Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Causal Attributions: The Revised Causal Dimension Scale (CDSII)

Although attribution theory continues to be a fertile area of social psychological research, much of the extant literature has suffered from questionable measurement of the constructs of interest. This is especially true in the case of assigning causal attributions placement in theorized dimensional space. Russell's (1982) Causal Dimension Scale represented an important development toward more precise measurement of causal dimensions; however, it has been criticized on a number of fronts. The present report presents the rationale for and initial psychometric properties of a revised version of the scale, the CDSII. Employing data from four studies, a confirmatory factor analysis is reported examining the goodness of fit of the hypothesized four factor oblique structure to the data. The results are discussed in terms of possible applications of the CDSII and the need for further validity testing.
Chatting in Paragraphs: Towards Academic Discourse in Foreign Language Chat

This paper presents a case study of an individual student's increasing approximation of academic discourse during a third-semester Spanish class that included chat-based instruction. During both chat-based activities and oral discussions in class, the student's language use became increasingly characterized by longer turns and the use of subordination to express opinions. At the same time, her engagement in online play decreased over the course of the semester. This case suggests that, depending on the overall instructional context in which text-based chat is integrated, this medium, which is generally assumed to be social and informal, may actually be flexible enough to also support the development of academic discourse. Furthermore, the detailed description of language use and development across online and off-line environments invites consideration of the relationship between chatting and speaking. Résumé de l'article : Cet article présente une étude de cas examinant l'amélioration de l'approximation du discours académique d'une étudiante lors d'un cours d'espagnol de troisième semestre, lequel comprenait des instructions par clavardage. Pendant les activités de clavardage et les discussions orales en classe, l'étudiante discourait de plus en plus longtemps et utilisait plus de propositions subordonnées pour exprimer ses opinions. Parallèlement, son utilisation d'outils en ligne a diminué tout au long du semestre. Ce cas suggère ainsi que, selon le contexte général de l'enseignement dans lequel le clavardage est intégré, ce moyen, habituellement considéré comme étant social et informel, pourrait être suffisamment flexible pour aussi aider au développement du discours académique. De plus, la description de l'utilisation et du développement du langage, en ligne ou hors-ligne, porte a` réfléchir sur la relation entre le clavardage et le discours oral.
Effectiveness of a quality improvement curriculum for medical students

Introduction As health systems find ways to improve quality of care, medical training programs are finding opportunities to prepare learners on principles of quality improvement (QI). The impact of QI curricula for medical students as measured by student learning is not well delineated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a QI curriculum for senior medical students as measured by student knowledge and skills. Methods This study was an observational study that involved a self-assessment and post-test Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool (QIKAT) for intervention and control students. A QI curriculum consisting of online modules, live discussions, independent readings and reflective writing, and participation in a mentored QI project was offered to fourth-year medical students completing an honor's elective (intervention group). Senior medical students who received the standard QI curriculum only were recruited as controls. Results A total of 22 intervention students and 12 control students completed the self-assessment and QIKAT. At baseline, there was no difference between groups in self-reported prior exposure to QI principles. Students in the intervention group reported more comfort with their skills in QI overall and in 9 of the 12 domains (p<0.05). Additionally, intervention students performed better in each of the three case scenarios (p<0.01). Discussion A brief QI curriculum for senior medical students results in improved comfort and knowledge with QI principles. The strengths of our curriculum include effective use of classroom time and faculty mentorship with reliance on pre-existing online modules and written resources. Additionally, the curriculum is easily expandable to larger groups of students and transferable to other institutions.
The Linear No-Threshold Model does not Hold for Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation

Abstract Hooker, A. M. , Bhat, M. , Day, T. K. , Lane, J. M. , Swinburne, S. J., Morley, A. A. and Sykes, P. J. The Linear No-Threshold Model does not Hold for Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation. Radiat. Res. 162, 447–452 (2004). Almost all of the data on the biological effects of ionizing radiation come from studies of high doses. However, the human population is unlikely to be exposed to such doses. Regulatory limits for radiation exposure are based on the linear no-threshold model, which predicts that the relationship between biological effects and radiation dose is linear, and that any dose has some effect. Chromosomal changes are an important effect of ionizing radiation because of their role in carcinogenesis. Here we exposed pKZ1 mice to single whole-body X-radiation doses as low as 1 μGy. We observed three different phases of response: (1) an induction of inversions at ultra-low doses, (2) a reduction below endogenous inversion frequency at low doses, and (3) an induction of inversions again at higher doses. These results do not fit a linear no-threshold model, and they may have implications for the way in which regulatory standards are presently set and for understanding radiation effects.
An Assessment of Mediation in a Small Claims Court

