Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Family Treatment on Parenting Beliefs Among Caregivers of Youth With Poorly Controlled Asthma

Objective: Caregiver involvement is critical in ensuring optimal adolescent asthma management. The study investigated whether multisystemic therapy (MST), an intensive home-based family therapy, was superior to family support for changing beliefs regarding asthma-related positive parenting among caregivers of African-American youth with poorly controlled asthma. The relationship between parenting beliefs and asthma management at the conclusion of the intervention was also assessed. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 167 adolescents with moderate-to-severe, persistent, poorly controlled asthma and their primary caregivers. Families were randomly assigned to MST or family support (FS), a home-based family support condition. Data were collected at baseline and 7-month posttest. Changes in caregiver ratings of importance and confidence for engaging in asthma-related positive parenting were assessed through questionnaire. Illness management was assessed by the Family Asthma Management System Scale. Results: Participation in MST was associated with more change in caregiver beliefs as compared with FS for both importance (t = 2.39, p = .02) and confidence (t = 2.04, p = .04). Caregiver beliefs were also significantly related to youth controller medication adherence at the conclusion of treatment (importance: r = .21, p = .01; confidence: r = .23, p = .004). Conclusion: Results support the effectiveness of MST for increasing parental beliefs in the value of asthma-related positive parenting behaviors and parental self-efficacy for these behaviors among families of minority adolescents with poorly controlled asthma.
Fluid ability, crystallized ability, and performance across multiple domains: A meta-analysis

Approved: ____________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________ Title and Department ____________________________________ Date 1 FLUID ABILITY, CRYSTALLIZED ABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE DOMAINS: A META-ANALYSIS by Bennett Eugene Postlethwaite A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa
Measles deaths in Nepal: estimating the national case-fatality ratio.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the case-fatality ratio (CFR) for measles in Nepal, determine the role of risk factors, such as political instability, for measles mortality, and compare the use of a nationally representative sample of outbreaks versus routine surveillance or a localized study to establish the national CFR (nCFR). METHODS This was a retrospective study of measles cases and deaths in Nepal. Through two-stage random sampling, we selected 37 districts with selection probability proportional to the number of districts in each region, and then randomly selected within each district one outbreak among all those that had occurred between 1 March and 1 September 2004. Cases were identified by interviewing a member of each and every household and tracing contacts. Bivariate analyses were performed to assess the risk factors for a high CFR and determine the time from rash onset until death. Each factor's contribution to the CFR was determined through multivariate logistic regression. From the number of measles cases and deaths found in the study we calculated the total number of measles cases and deaths for all of Nepal during the study period and in 2004. FINDINGS We identified 4657 measles cases and 64 deaths in the study period and area. This yielded a total of about 82 000 cases and 900 deaths for all outbreaks in 2004 and a national CFR of 1.1% (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.5-2.3). CFR ranged from 0.1% in the eastern region to 3.4% in the mid-western region and was highest in politically insecure areas, in the Ganges plains and among cases < 5 years of age. Vitamin A treatment and measles immunization were protective. Most deaths occurred during the first week of illness. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first CFR study based on a nationally representative sample of measles outbreaks. Routine surveillance and studies of a single outbreak may not yield an accurate nCFR. Increased fatalities associated with political insecurity are a challenge for health-care service delivery. The short period from disease onset to death and reduced mortality from treatment with vitamin A suggest the need for rapid, field-based treatment early in the outbreak.
Polarizing the Electoral Connection: Partisan Representation in Supreme Court Confirmation Politics

Do senators respond to the preferences of their state’s median voter or only to the preferences of their copartisans? We develop a method for estimating state-level public opinion broken down by partisanship so that scholars can distinguish between general and partisan responsiveness. We use this to study responsiveness in the context of Senate confirmation votes on Supreme Court nominees. We find that senators weight their partisan base far more heavily when casting such roll call votes. Indeed, when their state median voter and party median voter disagree, senators strongly favor the latter. This has significant implications for the study of legislative responsiveness and the role of public opinion in shaping the members of the nation’s highest court. The methodological approach we develop enables more nuanced analyses of public opinion and its effects, as well as more finely grained studies of legislative behavior and policy making.
Risk Factors for Oxaliplatin-Induced Hypersensitivity Reactions in Japanese Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Objective: Previously, we suggested that oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-related grade 3/4 hypersensitivity reactions occurred immediately after the initiation, but grade 1/2 reactions did not. This study was conducted to clarify the risk factors for L-OHP-related hypersensitivity reactions. Methods: Clinical data from 108 Japanese patients with colorectal cancer were analyzed, who were treated with L-OHP-containing regimens, FOLFOX4 and/or mFOLFOX6. The risk factors examined included demographic data, preexisting allergies, laboratory test data, treatment regimen, treatment line of therapy, pretreatment with steroids, total number of cycles and cumulative amount of L-OHP. Results: The incidence of grade 1/2 and grade 3/4 hypersensitivity reactions were found at 13.0% (14/108) and 9.3% (10/108), respectively. Female (P=0.037), preexisting allergies (P=0.004) and lower level of lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.003) were risk factors for grade 1/2 hypersensitivity reactions, and higher neutrophil count (P=0.043) and lower monocyte count (P=0.007) were for grade 3/4 reactions. Total number of cycles were larger in the patients with grade 3/4 reactions than those without reactions (P=0.049). Conclusions: Further extensive examination with a large number of patients is needed to establish a patient management strategy.
Fatty acids and CHD

