Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blocked Versus Randomized Format of Questionnaires

The notion of item context effects implies that psychometric properties of an item or scale are altered by the presentation format, for example, blocked versus randomized. In an experimental study with high school students, the experimental group (n = 407) answered a four-dimensional academic self-concept questionnaire, in which the items were presented in a grid with eight identical item stems forming the rows and four academic subjects (math, physics, German, English) forming the columns, thereby maximizing potential blocking effects. The control group (n = 396) answered the identical items presented in a traditional randomized order. Multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated similar factorial structures (i.e., factor loadings, factor variances, and factor covariances) of the two versions. Scale means, scale homogeneities, and relations with grades in the corresponding and noncorresponding subjects were very similar. Practical implications of these results for economical measurement of educational and psychological concepts (i.e., using grids) are discussed.
Enhancement mode In0.53Ga0.47As MOSFET with self-aligned epitaxial source/drain regrowth

A scalable, self-aligned In<inf>0.53</inf>Ga<inf>0.47</inf>As MOSFET process was developed and enhancement mode device operation was demonstrated. The 0.7 µm L<inf>g</inf> device shows a maximum drive current of 0.14 mA/µm at V<inf>gs</inf>=4.0V and V<inf>ds</inf>=2.5 V. The devices have almost an order of magnitude larger drive current than our previously reported MOSFETs. The channel layer was 5 nm thick InGaAs with InAlAs bottom barrier for vertical confinement. 4.7 nm of Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> (∼ 2 nm EOT) dielectric was deposited in an atomic layer deposition tool. After gate formation, self-aligned source/drain regions were defined by migration enhanced epitaxial (MEE) regrowth, and self-aligned in-situ Mo source/drain contacts were formed.
Comparing three alternative types of employment with permanent full-time work: How do employment contract and perceived job conditions relate to health complaints?

Abstract Previous research has found that alternative employment arrangements are associated with both impaired and improved well-being. Since such inconsistencies are likely to derive from the type of employment contract as well as the characteristics of the job, this paper compares permanent full-time work with forms of alternative employment (permanent part-time, fixed-term and on-call work) in order to investigate how different employment contracts and perceptions of job conditions relate to individual well-being. This study contributes to the literature by addressing several questions. Different forms of alternative employment are distinguished and individual background characteristics that might be intertwined with the employment contract are controlled for. Moreover, the scope of this study extends to the effects of perceived job conditions, and possible interactive effects with type of employment are tested. Analyses of questionnaire data from 954 Swedish healthcare workers show that perceptions of the job (job insecurity, job control and demands), but not the type of employment contract, predicted health complaints. However, type of employment interacted with perceptions of job insecurity, in that insecurity was associated with impaired well-being among permanent full-time workers, while no relationship was found for on-call or core part-time employees. Despite the absence of interactions between employment contract and job demands or job control, it can be concluded that knowledge about the relationship between alternative employment arrangements and the well-being of workers can be enhanced when the combined effects of employment contract and job conditions are studied.
Explaining age and sex differences in children's handwriting: A neurobiological approach

The present study aimed to assess the effect of age and sex on children's writing performance, as well as to investigate possible age and sex differences between proficient, intermediate and poor writers. Two hundred and ten children aged 7 to 12 years were examined during spontaneous writing, copying and writing to dictation, using the writing scale of the Luria – Nebraska neuropsychological battery. Results showed a significant effect of age in writing performance. The trend towards writing proficiency in childhood was found to be sex related, while boys were overrepresented among the poor writers. The findings are interpreted on the basis of the neurobiological theories of brain development as well as on the different rates of cerebral maturation between the sexes.
VEGF‐D promotes pulmonary oedema in hyperoxic acute lung injury

Leakage of fluid from blood vessels, leading to oedema, is a key feature of many diseases including hyperoxic acute lung injury (HALI), which can occur when patients are ventilated with high concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia). The molecular mechanisms driving vascular leak and oedema in HALI are poorly understood. VEGF‐D is a protein that promotes blood vessel leak and oedema when overexpressed in tissues, but the role of endogenous VEGF‐D in pathological oedema was unknown. To address these issues, we exposed Vegfd‐deficient mice to hyperoxia. The resulting pulmonary oedema in Vegfd‐deficient mice was substantially reduced compared to wild‐type, as was the protein content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, consistent with reduced vascular leak. Vegf‐d and its receptor Vegfr‐3 were more highly expressed in lungs of hyperoxic, versus normoxic, wild‐type mice, indicating that components of the Vegf‐d signalling pathway are up‐regulated in hyperoxia. Importantly, VEGF‐D and its receptors were co‐localized on blood vessels in clinical samples of human lungs exposed to hyperoxia; hence, VEGF‐D may act directly on blood vessels to promote fluid leak. Our studies show that Vegf‐d promotes oedema in response to hyperoxia in mice and support the hypothesis that VEGF‐D signalling promotes vascular leak in human HALI. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Marital Status, Happiness, and Anomia

