Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Going Negative in a New Media Age: Congressional Campaign Websites, 2002-2006 (WP-07-11)

Few topics have received more attention in recent years than negative campaigning. The bulk of this work focuses on the effects of negative campaigns and/or the normative consequences. We address a more basic question: when do Congressional candidates go negative in the first place? Our approach differs from the few works that systematically explore the determinants of negative campaigning in three notable ways. First, we offer a new theory that specifies conditions under which we expect candidates to go negative against their opponents. Second, we test our predictions using a novel data set based on more than 730 candidate websites, over three election cycles. This means we use nonmediated communication (e.g., compared to news reports) and we have an unbiased sample of campaigns (i.e., we are not limited to competitive races that happen to produce television advertisements). We also offer insight into campaigning on this new medium. Third, we extend prior work by distinguishing issue negativity from personal attacks, and by exploring alternative types of negativity such as negativity toward the parties and the president. We find that campaign specific variables, particularly competition, drive negativity towards opponents, but other more partisan forces lead to alternative types of negativity. We discuss the implications for an understanding of campaign strategy, methodologies of studying campaigns, and studying public opinion formation.
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene promoter -308 and -238 polymorphisms in patients with lung cancer as a second primary tumor

Background Lung cancer is the most common second primary cancer. We investigated whether the TNF-α-308 and TNF-α-238 polymorphisms were associated with the susceptibility and severity of lung cancer as the second primary cancer (LC2). Material/Methods This study included 104 patients from the group LC2. The control subjects included 2 groups. The first control group (LC1) comprised 201 unrelated patients with lung cancer as a first primary cancer. The second control group (HC) comprised 230 healthy blood donors, matched for sex and age to the study group. Results The frequencies of the TNF-α-238 polymorphism GG genotype and the G allele were higher in the LC2 group than in the LC1 group, but the differences did not reach significance (p=0.054 and p=0.057, respectively). Similar differences were found in the TNF-α-238 polymorphism GG genotype and G allele between the LC2 group and the HC group (p=0.054 and p=0.057, respectively). In terms of the different types of lung cancer, patients with a second primary NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) more frequently had TNF-α-238 polymorphism GG genotypes and G alleles than patients with a first primary NSCLC (the differences approached statistical significance: p=0.060, p=0.064, respectively). All (100%) patients of group LC2 (n=104) had the GG genotype and the G allele. GG genotype was exclusive and no A allele was found in group LC2. Conclusions TNF-α-238 polymorphism GG genotype and the G allele could have a promotional effect on the development of NSCLC in the group of patients with LC2.
Enhancement of Wound Healing by Non-Thermal N2/Ar Micro-Plasma Exposure in Mice with Fractional-CO2-Laser-Induced Wounds

Micro-plasma is a possible alternative treatment for wound management. The effect of micro-plasma on wound healing depends on its composition and temperature. The authors previously developed a capillary-tube-based micro-plasma system that can generate micro-plasma with a high nitric oxide-containing species composition and mild working temperature. Here, the efficacy of micro-plasma treatment on wound healing in a laser-induced skin wound mouse model was investigated. A partial thickness wound was created in the back skin of each mouse and then treated with micro-plasma. Non-invasive methods, namely wound closure kinetics, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and laser Doppler scanning, were used to measure the healing efficiency in the wound area. Neo-tissue growth and the expressions of matrix metallopeptidase-3 (MMP-3) and laminin in the wound area were assessed using histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The results show that micro-plasma treatment promoted wound healing. Micro-plasma treatment significantly reduced the wound bed region. The OCT images and histological analysis indicates more pronounced tissue regrowth in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment. The laser Doppler images shows that micro-plasma treatment promoted blood flow in the wound bed region. The IHC results show that the level of laminin increased in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment, whereas the level of MMP-3 decreased. Based on these results, micro-plasma has potential to be used to promote the healing of skin wounds clinically.
Evaluation of myocardial mechanics with three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in heart transplant recipients: comparison with two-dimensional speckle tracking and relationship with clinical variables.

