Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Neighborhood Characteristics on Young Adult Outcomes: Alternative Estimates.

Since the influential work of William Julius Wilson, there has been much research examining the effect of neighborhood and peer characteristics on adolescents' and young adults' social and economic outcomes. Still uncertain, however, are the independent effects of neighborhoods and families. This paper uses an innovative methodology to examine this issue and to isolate these two effects. In addition to a standard model that includes controls for family background, we estimate fixed-effect family models that allow us to also control for unobservable family characteristics that are constant within a family and that may affect young adult outcomes. To do this, we use a sample of sisters drawn from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, and relate their outcomes to the different neighborhoods in which they lived. In models that control for observed family background only, we find evidence of neighborhood effects consistent with other recent work. Fixed-effect models, however, reveal no statistically significant effects that are consistent with standard hypotheses about neighborhood effects. The findings suggest that one should be cautious about accepting findings of significant neighborhood effects derived from models that do not account for the possible selection of neighborhood.
Combined Food and Micronutrient Supplements during Pregnancy Have Limited Impact on Child Blood Pressure and Kidney Function in Rural Bangladesh1234

Observational evidence suggests nutritional exposures during in utero development may have long-lasting consequences for health; data from interventions are scarce. Here, we present a trial follow-up study to assess the association between prenatal food and micronutrient supplementation and childhood blood pressure and kidney function. During the MINIMat Trial in rural Bangladesh, women were randomly assigned early in pregnancy to receive an early or later invitation to attend a food supplementation program and additionally to receive either iron and folate or multiple micronutrient tablets daily. The 3267 singleton birth individuals with measured anthropometry born during the trial were eligible for a follow-up study at 4.5 y old. A total of 77% of eligible individuals were recruited and blood pressure, kidney size by ultrasound, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR; calculated from plasma cystatin c) were assessed. In adjusted analysis, early invitation to food supplementation was associated with a 0.72-mm Hg [(95% CI: 0.16, 1.28); P = 0.01] lower childhood diastolic blood pressure and maternal MMS supplementation was associated with a marginally higher [0.87 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.18, 1.56); P = 0.01] childhood diastolic blood pressure. There was also some evidence that a supplement higher in iron was associated with a higher offspring GFR. No other effects of the food or micronutrient interventions were observed and there was no interaction between the interventions on the outcomes studied. These marginal associations and small effect sizes suggest limited public health importance in early childhood.
Internet Addiction: a prevention action-research intervention

The aim of this paper was to present an action-research intervention for the prevention of Internet addiction (IA) in schools. Applying a pre-experimental research design model, a total of 90 young subjects (45 males and 45 females) were treated using a peer education programme. The Internet Addiction Test was used as a screening tool pre- and post-treatment and analysed using a paired t-test. The results showed a significant positive difference in the post-treatment values for both males and females. This research highlights the link between IA and cultural and social aspects of the disease in addition to discussing the difficulties of IA prevention.
What is a Citation Worth ?

A robust finding in all studies is that citadons are a positive and significant &terndnant of eam”ngs over almost all of theobserved range of citation levefs. lhe marginal value of a citation (when ths level of a“[atiom is zero) varies between $S0 and $1 ,3fX3. Same differences in marginal values may be due to differences in citation practices among disciplines while others may be due to differences among the studies in ths control variables included in the safary regressions. Finally, no gain in explanatory power results from the inchsion in the salary regression of the costly nonfirst-author citadon measure.
Seasonal and socioeconomic influences on thyroid function among the Yakut (Sakha) of Eastern Siberia

Previous research has shown that the extreme cold and short day lengths of polar winters promote increased production and uptake of thyroid hormones, resulting in marked declines in free triiodothyronine (fT3). However, this “polar T3 syndrome” has been documented almost exclusively on small samples of male sojourners and little is known about seasonal changes in thyroid function among indigenous circumpolar groups. The present study addresses this gap by examining seasonal changes in thyroid hormone levels among the indigenous Yakut (Sakha) of northeastern Siberia.
Culture and Differential Item Functioning in National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Mathematics Multiple Choice Test in Nigeria

