Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
U.S. Congressional Campaign Communications in an Internet Age

Abstract New technologies – with perhaps the most notable being radio and television – often change the face of political campaigns. The Internet, and particularly campaign websites with their concomitant technologies (e.g. interactive and multimedia features), has evolved at a faster rate than any other prior innovation. This raises a critical question: have website technologies altered how congressional candidates campaign? We address this question with a novel dataset from 2008. Not only do we chart technological change on sites over the course of the campaign but we also explore how and when candidates use certain technologies. We discover two critical and, to our knowledge, novel points. First, congressional candidates use these technologies to a much lesser extent than one may suspect. Second, their scant usage is driven by how certain technologies limit control of the candidate's message, the candidate's status in the race and other key variables such as the employment of campaign consultants. In sum, the Web 2.0 era (which began around 2008) does not appear to have dramatically altered congressional campaigns.
Hepatic dysfunction increases length of stay and risk of death after injury.

BACKGROUND The relative importance of dysfunction or failure of different organ systems to recovery from critical illness is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of hepatic dysfunction to outcome after injury. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated patients admitted to our trauma center from 1994 to 1998 for the development of hepatic dysfunction, defined as serum bilirubin > or = 2.0 mg/dL. Additional variables on patient demographics, injuries, hospital course, and development of other organ system dysfunction were collected from the trauma registry and hospital records. RESULTS Using logistic regression analysis, hepatic dysfunction was significantly associated with increased intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) and death. The added development of hepatic dysfunction significantly increased LOS in patients with no other organ dysfunction, those with renal dysfunction, and those with respiratory dysfunction. CONCLUSION Hepatic dysfunction influences recovery after injury independent of the dysfunction of other organ systems. The development of hepatic dysfunction prolongs LOS and increases mortality.
Independence of older adults in performing instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and the relation of this performance to visual abilities

A questionnaire study was undertaken of more than 2800 elderly people aged 60 years and over and living at home, to investigate the relationship between their performance of some instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and their visual abilities. The IADL measured the ability of elderly participants to pick up coins, manage monthly financial matters, use the telephone and take medication as recommended. Visual abilities were assessed by means of each subject's answers to questions relating to resolution, focus, adaptation to bright or to dim lighting, dynamic acuity, distance perception and colour vision. The types of visual functions that, together with age and gender, contribute to determining the level of independence in the performance of IADL activities were identified using logistic regression analysis. The results indicated that elderly participants who had problems with either distance perception or yellowish vision also tended to have difficulties in picking up coins, using the telephone and taking medication as recommended. In addition, problems with adaptation and dynamic acuity were associated with difficulty in managing monthly financial matters. From an analysis of all subjects, distance perception was the significant factor that determined whether an elderly subject could pick up coins or use a telephone unaided. Yellowish vision was also significantly associated with a need for assistance or with an inability to manage monthly financial matters, use the telephone or take medication as recommended.
Elman Network with Embedded Memory for System Identification

This paper presents a new recurrent neural network (RNN) structure called ENEM for dynamic system identification. ENEM structure is based on Elman network and NARX neural network. In order to show the performance of ENEM for system identifi- cation, the results were also compared to the results of Elman network, Jordan network and their modified models. The identification results of linear and nonlinear systems have shown that the proposed ENEM structure is better than the other results of RNN models.
Copyright 2009 by Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. All rights reserved. 10.1518/107118109X12524442638065

