Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
External-National TV News Networks' Way to America: Is the United States Losing the Global "Information War"?

Hillary Clinton declared in 2011 that the United States is losing the global “information war. ” Her principal concern was with what she perceived as declining U.S. news media hegemony overseas, and she specified Al Jazeera, CCTV, and RT as examples of threats. Drawing upon the history of these networks, the U.S. market’s reception, and their recruiting strategies, we find that the limited reception of these networks renders them of only marginal significance. While they exhibit some variation from the U.S. mainstream, their potential for diversity or even challenge to hegemonic narratives is considerably constrained by the goal and perceived economic necessity of gaining acceptance within the mainstream, coupled with substantial reliance on Western media information resources. These features appear to be a characteristic, not simply of these channels’ U.S. initiatives, but also of their foreign market orientation globally. They are therefore better seen as exemplifying a continuity of, not an alternative to, the dominant status of the Anglo-American model in the global news landscape.
Effects of Receiver Locus of Control and Interaction Involvement on the Interpretation of Service Complaints

This thesis examined how receivers who vary in Interaction Involvement and Locus of Control (LOC) might differ in their interpretations of service complaints. Locus of control was measured using Rotter's (1966) LOC scale, while Interaction Involvement was measured with Cegala's (1984) Interaction Involvement measure, including a separate assessment of the effects for each sub-scale. Individuals were assigned to four groups based on their Interaction Involvement and LOC scores. The groups were compared with one-another for differences in how complaints were interpreted. Four complaint categories and a corresponding scale were developed to measure these differences. The categories were Subject, Goal, Opportunity, and Accountability. Interaction Involvement was expected to affect how receivers interpret the subject and goal of a complaint, while LOC was predicted to affect understanding of the opportunity and accountability aspects. Two research questions explored possible relationships between the complaint categories and the independent variables for individuals within each group. The study's four hypotheses were not supported, although some evidence was found for a significant relationship between receiver Interaction Involvement and perceived complainant Opportunity, for External LOC individuals only.
Simulated Annealing Based Influence Maximization in Social Networks

The problem of influence maximization, i.e., mining top-k influential nodes from a social network such that the spread of influence in the network is maximized, is NP-hard. Most of the existing algorithms for the prob- lem are based on greedy algorithm. Although greedy algorithm can achieve a good approximation, it is computational expensive. In this paper, we propose a totally different approach based on Simulated Annealing(SA) for the influence maximization problem. This is the first SA based algorithm for the problem. Additionally, we propose two heuristic methods to accelerate the con- vergence process of SA, and a new method of comput- ing influence to speed up the proposed algorithm. Experimental results on four real networks show that the proposed algorithms run faster than the state-of-the-art greedy algorithm by 2-3 orders of magnitude while being able to improve the accuracy of greedy algorithm.
Wide-Field Imaging of the Hubble Deep Field-South Region. II. The Evolution of Galaxy Clustering at z < 1

We present the galaxy-galaxy angular correlations as a function of photometric redshift in a deep, wide galaxy survey centered on the Hubble Deep Field-South (HDF-S). Images were obtained with the Big Throughput Camera on the Blanco 4 m telescope at CTIO, of square degree in broadband uBVRI, reaching ~24 mag. Approximately 40,000 galaxies are detected in the survey. We determine photometric redshifts using galaxy template fitting to the photometry. Monte Carlo simulations show that redshifts from these data should be reliable out to z ~ 1, where the 4000 Å break shifts into the I band. The inferred redshift distribution, n(z), shows good agreement with the distribution of galaxies measured in the Hubble Deep Field-North (HDF-N) and the Canada-France Redshift Survey. After assigning galaxies to redshift bins with width Δz = 0.33, we determine the two-point angular correlation function in each bin. We find that the amplitude of the correlation, Aw, drops across the three bins to redshift z ~ 1. Simple ϵ models of clustering evolution fit this result, with the best agreement for ϵ = 0. Hierarchical cold dark matter models best fit in a low-density, Λ-dominated universe.
RISK FACTORS FOR BILATERAL ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURIES.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study has been to identify which risk factors can influence bilateral anterior cruciate ligament injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-two operated patients took part in this survey during the period of ten years. There were 5 women and 27 men, with average age of 30.46 years (19-55). The respondents filled in the questionnaire by answering the questions regarding the time when getting injured and operated, mechanism of injuries, genetic and anthropometric data, characteristics of sports and every day activities. RESULTS The incidence of reconstructed bilateral injuries in relation to unilateral ones was 2.3% (50/2168). The age of respondents and side of the injured knee did not correlate significantly with the achieved subjective physical activity level after the second knee surgery. The average time from the first injury to operation was 10 months and 4.3 years since that moment up to the injury of the other knee. It took more than 9 months on average until the reconstruction of contralateral anterior cruciate ligament. The most of athletes were injured in football matches. Three-quarters of athletes returned to competition activities after the first operation, which caused the same injury of the contralateral knee. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Anterior cruciate ligament rupture of the contralateral knee most often occurs in young active athletes within the first four years after the initial reconstruction. Its frequency is not affected by sex, side of extremity, genetic predisposition, type of sport, concomitant injuries and the choice of graft. Returning to the same or higher level of sports activities after the first reconstruction is one of the preconditions for injuring the other knee in the same way.
A new characterization of the Muckenhoupt $A_p$ weights through an extension of the Lorentz-Shimogaki Theorem

