Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thirty years of China-U.S. relations : analytical approaches and contemporary issues

Chapter 1 Introduction: Thirty Years of China-U.S. Relations: Reappraisal and Reassessment Part 2 Part 1: Realist Analyses of China-U.S. Relations Chapter 3 Chapter 1: Manipulating the "Balance of Power": Historical Reappraisal of the Sino-U.S. Rapprochement Chapter 4 Chapter 2: Cooperation for Competition: China's Strategic Response to U.S. Supremacy in East Asia Chapter 5 Chapter 3: The Regional Logic of China-U.S. Rivalry Chapter 6 Chapter 4: The Korean Peninsula as a Test Bed for the Future Direction of Sino-U.S. Relations: From Structural Realism to Neoclassical Realism and Beyond Part 7 Part 2: Interdependence and China-U.S. Relations Chapter 8 Chapter 5: A Complex Interdependence: China-U.S. Relations Chapter 9 Chapter 6: A New Era for U.S.-China Relations Chapter 10 Chapter 7: Chinese Mainland-US-Taiwan Triangular Relations since 2000: A Perspective of Complex Interdependence Chapter 11 Chapter 8: The Role of American Business in Sino-American Normalization Part 12 Part 3: Ideas, Norms and Institutions in Chinese Foreign Policy Chapter 13 Chapter 9: From Pragmatism to Morality: the Changing Rhetoric of the Chinese Foreign Policy in the Transitional Period Chapter 14 Chapter 10: Explanations of China's Compliance with Inter- national Agreements: Configuring Three Approa- ches to Institutional Effects on State Behavior Chapter 15 Chapter 11: Searching for a New Cultural Identity: China's Soft Power and Media Culture Today Chapter 16 Chapter 12: Obama's China Policy Part 17 Part 4: Contemporary Issues in China-US Relations Chapter 18 Chapter 13: Managing the Cross-Taiwan Strait Military Conflicts in a New Era of Political Reconciliation 19 Chapter 14: The New Triangle of Power: China, the United States and the European Union 20 Chapter 15: The Change and Continuity in the U.S. China Policy after the Cold War
Mastering Depression Through Interpersonal Psychotherapy: Patient Workbook

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is a brief treatment approach that has demonstrated effectiveness for treatment of major depressive disorders in adults. IPT takes the position that although there are many causes for depression, understanding the current social and interpersonal circumstances of the client associated with the onset of a recent episode of depression will expedite understanding current symptoms and help the client move toward developing new ways of coping. The books in this program clearly define the focus of treatment as "here and now. "
Factors affecting blind mobility

This thesis contains a survey of the mobility problems of blind people, experimental analysis and evaluation of these problems and suggestions for ways in which the evaluation of mobility performance and the design of mobility aids may be improved. The survey revealed a low level of mobility among blind people, with no significant improvement since a comparable survey in 1967. A group of self taught cane users were identified and their mobility was shown to be poor or potentially dangerous. Existing measures of mobility were unable to detect improvements in performance above that achieved by competent long cane users. By using newly devised measures of environmental awareness and of gait, the advantages of the Sonic Pathfinder were demonstrated. Existing measures of psychological stress were unsatisfactory. Heart rate is affected by physical effort and has been shown to be a poor indicator of moment-to-moment stress in blind mobility. Analysis of secondary task errors showed that they occurred while obstacles were being negotiated. They did not measure stress due to anticipation of obstacles or of danger. In contrast, step length, stride time and particularly speed all show significant anticipatory effects. The energy expended in walking a given distance is least at the walker's preferred speed. When guided, blind people walk at this most efficient pace. It is therefore suggested that the ratio of actual to preferred speed is the best measure of efficiency in mobility. Both guide dogs and aids which enhance preview allow pedestrians to walk at, or close to, their preferred speed. Further experiments are needed to establish the extent to which psychological stress is present during blind mobility, since none of the conventional measures, such as heart rate and mood checklists show consistent effects. Walking speed may well prove to be the most useful measure of such stress.
Functional Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptor Type II Expression by CD4+ T Cells in Peyer's Patches Is Essential for Oral Tolerance Induction

