Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residential Insecticide Use and Risk of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Previous studies have linked non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with occupational exposure to insecticides, but residential use is largely unexplored. In this population-based case-control study, we examined NHL risk and use of insecticides in the home and garden. We identified NHL cases, uninfected with HIV, diagnosed between 1998 and 2000 among women and men ages 20 to 74 years in Iowa and the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Detroit, and Seattle. Controls were selected using random digit dialing or Medicare files. Computer-assisted personal interviews (1,321 cases and 1,057 controls) elicited data on insecticide use at each home occupied since 1970. Insecticide levels were measured in dust taken from used vacuum cleaner bags (682 cases and 513 controls). We previously reported a positive association with dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene levels in carpet dust residues. Here, we focus on insecticides that were commonly used after 1970, the time period covered by our questionnaire. People whose homes were treated for termites had elevated NHL risk (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.6). Risk was modestly, although not significantly, elevated in all but one study center and in all sexes and races. The elevation in risk was restricted to people whose homes were treated before the 1988 chlordane ban. There was a significant trend of increasing risk with increasing levels of α-chlordane residues in dust (Ptrend = 0.04) and a marginally significant trend for γ-chlordane (Ptrend = 0.06). We found no evidence of associations for insects overall, for specific types of insects other than termites, or for elevated residues of other insecticides. We concluded that chlordane treatment of homes for termites may increase residents' NHL risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(2):251–7)
Learning about problem based learning: Student teachers integrating technology, pedagogy and content knowledge

What should constitute knowledge bases that we expect our future teachers to gain related to pedagogically sound technology integration? Employing the Shulman's teacher knowledge base as a theoretical lens, this study examined the complexity of pre-service teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) in the context of integrating problem based learning (PBL) and information and communications technology (ICT). Ninety-seven pre-service teachers in this study engaged in a collaborative lesson design project where they applied pedagogical knowledge about PBL to design a technology integrated lesson in their subject area of teaching. Data were collected from two sources: survey and lesson design artifacts. Data analyses revealed that while participants had theoretical understandings of pedagogical knowledge about PBL, their lesson designs showed a mismatch among technology tools, content representations, and pedagogical strategies, indicating conflicts in translating pedagogical content knowledge into designing pedagogically sound, technology integrated lessons. The areas that students perceived to be particularly challenging and difficult include: a) generating authentic and ill-structured problems for a chosen content topic, b) finding and integrating ICT tools and resources relevant for the target students and learning activities, and c) designing tasks with a balance between teacher guidance and student independence. The present study suggests the potential of two explanations for such difficulties: lack of intimate connection among beliefs, knowledge, and actions, and insufficient repertoires for teaching with technology for problem based learning.
I Kind of Had an Avatar Switch: The Role of the Self in Engagement with an Interactive TV Drama

This paper reports results from a study which examined viewers? cognitive and affective responses to an interactive TV drama. Ten participants were videoed interacting with "Our World War" [1], and then interviewed about their experience using the video playback as a retrospective prompt. An interpretative framework was designed to guide analysis by probing themes of narrative engagement identified in previous literature. We report findings relating to five themes of engagement: cognitive, affective, perspective taking, competence and autonomy, and transportation. Our data adds to the existing literature on interactive stories by highlighting the pivotal role of the self in engaging with interactive drama, with self-reflection emerging within each theme. We conclude that two experiential states drive engagement: a transported experience; and one in which self-reflection limits transportation.
Real time runway detection in satellite images using multi-channel PCNN

This paper proposes a pulse coupled neural network with multi-channel (MPCNN) linking and feeding fields for multispectral image processing. Different from the conventional PCNN, pulse based RBF units are introduced into the model neurons of PCNN to determine the fast links among neurons with respect to their spectral feature vectors and spatial proximity. This MPCNN can be implemented in parallel on a FPGA chip to perform real-time image segmentation and edge detection. Based on the output of the neural circuits, modified Hough Transform and landmark feature extraction algorithm is designed to perform airport runway detection in satellite images. Experimental results show that the proposed parallel MPCNN circuits drastically improve the processing speed over the popular seeded region growing (SRG) algorithm for segmentation of RGB satellite images. Furthermore the detection accuracy of the proposed scheme remains competitive.
Inflammation produces catecholamine resistance in obesity via activation of PDE3B by the protein kinases IKKε and TBK1

