Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Green Tea Extract Supplementation and Mammographic Density in Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer

Epidemiologic and animal studies suggest a protective role of green tea against breast cancer. However, the underlying mechanism is not understood. We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial to investigate whether supplementation with green tea extract (GTE) modifies mammographic density (MD), as a potential mechanism, involving 1,075 healthy postmenopausal women. Women assigned to the treatment arm consumed daily 4 decaffeinated GTE capsules containing 1,315 mg total catechins, including 843 mg epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for 12 months. A computer-assisted method (Madena) was used to assess MD in digital mammograms at baseline and month 12 time points in 932 completers (462 in GTE and 470 in placebo). GTE supplementation for 12 months did not significantly change percent MD (PMD) or absolute MD in all women. In younger women (50–55 years), GTE supplementation significantly reduced PMD by 4.40% as compared with the placebo with a 1.02% PMD increase from pre- to postintervention (P = 0.05), but had no effect in older women (Pinteraction = 0.07). GTE supplementation did not induce MD change in other subgroups of women stratified by catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype or level of body mass index. In conclusion, 1-year supplementation with a high dose of EGCG did not have a significant effect on MD measures in all women, but reduced PMD in younger women, an age-dependent effect similar to those of tamoxifen. Further investigation of the potential chemopreventive effect of green tea intake on breast cancer risk in younger women is warranted. Cancer Prev Res; 10(12); 710–8. ©2017 AACR.
Spirituality: Towards a theoretical framework

Abstract Integrating existing theory and research, this paper develops a theoretical framework of spirituality. Seven pathways are developed through which spirituality engenders a wide range of salutary outcomes. The seven pathways are: health promotive behaviors and lifestyles, social support, psychodynamics of ritual, psychodynamics of cognitive schemata, ego challenge, quantum effects and supernatural effects. A discussion of the practice and research implications that flow from the framework concludes the paper.
Individual Differences in the Development of Formal Reasoning.

CLOUTIER, RICHARD, and GOLDSCHMID, MARCEL L. Individual Differences in the Development of Formal Reasoning. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1976, 47, 1097-1102. The study investigated the relationship between the attainment of a Piagetian formal operational concept (proportion) and personal characteristics in a sample of 117 Ss aged 10-12 years. A first analysis of the correlations between proportionality and the 22 other assessed variables indicated that a general ability factor could account for several significant associations among variables. As expected, intelligence significantly correlated with the Piagetian concept. A stepwise multiple regression characterized the high scorer on the proportionality test as follows: (a) he is active and quick to respond, (b) he is able to develop a systematic method of reasoning, (c) he is able to generate original ideas, (d) he is rated lower on discipline than his average peer, (e) he frequently has doubts about his own capacities, and (f) he is able to initiate activities when left alone in a school situation. Piaget's argument tying together activity and cognition is supported by the results: children demonstrating more active patterns of behavior within their physical and social environment develop faster and master concepts earlier.
Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation.

This article examines the classroom learning environment in relation to achievement goal theory of motivation. Classroom structures are described in terms of how they make different types of achievement goals salient and as a consequence elicit qualitatively different patterns of motivation. Task, evaluation and recognition, and authority dimensions of classrooms are presented as examples of structures that can influence children's orientation toward different achievement goals. Central to the thesis of this article is a perspective that argues for an identification of classroom structures that can contribute to a mastery orientation, a systematic analysis of these structures, and a determination of how these structures relate to each other
Foreign Capital and Economic Growth

We document the recent phenomenon of "uphill" flows of capital from nonindustrial to industrial countries and analyze whether this pattern of capital flows has hurt growth in nonindustrial economies that export capital. Surprisingly, we find that there is a positive correlation between current account balances and growth among nonindustrial countries, implying that a reduced reliance on foreign capital is associated with higher growth. This result is weaker when we use panel data rather than cross-sectional averages over long periods of time, but in no case do we find any evidence that an increase in foreign capital inflows directly boosts growth. What explains these results, which are contrary to the predictions of conventional theoretical models? We provide some evidence that even successful developing countries have limited absorptive capacity for foreign resources, either because their financial markets are underdeveloped, or because their economies are prone to overvaluation caused by rapid capital inflows.
The Effect of Incongruence Between CEO and Corporate Brand Personality on Financial Analysts’ Attitudes and Assessment of a Company’s Performance