The present study investigated the influence of culture on DIF in National Examination Council Senior School Certificate Mathematics multiple choice test in Nigeria. The study ascertained the instances of test items in NECO SSCE mathematics multiple choice questions that function differently for Ibo and Yoruba testees. To guide the study, three hypotheses were formulated and tested. An ex-post facto research design was employed in the study using 1,200 SSS3 students to obtain data on students' differential performance in mathematics across the different cultural environments. The instrument for data collection was General Mathematics paper I multiple choice test used by NECO in June/July, 2012 that was made up of 60 items. Chi-square goodness-of-fit test statistics was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The study revealed that the test item with DIF in NECO SSCE mathematics multiple choice questions significantly differ for testees from Ibo and Yoruba cultural environments and that the test items with DIF in NECO SSCE mathematics multiple choice questions significantly differ for males and females testees from Ibo cultural environment. It equally revealed that the test items with DIF in NECO SSCE mathematics multiple choice questions significantly differ for male and female testees from Yoruba cultural environment. Based on these findings, it was recommended that mathematics teachers should adopt the use of culturally responsive instructional techniques to reduce students' differential performance in mathematics irrespective of gender.
Prospective Randomization Trial of G-CSF-Primed Induction Regimen versus Standard Regimen in Patients with AML

The sensitization of leukemia cells with hematopoietic growth factors can enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therefore, the current trial attempted to evaluate the efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming in remission induction chemotherapy with an intensified dose of Ara-C for newly diagnosed AML. Patients with newly diagnosed AML were randomly assigned to receive idarubicin (12 mg/m2/24 hr, days 1-3) plus Ara-C (500 mg/m2/12 hr, days 4-8) with G-CSF (250 µg/m2/d, days 3-7) (IAG group) or standard idarubicin (12 mg/m2/24 hr, days 1-3) plus Ara-C (100 mg/m2/12 hr, days 1-7) without G-CSF (IA group). There were no significant differences in sex, age, subtype, or cytogenetic risk between the two groups. Complete remission was achieved in 15 patients (88.2%) from the IAG group and in 14 patients (82.4%) from the IA group (p=0.31). The median time to complete remission was 26 vs. 31 days (p=0.779) for the IA and IAG groups, respectively. The median time to neutrophil recovery (>1×109/L) and platelet recovery (>20×109/L) did not differ significantly between the two groups (26 vs. 26 days, p=0.338; 21 vs. 16 days, p=0.190, respectively). After a median follow-up of 682 days, the 3-year overall survival rate for the IA group was 64.7%, whereas that for the IAG group was 45.6% (p=0.984). No improved clinical outcomes were observed for the AML patients subjected to intensified remission induction with G-CSF priming when compared with standard induction chemotherapy.
Summing Up Hours of Any Type of Practice Versus Identifying Optimal Practice Activities

In their original article, Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Römer (1993) reviewed the evidence concerning the conditions of optimal learning and found that individualized practice with training tasks (selected by a supervising teacher) with a clear performance goal and immediate informative feedback was associated with marked improvement. We found that this type of deliberate practice was prevalent when advanced musicians practice alone and found its accumulated duration related to attained music performance. In contrast, Macnamara, Moreau, and Hambrick’s (2016, this issue) main meta-analysis examines the use of the term deliberate practice to refer to a much broader and less defined concept including virtually any type of sport-specific activity, such as group activities, watching games on television, and even play and competitions. Summing up every hour of any type of practice during an individual’s career implies that the impact of all types of practice activity on performance is equal—an assumption that I show is inconsistent with the evidence. Future research should collect objective measures of representative performance with a longitudinal description of all the changes in different aspects of the performance so that any proximal conditions of deliberate practice related to effective improvements can be identified and analyzed experimentally.
The Functionality of Facial Appearance and Its Importance to a Korean Population

Background Many people have an interest in the correction of facial scars or deformities caused by trauma. The increasing ability to correct such flaws has been one of the reasons for the increase in the popularity of facial plastic surgery. In addition to its roles in communication, breathing, eating, olfaction and vision, the appearance of the face also plays an important role in human interactions, including during social activities. However, studies on the importance of the functional role of facial appearance. As a function of the face are scare. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the importance of the functions of the face in Korea. Methods We conducted an online panel survey of 300 participants (age range, 20-70 years). Each respondent was administered the demographic data form, Facial Function Assessment Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and standard gamble questionnaires. Results In the evaluation on the importance of facial functions, a normal appearance was considered as important as communication, breathing, speech, and vision. Of the 300 participants, 85% stated that a normal appearance is important in social activities. Conclusions The results of this survey involving a cross-section of the Korean population indicated that a normal appearance was considered one of the principal facial functions. A normal appearance was considered more important than the functions of olfaction and expression. Moreover, a normal appearance was determined to be an important facial function for leading a normal life in Korea.
Differences in Preferences for Using Microbicides Among Gay Men Seeking Internet Partners