A common theme in the literature of marriage and the family is that the marital relationship protects the individual from the normlessness and alienation of an impersonal world. Using data from the 1976 National Opinion Research Center (NOR C) General Social Survey, this research examines the effects of marital status and marital happiness on anomia, as measured by the Srole Scale. Controlling for relevant background variables, the results indicate that neither marital status nor marital happiness is related to anomia. There is, however, a moderately strong negative relationship between education and anomia and a weak negative relationship between overall life satisfaction and anomia. These results indicate that socioeconomic status remains the primary determinant of anomia for most Americans.
Screening for atrial fibrillation in 13 122 Hong Kong citizens with smartphone electrocardiogram

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of community screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) using a smartphone-based wireless single-lead ECG (SL-ECG) and to generate epidemiological data on the prevalence and risk factors of AF in Hong Kong. Methods In the period between 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2015, 13 122 Hong Kong citizens consented and voluntarily participated in a territory-wide community-based AF screening programme. Results 56 (0.4%) out of 13 122 SL-ECG were uninterpretable. 101 (0.8%) participants had newly diagnosed AF, with 66 (65.3%) being asymptomatic. The congestive heart failure, hypertension, age>75(doubled), diabetes, stroke(doubled), vascular disease, age 65–74, sex(female) score (CHA2DS2VASc score) of participants with newly diagnosed AF was 3.1±1.3. The prevalence rates for AF detected by SL-ECG was 1.8% and for AF detected by SL-ECG or self-reported by participants was 8.5%. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of AF include age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, history of heart failure, valvular heart disease, stroke, hyperlipidaemia, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and cardiothoracic surgery. Conclusion Community screening for AF with SL-ECG was feasible and it identified a significant proportion of citizens with newly diagnosed AF. The prevalence of AF in a Chinese population in Hong Kong was comparable with that of contemporary Western counterparts. Apart from age and sex, different anthropometric parameters and cardiovascular comorbid conditions were identified as independent predictors of AF.
Non-Earnings Corporate Guidance

Using hand-collected data, we show that disclosure of non-earnings guidance, especially that about a firm’s long-term value creation — capital expenditure (CAPEX) guidance and strategic plan disclosure (SPD) — was common even before the debate on earnings guidance gained momentum. Firms with high long-term institutional ownership tend to provide both earnings and CAPEX guidance rather than only one of them. Turnaround firms tend to provide SPD in lieu of earnings guidance, whereas growth firms tend to provide earnings guidance without SPD. Our findings suggest that before the trade associations injected themselves into the earnings guidance debate, managers’ investment/strategy guidance was common and their choices of CAPEX/SPD vs. earnings guidance were consistent with economic theories. These findings belie the trade associations' concerns that corporate guidance behaviors have contributed to earnings fixation and short-termism in the capital markets.
Ventricular Adrenomedullin System in the Transition From LVH to Heart Failure in Rats

Abstract—We investigated whether adrenomedullin (AM) participates in the pathophysiology during the transition from left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) to heart failure (HF). We used the Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rat model, in which systemic hypertension causes LVH at the age of 11 weeks, followed by HF at the age of 18 weeks. Two molecular forms of AM levels in the plasma and myocardium at the LVH stage were significantly elevated compared with those in controls, and they were further increased at the HF stage. Interestingly, the LV tissue AM-mature/AM-total ratio was higher only in the HF group than in controls and LVH. The LV tissue AM-mature/AM-total ratio, AM-mature, and AM-total concentrations had close relations with the LV weight/body weight (r =0.72, r =0.79, and r =0.70, respectively; all P <0.001). AM gene expression was significantly increased at the LVH stage and was further increased at the HF stage. Furthermore, gene expression of AM receptor system components such as calcitonin receptor–like receptor (CRLR), receptor activity–modified protein 2 (RAMP2), and RAMP3 were significantly increased at the stage of LVH and HF. Regarding other neurohumoral factors, plasma renin and aldosterone levels were not increased at the LVH stage but were increased at the HF stage, whereas atrial natriuretic peptide was increased in both the plasma and myocardium at the LVH stage and was further increased at the HF stage. These results suggest that induction of the cardiac AM system, including the ligand, receptor, and amidating activity, may modulate pathophysiology during the transition from LVH to HF in this model.
Technology-assisted learning: a longitudinal field study of knowledge category, learning effectiveness and satisfaction in language learning