Obesity produces a chronic inflammatory state involving the NFκB pathway, resulting in persistent elevation of the noncanonical IκB kinases IKKε and TBK1. In this study, we report that these kinases attenuate β-adrenergic signaling in white adipose tissue. Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with specific inhibitors of these kinases restored β-adrenergic signaling and lipolysis attenuated by TNFα and Poly (I:C). Conversely, overexpression of the kinases reduced induction of Ucp1, lipolysis, cAMP levels, and phosphorylation of hormone sensitive lipase in response to isoproterenol or forskolin. Noncanonical IKKs reduce catecholamine sensitivity by phosphorylating and activating the major adipocyte phosphodiesterase PDE3B. In vivo inhibition of these kinases by treatment of obese mice with the drug amlexanox reversed obesity-induced catecholamine resistance, and restored PKA signaling in response to injection of a β-3 adrenergic agonist. These studies suggest that by reducing production of cAMP in adipocytes, IKKε and TBK1 may contribute to the repression of energy expenditure during obesity. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.01119. 001
Training the Next Generation of School Psychologists to Deliver Evidence-Based Mental Health Practices: Current Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract School psychologists are uniquely positioned to support the delivery of evidence-based mental health practices (EBMHPs) to address the overwhelming mental health needs of children and youth. Graduate training programs can promote EBMHPs in schools by ensuring school psychologists enter the workplace prepared to deliver and support high-quality, effective services. Despite the remarkable growth of effective interventions to address a range of mental health problems, more work is needed to develop and adapt existing graduate training curricula to address this pressing issue. Using a problem-solving framework, we sequentially identify and analyze current challenges in training the next generation of school psychologists in EBMHPs. These challenges include how EBMHPs are packaged and structured, researchers’ limited understanding of how culture affects efficacy, and continual shifts in evidence-based practice designations. These challenges provide a basis for the adaptation and future direction of training in EBMHPs. System-level changes and adaptations to professional practice standards are also discussed.
The repercussions of reporting bullying: some experiences of students at an independent secondary school

Abstract This article reports on the complex web experienced by young people when making decisions to report bullying in school. The study was conducted in the secondary school of an independent day and boarding school in the east of England. A Participatory Action Research approach was used with student voice and perspective at its core. This study involved five students as co-researchers with the first author to explore the concept of ‘snitching’ about bullying. Data were collected from the wider student group through a variety of methods including questionnaires, focus groups and interviews. The findings suggest that the process of reporting bullying is more complex than adults once thought. Students have to negotiate a complex web in firstly deciding if the bullying is serious enough to report. The concept of ‘serious’ bullying is contentious, particularly between boarders and day students, but physical abuse and/or repetition tended to be characteristic of ‘serious’ bullying. Once considered ‘serious’ enough, students have to weigh up the potential repercussions from the bully or the wider friendship group if they ‘snitch’. Students were therefore in conflict between loyalty to the bully and wider friendship group in deciding if unfairness had taken place and should be reported. Finally students needed to decide who they trusted to report the bullying to. The students in this study often reported to teachers who they perceived as supportive and authoritative.
A Framework of Research and Practice: Relationship between Work Engagement, Affective Commitment, and Turnover Intentions

There is a growing research interest in the topic of work engagement over the past years. In reference to Schauefeli, Salanova, Gonzalez-Roma & Bakker (2002) [1], work engagement is described as “a positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication and absorption”. As compare to the researches based on the relationship between work engagement and organizational commitment and job performance, the existing researches on the relationship between work engagement and turnover intentions are far fewer. We theoretically discussed the relationship among work engagement, affective commitment and turnover intentions. Research results show that work engagement is negatively related to turnover intentions whereby affective commitment plays a regulating role. Affective commitment moderates the relationship between work engagement and turnover intentions whereby employees’ affective commitment is stronger and employees are more willing to invest effort in their work; hence, employees’ turnover intentions are reduced.
Effects of Financial Performance and Governance on Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from Islamic Financial Institutions in Malaysia

Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are established based on Islamic foundations and their corporate practices are expected to be aligned with Islamic laws and framework. This study seeks to understand the determinants for the CSR disclosure of IFIs in Malaysia. Using the 2010 annual reports of 37 IFIs, this study investigates the effects of financial performance and corporate governance mechanism (proxied by Shariah supervisory committee or SCC and ownership structure) on CSR disclosure. Results reveal that between financial performance and SCC and ownership structure, only the latter significantly influences CSR disclosure. Overall, the findings offer insights into current reporting practices and propose ideas pertaining to the establishment of an Islamic-based CSR reporting framework. The significant factors influencing CSR disclosure may be used to develop effective practice among IFIs in Malaysia and other countries.
Deception in Non-Cooperative Games with Partial Information

