Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Recruitment and Retention of Hispanic Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in the United States, 2000-2006

In many public U.S. universities, Hispanic undergraduates are underrepresented in terms of enrollment and graduation. This mixed-method geographical study investigated whether some public universities outperform others in recruiting and retaining Hispanic undergraduates. The quantitative findings showed that the effect of financial aid and cost-of-attendance variables on the recruitment and retention of Hispanic undergraduates vary by census regions and divisions. The qualitative findings revealed seven key themes to the successful recruitment and retention of Hispanic undergraduates.
Improved method for quantifying capsaicinoids in Capsicum using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Additional index words. pungency, chile, HPLC, pepper, spice Abstract. An improved high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for analysis of capsaicinoids in dried Capsicum fruit powder, involving changes in extraction, mobile phase, flow rate, and excitation and emission spectra and resulting in reduced analysis time, increased sensitivity, and safety, is reported. Extraction of Capsicum fruit powder using acetonitrile proved to be the best capsaicinoid extractor in the shortest time interval. Solvents used for HPLC separation and quantification of capsaicinoids include methanol and water at 1 mlmin -1 flow rate. Instrument sensitivity is enhanced by altering the fluorescence detector excitation and emission wavelengths. Two analytical methods have been developed. One method determines total amount of heat units in 7 minutes, while the other provides total amount of heat units as well as separation of all present major and minor capsaicinoids in 20 minutes. These improved techniques provide inexpensive and rapid methods for quantitative and qualitative analysis of capsaicinoids in Capsicum fruit samples along with good sensitivity and no interference or confounding peaks.
Evaluation of supervised classification algorithms for human activity recognition with inertial sensors

The main aim of this work is to compare the performance of different algorithms for human activity recognition by extracting various statistical time domain and frequency domain features from the inertial sensor data. Our results show that Support Vector Machines with quadratic kernel classifier (accuracy: 93.5%) and Ensemble classifier with bagging and boosting (accuracy: 94.6%) outperforms other known activity classification algorithms. A parallel coordinate plot based on visualization of features is used to identify useful features or predictors for separating classes. This enabled exclusion of features that contribute least to classification accuracy in a multi-sensor system (five in our case), made the classifier lightweight in terms of number of useful features, training time and computational load and lends itself to real-time implementation.
A case study of feature location in unstructured legacy Fortran code

Feature location is a major problem in supporting legacy code. Two methods, the Software Reconnaissance technique and the Dependency Graph search method, have been proposed to help software engineers locate features in a program that needs to be modified. Both methods have been developed and evaluated largely using relatively modern C code. The article describes preliminary experiences in adapting them to legacy Fortran code, typical of systems developed in the 1970s. A case study was performed to apply the two methods to the CONVERT3 program, which is part of the FASTGEN geometric modeling suite. CONVERT3 exhibits many characteristics typical of legacy Fortran programs such as poor modularity, prolific use of unstructured GOTOs, tight coupling through large common blocks, and confusing program plans introduced to provide efficiency on now-obsolete platforms. Both methods were effective in locating features in CONVERT3. The Dependency Graph search method required considerable adaptation to be useful on this kind of program and required the systematic exploration of a large amount of code. The Software Reconnaissance technique was able to locate features with less searching but, as compared to earlier experience with C, the Fortran code proved more difficult to understand once it had been located.
Issues in Articulation for Heritage Language Speakers

Teaching heritage speakers of Spanish effectively is of major interest in the profession today, with increasing numbers of texts, research studies, articles, and conference presen tations being devoted to the factors involved. As Texas is one of the states with significant numbers of heritage students, the issue of teaching them well in Texas has been considered frequently in such outlets in recent years. The authors themselves have conducted several studies of various facets of teaching heritage speakers of Spanish in Texas, especially in higher education. In a recent inquiry for data pertaining to such instruction in secondary schools in the state, they determined that the state education agency has little information on the subject. Yet the issue is a very important one, since minority students already comprise half the state's students, and the majority ofthat cohort is Latino and of Spanish-speaking heritage. Therefore, they undertook to gather information on classes offered in the secondary schools of the state specifically for heritage speakers of Spanish (HSS), on placement procedures and tests, and on credit-by-examination procedures, with attendant determination of the implications of the findings for HSS students in Texas.
Pre-existing immunity against swine-origin H1N1 influenza viruses in the general human population

