Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells during the menstrual cycle of females is associated with a gender bias in the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE The incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is far higher in females than in males and the onset and/or disease activity is influenced by pregnancy and the menstrual cycle. Sex hormones seem to influence the pathogenesis of SLE, therefore, changes in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined during the menstrual cycle in females, under the comparison of gene expression of patients with SLE. METHODS The detection and a quantitative analysis of the gene expression was performed by DNA microarray or real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) method. RESULTS There were thirteen known genes which showed significant quantitative changes during the menstrual cycles of females, but not in males. Among these genes, statistical quantitative differences between normal controls and SLE patients were observed in six genes. CONCLUSION Based on these findings, certain genes (such as the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 14; TNFRSF14, and signal regulatory protein, gamma; SIRPG) appear to contribute to gender difference of SLE.
The ecological impact of flooding: a study of tree damage

The objective of this research was to identify factors affecting tree damage in the historical Minot flood of 2011. We hypothesized that tree height, identity, origin, and maximum water height affect in the severity of damage sustained by a tree in a flood event. All these factors were significant but highly interactive. The results from this research can influence planting practices in valleys and other flood prone areas to mitigate future damage.
Invisible nursing: exploring health outcomes at a global level. Relationships between infant and under-5 mortality rates and the distribution of health professionals, GNP per capita, and female literacy.

AIMS To explore the relationship between the global distribution of health professionals (physicians and nurses), gross national product per capita (GNP), female literacy and the health outcome indicators of infant, and under-5 mortality rates using available data from United Nations' (UN) sources. To consider the reliability and validity of the variables included, and the implications of the findings for health policy and practice, and for further research. DESIGN Using a database on 155 countries, regression analyses were performed using GNP, female literacy, numbers of physicians per 1000 population and numbers of nurses per 1000 population as independent variables, and infant mortality (IMR) and under-5 mortality rates (u5MR) as dependent variables. RESULTS Linear regression analyses give R2 values for the two mortality indicators (IMR and u5MR) of 63% and 66% for physicians and 51% and 52% for nurses. Multiple linear regression analyses reveal a more complex picture. Countries with high ratios of physicians and nurses to population relative to their GNP also tend to show low IMRs and u5MRs. However, when female literacy is included in the model, the majority of these outlying countries move back towards the regression line. Nurses disappear from the model altogether when regressed with physicians, GNP per capita and female literacy for both outcome indicators. CONCLUSIONS Despite the acknowledged need for caution in the validity and reliability of the UN data sources used in the analyses, interesting positive relationships are identified between the input variables and mortality outputs. The implications for future health policy, practice and research are considered. These include the need for more reliable, comprehensive and up-to-date data sets.
Disc orientations in pre-main-sequence multiple systems - A study in southern star formation regions

Classical T Tauri stars are encircled by accretion discs most of the time unresolved by conventional imaging observation. However, numerical simulations show that unresolved aperture linear polarimetry can be used to extract information about the geometry of the immediate circumstellar medium that scatter the starlight. Monin et al. (1998, AA 2004, ApJ, 600, 789), Wolf et al. (2001, Pre-main sequence binaries with aligned discs? , in The formation of Binary Stars, ed. H. Zinnecker, & R. D. Mathieu, IAU Symp., 200, 295). However, we also find a few systems showing large differences in polarisation level, possibly indicating different inclinations to the line-of-sight for their discs.
Discourse Structure in Spoken Language: Studies on Speech Corpora

A better understanding of the intonational charaeteristics of spoken discourse may lead to new empirical techniques for identifying discourse structure from speech, as well as new algorithms for enhancing the naturalness of synthetic speech. This paper summarizes results of pilot studies that demonstrate reliable correlations of discourse and speech properties, and reports findings on a new corpus of direction-giving monologues, collected in both spontaneous and read speaking styles. Preliminary analyses of the direction-giving corpus show that the availability of speech significantly affects the reliability of discourse segmentation for a set of trained discourse labelers.
Principles of Interaction in Language Learning.