Differences in Preferences for Using Microbicides Among Gay Men Seeking Internet Partners by Nnenna Jean Wilson MPH, University of Texas School of Public Health, 2007 BS, United States Air Force Academy, 2005 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Walden University July 2016
Effects of nanoporous anodic titanium oxide on human adipose derived stem cells

The aim of current bone biomaterials research is to design implants that induce controlled, guided, successful, and rapid healing. Titanium implants are widely used in dental, orthopedic, and reconstructive surgery. A series of studies has indicated that cells can respond not only to the chemical properties of the biomaterial, but also, in particular, to the changes in surface topography. Nanoporous materials remain in focus of scientific queries due to their exclusive properties and broad applications. One such material is nanostructured titanium oxide with highly ordered, mutually perpendicular nanopores. Nanoporous anodic titanium dioxide (TiO2) films were fabricated by a three-step anodization process in propan-1,2,3-triol-based electrolyte containing fluoride ions. Adipose-derived stem cells offer many interesting opportunities for regenerative medicine. The important goal of tissue engineering is to direct stem cell differentiation into a desired cell lineage. The influence of nanoporous TiO2 with pore diameters of 80 and 108 nm on cell response, growth, viability, and ability to differentiate into osteoblastic lineage of human adipose-derived progenitors was explored. Cells were harvested from the subcutaneous abdominal fat tissue by a simple, minimally invasive, and inexpensive method. Our results indicate that anodic nanostructured TiO2 is a safe and nontoxic biomaterial. In vitro studies demonstrated that the nanotopography induced and enhanced osteodifferentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells from the abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue.
Estimation of drivers' drowsiness level using a Neural Network Based ‘Error Correcting Output Coding’ method

This paper presents an improved method for estimating a driver's drowsiness level using eyelid closure and heart rate variability. Laboratory experiments were conducted by using a proprietary driving simulator, which induced drowsiness among the test drivers. The purposes of these experiments were to obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) and eye-blink video sequences. The drivers were also monitored through a video camera. The changes in facial expression of the drivers were used as a standard index of drowsiness level. Error-Correcting Output Coding (ECOC) was employed as a multi-class classifier to estimate drowsiness level. The ordinary ECOC method was extended using a loss function for the decoding procedure to obtain class tendencies of each drowsiness level. We used a Neural Network-Based Decoding method to classify the drowsiness level. As a result, we obtained an extraordinarily high accuracy for estimation of drowsiness level. Comparisons were also made with the result of those from using the Loss-based Decoding ECOC (LD-ECOC).
How do changes in parental investment influence development in echinoid echinoderms?

SUMMARY Understanding the relationship between egg size, development time, and juvenile size is critical to explaining patterns of life‐history evolution in marine invertebrates. Currently there is conflicting information about the effects of changes in egg size on the life histories of echinoid echinoderms. We sought to resolve this conflict by manipulating egg size and food level during the development of two planktotrophic echinoid echinoderms: the green sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and the sand dollar, Echinarachnius parma. Based on comparative datasets, we predicted that decreasing food availability and egg size would increase development time and reduce juvenile size. To test our prediction, blastomere separations were performed in both species at the two‐cell stage to reduce egg volume by 50%, producing whole‐ and half‐size larvae that were reared to metamorphosis under high or low food levels. Upon settlement, age at metamorphosis, juvenile size, spine number, and spine length were measured. As predicted, reducing egg size and food availability significantly increased age at metamorphosis and reduced juvenile quality. Along with previous egg size manipulations in other echinoids, this study suggests that the relationship between egg size, development time, and juvenile size is strongly dependent upon the initial size of the egg.
Pengaruh Iklim Organisasi Terhadap Turnover Intention Melalui Kepuasan Kerja Sebagai Variabel Intervening Pada PT Bank Sulselbar

Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh iklim organisasi secara langsung terhadap turnover intention dan secara tidak langsung melalui kepuasan kerja sebagai variabel intervening di PT Bank Sulselbar. Desain penelitian Path Analysis digunakan sebagai alat analisis untuk menentukan arah variabel yang diteliti serta menjustifikasi seberapa signifikan pengaruh variabel independen dan dependen baik secara langsung maupun tidak langsung melalui variable mediasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa variabel iklim organisasi berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap kepuasan kerja karyawan secara langsung. Iklim organisasi berpengaruh negatif signifikan terhadap turnover intention secara langsung. Variabel kepuasan kerja terhadap turnover intention berpengaruh negatif signifikan terhadap turnover intention . Melalui mediasi kepuasan kerja secara tidak langsung iklim organisasi tetap berpengaruh negatif signifikan terhadap turnover intention . Orisinalitas: Pengelolaan personalia dan promosi karyawan yang berdasarkan kompetensi akan semakin memacu karyawan dalam berprestasi dan dapat meningkatkan kinerjanya. Dengan menempatkan salah satu variable sebagai mediasi dapat menghasilkan sesuatu yang berbeda dan penelitian ini dapat memberikan gambaran bagi manajer berkaitan dengan masalah pengambilan keputusan. Kata Kunci : Budaya Organisasi, Gaya Kepemimpinan, Komitmen Organisasi, path Analysis
Invariants for recognition of degraded 1-D digital signals

The paper is devoted to the feature-based recognition of degraded signals acquired by a linear time-invariant system The proposed approach consists of describing signals by features which are invariant with respect to the degradation and recognizing signals in the feature space. Neither impulse response identification nor signal restoration are required. Thanks to this, the new approach is in many applications much more effective than the classical one based on blind deconvolution. Two sets of appropriate blur-invariant features (the first one in time domain, the other one in spectral domain) are introduced in this paper. The proof of their invariance is given and their performance is illustrated by numerical experiments.
Forward Dynamics Simulations Provide Insight Into Muscle Mechanical Work During Human Locomotion

Complex musculoskeletal models and computer simulations can provide critical insight into muscle mechanical work output during locomotion. Simulations provide both a consistent mechanical solution that can be interrogated at multiple levels (muscle fiber, musculotendon, net joint moment, and whole-body work) and an ideal framework to identify limitations with different estimates of muscle work and the resulting implications for metabolic cost and efficiency.
Work transition, work identity change, and age: Where do I come from? Who am I? Where am I going?

Despite a “graying” workforce and a growing number of workers experiencing work transitions, extant literature has largely ignored the role of age in work transition experiences and its impact on the process of work identity change. In this dissertation I employ an inductive approach to elaborate theory concerning the relationships among work transitions, work identity change, and age. Contrary to what extant literature suggests, the findings of a longitudinal qualitative study of 47 employees at a large financial services firm make clear that the types of work transition (role-based transition vs. membership-based transition) and employees’ age (Gen X and Gen Y workers in early adulthood vs. Baby-boomer workers in middle adulthood) did not differentiate the overall identity change processes within the organization. Rather, my data suggest that identity change is best captured as change in the direction of employees’ work identity narratives. Moreover, different combinations of intrapersonal/temporal, interpersonal/ social, and future time perspective mechanisms lead to three types of change in the direction of the identity narratives: adjusting, progressing, and regressing. Further, significant differences between age groups surfaced. My research enriches emerging perspectives on work identity as narrative by proposing a temporally-oriented model of work identity change that bridges past, present, and future identities; and delimits the role of age in identity change during work-related transitions.
Validation of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Scale With American College Students

The current study examined the factor structure of the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence (SSREI) scale with an American college sample (n = 404, 322 females, 88.9% Whites). Data were collected through an online survey, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test several proposed factor models from previous studies. The results showed that the Ng et al. two-level factor model fit the current data best. Implications of the study and the usefulness of SSREI scale among American students were discussed.
Hybrid fNIRS-EEG based classification of auditory and visual perception processes

For multimodal Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), it is very useful to identify the modalities on which the user is currently processing information. This would enable a system to select complementary output modalities to reduce the user's workload. In this paper, we develop a hybrid Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) which uses Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to discriminate and detect visual and auditory stimulus processing. We describe the experimental setup we used for collection of our data corpus with 12 subjects. On this data, we performed cross-validation evaluation, of which we report accuracy for different classification conditions. The results show that the subject-dependent systems achieved a classification accuracy of 97.8% for discriminating visual and auditory perception processes from each other and a classification accuracy of up to 94.8% for detecting modality-specific processes independently of other cognitive activity. The same classification conditions could also be discriminated in a subject-independent fashion with accuracy of up to 94.6 and 86.7%, respectively. We also look at the contributions of the two signal types and show that the fusion of classifiers using different features significantly increases accuracy.