Mediation has frequently been advocated as an alternative to adjudication for minor civil disputes that appear in the small claims court. It has been claimed that mediation is more likely to result in compromise, greater compliance, and higher disputant satisfaction with the outcome. This article raises questions about these claims for the superiority of mediation and poses an alternative hypothesis. The hypothesis was tested in the context of a field study of a small claims court that utilizes mediation in pretrial resolution hearings. It was found that differences between adjudication and mediation outcomes could be partly explained by differences in the cases' “admitted liability. ” Cases involving the defendant's denial of all liability were more likely to be adjudicated, whereas those involving admission of partial or full liability were more likely to be settled by mediation. Many mediated settlements involved no compromise; many were more the result of coercive than of consensual processes. Compromise, when it did occur, was not necessarily a satisfactory outcome for one or both of the disputing parties.
An Exploration of Differences and Perceptions of Difference between Male and Female Challenge Course Instructors

This paper explores and interprets data that expresses difference, and perception of difference, between male and female challenge course instructors. The data has been collected over several challenge course-training workshops in which the combination of co-instructors was either a co-ed pairing or two women working together. The concept of open-coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) was used to work with the data and yielded five key areas to be examined: technical/concrete skills and information, teaching/facilitation skills, role modeling and facilitating growth, being relaxed and fun, and being open and supportive. In some cases, differences were noted. Conclusions discuss the continued opportunity for women to work together in the absence of male co-instructors in order to further explore what is possible in challenging traditional gender constraints.
Chronic widespread pain, mental health, and physical role function in OEF/OIF veterans.

OBJECTIVE Describe the associations among pain, mental health concerns, and function in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). DESIGN Retrospective review of self-reported, standardized clinical intake surveys. SETTING A multidisciplinary deployment health clinic at a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. PATIENTS The first 429 veterans of OEF/OIF presenting for clinical evaluation at a deployment health clinic. OUTCOME MEASURES Function, measured with the Role Physical (RP) scale of the Veterans RAND (VR)-36 survey, was compared for veterans with and without chronic widespread pain (CWP). RESULTS After controlling for age, sex, and positive screens for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the presence of CWP had a significant, clinically relevant, and independent effect on VR-36 RP (-6.2 points, DeltaR(2) = 0.052, P < 0.001). Mean VR-36 RP normed score was 43.3 (standard deviation 11.9). CWP was common (29%), as were positive mental health screens (PTSD 53%, depression 60%, alcohol misuse 63%). CONCLUSIONS In this sample of OEF/OIF veterans, the majority of whom reported good or better general health, CWP was common and related to poorer physical role function, independent of comorbid mental health concerns.
Issue S in Informing Science and Information Technology Sms Based Wireless Home Appliance Control System (hacs) for Automating Appliances and Security

This paper mainly focuses on the controlling of home appliances remotely and providing security when the user is away from the place. The system is SMS based and uses wireless technology to revolutionize the standards of living. This system provides ideal solution to the problems faced by home owners in daily life. The system is wireless therefore more adaptable and cost-effective. The HACS system provides security against intrusion as well as automates various home appliances using SMS. The system uses GSM technology thus providing ubiquitous access to the system for security and automated appliance control.
Test-decompression mechanism using a variable-length multiple-polynomial LFSR

A new test-decompression methodology using a variable-rank multiple-polynomial linear feedback shift register (MP-LFSR) is proposed. In the proposed reseeding scheme, a test cube with a large number of specified bits is encoded with a high-rank polynomial, while a test cube with a small number of specified bits is encoded with a low-rank polynomial. Therefore, according to the number of specified bits in each test cube, the size of the encoded data can be optimally reduced. A variable-rank MP-LFSR can be implemented with a slight modification of a conventional MP-LFSR. The experimental results on the largest ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits show that the proposed methodology can provide much better encoding efficiency than the previous methods with adequate hardware overhead.
Síndrome de Burnout e suporte social no trabalho: a percepção dos profissionais de enfermagem de hospitais públicos e privados

