Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive Relationship Between Family Support Partners and Caregiver Empowerment Levels

Predictive Relationship Between Family Support Partners and Caregiver Empowerment Levels by Kelli Deanne Taylor MA, Webster University, 2003 BA, University of Arkansas Little Rock, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology Walden University August 2021 Abstract In recent years, family support partners (FSPs) have been hired to work in the behavioral health care system for the state in which this study was conducted. FSPs are legacy caregivers, meaning they have raised a child with a mental health illness. At the time of this study, there was not a set criterion in the state to measure the effectiveness or benefits of FSPs working with families. The purpose of this quantitative, correlationalIn recent years, family support partners (FSPs) have been hired to work in the behavioral health care system for the state in which this study was conducted. FSPs are legacy caregivers, meaning they have raised a child with a mental health illness. At the time of this study, there was not a set criterion in the state to measure the effectiveness or benefits of FSPs working with families. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine whether a caregiver’s level of empowerment, as measured by the Family Empowerment Scale (FES), was increased through working with an FSP. Social learning theory provided the framework for the study. Survey data were collected from 93 caregivers using the FES. Simultaneous multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive relationship between the caregiver’s gender, age, ethnicity, length of time as a caregiver of a child or youth with a mental health illness, and length of time the caregiver worked with an FSP, and the level of caregiver empowerment on the family, service system, and community/political levels. On the family level, caregiver age and length of time the caregiver worked with an FSP were statistically significant predictors. On the service system level, length of time the caregiver worked with an FSP was a statistically significant predictor. On the community/political level, caregiver age, ethnicity, and length of time the caregiver worked with an FSP were statistically significant predictors. Length of time the caregiver worked with an FSP was the only variable shown to be statistically significant on all 3 levels. Findings may be used to support peer specialists in the state this study was conducted and other states, not only in the mental health field, but in additional fields as well. Predictive Relationship Between Family Support Partners and Caregiver Empowerment Levels by Kelli Deanne Taylor MA, Webster University, 2003 BA, University of Arkansas Little Rock, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Clinical Psychology
An Anatomy of Credit Booms: Evidence from Macro Aggregates and Micro Data

This paper proposes a methodology for measuring credit booms and uses it to identify credit booms in emerging and industrial economies over the past four decades. In addition, we use event study methods to identify the key empirical regularities of credit booms in macroeconomic aggregates and micro-level data. Macro data show a systematic relationship between credit booms and economic expansions, rising asset prices, real appreciations, widening external deficits and managed exchange rates. Micro data show a strong association between credit booms and firm-level measures of leverage, firm values, and external financing, and bank-level indicators of banking fragility. Credit booms in industrial and emerging economies show three major differences: (1) credit booms and the macro and micro fluctuations associated with them are larger in emerging economies, particularly in the nontradables sector; (2) not all credit booms end in financial crises, but most emerging markets crises were associated with credit booms; and (3) credit booms in emerging economies are often preceded by large capital inflows but not by financial reforms or productivity gains.
Effect of pH on the Rate of Curing and Bioadhesive Properties of Dopamine Functionalized Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels

The remarkable underwater adhesion strategy employed by mussels has inspired bioadhesives that have demonstrated promise in connective tissue repair, wound closure, and local delivery of therapeutic cells and drugs. While the pH of oxygenated blood and internal tissues is typically around 7.4, skin and tumor tissues are significantly more acidic. Additionally, blood loss during surgery and ischemia can lead to dysoxia, which lowers pH levels of internal tissues and organs. Using 4-armed PEG end-capped with dopamine (PEG-D) as a model adhesive polymer, the effect of pH on the rate of intermolecular cross-linking and adhesion to biological substrates of catechol-containing adhesives was determined. Adhesive formulated at an acidic pH (pH 5.7–6.7) demonstrated reduced curing rate, mechanical properties, and adhesive performance to pericardium tissues. Although a faster curing rate was observed at pH 8, these adhesives also demonstrated reduced mechanical and bioadhesive properties when compared to adhesives buffered at pH 7.4. Adhesives formulated at pH 7.4 demonstrated a good balance of fast curing rate, elevated mechanical properties and interfacial binding ability. UV–vis spectroscopy evaluation revealed that the stability of the transient oxidation intermediate of dopamine was increased under acidic conditions, which likely reduced the rate of intermolecular cross-linking and bulk cohesive properties for hydrogels formulated at these pH levels. At pH 8, competing cross-linking reaction mechanisms and reduced concentration of dopamine catechol due to auto-oxidation likely reduced the degree of dopamine polymerization and adhesive strength for these hydrogels. pH plays an important role in the adhesive performance of mussel-inspired bioadhesives and the pH of the adhesive formulation needs to be adjusted for the intended application.
The Declining Significance of Marriage: Changing Family Life in the United States