Our previous studies have shown that Peyer's patches (PPs) play a key role in the induction of oral tolerance. Therefore, we hypothesized that PPs are an important site for Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)- β signaling and sought to prove that this tissue is of importance in oral tolerance induction. We found that expression of TGF-β type II receptor (TGFβRII) by CD4+ T cells increases and persists in the PPs of normal C57BL/6 mice after either high- or low-dose feeding of OVA when compared to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and spleen. Approximately one-third of these TGFβRII+ CD4+ T cells express the transcription factor Foxp3. Interestingly, the number of TGFβRII+ CD4+ T cells in PPs decreased when OVA-fed mice were orally challenged with OVA plus native cholera toxin (CT). In contrast, numbers of TGFβRII+ CD4+ T cells were increased in the intestinal lamina propria (iLP) of these challenged mice. Further, these PP CD4+ TGFβRII+ T cells upregulated Foxp3 within 2 hours after OVA plus CT challenge. Mice fed PBS and challenged with OVA plus CT did not reveal any changes in TGFβRII expression by CD4+ T cells. In order to test the functional property of TGFβRII in the induction of oral tolerance, CD4dnTGFβRII transgenic mice, in which TGFβRII signaling is abrogated from all CD4+ T cells, were employed. Importantly, these mice could not develop oral tolerance to OVA. Our studies show a critical, dose-independent, role for TGFβRII expression and function by CD4+ T cells in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues, further underlining the vital role of PPs in oral tolerance.
Exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus sp.: Biosynthesis and applications

ABSTRACT Lactobacillus sp. synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPS), including both homo- and heteropolysaccharides, which play an important role in the production of fermented foods, and especially in the dairy industry, improving the gustatory and rheological properties of the finished products. These polymers are generated by starter cultures in situ in fermented foods, and so they are treated as natural thickening agents. As some Lactobacillus strains are generally recognized as safe and have been shown to exhibit probiotic activity, EPS from those bacteria can be used as functional food ingredients, conferring both health and economic benefits to the consumers. However, their industrial applications are hindered by the low yield of EPS from Lactobacillus and high costs of their purification. This review focuses on the latest reports concerning the biosynthesis and properties of Lactobacillus EPS.
Incremental Prognostic Utility of Left Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy Patients and Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Background In obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, we sought to determine whether LV global longitudinal strain (LV‐GLS) provided incremental prognostic utility. Methods and Results We studied 1019 patients with documented hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (mean age, 50±12 years; 63% men) evaluated at our center between 2001 and 2011. We excluded age <18 years, maximal LV outflow tract gradient <30 mm Hg, bundle branch block or atrial fibrillation, past pacemaker/cardiac surgery, including myectomy/alcohol ablation, and obstructive coronary artery disease. Average resting LV‐GLS was measured offline on 2‐, 3‐, 4‐chamber views using Velocity Vector Imaging (Siemens, Malvern, PA). Outcome was a composite of cardiac death and appropriate internal defibrillator (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) discharge. Maximal LV thickness, LV ejection fraction, indexed left atrial dimension, rest and maximal LV outflow tract gradient, and LV‐GLS were 2.0±0.2 cm, 62±4%, 2.2±4 cm/m2, 52±42 mm Hg, 103±36 mm Hg, and −13.6±4%. During 9.4±3 years of follow‐up, 668 (66%), 166 (16%), and 122 (20%), respectively, had myectomy, atrial fibrillation, and implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation, whereas 69 (7%) had composite events (62 cardiac deaths). Multivariable competing risk regression analysis revealed that higher age (subhazard ratio, 1.04 [1.02–1.07]), AF during follow‐up (subhazard ratio, 1.39 [1.11–1.69]), and worsening LV‐GLS (subhazard ratio, 1.11 [1.05–1.22]) were associated with worse outcomes, whereas myectomy (subhazard ratio, 0.44 [0.25–0.72]) was associated with improved outcomes (all P<0.01). Sixty‐one percent of events occurred in patients with LV‐GLS worse than median (−13.7%). Conclusions In obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with preserved LV ejection fraction, abnormal LV‐GLS was independently associated with higher events, whereas myectomy was associated with improved outcomes.
The Impact of Service Learning on Perceptions of Self-Efficacy

In recent years, the role ofhigher education in promoting volu.llteerism and social responsibility through service learning has become an issue that may radically impact both faculty and student development programs on American college campuses. Despite the significant amount ofdata regarding the impact ofstudent participation in service learning on students' attitudes toward volunteerism and social respollSloility, there is still a tremendous gap in our understanding ofhow such participation impacts subsequent student perceptions ofpersonal self-efficacy. The purpose ofthis qualitative case study is to further articulate and clarify the relationship between student involvement in service learning courses and student perceptions ofself-efficacy and personal obligation with regard to community and public service. What evolved in this study is a report offindings based on shared, inter­ subjective interpretations ofthe data. Interview transcripts, field notes from participant observation, studentjoumals, and documents collected in conjunction with the various service projects fonn the entire data base for the study. Borrowed from the Appalachian tradition, a quilting metaphor was used for data analysis, with loose blocks ofcolored paper representing the individual categories ofdata, and the variety ofpatterns in a quilt representing the constant comparison ofthose blocks ofdata. Themes were identified based on their contextual significance and relevance for understanding the context of service learning and how such activities might challenge students' understanding of self-efficacy in relation to community. This study identified and interpreted three themes that may contribute to an understanding ofthis relationship between participation in service learning and enhanced perceptions ofself-efficacy and empowerment in community. Analysis ofthe data yielded the following common themes: perception ofbenefit to communities through service learning, perception of identity clarification with community, and a connection between academic theory and experiential practice. Service learning's visionary paradigm ofeducators as both nurturing caregivers and disseminators of knowledge represents our concern for holistic perceptions ofself-efficacy, or the understanding of the selfas inter-related and connected to one's community? and having the power to make a difference in that community. •
Characterization of primary and secondary wood combustion products generated under different burner loads