In this paper we explore how deception can be used by rational players in the context of non-cooperative stochastic games with partial information. We show that, when one of the players can manipulate the information available to its opponents, deception can be used to increase the player’s payoff by effectively rendering the information available to its opponent useless. However, this is not always the case. Paradoxically, when the degree of possible manipulation is high, deception becomes useless against an intelligent opponent since it will simply ignore the information that has potentially been manipulated. This study is carried out for a prototype problem that arises in the control of military operations, but the ideas presented are useful in other areas of applications, such as price negotiation, multi-object auctioning, pursuit-evasion, etc.
Fingerprints of the hierarchical building-up of the structure on the mass-metallicity relation

We study the mass–metallicity relation of galactic systems with stellar masses larger than 109 M⊙ h−1 in Λ cold dark matter scenarios by using chemical hydrodynamical simulations. We find that this relation arises naturally as a consequence of the formation of the structure in a hierarchical scenario. The hierarchical building-up of the structure determines a characteristic stellar mass at Mc≈ 1010.2 M⊙ h−1 which exhibits approximately solar metallicities from z≈ 3 to z= 0. This characteristic mass separates galactic systems into two groups with massive ones forming most of their stars and metals at high redshift. We find evolution in the zero point and slope of the mass–metallicity relation driven mainly by the low-mass systems which exhibit the larger variations in the chemical properties. Although stellar mass and circular velocity are directly related, the correlation between circular velocity and metallicity shows a larger evolution with redshift because of the combination of chemical evolution and cosmology. The dispersion found in both relations is a function of the stellar mass and reflects the different dynamical history of evolution of the systems.
What influences the accessibility of conceptual knowledge? Evidence from Experimental Psychology, Neuropsychology and Brain Stimulation

Previous studies have shown that accessibility of conceptual information declines when sets of semantically-related items are presented repeatedly, although the underlying basis of this effect is debated – it is unclear if comprehension can decline without massed repetition of individual items, or if this effect is restricted to lexical retrieval in picture naming. Furthermore, declining comprehension has been characterised as arising from both ‘too much activation’ (i.e., on-going strong activation of competitors) and ‘too much inhibition’ (i.e., a failure to overcome inhibition which may facilitate the earlier retrieval of semantically-related targets). The thesis explored the impact of experimental manipulations (speed of presentation; strength of association between category and target item; modality of presentation; type of semantic decision required), on the magnitude of declining comprehension in healthy young adults. Comprehension declined even without individual item repetition, especially for strongly-associated targets (which may have accrued more competition or inhibition). The effect was found irrespective of presentation modality and more strongly at fast presentation speeds (when there was less time to overcome competition/inhibition). Next, the thesis examined the impact of ageing and semantic aphasia on changes in comprehension within the continuous categorisation paradigm. In these populations, controlled retrieval of conceptual information is thought to be weakened (relative to younger adults and healthy controls without aphasia). This should exaggerate declines in comprehension that reflect difficulty overcoming competition, but reduce the effect if it arises from the inhibition of competitors on earlier trials. The results were in line with the second hypothesis, since older adults and patients with semantic aphasia maintained their performance throughout the categories, unlike younger adults. Lastly, the thesis examined how this effect is modulated by transcranial electrical stimulation delivered to a key brain region implicated in semantic control – left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG). Stimulation of LIFG attenuated the effect of declining comprehension, perhaps because initial retrieval was facilitated (potentially reducing the inhibition of related information), and/or because subsequent target selection was strengthened. Together, these results provide a more comprehensive account of what drives declining performance in continuous categorisation in healthy young adults who have the capacity to strongly engage semantic control.
Star Cluster Formation and Evolution in the Dwarf Starburst Galaxy NGC 1569

We analyse multi-wavelength Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of a large number of star clusters in the nearby (post-) starburst dwarf galaxy NGC 1569. Their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) cover at least the wavelength range from U to I in equivalent HST filters, in most cases supplemented by near-infrared data. Using our most up-to-date evolutionary synthesis models of the Gottingen galev code we determine ages, metallicities, extinction values and masses for each individual clus- ter robustly and independently. We confirm the youth of most of these objects. The majority were formed in a very intense starburst starting around 25 Myr ago. While there are two prominent "super star clusters" present in this galaxy, with masses of (5 16)×10 5 M⊙, almost all remaining clusters are significantly less massive than an average Milky Way globular cluster, and are generally consistent with open cluster- type objects. We determine the cluster mass function from individual cluster masses derived by scaling the model SEDs of known mass to the observed cluster SEDs for each individual cluster. We find signs of a change in the cluster mass function as the burst proceeds, which we attribute to the special conditions of star cluster formation in this starburst dwarf galaxy environment.
Geometry and kinematics in the central broad-line region of a Seyfert 1 galaxy