Affective states may influence decision-making at different stages of information processing, including selective attention, situation assessment and choice of action. Studies of state anxiety, a negative emotional state, reveal multiple biases including an attentional bias to threat-related stimuli and biases at later stages. The present study examined the effects of threat and both trait and state anxiety on decision-making in a simulated rescue task. Participants were induced into a mood (neutral or anxious) and asked to choose the fastest route leading to a lost party by evaluating uncertain benefits and costs for several routes. The results confirm that mood induction methods can be used for decision-making tasks. Additionally, these findings suggest that different forms of ‘affect’ may relate to different biases. Task-related threat and induced mood influenced route choice, but trait and state anxiety influenced selective attention to benefits and costs.
Unmet needs of the patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling mental disorder with the chronic and difficult course. The disorder is accompanied by numerous limitations in personal and interpersonal functioning. OCD decreases the quality of life and the chance to maintain relationships and professional status. The patients with OCD often experience a severe disabling course of the disorder. Even the individuals, who follow treatment advice, are often still highly symptomatic. In the last decade, the concept of the needs has been assessed as an extent of the traditional outcome evaluation in order to focus on the identification of the specific needs of the patients and their relatives, improve the patients´ overall mental condition and quality of life, and also to increase the treatment effectiveness of the mental disorders. The objective of the article was to review the current literature about unmet needs of the OCD patients and their caregivers. METHOD A computerized search of the literature published between January 2000 and June 2016 was conducted in MEDLINE, and additional papers were extracted using keywords "obsessive compulsive disorder","needs", "pharmacotherapy", "CBT", and "family" in various combinations. Primary selection selected the total of 449 articles. According to the established criteria, 168 articles were chosen. After a detailed examination of the full texts, 53 articles remained. Secondary articles from the reference lists of primarily selected papers were read and evaluated for the eligibility and added to the final list of the articles (n = 107). RESULTS The needs of the OCD patients might differ at various stages and severity of the disorder. Four sets of the needs were identified: the needs connected with the symptoms, the treatment, the quality of life, and the family. The patients suffering from OCD often experience many limitations in the fulfillment of their fundamental human needs such as disturbed patients´ functioning in the common life, family, at work, in the ability to realize their goals, skills, potential, capacity to follow prescribed treatment, take medication, cooperate in addressing the root causes of their problems, reduce obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior, as well as their willingness to realize exposures with the desire to resolve the situation. CONCLUSION Monitoring the patients´ needs may be relevant for the treatment of the individuals suffering from OCD. A bigger focus on the patients´ needs could be beneficial and should be targeted in the treatment.
Contextual and Rater Factors Affecting Rating Behavior

Recent performance appraisal research has highlighted the important role played by contextual and individual factors in shaping rating behavior. This article reviews cumulated empirical data supporting the proposition that in factors and constraints present in the organization, contexts in which appraisal systems reside and rater attributes, such as personality factors or beliefs, systematically affect rating behavior. The effects of these context and rater factors are reflected in ratings accuracy, ratings discrimination among raters/dimensions, and rating elevation.
Evolution of biogeographic disjunction between eastern Asia and eastern North America in Phryma (Phrymaceae).

This study examines molecular and morphological differentiation in Phryma L. , which has only one species with a well-known classic intercontinental disjunct distribution between eastern Asia (EA) and eastern North America (ENA). Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast rps16 and trnL-F sequences revealed two highly distinct clades corresponding to EA and ENA. The divergence time between the intercontinental populations was estimated to be 3.68 ± 2.25 to 5.23 ± 1.37 million years ago (mya) based on combined chloroplast data using Bayesian and penalized likelihood methods. Phylogeographic and dispersal-vicariance (DIVA) analysis suggest a North American origin of Phryma and its migration into EA via the Bering land bridge. Multivariate analysis based on 23 quantitative morphological characters detected no geographic groups at the intercontinental level. The intercontinental populations of Phryma thus show distinct molecular divergence with little morphological differentiation. The discordance of the molecular and morphological patterns may be explained by morphological stasis due to ecological similarity in both continents. The divergence of Phryma from its close relatives in the Phrymaceae was estimated to be at least 32.32 ± 4.46 to 49.35 ± 3.18 mya.
The perception of facial emotion across the adult life span

This study was designed to examine changes in the perception of facial emotion across the adult life span. Subjects were 30 young (ages 21 to 39 years), 30 middle‐aged (ages 40 to 59 years), and 30 older (ages 60 to 81 years) normal adult right‐handed females. The three groups of subjects were carefully screened for neurological and psychiatric disorders and for cognitive and visuoperceptual deficits; the groups were closely matched on demographic variables. Subjects were required to identify photographs of facial emotional expressions (Ekman & Friesen, 1976). There were no overall changes in accuracy of perception as a function of age. The ages of posers in the photographs did not influence the perceptual accuracy scores. This study contributes to the literature about the characteristics of normal emotional processing across the adult life span.
Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino college students' sense of belonging.

To clarify the conceptual underpinnings of V. Tinto's theoretical model of students' departure, the study presented here tested a conceptual model of the antecedents of sense of belonging to examine the extent to which Latino students' background characteristics and college experiences in the first and second years contribute to their sense of belonging in the third year. The study found that discussions of course content with other students outside class and membership in religious and social-community organizations are strongly associated with students' sense of belonging. First-year experiences have positive effects, while perceptions of a hostile racial climate have direct negative effects on students' sense of belonging in the third year. The results suggest that greater attention needs to be paid to minority students' subjective sense of integration in campus life, temporal sequencing of college experiences and new avenues for understanding students' adjustment to college
Ewing Sarcoma: Clinical State-of-the-Art