Several new approaches toward the study of first language ac quisition have been developed during the last two decades. Chomsky (1957) formulated the principles of generative grammar, while the experimental analysis of language performance was enriched through new methods by Berko (1958). The closer integration of cognitive psychology and language development dates back to Piaget (1926) and Vygotsky (1962). 1 Their work and the most recent summary of the field by McNeil (1970a) led to important new insights into the probable principles of language learning. Extensive data collections of child language were made by Brown and Bellugi (1964), Miller and Ervin (1964), Weir (1962), and many others. All investigators agree that most, if not all, of language development is based upon learning by the child from adult models. Authors like Lenneberg (1964) or McNeil (1970b) are prone to posit some inborn universal principles as a basis for the acquisition of language. Yet they still accept, that the specific language acquired by the individual child has to be derived by learning from the child's environment. There exist, however, only few studies of the specific interactions between the adult and the child, which lead to language acquisition. Imitation through expansion by the parent and imitation through reduction by the child were described by Brown and Bellugi (1964). Cazden (1965) studied the respective effectiveness of imitation through expansion and modeling in an experimental setting. Whereas the previous au thors concentrated only upon language interactions. Bloom (1968) also used nonlinguistic information from the situational and be havioral context to analyze the development of language skills and Cazden (1970) stresses in her recent survey the situational impact on language behavior. Only a small percentage of all verbal interac tions between the adult and the child can be categorized under the hitherto established principles as even a cursory survey of transcribed protocols proves. More intensive studies of child-mother interaction seem, therefore, indispensable. The primary purpose of the present investigation is to concentrate on these interactions between the adult and the child. Besides verbal interaction, nonverbal aspects of the situation are included in the
Organisational relationship quality and service employee acceptance of change in SMEs: A social exchange perspective

Abstract The paper used a social exchange lens to explore the impact of the quality of the relationship between supervisors and service employees on individual and organisational outcomes. The findings provide further evidence that the quality of the relationship between supervisors and service employees is a significant factor - in this case explaining almost half of the reasons as to why employees accepted or rejected organisational changes. Using the social exchange lens, the theory argues that the same characteristics evident in high quality leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships (effective levels of information, feedback and respect) are also likely to provide the ideal conditions for employees' to address their fears and answer their questions about potential organisational changes. As a result, service employees are more likely to accept the organisational changes. In addition, this study suggests that approximately half of job productivity and satisfaction is affected by the way LMX firstly affects employees' satisfaction with organisational communication processes, and secondly, their acceptance of organisational changes within SMEs.
A simulation of vowel segregation based on across-channel glottal-pulse synchrony

As part of the broader question of how it is that human listeners can be so successful at extracting a single voice of interest in the most adverse noise conditions (the ‘cocktail-party effect’), a great deal of attention has been focused on the problem of separating simultaneously presented vowels, primarily by exploiting assumed differences in fundamental frequency (f0) (see (de Cheveigne, 1993) for a review). While acknowledging the very good agreement with experimental data achieved by some of this models (e.g. Meddis & Hewitt, 1992), we propose a different mechanism that does not rely on the different period of the two voices, but rather on the assumption that, in the majority of cases, their glottal pitch pulses will occur at distinct instants. A modification of the Meddis & Hewitt model is proposed that segregates the regions of spectral dominance of the different vowels by detecting their synchronization to a common underlying glottal pulse train, as will be the case for each distinct human voice. Although phase dispersion from numerous sources complicates this approach, our results show that with suitable integration across time, it is possible to separate vowels on this basis alone. The possible advantages of such a mechanism include its ability to exploit the period fluctuations due to frequency modulation and jitter in order to separate voices whose f0s may otherwise be close and difficult to distinguish. Since small amounts of modulation do indeed improve the prominence of voices (McAdams, 1989), we suggest that human listeners may be employing something akin to this strategy when pitch-based cues are absent or ambiguous.
The Effects of Divorce on Children: Mothers’ Perspectives in UAE

This study examined the effects of divorce on children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A structured questionnaire was conducted with 1,742 divorced women and SPSS was used for quantitative data analysis. The aim of this quantitative analysis was to determine the social, psychological, health, and schooling effects of divorce on children (ages 1–18) in the UAE. The study confirmed that children are adversely affected. The study found that divorce was associated with a higher incidence of several impacts of divorce such as economic hardship, lack of concentration in school, sleeping disorders, and challenge and stubbornness. This is the first study in the UAE exploring the social, psychological, health, and schooling effects of divorce on children and to gain an understanding of the unknown aspects of the divorce phenomenon in the region.
Validity and reliability of measurement instruments used in research.

