Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of a Delayed SIR Model with Nonlinear Incidence Rate

An SIR epidemic model with incubation time and saturated incidence rate is formulated, where the susceptibles are assumed to satisfy the logistic equation and the incidence term is of saturated form with the susceptible. The threshold value determining whether the disease dies out is found. The results obtained show that the global dynamics are completely determined by the values of the threshold value and time delay (i.e., incubation time length). If is less than one, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable and the disease always dies out, while if it exceeds one there will be an endemic. By using the time delay as a bifurcation parameter, the local stability for the endemic equilibrium is investigated, and the conditions with respect to the system to be absolutely stable and conditionally stable are derived. Numerical results demonstrate that the system with time delay exhibits rich complex dynamics, such as quasiperiodic and chaotic patterns.
Prospective Teachers' Perceptions of Ethnic and Gender Differences in Academic Achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of teachers to statements concerning gender and ethnic disparity in academic achievement. The major result was that preservice teachers were most likely to attribute gender difference to Society and ethnic difference to the Ethnic-Cultur. Generaly the explanations were simplistic. Finally, the were statistically significant differences between elementary and secondary preservice teachers.
Supervisor Reward Behavior and Subordinate Satisfaction in Public Sector - A Field Investigation.

Empirical research has generated evidence that the contingency between performance and reward is a particularly important component in understanding employee behavior. This study has found that in a public agency environment, supervisory reward behavior can be factored into three instrumentality components: supportive, punitive, and advancement. Drawing upon the work of Reitz (1971), it was hypothesized that instrumentalities would be related to certain employee attitudes about supervision, the job, and the work itself. Consistent positive relationships were found between advancement and supportive supervisory reward behavior and subordinate attitudes. The results of this study strongly support the generalizability of the earlier work of Reitz and have possible implications for supervisory training and reward systems for managers in the public sector.
Variation in the Branching of the Axillary Artery

A case is described in which a rare variation of a branch arising from the axillary artery is defined as a thoracoepigastric artery. This variation was observed in the cadaver of a 72-year-old man. This artery branched from the axillary artery, passing as a common trunk between the roots of the median nerve, and divided into two branches. The lateral one gave rise to muscular branches supplying the shoulder and fasciae, while the medial one descended on the anterior aspect of the axillary fossa, reaching the hypogastric region, and anastomosed with the superficial epigastric artery, which is a branch of the femoral artery. To our best knowledge, no variation similar to this one has been described. We suggest naming this artery the thoracoepigastric artery.
Design tunable filter-antennas for cognitive radio applications

In this paper, we designed frequency-tunable microstrip antennas for Cognitive Radio (CR) applications. First we investigated an Open Loop Resonator (OLR) based on the band stop filter, and its transformation into a bandpass filter. Then incorporation of the bandpass filter with a wideband antenna was investigated. A comparison between the proposed and existing designs was obtained. All of these designs are modified in dimension to the existing designs. The modification is made by reducing the dimensions by 0.2 mm. The simulation is done by using HFSS simulation.
Ginseng abuse syndrome. Problems with the panacea.

GINSENG has been used by man for thousands of years, and Oriental folk medicine describes it as both a tonic for restoration of strength and a panacea (hence, the genus Panax , meaning all healing). The term "ginseng" can refer to any of 22 related plants, but it is generally associated with P ginseng . 1 It is widely used in contemporary Chinese medicine as a stimulant to increase metabolism and to regulate blood pressure and blood glucose. 2 The only recognized medical use in the United States is as a demulcent in skin ointments. Recently there has been increased Western interest in ginseng, and it is readily available in health food stores, markets, and drugstores in a bewildering assortment of commercial preparations. Numerous popular books have promoted ginseng as a healthful tonic, stimulant, and aphrodisiac. 3-8 Using current import and sales statistics from members of the Herb Trade Association, I have
The White British–Black Caribbean achievement gap: tests, tiers and teacher expectations

A recent analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) indicates a White British–Black Caribbean achievement gap at age 14 which cannot be accounted for by socio‐economic variables or a wide range of contextual factors. This article uses the LSYPE to analyse patterns of entry to the different tiers of national mathematics and science tests at age 14. Each tier gives access to a limited range of outcomes with the highest test outcomes achievable only if students are entered by their teachers to the higher tiers. The results indicate that Black Caribbean students are systematically under‐represented in entry to the higher tiers relative to their White British peers. This gap persists after controls for prior attainment, socio‐economic variables and a wide range of pupil, family, school and neighbourhood factors. Differential entry to test tiers provides a window on teacher expectation effects which may contribute to the achievement gap.
Short duration head-up tilt test: a comparison with conventional long protocol in patients of orthostatic intolerance.

