Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Functional Analysis of 2012 U.S. Presidential Primary Debates

This study examines the Republican primary debates from the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign. With a weak economy, numerous Republicans vied to challenge President Barack Obama who was completing his first term in office. Of course, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney eventually seized the Republican nomination. This investigation employs content analysis and applies Functional Theory to the primary campaign debate messages. Acclaims were more common than attacks, which in turn occurred more frequently than defenses; and policy was discussed more often than character. Findings from the 2012 debates are compared with results from analysis of presidential primary debates in earlier campaigns.
The ELODIE survey for northern extra-solar planets. III. Three planetary candidates detected with ELODIE

We present our ELODIE radial-velocity measurements of HD 74156 and 14 Her (HD 145675). These stars ex- hibit low-amplitude radial-velocity variations induced by the presence of low-mass companions. The radial-velocity data of HD 74156 reveal the presence of two planetary companions: a 1.86 MJup planet on a 51.64-d orbit and a 6.2 MJup planet on a long-period (� 5.5 yr) orbit. Both orbits are fairly eccentric (e = 0.64 and 0.58). The 4.7 MJup companion to 14 Her has a long period (4.9 yr) and a moderately eccentric orbit (e = 0.34). We detect an additional linear radial-velocity trend superimposed on the periodic signal for this star. We also compute updated orbital solutions for HD 209458 and 51 Peg (HD 217014). Finally, we present our ELODIE radial-velocity data and orbital solutions for 5 stars known to host planetary companions: Ups And (HD 9826), 55 Cnc (HD 75732), 47 UMa (HD 95128), 70 Vir (HD 117176) and HD 187123. We confirm the previously pub- lished orbital solutions for Ups And, 70 Vir and HD 187123. Our data are not sufficient to fully confirm the orbital solutions for 55 Cnc and 47 UMa.
Large Volcanic Aerosol Load in the Stratosphere Linked to Asian Monsoon Transport

Indirect Injection Aerosols in the stratosphere, especially submicron-hydrated sulfuric acid droplets, are an important factor influencing climate variability. Stratospheric sulfate aerosols can form from sulfur dioxide that has been transported from the underlying troposphere. Large volcanic eruptions can inject sulfur dioxide and other material into the stratosphere, but smaller volcanoes have been thought not to be energetic enough to do so. Bourassa et al. (p. 78) used satellite data to show that sulfur dioxide from the 2011 eruption of the Nabro stratovolcano in Eritrea was lofted into the stratosphere by deep convection associated with the Asian summer monsoon. Even moderate volcanic eruptions can inject sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere with the help of the Asian monsoon. The Nabro stratovolcano in Eritrea, northeastern Africa, erupted on 13 June 2011, injecting approximately 1.3 teragrams of sulfur dioxide (SO2) to altitudes of 9 to 14 kilometers in the upper troposphere, which resulted in a large aerosol enhancement in the stratosphere. The SO2 was lofted into the lower stratosphere by deep convection and the circulation associated with the Asian summer monsoon while gradually converting to sulfate aerosol. This demonstrates that to affect climate, volcanic eruptions need not be strong enough to inject sulfur directly to the stratosphere.
Toxoplasmosis in Iran: A guide for general physicians working in the Iranian health network setting: A systematic review

Background: Human toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic infection worldwide which is caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii). The aim of this study was to review briefly the general aspects of toxoplasma infection in in Iranian health system network. Methods: We searched published toxoplasmosis related articles in English databases including Science Direct, Pub Med, Scopus, Google Scholar, Magiran, Iran Medex, Iran Doc and Scientific Information Database (SID) for toxoplasmosis. Results: Out of 1267 articles from the English and Persian databases search, 40 articles were suitable with our research objectives and so were selected for the study. It is estimated that at least a third of the world human population is infected with T.gondii, suggesting it as one of the most common parasitic infections through the world. Maternal infection during pregnancy may affect dangerous outcome for the fetus, or even cause intrauterine death. Reactivation of a previous infection in immunocompromised patient such as drug induced, AIDS and organ transplantation can cause life-threating central nervous system infection. Ocular toxoplasmosis is one of the most important causes of blindness, especially in individuals with a deficient immune system. Conclusion: According to the increasing burden of toxoplasmosis on human health, the findings of this study highlight the appropriate preventive measures, diagnosis, and management of this disease.
Capital structure and dividend policy: evidence from emerging markets

