Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mexicans' Responses Toward Televised Political Ads During 2006 Presidential Election

The objective of this research is to illustrate the effect of message strategy on Mexicans' responses toward televised political advertising campaigns during the 2006 presidential election. To achieve the purpose of the study, two focus groups were conducted to assist in understanding the effect that message strategies, whether negative or positive, have on a voter's response to televised political advertising. In particular, the authors explored to what extend positive and negative advertisements affect the voter's cognition, emotions, and attitude towards the candidate. Overall, the observations obtained in this study support previous findings, which suggested that apathy to political campaigns are due to the growing cynicism developed through negative political campaigns.
Writing about September 11, 2001

Linguistic characteristics of writing about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were evaluated through a social cognitive processing theory framework. A total of 537 people completed an Internet-based survey and 177 chose to write about their thoughts and feelings related to 9/11. People who wrote about their thoughts and feelings reported more total symptoms of 9/11-related distress and greater attention to feelings. Linguistic differences emerged among participants classified by high, moderate, or low distress and were also evident in terms of participants’ emotional intelligence and perceived social environment.
POLITECNICO DI TORINO Repository ISTITUZIONALE pH-triggered conduction of amine-functionalized single ZnO wire integrated on a customized nanogap electronic platform /

The electrical conductance response of single ZnO microwire functionalized with amine-groups was tested upon an acid pH variation of a solution environment after integration on a customized gold electrode array chip. ZnO microwires were easily synthesized by hydrothermal route and chemically functionalized with aminopropyl groups. Single wires were deposited from the solution and then oriented through dielectrophoresis across eight nanogap gold electrodes on a platform single chip. Therefore, eight functionalized ZnO microwire-gold junctions were formed at the same time, and being integrated on an ad hoc electronic platform, they were ready for testing without any further treatment. Experimental and simulation studies confirmed the high pH-responsive behavior of the amine-modified ZnO-gold junctions, obtaining in a simple and reproducible way a ready-to-use device for pH detection in the acidic range. We also compared this performance to bare ZnO wires on the same electronic platform, showing the superiority in pH response of the amine-functionalized material.
Effect of TRB3 on Insulin and Nutrient-stimulated Hepatic p70 S6 Kinase Activity*

Insulin and nutrients activate hepatic p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) to regulate protein synthesis. Paradoxically, activation of S6K1 also leads to the development of insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of TRB3, which acts as an endogenous inhibitor of Akt, on S6K1 activity in vitro and in vivo. In cultured cells, overexpression of TRB3 completely inhibited insulin-stimulated S6K1 activation by mammalian target of rapamycin, whereas knockdown of endogenous TRB3 increased both basal and insulin-stimulated activity. In C57BL/6 mice, adenoviral overexpression of TRB3 inhibited insulin-stimulated activation of hepatic S6K1. In contrast, overexpression of TRB3 did not inhibit nutrient-stimulated S6K1 activity. We also investigated the effect of starvation, feeding, or insulin treatment on TRB3 levels and S6K1 activity in the liver of C57BL/6 and db/db mice. Both insulin and feeding activate S6K1 in db/db mice, but only insulin activates in the C57BL/6 strain. TRB3 levels were 3.5-fold higher in db/db mice than C57BL/6 mice and were unresponsive to feeding or insulin, whereas both treatments reduced TRB3 in C57BL/6 mice. Akt was activated by insulin alone in the C57BL/6 strain and but not in db/db mice. Both insulin and feeding activated mammalian target of rapamycin similarly in these mice; however, feeding was unable to activate the downstream target S6K1 in C57BL/6 mice. These results suggest that the nutrient excess in the hyperphagic, hyperinsulinemic db/db mouse primes the hepatocyte to respond to nutrients resulting in elevated S6K1 activity. The combination of elevated TRB3 and constitutive S6K1 activity results in decreased insulin signaling via the IRS-1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway.
Class Politics and Migrants: Collective Action among New Migrant Workers in Britain

This article addresses issues of class-based collective action. Through an ethnographic case study examining migrant workers’ political engagements, the article discusses the current relevance of class politics and the role that culture, identity and intersectionality seem to play in it. By focusing on the collective political practices observed among Latin American migrant workers in London, it seeks to contribute to the ‘new sociology of class’, an emerging strand within the discipline which has begun to explore the identity and cultural dimension of class. In particular, it aims to broaden the scope of this strand beyond the individual so as to include the collective and contentious dimension of class and to enhance its sensitivity to new migrants and to the ‘super-diverse’ nature of contemporary society.
Risk factors for CMV retinitis among individuals with HIV and low CD4 count in northern Thailand: importance of access to healthcare

