Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Intergenerational Relations on Adolescent Problem Behavior in U.S. Single-Mother Families

This study examines whether the effects of single-mother families (SMFs) on adolescent problem behavior are buffered by supportive mothering and the involvement of nonresident fathers and whether the effectiveness of these two buffers varies by ethnicity. Based on the data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the authors find that supportive mothering within SMFs buffers their effects for most groups. Compared to other ethnic groups, Asian American mothers’ supportiveness is less effective in buffering the impact on drug use. For Black adolescents, nonresident father involvement buffers the effects on delinquency and drug use. However, Asian American and Hispanic father involvement in SMFs is associated with increased problem behavior. The findings suggest that ethnic groups with more experience dealing with SMFs may be ahead of those with less experience in developing child-rearing practices that buffer the effects of SMFs on problem behavior.
Transposon mutants of Staphylococcus epidermidis deficient in elaboration of capsular polysaccharide/adhesin and slime are avirulent in a rabbit model of endocarditis.

Virulence comparisons were made in a rabbit model of endocarditis between wild-type and transposon mutants of Staphylococcus epidermidis deficient in elaboration of the capsular polysaccharide/adhesin (PS/A) and slime. The parental phenotype grew from 36 (61%) of 59 cultures of blood. The PS/A-negative phenotype grew in 1 (1%) of 98 cultures of blood (P < .001). No animals infected with PS/A-negative strains developed endocarditis compared with 75% of rabbits infected with PS/A-positive strains. PS/A-producing strains survived better than did PS/A-deficient strains in intact, absorbed rabbit or human serum plus human leukocytes. There was also greater deposition of C3 onto the PS/A-deficient strains than with the PS/A-producing isogenic strains. PS/A functions as an antiphagocytic bacterial capsule preventing C3 deposition and phagocytosis; loss of this structure increases the strain's susceptibility to opsonic killing and decreases its virulence.
Adolescent Girls’ Experiences of Discrimination

The research examined (a) girls’ responses to personal experiences of gender and/or ethnic/racial discrimination, (b) social support from parents and friends following the discrimination, and (c) the relationship between girls’ reported coping strategies to the discrimination and their self-esteem. Participants were 74 adolescent girls (M = 16.3 years) from diverse ethnic backgrounds in California. Each girl completed an online survey that included open-ended questions about a personal experience of discrimination and self-reported coping strategies, as well as a questionnaire measure of self-esteem. Results indicate that girls’ reported coping strategies were varied. Avoidance strategies such as ignoring the situation were most common, but many girls also reported use of approach strategies such as confronting the discrimination. Social support from family and friends was related to self-esteem. The study highlights ways in which family and friends may help or hinder girls as they cope with different kinds of discrimination.
A structural comparison of Listeria monocytogenes protein chaperones PrsA1 and PrsA2 reveals molecular features required for virulence

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram‐positive environmental bacterium that lives within soil but transitions into a pathogen upon contact with a mammalian host. The transition of L. monocytogenes from soil dweller to cytosolic pathogen is dependent upon secreted virulence factors that mediate cell invasion and intracellular growth. PrsA1 and PrsA2 are secreted bacterial lipoprotein chaperones that contribute to the folding of proteins translocated across the bacterial membrane; PrsA2 is required for L. monocytogenes virulence, whereas the function of PrsA1 remains to be determined. We have solved an X‐ray crystal structure of PrsA1 and have used this model to guide comparison structure‐based mutagenesis studies with PrsA2. Targeted mutagenesis of PrsA2 demonstrates that oligomerization of PrsA2 as well as molecular features of the foldase domain are required for protein secretion and virulence, whereas a functional role was uncovered for PrsA1 in bacterial resistance to alcohol. Interestingly, PrsA2 membrane localization is not required for all PrsA2‐dependent activities, suggesting that the lipoprotein retains function when released from the bacterial cell. PrsA chaperones are thus multifaceted proteins with distinct domains adapted to accommodate the functional needs of a diverse array of secreted substrates.
MINIREVIEW—EXPLORING THE BIOLOGY OF GPCRs: FROM IN VITRO TO IN VIVO G Protein–Coupled Receptor Multimers: A Question Still Open Despite the Use of Novel Approaches