Ewing sarcoma, a rare malignancy of childhood and adolescence, has become a model of advances in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome through long-standing research efforts in multinational clinical trials. With modern multimodal regimens consisting of local surgery and/or radiotherapy plus intensive systemic chemotherapy, survival can be achieved for ∼70% of patients with localized disease. However, in the last decade, improvement in survival curves has slowed down. Also, a relapse rate of ∼30% remains unacceptable, since salvage strategies for Ewing sarcoma recurrence are discouraging and prognosis is unfavorable in most cases. Metastatic disease at diagnosis poses a similar challenge, since even if remission is achieved, relapse frequently occurs despite the most intensive treatment. Urgently needed, novel biology-driven treatment options are now beginning to emerge on the horizon, but have not yet reached the standard of care. An overview of the current clinical state-of-the-art is provided in this article.
THE BLOOD SUGAR CURVE IN MENTAL DISEASE: II. THE SCHIZOPHRENIC (DEMENTIA PRAECOX) GROUPS

In a previous communication the results of a study of the blood sugar curve in epidemic encephalitis 1 have been reported. The aim of the present article is to discuss in a similar manner the significance of the sugar curve in cases belonging to the schizophrenic group (dementia praecox). In these cases a tendency toward a low metabolic rate has been demonstrated. 2 The study of the sugar curve was undertaken to see if the low basal metabolism was reflected in the sugar metabolism as judged by the glucose tolerance tests. The correlation that Janney and Isaacson 3 have found between these two factors in hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism has not been possible in this study. All the curves studied in this laboratory have been carried out according to the technic of Janney and Isaacson. The blood sugar determination was done according to the method of Folin and Wu. 4 We
Analysis of a Viridans Group Strain Reveals a Case of Bacteremia Due to Lancefield Group G Alpha-Hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis in a Patient with Pyomyositis and Reactive Arthritis

ABSTRACT Streptococcus dysgalactiae is classified by a combination of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics into Lancefield group C alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae and Lancefield group C, group G, and group L beta-hemolytic Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. In this study, we report the isolation of a catalase-negative, alpha-hemolytic, optochin- and bacitracin-resistant viridans group strain, which does not grow in 10 or 40% bile, on MacConkey agar or bile esculin agar, or in 6% NaCl, from the blood culture of a 73-year-old woman with pyomyositis and poststreptococcal reactive arthritis. Lancefield grouping revealed that the strain was a group G streptococcus. The Vitek system (GPI) showed that it was unidentified, and the API system (20 STREP) showed that it was 95.7% S. dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that it was a strain of S. dysgalactiae. Based on phylogenetic affiliation with 16S rRNA gene or GroEL amino acid (another bacterial gene, in addition to 16S rRNA gene, that is highly conserved) sequences, the strain is most closely related to Lancefield group C beta-hemolytic S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. PCR amplification and sequencing of the streptolysin S structural gene (sagA) and M protein gene (emm) hypervariable region showed the presence of these suspected primary virulence factors. Further studies would delineate whether the isolate is just a hemolysin-deficient variant of group G beta-hemolytic S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis or a novel type of S. dysgalactiae. The present case showed that group G alpha-hemolytic S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis can be associated with serious invasive infection and poststreptococcal sequelae.
The Influence of Vocal Qualities and Confirmation of Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers on Student Receiver Apprehension, Affective Learning, and Cognitive Learning

This study investigated the influence of teacher vocal qualities and confirmation behaviors on student learning. Students (N=197) enrolled in nonnative English-speaking teachers’ classes completed a battery of instruments. Results indicated that both vocal qualities and confirmation behaviors were negatively related to receiver apprehension, which in turn was negatively related to affective and cognitive learning. Receiver apprehension mediated the relationships of student learning with vocal qualities, but not with teacher confirmation. In addition to students’ perceptions, clinician observers’ ratings of vocal qualities were negatively related to receiver apprehension and positively associated with cognitive learning.
Dyad rapport and the accuracy of its judgment across situations: A lens model analysis.