Aim To determine if poor access to healthcare is associated with increased cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis risk among patients with HIV with CD4 counts of <100 cells/μL screened in a resource-limited setting. Methods This is a prospective cross-sectional study. Patients with known HIV and a CD4 count of <100 cells/μL attending an HIV clinic in Chiang Mai, Thailand, completed a standardised questionnaire and underwent dilated fundus examination. Participants without CMV retinitis were invited for repeated examinations every 3 months until their CD4 count exceeded 100 cells/μL. The relationship between various potential risk factors and CMV retinitis was assessed with logistic regression. Results 103 study participants were enrolled. At enrolment, the mean age was 37.5 (95% CI 35.7 to 39.2) years, 61.2% (95% CI 51.6% to 70.7%) were male and the mean CD4 count was 29.5 (95% CI 25.9 to 33.1) cells/μL. 21 eyes from 16 (15.5%) participants were diagnosed with CMV retinitis. In multivariate analyses, CMV retinitis was significantly associated with lower CD4 count (OR 1.42 per 10-cell decrement, 95%CI 1.05 to 1.93), longer travel time to clinic (OR 3.85 for those with >30-min travel time, 95% CI 1.08 to 13.8) and lower income (OR 1.22 per US$50 less income, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.47). Conclusions CD4 count, low income and longer travel time to clinic were significant risk factors for CMV retinitis among patients with HIV in a resource-limited setting. These results suggest that reducing blindness from CMV retinitis should focus on increasing accessibility of screening examinations to poor and hard-to-reach patients.
A no-reference video quality metric using a Natural Video Statistical Model

The demand for high quality multimedia content is increasing rapidly, which has resulted in service providers employing Quality of Service (QoS) strategies to monitor the quality of delivered content. However, the QoS parameters commonly used do not correlate well with the actual quality perceived by the end-users. Numerous objective video quality assessment (VQA) metrics have been proposed to address this problem. However, most of these metrics rely on the availability of additional information from the original undistorted video to perform adequately, which will increase the bandwidth required. This paper presents a No-Reference (NR) VQA algorithm, which extracts a Natural Video Statistical Model using both spatial and temporal features to model the quality experienced by the end-users without needing additional information from the transmitter. These features are based on the observation that the statistics of natural scenes are regular on pristine content but are significantly altered in the presence of distortion. The proposed method achieves a Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (SROCC) of 0.8161 with subjective data, which is statistically identical and sometimes superior to existing state-of-the-art full and reduced reference VQA metrics.
ELEVATIONAL GRADIENTS IN ADULT SEX RATIOS AND SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION IN VEGETATIVE GROWTH RATES OF POPULUS TREMULOIDES MICHX.

Since Fisher's (1930) early work on the effects of selection on the primary sex ratio which showed that mixtures should tend toward equal numbers of males and females, there have been several theoretical studies which have pointed out conditions in which deviations from 1:1 could be expected (e.g., Bodmer and Edwards, 1960; Emlen, 1970; Eshel, 1975). Empirical studies, usually of adult ratios, have shown strong imbalances in several cases (e.g., Putwain and Harper, 1972; Freeman et al., 1976; Bawa and Opler, 1977). The extent to which sex dependent mortality among adults influences changes in the primary ratio is still under theoretical investigation (Trivers and Willard, 1973; Werren and Charnov, 1978). The number of empirical studies which may be used to test these theories is still small, especially in plants (Godley, 1964; Putwain and Harper, 1972; Lloyd, 1973; Freeman et al., 1976; Bawa and Opler, 1977). We here report the results of field studies on adult sex ratios and concomitant patterns of vegetative growth rates for quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the Colorado Front Range. Quaking aspen is the most widespread tree in North America, extending from Alaska to Mexico and from Maine to the state of Washington. Members of the genus are of substantial commercial, recreational and ecological significance (Little, 1971), as well as the subject of a large literature of physiological, silvicultural and general ecological attributes (Barnes, 1966, 1969, 1975; Reed, 1971; Anon., 1976). The extensive, beautiful stands or groves of quaking aspen familiar to travelers in the northern or western parts of Revised February 2, 1979
Implicit causality, implicit consequentiality and semantic roles

Stewart, Pickering, and Sanford (1998) reported a new type of semantic inference, implicit consequentiality, which they suggest is comparable to, although not directly related to, the well-documented phenomenon of implicit causality. It is our contention that there is a direct relation between these two semantic phenomena but that this relation can only be explained by referring to the notion of semantic roles. In this paper we use Brown and Fis'h's (1983) analysis of the meaning of interpersonal verbs in terms of semantic roles to substantiate our claim. We conclude that the semantic roles of the individuals associated with an event determine the implicit causal and consequential attributions of certain verbs.
TEXTURE OF SWEET ORANGE GELS BY FREE‐CHOICE PROFILING