During the last century much evidence has accumulated to suggest that from a public health perspective the type of fat is more important than the amount of fat. Saturated and trans-fatty acids increase and both n-6 and n-3 PUFA decrease the risk of CHD. Most of the knowledge about the effects of dietary fatty acids on CHD risk is based on observational studies and controlled dietary experiments with intermediate end points (e.g. blood lipoprotein fractions). Information from high-quality randomised controlled trials on fatty acids and CHD is lacking. The Netherlands Institute for Public Health has calculated the potential health gain that can be achieved if the fatty acid composition of the current Dutch diet is replaced by the recommended fatty acid composition. The recommendations of The Netherlands Health Council are: saturated fatty acids <10% energy intake; trans-fatty acids <1% energy intake; fish consumption (an indicator of n-3 PUFA) once or twice weekly. Implementation of this recommendation could reduce the incidence of CHD in The Netherlands by about 25 000/year and the number of CHD-related deaths by about 6000/year and increase life expectancy from age 40 years onwards by 0.5 year. These projections indicate the public health potential of interventions that modify the fatty acid composition of the diet.
The impact of the academic component of Response to Intervention on collective efficacy, parents' trust in schools, referrals for special education, and student achievement

The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation status of Response to Intervention (Rtl) in the elementary schools (N = 35) in one urban school district in Virginia. The relationship between the implementation of the academic components of Rtl, collective efficacy, parents' trust in schools, the number of referrals for special education, and student achievement was also investigated. The factor analysis revealed that Rtl for Academics included Universal Screening, Effective Instruction/Tiered Interventions, and Progress Monitoring. Family Involvement was determined to be a separate construct made up of two factors, Family Engagement and Physical Presence. The implementation status of this district indicated that the schools were between early and full implementation of Rtl for Academics. Rtl for Academics was found to be significantly correlated with teachers' perceptions ofthe impact ofRtl on the reduction of the number of referrals for special education (r = .41. p < .05) when controlling for the socio-economic status of the students. The district mean score for Family Engagement indicated that parents are engaged in their children's education. Parents' responses regarding their Physical Presence in the schools ranged from neutral to agree. In this study, Family Engagement was found to be significantly correlated with Physical Presence, collective efficacy, and parents' trust in schools. Parents' Trust was found to be made up of four factors: 1) Trust in the Teacher, 2) Trust in Administration, 3) Trust in High Standards, and 4) Trust in School Safety. Finally, the Multiple Regression revealed that these variables when found collectively in schools explain 27% of the variance in student achievement.
Learning Multiagent Communication with Backpropagation

Many tasks in AI require the collaboration of multiple agents. Typically, the communication protocol between agents is manually specified and not altered during training. In this paper we explore a simple neural model, called CommNet, that uses continuous communication for fully cooperative tasks. The model consists of multiple agents and the communication between them is learned alongside their policy. We apply this model to a diverse set of tasks, demonstrating the ability of the agents to learn to communicate amongst themselves, yielding improved performance over non-communicative agents and baselines. In some cases, it is possible to interpret the language devised by the agents, revealing simple but effective strategies for solving the task at hand.
Adult information processing: Limits on loss.

Introduction: A.T. Welford, The Gerontological Balance Sheet. Neurophysiological Sparing: D.S. Woodruff-Pak, Neural Plasticity as a Substrate for Cognitive Adaptation in Adulthood and Aging. T.R. Bashore, Differential Effects of Aging on the Neurocognitive Functions Subserving Speeded Mental Processing. R. Parasuraman and P.G. Nestor, Preserved Cognitive Operations in Earl Alzheimers Disease. Information Processing Rate: J. Myersonand S. Hale, General Slowing and Age-Invariance in Cognitive Processing: The Other Side of the Coin. S.H. Johnson and J.M. Rybash, A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective on Age-Related Slowing: Developmental Changes in the Functional Architecture. A. Baron and J. Cerella, Laboratory Tests of the Disuse Account of Cognitive Decline. T.R. Bashore and P.H. Goddard, Preservative and Restorative Effects of Aerobic Fitness on the Age-Related Slowing of Mental Processing Speed. AttentionalCapacity: B. Molander and L. Backman, Performance of a Complex Motor Skill Across the Life-Span: General Trends and Qualifications. L.M. Giambra, Sustained Attention in Older Adults: Performance and Processes. D.J. Madden and D.J. Plude, Selective Preservation of Selective Attention. Perception of Objects: N.L. Bowles, Semantic Processes that Serve Picture Naming. D.L. Schacter, J.F. Kihlstrom, A.W.
The Coronary Arteries in Coarctation of the Aorta

