Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A web survey analysis of subjective well-being

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of work conditions and job characteristics with respect to three subjective well-being (SWB) indicators: life satisfaction, job satisfaction and satisfaction with work-life balance. From a methodological point of view, the paper shows how social sciences can benefit from the use of voluntary web survey data. Design/methodology/approach - – The paper makes use of a large sample of individual data obtained from voluntary web surveys collected as part of the WageIndicator project. The sample includes extensive information on the quality of working conditions together with different well-being indicators. The propensity score adjustment weights are used to improve the sample performance. Findings - – The results shed light on the importance of certain job characteristics not only in determining job satisfaction, but also in other SWB domains. The findings support the theory of spillover perspectives, according to which satisfaction in one domain affects other domains. Research limitations/implications - – As a voluntary web-survey, WageIndicator is affected by selection bias. The validity of the sample can be improved by weighting, but this adjustment should be made and tested on a country-by-country basis. Originality/value - – The paper provides analysis of the quality of a web survey not commonly used in happiness research. The subsequent presentation of the effects of working conditions on several satisfaction domains represents a contribution to the literature.
A Performance Monitoring Approach to Fusing Enhanced Spectrogram Channels in Robust Speech Recognition

An implementation of a performance monitoring approach to feature channel integration in robust automatic speech recognition is presented. Motivated by psychophysical evidence in human speech perception, the approach combines multiple feature channels using a closed loop criterion relating to the over-all performance of the system. The multiple feature channels correspond to an ensemble of reconstructed spectrograms generated by applying multiresolution discrete wavelet transform analysis-synthesis ﬁlter-banks to corrupted speech spec-trograms. The spectrograms associated with these feature channels differ in the degree to which information has been suppressed in multiple scales and frequency bands. The performance of this approach is evaluated in both the Aurora 2 and the Aurora 3 speech in noise task domains.
Semantic attribute knowledge in adults with right and left hemisphere damage

Abstract This study investigated the nature of semantic attribute knowledge in subjects with left and right hemisphere brain damage and subjects with no brain damage. The relationship between attribute knowledge and both auditory comprehension level and naming skills was also studied. Subjects completed a sorting task involving high, mid, and low frequency of occurrence nouns and high (HI) and low importance (LI) attributes. Subjects also named pictures of the stimulus nouns. While the identification of HI attributes remained intact, left and right hemisphere-damaged subjects exhibited equivalent reductions in identification of LI attributes across frequency levels. In contrast, the left hemisphere-damaged subjects were significantly more impaired on comprehension and naming measures than were the right hemisphere-damaged subjects. Comprehension and naming performance demonstrated a systematic relationship with attribute knowledge in the left hemisphere-damaged subjects only.
Lipoteichoic Acid (LTA) and Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Periodontal Pathogenic Bacteria Facilitate Oncogenic Herpesvirus Infection within Primary Oral Cells

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) remains the most common tumor arising in patients with HIV/AIDS, and involvement of the oral cavity represents one of the most common clinical manifestations of this tumor. HIV infection incurs an increased risk for periodontal diseases and oral carriage of a variety of bacteria. Whether interactions involving pathogenic bacteria and oncogenic viruses in the local environment facilitate replication or maintenance of these viruses in the oral cavity remains unknown. In the current study, our data indicate that pretreatment of primary human oral fibroblasts with two prototypical pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) produced by oral pathogenic bacteria–lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), increase KSHV entry and subsequent viral latent gene expression during de novo infection. Further experiments demonstrate that the underlying mechanisms induced by LTA and/or LPS include upregulation of cellular receptor, increasing production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activating intracellular signaling pathways such as MAPK and NF-κB, and all of which are closely associated with KSHV entry or gene expression within oral cells. Based on these findings, we hope to provide the framework of developing novel targeted approaches for treatment and prevention of oral KSHV infection and KS development in high-risk HIV-positive patients.
A Consolidated Theoretical View of Stimulus-List Organization Effects in Free Recall

This paper presents a theoretically oriented view of much of the evidence about the effects of different ways of arranging conceptually categorized materials for presentation. Most basically, the evidence indicates that blocking instances of the same category together, rather than “randomizing” them, reliably produces greater category clustering, whereas total recall is significantly augmented only about half of the time. The consolidated theoretical view described here incorporates most of the existing explanatory notions. It stresses initially that stimulus-list organization influences the probability that related items will be in short-term storage simultaneously and will thereby be more effectively processed or encoded for transfer to long-term storage. A more recent development emphasizes the additional influence of input organization upon retrieval cues, plans, codes, etc., for facilitating output from long-term storage. Finally, the newest extension of the basic position proposes slightly different sources of cueing for recall of categories and recall of items within categories.
A SIKH PERSPECTIVE ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PUNJABI-SIKH PATIENTS