Texture of orange gels prepared with 15% fruit pulp, sucrose up to 55° Brix and five different gelling agents — kappa-carrageenan, kappa-carrageenan plus locust bean gum, alginate, gellan gum, and gellan, xanthan and locust bean gums — was studied by Free-Choice Profile (FCP) analysis. Maximum rupture force and deformation at rupture were also determined by uniaxial compression in an Instron texturometer. Generalized Procrustes Analysis applied to FCP data permitted differentiation between samples and informed on the textural attributes responsible for the observed differences. Sensory differences were in general in accordance with mechanical differences. However, carrageenan and gellan gum gels were differentiated with the sensory method applied but not with mechanical tests.
The Scripting of Total Quality Management within its Organizational Biography

The last 20 years or so have seen a proliferation of managerialist innovations, including Total Quality Management. Many existing accounts, however, tend to view TQM either as a copy of an institutional template or lose themselves in the richness of ‘the case’. Our intention is to trace institutional influences at the organizational level. For this purpose, we put forward an organizational biography perspective. The main promise of an organizational biography perspective is its concern with scripts of typical activities occurring during the ‘biography’ of an organizational innovation. We argue that scripts such as ‘exhortation’, ‘mimetic learning’, ‘structuring’, ‘contesting’, ‘routinizing’ and ‘disbanding’ are useful concepts in order to understand the dynamics of a management innovation at organizational level. The scripts refer to different combinations of rhetoric and practice(s). There will be some form of temporal sequence, but it will not be a strict sequence: for example, exhortation in some parts of the organization will co-exist with routinization in others. Accounting for such diversity is a strength of scripting analysis.
Interactive effects of Al, Ca and other cations on root elongation of rice cultivars under low pH.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS As with other crop species, Al tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa) is widely different among cultivars, and the mechanism for tolerance is unknown. The Ca2+-displacement hypothesis, that is, Al displaces Ca2+ from critical sites in the root apoplast, was predicted to be the essential mechanism for causing Al toxicity in rice cultivars. If displacement of Ca is an essential cause of Al toxicity in rice, Al toxicity may show the same trend as toxicities of elements such as Sr and Ba that are effective in displacing Ca. METHODS The interactive effects of Al, Ca, Sr and Ba on root elongation of rice cultivars with different Al tolerances were evaluated in hydroponic culture. Al and Ca accumulation in root tips was also investigated. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Not only Al but also Sr and Ba applications inhibited root growth of rice cultivars under low Ca conditions. As expected, rice cultivars more tolerant of Sr and Ba were also tolerant of Al (japonica > indica). Although Mg application did not affect Sr or Ba toxicity, Mg alleviated Al toxicity to the same level as Ca application. In addition, Ca application decreased the Al content in root tips without displacement. These results suggest that Ca does not have a specific, irreplaceable role in Al toxicity, unlike Sr and Ba toxicities. Alleviation of Al toxicity with increasing concentrations of Ca in rice cultivars is due to increased ionic strength, not due to decreased Al activity. The difference in Al tolerance between indica and japonica cultivars disappears under high ionic strength conditions, suggesting that different electrochemical characteristics of root-tip cells are related to the significant difference in Al tolerance under low ionic strength conditions.
Interaction of Programming and Design: The First Unitarian Congregation of Rochester and Louis I. Kahn

Abstract This essay investigates the relationship between programming and design. It exposes and criticizes those views that characterize programming and design as separate and their relationship as linear. Instead, we propose that the relationship is interactive and that the clarification of programmatic and design issues goes hand in hand. During this interactive process both client and architect take significant responsibilities. The design process of the First Unitarian Church of Louis Kahn is an illustrative example. Investigation of the client's reports, of Kahn's and the client's letters, and of Kahn's design proposals exposes the client's contribution and the interaction between programming and design. Our study suggests that clients have the potential to play crucial roles in design and deserve credit.
Perceived displacement explains wolfpack effect

We investigate the influence of perceived displacement of moving agent-like stimuli on the performance in dynamic interactive tasks. In order to reliably measure perceived displacement we utilize multiple tasks with different task demands. The perceived center of an agent's body is displaced in the direction in which the agent is facing and this perceived displacement is larger than the theoretical position of the center of mass would predict. Furthermore, the displacement in the explicit judgment is dissociated from the displacement obtained by the implicit measures. By manipulating the location of the pivot point, we show that it is not necessary to postulate orientation as an additional cue utilized by perception, as has been suggested by earlier studies. These studies showed that the agent's orientation influences the detection of chasing motion and the detection-related performance in interactive tasks. This influence has been labeled wolfpack effect. In one of the demonstrations of the wolfpack effect participants control a green circle on a display with a computer mouse. It has been shown that participants avoid display areas with agents pointing toward the green circle. Participants do so in favor of areas where the agents point in the direction perpendicular to the circle. We show that this avoidance behavior arises because the agent's pivot point selected by the earlier studies is different from where people locate the center of agent's body. As a consequence, the nominal rotation confounds rotation and translation. We show that the avoidance behavior disappears once the pivot point is set to the center of agent's body.
Theory of mind in children with traumatic brain injury