A field experiment compares the effectiveness and satisfaction associated with technology-assisted learning with that of face-to-face learning. The empirical evidence suggests that technology-assisted learning effectiveness depends on the target knowledge category. Building on Kolb's experiential learning model, we show that technology-assisted learning improves students' acquisition of knowledge that demands abstract conceptualization and reflective observation but adversely affects their ability to obtain knowledge that requires concrete experience. Technology-assisted learning better supports vocabulary learning than face-to-face learning but is comparatively less effective in developing listening comprehension skills. In addition, according to empirical tests, perceived ease of learning and learning community support significantly predict both perceived learning effectiveness and learning satisfaction. Overall, the results support our hypotheses and research model and suggest instructors should consider the target knowledge when considering technology-assisted learning options or designing a Web-based course. In addition, a supportive learning community can make technology-assisted learning easier for students and increase their learning satisfaction.
Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the Greek Version of the Preschool Learning Behavior Scale

New developments in the kindergartens in Greece have necessitated the availability of assessment tools that cover a wide range of children's skills and competencies that are related to the promotion of children's learning and development. The present study focuses on children's approaches to learning and aims to provide evidence for the Greek form of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale as a promising assessment tool for the Greek preschoolers. A nationally stratified sample of 398 boys and girls attending kindergarten classes provided data for the factor structure of the instrument. Two reliable and valid factors emerged describing children's motivation, determination to engage and persist in learning activities, as well as their responses toward novelty and frustration with an emphasis on attention. Upon identifying children's strengths and weaknesses when participating in learning activities, teachers could organize rich and challenging learning environments in the classroom, and design activities and intervention programs to foster children's adaptive behavior and promote later school success.
Analysing it and communities of practice

The paper discusses the relationship between information technology (IT) and communities of practice. Most studies of information technology design take the professional and business-driven viewpoint, and often focus only on IT and neglect the actual practice IT is serving. This paper analyses IT from a perspective of a non-profit community and its practice, for which IT is subsumed. The paper examines whether Orlikowski’s widely used IS framework can be used in analyzing such settings. The analysis shows that although Orlikowski’s model is capable of grasping many aspects of community IT, it fails to recognize perhaps the most crucial aspect of integrating several practical community levels, the shared object of all activities. In this paper, we propose that by using the cultural-historical activity theory such a problem in analysis can be alleviated.
Differential gene expression in dentate granule cells in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampal sclerosis

Hippocampal sclerosis is the most common neuropathologic finding in cases of medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of dentate granule cells of patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampal sclerosis to show that next‐generation sequencing methods can produce interpretable genomic data from RNA collected from small homogenous cell populations, and to shed light on the transcriptional changes associated with hippocampal sclerosis.
Adult Aging, Processing Style, and The Perception of Biological Motion

Background/Study Context: Social perception may be influenced by the extent to which individuals focus on global, rather than local, detail-based, processing of information about others. Here the authors investigated whether global processing biases relate to successful detection of actions and emotions from point-light biological motion (BM) stimuli. Also explored is whether age differences in BM perception and global-local processing biases are related. Methods: One hundred and twenty-seven participants (aged 18 to 86) completed tasks assessing BM perception and global-local processing. Results: Successful decoding of actions and emotions from BM stimuli was correlated with global processing bias. Older adults performed more poorly on BM decoding and had a local processing bias. However, age differences in global-local processing could not fully explain differences in decoding actions or emotions from point-light displays. Conclusion: Therefore, although there was an association between age, perceptual processing bias, and detection of BM, other factors must be important in explaining age-related change in social perception.
Sputtered Zn(O,S): a promising approach to dry inline fabrication of Cdfree CIGS modules

Sputtering of Zn(O,S) has emerged as an alternative technology for establishing the pn-junction for Cd-free chalcopyrite-based solar cells. Compared to the chemical bath deposition of CdS, this technology promises dry in-line fabrication of Cd-free modules with reduced complexity and cost. We will review the milestones of its development from fundamental investigations to scaling-up on large area sputter coaters. Reactive sputtering from ZnS targets has been used to initially assess basic film properties over the whole range of compositions from ZnO to ZnS. Subsequently, the process has been simplified and brought closer to industrial application by switching to mixed ZnO/ZnS targets.
Double-blind, comparative study of milnacipran and paroxetine in Japanese patients with major depression