This thesis aims to add empirical evidence to the corporate finance literature by looking at two main financing issues, namely firms’ payout policies and capital structure decisions, in the context of emerging markets. The thesis consists of seven chapters, including five main standalone research papers. After an introductory chapter, the first research paper reviews the existing literature on the dividend policy controversy with an emphasis on recent empirical work. The following two chapters consist of two research papers which look separately at the dividend and capital structure decisions of firms in India and in Mauritius. In the second research paper an agency model of dividend policy is estimated and tested on a sample of Indian firms using Weighted Least Squares methodology. The third research paper applies panel data procedures to estimate and test a model of the determinants of leverage, using the entire population of non-financial quoted firms in Mauritius. The last two empirical papers investigate how affiliation with an Indian Business House impacts on the dividend and capital structure decisions of firms. The impact of group-affiliation on the payout decision is tested by Maximum Likelihood qualitative and limited dependent variable techniques. The analysis of the impact of group-affiliation on the capital structure decision is conducted using Ordinary Least Squares methods and incorporates group-level characteristics as explanatory variables. While the main findings of these papers are on the whole consistent with the theory, there are new major insights that represent the special case of emerging markets. These main insights, as well as the main conclusions of the study, are summarised in Chapter 7, including some promising ideas for future research.
HSV1 latency sites after inoculation in the lip: assessment of their localization and connections to the eye.

PURPOSE To localize the sites of HSV1 latency in mice after a primary infection induced by injection into the lip and to assess their connection to the eye. METHODS The SC16 strain of HSV1, or a recombinant virus containing the HSV1 latency-associated transcript (LAT)-promoter driving expression of the LacZ reporter gene, were injected into the left upper lip. Tissues from animals killed at 6, 28, 180, and 720 days postinoculation (dpi) were analyzed for LATs, either by in situ hybridization (ISH) or by identifying LAT-promoter-driven transgene expression. HSV1 antigens were detected by immunochemistry. RESULTS At 28 dpi, all the neurologic structures that were acutely infected at 6 dpi exhibited a pattern of virus gene expression consistent with HSV1 latency--that is, LATs with no detectable HSV1 antigens. LAT staining differed among structures: intense and widespread within trigeminal neurons, intermediate within the sympathetic intermediolateral cell group of the spinal cord and the facial motor nucleus, and weak in other sites. Long-term expression of LATs (positive at 180 and 720 days) was observed only in tissues where the staining was intense or intermediate at 28 dpi. CONCLUSIONS After inoculation into the upper lip of mice, HSV1 established latency in several nervous system structures that have direct or indirect connections with ocular tissues. These results suggest that after an oral primary infection, the most frequent in humans, HSV1 may establish latency in several sites connected to the eye and may finally result in herpetic ocular disease involving the cornea, the iris, or even the retina.
Using partial orders for trace theoretic verification of asynchronous circuits

In this paper, we propose a method to generate the reduced state spaces in which the trace theoretic verification method of asynchronous circuits works correctly and efficiently. The state space reduction is based on the stubborn set method and similar ideas, but they have been extended so that the conformance checking works correctly in the reduced state space. Our state reduction algorithm also guarantees that a kind of simple liveness properties are correctly checked. Some experimental results show the efficiency of the proposed method.
Languishing students: Linking complete mental health screening in schools to Tier 2 intervention

Abstract Despite innovations in the screening and early identification of students who may benefit from school mental health services, many schools struggle to link screening to intervention decisions, particularly at the Tier 2 level. Universal complete mental health screening, which measures strengths along with risk factors, is a strength-based approach that enables identification of students who do not report active mental health risk yet have limited psychosocial strengths. These languishing students are ideal candidates for Tier 2 interventions. Using a case study to link screening to intervention, the present article describes a contemporary approach to complete mental health screening, identify candidates for Tier 2 intervention, select appropriate interventions, and monitor student outcomes. Implications and challenges for school psychologists are discussed.
Trends in American Newspaper Coverage of Autism

The public's understanding of disabilities is cultivated via several media resources, including news media. Disability scholars often cite negative representations of disabilities in mass media, yet analyses of newspaper journalists' coverage of autism remain scarce. The present study explores the frames, stereotypes, stigmatizing cues, and individuals cited in news coverage of autism through a content analysis of The New York Times and USA Today coverage of autism from 2013-2016. The findings revealed that episodic frames are consistently utilized to discuss autism. References to abnormal social tendencies and coupling autism with adverse circumstances were the most common stereotypes in newspaper coverage. The study’s results show that the presence of stigmatizing cues increased over time, with label references representing the most common stigmatizing cue. Episodic coverage was more stigmatizing than thematic news coverage. Medical professional and journalist sources were most present in news coverage. Theoretical and practical applications for media and disability scholars are discussed.
A study to assess the feasibility of undertaking a randomized controlled trial of adherence with eye drops in glaucoma patients