Heteromerization of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) can significantly change the functional properties of involved receptors. Various biochemical and biophysical methodologies have been developed in the last two decades to identify and functionally evaluate GPCR heteromers in heterologous cells, with recent approaches focusing on GPCR complex stoichiometry and stability. Yet validation of these observations in native tissues is still lagging behind for the majority of GPCR heteromers. Remarkably, recent studies, particularly some involving advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques, are contributing to our current knowledge of aspects that were not well known until now, such as GPCR complex stoichiometry and stability. In parallel, a growing effort is being applied to move the field forward into native systems. This short review will highlight recent developments to study the stoichiometry and stability of GPCR complexes and methodologies to detect native GPCR dimers.
Three routes from print to sound: Evidence from a case of acquired dyslexia

Abstract We report a stroke patient with a reading impairment that is greater for nonwords than for words. She has deficits in the assignment of phonology to sublexical segments, phonological assembly, and visual and verbal STM, but not in the visual recognition of letters and words, nor in graphemic parsing or phonological segmentation. We investigated her ability to read nonwords that are close neighbours of words that she can read well. We found no evidence for reading by analogy. Furthermore, these nonwords are not usually mistaken for the words to which they are close neighbours. Over a seven-year period her reading of words has improved significantly, but her reading of unfamiliar nonwords has not. She can learn to read nonwords on which she is trained, and learning is faster if they are given distinctive meanings. We show that the effect of training is not due to improved sublexical processing, and that nonwords given no distinctive meanings evoke no semantic associations for her. The improved read.
Lessons Learned from Former College Presidents of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: A Phenomenological Study

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of ten Lutheran (ELCA) college presidents who had transitioned from the presidency. The purpose of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of former college presidents who were associated with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) colleges. The results of this research include significant and meaningful lessons learned by these former presidents during the process of exiting from the presidency that may be helpful for current and future college presidents. Among other findings, it was surprising to discover how poorly presidents had felt prepared for their positions and how critically important it was for presidential selection committees to assess fit of the president with the culture of the institution. Major implications for practice included the need to prepare better for taking on the position, including meeting with the outgoing president, working closely with the board chair, and collaborating with faculty.
Inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis from ginger.

In addition to [6]-gingerol four new constituents were isolated as potent inhibitors of prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis from ginger, the roots of Zingiber officinale Roscoe. Their structures were identified as [6]- and [10]-dehydrogingerdione (I and II) and [6]- and [10]-gingerdione (III and IV) by the interpretation of spectral data.
Motivation, behavior, and performance: A closer examination of goal setting and monetary incentives.

Some experimenters often test predictions from theories of motivation using performance outcomes as dependent variables. We argue that observable behaviors that are likely to be affected by motivation manipulations should be used in combination with performance outcomes. Such procedures would be sensitive to differential effects of manipulations on various behaviors and would allow for investigation of relationships among behaviors and performance outcomes. For this experiment, 60 males were hired to work individually on a 2-hour construction task. Subjects were assigned to one of two pay conditions (piece-rate vs. hourly) and one of three goal-setting conditions (no goal, quantity, or quality) resulting in a 2 X 3 crossed analysis of variance design. Dependent variables included three measures of effort, three measures of direction of behavior, and both quantity and quality performance. Method of payment affected quantity performance and effort. Goal setting affected quantity and quality performance and direction of behavior. Implications for designing and testing work motivation systems are discussed.
Recognition of Natural Expressions of Emotion by CVA Patients with Damage to the Left or Right Hemisphere

Abstract The present study investigated the ability of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patients to perceive emotions portrayed by realistic stimuli. Statistical analyses demonstrated that CVA patients with damage to either the right or left cerebral hemisphere performed, on average, as well as controls did in perceiving emotions. However, a case study of one patient suggested that there may be a subset of CVA patients with right parieto-occipital damage who have deficits in the perception of negative emotions. The performance of this participant also indicated that deficits in emotion perception are ameliorated to some extent when patients are provided with realistic, complex stimuli that include a range of auditory and visual cues.
Analysis of Nonequivalent Assessments Across Different Linguistic Groups Using a Mixed Methods Approach

Differential item functioning (DIF) can undermine the validity of cross-lingual comparisons. While a lot of efficient statistics for detecting DIF are available, few general findings have been found to explain DIF results. The objective of the article was to study DIF sources by using a mixed method design. The design involves a quantitative phase in which DIF was analyzed followed by a qualitative phase conducting cognitive interviews. To illustrate the proposal, polytomous DIF was analyzed in the scales from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) Student Questionnaire (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Evidence obtained allowed DIF to be connected with differences in the interpretation patterns of participants from the different linguistic groups. Finally, benefits of mixed methods design for analyzing equivalence in cross-lingual assessments are discussed.
Characterizing dispersal patterns in a threatened seabird with limited genetic structure