This paper presents a Sikh perspective on the use of alcohol and drugs. In doing so, it takes into account the dichotomy that exists between Sikh ethical values and the Punjabi cultural attitude toward alcohol and drugs. It further discusses the Sikh perspective on treating substance-related disorders in the light of contemporary approaches to addiction, such as the bio-psychosocial model and the Alcoholics Anonymous twelve-step program. The paper concludes by highlighting the treatment issues that need to be taken into consideration when helping Punjabi-Sikh patients recover from alcohol or drug related addiction.
In Vitro Antioxidant Properties of Flavonoids and Polysaccharides Extract from Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Leaves

In the present study, antioxidant properties of flavonoids and polysaccharides from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves were evaluated in several in vitro systems, e.g., scavenging activities on hydroxyl, superoxide anion, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radicals, and reducing power. Flavonoids showed much better activity than polysaccharides in scavenging activities on free radicals. When compared to the positive control, ascorbic acid, both showed weaker antioxidant potential. However, flavonoids possessed comparable superoxide anion, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging abilities to ascorbic acid at high concentration (600 μg/mL). Meanwhile, it was found that flavonoids had prominent effects on the reducing power, which was equivalent to ascorbic acid, and was significantly higher than polysaccharides. These results clearly indicate that flavonoids are effective in scavenging free radicals and have the potential to be powerful antioxidants. Thus, tobacco leaves could be considered as a potential source of natural antioxidants for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics or nutraceutical industries.
Utilization of MRI for Cerebral White Matter Injury in a Hypobaric Swine Model-Validation of Technique.

BACKGROUND Repetitive hypobaric exposure in humans induces subcortical white matter change, observable on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and associated with cognitive impairment. Similar findings occur in traumatic brain injury (TBI). We are developing a swine MRI-driven model to understand the pathophysiology and to develop treatment interventions. METHODS Five miniature pigs (Sus scrofa domestica) were repetitively exposed to nonhypoxic hypobaria (30,000 feet/FIO2 100%/transcutaneous PO2 >90%) while under general anesthesia. Three pigs served as controls. Pre-exposure and postexposure MRIs were obtained that included structural sequences, dynamic contrast perfusion, and diffusion tensor quantification. Statistical comparison of individual subject and group change was performed utilizing a two-tailed t test. FINDINGS No structural imaging change was noted on T2-weighted or three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging between MRI 1 and MRI 2. No absolute difference in dynamic contrast perfusion was observed. A trend (p = 0.084) toward increase in interstitial extra-axonal fluid was noted. When individual subjects were examined, this trend toward increased extra-axonal fluid paralleled a decrease in contrast perfusion rate. DISCUSSION/IMPACT/RECOMMENDATIONS This study demonstrates high reproducibility of quantitative noninvasive MRI, suggesting MRI is an appropriate assessment tool for TBI and hypobaric-induced injury research in swine. The lack of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery change may be multifactorial and requires further investigation. A trend toward increased extra-axonal water content that negatively correlates with dynamic contrast perfusion implies generalized axonal injury was induced. This study suggests this is a potential model for hypobaric-induced injury as well as potentially other axonal injuries such as TBI in which similar subcortical white matter change occurs. Further development of this model is necessary.
Attitudes to School and the Curriculum in Year 2 and Year 4: changes over two years

The attitudes of Year 2 boys and girls drawn from six randomly selected primary schools within one local education authority (LEA) towards school and school activities were measured using the 38 item ‘Smiley’ instrument. The same measure was given to the same children 2 years later to explore the effect of experience on infant children's attitudes. Using sex and occasions as the independent variables, a repeated measures two‐way analysis of variance was performed for each of the items. The results showed a significant interaction between sex and occasion on three items—’doing mathematics’ (girls became significantly more negative), ‘reading to the teacher’ and ‘writing poems’ (boys became significantly less happy). Boys and girls differed in their attitudes to several school activities consistently and significantly. The results are discussed in the light of other research into gender and school subject preferences.
Genetic, Cultural and Geographical Distances