Given any quasi-Banach function space X over R n , an index α x is defined that coincides with the upper Boyd index α x when the space X is rearrangement-invariant. This new index is defined by means of the local maximal operator m λ f. It is shown then that the Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator M is bounded on X if and only if α x 0 there is a constant c such that for any cube Q and any measurable subset E ⊂ Q, |E| |Q| log e (|Q| |E|) ≤ c (u(E) u(Q)) 1/p The case e = 0 is false corresponding to the class A p,1 . Other applications are given, in particular within the context of the variable L p spaces.
Terrorism and strain: An exploratory analysis of the impact that individual strain and negative affect have on violent behavior among trained Turkish Hezbollah members.

This study attempts to explore the strains that terror organization members experience prior to the training process in the organization. The primary goal of this research is to understand the relationship between the earlier experienced strains of terrorists and their violent behaviors. In the study a Turkish Hezbollah terror organization sample (N = 144) was utilized in the frame of Agnew's (1992) general strain theory. Initially, quantitative methods, such as bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis, were utilized to identify the cumulative effect of strains on the violent behaviors of terrorists. Later, by utilizing case studies with a qualitative approach the mediating effect of negative emotions (anger, frustration, depression and fear) were identified. This study found that among Turkish Hezbollah members, prior to joining the terrorist organization, individuals who experience higher levels of strain are more likely to perform violent acts when compared to individuals who experience lower levels of strain. This study affirmed earlier studies on strain-crime relationship. Moreover, utilized case studies support that negative emotions -specifically anger- mediate between strains and violent actions. In sum, this research retests and builds on Agnew's theory and argues that general strain theory can help terrorism studies to understand the sources of strains of terrorists and the effect of strains on their violent behavior.
Flavonoid glucuronides isolated from spinach inhibit IgE- mediated degranulation in basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction in mice

We isolated three active constituents from an aqueous extract of spinach leaves by evaluating the inhibitory activity of IgE-mediated degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells, and determined their chemical structures. These compounds, referred to as SO-1, SO-2 and SO-3, were assessed to be flavonol glucuronides with the same fundamental structure. Among them, SO-1 exhibited the most potent granulation-inhibitory activity at the concentrations of 0.5~10 µg/ml. This inhibitory effect was completely exhibited by its aglycon, which was prepared by the enzymatic treatment of β-glucuronidase and the chromatographic isolation. These compounds hardly showed cytotoxicity at the same concentration range in RBL-2H3 cell culture. To reveal its inhibitory mechanism, we examined the effects of SO-1 on the signal transduction of antigen-stimulated degranulation in the cells. Both SO-1 and its aglycon reduced the elevation of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration in a dose-dependent manner and also effectively inhibited the activation of tyrosine kinases such as Syk and Lyn, which underlay in the upstream of intracellular signal transduction followed by antigen stimulation. Furthermore, both SO-1 and its aglycon remarkably suppressed the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction induced in ICR mouse ear, as compared with the authentic anti-allergic drugs. In this PCA reaction, the aglycon exerted more potent inhibitory activity than SO-1, indicating that SO-1 also functions in vivo through the hydrolysis to the aglycon in the gastrointestinal tract. Together with these results, we conclude that spinach contains the promising anti-allergic flavonoid glucuronide, suggesting that this compound and its original vegetable may be beneficial to prevent or ameliorate allergic constitutions of humans.
Nonresponse and attrition in a probability‐based online panel for the general population