The histological changes found in the coronary arteries in 15 patients with coarctation of the aorta have been described. Qualitative and quantitative studies were performed and the results compared with the findings of a matched control group of patients without heart disease.Severe changes in the intima during early life and even the severe atheroma which appears in young persons are considered to be a reaction to coronary hypertension. The striking thickening of the media in the coronary arteries is also thought to be a reaction to the altered hemodynamic forces.In coarctation of the aorta the coronary arteries are of greater than normal capacity, and it is suggested that this histological feature parallels the increased metabolic requirements of the left ventricle.
The art of asking questions in the teaching of science

This article describes one science department's evaluation of the way teachers use questions in the teaching of science. It explains briefly how the exercise was organised and what was learned from it. Most importantly, there is discussion about what the exercise revealed about the art of asking questions in teaching science and encouraging pupils to do the same.
Measuring Employee Creativity and its Impact on Organization Innovation Capability and Performance in the Banking Sector of Pakistan

Creativity has vital impact on organizational performance and when it is the case of service firms, the creativity of frontline employees become more crucial. This study investigates the role of contextual factors such as job complexity and relationship with supervisor on employee creativity that in turn have positive effect on firm's innovation and performance. This study further investigates that employee intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between contextual factors and employee creativity. Data were collected through convenient sampling from banking employees working in different branches of seven Pakistani banks operating in Multan city through 164 questionnaires which then analyzed using SPSS 16. The results showed the direct relationship of job complexity and supervisory relationship with employee creativity keeping the mediating variable unaffected. Further, employee creativity has shown significant positive relation with organization innovation capability and firm performance. Managerial implications, limitations and recommendations for future research have also been discussed.
From cultural to creative industries

This article examines the present state of development of cultural industries in the Chaoyang District of Beijing and proposes corresponding strategies for the government. It is the result of a year-long research study commissioned by the district and is significant in three aspects: (1) it is one of the first policy researches commissioned by the Chinese government to a non-mainland body; (2) it is one of the first studies of its kind to use statistics complying with the new National System of Classification on cultural industries; and (3) it is one of the first studies that has led to some concrete follow-up of policies and that has been instrumental in transforming the official concept of ‘cultural’ to ‘cultural and creative’ industries.
Testosterone replacement therapy can increase circulating endothelial progenitor cell number in men with late onset hypogonadism

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are bone marrow‐derived cells required for endothelial repair. A low EPC number can be considered as an independent predictor of endothelial dysfunction and future cardiovascular events. Recent evidence shows that patients with hypogonadal symptoms without other confounding risk factors have a low number of circulating progenitor cells (PCs) and EPCs, thus highlighting the role of testosterone in the proliferation and differentiation of EPCs. Here, we investigate if testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can increase circulating EPC number in men with late onset hypogonadism. Forty‐six men (age range, 40–73 years; mean age, 58.3 years) with hypogonadal symptoms were recruited, and 29 men with serum total testosterone (TT) levels less than 350 ng/dL received TRT using transdermal testosterone gel (Androgel; 1% testosterone at 5 g/day) for 12 months. Circulating EPC numbers (per 100 000 monocytes) were calculated using flow cytometry. There was no significant association between serum TT levels and the number of circulating EPCs before TRT. Compared with the number of mean circulating EPCs at baseline (9.5 ± 6.2), the number was significantly higher after 3 months (16.6 ± 11.1, p = 0.027), 6 months (20.3 ± 15.3, p = 0.006) and 12 months (27.2 ± 15.5, p = 0.017) of TRT. Thus, we conclude that serum TT levels before TRT are not significantly associated with the number of circulating EPCs in men with late onset hypogonadism. However, TRT can increase the number of circulating EPCs, which implies the benefit of TRT on endothelial function in hypogonadal men.
Deep Near-Infrared Observations of the W3 Main Star-forming Region