This paper investigates how the measures of genetic distance between populations, which have been used in anthropology and historical linguistics, can be used in economics. What does the correlation between genetic distance and economic variables mean? Using the measure of genetic distance, a newly-collected database on transport costs, as well as more refined measures of geography within Europe, we show that i) geography explains both genetic distance and transportation costs between European countries, and ii) genetic distance does not explain economic outcomes once we control for geography. We conclude that genetic distance in economics capture transportation costs between countries and not cultural differences.
Exploring the role of emotion in conflict transformation

This study examines the idea that attention to emotion in conflict management leads to conflict transformation. An experimental design compared mediated and negotiated conflict simulations in which participants were primed to discuss emotions as they moved toward agreement. Participants in the mediation group reported increased positive affect, decreased negative affect, and improved perception of other following the simulation. The negotiation group reported decreased positive affect, increased negative affect, and no difference in perception of other, yet they reported increased satisfaction. Mediated agreements included reference to the ongoing relationship, whereas negotiated agreements included tit-for-tat arrangements. Implications for organizational conflict management are discussed.
LONG‐DISTANCE GENE FLOW IN THE SEDENTARY BUTTERFLY, EUPHILOTES ENOPTES (LEPIDOPTERA: LYCAENIDAE)

The relationship between gene flow and geographic proximity has been assessed for many insect species, but dispersal distances are poorly known for most of these. Thus, we are able to assess the concordance between vagility and gene flow for only a few species. In this study, I documented variation at six allozyme loci among Washington and Oregon populations of the sedentary, patchily distributed, lycaenid butterfly, Euphilotes enoptes (Boisduval) to assess whether the relationship between gene flow and geographic distance is consistent with the dispersal biology of this species. Both a phenogram based on genetic distances between populations and a regression analysis of gene flow estimates on geographic distances showed a pattern consistent with genetic isolation by distance. Many estimates of gene flow among pairs of populations separated by more than 100 km exceeded the equivalent of 10 individuals exchanged per generation, a value much greater than would be predicted from the limited dispersal ability of this species. However, based on the allozyme data, genetic neighborhood size was estimated to be approximately 39 individuals, a value that is consistent with poor vagility. The results of this study speak to the power of stepping‐stone gene flow among populations and are compared to the results of other studies that have examined the relationship between dispersal and gene flow in sedentary insects.
Coupling Semi-Supervised Learning of Categories and Relations

We consider semi-supervised learning of information extraction methods, especially for extracting instances of noun categories (e.g., 'athlete', 'team') and relations (e.g., 'playsForTeam(athlete, team)'). Semi-supervised approaches using a small number of labeled examples together with many un-labeled examples are often unreliable as they frequently produce an internally consistent, but nevertheless incorrect set of extractions. We propose that this problem can be overcome by simultaneously learning classifiers for many different categories and relations in the presence of an ontology defining constraints that couple the training of these classifiers. Experimental results show that simultaneously learning a coupled collection of classifiers for 30 categories and relations results in much more accurate extractions than training classifiers individually.
Access to computing for home-based students

ABSTRACT A home computing policy was introduced by the Open University (OU) in 1988. Students registered to study specified courses are responsible for making arrangements for access to a microcomputer of a suitable specification (IBM compatible) as an essential part of their studies. Over 4,000 students enrolled on the three specified courses in 1988 and 11,000 enrolled on five courses in 1989. This is, then, the largest educational initiative in Europe using home-based computers. On the basis of evaluation data collected over two years, this paper discusses the impact of this initiative on students and a wide variety of OU staff, in particular the consequences for registered students in terms of their access to different parts of the institution's teaching system, e.g. additional help from central or regional staff to cope with the new demands of home computing. The paper suggests that differences in the student body that have always been significant in terms of access (particularly gender, income and g.
Potential Biomarkers of Insulin Resistance and Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with coronary artery disease have become a major public health concern. The occurrence of insulin resistance accompanied with endothelial dysfunction worsens the state of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The combination of insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction leads to coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease complications. A recognized biological marker, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, has been used widely to assess the progression of atherosclerosis and inflammation. Along with coronary arterial damage and inflammatory processes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein is considered as an essential atherosclerosis marker in patients with cardiovascular disease, but not as an insulin resistance marker in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. A new biological marker that can act as a reliable indicator of both the exact state of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis is required to facilitate optimal health management of diabetic patients. Malfunctioning of insulin mechanism and endothelial dysfunction leads to innate immune activation and released several biological markers into circulation. This review examines potential biological markers, YKL-40, alpha-hydroxybutyrate, soluble CD36, leptin, resistin, interleukin-18, retinol binding protein-4, and chemerin, as they may play significant roles in insulin resistance and atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with coronary artery disease.
THE IMPACT OF EMOTIONAL DISSONANCE ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL‐BEING: THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE INTERNALISATION AS A MEDIATING VARIABLE