AIMS Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) is limited by its inability to track tissue motion in three dimensions. This is particularly relevant in heart transplant recipients, in whom marked translational motion of the transplanted heart is present. We aimed to compare 3-dimensional (3D)- and 2D-STE-derived strain parameters, and to identify clinical features associated with myocardial mechanics in transplant recipients. METHODS AND RESULTS In 36 heart transplant recipients, global and regional left-ventricular (LV) longitudinal and circumferential strain (LSt and CSt), and radial displacement (RDisp) were obtained by 3D- and 2D-STE, and their results were compared. 3D-STE deformation from a subset of transplant recipients with preserved ejection fraction was compared with a control group of 25 subjects matched by gender, age, history of hypertension, and ejection fraction. Associations between global LSt and CSt and clinical, echocardiographic, and haemodynamic parameters in transplant recipients were investigated. 3D-STE yielded lower magnitude of global LSt compared with 2D-STE (-13 ± 3 vs. -16 ± 3%, P < 0.001). The inferolateral wall was a source of variation between 3D- and 2D-STE both for LSt and CSt. Inferolateral wall 3D-STE-derived RDisp was greater than that observed in control subjects (7.4 ± 1.2 vs. 6.5 ± 1.7 mm, P = 0.03), while anteroseptal RDisp was lower than controls (4.2 ± 1.0 vs. 7.3 ± 1.6 mm, P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that 3D-STE-derived LSt was independently associated with NYHA class (P < 0.001), while 2D-STE-derived LSt was not. CONCLUSION Examination of LV mechanics by 3D- and 2D-STE deformation parameters in heart transplant recipients yields significantly discordant results. 3D-STE-derived LSt is independently associated with NYHA class, suggesting a clinically important relationship between functional status and myocardial mechanics.
Cognitive Neuroscience of Deductive Reasoning

It is 4pm and I hear the school bus pull up to the house. Soon there is the taunting of a 13-year-old boy followed by the exaggerated screams of an 8-year-old girl. My kids are home from school. Exasperated, I say to my son, " If you want dinner tonight, you better stop tormenting your sister. " Given he doesn't want to go to bed hungry, he needs to draw the correct logical inference. Sure enough, peace is eventually restored. Notice that he was not explicitly told to stop tormenting his sister. Yet we are not surprised by his actions. His behavior is not a mystery (assuming he wants his dinner). It is just an example of the reasoning brain at work. Reasoning is the cognitive activity of drawing inferences from given information. All reasoning involves the claim that one or more propositions (the premises) provide some grounds for accepting another proposition (the conclusion). The above example involves a deductive inference (see Evans, this volume). A key feature of deduction is that conclusions are contained within the premises and are logically independent of the content of the propositions. Deductive arguments can be evaluated for validity, a relationship between premises and conclusion involving the claim that the premises provide absolute grounds for accepting the conclusion (i.e. if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true). Two theories of deductive reasoning (mental logic and mental models) dominate the cognitive literature. They differ with respect to the competence knowledge they draw upon, the mental representations they postulate, the mechanisms they invoke, and the neuroanatomical predictions they make. Goel 3 of 38 that Reasoners have an underlying competence knowledge of the inferential role of the closed-form, or logical terms, of the language (e.g. 'all', 'some', 'none', 'and', etc,). The internal representation of arguments preserve the structural properties of the propositional strings in which the premises are stated. A mechanism of inference is applied to these representations to draw conclusions from premises. Essentially, the claim is that deductive reasoning is a rule governed process defined over syntactic strings. 1 and use this knowledge to construct and search alternative scenarios. 2 The internal representation of arguments preserve the structural properties of the world (e.g. spatial relations) that the propositional string are about rather than the structural properties of the propositional strings themselves. The basic claim is that deductive reasoning is a process requiring spatial …
Negative prognostic impact of low absolute CD4+ T cell counts in peripheral blood in mantle cell lymphoma

Tumor microenvironment and host immunity are closely related to outcome in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, few researchers have focused on the prognostic value of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets counts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of lymphocyte subsets and absolute monocyte counts. Sixty‐eight patients were analyzed retrospectively. Absolute CD4+ T cell counts (ACD4C), CD8+ T cell counts, nature killer cell counts, and CD4/CD8 ratios were assessed by peripheral blood flow cytometry and correlated with clinical parameters and long‐term outcomes. The median follow‐up for all patients was 21 months and the median survival time was 44 months. The overall survival (OS) rate at 1, 3, and 5 years was 80%, 51%, and 41%, respectively. In our cohort, high absolute monocyte count, and low ACD4C and CD4/CD8 ratio were associated with unfavorable OS (P = 0.029, P = 0.027, and P = 0.045, respectively) by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis indicated that low ACD4C was a significant predictor of unfavorable OS (P = 0.004) independent of the simplified MCL International Prognostic Index (P = 0.048) in patients treated with or without rituximab (P = 0.011). Low CD4+ T cell counts proved to be a significant predictor of unfavorable OS in patients with MCL.
Chronic Lung Disease, Polycythemia and Congestive Heart Failure: Cardiorespiratory, Vascular and Renal Adjustments in Cor Pulmonale

The relationship of chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure and polycythemia has been examined in 32 subjects including "normal" and "abnormal" controls. The study revealed differences and similarities between cor pulmonale and other types of heart disease. The observations demonstrated a correlation between arterial oxygen tension, as calculated from oxygen content and oxygen capacity, and pulmonary artery pressure. Lowered renal clearance was present in all instances of congestive failure, irrespective of its etiology or of the resting level of cardiac output. It seemed from this preliminary study that bleeding a polycythemic subject with chronic lung disease uncovers a state of oxygen unsaturation that may reflect the conditions which originally led to the development of secondary polycythemia. The possible significance of "oxygen transport" and of altered blood fluidity on the mechanism of heart failure in chronic lung disease is discussed.
Point lattices and oscillating recurrence sequences†