Genetic assignment methods provide an appealing approach for characterizing dispersal patterns on ecological time scales, but require sufficient genetic differentiation to accurately identify migrants and a large enough sample size of migrants to, for example, compare dispersal between sexes or age classes. We demonstrate that assignment methods can be rigorously used to characterize dispersal patterns in a marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) population from central California that numbers approximately 600 individuals and is only moderately differentiated (FST∼ 0.03) from larger populations to the north. We used coalescent simulations to select a significance level that resulted in a low and approximately equal expected number of type I and II errors and then used this significance level to identify a population of origin for 589 individuals genotyped at 13 microsatellite loci. The proportion of migrants in central California was greatest during winter when 83% of individuals were classified as migrants compared to lower proportions during the breeding (6%) and post‐breeding (8%) seasons. Dispersal was also biased toward young and female individuals, as is typical in birds. Migrants were rarely members of parent‐offspring pairs, suggesting that they contributed few young to the central California population. A greater number of migrants than expected under equilibrium conditions, a lack of individuals with mixed ancestry, and a small number of potential source populations (two), likely allowed us to use assignment methods to rigorously characterize dispersal patterns for a population that was larger and less differentiated than typically thought required for the identification of migrants.
On the uniqueness of bounded very weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes Cauchy problem

In this article, we study the uniqueness of very weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes Cauchy problem assuming that the solutions belong to L ∞((0, T) × ℝ n ). We find sufficient conditions which allow to deduce uniqueness. By virtue of a counterexample, our conditions can be considered sharp.
Digital Transformation in Higher Education - New Cohorts, New Requirements?

Digital transformation refers to changes that digital technologies cause and that influence various aspects of human life. Previous researchers mainly focused on the impact of the digital transformation in the context of commercial organisations and business processes. In this study, we aim to examine how digital transformation affects universities and students. We examine differences and changes in the usage of collaboration and communication platforms between different groups of members at the university and within the university lifecycle. To gain new insights, a qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews was conducted. One of the main results shows that Bachelor and Master students prefer the usage of social network sites for collaboration and communication while Ph.D. students and employees do not. Even though an increasing number of modern platforms for direct communication is offered, the results show that the communication between the groups of students and employees still takes place via email.
The risk factors of CVA in Jordan

This study aimed to identify the main risk factors of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in Jordan. Identification of risk factors may help to reduce the incidence of CVA. A form was prepared for data collection which consisted of two parts to gather biodata and the incidence of risk factors. A sample of 200 patients with CVA (60% men) were randomly selected from various areas of Jordan. An age, region distribution, and gender-matched sample were selected to serve as control. Hypertension in the experimental group (66%) was significantly higher than the control group (32%) p < 0.001. Half of the subjects with stroke had diabetes compared to 22% of the control group (p < 0.001). Cardiovascular diseases were found in 29% of subjects with CVA compared to 14% in the control group (p < 0.001). About 27% of the CVA group had hyperlipidemia in comparison to 13% in the controls (p < 0.002). Smokers represented 54% of the experimental group compared to 30% of the control group (p < 0.05). An important finding in the present study was that about half of the selected subjects with strokes were under the age of 60 years. In conclusion, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia, and smoking are risk factors for CVA in Jordan.
The relationship between obesity indices and serum vitamin D levels in Chinese adults from urban settings.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES With an increased incidence of obesity in China, this study sought to investigate the correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and adiposity phenotypes in Chinese adults from urban settings. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN A total of 1277 subjects aged 20-82 years old were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric parameters and blood biochemistry panels were measured. Statistical analysis using partial correlation, multivariable regression and covariance were performed to assess the impact of obesity parameters on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. RESULTS After adjustment for age and gender, serum25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were found to be inversely related to body mass index, waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, body fat, body fat percentage and waist fat to hip fat ratio. In multivariable regression analysis, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively associated with waist circumference, waist/hip ratio, body fat, body fat percentage and waist fat/hip fat ratio (p<0.05), while there was no correlation with body mass index (p>0.05). After inclusion of body fat, body fat percentage and waist fat to hip fat ratio in one model, only waist fat to hip fat ratio remained significantly associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (p<0.05). The covariance analysis results showed that abdominal obesity subjects had lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels compared to the counterpart group, as defined by waist circumference or waist/hip ratio (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our results affirm the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and abdominal obesity, suggesting that adiposity phenotypes were strongly linked to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.
Design of expression vectors for RNA interference based on miRNAs and RNA splicing

