Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language Testing

03—343 Boyd, Kenneth and Davies, Alan (U. of Edinburgh, UK; Email: a.davies@ed.ac.uk). Doctors' orders for language testers: The origin and purpose of ethical codes. Language Testing (London, UK), 19, 3 (2002), 296—322. 03—344 Finch, Andrew Edward (Kyungpook National U., Korea; Email: aef@knu.ac.kr). Ethical assessment: Implications for EFL educators in Korea. English Teaching (Korea), 57, 3 (2002), 333—51. 03—345 Huibregtse, Ineke (Utrecht U., The Netherlands; Email: i.huibregtse@ivlos.uu.nl), Admiraal, Wilfried and Meara, Paul. Scores on a yes-no vocabulary test: Correction for guessing and response style. Language Testing (London, UK), 19, 3 (2002), 227—45. 03—346 Lumley, Tom (Hong Kong Polytechnic U.; Email: egluml@polyu.edu.hk). Assessment criteria in a large-scale writing test: What do they really mean to the raters? Language Testing (London, UK), 19, 3 (2002), 246—76. 03—347 O'Sullivan, Barry (U. of Reading, UK; Email: b.e.osullivan@reading.ac.uk). Learner acquaintanceship and oral proficiency test pair-task performance. Language Testing (London, UK), 19, 3 (2002), 277—95. 03—348 Qian, David D. (Hong Kong Polytechnic U.; Email: David.Qian@polyu.edu.hk). Investigating the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and academic reading performance: An assessment perspective. Language Learning (Malden, MA, USA), 52, 3 (2002), 513—36. 03—349 Saif, Shahrzad (Université Laval, Canada; Email: shahrzad.saif@lli.ulaval.ca). A needs-based approach to the evaluation of the spoken language ability of international teaching assistants. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (Ottawa, Canada), 5, 1/2 (2002), 145—67. 03—350 Wolter, Brent (Hokkaido U., Japan; Email: wolter@ilcs.hokudai.ac.jp). Assessing proficiency through word associations: Is there still hope? System (Oxford, UK), 30, 3 (2002), 315—29.
Regulatory T Cells in Autoimmune and Viral Chronic Hepatitis

In both autoimmune liver disease and chronic viral hepatitis, the injury results from an immune-mediated cytotoxic T cell response to liver cells. As such, it is not surprising that CD4+ regulatory T cells, a key regulatory population of T cells able to curb immune responses, could be involved in both autoimmune hepatitis and chronic viral hepatitis. The liver can induce the conversion of naïve CD4+ T cells to CD4+ regulatory T cells and induce tolerance to locally expressed antigens. This tolerance mechanism is carefully regulated in physiological conditions but any imbalance could be pathological. An overly tolerant immune response can lead to chronic infections while an overreactive and unbridled immune response can lead to autoimmune hepatitis. With the recent advent of monoclonal antibodies able to target regulatory T cells (daclizumab) and improve immune responses and several ongoing clinical trials analysing the impact of regulatory T cell infusion on autoimmune liver disease or liver transplant tolerance, modulation of immunological tolerance through CD4+ regulatory T cells could be a key element of future immunotherapies for several liver diseases allowing restoring the balance between proper immune responses and tolerance.
Serum and colon mucosa micronutrient antioxidants: differences between adenomatous polyp patients and controls

