Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Served in State Supreme Courts: Mapping the Determinants of Judicial Seniority

This study compares judicial seniority in state supreme courts by evaluating the conditions in which the political opportunity structures of state courts influence the length of judicial service. Characteristics of the political opportunity structure include factors that place the careers of judges at risk, reward judges for service, and determine the costs for remaining on courts. The results reveal that methods for keeping judges on courts and the structural features of state court systems strongly affect judicial tenure. The results also have important implications for state methods of judicial retention. Whereas appointed judges enjoy relatively safe and prolonged careers, judges serving in more attractive elective courts have shorter careers.
Much Ado about nothing? A multilevel analysis of the relationship between voluntary associations' characteristics and their members' generalized trust

ABSTRACT The last 20 years of research on the micro-level relationship between involvement in voluntary associations and generalized trust has been characterized by a growing theory–data gap. This gap is especially problematic in terms of including diversity across voluntary associations in empirical analyses. This article aims to bridge this gap by using a hierarchically clustered data set (active members nested in voluntary associations) and multilevel analyses to test several hypotheses drawn from prior studies about the relationship between voluntary associations' characteristics and members' level of generalized trust. Overall, the results indicate that in explaining the variability in individual generalized trust levels, differences among the associations in which individuals are involved could contribute marginally at best. Almost all variance (97.6%) in individual level of generalized trust lies between the individuals and not between the associations. Furthermore, the analyses show no correlations for most tested associational characteristics. As for membership diversity, the most pronounced result runs opposite to expectation—thus providing some support for a membership similarity hypothesis rather than for a diversity hypothesis. The article raises the question whether the search for associational differences that might explain the lack of a general relationship between membership in voluntary associations and individual level of generalized trust is in fact a dead end.
Correlations between Prenatal Exposure to Perfluorinated Chemicals and Reduced Fetal Growth

Background Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) are man-made, ubiquitous, and persistent contaminants in the environment, wildlife, and humans. Although recent studies have shown that these chemicals interfere with fetal growth in humans, the results are inconsistent. Objectives Our goal was to investigate the correlation between relatively low levels of PFOS and PFOA in maternal serum and birth weight and birth size. Methods We conducted a hospital-based prospective cohort study between July 2002 and October 2005 in Sapporo, Japan. A total of 428 women and their infants were involved in the study. We obtained characteristics of the mothers and infants from self-administered questionnaire surveys and from medical records. We analyzed maternal serum samples for PFOS and PFOA by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Results After adjusting for confounding factors, PFOS levels negatively correlated with birth weight [per log10 unit: β = −148.8 g; 95% confidence interval (CI), −297.0 to −0.5 g]. In addition, analyses stratified by sex revealed that PFOS levels negatively correlated with birth weight only in female infants (per log10 unit: β = −269.4 g; 95% CI, −465.7 to −73.0 g). However, we observed no correlation between PFOA levels and birth weight. Conclusion Our results indicate that in utero exposure to relatively low levels of PFOS was negatively correlated with birth weight.
Myelin Basic Protein Induces Neuron-Specific Toxicity by Directly Damaging the Neuronal Plasma Membrane

The central nervous system (CNS) insults may cause massive demyelination and lead to the release of myelin-associated proteins including its major component myelin basic protein (MBP). MBP is reported to induce glial activation but its effect on neurons is still little known. Here we found that MBP specifically bound to the extracellular surface of the neuronal plasma membrane and induced neurotoxicity in vitro. This effect of MBP on neurons was basicity-dependent because the binding was blocked by acidic lipids and competed by other basic proteins. Further studies revealed that MBP induced damage to neuronal membrane integrity and function by depolarizing the resting membrane potential, increasing the permeability to cations and other molecules, and decreasing the membrane fluidity. At last, artificial liposome vesicle assay showed that MBP directly disturbed acidic lipid bilayer and resulted in increased membrane permeability. These results revealed that MBP induces neurotoxicity through its direct interaction with acidic components on the extracellular surface of neuronal membrane, which may suggest a possible contribution of MBP to the pathogenesis in the CNS disorders with myelin damage.
The impact of management commitment to service quality, intrinsic motivation and nepotism on front-line employees' affective work outcomes

This empirical study aims to investigate the effects of management commitment, intrinsic motivation, and nepotism on job satisfaction, affective commitment, and quit intention of hotel frontline employees in a service setting in North Cyprus. PLS-SEM was used to analyse the hypothesised relationships. This paper presented an integrative model to test the aforementioned effects and relationships. With the exception of the relationships between nepotism and affective commitment, all hypothesised relationships were supported. This study has developed a new conceptual model compared to past research in service management literature, which aimed to examine the impact of untried variables on quit intention in a hotel setting such as a personality trait (intrinsic motivation) to determine the rate of FLEs who are willing to work without extrinsic motivation and how much FLE jobs are attractive to trigger pressure for nepotism as an organisational climate variable that may harm organisational harmony and motivation.
Wireless Fingerprints Inside a Wireless Sensor Network