Background and methods A double-blind, parallel-group, controlled study was performed to investigate if milnacipran was noninferior to paroxetine in terms of improvement in symptoms of depression in Japanese patients with major depressive disorders in a fixed-dose design. The efficacy and safety of milnacipran 200 mg/day were also assessed in comparison with those at the standard dose of 100 mg/day. Results Changes in 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) total score (mean ± standard deviation) for group M1 (milnacipran 100 mg/day), group M2 (milnacipran 200 mg/day), and group PX (paroxetine 30 or 40 mg/day) were −12.9 ± 5.8, −12.8 ± 6.1, and −13.1 ± 6.2, respectively, and the estimated differences in total score for group PX (Dunnett’s 95% simultaneous confidence interval) were 0.1 (−1.1 to 1.3) for group M1 and 0.3 (−0.9 to 1.5) for group M2. The noninferiority of groups M1 and M2 to group PX was thus confirmed, because the upper confidence limit of differences between groups M1 and PX and between groups M2 and PX was less than 2.0. The estimated mean difference of change in HAM-D total score (95% confidence interval) between groups M2 and M1 was 0.2 (−0.9 to 1.2), indicating a comparable change in total score for both groups. The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 71.7% for group M1, 68.8% for group M2, and 69.3% for group PX, indicating no significant difference between the three groups. Conclusion These results demonstrate that milnacipran 100 mg/day and 200 mg/day is not inferior to paroxetine in terms of efficacy and safety.
Distance-to-well effects on plant community based on palatability and grazing tolerance in the desert-steppe of Mongolia

Wells in grasslands are usually accompanied with increased traffic by humans and livestock. The purpose of this study was to detect whether plant community structure differs in spatial arrangement with different grazing gradients in the desert steppe of Mongolia. We found poor correlation between total coverage and distance-to-well in bigshrub and shrub-limited sites but strong correlation in the small-shrub site. Dominance of palatable plants along the transect appeared in the big-shrub site but that of palatable, grazing avoider and grazing tolerant plants appeared in other two sites. The results show that these communities might respond differently to grazing pressure. Livestock trampling was limited to near the well and then grazing might be effective far from the well, because all sites showed dominance of palatable herbaceous plants. Sub-dominance of Eurotia ceratoides appeared nearest to the well and followed Caragana spp. sub-dominance. Ajania spp. sub-dominance appeared more away than E. ceratoides and Caragana spp. Dominance of palatable herbaceous plants appeared near the well, compared with that of shrubs. In all sites, palatable herbaceous plant community was replaced by grazing tolerant plant community near the well and shrubs disappeared. This indicates that succession after grazing might be faster in herbaceous plant community than shrub one.
Self-schemata and exercise

The present study examined whether exerciser schematics, nonexerciser schematics, and aschematics differed in their self-reported exercise behavior, as well as whether they differed in their thoughts and feelings about exercising. Analyses revealed that exerciser schematics exercised more frequently, did more activities for exercise, were more likely to have exercised the previous semester, were more interested in and committed to exercising in the future, had made more plans to help themselves to exercise regularly, and had a somewhat greater number of tricks or strategies for getting themselves to exercise on days when they did not feel like exercising. The significance of these findings is discussed in regard to the self-schemata and exercise behavior literatures and in regard to implications for interventions to promote exercise.
IgMA-enriched immunoglobulin in neutropenic patients with sepsis syndrome and septic shock: A randomized, controlled, multiple-center trial*

Objective:To evaluate the effect of intravenous IgMA-enriched immunoglobulin (ivIGMA) therapy on mortality in neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies and sepsis syndrome or septic shock. Design:Multiple-center, prospective randomized, controlled study. Setting:Six university hospitals in Germany. Patients:Patients were 211 neutropenic patients with sepsis syndrome or septic shock after chemotherapy for severe hematologic disorders between 1992 and 1999. Interventions:Patients received 1300 mL of ivIGMA (7.8 g IgM, 7.8 g IgA, and 49.4 g IgG) infused intravenously within a period of 72 hrs or human albumin according to the same schedule as ivIGMA. Measurements and Main Results:All-cause mortality at 28 days, sepsis-related mortality at 28 days, all-cause mortality at 60 days, mortality from septic shock, and mortality from microbiologically proven Gram-negative sepsis and septic shock were recorded. Immunoglobulin had no benefit over human albumin. The 28-day mortality rate was 26.2% and 28.2% in the ivIGMA and control patients, respectively (difference, 2.0% [95% confidence interval, −10.2 to 14.2 percentage points]). Likewise, the 60-day mortality rate did not differ between both arms (29.6% vs. 34.7% in the ivIGMA and control patients, respectively). Mortality rates in patients with sepsis syndrome (17.1% vs. 16.7%) and septic shock (51.9% vs. 54.8%) were also found to be similar between both groups. Conclusions:Intravenous ivIGMA had no beneficial effects in neutropenic patients with hematologic malignancies and sepsis syndrome and septic shock.
Bulk Metamaterials Made of Resonant Rings

In this brief review, we present the fundamentals of bulk resonant ring metamaterial (RRM) theory. Metamaterials made of resonant rings are discussed, and some basic design rules are provided. Homogenization (including spatial dispersion) of 3-D resonant ring latices is reviewed, with emphasis in isotropic designs. Edge effects in finite size metamaterial samples are discussed. Finally, possible applications and future trends are briefly reviewed.