Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Drug Normalization and the Case of Sweden

In relation to drug use research the concept of normalization is most commonly connected to Parker and his colleagues' “drug normalization thesis”. In their work the researchers lay down their account of what they see as a “cultural accommodation” of drug use. This recent conception of normalization has, however, not developed in a vacuum. As this article shows, normalization is a concept with a long history and various meanings and connotations. By drawing upon a wide-ranging normalization concept, this article explores the state of drug use in the Swedish normal population and to what extent we may speak of drug use as a normal or deviant part of contemporary Swedish society. The analysis shows that based on a comprehensive definition of normalization the current drug normalization debate may be expanded and it may push forward an improved understanding of drug use in a country like Sweden where drug normalization may at first sight seem irrelevant.
A Replication of the Path Analysis of the Causal Elements in Bandura's Theory of Self-efficacy and the Influence of Autonomic Perception

The present investigation was designed to replicate and extend the Feltz (1982) study of the causal elements in Bandura's (1977) theory of self-efficacy. Path analysis techniques were employed to investigate the predictions based on Bandura's model of self-efficacy, along with the additional influence of autonomic perception on the approach/avoidance behavior of female college students (N = 80) attempting a modified-back dive. The Bandura model predicted a reciprocal relationship between self-efficacy and back-diving performance, and between self-efficacy and physiological arousal (heart rate). It was also predicted that autonomic perception was a better predictor of self-efficacy than was physiological arousal, but not better than previous back-diving performance. Additionally, self-efficacy was hypothesized to be the mediator of past performance accomplishments, physiological arousal, and autonomic perception on back-diving performance. Bandura's model was tested against a “full” model that included per.
Neural Learning in Structured Parameter Spaces - Natural Riemannian Gradient

The parameter space of neural networks has a Riemannian metric structure. The natural Riemannian gradient should be used instead of the conventional gradient, since the former denotes the true steepest descent direction of a loss function in the Riemannian space. The behavior of the stochastic gradient learning algorithm is much more effective if the natural gradient is used. The present paper studies the information-geometrical structure of perceptrons and other networks, and prove that the on-line learning method based on the natural gradient is asymptotically as efficient as the optimal batch algorithm. Adaptive modification of the learning constant is proposed and analyzed in terms of the Riemannian measure and is shown to be efficient. The natural gradient is finally applied to blind separation of mixtured independent signal sources.
Physiological variables associated with the development of acute mountain sickness at the South Pole

Exposure to altitudes >2500 m can result in acute mountain sickness (AMS), a mild and usually self-limiting condition. Research has attempted to identify factors associated with developing AMS without controlling important factors related to the ascent or collecting a comprehensive set of variables. Objectives The Antarctic Study of Altitude Physiology (ASAP) investigated variables associated with the development of AMS in adults experiencing rapid passive transport to altitude by airplane. Design Our prospective observational trial collected data, including personal history, anthropometrics, vital signs, blood samples and pulmonary function, at sea level and at altitude. Statistical analysis utilised independent sample t tests to investigate between-group differences (p<0.05) and a forward, step-wise binary logisitic regression analysis was performed. Participants Of 248 eligible ASAP participants, those who did not use acetazolamide (N=98) were included in the present analysis. Primary outcome measures The diagnosis of AMS using the Lake Louise Symptom Score. Results Analysis of participants not using acetazolamide (n=90) found 30 participants developed AMS and 60 participants did not. Estimated plasma volume decreased significantly at altitude (p=0.025) in the AMS group as compared with the No AMS group while body weight did not change (p=0.125). Serum sodium (p=0.045) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (p=0.049) levels were higher in the No AMS group. A logistic regression analysis emphasised the contributions of LDL and eosinophil levels in the development of AMS. Conclusions These results suggest that the body water regulation and inflammation are key factors in AMS development when all other factors such as the level of physical exertion during ascent, the rate and magnitude of ascent and the use of acetazolamide are controlled.
Abnormal Accruals in Newly Public Companies: Opportunistic Misreporting or Economic Activity?