RNA interference (RNAi) mediates sequence‐specific post‐transcriptional gene silencing in many eukaryotes and is used for reverse genetic studies and therapeutics. RNAi is triggered by double‐stranded small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which can be processed from small hairpin RNAs generated from an expression vector. In some recently described vectors, the siRNAs are expressed from synthetic stem‐loop precursors of microRNAs (miRNAs) driven by polymerase II promoters. We have designed new RNAi vectors, designated pSM155 and pSM30, that take into consideration miRNA processing and RNA splicing by placing the miRNA‐based artificial miRNA expression cassettes inside of synthetic introns. Like the original miRNA vectors, we show that the pSM155 and pSM30 constructs efficiently down‐regulate expression of firefly luciferase and an endogenous gene, phospholipase D2. Moreover, the expression of a coexpressed fluorescent marker is substantially improved by this new design. Another improvement of these new vectors is incorporation of two inverted BsmBI sites placed internal to the arms of the new miRNA‐based vectors, so oligos used for cloning are shorter and the cost is reduced. These RNAi vectors thus provide new tools for gene suppression.
Enhancing genre-based measures of music preference by user-defined liking and social tags

Musical preferences are typically determined by asking participants to indicate their favourite musical genres. These genre-based measures have some considerable pitfalls, since specific pieces of music in a genre might be liked more than the genre itself, and finding consensus to define a genre is often a challenging task. The aims of the present study were to (1) assess how effective genre-based measures are at identifying musical preferences, by comparing them to free responses; (2) demonstrate how the fit can be improved between the genre-based measures and sampled population; and (3) suggest and evaluate methods that use lists of liked and disliked artists to define musical preferences. Two surveys (n = 346 and n = 861) were administered to a university population. Both surveys contained modified versions of the STOMP (Short Test On Musical Preferences, Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003), together with open questions about music that was liked and disliked. We found that for 29% of the individuals, the genre-based measures did not successfully account for their musical preferences. A number of improvements are suggested to optimize the measures. Additionally, we introduce the Artist-based Musical Preferences (AMP) as a more ecologically valid instrument to assess musical preferences.
Undergraduate aspirations and career outcomes of academically talented women: A discriminant analysis*

The 15 year longitudinal Illinois Valedictorian Project follows 81 students who graduated at the top of their Illinois high school classes of 1981. The current study draws from qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the educational and occupational lives of female valedictorians 10 years after high school graduation. Discriminant function analyses, conducted when the students were college seniors and patterned on the Terman study investigation of the most and least successful male subjects (Oden, 1968), revealed that differences in career aspirations among academically talented women were largely accounted for by their varying approaches to career‐family balance. Discriminant analyses were repeated in the tenth year of the study in order to examine women's present occupational achievements in light of their aspirations as college undergraduates.
Community concerns about a healthcare‐waste incinerator

This study explored community concerns about the impact of a healthcare‐waste (HCW) incinerator site in Yala Province, Thailand. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 300 respondents twice: before and after the incinerator commenced operation. The Chi‐square test was used to identify changes in concerns and the impact of distance. The results showed high levels of concern regarding the environment and health, and the nuisance related to HCW and the incinerator. The impacts associated with distance were air pollution, adverse health effects, and nuisance related to waste vehicles. In addition, the HCW incinerator site affected sources of drinking water and resulted in road damage. Location of incinerator site, people’s low education level, lack of public participation, trust in the project vendor, acceptability of incinerator technology, and job benefits might be enabling factors for the success of an HCW‐incineration site.
Landscape Assessment via Regression Analysis

This paper presents a methodology for assessing the visual quality of agricultural landscapes through direct and indirect techniques of landscape valuation. The first technique enables us to rank agricultural landscapes on the basis of a survey of public preferences. The latter weighs the contribution of the elements and attributes contained in the picture to its overall scenic beauty via regression analysis. The photos used in the survey included man-made elements, positive and negative, agricultural fields, mainly of cereals and olive trees, and a natural park. The results show that perceived visual quality increases, in decreasing order of importance, with the degree of wilderness of the landscape, the presence of well-preserved man-made elements, the percentage of plant cover, the amount of water, the presence of mountains and the colour contrast.