We present a deep JHKs-band imaging survey of the W3 Main star-forming region, using the near-infrared camera SIRIUS mounted on the University of Hawaii 2.2 m telescope. The near-infrared survey covers an area of ~24 arcmin2 with 10 σ limiting magnitudes of ~19.0, 18.1, and 17.3 in the J, H, and Ks bands, respectively. We construct JHK color-color and J versus J-H and K versus H-K color-magnitude diagrams to identify young stellar objects and estimate their masses. Based on these color-color and color-magnitude diagrams, a rich population of young stellar objects is identified that is associated with the W3 Main region. A large number of previously unreported red sources (H-K > 2) have also been detected around W3 Main. We argue that these red stars are most probably pre-main-sequence stars with intrinsic color excesses. We find that the slope of the Ks-band luminosity function (KLF) of W3 Main is lower than the typical values reported for young embedded clusters. The derived slope of the KLF is the same as that found in 1996 by Megeath and coworkers, from which analysis indicated that the W3 Main region has an age in the range of 0.3-1 Myr. Based on the comparison between models of pre-main-sequence stars and the observed color-magnitude diagram, we find that the stellar population in W3 Main is primarily composed of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars. We also report the detection of isolated young stars with large infrared excesses that are most probably in their earliest evolutionary phases.
Persistence, Turing Instability and Hopf Bifurcation in a Diffusive Plankton System with Delay and Quadratic Closure

A reaction–diffusion plankton system with delay and quadratic closure term is investigated to study the interactions between phytoplankton and zooplankton. Sufficient conditions independent of diffusion and delay are obtained for the persistence of the system. Our conclusions show that diffusion can induce Turing instability, delay can influence the stability of the positive equilibrium and induce Hopf bifurcations to occur. The computational formulas which determine the properties of bifurcating periodic solutions are given by calculating the normal form on the center manifold, and some numerical simulations are carried out for illustrating the theoretical results.
Vaccinia Virus F1L Protein Is a Tail-Anchored Protein That Functions at the Mitochondria To Inhibit Apoptosis

ABSTRACT Members of the poxvirus family encode multiple immune evasion proteins, including proteins that regulate apoptosis. We recently identified one such protein, F1L, encoded by vaccinia virus, the prototypic member of the poxvirus family. F1L localizes to the mitochondria and inhibits apoptosis by interfering with the release of cytochrome c, the pivotal commitment step in the apoptotic cascade. Sequence analysis of the F1L open reading frame revealed a C-terminal motif composed of a 12-amino-acid transmembrane domain flanked by positively charged lysines, followed by an 8-amino-acid hydrophilic tail. By generating a series of F1L deletion constructs, we show that the C-terminal domain is necessary and sufficient for localization of F1L to the mitochondria. In addition, mutation of lysines 219 and 222 downstream of the C-terminal transmembrane domain resulted in altered localization of F1L to the endoplasmic reticulum. Using F1L protein generated in an in vitro transcription-translation system, we found that F1L was posttranslationally inserted into mitochondria and tightly associated with mitochondrial membranes as demonstrated by resistance to alkaline extraction. Sensitivity to protease digestion showed that the N terminus of F1L was exposed to the cytoplasm. Utilizing various F1L deletion constructs, we found that F1L localization to the mitochondria was necessary to inhibit apoptosis, since constructs that no longer localized to the mitochondria had reduced antiapoptotic ability. Our studies show that F1L is a new member of the tail-anchored protein family that localizes to mitochondria during virus infection and inhibits apoptosis as a means to enhance virus survival.
Individual attachment styles and the correspondence/compensation hypotheses in relation to depression and depressive experiences

Two hundred twenty individuals participated in the present study from a university population. The study examined the relationship among attachment styles to caregivers, relationship with God, depressive symptomology, and depressive experiences. Attachment theorists have suggested a connection between childhood attachment to caregivers and current attachment to God through the idea that individuals have "working models" that form how they interpret present relationships. For the most part, the results of the current study supported the idea of correspondence between attachment to caregiver and attachment to God. Individual attachment styles to caregivers matched their attachment style to God. However, when caregiver religiousness was included as a moderating variable, results supported the theory of combined compensation-correspondence for those with insecure attachments to caregivers. Individuals with insecure attachment to caregivers were more likely to compensate for their insecure attachment bonds through participation in religious activity, whereas their internal, private relationship with God corresponded with their previous insecure attachment bonds. Individuals with insecure attachment to caregivers were more likely to endorse symptoms of depression and report introjective, but not anaclitic, depressive experiences. With respect to attachment to God, introjective depressive experiences were positively related to both anxious and avoidant attachments, whereas, anaclitic depressive experiences were positively related only to anxious attachment to God. Anxious attachment to God was found to partially mediate the relationship between insecure attachment to caregivers and depression symptoms. Finally, attachment effects were similar across gender, ethnicity, and age, with some notable exceptions.