Ecology of rapport and its perception within 2 contexts (i.e., adversarial and cooperative) were examined from a Brunswikian perspective. A lens model analysis determined (a) which observable cues were indicative of rapport, (b) whether observer judgments covaried with such cues, and (c) whether observers could assess accurately the rapport between opposite-sex interactants. Whereas the manifestation of rapport was context specific, judgment policies used by observers were not. Rapport judgments were driven by target expressivity regardless of social context. Results suggest an expressivity halo in behavioral stream judgments that is analogous to the physical attractiveness halo found in judgments made from still photos. Finally, social perception accuracy was higher in the cooperative context where rapport was more strongly associated with target expressivity.
Creating Enforceable Civil Rights for Disabled Students in Higher Education: An institutional theory perspective

The Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, building on the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, have been relatively effective in securing enforceable civil rights for disabled students in higher education in the United States. In contrast, the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 and any related previous pieces of legislation have persistently excluded these students in the United Kingdom, making, by default, any discrimination against them legal. However, the Government has started the legislative rule making process to include higher education under the new legislation, based on the final report of the Select Committee on Education and Employment of House of Commons and the final report of the Disability Rights Task Force. The paper argues that close examination of these reports as well as the Government's most recent consultation paper, 'Rights for Disabled People in Education', reveals a path which is unlike the path that followed during the rulemaking process leading to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In other words, it is likely that disabled students would continue to be subjected to potential discrimination despite the inclusion of higher education under the new proposed legislation and despite special disability funding provided to universities for disabled students. Disability civil rights advocates have an important role to play in the current rule-making process to create enforceable civil rights for disabled students in higher education.
Regulation of kinesin expression and type IV collagenase secretion in invasive human prostate PC-3 tumor sublines.

PC-3 human prostatic tumor sublines have been previously isolated which exhibit striking differences in their invasive and metastatic phenotypes. This work has been extended here to measure and compare the levels of kinesin, a microtubule-dependent translocator molecule, in the PC-3 sublines. Western blots, slot blots, radiolabeling, and immunoprecipitation analysis showed that kinesin was expressed in the highly invasive and metastatic sublines at levels which were elevated above the base-line levels observed in the parent PC-3 cells. In comparison, kinesin was not expressed in detectable amounts in the noninvasive cell lines. The conditioned medium of the metastatic PC-3 sublines contained a heat- and trypsin-sensitive protein which exhibited a dosage-dependent capacity to stimulate increased kinesin expression, type IV collagenase secretion, and invasion of Matrigel by the metastatic sublines. The noninvasive sublines failed to secrete a similar stimulatory factor(s) or respond to the conditioned medium of metastatic sublines. Various growth factors and cytokines tested (platelet-derived growth factor, epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, formylmethionineleucinephenylalanine) had no significant effect on either kinesin expression or protease secretion and invasion. Pertussis toxin blocked the stimulatory effects of the conditioned medium, but other agents known to interfere with adenylate cyclase pathways (i.e., cholera toxin, forskolin, 8-bromoadenosine) failed to block stimulation. The data show for the first time that kinesin, protease secretion, and the resulting invasion process may be regulated in a coordinated manner by an autocrine factor(s) which activates G-protein-dependent processes.
Effects of Intranasal Insulin on Hepatic Fat Accumulation and Energy Metabolism in Humans

Studies in rodents suggest that insulin controls hepatic glucose metabolism through brain-liver crosstalk, but human studies using intranasal insulin to mimic central insulin delivery have provided conflicting results. In this randomized controlled crossover trial, we investigated the effects of intranasal insulin on hepatic insulin sensitivity (HIS) and energy metabolism in 10 patients with type 2 diabetes and 10 lean healthy participants (CON). Endogenous glucose production was monitored with [6,6-2H2]glucose, hepatocellular lipids (HCLs), ATP, and inorganic phosphate concentrations with 1H/31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Intranasal insulin transiently increased serum insulin levels followed by a gradual lowering of blood glucose in CON only. Fasting HIS index was not affected by intranasal insulin in CON and patients. HCLs decreased by 35% in CON only, whereas absolute hepatic ATP concentration increased by 18% after 3 h. A subgroup of CON received intravenous insulin to mimic the changes in serum insulin and blood glucose levels observed after intranasal insulin. This resulted in a 34% increase in HCLs without altering hepatic ATP concentrations. In conclusion, intranasal insulin does not affect HIS but rapidly improves hepatic energy metabolism in healthy humans, which is independent of peripheral insulinemia. These effects are blunted in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Integrating experiential and academic learning in teacher preparation for development education

With a view to linking ideals with action in development education, the preparation of teachers for practice in this area merits consideration. Given the theory/practice disconnect associated with initial teacher education, it is appropriate to explore means of effectively initiating beginning teachers into development education. To that end, a study was conducted with Irish primary student teachers following their voluntary work placement in African schools and communities. It sought to determine the impact of this immersive experience on these student teachers. Questionnaire respondents underlined the positive personal and professional impact of the experience, and indicated its potential to significantly enhance their understanding of development issues. The integration of experiential and academic learning through critical reflection on this experience is proposed as key to such understanding and enhanced practice in schools.