We consider the following question: which real sequences that satisfy a linear recurrence with constant coefficients are positive for sufficiently large n? We show that the answer is negative for both and if the dominating characteristic roots in the representation of as a generalized power sum comprise either two pairs of conjugate complex roots or one negative real root and one pair of conjugate complex roots. The proof uses results from Diophantine approximation and the geometry of numbers. Concerning the case of a real positive dominating root we show what the answer to the question of positivity is for almost all values of the other dominating roots, provided that all dominating roots are simple.
Did the EU Summits Succeed in Convincing the Markets During the Recent Crisis?

Using an event study approach, this article examines whether crisis meetings of European heads of state and government, as well as their agreed and communicated results, had a significant impact on Europe's financial markets. The analysis is based on daily data for seven Member States of the eurozone (France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain), starting in autumn 2008 and covering the time period until April 2012. To summarize the findings, the high‐profile meetings appear to have only minor effects that ceased quickly. Therefore, it can be concluded that investors consider Europe's economic and political crisis management insufficient and its communication strategy little convincing. While controlling for additional effects, it was found that European Central Bank policy measures may have had short‐run effects on bond returns and the exchange rate, but no intended influence on stock prices, except for Italy.
Week to Week Attendance and Competitive Balance in the National Football League

This paper provides empirical support for the Alchian and Allen “shipping the good apples out” hypothesis. The hypothesis version tested here involves estimating the effect of travel cost on the quality of a weekend trip to Cincinnati, where travel cost is measured by time spent in travel and visit quality is measured by the amount of discretionary spending associated with the trip. Using linear regression analysis on data from race participants in the 2008 Flying Pig marathon and half marathon races, strong and robust evidence is found to support the validity of this hypothesis. Specifically, travel distance does indeed have a statistically significant positive but diminishing (with distance traveled) impact on discretionary spending for both marathon and half-marathon participants. The results provide support for this proposition, a variant of the “shipping the good apples out” hypothesis, and add empirical support to the diverse but relatively limited literature on this subject.
One-Step Transepithelial Topography-Guided Ablation in the Treatment of Myopic Astigmatism

Purpose To evaluate one-step topography-guided transepithelial ablation in the treatment of low to moderate myopic astigmatism using a 1KHz excimer laser. Methods Retrospective study of 117 consecutive eyes available for evaluation 12 months after surgery. Pre- and post-operative visual and refractive data as well as post-operative pain and haze were analyzed. A novel technique integrating custom refractive- and epithelial- ablation in a single uninterrupted procedure was used. Results The mean pre-operative spherical equivalent (SE) and the mean cylinder were: –3.22 diopters (D) ±1.54 (SD) (range –0.63 to –7.25 D) and –0.77 D ±0.65 (range 0 to –4.50 D), respectively. At 12 months after surgery: no eyes lost ≥2 lines of corrected distant visual acuity (CDVA). Safety and efficacy indexes were 1.27 and 1.09, respectively. Uncorrected distant visual acuity (UDVA) was ≥20/20 in 96.6% of the eyes. Manifest refraction spherical equivalent was within ±0.5 D of the desired refraction in 93.2% of the eyes. Average root mean square (RMS) wavefront error measured at central 6 mm, increased from 0.38 pre-operatively to 0.47 µm post-operatively. Refractive stability was achieved and sustained 1 month after surgery. No visually significant haze was registered during the observation period. Post-operative pain was reported in 4.5% of patients. Conclusions One-step transepithelial topography-guided treatment for low to moderate myopia and astigmatism performed with a 1 KHz laser, provided safe, effective, predictable and stable results with low pain and no visually significant haze.
Clinical Significance of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) in Insomnia Patients

While periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in some studies has been linked with a range of negative con- sequences, others have questioned the validity of the diagnosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of co-morbid PLMD in terms of daytime impairment in insomnia patients when defined in accordance with the new diagnostic criteria. 64 older adults complaining of insomnia (mean age = 61.9) were included in the study, and as- sessed with polysomnography, a sleep diary, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and a computerized vigilance test. In all, 28 patients had a PLM-index above 15 on at least one polysomnography registration; while the remaining 36 participants served as comparison group (comprising insomniacs patients without co-morbid PLMD). Adjusting for the potential con- founding effects of demographics, apnea/hypopneas and symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS), we found no signifi- cant associations between PLMD and daytime sleepiness (measured with both subjective and objective measures). These findings illustrate that daytime symptoms of insomnia and PLMD may be difficult to distinguish, thus supporting the no- tion that the clinical significance of PLMD may be questionable.
The Social Psychology of Expertise: Case Studies in Research, Professional Domains, and Expert Roles