Objective: This study was designed to examine the existence of deficits in mentalizing or theory of mind (ToM) in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research design: ToM functioning was assessed in 12 children aged 6–12 years with TBI and documented frontal lobe damage and compared to 12 controls matched for age, sex and verbal ability. Brief measures of attention and memory were also included. Main outcome and results: The TBI group was significantly impaired relative to controls on the advanced ToM measure and a measure of basic emotion recognition. No difference was found in a basic measure of ToM. Conclusion: Traumatic brain damage in childhood may disrupt the developmental acquisition of emotion recognition and advanced ToM skills. The clinical and theoretical importance of these findings is discussed and the implications for the assessment and treatment of children who have experienced TBI are outlined.
An Analysis of Adolescent Perpetrators of Homicide and Attempted Homicide Upon Return to the Community

This study assesses the recidivism for adolescent perpetrators of homicide and attempted homicide who were released from a juvenile correctional facility in the late 1970s and 1980s. This follow-up is a minimum of 5 years post release to more than 15 years after release. The results indicate that the youth studied did not perpetrate additional homicides after release. The majority were reinvolved in crime, however, and most who reoffended did so against persons. A significant number did not become reinvolved in crime, and almost half were not reincarcerated. The youth who perpetrated homicides and attempted homicides did not differ significantly from other juvenile delinquents in their likelihood to reoffend upon release as evidenced by a comparison of the two groups.
25‐hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms, and severity of Parkinson's disease

We aimed to examine associations among serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels, 1,25‐dihyroxyvitamin D levels, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, vitamin D binding protein gene polymorphisms, and the severity of Parkinson's disease. In 137 patients, the severity of Parkinson's disease was evaluated using Hoehn & Yahr stage and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Stage by neurologists and compared with 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25‐hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, ie, FokI (rs10735810), BsmI (rs1544410), Cdx2 (rs11568820), ApaI (rs7976091), and TaqI (rs731236), and vitamin D binding protein gene polymorphisms GC1 (rs7041)/GC2 (rs4588) in a cross‐sectional study. Mean ± standard deviation levels of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D were 21.1 ± 9.0 ng/mL. Levels were deficient (<20 ng/mL) in 49% of patients. In contrast, 1,25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels were considered normal in all patients. Higher circulating 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly associated with milder Parkinson's disease evaluated by Hoehn & Yahr stage (P = .002) and total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Stage (P = .004) even after multivariate adjustment for 8 covariates, including disease duration. However, significant associations were not observed in 1,25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels. Under multivariate analysis with 25‐hydroxyvitamin D as well as other 8 covariates including disease duration, carriers of vitamin D receptor FokICC genotype had a milder form of Parkinson's disease: odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.16 to 0.66, P = 0.002. These results suggest that higher 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels and the vitamin D receptor FokICC genotype may be independently associated with milder forms of Parkinson's disease. However, significant associations were not observed in 1,25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Self-initiated expatriates

Purpose – As it has been suggested that adult third-culture kids may be more culturally adaptable than others, they have been labelled “the ideal” expatriates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the adjustment of self-initiated expatriate academics in Hong Kong, comparing adult third-culture kids with adult mono-culture kids. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use survey results from 267 self-initiated expatriate academics in Hong Kong. Findings – Exploratory results show that adult third-culture kids had a higher extent of general adjustment. No significant results were found in relation to interaction adjustment and job adjustment. The authors also found that recent expatriate experiences generally had a positive association with the adjustment of adult mono-culture kids, but this association only existed in terms of general adjustment for adult third-culture kids. Originality/value – Once corroborated by further studies, this exploratory research project may contribute to the understanding .
Adult Norms for the Nine Hole Peg Test of Finger Dexterity

The purposes of this study were to establish standardized procedures for the Nine Hole Peg Test of finger dexterity, to evaluate its reliability and validity, and to establish new clinical norms based on these standardized procedures. For the reliability and validity study, 26 female occupational therapy students were tested Very high interrater reliability (right r = .97, left r = .99) was found Test-retest reliability was reported to be moderate to high (right r = .69, left r = .43) and a significant practice effect was found between the test and retest occasions. Possible variables that may have affected these results are discussed To evaluate concurrent validity, the Nine Hole Peg Test was compared to the Purdue Pegboard. The observed correlations (right r = −.61, left r = −.53) indicated that the tests are similar but not equivalent tests of finger dexterity. For the normative data study, 628 normal subjects from 20 to 94 years were tested Data were stratified by sex and by 12 age groups to allow the therapist to easily compare patients' scores to a normative population Data showed that females scored slightly better than males, finger dexterity decreased with age, and right-hand and left-hand dominant subjects demonstrated minimal differences in performance.