A major concern about the ongoing swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus (S-OIV) outbreak is that the virus may be so different from seasonal H1N1 that little immune protection exists in the human population. In this study, we examined the molecular basis for pre-existing immunity against S-OIV, namely the recognition of viral immune epitopes by T cells or B cells/antibodies that have been previously primed by circulating influenza strains. Using data from the Immune Epitope Database, we found that only 31% (8/26) of B-cell epitopes present in recently circulating H1N1 strains are conserved in the S-OIV, with only 17% (1/6) conserved in the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) surface proteins. In contrast, 69% (54/78) of the epitopes recognized by CD8+ T cells are completely invariant. We further demonstrate experimentally that some memory T-cell immunity against S-OIV is present in the adult population and that such memory is of similar magnitude as the pre-existing memory against seasonal H1N1 influenza. Because protection from infection is antibody mediated, a new vaccine based on the specific S-OIV HA and NA proteins is likely to be required to prevent infection. However, T cells are known to blunt disease severity. Therefore, the conservation of a large fraction of T-cell epitopes suggests that the severity of an S-OIV infection, as far as it is determined by susceptibility of the virus to immune attack, would not differ much from that of seasonal flu. These results are consistent with reports about disease incidence, severity, and mortality rates associated with human S-OIV.
Seasonal variations of the immune response of ground squirrels kept at 22-24 degrees C.

Ground squirrels (Citellus richardsoni) were kept at 22–24 °C for 13 months beginning in May 1969. These squirrels did not enter deep hibernation. The primary immune response measured as the serum antibody titer and the number of plaque-forming cells in the spleen decreased to a minimum in Janaury 1970 and recovered during the following spring. It is suggested that the poor immunological response of deep hibernation represents two influences, a primary circennial depression and a secondary exaggeration of this associated with deep hibernation per se.
“STOP EATING…CLEAN YOUR PLATE!”: THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL CONTROL OF FOOD CONSUMPTION DURING CHILDHOOD ON COLLEGE FEMALES' EATING BEHAVIOR

“Stop Eating.Clean Your Plate! ”: The Effects of Parental Control of Food Consumption During Childhood on College Females’ Eating Behavior. (May 2009) Amanda Jane Pfeffer, B.A., Texas A&M University; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Dan Brossart The immediate effect of maternal control of their daughter’s eating is well documented. However, the longterm effect of both maternal and paternal control of eating during childhood on adults’ current eating attitudes and behaviors has been a relatively unexplored area. Parents play a central role in shaping the family eating environment, which provides a context for the child’s relationship with food for years to come (Birch, Fisher, Grimm-Thomas, Markey, Sawyer & Johnson, 2001). The present study focused on expanding the existing knowledge base concerning parental control over eating. Two hundred sixty-seven female adult participants completed a questionnaire packet designed to measure maternal and
An Essential Role for gp130 in Neointima Formation Following Arterial Injury

Interleukin (IL)-6 induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) motility in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, IL-6 stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of gp130, resulting in the recruitment and activation of STAT-3. IL-6–induced VSMC motility was found to be dependent on activation of gp130/STAT-3 signaling. IL-6 also induced cyclin D1 expression in a time- and gp130/STAT-3–dependent manner in VSMCs. Suppression of cyclin D1 levels via the use of its small interfering RNA molecules inhibited IL-6–induced VSMC motility. Furthermore, balloon injury induced IL-6 expression both at mRNA and protein levels in rat carotid artery. Balloon injury also caused increased STAT-3 phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression, leading to smooth muscle cell migration from the media to the intimal region. Blockade of gp130/STAT-3 signaling via adenovirus-mediated expression of dngp130 or dnSTAT-3 attenuated balloon injury–induced STAT-3 phosphorylation and cyclin D1 induction, resulting in reduced smooth muscle cell migration from media to intima and decreased neointima formation. Together, these observations for the first time suggest that IL-6/gp130/STAT-3 signaling plays an important role in vascular wall remodeling particularly in the settings of postangioplasty and thereby in neointima formation.
The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction, Affective Commitment, Organizational Learning Climate and Corporate Performance

Facing today’s business fierce competition, companies have to adopt an organizational learning climate as this kind of climate enhances employees to share knowledge continuously to achieve their best performance. Apart from their competence- in line with literature- managers have to be affectively committed to result in their best performance. Both the organizational learning climate and managers’ affective commitment are assumed to have a positive effect on the corporate performance. In addition, high job satisfaction is indicated to be positively correlated with affective commitment and learning climate. This study aims to find out the correlation between job satisfaction and affective commitment; between affective commitment and corporate performance, and between organizational learning climate and corporate performance. Based on statistical analysis, this study found out that job satisfaction is significantly correlated with affective commitment. Both affective commitment and organizational learning climate have a positive correlation with corporate performance. However, applying step-wise linier multiple regression analysis, the affective commitment contributed around forty-four percent towards the corporate performance. Therefore, affective commitment plays a very important role in achieving high corporate performance.
Knowledge and reported use of sport science by elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors.