This paper reviews the roles of divorce, nonmarital childbearing, and cohabitation in the changing family contexts of children, and then provides new estimates of current family composition which incorporate cohabitation. The underlying process is viewed in terms of the declining significance of marriage linked to long-term trends in individuation. Half of all children in the U.S. will spend some time in a single-parent family, and nonmarital childbearing is an important factor creating these families. At the same time, increased cohabitation requires that family definitions based on marital status be replaced with those that include cohabitation. A sixth of traditionally defined “mother-only” families are cohabiting two-parent families, and the onefourth of current stepfamilies that are cohabiting are missed by marriage-based definitions.
Expressive speech synthesis: evaluation of a voice quality centered coder on the different acoustic dimensions

Expressive speech is intrinsically multi-dimensional. Each acoustic dimension has specific weights depending on the nature of the expressed affects. The quantity of expressive information carried by each dimension separately (using Praat algorithms), as well as the processing implied to carry it (global value vs. contour) has been perceptively measured for a set of natural mono-syllabic utterances (Audibert et al, 2005). It has been shown that no parameter alone is able to carry the whole emotion information, F0 contours or global values revealed to bring more information on positive expressions, voice quality and duration conveyed more information on negative expressions, and the intensity contours did not bring any significant information when used alone. These selected stimuli, expressing anxiety, disappointment, disgust, disquiet, joy, resignation and sadness were resynthesized with an LF-ARX algorithm, and evaluated in the same perceptive protocol extended to the three voice quality parameters (source, filter and residue). The comparison of results between natural, TD-PSOLA resynthesized and LFARX resynthesized stimuli (1) globally confirms the relative weights of each dimension (2) diagnoses local minor artifacts of resynthesis (3) validates the efficiency of the LF-ARX algorithm (4) measures the relative importance of each of the three LF-ARX parameters.
The Cost of Constraints: Risk Management, Agency Theory and Asset Prices

Traditional academic literature has relied on so-called "limits to arbitrage" theories to explain why investment managers are unable to eliminate the effects of investor "irrational" preferences (either the asset-pricing anomalies or the behavioral finance literature) on asset pricing. We demonstrate, however, that investment managers may not eliminate the observed asset-pricing anomalies because they may contribute to their existence. We show that if managers face constraints such as a "tracking-error constraint," coupled with the need to hold liquidity to meet redemptions or to actively-manage investments, they optimally hold higher-volatility securities in their portfolios. Investment constraints, such as tracking-error constraints, however, reduce the principal-agent problems inherent in delegated asset management and serve as effective risk-control tools. Liquidity reserves allow managers to meet redemptions or redeploy risks efficiently. We prove that investment managers will combine a portfolio of active risks (a so-called "alpha portfolio") for a given level of liquidity with a hedging portfolio designed to control tracking error. As the demand for either liquidity or active management increases presumably because of confidence in alpha, the cost of maintaining the tracking-error constraint increases in that the investment managers must finance these demands by selling more lower-volatility securities and holding more higher volatility securities. With more demand for the "alpha" portfolio, managers are forced to buy more of the tracking-error control portfolio. Investment managers and their investors are willing to hold inefficient portfolios and to give up returns, if necessary, to control the tracking-error of their portfolios. Given the liquidity and tracking-error constraints, investment managers concentrate more of their holdings in higher volatility (higher beta) securities. And, we show that it is optimal for investors to limit their manager's use of leverage, which implies that leverage has a different cost other than the cost of borrowing exceeding the return from lending. Empirically, we show that active investment managers, such as mutual funds, hold portfolios that concentrate in higher volatility securities. Moreover, when they change their holdings of their "alpha" portfolios (reduce or increase their tracking error by choice), the relative prices of higher volatility stocks change according to the predictions of the model. That is, if investment managers move closer to a market portfolio, the prices of lower-volatility stocks rise more than the prices of higher-volatility stocks given changes in the prices of other market factors.
Genetic Determinism of Sensitivity to Corynespora cassiicola Exudates in Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis)