Abstract. Residential wood burning contributes to the total atmospheric aerosol burden; however, large uncertainties remain in the magnitude and characteristics of wood burning products. Primary emissions are influenced by a variety of parameters, including appliance type, burner wood load and wood type. In addition to directly emitted particles, previous laboratory studies have shown that oxidation of gas-phase emissions produces compounds with sufficiently low volatility to readily partition to the particles, forming considerable quantities of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). However, relatively little is known about wood burning SOA, and the effects of burn parameters on SOA formation and composition are yet to be determined. There is clearly a need for further study of primary and secondary wood combustion aerosols to advance our knowledge of atmospheric aerosols and their impacts on health, air quality and climate. For the first time, smog chamber experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of wood loading on both primary and secondary wood combustion products. Products were characterized using a range of particle- and gas-phase instrumentation, including an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). A novel approach for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) quantification from AMS data was developed and results were compared to those from GC-MS analysis of filter samples. Similar total particle mass emission factors were observed under high and average wood loadings; however, high fuel loadings were found to generate significantly higher contributions of PAHs to the total organic aerosol (OA) mass compared to average loadings. PAHs contributed 15 ± 4% (mean ±2 sample standard deviations) to the total OA mass in high-load experiments, compared to 4 ± 1% in average-load experiments. With aging, total OA concentrations increased by a factor of 3 ± 1 for high load experiments compared to 1.6 ± 0.4 for average-load experiments. In the AMS, an increase in PAH and aromatic signature ions at lower m / z values, likely fragments from larger functionalized PAHs, was observed with aging. Filter samples also showed an increase in functionalized PAHs in the particles with aging, particularly oxidized naphthalene species. As PAHs and their oxidation products are known to have deleterious effects on health, this is a noteworthy finding to aid in the mitigation of negative wood burning impacts by improving burner operation protocols.
Theano: new features and speed improvements

Theano is a linear algebra compiler that optimizes a user's symbolically-specified mathematical computations to produce efficient low-level implementations. In this paper, we present new features and efficiency improvements to Theano, and benchmarks demonstrating Theano's performance relative to Torch7, a recently introduced machine learning library, and to RNNLM, a C++ library targeted at recurrent neural networks.
Mitogenic and Apoptotic Signaling by Carotenoids: Involvement of a Redox Mechanism

The potential for carotenoids to modulate tumor growth is currently under investigation. Although epidemiological studies evidence that a high intake of vegetables, rich in carotenoids, decreases cancer incidence and mortality, clinical trials demonstrate that supplementation of β‐carotene to chronic smokers or to asbestos workers increases the risk for lung cancer. These contradictory findings have renewed interest in elucidating the mechanism of action of carotenoids in biological systems. In this review, we show evidence for mitogenic and apoptotic effects of carotenoids and we support the hypothesis that these molecules may act as anticarcinogens or as procarcinogens through a redox mechanism. In particular, we report demonstrations for the anti‐oxidant or pro‐oxidant effects of carotenoids in vitro and in vivo, focusing our attention on the relationship existing between cell growth and redox status.
Effects of Response Force Parameters on Medial-Frontal Negativity

The response-related medial-frontal activity (MFN) is often supposed to reflect action-monitoring and error-processing activity. The present force-production task was designed to investigate the effects of two response parameters (i.e., peak response force and time-to-peak, TTP) on the MFN separately. In a 2 × 2 design (high vs. low target force and short vs. long TTP), 22 participants had to produce isometric force pulses to match one of four conditions (e.g., a high target force with a long TTP). Significant main effects of both target force and target TTP were revealed. As previously shown, the MFN amplitude was higher in the high target-force condition than in the low target-force condition. Contrary to the initial expectations, a long TTP had the effect of reducing the MFN amplitude. There was no error-specific effect on the MFN. The force-unit monitoring model (FUMM) is suggested to account for the force- and TTP- specific variations of MFN amplitude, latency and slope.
Victims No Longer: Men Recovering from Incest and Other Sexual Child Abuse

Written by an American psychotherapist and group therapy leader, this book offers advice to men who are survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It aims to help them to identify and validate their childhood experiences; explore strategies of survival and healing; work through issues such as trust, intimacy and sexuality; establish a support network for continued personal recovery; and set goals for the future.
Influenza-associated mortality in temperate and subtropical Chinese cities, 2003-2008.