BACKGROUND Orthostatic intolerance is development of symptoms during upright standing relieved by recumbency. An individual's predisposition to orthostatic intolerance (development of symptoms during upright posture) can be identified by Head-up Tilt Test (HUT). The aim of the present study was to compare the diagnostic yield (Percentage of patients tested positive) of short duration with conventional HUT. METHODS The study was conducted in Islamic International Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology/National Institute of Heart Diseases. A total number of 100 patients with orthostatic intolerance were studied. The conventional and short duration HUT protocols were compared. Conventional protocol had a passive tilt phase of 30 minutes and drug provocation phase of 20 minutes while the short duration protocol had both phases of 15 minutes, thereby reducing the test duration by 20 minutes. All patients underwent short duration HUT and patients with positive test were considered positive for conventional HUT as well. Patients having negative short duration HUT underwent conventional HUT after one week. Comparison was done using Chi-square statistics and p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Diagnostic yield of short duration and conventional HUT was 53% and 63% respectively with no statistically significant difference between the two protocols (p = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS Head-up tilt test (HUT) is an effective investigative tool for orthostatic intolerance with satisfactory diagnostic yield. Short duration HUT may be substituted for conventional HUT to save time and to accommodate more patients.
Delayed leaf senescence induces extreme drought tolerance in a flowering plant

Drought, the most prominent threat to agricultural production worldwide, accelerates leaf senescence, leading to a decrease in canopy size, loss in photosynthesis and reduced yields. On the basis of the assumption that senescence is a type of cell death program that could be inappropriately activated during drought, we hypothesized that it may be possible to enhance drought tolerance by delaying drought-induced leaf senescence. We generated transgenic plants expressing an isopentenyltransferase gene driven by a stress- and maturation-induced promoter. Remarkably, the suppression of drought-induced leaf senescence resulted in outstanding drought tolerance as shown by, among other responses, vigorous growth after a long drought period that killed the control plants. The transgenic plants maintained high water contents and retained photosynthetic activity (albeit at a reduced level) during the drought. Moreover, the transgenic plants displayed minimal yield loss when watered with only 30% of the amount of water used under control conditions. The production of drought-tolerant crops able to grow under restricted water regimes without diminution of yield would minimize drought-related losses and ensure food production in water-limited lands.
Cycle of child sexual abuse: Links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator

Background There is widespread belief in a ‘cycle’ of child sexual abuse, but little empirical evidence for this belief. Aims To identify perpetrators of such abuse who had been victims of paedophilia and/or incest, in order to: ascertain whether subjects who had been victims become perpetrators of such abuse; compare characteristics of those who had and had not been victims; and review psychodynamic ideas thought to underlie the behaviour of perpetrators. Method Retrospective clinical case note review of 843 subjects attending a specialist forensic psychotherapy centre. Results Among 747 males the risk of being a perpetrator was positively correlated with reported sexual abuse victim experiences. The overall rate of having been a victim was 35% for perpetrators and 11 % for non-perpetrators. Of the 96 females, 43% had been victims but only one was a perpetrator. A high percentage of male subjects abused in childhood by a female relative became perpetrators. Having been a victim was a strong predictor of becoming a perpetrator, as was an index of parental loss in childhood. Conclusions The data support the notion of a victim-to-victimiser cycle in a minority of male perpetrators but not among the female victims studied. Sexual abuse by a female in childhood may be a risk factor for a cycle of abuse in males.
Effects of imipramine, bupropion, chlorpromazine, and clozapine on differential‐reinforcement‐of‐low‐rate (DRL) > 72‐Sec and > 36‐sec schedules in rat

The hypothesis that a DRL schedule requiring a long pause (> 72 sec) specifically identifies antidepressant drugs was evaluated in rats pressing a lever for food reinforcement. The tricyclic antidepressant imipramine decreased responses and increased reinforcements as previously shown. However, the antipsychotics chlorpromazine and clozapine had a similar effect, as did prefeeding, and the atypical antidepressant bupropion increased responses and decreased reinforcements. Because mean baseline reinforcement rate was lower than in previous studies showing drug class specificity, the DRL requirement was reduced to > 36 sec and the drugs were tested again; effects were qualitatively similar to those in DRL > 72 in the first part of the study. The results suggest that a drug‐induced reduction in responses could account for the increase in reinforcements, that if drug class specificity exists it may occur only when baseline response and reinforcement rates are confined to a narrow range, that the failure of previous studies to show antidepressant type effects with nonantidepressants could have resulted from choice of drugs and doses, and that the type of reinforcer could be an important factor.
Comparison of “warm and wet” and “cold and icy” scenarios for early Mars in a 3‐D climate model