Background Adherence with therapy could influence the progression of glaucoma and ultimately affect the onset of visual impairment in some individuals. This feasibility study evaluated the measures to be used for a future randomized controlled trial assessing the effects of group-based education on adherence with eye drops. Methods People diagnosed with glaucoma within the previous 12 months attending a regional ophthalmology clinic in the North West of England were recruited. A two-session education program delivered one week apart had been devised as part of a previous project. A combined adult learning and health needs approach to education was taken. Outcomes measured were knowledge of glaucoma, self-report of adherence, illness perception, beliefs about medicines, patient enablement, and general health (Short Form-12). Adherence was also measured objectively using a Medical Events Monitoring System device. Results Twenty-six participants consented to undertake the educational program and 19 produced analyzable data. Knowledge of glaucoma, illness perception, beliefs about medicine, and patient enablement all showed statistically significant improvements after education. Mean adherence with eye drops was maintained above 85% before and for 3 months after attendance at the educational program. Self-report exaggerated adherence by at least 10% when compared with the objective Medical Events Monitoring System data, and in fact the kappa agreement was zero. Conclusion All questionnaires other than the Short Form-12 were considered to be valuable measures and use of a Medical Events Monitoring System device was considered to be an objective surrogate measure for adherence with eye drops. A multicenter, randomized, controlled equivalence trial of group versus individualized education using adherence as the primary outcome is the next step.
Evaluation of Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Assays Compared to Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests for the Detection of Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09

Performance of indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assays and rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDT) during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic was evaluated, along with the relative effects of age and illness severity on test accuracy. Clinicians and laboratories submitted specimens on patients with respiratory illness to public health from April to mid October 2009 for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing as part of pandemic H1N1 surveillance efforts in Orange County, CA; IFA and RIDT were performed in clinical settings. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain, now officially named influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, were calculated for 638 specimens. Overall, approximately 30% of IFA tests and RIDTs tested by PCR were falsely negative (sensitivity 71% and 69%, respectively). Sensitivity of RIDT ranged from 45% to 84% depending on severity and age of patients. In hospitalized children, sensitivity of IFA (75%) was similar to RIDT (84%). Specificity of tests performed on hospitalized children was 94% for IFA and 80% for RIDT. Overall sensitivity of RIDT in this study was comparable to previously published studies on pandemic H1N1 influenza and sensitivity of IFA was similar to what has been reported in children for seasonal influenza. Both diagnostic tests produced a high number of false negatives and should not be used to rule out influenza infection.
Impact of Selection for Digestive Efficiency on Microbiota Composition in the Chicken

Objectives Feed efficiency and its digestive component, digestive efficiency, are key factors in the environmental impact and economic output of poultry production. The interaction between the host and intestinal microbiota has a crucial role in the determination of the ability of the bird to digest its food and to the birds’ feed efficiency. We therefore investigated the phenotypic and genetic relationships between birds’ efficiency and the composition of the cecal microbiota in a F2 cross between broiler lines divergently selected for their high or low digestive efficiency. Methods Analyses were performed on 144 birds with extreme feed efficiency values at 3 weeks, with feed conversion values of 1.41±0.05 and 2.02±0.04 in the efficient and non-efficient groups, respectively. The total numbers of Lactobacillus, L. salivarius, L. crispatus, C. coccoides, C. leptum and E. coli per gram of cecal content were measured. Results The two groups mainly differed in larger counts of Lactobacillus, L. salivarius and E. coli in less efficient birds. The equilibrium between bacterial groups was also affected, efficient birds showing higher C. leptum, C. coccoides and L. salivarius to E. coli ratios. The heritability of the composition of microbiota was also estimated and L. crispatus, C. leptum, and C. coccoides to E. coli ratios were moderately but significantly heritable (0.16 to 0.24). The coefficient of fecal digestive use of dry matter was genetically and positively correlated with L. crispatus, C. leptum, C. coccoides (0.50 to 0.76) and negatively with E. coli (-0.66). Lipid digestibility was negatively correlated with E. coli (-0.64), and AMEn positively correlated with C. coccoides and with the C. coccoides to Lactobacillus ratio (0.48 to 0.64). We also detected 14 Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) for microbiota on the host genome, mostly on C. leptum and Lactobacillus. The QTL for C. leptum on GGA6 was close to genome-wide significance. This region mainly includes genes involved in anti-inflammatory responses and in the motility of the gastrointestinal tract.
Performance Evaluation on Several Recognition Algorithms