Newly public companies tend to exhibit abnormally high accruals in the year of their initial public offering (IPO). Although the prevailing view in the literature is that these accruals are caused by opportunistic misreporting, we show that these accruals do not appear to benefit managers and instead result from the normal economic activity of newly public companies. In particular, and in contrast to the notion that managers benefit from inflating accruals through an inflated issue price, inflated post-IPO equity values, and increased insider trading profits, we find no evidence of a relation between abnormal accruals and these outcomes. Instead, consistent with these accruals resulting from normal economic activity, we find that these accruals are attributable to the investment of IPO proceeds in working capital and that controlling for the amount of IPO proceeds invested in working capital produces a more powerful accrual-based measure of misreporting.
Fundus Autofluorescence and Spectral Domain OCT in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Background. To describe the standard autofluorescence (FAF), the near infrared autofluorescence (NIA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) patterns in central serous chorioretinopathy, correlating them with fluorescein angiography. Methods. Cross-sectional observational study, in which patients with at least seven months of CSC underwent ophthalmologic examination, fundus photography, FAF, NIA, fluorescein angiography (FA), and spectral-domain OCT. Results. Seventeen eyes of thirteen patients were included. The presentation features were a mottled hyperFAF in the detached area and areas with pigment mottling. NIA images showed areas of hyperNIA similar to FAF and localized areas of hypoNIA, which correlated with the points of leakage in the FA. OCT showed pigment epithelium detachment at the location of these hypoNIA spots. Discussion. FAF showed increased presence of fluorophores in the area of retinal detachment, which is believed to appear secondary to lipofuscin accumulation in the RPE or the presence of debris in the subretinal fluid. NIA has been related to the choroidal melanin content and there were areas of both increased and decreased NIA, which could be explained by damage ahead the retina, basically RPE and choroid. These findings, along with the PEDs found in the areas of hypoNIA, support the notion of a primary choroidal disease in CSC.
A Study on Influence of Trust, Social identity, Perceived Risk and EWOM on Consumer Decision-Making Process in the context of Social Network Sites

With the advent of Web 2.0 applications, social network sites enable customers to actively participate as market players and reach out to the mass population within a short span of time. The tremendous impact of the rise of social network sites not just shifted the way businesses work, it also changed the manner consumers behave. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the influence of social identity, EWOM (Electronic word-of-mouth), perceived risks, trust and purchase intentions affecting consumer decision-making process in social networks sites. A conceptual model is developed, using Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 2005) and Technology Acceptance Model (Dishaw and Strong, 1999) as theoretical bases, to explain the interactions of these salient factors that affect purchase intention and eventually leading to purchase behaviour. With the use of structured questionnaire on 225 respondents via emails, this thesis examine these social networks sites namely, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Youtube and blogs. The findings show that 1) purchase intention directly affects actual purchase behaviour, 2) EWOM is positively related to trust in social networks sites 3) perceived risk negatively relates to trust and 4) trust positively relates to purchase intention. Further, the analysis results do not support the hypotheses that social identity relates to trust, perceived risk relates to purchase intentions. Inferences are drawn from previous researches to explain for the phenomenon. Interestingly, the empirical findings reveal that social identity in social networks sites is not the same with other virtual communities and high perceived risk does not affect purchase intentions. Finally, this thesis concludes with how the findings can contribute in understanding consumer decision-making process in social networks sites.
Effects of dietary supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 and Enterococcus faecium CECT 4515 in adult healthy dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a probiotic preparation consisting of two probiotic strains, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 and Enterococcus faecium CECT 4515 (each 5 · 108 CFU/g feed), on faecal consistency, faecal microbiology and nutrient digestibility in adult healthy dogs. Sixteen beagles (eight males and eight females) were divided into two groups: the Control group (CON), which was fed the basal diet, and the probiotic group (PRO), which received the basal diet supplemented daily with 1 · 108 CFU for 39 consecutive days. Faecal score was assessed before (BS) and throughout the supplementation period (SP). Fresh faecal samples were collected before supplementation, before finishing the supplementation period and after 6 days of withdrawal for microbial enumeration and pH measurement. During the supplementation period, a digestibility trial was performed. There were no differences in faecal scores or the digestibility coefficients between groups. Between groups no statistical differences were found in most microbiota analysed or in faecal pH. However, during the supplementation period, pathogenic clostridia dropped significantly in Group PRO (5.64 vs. 2.94 ± 0.53 CFU/g faeces; p < 0.001), when compared with the period BS. The use of the probiotic preparation had no impact on nutrient digestibility by adult healthy dogs; however, it could stabilise faecal microbiota by decreasing pathogenic clostridia.
Developing the function acquisition speed test for homonegativity