We use a 3‐D general circulation model to compare the primitive Martian hydrological cycle in “warm and wet” and “cold and icy” scenarios. In the warm and wet scenario, an anomalously high solar flux or intense greenhouse warming artificially added to the climate model are required to maintain warm conditions and an ice‐free northern ocean. Precipitation shows strong surface variations, with high rates around Hellas basin and west of Tharsis but low rates around Margaritifer Sinus (where the observed valley network drainage density is nonetheless high). In the cold and icy scenario, snow migration is a function of both obliquity and surface pressure, and limited episodic melting is possible through combinations of seasonal, volcanic, and impact forcing. At surface pressures above those required to avoid atmospheric collapse (∼0.5 bar) and moderate to high obliquity, snow is transported to the equatorial highland regions where the concentration of valley networks is highest. Snow accumulation in the Aeolis quadrangle is high, indicating an ice‐free northern ocean is not required to supply water to Gale crater. At lower surface pressures and obliquities, both H2O and CO2 are trapped as ice at the poles and the equatorial regions become extremely dry. The valley network distribution is positively correlated with snow accumulation produced by the cold and icy simulation at 41.8∘ obliquity but uncorrelated with precipitation produced by the warm and wet simulation. Because our simulations make specific predictions for precipitation patterns under different climate scenarios, they motivate future targeted geological studies.
Impact of Home Care on Place of Death, Access to Emergency Departments and Opioid Therapy in 350 Terminal Cancer Patients

General practitioners (GPs) and nursesworking in home care are important actors in this respect; primary care is closest tofamilies and to social ser vices and therefore, at least in theory, it is the sector most in-tegrated both with families and the community network of services, presenting thelowest threshold for access. However, the factors influencing place of death have notbeen studied in depth within primary care, while the main experiences described inthe literature concern cancer patients assisted by hospital nurses and palliative carephysicians or, less frequently, by primary home care services
Cognitive Distortions during Progressive Exercise

Nideffer's theory of attention and interpersonal style is based upon Easterbrook's 1959 postulates that psychological stress has predictable and sequential effects on attention, i.e., loss of attentional flexibility, attentional narrowing, and interiorization. These effects have not yet been demonstrated within a context for physical activity using exercise as the stressor. In the present study, subjects were required to react to a verbal five-choice reaction-time task while pedalling to exhaustion upon a bicycle. It was hypothesized that choice RTs and the number of omitted responses would increase predictably with the addition of the progressive exercise. There were distortions in reactions to progressive exercise. Initially, there was facilitation of performance by exercise for the conditions of rest, and exercise-induced heart rates of 115 beats per minute (bpm) with no differential effects across the attentional field. Between 115 and 145 bpm, there were universal decrements in performance, with differential and progressive effects of exercise on performance beyond 145 bpm in the peripheral fields. At 165 and 180 bpm, peripheral reactions became progressively slower with concomitant increases in the accuracy of signal detection. Both the progressive differential decrease in choice RT to the peripheral stimuli as well as the increase in errors with progressive exercise tended to support the relationship between attention and performance that Easterbrook proposed, but within an exercise context.
REITs and Their Management: An Analysis of Organizational Structure, Performance, and Management Compensation

This study examines possible agency problems in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by contrasting the performance, structure, and compensation of the two REIT forms from 1987 to 1992. Results show that "self-administered" REITs outperformed "advisor" REITs over the sample period even after adjusting for their greater market risk. Ownership structure significantly influences market performance of advisor REITs; low insider-owned advisor REITs both underperform and take on less market risk than other REITs. Ownership does not affect returns or market risk of self-administered REITs. While advisor compensation and chief executive officer salary appear to be strongly related to size, and chief executive officer salary is related to firm performance, there is only limited evidence that ownership structure affects managerial compensation in either REIT type.
Error Feedback and the Acquisition of Geographical Representations

SUMMARY Three training conditions were compared in a task of learning locations of cities on a map: One in which participants could avoid errors by searching for the name of the correct city, and two others in which either immediate feedback after each response or delayed feedback after all responses had been made was given. Learners who received feedback only after placing all the cities on the map performed more poorly overall during training but outperformed the other two groups in both immediate and delayed tests. This advantage is interpreted as evidence of differential development of relational knowledge and application of cognitive effort across training conditions. Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical and Biological Applications of Digital-Microfluidic Devices