An indirect phenotyping method was developed in order to estimate the susceptibility of rubber tree clonal varieties to Corynespora Leaf Fall (CLF) disease caused by the ascomycete Corynespora cassiicola. This method consists in quantifying the impact of fungal exudates on detached leaves by measuring the induced electrolyte leakage (EL%). The tested exudates were either crude culture filtrates from diverse C. cassiicola isolates or the purified cassiicolin (Cas1), a small secreted effector protein produced by the aggressive isolate CCP. The test was found to be quantitative, with the EL% response proportional to toxin concentration. For eight clones tested with two aggressive isolates, the EL% response to the filtrates positively correlated to the response induced by conidial inoculation. The toxicity test applied to 18 clones using 13 toxinic treatments evidenced an important variability among clones and treatments, with a significant additional clone x treatment interaction effect. A genetic linkage map was built using 306 microsatellite markers, from the F1 population of the PB260 x RRIM600 family. Phenotyping of the population for sensitivity to the purified Cas1 effector and to culture filtrates from seven C. cassiicola isolates revealed a polygenic determinism, with six QTL detected on five chromosomes and percentages of explained phenotypic variance varying from 11 to 17%. Two common QTL were identified for the CCP filtrate and the purified cassiicolin, suggesting that Cas1 may be the main effector of CCP filtrate toxicity. The CCP filtrate clearly contrasted with all other filtrates. The toxicity test based on Electrolyte Leakage Measurement offers the opportunity to assess the sensitivity of rubber genotypes to C. cassiicola exudates or purified effectors for genetic investigations and early selection, without risk of spreading the fungus in plantations. However, the power of this test for predicting field susceptibility of rubber clones to CLF will have to be further investigated.
Organizational culture of Czech manufacturing companies: An empirical typology*

The contribution presents the results of research into organizational culture of Czech manufacturing companies. The study was carried out on a sample of respondents from top, medium and low management from 74 companies. The analysis of organizational culture was performed on the levels of values, norms and selected aspects of perceiving and behaving which are shared in the organization. The data obtained through questionnaires were processed by means of factor and cluster analyses. The research has resulted in an empirical typology presenting the typical contents of organizational culture of Czech manufacturing companies. Der Beitrag prasentiert Forschungsergebnisse uber Organisationskultur in tschechischen Produktionsbetrieben. Die Studie wurde unter Vertretern der hoheren, mittleren und niederen Managementebenen aus 74 Unternehmen durchgefuhrt. Die Analyse der Organisationskultur konzentrierte sich auf Werte, Normen und ausgewahlte Aspekte von Wahrnehmung und Verhalten, die in einer Organisation geteilt werden. Die durch Frageboegen gewonnenen Daten wurden mittels Faktor- und Cluster-Analysen ausgewertet. Im Ergebnis wurde eine emirische Typologie abgeleitet, welche die typischen Inhalte der Organisationskultur in tschechischen Produktionsbetrieben widerspiegelt.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular disease by age and years since menopause.

CONTEXT The timing of initiation of hormone therapy may influence its effect on cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE To explore whether the effects of hormone therapy on risk of cardiovascular disease vary by age or years since menopause began. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized controlled trials of hormone therapy in which 10,739 postmenopausal women who had undergone a hysterectomy were randomized to conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) or placebo and 16,608 postmenopausal women who had not had a hysterectomy were randomized to CEE plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (CEE + MPA) or placebo. Women aged 50 to 79 years were recruited to the study from 40 US clinical centers between September 1993 and October 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Statistical test for trend of the effect of hormone therapy on coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke across categories of age and years since menopause in the combined trials. RESULTS In the combined trials, there were 396 cases of CHD and 327 cases of stroke in the hormone therapy group vs 370 [corrected] cases of CHD and 239 cases of stroke in the placebo group. For women with less than 10 years since menopause began, the hazard ratio (HR) for CHD was 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-1.16); 10 to 19 years, 1.10 (95% CI, 0.84-1.45); and 20 or more years, 1.28 (95% CI, 1.03-1.58) (P for trend = .02). The estimated absolute excess risk for CHD for women within 10 years of menopause was -6 per 10,000 person-years; for women 10 to 19 years since menopause began, 4 per 10,000 person-years; and for women 20 or more years from menopause onset, 17 per 10,000 person-years. For the age group of 50 to 59 years, the HR for CHD was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.65-1.33) and the absolute excess risk was -2 per 10,000 person-years; 60 to 69 years, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.79-1.21) and -1 per 10,000 person-years; and 70 to 79 years, 1.26 (95% CI, 1.00-1.59) and 19 per 10,000 person-years (P for trend = .16). Hormone therapy increased the risk of stroke (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12-1.56). Risk did not vary significantly by age or time since menopause. There was a nonsignificant tendency for the effects of hormone therapy on total mortality to be more favorable in younger than older women (HR of 0.70 for 50-59 years; 1.05 for 60-69 years, and 1.14 for 70-79 years; P for trend = .06). CONCLUSIONS Women who initiated hormone therapy closer to menopause tended to have reduced CHD risk compared with the increase in CHD risk among women more distant from menopause, but this trend test did not meet our criterion for statistical significance. A similar nonsignificant trend was observed for total mortality but the risk of stroke was elevated regardless of years since menopause. These data should be considered in regard to the short-term treatment of menopausal symptoms. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000611.
Novel energy-efficient scalable soft-output SSFE MIMO detector architectures