OBJECTIVE To estimate influenza-associated mortality in urban China. METHODS Influenza-associated excess mortality for the period 2003-2008 was estimated in three cities in temperate northern China and five cities in the subtropical south of the country. The estimates were derived from models based on negative binomial regressions, vital statistics and the results of weekly influenza virus surveillance. FINDINGS Annual influenza-associated excess mortality, for all causes, was 18.0 (range: 10.9-32.7) deaths per 100,000 population in the northern cities and 11.3 (range: 7.3-17.8) deaths per 100,000 in the southern cities. Excess mortality for respiratory and circulatory disease was 12.4 (range: 7.4-22.2) and 8.8 (range: 5.5-13.6) deaths per 100,000 people in the northern and southern cities, respectively. Most (86%) deaths occurred among people aged ≥ 65 years. Influenza-associated excess mortality was higher in B-virus-dominant seasons than in seasons when A(H3N2) or A(H1N1) predominated, and more than half of all influenza-associated mortality was associated with influenza B virus. CONCLUSION Between 2003 and 2008, seasonal influenza, particularly that caused by the influenza B virus, was associated with substantial mortality in three cities in the temperate north of China and five cities in the subtropical south of the country.
The Pulsar Wind Nebula of the Geminga Pulsar

The superb spatial resolution of Chandra has allowed us to detect a 20'' long tail behind the Geminga pulsar, with a hard spectrum (photon index Γ = 1.0 ± 0.2) and a luminosity of (1.3 ± 0.2) × 1029 ergs s-1 in the 0.5-8 keV band, for an assumed distance of 200 pc. The tail could be either a pulsar jet, confined by a toroidal magnetic field of ~100 μG, or it could be associated with the shocked relativistic wind behind the supersonically moving pulsar confined by the ram pressure of the oncoming interstellar medium. We also detected an arclike structure 5''-7'' ahead of the pulsar, extended perpendicular to the tail, with a factor of 3 lower luminosity. We see a 3 σ enhancement in the Chandra image apparently connecting the arc with the southern outer tail that has been possibly detected with XMM-Newton. The observed structures imply that the Geminga's pulsar wind is intrinsically anisotropic.
Comparison of Machine Learning Algorithms for the Prediction of Preventable Hospital Readmissions

ABSTRACT A diverse universe of statistical models in the literature aim to help hospitals understand the risk factors of their preventable readmissions. However, these models are usually not necessarily applicable in other contexts, fail to achieve good discriminatory power, or cannot be compared with other models. We built and compared predictive models based on machine learning algorithms for 30-day preventable hospital readmissions of Medicare patients. This work used the same inclusion/exclusion criteria for diseases used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In addition, risk stratification techniques were implemented to study covariate behavior on each risk strata. The new models resulted in improved performance measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Finally, factors such as higher length of stay, disease severity index, being discharged to a hospital, and primary language other than English were associated with increased risk to be readmitted within 30 days. In the future, better predictive models for 30-day preventable hospital readmissions can point to the development of systems that identify patients at high risk and lead to the implementation of interventions (e.g., discharge planning and follow-up) to those patients, providing consistent improvement in the quality and efficiency of the healthcare system.
An exploration of comfort and discomfort amongst children and young people with severe physical, learning and communication difficulties who depend on postural management equipment

The natural response to the intrusive bodily sensation of discomfort is positional change. The purpose of this study was to explore how children and young people with profound physical, learning and communication difficulties, largely dependent on others to gauge their need for positional change, have their comfort needs met when using postural management equipment. Thirteen qualitative case studies were undertaken. Nine of the participants attended a special needs education primary or secondary school, two were in transition to school and two attended day services. All participants had a neurodevelopmental disability, with each being the focus of one case study. Parents, teachers, therapists and key support staff were interviewed, and the school or day centre routines of the children and young people were observed, with selective video recording. Single case and cross case analyses were undertaken. The findings showed threats to comfort include the restrictive nature of various accessories, hastiness of care tasks producing positioning errors and the procedural stretching of tissues prior to application. Opportunities for lessening discomfort included scheduled daily routines and time out of postural management equipment. Equipment use for the children and young people in this study was intrinsically coupled with care giving. Attentive caregivers read the behavioural expressions of the children and young people and reassuringly responded, safeguarding them from discomforting experiences. This maximised each individual‘s adaptive functioning, without compromising the benefits of postural support. This study highlights that the same item of equipment can be both comfortable and uncomfortable. Given the social and interactional world in which the children and young people live and learn, and the complex nature of their difficulties, it is others who must accept responsibility for ensuring their optimal level of comfort.