Online panel surveys have changed social and market research. Especially in applied market research, online panels are a very important tool for conducting surveys. In the early 2000s, nearly all online panels were based on self-selected samples of respondents who have access to the Internet. These self-selected panels offer quick and cheap data collection. This comes at the price of low external validity.1 Thus, self-selected panel respondents are likely to differ from the population to which the results from these respondents are meant to generalize. More importantly, the nature and size of these potential biases can never be properly assessed, because sampling theories do not apply to studies that do not rely on a random sampling scheme. This lack of external validity has continuously concerned academic researchers and people working in official statistics.
Hepatitis C virus core protein stimulates hepatocyte growth: Correlation with upregulation of wnt‐1 expression

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein has been implicated in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we report that expression of HCV core protein by transient transfection increased cell proliferation, DNA synthesis, and cell cycle progression in Huh‐7 cells, a human HCC‐derived cell line. Culture supernatant from transfected cells also harbored a growth‐promoting effect. Moreover, a full‐length HCV replicon, but not a subgenomic replicon devoid of the core gene, significantly stimulated growth of transiently transfected Huh‐7.5 cells. However, growth of the subgenomic replicon‐containing Huh‐7.5 cells could be stimulated by secondary transfection with core gene but not other structural genes present in the full‐length replicon. Microarray analysis revealed threefold or more transcriptional changes in 372 of 12,500 known human genes in core protein expressing Huh‐7 cells, with most genes involved in cell growth or oncogenic signaling, being upregulated rather than downregulated. Of particular interest is the marked upregulation of both wnt‐1 and its downstream target gene WISP‐2. Indeed, small interfering RNA against wnt‐1 blunted growth stimulation by core gene, whereas transfection of Huh‐7 cells with the wnt‐1 gene sufficed to promote cell proliferation. Consistent with secretion of the wnt‐1 protein, conditioned medium from wnt‐1 transfected cells accelerated cell growth. In conclusion, HCV core protein induces Huh‐7 cell proliferation whether alone or in the context of HCV replication, which is at least partly mediated by transcriptional upregulation of growth‐related genes, in particular wnt‐1. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;41:1096–1105.)
Les déterminants de l’activisme des actionnaires minoritaires:insuffisance de gouvernance affichée ou de résultats financiers?

(VF)Depuis la loi NRE de 2001, le legislateur a marque son attachement au respect des regles de gouvernance formalisees depuis le rapport Vienot en 1995. Leur promotion a ete relayee par des organismes de defense des actionnaires. Leur adoption se fait selon le principe de « respecter ou se justifier ». Malgre le signal positif qu’elles pourraient envoyer au marche, les firmes ne semblent pas toujours oeuvrer dans l’interet de leurs actionnaires. Cette etude recherche les relations entre le risque d’activisme, la gouvernance et la performance financiere. Quel est le profil des societes ciblees par l’activisme des actionnaires minoritaires? (VA)Since the NRE Act of 2001, French lawmakers have expressed their commitment to the rules of governance as formalized in the Vienot report of 1995. Such rules are promoted by associations of shareholder- rights defense. Their adoption is based on the principle of "comply or explain". Despite the positive signal they could send to the market, firms not always conform with the best interests of their shareholders. This research studys relationships between shareholder activism, corporate governance and financial performance. What is the profile of companies targeted by minority shareholder activists?
Cross-sectional study of risk factors for atherosclerosis in the Azorean population

Background: Atherosclerosis—a major cause of vascular disease, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a pathology that has a two-fold higher mortality rate in the Azorean Islands compared to mainland Portugal. Aim: This cross-sectional study investigated the role of genetic variation in the prevalence of atherosclerosis in this population. Subjects and methods: A total of 305 individuals were characterized for polymorphisms in eight susceptibility genes for atherosclerosis: ACE, PAI1, NOS3, LTA, FGB, ITGB3, PON1 and APOE. Data were analysed with respect to phenotypic characteristics such as blood pressure, lipid profile, life-style risk factors and familial history of myocardial infarction. Results: In the total sample, frequencies for hypercholestrolemic, hypertensive and obese individuals were 63.6%, 39.3% and 23.3%, respectively. The genetic profile was similar to that observed in other European populations, namely in mainland Portugal. No over-representation of risk alleles was evidenced in this sample. Conclusions: One has to consider the possibility of an important non-genetic influence on the high cholesterolemia present in the Azorean population. Since diet is the most important life-style risk factor for dyslipidemia, studies aiming to evaluate the dietary characteristics of this population and its impact on serum lipid levels will be of major importance.
The multidimensional sexuality questionnaire: An objective self-report measure of psychological tendencies associated with human sexuality

The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and validate an objective self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire (MSQ), designed to measure psychological tendencies associated with sexual relationships. Results indicated that the MSQ subscales had high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and were largely independent of social desirability tendencies. Other results indicated that women and men responded in unique ways to the MSQ, with women reporting greater sexual-fear and men reporting greater sexual-esteem, sexual-preoccupation, sexual-motivation, sexual-assertiveness, and external-sexual-control. Additional evidence for the concurrent, discriminant, and convergent validity of the MSQ was found: the MSQ was associated not only with women's and men's sexual attitudes and their exchange and communal approaches to sexual relations, but also with their scores on other instruments conceptually similar to the MSQ. Men's and women's sexual behaviors were also predictably related to their scores on the MSQ subscales. The discussion focuses on research and applied uses of the Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire.
Constitutive variability in the pharmacokinetics of the natural retinoid, all-trans-retinoic acid, and its modulation by ketoconazole.