Energy-efficient scalable soft-output signal detectors are of significant interest in emerging Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communication systems. However, traditional high-performance MIMO detectors consume a rather high amount of power, are typically constraint to one modulation scheme and are not scalable with the number of antennas. Hence, they are not well-suited for future energy-efficient Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms. This paper presents two energy-efficient scalable MIMO detector architectures: one optimized for high throughput, one for low area. Both architectures support 16-QAM as well as 64-QAM while offering soft-output and near-ML performance. The 2×2 high-throughput architecture was implemented in CMOS 65nm technology and subsequently scaled to 4×4 and 8×8. The 4×4 instance provides up to 300Mbps throughput while consuming only 0.3mm2 area and 28mW power. The 8×8 instance offers a throughput 10× better than the state-of-the-art while consuming 2/3 less power. Thus, the proposed near-ML Selective Spanning with Fast Enumeration (SSFE) based detector architectures are not only multi-standard capable and scalable, they are also highly efficient.
Geographically Weighted Regression: A Natural Evolution of the Expansion Method for Spatial Data Analysis

Geographically weighted regression and the expansion method are two statistical techniques which can be used to examine the spatial variability of regression results across a region and so inform on the presence of spatial nonstationarity. Rather than accept one set of ‘global’ regression results, both techniques allow the possibility of producing ‘local’ regression results from any point within the region so that the output from the analysis is a set of mappable statistics which denote local relationships. Within the paper, the application of each technique to a set of health data from northeast England is compared. Geographically weighted regression is shown to produce more informative results regarding parameter variation over space.
Bacterial Leaf Symbiosis in Angiosperms: Host Specificity without Co-Speciation

Bacterial leaf symbiosis is a unique and intimate interaction between bacteria and flowering plants, in which endosymbionts are organized in specialized leaf structures. Previously, bacterial leaf symbiosis has been described as a cyclic and obligate interaction in which the endosymbionts are vertically transmitted between plant generations and lack autonomous growth. Theoretically this allows for co-speciation between leaf nodulated plants and their endosymbionts. We sequenced the nodulated Burkholderia endosymbionts of 54 plant species from known leaf nodulated angiosperm genera, i.e. Ardisia, Pavetta, Psychotria and Sericanthe. Phylogenetic reconstruction of bacterial leaf symbionts and closely related free-living bacteria indicates the occurrence of multiple horizontal transfers of bacteria from the environment to leaf nodulated plant species. This rejects the hypothesis of a long co-speciation process between the bacterial endosymbionts and their host plants. Our results indicate a recent evolutionary process towards a stable and host specific interaction confirming the proposed maternal transmission mode of the endosymbionts through the seeds. Divergence estimates provide evidence for a relatively recent origin of bacterial leaf symbiosis, dating back to the Miocene (5–23 Mya). This geological epoch was characterized by cool and arid conditions, which may have triggered the origin of bacterial leaf symbiosis.
Investigating the Relationships between Seventh and Eighth Grade Science Teachers' Background, Self-efficacy toward Teaching Science as Inquiry, and Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control

An important component of science reform is the teaching of science as inquiry. Many barriers toward teaching science as inquiry have been documented but the list is incomplete. This study utilized a non-experimental correlational design to examine middle school science teachers’ background and the relationships this has with teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers’ attitudes and beliefs on classroom control. Because science inquiry activities involve greater classroom control skills by the instructor as opposed to teacher-centered instruction, the relationship between teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers’ attitudes and beliefs on classroom control were important features in framing the research questions for this study. Packets containing a teacher background survey, the Teaching Science as Inquiry (TSI) instrument and the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control – Revised (ABCCR) instrument were mailed to 303 science teachers representing all schools in Montana that offer 7th and 8th grade science. There were 132 completed and returned packets for a response rate of 43.6%. Thirteen teacher background independent variables were used for between group comparisons and regression analyses with the TSI and instruction management (IM) and people management (PM) subscales of the ABCC-R which served as dependent variables. A Pearson product moment correlational analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between TSI scores and the scores of the two subscales of the ABCC-R instrument. The statistically significant findings resulting from the inferential statistical analyses indicated that teachers with master’s degrees, teachers with science majors, teachers with
The complexity of maximal constraint languages

Many combinatorial search problems can be expressed as “constraint satisfaction problems” using an appropriate “constraint language”, that is, a set of relations over some fixed finite set of values. It is well-known that there is a trade-off between the expressive power of a constraint language and the complexity of the problems it can express. In the present paper we systematically study the complexity of all maximal constraint languages, that is, languages whose expressive power is just weaker than that of the language of all constraints. Using the algebraic invariance properties of constraints, we exhibit a strong necessary condition for tractability of such a constraint language. Moreover, we show that, at least for small sets of values, this condition is also sufficient.