OBJECTIVES:Micronutrient antioxidants, by virtue of their free radical scavenging properties, are potential chemopreventive agents against colon cancer. Yet, little is known about the actual concentration of these antioxidants in colonic mucosa. It is also not known whether a relationship exists between serum and mucosal tissue antioxidant levels. Previous studies evaluating the occurrence of polyps after supplementation with vitamin E and β-carotene have yielded mixed results. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of seven micronutrient antioxidants (α- and γ-tocopherol, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and α- and β-carotene) in colonic mucosa and to determine whether serum levels of each antioxidant could predict levels of that antioxidant in the right and left colon of patients with normal mucosa or in those with adenomatous polyps.METHODS:Mucosal tissue concentrations and serum levels of antioxidants were determined in10 patients with adenomatous polyps and 15 control subjects (GI patients with normal colonic mucosa). Mucosal tissue samples were obtained from both the right and left colon in all patients.RESULTS:Patients with polyps similar serum antioxidant status similar to that of control. However, polyp patients had significantly lower concentrations of all seven antioxidants in both the right (p < 0.0070) and left colon (p < 0.0026) than did controls. Finally, serum antioxidant levels predict right and left colon antioxidant levels in controls but not in patients with polyps.CONCLUSIONS:Patients with adenomatous polyps have low levels of micronutrient antioxidants in their colon mucosa. Because the serum levels of these antioxidants were similar in controls and polyp patients, our findings suggest an increased level of free radical activity in patients with polyps compared to normal subjects.
Willingness to pay for allergy-vaccination among Danish patients with respiratory allergy

Objective: The aim of this study was to elicit willingness to pay (WTP) for allergen-specific subcutaneous injection immunotherapy (SCIT) in a cohort of respondents suffering from allergic-rhinoconjunctivitis (a-RC)/asthma, and to investigate how patients self-select to SCIT according to need. Methods: A random sample of the general population was screened for a-RC/asthma and asked if they were willing to consider SCIT. They were asked to state their WTP for SCIT by way of a discrete choice question (DC-q), an open-ended WTP question (o-WTP-q), and questions relating to their sociodemographic background and the severity of their a-RC/asthma. The characteristics of respondents demanding SCIT were compared with the characteristics of respondents who have actually received SCIT to establish possible barriers to demand. Results: Our results suggest that respondents do well in self-selecting themselves to SCIT on the basis of need according to disease burden measured in terms of a-RC classification, number of contacts with a general practitioner, number of sick days, and potential quality-adjusted life-year loss. Mean WTP for SCIT was estimated at €655 (median, €267) (o-WTP-q) and €903 (95 percent confidence limit, 348–1,459) (DC-q). Conclusion: Characteristics of respondents, who consider SCIT and are willing to pay for SCIT, suggest that allergy sufferers select themselves appropriately according to need and not according to other characteristics, such as income or education. There is a significant discrepancy between those who hypothetically consider SCIT and those demanding SCIT in real life. This study suggests that there are barriers to entry related to age and education, but not to income.
Online and dynamic algorithms for set cover

In this paper, we give new results for the set cover problem in the fully dynamic model. In this model, the set of "active" elements to be covered changes over time. The goal is to maintain a near-optimal solution for the currently active elements, while making few changes in each timestep. This model is popular in both dynamic and online algorithms: in the former, the goal is to minimize the update time of the solution, while in the latter, the recourse (number of changes) is bounded. We present generic techniques for the dynamic set cover problem inspired by the classic greedy and primal-dual offline algorithms for set cover. The former leads to a competitive ratio of O(lognt), where nt is the number of currently active elements at timestep t, while the latter yields competitive ratios dependent on ft, the maximum number of sets that a currently active element belongs to. We demonstrate that these techniques are useful for obtaining tight results in both settings: update time bounds and limited recourse, exhibiting algorithmic techniques common to these two parallel threads of research.
A Study on the Reduction of Throttling Losses in Automotive Air Conditioning Systems Through Expansion Work Recovery

Refrigerant flow control of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle has been largely relied upon throttling devices, such as capillary tubes, short tube orifices and expansion valves. The expansion process through these devices represents an obvious thermodynamic loss that can be mitigated by the application of different solutions such as intracycle evaporative cooling, economizer and ejector cycles or work producing expansion devices. The present paper concentrates on studying the latter, specifically applied for automotive air conditioning systems. A basic thermodynamic model was developed to simulate a vapor compression cycle for automotive air conditioning purposes employing expanders. Data and cycle conception from devices that were successfully tested and reported in the literature are briefly commented. A preliminary study was carried out taking into account some of the several characteristics that are inherent to mobile air conditioning systems, including high rejection temperature. This preliminary study concentrated in the subcritical vapor compression R134a cycle with an expander and a thermostatic expansion valve placed downstream the expander.
Sensitiewe relasievorming as bestuursdimensie: Die evaluering van 'n ontwikkelingsprogram