Digital-microfluidic lab-on-a chip (LoC) technology offers a platform for developing diagnostic applications with the advantages of portability, sample and reagent volume reduction, faster analysis, increased automation, low power consumption, compatibility with mass manufacturing, and high throughput. In addition to diagnostics, digital microfluidics is finding use in airborne chemical detection, DNA sequencing by synthesis, and tissue engineering. In this article, we review efforts to develop various LoC applications using electrowetting-based digital microfluidics. We describe these applications, their implementation, and associated design issues.
Impact of introducing near patient testing for standard investigations in general practice.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the clinical and economic impact of surgery based near patient testing in general practice for six commonly used biochemical and bacteriological tests. DESIGN--After four months' monitoring, equipment for two bacteriological and four biochemical tests was introduced without cost into 12 practices using a crossover design. Structured request forms were used to monitor laboratory investigations. SETTING--12 general practices in west midlands and south west Thames with list sizes above 9000. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Investigation rates per 1000 consultations. Changes from baseline rates. Reasons for requesting investigations and provisional diagnoses. Cost per test and sensitivity of costs to rate of use. RESULTS--Investigation rates for the six tests rose by 16.5% (from 78.6/1000 consultations to 91.6/1000) when equipment was available in the surgery and reverted to baseline rates when it was withdrawn. The average weekly number of tests when equipment was available ranged from 0.5 to 10.5 (mean 9.0). Cholesterol tests were used as an addition to laboratory testing, usually for screening. Midstream urine analysis was often done in the surgery instead of in the laboratory, although 30% of samples were tested by both methods. Doctors' reasons for investigation and conditions tested were largely unaffected by availability of surgery tests. Costs for surgery tests were higher for all tests except midstream urine. CONCLUSIONS--Availability of surgery based testing increased the number of tests performed. It was cost effective only for midstream urine analysis.
Identity Processing Styles and Canadian Adolescents' Self-Reported Delinquency

Drawing on research in juvenile delinquency and crime, several parallels are observed with that of research using the concept of identity styles. The study of 1,450 adolescent boys and girls in the 7th through 12th grade was completed to discern if identity theory is useful in detecting self-reported delinquency behavior. Gender and age differences were expected; however, they were not observed to be of major consequences. Rather, a diffuse-avoidance identity style was associated with higher self-reported delinquent behaviors and a normative or social convention perspective associated with less self-reported delinquency. This discussion briefly explores the findings that support a general theory of crime and the potential contribution identity theory could have for the study of adolescent delinquency. Limitations of this study are briefly recognized.
Long-term supports and services planning for the future: implications from a statewide survey of Baby Boomers and older adults.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Little is known about adults' future planning for long-term supports and services (LTSS), and no studies have examined how LTSS planning compares between Baby Boomers and their parents' generation. The primary aim of this study is to examine the potential influences of birth cohort and gender on LTSS planning. Drawing on Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, birth cohort and gender are viewed as predisposing characteristics, and several additional predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics are included as independent variables. DESIGN AND METHODS Cross-sectional design; data obtained from a statewide survey of 2,522 randomly selected Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and older adults (born before 1946). RESULTS Two thirds of respondents expected to need LTSS, but few reported saving for such services. Controlling for other independent variables, compared with older adults, Baby Boomers were significantly more likely to plan to move to an apartment, live in a retirement community or assisted living, and live with an adult child. Conversely, women were more likely than men to report planning to use specific LTSS such as homecare, but specific LTSS plans did not vary by birth cohort. IMPLICATIONS Policymakers and providers should prepare for a shift in community planning to accommodate the changing plans and expectations of Baby Boomers, large numbers of whom plan to age in existing homes and retirement communities, or live with adult children, with increasing demand for informal family support. The LTSS industry should also adapt to meet the need for formal services, which will likely continue to grow.
Interaction Between Self-Monitoring and Manipulated States of Self-Awareness

We conducted four experiments to examine the differential responses of high and low self-monitors to variations in public and private self-awareness. The first 2 experiments used an attribution of responsibility paradigm to test the hypothesis that high self-monitors would show greater responsiveness than low self-monitors to manipulations of public self-awareness. This hypothesis was supported. Two additional experiments tested the hypothesis that low self-monitors would be more responsive than high self-monitors to manipulations of private self-awareness. Manipulations of private self-awareness following a Velten (1968) positive-mood induction exercise strengthened the induced mood in low but not in high self-monitors. Thus, when the dependent measure had implications for their public self, high self-monitors were more responsive than low self-monitors to public self-awareness manipulations; low self-monitors, on the other hand, were more responsive than high self-monitors to manipulations of private self-awareness when the dependent measure required subjects to access aspects of their private self.