BACKGROUND All-trans-retinoic acid (all-trans RA) induces complete remission in most patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, continuous oral dosing results in progressive decline in plasma drug concentrations, which is associated with relapse and resistance to this retinoid. We speculated that the decline in drug levels, indicating acquired resistance, resulted partly from inducible cytochrome-P450 oxidative enzymes, which can catabolize all-trans RA. PURPOSE We studied the clinical pharmacology of all-trans RA in cancer patients to determine possible mechanisms of acquired resistance and evaluated the potential for reversal by ketoconazole, an inhibitor of cytochrome-P450 oxidative enzymes. METHODS Serial plasma samples were obtained from 54 patients with APL or advanced lung cancer after a single oral dose of all-trans RA (45 mg/m2). In the 34 patients with advanced lung cancer, all-trans RA (45 mg/m2) was administered twice daily for 4 weeks, and, on days 2, 28, and 29, serial plasma samples were again obtained after a single 45-mg/m2 dose. One hour prior to drug administration on days 2 and 29, a single oral dose (200-1200 mg) of ketoconazole was administered. Endogenous plasma concentrations of all-trans RA and 13-cis-retinoic acid were measured in a subset of these patients and in 11 with early-stage lung cancer. RESULTS The mean area under the curve for plasma drug concentration times time (AUC) for all-trans RA on day 1 varied substantially among patients. Compared with patients with APL, the 28 patients with advanced lung cancer who completed therapy demonstrated significantly lower AUC levels on day 1 (P = .06); a subgroup with levels less than 300 ng/mL per hour on day 1 had lower endogenous plasma all-trans RA concentrations than patients with APL or early-stage lung cancer or 14 normal subjects. Following continuous oral treatment, the mean day 28 AUC for all-trans RA was significantly lower than that on day 1 (213 ng/mL per hour versus 467 ng/mL per hour; P < .01), a decline significantly attenuated by ketoconazole, which increased the mean plasma all-trans RA AUC on day 29 to 375 ng/mL per hour (P < .01). CONCLUSION Reported variability for the pharmacokinetics of all-trans RA may result from disease-related or population-based differences in basal catabolic rates influenced by genetic or environmental factors. However, the pattern of inducible catabolism of all-trans RA is not disease specific. Ketoconazole attenuates this accelerated catabolism, suggesting that oxidation by cytochrome-P450 enzymes is an important pathway for both constitutive and induced pathways of all-trans RA metabolism.
India's software industry

India today has a distinct identity as a software superpower. With the world's second largest pool of English-speaking scientific and technical professionals, India boasts a US$5.7 billion software industry with an annual growth rate of more than 50 percent. As the software industry increasingly becomes a major driver of the nation's economy and policy makers devise ways to fuel its growth, India's software industry is poised for massive expansion. As a matter of fact, policy makers and industry leaders envision this industry's growing to more than US$80 billion by 2005 (with US$50 billion worth of software exports). The author considers India's competitive advantage and software competence. He gives a financial snapshot of India's software powerhouses.
Performance of Global-Appearance Descriptors in Map Building and Localization Using Omnidirectional Vision

Map building and localization are two crucial abilities that autonomous robots must develop. Vision sensors have become a widespread option to solve these problems. When using this kind of sensors, the robot must extract the necessary information from the scenes to build a representation of the environment where it has to move and to estimate its position and orientation with robustness. The techniques based on the global appearance of the scenes constitute one of the possible approaches to extract this information. They consist in representing each scene using only one descriptor which gathers global information from the scene. These techniques present some advantages comparing to other classical descriptors, based on the extraction of local features. However, it is important a good configuration of the parameters to reach a compromise between computational cost and accuracy. In this paper we make an exhaustive comparison among some global appearance descriptors to solve the mapping and localization problem. With this aim, we make use of several image sets captured in indoor environments under realistic working conditions. The datasets have been collected using an omnidirectional vision sensor mounted on the robot.