We discriminate between different SiLabs IEEE 802.15. 4 2.4GHz RF sources using the Ettus Labs USRP1 Software-Defined Radio. The wireless fingerprinting method implemented on the USRP1 device exploits differences in the phase attributes of demodulated data samples. The method does not require the use of expensive spectrum analyzer equipment and the associated high sampling and processing rates with such equipment. Instead, data sample inputs are used, sampled at a rate of 4MHz. This makes implementation using real Wireless Sensor Network nodes feasible and allows wireless fingerprints to be gathered inside each node in a network. This is important since wireless fingerprints degrade over distance, making distributed implementations more attractive. With our method, the USRP1 classifies accurately over a wide range of network conditions, including time and transmission distance. Performance is also stable for different receiving devices. We achieve average classification accuracies of 99.6% at short range, 95.3% at medium range, and 81.9% at long range when classifying a limited sample of five devices from the same manufacturer.
A novel ZEB1/HAS2 positive feedback loop promotes EMT in breast cancer

Cancer metastasis is the main reason for poor patient survival. Tumor cells delaminate from the primary tumor by induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is mediated by key transcription factors, including ZEB1, activated by tumor cell interactions with stromal cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). ZEB1-mediated EMT and motility is accompanied by substantial cell reprogramming and the acquisition of a stemness phenotype. However, understanding of the underlying mechanism is still incomplete. We identified hyaluronic acid (HA), one major ECM proteoglycan and enriched in mammary tumors, to support EMT and enhance ZEB1 expression in cooperation with CD44s. In breast cancer cell lines HA is synthesized mainly by HAS2, which was already shown to be implicated in cancer progression. ZEB1 and HAS2 expression strongly correlates in various cancer entities and high HAS2 levels associate with an early relapse. We identified HAS2, tumor cell-derived HA and ZEB1 to form a positive feedback loop as ZEB1, elevated by HA, directly activates HAS2 expression. In an in vitro differentiation model HA-conditioned medium of breast cancer cells is enhancing osteoclast formation, an indicator of tumor cell-induced osteolysis that facilitates formation of bone metastasis. In combination with the previously identified ZEB1/ESRP1/CD44s feedback loop, we found a novel autocrine mechanism how ZEB1 is accelerating EMT.
Expression of COX-2 and HER-2 in colorectal cancer and their correlation.

AIM To detect the expression of COX-2 and HER-2 in colorectal cancer and to analyze their correlation and clinical significance. METHODS A total of 1026 colorectal cancer surgical specimens were collected from patients treated from December 2002 to December 2007 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. All specimens were made into 4-μm slices. The expression of COX-2 and HER-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method. The correlations between COX-2 and HER-2 expression and colorectal cancer clinical features were analyzed. RESULTS The positive rates of COX-2 and HER-2 expression in colorectal cancer were 77.97% (800/1026) and 46.20% (474/1026), respectively. There was a significant correlation between COX-2 and HER-2 expression in colorectal cancer (P < 0.05). In patients with tumor size ≥ 5 cm, the positive rates of COX-2 and HER-2 expression were 81.48% (308/378) and 57.94% (219/378), respectively. In patients with serosal invasion, the positive COX-2 and HER-2 expression rates were 80.53% (612/760) and 49.21% (374/760), respectively. In patients with lymph node metastasis, the positive expression rates were 85.04% (506/595) and 54.62% (325/595), respectively, and the positive expression rates differed significantly between patients with lymph node metastasis and those without (P < 0.05). In patients with Duke's C and D colorectal cancer, the positive COX-2 and HER-2 expression rates were 82.80% (443/535) and 57.94% (310/535), respectively. In patients with poorly differentiated colorectal cancer, the positive expression rates were 74.49% (210/282) and 52.84% (149/282), respectively (P < 0.05). In patients with distant metastasis, the positive expression rates were 82.27% (116/141) and 53.90% (76/141), respectively (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that COX-2 and HER-2 have synergistic effects in colorectal cancer. COX-2 and HER-2 expression had no significant correlation with sex, age, or tumor location. CONCLUSION COX-2 and HER-2 are important markers for invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer, and they act together to regulate the invasion and metastasis of colorectal cancer.
Vascular endothelial growth factor expression in ovarian serous carcinomas and its effect on tumor proliferation