OBJECTIVE This study enquired about the knowledge and reported use of sport science in elite Olympic class sailors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The sailors responded to a simple questionnaire. SETTING The questionnaire was administered as part of an introductory seminar on sport science during a training camp. PARTICIPANTS The participants were 28 (22 male, 6 female) elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASURES The questionnaire asked whether or not they used a training race diary, enquired about their current and past injuries and their knowledge and use of sport science in the areas of nutrition, psychology and physical training. RESULTS Only ten (36%) of the sailors kept a training/race diary. Whilst only four (14%) had a current injury, sixteen (57%) reported an injury in the previous three years. The injuries were in the lower back (45%), knee (22%), shoulder (18%), and arm (15%). Although nineteen (68%) of the sailors had experienced dehydration during racing, the average volume of fluid reported to be taken on a four hour sail was only 0.9 litre, of which only an average of 0.7 litres (77%) was reported to be drunk. All the sailors reported being sometimes (46%) to very often (3%) anxious before races and sometimes (43%) to always (7%) being frustrated with their own mistakes. Only one sailor reported never having negative thoughts whilst fifteen (53%) reported having them sometimes, and seven (25%) often or very often. Twenty-four (86%) of the sailors reported that they sometimes had a loss of concentration near the end of the race. Whilst eighteen (64%) reported practising relaxation and seventeen (61%) reported practising visualisation as a mental skill, only five (18%) practised progressive mental relaxation, two (7%) practised meditation and none practised yoga. Seventeen (61%) undertook strength/circuit training, ten (36%) flexibility and twenty-one (75%) off water aerobic training. Twenty-four (86%) reported undertaking on-water aerobic training. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that there is considerable scope for improvement in the knowledge and use of sports science amongst elite New Zealand Olympic class sailors.
Personal Values and Environmental Concern in China and the US: The Mediating Role of Informational Media Use

Guided by the O-S-O-R model, this study investigated the role of informational media use in public concern over the environment. Structural equation modeling using probability sample survey data from China and the US showed that informational media use partially mediated the relationship between altruism and other individual difference variables on one hand and environmental concern on the other. Although the basic mediation model held well in both the Chinese and US analyses, important cross-national differences were also observed.
A Multilevel Inverter Structure Based on a Combination of Switched-Capacitors and DC Sources

This paper presents a switched-capacitor multilevel inverter (SCMLI) combined with multiple asymmetric dc sources. The main advantage of proposed inverter with similar cascaded MLIs is reducing the number of isolated dc sources and replacing them with capacitors. A self-balanced asymmetrical charging pattern is introduced in order to boost the voltage and create more voltage levels. Number of circuit components such as active switches, diodes, capacitors, drivers, and dc sources reduces in proposed structure. This multistage hybrid MLI increases the total voltage of used dc sources by multiple charging of the capacitors stage by stage. A bipolar output voltage can be inherently achieved in this structure without using single phase H-bridge inverter that was used in traditional SCMLIs to generate negative voltage levels. This eliminates requirements of high-voltage rating elements to achieve negative voltage levels. A 55-level step-up output voltage (27 positive levels, a zero level, and 27 negative levels) are achieved by a three-stage system that uses only three asymmetrical dc sources (with amplitude of 1 Vin, 2 V in, and 3 Vin) and seven capacitors (self-balanced as multiples of 1 Vin). MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation results and experimental tests are given to validate the performance of proposed circuit.
The effects and mechanism of estrogen on rats with Parkinson's disease in different age groups.

OBJECTIVE In order to investigate the effect and mechanism of estrogen in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) rats in different age groups. METHODS we established rat models of PD by rotenone at different interventions. Then, behavioral tests, immunohistochemistry, western blot, high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) and electron microscopy were performed. RESULTS Results revealed the following: (1) Rotenone significantly reduced rotarod latencies in senile rats, prolonged their climbing pole time, and decreased TH positive cells, DA and its metabolite, DOPAC. Estrogen ameliorated this effect, in which weaker effects were observed in younger rats compared with older rats. (2) Rotenone increased the expression of LC3-II in older rats, but estrogen and tamoxifen did not show the same effect. (3) Rotenone increased the number of autophagosomes, but estrogen increased the proportion of autolysosomes/autophagosomes in the rotenone-treated group. (4) U0126 could reduce the number of autophagosomes in the rotenone-treated group, but this did not change the proportion of autolysosome/autophagosome in combining rotenone with the estrogen group. Rapamycin did not increase the number of autophagosomes in the rotenone-treated group, but combining rapamycin with estrogen and rotenone was able to further increase the proportion of autolysome/autophagosomes. Therefore, we speculate that the senile rat model of PD was more reliable than that in young rats. CONCLUSIONS In addition, estrogen could promote autophagy maturation through the ERK pathway, and had an obvious therapeutic effect on the rat model of PD.
Síndrome de Burnout em estudantes universitários da área