Over the last ten years, increasing attention has been given to employees' displays of emotions to customers during service transactions and particularly to how organisations try to control these emotional displays (Adelmann, 1989; Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Hochschild, 1983; Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987, 1989; Wharton & Erickson, 1993). The act of expressing organisationally‐desired emotions during service interactions has been labelled emotional labour (Ashforth & Humphrey, 1993; Hochschild, 1983). The issue in emotional labour research which has received the most focus has been “emotional dissonance”, that is, the state of discomfort generated in employees when they have to express emotions which they do not genuinely feel (Middleton, 1989). In large part, this attention to emotional dissonance has been based on the potential negative consequences that emotional dissonance can have for workers psychological well being (Hochschild, 1983; Erickson, 1991; Rafaeli & Sutton, 1987; Wharton, 1993). This study seeks.
Enablers and Barriers to Large-Scale Uptake of Improved Solid Fuel Stoves: A Systematic Review

Background: Globally, 2.8 billion people rely on household solid fuels. Reducing the resulting adverse health, environmental, and development consequences will involve transitioning through a mix of clean fuels and improved solid fuel stoves (IS) of demonstrable effectiveness. To date, achieving uptake of IS has presented significant challenges. Objectives: We performed a systematic review of factors that enable or limit large-scale uptake of IS in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We conducted systematic searches through multidisciplinary databases, specialist websites, and consulting experts. The review drew on qualitative, quantitative, and case studies and used standardized methods for screening, data extraction, critical appraisal, and synthesis. We summarized our findings as “factors” relating to one of seven domains—fuel and technology characteristics; household and setting characteristics; knowledge and perceptions; finance, tax, and subsidy aspects; market development; regulation, legislation, and standards; programmatic and policy mechanisms—and also recorded issues that impacted equity. Results: We identified 31 factors influencing uptake from 57 studies conducted in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. All domains matter. Although factors such as offering technologies that meet household needs and save fuel, user training and support, effective financing, and facilitative government action appear to be critical, none guarantee success: All factors can be influential, depending on context. The nature of available evidence did not permit further prioritization. Conclusions: Achieving adoption and sustained use of IS at a large scale requires that all factors, spanning household/community and program/societal levels, be assessed and supported by policy. We propose a planning tool that would aid this process and suggest further research to incorporate an evaluation of effectiveness. Citation: Rehfuess EA, Puzzolo E, Stanistreet D, Pope D, Bruce NG. 2014. Enablers and barriers to large-scale uptake of improved solid fuel stoves: a systematic review. Environ Health Perspect 122:120–130; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1306639
Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among US Adolescents, 1999−2008

OBJECTIVE: Overweight and obesity during adolescence are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The objective of this study was to examine the recent trends in the prevalence of selected biological CVD risk factors and the prevalence of these risk factors by overweight/obesity status among US adolescents. METHODS: The NHANES is a cross-sectional, stratified, multistage probability sample survey of the US civilian, noninstitutionalized population. The study sample included 3383 participants aged 12 to 19 years from the 1999 through 2008 NHANES. RESULTS: Among the US adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, the overall prevalence was 14% for prehypertension/hypertension, 22% for borderline-high/high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 6% for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (<35 mg/dL), and 15% for prediabetes/diabetes during the survey period from 1999 to 2008. No significant change in the prevalence of prehypertension/hypertension (17% and 13%) and borderline-high/high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (23% and 19%) was observed from 1999–2000 to 2007–2008, but the prevalence of prediabetes/diabetes increased from 9% to 23%. A consistent dose-response increase in the prevalence of each of these CVD risk factors was observed by weight categories: the estimated 37%, 49%, and 61% of the overweight, obese, and normal-weight adolescents, respectively, had at least 1 of these CVD risk factors during the 1999 through 2008 study period. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this national study indicate that US adolescents carry a substantial burden of CVD risk factors, especially those youth who are overweight or obese.