Sensitive relationship forming as managerial dimension; the evaluation of a developmental programme. Interpersonal effectiveness in management is conceptualised as sensitive relationship forming with respect, realness, empathy and concreteness are core behavioural dimensions. As concurrent characteristics to these skills/ psychological optimal functioning is described with its specific intrapersonal, interpersonal and work-related characteristics. A developmental programme for the stimulation of sensitive relationship forming is constructed and applied to three groups of middle managers. The psychological evaluation shows a significant increase in all four core behavioural dimensions as well as psychological optimal functioning in terms of reality contact, emotional maturity and internal locus of control. Opsomming Interpersoonlike effektiwiteit in bestuur word as sensitiewe relasievorming gekonseptualiseer met respek, egtheid, empatie en konkreetheid as kerngedragsdimensies. As saamvallende kenmerke tot hierdie vaardighede, word psigologies optimale funksionering omskryf, met spesifieke intrapersoonlike, interpersoonlike en werksgerigte kenmerke. 'n Ontwikkelingsprogram ter stimulering van sensitiewe relasievorming is saamgestel en op drie groepe middelbestuurders toegepas. Die psigometriese evaluering dui op 'n beduidende toename in al vier kerngedragsdimensies asook psigologies-optimale funksionering in terme van realiteitskontak, emosionele volwassenheid en interne lokus van kontrole.
Is avoidant leadership a root cause of subordinate stress? Longitudinal relationships between laissez-faire leadership and role ambiguity

Within a stressor-strain framework, the aim of this study is to examine the influence of perceived laissez-faire leadership – a type of leadership characterized by the superiors' avoidance and inaction when subordinates are experiencing a situational need for leadership – on stress in the form of experiences of role ambiguity. This was tested within a prospective 3-wave research design with time lags of 2 and 3 years respectively. A combination of 2 constructive types of leadership, initiating structure and showing consideration, was included as a control. In a sample of 1771 employees drawn from the Norwegian working population, structural equation modelling supported the hypothesis that perceived laissez-faire leadership would be positively related to experiencing role ambiguity at 3 consecutive measurement points. The findings did not support a potential reciprocal relationship between the two across time. Initiation of structure and Consideration were not related to role ambiguity, providing strong evidence of the importance of laissez-faire leadership within a stressor-strain framework. Demonstrating that laissez-faire leadership is a root source of subordinate role ambiguity underlines the importance of superiors perceiving situations and circumstances where subordinates experience a need for leadership and, accordingly, approaching this need instead of avoiding it.
MicroRNA-137 Upregulation Increases Bladder Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Targeting PAQR3

There is increasing evidence suggesting that dysregulation of some microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to tumor progression and metastasis and have been proposed to be key regulators of diverse biological processes such as transcriptional regulation, cell growth and tumorigenesis. Previous studies have shown that miR-137 is dysregulated in some malignancies, but its role in bladder cancer is still unknown. In our study, we find that miR-137 is up-regulated in human bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the higher level of miR-137 was associated with pM or pTNM stage in clinical bladder cancer patients. Enforced expression of miR-137 in bladder cancer cells significantly enhanced their proliferation, migration and invasion. Bioinformatics analysis identified the tumor suppressor gene PAQR3 as a potential miR-137 target gene. Further studies indicated that miR-137 suppressed the expression of PAQR3 by binding to its 3′-untranslated region. Silencing of PAQR3 by small interfering RNAs phenocopied the effects of miR-137 overexpression, whereas restoration of PAQR3 in bladder cancer cells bladder cancer cells overexpressing miR-137, partially reversed the suppressive effects of miR-137. These findings indicate that miR-137 could be a potential oncogene in bladder cancer.
Effects of physical exercise and/or vitamin E on tissue oxidative metabolism.