This research assesses the role of two types of nonfinancial information in investor relations: The personality of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the personality of the corporate brand. As both personalities determine the identity of a company and the relationship with its stakeholders, we investigate their relevance and the effect of incongruence between these two personalities on financial analysts. Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted to answer the theoretically derived research questions. Empirical findings show that both personalities are relevant to analysts and that perceived incongruence between these personalities can cause adverse effects. Company size, stage of company development and strength of the corporate brand emerge as influencing factors. The findings point to the importance of integrated communication concerning a company’s relevant personalities when relating to stakeholders.
Defensive Reactions to Group-Relevant Information

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that possession of a strong social identity would motivate people to arrive at a conclusion which supported their previous beliefs when responding to information that threatened their group. In a pre-measure, participants were classified as either weak or strong in social identity. After reading a threatening or non-threatening (fictitious) report about their group, participants were asked to evaluate the report. The results showed that participants with a strong social identity evaluated the threatening information more negatively than those with a weak social identity. Participants who had a strong social identity evaluated the non-threatening information more positively than those with a weak social identity. These results are discussed in the context of motivated reasoning and social identity theory.
Phylogenetic analysis of some Newcastle disease virus isolates from the Sudan

A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to amplify 1412 bp of the fusion protein gene (F gene) of four Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates; two velogenic (TY-1/90 and DIK-90) and two lentogenic isolates (Dongla 88/1 and GD.S.1). Following sequencing, nucleotide sequences were annotated and 894 bp were compared phylogenetically with those from strains previously reported in the Sudan and the virus strains published on the GenBank. It could be demonstrated that TY-1/90 and DIK-90 strains belong to the genotype VI of NDV and are in close genetic relationship to sub- genotype VIb. TY-1/90 and DIK-90 strains were observed to be genetically unrelated to the earlier Sudanese isolates of 1970/80s and the late of 2000s suggesting a different origin. The close genetic relationship to the European and African pigeon paramyxovirus type 1 (PPMV-1) suggests a common ancestor. Dongola, GD.S. 1 strains were classified into genotype II that comprises non-pathogenic lentogenic NDV strains. The present genetic classification of NDV isolates of the Sudan provides valuable information on genotypes of NDV. Further molecular epidemiological investigations of the recent outbreaks of Newcastle disease in the Sudan are needed in order to improve the efficiency of control strategies and vaccine development.
Multiple-target deep learning for LSTM-RNN based speech enhancement

In this study, we explore long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM-RNNs) for speech enhancement. First, a regression LSTM-RNN approach for a direct mapping from the noisy to clean speech features is presented and verified to be more effective than deep neural network (DNN) based regression techniques in modeling long-term acoustic context. Then, a comprehensive comparison between the proposed direct mapping based LSTM-RNN and ideal ratio mask (IRM) based LSTM-RNNs is conducted. We observe that the direct mapping framework achieves better speech intelligibility at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) while the IRM approach shows its superiority at high SNRs. Accordingly, to fully utilize this complementarity, a novel multiple-target joint learning approach is designed. The experiments under unseen noises show that the proposed framework can consistently and significantly improve the objective measures for both speech quality and intelligibility.
Why Some Material Is Difficult to Learn

The experiments reported in this article flow from the following assumptions concerning our cognitive processes: (a) Schema acquisition and automation are major learning mechanisms when dealing with higher cognitive activities and are designed to circumvent our limited working memories and emphasize our highly effective long-term memories. (b) A limited working memory makes it difficult to assimilate multiple elements of information simultaneously. (c) Under conditions where multiple elements of information interact, they must be assimilated simultaneously. (d) As a consequence, a heavy cognitive load is imposed when dealing with material that has a high level of element interactivity. (e) High levels of element interactivity and their associated cognitive loads may be caused both by intrinsic nature of the material being learned and by the method of presentation. (f) If the intrinsic element interactivity and consequent cognitive load are low, the extraneous cognitive load is critical when dealing with i.
The interplay between daily affect and sleep: a 2‐week study of young women