PURPOSE Issues related to the validity and reliability of measurement instruments used in research are reviewed. SUMMARY Key indicators of the quality of a measuring instrument are the reliability and validity of the measures. The process of developing and validating an instrument is in large part focused on reducing error in the measurement process. Reliability estimates evaluate the stability of measures, internal consistency of measurement instruments, and interrater reliability of instrument scores. Validity is the extent to which the interpretations of the results of a test are warranted, which depends on the particular use the test is intended to serve. The responsiveness of the measure to change is of interest in many of the applications in health care where improvement in outcomes as a result of treatment is a primary goal of research. Several issues may affect the accuracy of data collected, such as those related to self-report and secondary data sources. Self-report of patients or subjects is required for many of the measurements conducted in health care, but self-reports of behavior are particularly subject to problems with social desirability biases. Data that were originally gathered for a different purpose are often used to answer a research question, which can affect the applicability to the study at hand. CONCLUSION In health care and social science research, many of the variables of interest and outcomes that are important are abstract concepts known as theoretical constructs. Using tests or instruments that are valid and reliable to measure such constructs is a crucial component of research quality.
Riemann's zeta function and beyond

In recent years L-functions and their analytic properties have assumed a central role in number theory and automorphic forms. In this expository article, we describe the two major methods for proving the analytic continuation and functional equations of $L$-functions: the method of integral representations, and the method of Fourier expansions of Eisenstein series. Special attention is paid to technical properties, such as boundedness in vertical strips; these are essential in applying the converse theorem, a powerful tool that uses analytic properties of L-functions to establish cases of Langlands functoriality conjectures. We conclude by describing striking recent results which rest upon the analytic properties of L-functions.
Performance of an MLSE-based early stopping technique for turbo codes

A crucial issue in the practical application of turbo codes is decoding complexity. A common approach to reducing decoding complexity is to stop the iterative decoding process early. It is demonstrated that an early stopping technique based on maximum-likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) can significantly reduce average decoder processing. Specifically, it is shown that an 8-state turbo code with 512 data bits and a nominal code rate of 1/3 can be decoded in less than 2 iterations on average when E/sub b//N/sub 0/ /spl ges/ 2 dB (packet error rate /spl ap/ 10/sup -7/). This reduction is achieved with virtually no loss in error rate performance relative to performing a large fixed number of iterations.
Caught in the rejection-abuse cycle: Are we really treating perpetrators of domestic abuse effectively?

This article proposes that some perpetrators of domestic violence respond to their partners' apparent rejection of them with abusive behaviour, and that there exists a cycle of rejection and abuse. The model posits that some men, having experienced rejection within their families of origin or in relation to past partners, become sensitive to potential rejection in their current relationships. The cycle for rejection-sensitive men consists of an event that constitutes a threat to self, leading to a defence against this threat which in turn results in psychological or physical abuse. This model was tested on sixty-six male participants of perpetrator group programmes who completed a survey designed to measure each point in the proposed model through path analysis. There was support for the following model: rejection, threat to self-defence against threat, abuse. Other paths were tested, but were not significant. These results are discussed in terms of the implications for treating perpetrators.
The influence of the Sport Education Model on developing autonomous instruction