Substantial research has been devoted in recent years to the development of a new and alternative test methodology to the standard explicit questionnaire (De Houwer, 2006). This current research was concerned with the laboratory development of one alternative methodology known as the Function Acquisition Speed Test (FAST; O'Reilly, Roche, Ruiz, Tyndall, & Gavin, 2012), into a functionally understood assessment of homonegativity, or anti-gay bias. In brief, the FAST was built around the idea that the stronger a pre-existing relation is between two classes of stimuli (e.g., Gay-Bad), the more resistance will be encountered when learning to form a new functional response class that is in opposition to it (e.g., Gay-Good). This current research programme has focused primarily on establishing the optimal stimulus set for a Homonegativity FAST. Specifically, Experiments 1 and 2 utilised a knowngroups approach to compare and contrast the relative effectiveness of semantically representative verbal and pictorial exemplars in a "single-phase" Gay-Good FAST. Experiments 3a and 3b investigated the suitability of more emotive pictorial stimuli high in affective valence in a "two phase" FAST, assessing the resistance to the formation of a Gay- Good class relative to neutral or contrasting functional stimulus classes. Together, the findings from this research suggest that affective pictorial stimuli are the most suitable exemplars in a FAST for homonegative prejudice. Additionally, this research highlighted the enhanced stability of a "two-phase" FAST examining Gay-Good and Gay- Bad verbal histories simultaneously for providing a more accurate and conceptually valid assessment of homonegativity. Thus, over the course of this research, the FAST has been refined and developed into a functionally understood prototype for the assessment of homonegativity. More specifically, this research has identified an effective and representative stimulus set, in addition to establishing a valid and stable tw0-phase FAST format capable of ascertaining an individual's homonegative verbal histories.
Calibration of multisatellite observations for climatic studies: Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU)

[1] The Microwave Sounding Units (MSU) aboard the NOAA series of polar orbiting satellites has been used by three groups to monitor the very small trend in the global tropospheric temperature over the 25-year satellite record. To obtain a homogeneous data set, each group made different calibration corrections of the MSUs in the form of fixed biases, and in some cases temperature-dependent adjustments, to each of the nine satellite instruments using data during the overlap periods. Up until now, however, the adjustments are empirically based. To improve the accuracy as well as our understanding of the error sources, this paper develops an alternate, physical approach for intercalibrating the MSU instruments. The paper develops a calibration model for the MSU instrument that includes the errors in the cold space and warm target measurements, as well as the nonlinear factor. Corrections for these calibration errors are estimated using a least squares minimization where the predictors are the differences between all 12 overlapping satellite measurements at low and high latitudes. After applying the calibration corrections, the zonally averaged differences between satellite instruments are no larger than 0.03 K, independent of latitude. It is also found that the tropospheric temperature trend derived from MSU measurements is nearly the same as the surface trend. Furthermore, it now appears that much of the earlier inconsistency between the satellite and surface measurements arises from errors in the MSU calibration correction procedure, which can artificially suppress the temperature trend.
High-Level Pressure Support Ventilation Attenuates Ventilator-Induced Diaphragm Dysfunction in Rabbits

Background:The effects of different modes of mechanical ventilation in the same ventilatory support level on ventilator-induced diaphragm dysfunction onset were assessed in healthy rabbits. Methods:Twenty New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 5 in each group). Group 1: no mechanical ventilation; group 2: controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) for 24 hours; group 3: assist/control ventilation (A/C) mode for 24 hours; group 4: high-level pressure support ventilation (PSV) mode for 24 hours. Heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, PH, partial pressure of arterial oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen and partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide were monitored and diaphragm electrical activity was analyzed in the 4 groups. Caspase-3 was evaluated by protein analysis and diaphragm ultra structure was assessed by electron microscopy. Results:The centroid frequency and the ratio of high frequency to low frequency were significantly reduced in the CMV, A/C and PSV groups (P < 0.001). The percent change in centroid frequency was significantly lower in the PSV group than in the CMV and A/C groups (P = 0.001 and P = 0.028, respectively). Electromyography of diaphragm integral amplitude decreased by 90% ± 1.48%, 67.8% ± 3.13% and 70.2% ± 4.72% in the CMV, A/C and PSV groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Caspase-3 protein activation was attenuated in the PSV group compared with the CMV and A/C groups (P = 0.035 and P = 0.033, respectively). Irregular swelling of mitochondria along with fractured and fuzzy cristae was observed in the CMV group, whereas mitochondrial cristae were dense and rich in the PSV group. The mitochondrial injury scores (Flameng scores) in the PSV group were the lowest among the 3 ventilatory groups (0.93 ± 0.09 in PSV versus 2.69 ± 0.05 in the CMV [P < 0.01] and PSV versus A/C groups [2.02 ± 0.08, P < 0.01]). Conclusions:The diaphragm myoelectric activity was reduced in the PSV group, although excessive oxidative stress and ultra-structural changes of diaphragm were found. However, partial diaphragm electrical activity was retained and diaphragm injury was minimized using the PSV mode.
Personal model‐assisted identification of NAD+ and glutathione metabolism as intervention target in NAFLD