Neste trabalho, investigou-se a percepcao dos proﬁssionais de enfermagem sobre a inﬂuencia do suporte social na incidencia da Sindrome de Burnout . Para tanto, utilizou-se uma survey junto a 231 colaboradores de quatro hospitais publicos e privados do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados revelam que tais proﬁssionais apresentam grau moderado da Sindrome, sendo que os entrevistados dos hospitais publicos evidenciaram maiores indices da doenca e, consequentemente, menor suporte social no trabalho, quando comparados aos individuos dos hospitais privados. Alem disso, atraves dos modelos de regressao multipla, nas instituicoes publicas, o modelo Esgotamento Emocional foi previsto pelos fatores suporte social informacional e conﬁanca , em 31% da variância explicada. Ja nas instituicoes privadas, a dimensao realizacao pessoal foi explicada em 23% pelos fatores suporte social informacional , conﬁanca e clareza e agilidade das informacoes , evidenciando a inﬂuencia do suporte social no trabalho na incidencia da Sindrome de Burnout .
Second-Order Model to Predict Microbial Degradation of Organic Compounds in Natural Waters

The reliability of second-order rate constants for assessing microbial degradation kinetics in natural waters was examined by using three compounds that undergo hydrolytic degradation. The butoxyethyl ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was studied in water samples from 31 sites, malathion was examined in water from 14 sites, and chlorpropham was studied in samples from 11 sites. The coefficient of variation for rate constants for each compound was less than 65% over all sites. Additional studies indicated that the rate conformed to second-order kinetics; that is, the rate was proportional to both bacterial and xenobiotic concentrations.
Effects of Home Environment, SES, and Maternal Test Scores on Mathematics Achievement

Abstract Determinants of young children's mathematics skills—home environment, socioeconomic status (SES), and maternal cognitive test scores—were statistically analyzed in a simple model. Four hypotheses were tested: (a) Home environment, SES, and maternal cognitive test scores each have independent effects on children's mathematics scores, controlling for the other factors; (b) the two-way relationship between maternal test scores and children's mathematics scores will be attenuated by controlling for home environment; (c) the two-way relationship between maternal test scores and children's mathematics scores will be attenuated by controlling for SES; and (d) the two-way relationship between SES and children's mathematics scores will be attenuated by controlling for home environment. The analysis supported each hypothesis. The effect of home environment on children's mathematics test scores was large, even when SES and maternal test scores were controlled. The effects of SES and maternal test scores wer.
Modeling the Biofiltration of Dimethyl Sulfide in the Presence of Methanol in Inorganic Biofilters at Steady State

The presence of methanol (MeOH) improves DMS removal (up to 11‐fold) by enhancing biomass growth in inorganic biofilters. Although the overall effect is positive, prolonged growth on methanol also negatively affects DMS degradation as a result of competition with DMS. The objectives of this study were to explore the potential to optimize DMS removal with methanol addition and to develop and experimentally validate a mathematical model describing the biofiltration of DMS in the presence of MeOH. Continuous experiments using three bench‐scale biofilters packed with inorganic material were performed to examine the removal of DMS under different MeOH addition rates ranging from 0 to 140 g/m3/h. For a constant DMS loading of 3.5 g/m3/h, a maximum DMS removal rate of 1.8 g/m3/h was achieved at a MeOH addition rate of 20 g/m3/h in the inorganic biofilters. A steady‐state model incorporating the competitive and activation effects of MeOH on DMS biodegradation was developed, and the modeled results on DMS and MeOH removal were in close agreement with experimental data. Both the experimental data and model simulation suggest that there is an optimum MeOH addition rate for a given DMS loading. A step‐feeding strategy for MeOH addition was proposed and tested by the model to optimize DMS removal. The model‐predicted results demonstrate that six‐step feeding of MeOH enhances DMS treatment by 46% in the biofilters when compared to conventional feeding (one‐step) of MeOH at the same total mass loading.
A Mixture of Dioxins, Furans, and Non-ortho PCBs Based upon Consensus Toxic Equivalency Factors Produces Dioxin-Like Reproductive Effects