Little attention has been paid to the relation between daily affect and sleep, as most prior studies have focused instead on the role of pathological mood in the context of sleep disturbance. However, understanding the transaction between normal variations in emotional experiences and sleep can shed light on the premorbid vulnerabilities that trigger the evolution of affect and sleep into more problematic states. The present study used a 2‐week daily sampling approach to examine the impact of day‐to‐day variations in positive and negative affect on nightly self‐reported sleep‐onset latency, sleep duration and sleep quality in a sample of young women. Hierarchical linear modelling revealed temporal relations between positive and negative affect states and sleep parameters. Specifically, different aspects of both positive and negative affect were uniquely predictive of sleep indices, with sadness and serenity acting as the most consistent predictors. Additionally, better sleep quality was predictive of greater happiness the following day. These results highlight the importance of how our daily emotional experiences influence our nightly sleep and, in turn, how our sleep has an impact on our daily affect. Moreover, our findings may offer insight into the progression of normative levels of affect and sleep as they develop into comorbid depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Comparisons among Individual and Cooperative Performance Assessments and Other Measures of Mathematics Competence

The purposes of this study were to examine how well 3 measures, representing 3 points on a traditional-alternative mathematics assessment continuum, interrelated and discriminated students achieving above, at, and below grade level and to explore effects of cooperative testing for the most innovative measure (performance assessment). Fourth graders (n = 131) with prior training and experience in cooperative mathematics activities individually completed 2 more traditional assessments; half completed performance assessments individually, the other half in dyads. The 2 more traditional measures, but not the performance assessments, demonstrated strong discriminative validity. Among individually administered measures, intercorrelations were moderate and significant; correlations were stronger for performance assessments that were individually rather than cooperatively completed, and exploratory analyses suggested that cooperative performance assessment scores corresponded better with other measures for above-grade-level students than for below-grade-level students. Findings are discussed for statewide assessment programs and instructional decision making with respect to the misalignment between performance assessment forms of mathematical knowledge and typical classroom curricula and the need for preparation in collaborative group processes on problem-solving activities.
Using value‐stream maps to improve leadership

Presents for the first time how value‐stream maps can be used to determine leadership beliefs, behaviors, and competencies. Current‐state value‐stream maps represent “conventional” management thinking and practices – what most business schools teach – while future‐state maps represent progressive “lean” management thinking and practices rooted in the Toyota management system. Current‐ and future‐state value‐stream maps for manufacturing and service business processes are used to illustrate the progression from belief to behavior to competency. The beliefs, behaviors, and competencies of leaders skilled in these two modes of management thinking and practice are shown to be remarkably different, and constitute an alternative and simpler route for identifying leadership problems and improving leadership effectiveness.
Single image dehazing using improved dark channel prior

Huge quantities of suspended particles in our atmosphere, cause scenes to appear hazy or foggy, this reduces visibility of objects and their contrast, and makes detection of objects within the scene more difficult. Most existing algorithms are based on a strong, statistically based prior, the dark channel prior. We introduce an improved Dark Channel Prior method for dehazing image. The transmission map is refined by opening (eroding and dilating) it, thus reducing the halo and block effect. Our method recovers the true radiance of distant objects and the problem of bluishness is reduced. On the basis of color information ω has been made adaptive. The results show that our method is effective in comparison with other methods.
Children's Perception of Death and Interpersonal Closeness to the Dead Person

Fifty-four boys and girls of three age groups: six to seven, eight to nine, and ten to eleven, participated in an investigation of the relationship between the comprehension of death and the degree of interpersonal closeness to the dead person. The children responded to a death concept questionnaire tapping their understanding of the deaths of a “brother,” a “cousin,” and “Johnny”—an unfamiliar child. A 3 × 3 ANOVA showed an age × person interaction. While first- and fifty-graders perceived the death of a person to whom they were close on an interpersonal basis less accurately (lower score) than the death of a person of a more distant relationship, no such distinctions were made by the third-graders. In addition, there was a main effect of person and of age. A significant correlation was found between interpersonal distance and death concept scores. The findings were discussed in light of children's emotional development and the way in which they comprehend and process emotionally loaded concepts.
Meaningful categorisation of novice programmer errors