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we recruited 86 subjects with varying degrees of hepatic steatosis (HS). We obtained experimental data on lipoprotein fluxes and used these individual measurements as personalized constraints of a hepatocyte genome‐scale metabolic model to investigate metabolic differences in liver, taking into account its interactions with other tissues. Our systems level analysis predicted an altered demand for NAD+ and glutathione (GSH) in subjects with high HS. Our analysis and metabolomic measurements showed that plasma levels of glycine, serine, and associated metabolites are negatively correlated with HS, suggesting that these GSH metabolism precursors might be limiting. Quantification of the hepatic expression levels of the associated enzymes further pointed to altered de novo GSH synthesis. To assess the effect of GSH and NAD+ repletion on the development of NAFLD, we added precursors for GSH and NAD+ biosynthesis to the Western diet and demonstrated that supplementation prevents HS in mice. In a proof‐of‐concept human study, we found improved liver function and decreased HS after supplementation with serine (a precursor to glycine) and hereby propose a strategy for NAFLD treatment.
Establishing Theoretical Stability and Treatment Integrity for Motivational Interviewing

Background: There is increasing evidence claiming the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) in promoting behavioural change. However, ongoing changes to MI theory and practice have implications for its transferability, accessibility and for the validity of previous findings. Lack of practice consistency may make its effectiveness difficult to evaluate. Aims: This paper explores the complexity of MI and issues in the development of evidence-based practice in delivery, before describing issues related to practitioner application. Method: Theoretical and practice developments over the last 30 years are reviewed under the headings theory, practice and efficacy. Specifically, developments across the three editions of the core MI texts are examined. Results: Findings from the literature suggest a lack of theoretical stability and practice integrity, with recent fundamental changes to the underpinning structure of MI. Issues relating to the transferability and acquisition of MI skills, consistency of delivery and mechanisms underlying change are discussed. Conclusions: The authors call for greater theoretical stability, more transparency over how developments are based on theoretical principles and empirical outcomes, and clearer guidance about how this informs practice development and delivery of MI.
A Panel Data Investigation of Real Exchange Rate Misalignment and Growth

The paper investigates the role of real exchange rate misalignment on long-run growth for a set of ninety countries using time series data from 1980 to 2004. We first estimate a panel data model (using fixed and random effects) for the real exchange rate, with different model specifications, in order to produce estimates of the equilibrium real exchange rate and this is then used to construct measures of real exchange rate misalignment. We also provide an alternative set of estimates of real exchange rate misalignment using panel cointegration methods. The variables used in our real exchange rate models are: real per capita GDP; net foreign assets; terms of trade and government consumption. The results for the two-step System GMM panel growth models indicate that the coefficients for real exchange rate misalignment are positive for different model specification and samples, which means that a more depreciated (appreciated) real exchange rate helps (harms) long-run growth. The estimated coefficients are higher for developing and emerging countries.
Syntactic Complexity in Narration and Argument at Three Grade Levels.

The purposes of the study were to determine (i) the effect of mode of discourse, i.e., narration and argument, on the syntactic complexity of compositions written by sixth-, tenth-, and twelfth-graders; and (2) whether there were significant differences between Grades 6 and o, and between Grades Io and I2 in the syntactic complexity of compositions written in each mode. Subjects were 240 students randomly selected from four elementary schools and two high schools in Brandon, Manitoba. At each grade level, T-unit length in argument was significantly greater than in narration. At each grade level, the difference between argument and narration was greater than the difference between Grades 6 and 12 in either mode of discourse. In argument, there were significant increases in T-unit length between Grades 6 and Io and between Grades Io and I2; in narration there was a significant increase between Grades 6 and So but not between Grades Io and I2. Implications for research into syntactic development are discussed.
On the Performance of Clustering in Hilbert Spaces

Based on randomly drawn vectors in a separable Hilbert space, one may construct a k-means clustering scheme by minimizing an empirical squared error. We investigate the risk of such a clustering scheme, defined as the expected squared distance of a random vector X from the set of cluster centers. Our main result states that, for an almost surely bounded , the expected excess clustering risk is O(¿1/n) . Since clustering in high (or even infinite)-dimensional spaces may lead to severe computational problems, we examine the properties of a dimension reduction strategy for clustering based on Johnson-Lindenstrauss-type random projections. Our results reflect a tradeoff between accuracy and computational complexity when one uses k-means clustering after random projection of the data to a low-dimensional space. We argue that random projections work better than other simplistic dimension reduction schemes.