Introduction: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an endothelial mitogen, acts through VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) on the endothelial cells. During neoplastic transformation, it is hypothesized that the tumor expresses VEGF and also acquire VEGF receptor, enabling VEGF action in an autocrine and paracrine manner with varied effects on the tumor growth and progression. This study on ovarian serous carcinomas (OSCs) was done to determine the expression of VEGF and to correlate it with tumor proliferation. Material and Methods: Forty cases of OSCs were included. Immunohistochemistry was performed for VEGF and Ki-67. The VEGF slides were assigned an immunohistochemical score based on the staining intensity (a) and the percentage of tumor cells staining (b). The sum of both (a) and (b) ranged from 0-6. VEGF was considered positive when the score was more than 2. For Ki-67, maximally immunostained areas were selected; 500 cells counted and positive fraction determined. Mann Whitney test was used to determine the difference in the median value of Ki-67 between VEGF positive tumors and VEGF negative tumors. Results: Of the 40 cases, 32 cases had a VEGF score of >2 (positive) and 8 cases had VEGF score <2 (negative). The Ki-67 score ranged from 2-98%, with mean of 51%. The median Ki-67 index was much higher in VEGF positive cases as compared to VEGF negative tumors (57.5% vs. 40%). However, the difference in the two categories did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.45, Mann Whitney test). Conclusion: Ovarian serous carcinomas express VEGF in a significant number of cases (80% in the present study) although its potential mitogenic effect on tumor cells was not confirmed.
Extraction and Classification of Multichannel Electromyographic Activation Trajectories for Hand Movement Recognition

This paper proposes a system for hand movement recognition using multichannel electromyographic (EMG) signals obtained from the forearm surface. This system can be used to control prostheses or to provide inputs for a wide range of human computer interface systems. In this work, the hand movement recognition problem is formulated as a multi-class distance based classification of multi-dimensional sequences. More specifically, the extraction of multi-channel EMG activation trajectories underlying hand movements, and classifying the extracted trajectories using a metric based on multi-dimensional dynamic time warping are investigated. The developed methods are evaluated using the publicly available NINAPro database comprised of 40 different hand movements performed by 40 subjects. The average movement error rate obtained across the 40 subjects is 0.09±0.047. The low error rate demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed trajectory extraction method and the discriminability of the utilized distance metric.
Comparison of Discrimination Methods for the Classification of Tumors Using Gene Expression Data

A reliable and precise classification of tumors is essential for successful diagnosis and treatment of cancer. cDNA microarrays and high-density oligonucleotide chips are novel biotechnologies increasingly used in cancer research. By allowing the monitoring of expression levels in cells for thousands of genes simultaneously, microarray experiments may lead to a more complete understanding of the molecular variations among tumors and hence to a finer and more informative classification. The ability to successfully distinguish between tumor classes (already known or yet to be discovered) using gene expression data is an important aspect of this novel approach to cancer classification. This article compares the performance of different discrimination methods for the classification of tumors based on gene expression data. The methods include nearest-neighbor classifiers, linear discriminant analysis, and classification trees. Recent machine learning approaches, such as bagging and boosting, are also considered. The discrimination methods are applied to datasets from three recently published cancer gene expression studies.
Bilateral parietal cortex damage does not impair associative memory for paired stimuli

Recent neuroimaging and neuropsychological findings indicate that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) plays an important, albeit undefined, role in episodic memory. Here we ask whether this region is specifically involved in associative aspects of episodic memory. Experiment 1 tested whether PPC damage affects the ability to learn and retrieve novel word pair associations. Experiment 2 tested whether PPC damage affects the retrieval of object–location associations, in a spatial fan task. In both experiments, patients showed normal levels of associative memory. These findings demonstrated that PPC damage did not prevent association memory for verbal items. Finally Experiment 3 tested whether PPC damage affects memory for nonverbal audio-visual pairs. The patients performed with normal accuracy, but with significantly reduced confidence. These findings indicate that the PPC does not have a central role in association formation per se and, instead, indicate that the PPC is involved in other aspects of episodic memory.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES: A PRECURSOR OF BULLYING AT WORK?

