidence of multiple mechanisms that are not mutually exclusive. The association between increased tinnitus severity in older patients, patients with canal pareses on caloric testing, and with tinnitus as a principal presenting symptom should be borne in mind by the clinician.
Architecture of Entrepreneurial Learning: Exploring the Link among Heuristics, Knowledge, and Action

We extend existing theories of entrepreneurial learning and highlight the effects of heuristics under two different learning contexts: experiential learning and vicarious learning. Specifically, we argue that heuristics are consequential in explaining variations in learning. In some cases, heuristics can be highly adaptive and beneficial to the accumulation of knowledge. In others, they can distort judgments and bias learning. By considering linkages among heuristics, knowledge, and action, we seek to provide a more complete model of entrepreneurial learning that allows for examination of the influence of judgments on learning and to expose conditions that can benefit or limit effective action in an entrepreneurial setting.