arrangement of the redox components in the membrane as random rather than chain-like and they raise the question of the role of lateral diffusion in the mechanism of electron transport. We report here the rates of lateral diffusion for the major inner membrane redox components as determined by fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching (Table 1, column I). Based on the diffusion coefficients established experimentally by our study, the theoretical diffusion-controlled electron-transport rate (Hardt, 1979), which is equal to the theoretical collision frequency (Table 1, column 2), is faster than the experimental maximum (uncoupled) electron-transport rate (Table 1, columns 3 and 4). Thus lateral diffusion of the redox components is sufficiently rapid for electron transport in the mitrochondrial inner membrane to be diffusion-controlled and is consistent with a 'random-collision model' (Hackenbrock, 1981) of electron transport in the mitochondrial inner membrane.
Sick and still at school: an empirical study of sickness presence among students in Norwegian secondary school

Objectives This paper investigates sickness presence (SP) among students. The research questions asked are: What is the distribution of SP among students in Norwegian secondary school? What characterises students with high SP in Norwegian secondary schools? Design A cross-sectional survey conducted in 10th grade in lower secondary school (LSS) and level 2 in upper secondary school (USS). The study was conducted using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis. Participants The survey was administered to 66 schools, and 2 or 3 classes participated at each school. The response rate was 84% in LSS (n=1880) and 81% in USS (n=1160). Primary and secondary outcome measures The paper provides information about the distribution of SP in secondary schools. The paper also examines which factors influence high SP. Results 75% of students in LSS and 80% of students in USS reported SP in the previous school year. 24% of students in LSS and 33% of students in USS reported high SP (4 episodes or more). Students with high absence from school were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.7, ORUSS=2.0) than those with low/no absence. Girls were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.5, ORUSS=1.5) than boys. In LSS, students with high school motivation reported high SP more often than students with low/medium motivation. In USS, students in vocational studies programmes reported high SP more often than students in general/academic studies programmes. Conclusions Some SP during a school year may be more common than no SP. Gender, absence, motivation and education programme were important factors for high SP in secondary school.
Quality Beef Schemes and Consumer Perception

Meat quality is currently conditioned to the fulfilment of different requirements concerning food safety and other ethic and social aspects. Nevertheless, restrictions and other considerations spreading faster than the above mentioned aspects could be applied in order to gain higher consumer satisfaction, which is to say, a higher quality. On the other hand, many different studies point to the existence of important shifts that manifest the need to increase the knowledge about consumer preferences and the fundamental need to support product differentiation by means of a quality labelling or different quality assurance schemes. This work analyzes different strategies related to the beef quality in a Spanish region (Castile and Leon), guaranteeing such quality with the presence of a quality labelling or a particular distinctive or brand, at the same time that some aspects concerning consumer behaviour behind beef quality are manifested. Data coming from the statistical treatment of different interviews are complemented with the information supplied by other secondary information sources, in order to construct the theoretical model to identify the main strategies to perform to promote the consumption of this product.
On the Concept of Transition

This article tries to reassess the meaning of transition. After a critical review of the traditional approach, it is argued that meaningful transition requires emphasis on the change of the institutional path-dependent process. In this light, the issue of transition may also apply to the West. Put differently, the notion of transition is here referred to broader context than that acknowledged by the orthodox views, and now includes the dynamics of power, the attitude towards risk and uncertainty within a civilization and also ideology. It is maintained that changes depend heavily on the opportunities for rent seeking, which may be enhanced or stifled by technological progress or other exogenous events.
Feelings experienced after previous suicide attempt by the individual and the reaction of close relatives or friends to previous attempt