How to evaluate the existing recognition algorithms under a uniform platform is an interesting research topic. Most of the comparisons among the algorithms only take use of the dataset in one field and the recognition accuracy as the standard, it is difficult to make people select a suitable algorithm in practice. In this paper, we try to show the various aspects of the algorithms based on the performance when they are applied to the datasets from different application fields. At the same time, two new performance evaluation measures, homogeneity and separability, are proposed and implemented for the comparisons. Experimental results help the researchers understand the algorithms better.
Modelling nonlinearities in equity returns: the mean impact curve analysis

Abstract A time-varying model of equity returns consisting of a volatility factor with time-varying loading, is specified to investigate the dynamical effects of shocks on expected returns. The proposed specification yields a nonlinear relationship between the conditional mean and the news, referred to as the mean impact curve (MIC). Applying this framework to the AORD, Hang Seng and Straits Times equity indexes yields estimated MICs with qualitatively similar nonlinear characteristics for each equity market. An important implication of the empirical results is that the relationship between the conditional mean and the news is found to be dependent upon the size of the shock, a result which is consistent with equity markets displaying mean aversion over short horizons and mean reversion over long horizons.
Europe's 'New' Stock Markets

The creation of Europe’s ‘new’ stock markets represents a major experiment in market design with important implications for the ability to support innovative, fast-growing companies. We evaluate the success of these markets based on a large number of measures of firm performance and strategy, which extend to several pre- and post-listing years. Our hand-collected database is obtained from the listing prospectuses and annual reports of 538 companies which listed on the Neuer Markt, Nouveau Marche, and Nuovo Mercato from 1996 through 2001. Three findings stand out. First, these companies experience a dramatic change after the Initial Public Offering (IPO), re-balancing their capital structure, increasing their debt and investment, accelerating growth, and becoming less profitable. These changes are consistent with the existence of credit constraints, and are greater than for companies listing on the ‘main’ markets. Second, we document a considerable variation in post-IPO growth rates and corporate strategy, across both companies and markets. This variation is largely due to the ability to raise equity capital at IPO. Third, the adoption of US GAAP accounting standards substantially increases firms’ ability to raise capital. While Europe’s ‘new’ markets have provided high-growth companies with an unprecedented opportunity to finance their growth, the adoption (and enforcement) of tighter standards of disclosure is then crucial for their success.
An infrared study of galactic OH/IR stars. II. The

We present optical and near-infrared finding charts taken fr om the DSS and 2MASS surveys of 94 IRAS sources selected from the GLMP catalogue, and accurate astrometry (≈ 0.2 ′′ ) for most of them. Selection criteria were very red IRAS colours representative for OH/IR stars with optically thick circumstellar shells and the p resence of variability according to the IRAS variability index (VAR>50). The main photometric properties of the stars in this ‘GLMP sample’ are presented, discussed and compared with the correspondent properties of the ‘Arecibo sample’ of OH/IR stars studied nearlier. We find that 37% of the sample (N= 34) has no counterpart in the 2MASS, implying extremely high optical depths of their shells. Most of the sources identified in the 2MASS are faint (K>8) and are of very red colour in the near-infrared, as expected. The brightest 2MASS counterpart (K=5.3 mag) was found for IRAS 18299‐1705. Its blue colour H‐K=1.3 suggests that IRAS 18299‐1705 is a postAGB star. Few GLMP sources have faint but relatively blue counterparts. They might be misidentifed field stars or stars th at recently experienced a drop of their mass loss rates. The ‘GLMP sample’ in general is made of oxygen-rich AGB stars, which are highly obscured by their circumstellar shells. They bel ong to the same population as the reddest OH/IR stars in the ‘Arecibo sample’.
Delay-Dependent Stability Criteria for Generalized Neural Networks With Two Delay Components

This paper investigates the delay-dependent stability for generalized continuous neural networks with time-varying delays. A novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) that considers more information on activation functions of delayed neural networks and delay upper bounds is developed. Simultaneously, most commonly used techniques for treating the derivative of the LKF are reviewed and compared with each other. With the way of introducing slack matrices, those techniques are classified into two categories, including free-weighting matrix (FWM)-based techniques and reciprocally convex combination-based techniques. It is found that the introduced slack matrices play an important role in conservatism reducing and those four types of FWM-based methods lead to same results and are equivalent. Moreover, the obtained criteria are extended to the system with a single time-varying delay. Two numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.