The frequency of different kinds of error made by students learning to write computer programs has long been of interest to researchers and educators. In the past, various studies investigated this topic, usually by recording and analysing compiler error messages, and producing tables of relative frequencies of specific errors diagnostics produced by the compiler. In this paper, we improve on such prior studies by investigating actual logical errors in student code, as opposed to diagnostic messages produced by the compiler. The actual errors reported here are more precise, more detailed and more accurate than the diagnostic produced automatically. In order to present frequencies of actual errors, error categories were developed and validated, and student code captured at time of compilation failure was manually analysed by multiple researchers. The results show that error causes can be manually analysed by independent researchers with good reliability. The resulting table of error frequencies shows that prior work using diagnostic messages tended to group some distinct errors together in single categories, which can now be listed more accurately.
Who Knows What When? - the Information Content of Pre-Ipo Market Prices

To resolve the IPO underpricing puzzle it is essential to analyze who knows what when during the issuing process. In Germany, broker-dealers make a market in IPOs during the subscription period. We examine these pre-issue prices and find that they are highly informative. They are closer to the first price that is subsequently established on the exchange than either the midpoint of the bookbuilding range or the offer price. We further document that pre-issue prices are unbiased estimates of the subsequent first exchange price. They explain a large part of the underpricing that cannot be explained by other variables. The results imply that information asymmetries are much lower than the observed variance of underpricing suggests, a finding that is relevant for judging the validity of underpricing theories.
Dopamine D2/D3 imbalance during migraine attack and allodynia in vivo

Objective: To evaluate in vivo the dynamics of endogenous dopamine (DA) neurotransmission during migraine ictus with allodynia. Methods: We examined 8 episodic migraineurs and 8 healthy controls (HC) using PET with [11C]raclopride. The uptake measure of [11C]raclopride, nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND), would increase when there was a reduction in endogenous DA release. The opposite is true for a decrease in [11C]raclopride BPND. Patients were scanned twice: one PET session was during a spontaneous migraine ictus at rest, followed by a sustained thermal pain threshold (STPT) challenge on the trigeminal region, eliciting an allodynia experience; another was during interictal phase. Results: Striatal BPND of [11C]raclopride in migraineurs did not differ from HC. We found a significant increase in [11C]raclopride BPND in the striatum region of migraineurs during both headache attack and allodynia relative to interictal phase. However, when compared to the migraine attack at rest, migraineurs during the STPT challenge had a significant sudden reduction in [11C]raclopride BPND in the insula. Such directional change was also observed in the caudate of HC relative to the interictal phase during challenge. Furthermore, ictal changes in [11C]raclopride BPND in migraineurs at rest were positively correlated with the chronicity of migraine attacks, and negatively correlated with the frequency during challenge. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that there is an imbalanced uptake of [11C]raclopride during the headache attack and ictal allodynia, which indicates reduction and fluctuation in ictal endogenous DA release in migraineurs. Moreover, the longer the history and recurrence of migraine attacks, the lower the ictal endogenous DA release.
Decision Making by Relatives About Brain Death Organ Donation: An Integrative Review

Background Deciding about the organ donation of one’s brain-dead beloved often occurs in an unexpected and delicate situation. We explored the decision making of the relatives of potential brain-dead donors, its evaluation, and the factors influencing decision making. Methods We used the integrative review method. Our search included 10 databases. Inclusion criteria were presence of the donation request or the subsequent decision process. Three authors independently assessed the eligibility of identified articles. Results Content analysis of 70 included articles led to three themes: decision, evaluation, and support. We extracted results and recommendations concerning these three themes. The timing of the request and understandable information influence the decision. The relatives evaluate their decision differently: in case of refusal, approximately one third regret their decision, and in case of consent, approximately one tenth mention regret. The relatives are often ambivalent about their values (protection, altruism, and respect) and the deceased’s wishes, not wanting additional suffering either for their beloved or for themselves. Support is mainly focused on increasing consent rates and less on satisfaction with the decision. Conclusions Evaluation of decision making by the relatives of potential brain-dead donors reveals possibilities for improving the decision process. Special skills of the requester, attention to the circumstances, and unconditional support for the relatives might prevent the relatives’ regret about refusal and unnecessary loss of organs. We hypothesize that support in exploring the relatives’ values and the deceased’s wishes can lead to stable decisions. This hypothesis deserves further investigation.