We recorded spectra of the highly variable Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 110 in a variability campaign with the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory in order to study the detailed line prole variations of the broad emission lines. Here we show that only an AGN model predicting the formation of the broad H line emission in the wind of an accretion disk matches the observed 2-D variability pattern. Furthermore, we derive an improved mass of the central supermassive black hole of M =1 :0 +1:0 0:5 10 7 M from the H velocity-delay map.
Subspace video stabilization based on matrix transformation and Bezier curve

Video stabilization improves video quality by removing undesirable jitter to receive stable and comfortable video sequences. This paper proposes a new approach for subspace video stabilization. To make feature trajectories factorization more accurate, we segment feature trajectories into fragments to construct local trajectory matrices, then obtain smooth trajectories based on subspace constraint, matrix transformation and Bezier curve. Finally, according to the original feature points and the final corresponding stable feature points, we use mesh warp to receive high-quality and plausible videos. Experiments show that our method can generate comparable results with regard to some other state-of-the-art video stabilization methods, furthermore in some scenes our results are better than theirs.
A Systematic Literature Review of Brand Commitment: Definitions, Perspectives and Dimensions

Although the relevance of consumer brand commitment is well recognized in the marketing literature, the multiple definitions, dimensions and conceptual approaches to the construct make it ambiguous and difficult to understand. Brand commitment often gets confused with other constructs such as brand loyalty, which further hampers its comprehension. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the theoretical foundations of the brand commitment construct by elaborating on its definition, the importance of its implications, and differentiating it from other concepts. To do so, a systematic review of the brand commitment literature is conducted. Following previously established inclusion and exclusion criteria for selection a total of 98 journal articles publish in the period 1998 to 2015 are analysed. Nine definitions of brand commitment are found in the literature, and a unified definition of the construct is advanced. The dimensions of brand commitment are analysed, and the main differences of the construct with other concepts are also clarified.
Liposomal Irinotecan

Purpose: The purpose is to demonstrate whether an appropriately designed liposomal formulation of irinotecan is effective in treating mice with liver-localized colorectal carcinomas. Experimental Design: Irinotecan was encapsulated in 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/cholesterol (55:45 molar ratio) liposomes using an ionophore (A23187)-generated transmembrane proton gradient. This formulation was evaluated in vivo by measuring plasma elimination of liposomal lipid and drug after i.v. administration. Therapeutic activity was determined in SCID/Rag-2M mice bearing s.c. LS180 tumors or orthotopic LS174T colorectal metastases. Results: Drug elimination from the plasma was significantly reduced when irinotecan was administered in the liposomal formulation. At 1 hour after i.v. administration, circulating levels of the liposomal drug were 100-fold greater than that of irinotecan given at the same dose. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of plasma samples indicated that liposomal irinotecan was protected from inactivating hydrolysis to the carboxylate form. This formulation exhibited substantially improved therapeutic effects. For the LS180 solid tumor model, it was shown that after a single injection of liposomal irinotecan at 50 mg/kg, the time to progress to a 400-mg tumor was 34 days (as compared with 22 days for animals treated with free drug at an equivalent dose). In the model of colorectal liver metastases (LS174T), a median survival time of 79 days was observed after treatment with liposomal irinotecan (50 mg/kg, given every 4 days for a total of three doses). Saline and free drug treated mice survived for 34 and 53 days, respectively. Conclusions: These results illustrate that liposomal encapsulation can substantially enhance the therapeutic activity of irinotecan and emphasize the potential for using liposomal irinotecan to treat liver metastases.
Lower semicontinuity and Young measures in BV without Alberti's Rank-One Theorem

Abstract. We give a new proof of sequential weak* lower semicontinuity in for integral functionals of the form where and is a quasiconvex Carathéodory integrand with linear growth at infinity, i.e. for some , and such that the recession function exists and is (jointly) continuous. In contrast to the classical proofs by Ambrosio and Dal Maso [J. Funct. Anal. 109 (1992), 76–97] and Fonseca and Müller [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 123 (1993), 1–49], we do not use Alberti's Rank-One Theorem [Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Sect. A 123 (1993), 239–274], but a rigidity result for gradients. The proof is set in the framework of generalized Young measures and proceeds via establishing Jensen-type inequalities for regular and singular points of .