In the present paper direct as well as indirect relationships between organizational changes and exposure to bullying at work are investigated. Interpersonal conflicts are hypothesized to mediate changes on bullying. Data from a sample of 2408 Norwegian employees confirmed that different organizational changes were moderately associated with task-related bullying at work, and that exposure to more changes increased the likelihood of being bullied. Structural equation modelling supported the assumption that changes were directly related to bullying. However, the hypothesis that changes were mediated on bullying through interpersonal conflicts was not supported. Results indicate that organizational changes and interpersonal conflicts are separate, and mainly independent, precursors of bullying at work.
A Comparison of the Types of Screening Tool Administration Methods Used for the Detection of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with significant health consequences for victims, including acute/chronic pain, depression, trauma, suicide, death, as well as physical, emotional, and mental harms for families and children. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the rate of IPV disclosure in adult women (>18 years of age) with the use of three different screening tool administration methods: computer-assisted self-administered screen, self-administered written screen, and face-to-face interview screen. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, and the Cochrane library databases. We identified 746 potentially relevant articles; however, only 6 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and included for analysis. No significant differences were observed when women were screened in face-to-face interviews or with a self-administered written screen (Odds of disclosing: 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.77, 1.35]); however, a computer-assisted self-administered screen was found to increase the odds of IPV disclosure by 37% in comparison to a face-to-face interview screen (odds ratio: 0.63, 95% CI: [0.31, 1.30]). Disclosure of IPV was also 23% higher for computer-assisted self-administered screen in comparison to self-administered written screen (Odds of disclosure: 1.23, 95% CI: [0.0.92, 1.64]). The results of this review suggest that computer-assisted self-administered screens leads to higher rates of IPV disclosure in comparison to both face-to-face interview and self-administered written screens.
Influence of Thermophysiological Parameters on the Calculations of Temperature Rise in the Head of Mobile Phone Users

This paper examines the uncertainty caused to the temperature calculations in the head of mobile phone users, due to the value of the thermophysiological parameters of tissues. A literature review can easily show that the values used for such parameters exhibit a large variability (especially blood perfusion rates). In the current study, it is found that both the tissue distribution inside the model and the variability of thermophysiological tissue properties are significant. It is also confirmed that the 10-g averaged specific absorption rate in the whole head is not a good proxy for the expected temperature rise inside the brain.
Genetic diversity of the black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] gene pool as revealed by SSR markers

In this study, 520 cultivated and 14 wild accessions of black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) were assessed for diversity using 22 SSR markers. Totally, 199 alleles were detected with a mean of 9.05 alleles per locus. Wild black gram showed higher gene diversity than cultivated black gram. Gene diversity of cultivated accessions among regions was comparable, while allelic richness of South Asia was higher than that of other regions. 78.67% of the wild gene diversity presented in cultivated accessions, indicating that the domestication bottleneck effect in black gram is relatively low. Genetic distance analysis revealed that cultivated black gram was more closely related to wild black gram from South Asia than that from Southeast Asia. STRUCTURE, principal coordinate and neighbor-joining analyses consistently revealed that 534 black gram accessions were grouped into three major subpopulations. The analyses also revealed that cultivated black gram from South Asia was genetically distinct from that from West Asia. Comparison by SSR analysis with other closely related Vigna species, including mungbean, azuki bean, and rice bean, revealed that level of gene diversity of black gram is comparable to that of mungbean and rice bean but lower than that of azuki bean.
The Correlation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness With Blood Pressure in a Chinese Hypertensive Population

Abstract To investigate the association between retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and blood pressure (BP) in subjects with systemic hypertension. Subjects with systemic hypertension on anti-hypertensive medications were screened by fundus photography and referred for glaucoma work-up if there was enlarged vertical cup-to-disc (VCDR) ratio ≥0.6, VCDR asymmetry ≥0.2, or optic disc hemorrhage. Workup included a complete ophthalmological examination, Humphrey visual field test, and RNFL thickness measurement by optical coherence tomography. The intraocular pressure (IOP) and RNFL thicknesses (global and quadrant) were averaged from both eyes and the means were correlated with: the systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) using Pearson correlation. Among 4000 screened hypertensive subjects, 133 were referred for glaucoma workup and 110 completed the workup. Of the 4000 screened subjects, 1.3% had glaucoma (0.9% had normal tension glaucoma [NTG], 0.2% had primary open angle glaucoma, and 0.2% had primary angle closure glaucoma), whereas 0.3% were NTG suspects. The SBP was negatively correlated with the mean superior RNFL thickness (P = 0.01). The DBP was negatively correlated with the mean global (P = 0.03), superior (P = 0.02), and nasal (P = 0.003) RNFL thickness. The MAP was negatively correlated with the mean global (P = 0.01), superior (P = 0.002), and nasal (P = 0.004) RNFL thickness while positively correlated with the mean IOP (P = 0.02). In medically treated hypertensive subjects, glaucoma was present in 1.3%, with NTG being most prevalent. MAP control may help with IOP lowering and RNFL preservation, although future prospective studies will be needed.