Introduction The feelings experienced after a suicide attempt by the individual and the reaction of close relatives or friends to attempt is important in designing preventive mechanisms. Objective To describe the experience of the patient after the previous suicide attempt and the reaction of close relatives or friends to the previous suicide attempt. Method From 668 presented with attempted suicides presented to National Hospital of Sri Lanka (April to December 2002), 300 were randomly selected and interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. Results Previous suicidal attempts were present in 29 (9.7%) out of total 300 attempted suicides. The feelings following the previous suicide attempt were as follows: 19 felt pity (65.5%), 16 felt embarrassed (55.2%), 13 felt ashamed (44.8%), 11 felt afraid (37.9%), 10 felt angry (34.5%), 4 felt released (13.8%) and 2 felt proud (6.9%). Regarding reaction of close relatives or friends to last attempt, 25 (86.2%) of patients felt that others showed pity for patient, 11 (45.8%) patients felt that some people showed understanding, 16 (57.1%) felt that no one showed anger or irritation, 21 (75%) felt that others did not show embarrassment or avoided them, 24 (85.7%) felt no body laughed at them, 23 (82.1%) felt others did not ignore them. Conclusion The feeling following the suicidal attempts was of shame and embarrassment. The close relatives or friends of attempted suicides do not show negative emotions.
Event-Related Potentials, Configural Encoding, and Feature-Based Encoding in Face Recognition

Abstract The effects of manipulating configural and feature information on the face recognition process were investigated by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) from five electrode sites (Fz, Cz, Pz, T5, T6), while 17 European subjects performed an own-race and other-race face recognition task. A series of upright faces were presented in a study phase, followed by a test phase where subjects indicated whether inverted and upright faces were studied or novel via a button press response. An inversion effect, illustrating the disruption of upright configural information, was reflected in accuracy measures and in greater lateral N2 amplitude to inverted faces, suggesting that structural encoding is harder for inverted faces. An own-race advantage was found, which may reflect the use of configural encoding for the more frequently experienced own-race faces, and feature-based encoding for the less familiar other-race faces, and was reflected in accuracy measures and ERP effects. The midline N2 was larger .
Mora or syllable? Speech segmentation in Japanese

Abstract Four experiments examined segmentation of spoken Japanese words by native and non-native listeners. Previous studies suggested that language rhythm determines the segmentation unit most natural to native listeners: French has syllabic rhythm, and French listeners use the syllable in segmentation, while English has stress rhythm, and segmentation by English listeners is based on stress. The rhythm of Japanese is based on a subsyllabic unit, the mora. In the present experiments Japanese listeners′ response patterns were consistent with moraic segmentation; acoustic artifacts could not have determined the results since nonnative (English and French) listeners showed different response patterns with the same materials. Predictions of a syllabic hypothesis were disconfirmed in the Japanese listeners′ results; in contrast, French listeners showed a pattern of responses consistent with the syllabic hypothesis. The results provide further evidence that listeners′ segmentation of spoken words relies on procedures determined by the characteristic phonology of their native language.
Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I and -II and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in women with squamous intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer.

INTRODUCTION Pap smear has limitations as a screening test for cervical cancer. A marker that allows the identification of women who are at risk of developing cervical cancer would be useful for its prevention. A growing number of studies have demonstrated an association between insulin-like growth factors (IGF) serum levels and increased risk for various cancers. Objective. To assess whether circulating IGF-I, IGF-II, or IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were associated with cervical cancer and low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL). MATERIALS AND METHODS Serum levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3 were measured by ELISA. Three groups of cases were analyzed: LSIL (n = 37), HSIL (n = 57), and cervical cancer (n = 41). For each case, two controls, matched by age, were included. Control subjects were women with normal, HPV-DNA-negative Pap smear. RESULTS Significantly lower values of IGF-I (83.9 ng/ml versus 126.6 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and IGF-I:IGFBP-3 molar ratio (0.094 versus 0.137, p < 0.001) were observed among cancer cases, as compared to their control group. Women in the highest quartile of IGF-I and IGF-I:IGFBP-3 molar ratio were at an 80% (OR = 0.2, 95% CI [0.06-0.61]) and a 77% (OR = 0.23, 95% CI [0.07-0.73]) lower risk of cervical cancer, respectively, compared with women in the corresponding reference category. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that low values of IGF-I and IGF-I:IGFBP-3 molar ratio may be associated with cervical cancer.