Background: Teachers commonly adopt instructional styles that thwart student motivation. As such, researchers have examined interventions based within the self-determination theory to identify changes in teaching behaviors. Results of these studies have demonstrated a level of success in teachers adopting a more motivationally supportive teaching context. While important results to the development and implementation of quality motivational pedagogy, these results may have occurred due to an increased focus on specific behaviors as espoused by the self-determination theory. What is absent to date is an examination of current pedagogical approaches that align with aspects of self-determination theory that might inherently influence the motivational instruction of teachers. A model of instruction that has been aligned with self-determination theory and may provide a new avenue for the development and implementation of motivationally supportive instruction is the Sport Education Model (SEM). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an initial examination into the influence of using the Sport Education approach on pre-service teachers autonomous instruction. Participants and setting: 50 pre-service physical education teachers (PT's) were enrolled in a secondary physical education methods course and randomly assigned to teach a 15-lesson unit using Sport Education or skill-drill-game approach. Data collection: Collection of teacher instruction utilized an observational tool that coded distinct teacher-student interactions into one of fifteen categories. As a result, each teacher was provided an overall frequency of statements that were further classified into an overall level of autonomy-supportive, controlling and neutral statements. In addition, students within each of the classes were asked to complete the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) and Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) that provided a score for perception of autonomy-support and individual motivation. Teacher instruction was collected daily, while LCQ and SMS data were collected at four time points within the unit. Data analysis: Analysis of data was conducted using repeated measure ANOVA's for teacher instruction, student perceptions of autonomy-support and motivation. Significant ANOVA calculations were further analyzed using follow-up tests to examine where the significance occurred. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that teachers within distinct phases of Sport Education provided a significantly higher level of autonomy-supportive statements. In addition, students engaged within Sport Education reported similar significance related to the second and third phases of the model. Conclusion: As a result of this study, utilization of Sport Education seems to provide support that teachers may adopt a more autonomy-supportive social context within their instructional practices.
Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activity, Fatty Acids Composition, and Functional Group Analysis of Heliotropium bacciferum

Heliotropium bacciferum is paramount in medicinal perspective and belongs to Boraginaceae family. The crude and numerous fractions of leaves, stem, and roots of the plant were investigated for phytochemical analysis and DPPH radical scavenging activity. Phytochemical analysis of crude and fractions of the plant revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, and phenols. The antioxidant (free radical scavenging) activity of various extracts of the Heliotropium bacciferum was resolute against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical with the avail of UV spectrophotometer at 517 nm. The stock solution (1000 mg/mL) and then several dilutions (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg/mL) of the crude and fractions were prepared. Ascorbic acid was used as a standard. The plant leaves (52.59 ± 0.84 to 90.74 ± 1.00), stem (50.19 ± 0.92 to 89.42 ± 1.10), and roots extracts (49.19 ± 0.52 to 90.01 ± 1.02) divulged magnificent antioxidant activities. For the ascertainment of the fatty acid constituents a gas chromatograph hyphenated to mass spectrometer was used. The essential fatty acids for growth maintenance such as linoleic acid (65.70%), eicosadienoic acid (15.12%), oleic acid (8.72%), and palmitic acid (8.14%) were found in high percentage. The infrared spectra of all extracts of the plant were recorded by IR Prestige-21 FTIR model.
The Impact of Online Social Support on Patients’ Quality of Life and the Moderating Role of Social Exclusion

Social support is critical for improving patients’ health outcomes. People living with chronic diseases are often socially excluded and thus face many challenges in their lives. The type and amount of social support they receive from online health care communities can potentially enhance their quality of life. This research verifies emotional support, informational support, companionship, and relatedness as four categories of online social support pertinent in health care communities. In examining the detailed effects of multidimensional online social support on physical, psychological, and existential quality of life, this research finds that the impact of emotional support on psychological quality of life is most effective. An empirical survey of 349 participants finds that the influential outcomes of online social support on quality of life depend on stigmatized patients’ perceptions of their level of social exclusion. In general, stigmatized patients with high levels of social exclusion seek a variety of online social support and attain a more improved quality of life than those patients with lower levels of social exclusion. This research recommends that the health care sector emphasize patients’ synergies and develop online customer resources to extend the limited medical support available.