Esta investigacao objetivou avaliar a Sindrome de Burnout e sua associacao com variaveis sociodemograficas, academicas e psicossociais em uma amostra do tipo estratificada proporcional de 514 estudantes pertencentes a todos os cursos da area da saude de uma instituicao universitaria privada da regiao metropolitana de Porto Alegre. Como instrumentos de pesquisa foram utilizados o MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey) e um questionario para identificacao das demais variaveis. A aplicacao dos instrumentos foi realizada em salas de aula selecionadas aleatoriamente. Resultados identificaram indice medio/baixo em Exaustao Emocional, indice baixo em Descrenca e indice alto de Eficacia profissional. Tambem se evidenciou associacao entre as dimensoes de burnout e variaveis sociodemograficas, academicas e psicossociais. Palavras-chave: Sindrome de Burnout; estudantes universitarios; saude. ABSTRACT Burnout syndrome in college students of health area The aim of this research was to evaluate the Burnout Syndrome and its association with socio demographic, academic and psychosocial variables in a sample of 514 students from a private university of Porto Alegre’s metropolitan region. The instruments were the MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory – Student Survey) and a questionnaire to assess remaining variables. The instruments were applied in classrooms randomly selected. Results showed a medium/low index of Emotional exhaustion, low index of disbelief, and a high index of professional efficiency. An association between the burnout dimensions and socio-demographic, academic and psychosocial variables were also found. Key words: Burnout syndrome, university students, health.
Heartbeat reversal after sectioning the dorsal vessel and removal of the brain of diapausing pupae of Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

Reversal of heartbeat was monitored in vivo by noninvasive, multisensor, thermo-cardiographic and pulse-light, opto- cardiographic techniques. The dorsal vessel was sectioned at the beginning, in the middle and near the end of the abdomen. Changes in the heartbeat were simultaneously monitored in both the disconnected anterior and posterior sections of the heart. The results revealed the existence of a caudal regulatory cardiac centre located in the fused A7-A10 abdominal segments. Posterior sections, con- taining this terminal ampulla of the heart always exhibited a more or less normal heartbeat reversal, including both anterograde and retrograde pulsations. This shows that the forward-oriented as well as the reciprocal, backward-oriented peristaltic waves of the heart are both regulated from the posterior regulatory center, without involvement of the cephalic region. The cardiac pulsations in the anterior sections of the heart were paralysed and seriously impaired by the lesions. During the acute phase after the lesions, anterior sections showed only some convulsion-like, unidirectional, backward-oriented peristaltic pulsations of low frequency. Within one or two days after the lesions, isolated anterior sections of the heart developed a subsidiary heartbeat regulation associated with the oscillating, bi-directional peristaltic waves running alternatively, forward and backward in opposite directions. After a few days, the previously paralysed anterior sections of the heart were able to develop perfectly coordinated patterns of heartbeat reversal. At this time, the two asynchronous heartbeat patterns ran separately in each of the divided sections of the heart. One or two weeks later, reversal of the heartbeat occasionally occurred synchronously along the entire length of the dorsal vessel. Sectioning of the ventral nerve cord, removal of the cephalic nervous system (brain, frontal ganglion, suboesophageal ganglion and the associated nerves) or removal of the fused terminal abdominal ganglionic mass and adjacent caudal nerves, had no effect on the pattern of heartbeat reversal. These facts indicate that the pupal heart of M. sexta operates purely myogenically, like the human heart. The myogenic pacemakers of the caudal regulatory cardiac centre (analogous to the atrio-ventricular nodes of the human heart) are autonomous, generating inherent rhythmicity without intervention from the nervous system. Development of subsidiary pacemakers regulating rhythmicity in the lesioned myocardium and restitution of the synchronized contracting integrity between the two disconnected sections of the heart are new cardiological features, which merit further investigation.
Excellent reverse blocking characteristics of high-voltage 4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers with boron-implanted edge termination

Edge-terminated high-voltage Ti/4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers were successfully fabricated by using highly resistive layers at the periphery of Schottky contacts. The highly resistive layers were formed by B/sup +/ implantation followed by a heat treatment to improve the crystallinity of implanted layers. Utilizing these layers for the edge termination of 4H-SiC Schottky rectifiers, the reverse blocking characteristics were significantly improved in comparison with the rectifiers without edge termination, and a high-blocking voltage over 1100 V (the maximum: 1750 V) was achieved. The temperature dependence of the reverse-blocking characteristics was investigated, and high temperature operation even at 150/spl deg/C was demonstrated with a blocking voltage over 1100 V.