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; dioxin) and related polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) alter the reproductive development of laboratory animals. Therefore, we exposed animals to a mixture of dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that included TCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PeCDD), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (1-PeCDF), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (4-PeCDF), octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF), 3,3′,4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126), and 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB169). The mixture composition approximated the relative abundance of these compounds in foodstuff (L. S. Birnbaum and M. J. DeVito, 1995, Toxicology Vol. 105, pp. 391–401). Following the work of Gray et al. with TCDD (1997, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Vol. 146, pp. 11–20), we exposed time-pregnant dams on gestation day (GD) 15 at doses up to 1.0 μg TCDD toxic equivalency (TEQ)/kg and the development of offspring was monitored. This mixture significantly increased the time to puberty in both male and female offspring. At postnatal day (PND) 32 seminal vesicle weights were decreased; however, only ventral prostate weight was affected at PND 49 and no effects were seen at PND 63. In female offspring, the mixture caused dose-dependent increases in the incidence of vaginal thread. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was higher than with TCDD the comparable TEQ exposure. Based on the slightly lowered responsiveness to the mixture, we used 2.0 μg TEQ/kg to examine reproductive effects. This dose elicited the responses observed with 1.0 μg TCDD/kg. Results indicate that the mixture causes a similar spectrum of effects seen with TCDD and the slightly lowered degree of response based on administered dose appears to be due to decreased transfer of mixture components to the offspring. Thus, the use of the WHO consensus TEFs (M. Van den Berg et al., 1998, Environ. Health Perspec. 106, 775–792) reasonably predicts the developmental toxicity of this mixture of dioxin-like PHAHs.
The impact of premenstrual symptoms on activities of daily life in Korean women

Objective. To evaluate the impact of premenstrual symptoms on activities of daily life (ADL) of Korean women, and their knowledge and treatment seeking regarding premenstrual syndromes (PMSs). Methods. A population-based online survey regarding premenstrual symptoms was conducted in 1000 Korean women aged 15–49 years. Symptoms were classified according to their intensity, persistence each cycle, and impairment of ADL. Women's knowledge of PMSs and physician consultations were assessed. Results. The approximate prevalence of PMS/premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) by the WHO's International Classification of Disease (ICD-10), American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV[4th edition]) criteria was 98.6, 32.1, and 2.8%, respectively. Among 23 documented symptoms, the most predominant symptoms were joint-muscle-back pain, abdominal pain, and irritability. Physical symptoms were more prevalent than mental symptoms. There was a high correlation between the duration and severity of symptoms. The impact of PMS on ADL and the proportion of women with impaired ADL were significantly associated with the severity of PMS. The proportion of women consulting physicians increased with severity of PMS from 2%, 2.3%, for ICD-10, ACOG PMS to 10.7% for DSM-IV PMDD, respectively. Most of the women (91.5%) had no knowledge regarding terminology pertaining to PMS and PMDD. Conclusion. PMSs occur frequently and have a significant impact on daily life for a proportion of Korean women. However, Korean women have little knowledge about PMSs and only infrequently consult their physicians.
Genetic variants of the protein kinase C-beta 1 gene and development of end-stage renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

CONTEXT Protein kinase C-beta (PKC-beta) is a cell-signaling intermediate implicated in development of diabetic complications. OBJECTIVE To examine the risk association of PKC-beta 1 gene (PRKCB1) polymorphisms and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in an 8-year prospective cohort of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We genotyped 18 common tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that span the PRKCB1 gene (r(2) = 0.80) in 1172 Chinese patients (recruited 1995-1998) without renal disease at baseline. A validation cohort included an additional 1049 patients with early-onset diabetes who were free of renal disease at baseline and were recruited after 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Associations of PRKCB1 polymorphisms under additive, dominant, and recessive genetic models with new onset of ESRD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or dialysis or renal-related death) were assessed by Cox proportional hazard regression, adjusted for all conventional risk factors including use of medications. RESULTS After a mean (SD) of 7.9 (1.9) years, 90 patients (7.7%) progressed to ESRD. Four common SNPs were associated with ESRD (P < .05). The closely linked T allele at rs3760106 and G allele rs2575390 (r(2) = 0.98) showed the strongest association with ESRD (hazard ratio [HR], 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-3.87; P = .003, and HR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.31-3.88; P = .003, respectively). Four common variants predicted ESRD in separate models. The HR for ESRD increased with increasing number of risk alleles (P < .001) in the joint effect analysis. The adjusted risk for ESRD was 6.04 (95% CI, 2.00-18.31) for patients with 4 risk alleles compared with patients with 0 or 1 risk allele. Incidence was 4.4 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 0.5-8.2) among individuals with 0 or 1 risk allele compared with 20.0 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 8.8-31.1) in those carrying 4 risk alleles (6.9% of the cohort). These results were validated in a separate prospective cohort of young-onset diabetic patients. Of 1049 patients in the validation cohort, 151 (14.3%) developed chronic kidney disease (CKD) during follow-up, and there were significant associations between both the T allele of rs3760106 and the G allele of rs2575390 and development of CKD (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.10-2.57; P = .02, and HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.07-2.47; P = .02, respectively). CONCLUSION Genetic variants in the PRKCB1 gene were independently associated with development of ESRD in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.