Contents: Series Foreword. R. Hoffman, Preface. Introduction. Where We Should Start: Cognitive Economics. Essentials of Expertise-in-Context: "The Expert"-Interaction. In a New Light: Organizational Role Conflicts With Experts, and Their Resolution. Case Study I: Experts--Risk--Financial Markets. Case Study II: Predicting Climate Change 1988-1997. Conclusions for the Conceptualization of Expertise-in-Context: Types of Experts, Uncertainty, Insecurity. Conclusions for Management With Experts: The Expert Role Approach.
Glutathione transferases in the urine: sensitive methods for detection of kidney damage induced by nephrotoxic agents in humans.

With the aid of immunohistochemical methods the localization of the various isoenzymes of glutathione S-transferase was investigated. The alpha isoenzyme was present solely in the proximal tubular cells of the human kidney, while the pi form was restricted to the distal convoluted tubules, the thin loop of Henle, and the collecting ducts. Damage to the epithelial cell membranes results in the increased excretion of these enzymes with the urine. The alpha and pi isoenzymes have been isolated in a highly purified form and used for the production of polyclonal antisera. Subsequently, radioimmunological and ELISA techniques were developed for quantitation of these proteins in the urine; the methods exhibited a high specificity and were sufficiently sensitive to determine nanogram quantities or less. Disease affecting tubular function, cyclosporine A treatment, administration of nephrotoxic antibiotics, and exposure to cadmium all resulted in characteristic changes in the pattern of the glutathione transferase isoenzymes present in urine. Such effects were seen also in patients who had previously been exposed to nephrotoxic agents, but in whom conventional tests for kidney function were apparently normal. Thus, it appears that radioimmunologic or immunochemical quantitation of alpha and pi forms of the enzyme can be used as sensitive and relatively simple markers for the early detection of toxic effects with respect to the renal tubuli. ImagesFigure 1. AFigure 1. BFigure 3.
Effects of Financial Distress Condition on the Company Performance: A Malaysian Perspective

This study was aim to assess the performance of Malaysian companies after suffering from a financial distress condition. Many companies post abnormal profits during their first few years, but the profits are not sustainable. So they face another restructuring petition or face winding up completely. To be able to show positive results after emergence, companies must improve their performance compared to previous financial results which led to downturn. The performance of companies emerging from a distress condition was assessed by the improvement of stock prices and other financial ratios that indicated the company is performing better compared to pre-bankruptcy period. This is a qualitative study where data collected from Bursa Saham Malaysia. The results show that company performance (ROE, EBIT/TA, EPS), successful company reorganisation, and management change affect stock prices positively. Whereas, the performance of second distress condition companies affect stock price performance negatively.
What Makes a Successful Futures Contract?

China's stock index futures contract, known as the Hushen 300 Index futures, was launched just over three years ago on April 16, 2010. It has developed into one of China's most successful futures contracts in terms of trading volume, despite the declining underlying stock market. This study investigates the root causes of its success. The most important contributing factors are the difficulty in margin trading and short selling of the underlying stock market index, the continual loosening of regulations, and the improved futures contract's price-discovery functions. Although the spot market seems to have led the price-discovery process over the entire period, there have recently been significant improvements in the futures market's price-discovery functions and cross-market information flows.
deficient Mice α Promotion as Revealed by TNF-) in Tumor α ( TNF-α Essential Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor Updated

To examine the hypothesis that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)a is an essential cytokine in carcinogenesis, we conducted two-stage carcinogenesis experiments with an initiator, 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), plus either of two tumor promoters, okadaic acid and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol13-acetate (TPA), on the skin of TNFa-deficient (TNF) mice. TNF mice treated with DMBA plus okadaic acid developed no tumors for up to 19 weeks, and at 20 weeks, the percentage of tumor-bearing TNF 2/2 mice was 10%, whereas the percentage of tumor-bearing TNF mice was 100%. In TNF mice treated with DMBA plus TPA, tumor onset was delayed 4 weeks, and the time to development of small tumors in 100% of mice was 9 weeks later than that seen in TNF CD-1 mice. The average number of tumors in TPA-treated TNF mice was 2.8, compared with 11.8 for TNF CD-1 mice. To understand the residual tumor-promoting activity in TNF mice, we also investigated the possible significance of interleukin (IL) 1 as an additional cytokine in tumor promotion. A single application of TPA and okadaic acid increasedIL-1a and IL-1b gene expression in TNF mice. All of our results demonstrate that TNF-a is the key cytokine for tumor promotion in mouse skin and, very possibly, for carcinogenesis in humans as well.