Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Gatekeepers' Selection of Foreign News: A National Survey of Newspaper Editors

A national survey of newspaper editors examined how editors view the importance of different criteria in selecting foreign news to run. Results show that editors considered these factors important in making choices: threat to the United States and world peace, anticipated reader interest, timeliness, and U.S. involvement. Editors also regarded loss of lives and property as important but less so than other factors. Most editors appear to focus more on factors having significant impact or consequences, especially when American security and national interest are involved. Canonical correlational analysis indicates that editors' perceptions of foreign news factors are determined by individual differences and organizational constraints in the newsroom.
On-line EEG classification for brain-computer interface based on CSP and SVM

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) research aims at automatically translating neural commands into control signals through classifying the electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns of different mental tasks (e.g. imagined hand and foot movements). This paper presents a method of on-line classification for BCI based on Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) for feature extraction and Support Vector Machine (SVM) as a classifier. The best classification results for three subjects are 86.3%, 91.8%, and 92%. The high classification rate in a real-time 3D computer game indicates that the proposed method is promising for an EEG-based brain-computer interface. It can provide a new way for the EEG automation classification when the EEG is used an input signal to a brain computer interface.
Application of vibration response for the nondestructive ripeness evaluation of watermelons.

The assessment of watermelon ripeness on the basis of its apparent properties, such as size or skin colour, is very difficult as traditional methods have various problems and limitations. These include lack of uniformity, concentration of excitation energy within narrow bands and need for physical contact between a fruit and the measuring device. In this study a new method making use of Laser Doppler Vibrometry technology (LDV) has been applied to evaluate the ripeness of watermelons, without many of those limitations. At first a watermelon is excited by a shaker as vibration generating device within a range of frequencies. At the same time, the vibrating response of the upper side of the fruit is measured by LDV. The device emits a laser beam on a spot above the sample. The beam reflected from that point is received by the LDV and finally the vibration response of the sample is measured and the signal is sent to the computer. Using a fast fourier transform algorithm and the ratio of input to response signals, the frequency response of the fruit sample was processed and the desired results extracted. After the nondestructive tests were completed, the watermelon ripeness was evaluated by means of a destructive method. The sugar and firmness of the samples were measured as ripeness indices. In this study four modal properties were derived and used for developing predictive models to relate the vibration response results with the watermelon sugar and firmness. Interaction models by including the fruit mass were found more accurate than other common multiple models. The nonlinear regression model has five variables as sample mass, first and second resonant frequency and also damping ratios of them. For this model the coefficients of determination and the mean square error for the estimation of the fruit sugar were 0.9 and 0.79 respectively. For the estimation of the fruit firmness, they were 0.89 and 0.035. This study demonstrated feasibility of information which is derived from vibration response curves for predicting fruit ripeness. The vibration response of watermelon using the LDV method is measured without direct contact of the device with watermelon; it is accurate and timely, which could result in significant advantage for the commercial-scale classifying of watermelons based on consumer demands.
Reading Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Basal Reader Use and State Adoption Policies

AbstractElementary school teachers in Texas were surveyed to determine (a) their attitudes toward basal readers as a teaching method; (b) the extent of their use of basal reader programs; and (c) their perceptions of statewide reading textbook adoption policies. Proportional random samples from small, medium, and large school districts were drawn statewide. Double sampling was employed, drawing a second proportional random sample of nonrespondents for comparison to the original respondents. Comparisons yielded no significant differences and revealed no nonrespondent bias. Results indicated that although teachers rely on basal readers extensively, this reliance may not be as complete as is sometimes assumed. Supplementation of basal programs was reported as widespread, particularly in the areas of decoding and children’s literature. Concerns were voiced about the correspondence of basals with state curriculum guides mandated as part of the school reform movement. Teachers also believed that their input was.
Shame on Me

In two experimental studies, we used a moral self-evaluation implicit association task to investigate reactions to personal moral transgressions. In Study 1, negative self-evaluation was higher after participants had been blamed for being late to the experiment compared to a control condition. In Study 2, participants imagined committing either (a) a moral transgression or (b) no moral wrongdoing. In the transgression condition, negative self-evaluation was increased compared to the control condition. This effect was particularly pronounced among participants high in dispositional shame-proneness. Moreover, in the transgression condition, negative moral self-evaluation mediated the effect of shame-proneness on the preference for physical cleansing products. The present findings contribute to a better understanding of the cognitive and affective processes that underlie moral motivation.
Developments in chemotherapy of breast cancer

Breast carcinoma is moderately sensitive to multiple antitumor agents. Cytotoxic combination regimens developed in the 1970s were shown to produce higher response rates and longer durations of response and survival than single‐agent therapy. These regimens became the standard of care for the management of metastatic, hormone‐refractory breast carcinoma, and more recently, for primary breast carcinoma. Randomized trials also have demonstrated that amthracycline‐containing combinations were more effective than combinations without anthracyclines. The development of several new cytotoxic agents and novel antitumor strategies prompted this review.
Morningness-Eveningness Among German and Spanish Adolescents 12–18 Years

Individual differences in human biological rhythms and diurnal preference (morningness-eveningness) are often based on self-report scales. Here, we compare Spanish (N = 771) and German (N = 1,182) adolescents (12–18 years) using the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM). A 3-factorial solution of the CSM was supported in both countries, morningness, activity planning, and alertness factors, and the last two factors were invariant across countries. Morningness decreased with age, and higher morningness was found in German pupils. Gender differences were not significant concerning the alertness factor but existed in the activity-planning factor with girls scoring higher, and in the morningness factor with boys scoring higher. Interactions suggest that the linear trend toward eveningness is less pronounced in Spanish adolescents, whereas German boys showed the steepest linear decline in their over time compared to German girls and to Spanish boys who showed a U-shaped tendency.
Sampling methods for exploring between-subject variability in cardiac electrophysiology experiments

Between-subject and within-subject variability is ubiquitous in biology and physiology, and understanding and dealing with this is one of the biggest challenges in medicine. At the same time, it is difficult to investigate this variability by experiments alone. A recent modelling and simulation approach, known as population of models (POM), allows this exploration to take place by building a mathematical model consisting of multiple parameter sets calibrated against experimental data. However, finding such sets within a high-dimensional parameter space of complex electrophysiological models is computationally challenging. By placing the POM approach within a statistical framework, we develop a novel and efficient algorithm based on sequential Monte Carlo (SMC). We compare the SMC approach with Latin hypercube sampling (LHS), a method commonly adopted in the literature for obtaining the POM, in terms of efficiency and output variability in the presence of a drug block through an in-depth investigation via the Beeler–Reuter cardiac electrophysiological model. We show improved efficiency for SMC that produces similar responses to LHS when making out-of-sample predictions in the presence of a simulated drug block. Finally, we show the performance of our approach on a complex atrial electrophysiological model, namely the Courtemanche–Ramirez–Nattel model.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Deference, Dependence, and Deterrence

Many of the transactional features that mark Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are familiarly strategic and economic. But there also exists a qualitative dimension to what draws together these two Islamic states. This article points to how each country has been able to compensate for the other’s resource deficits even when national interests diverge their unique spiritual bonding ensures a strong measure of continuity in their relationship. These ties are nonetheless regularly tested by the difficult choices Saudi Arabia’s Iran-centric policies can create for Pakistan.
Making Choral Music with Older Adults

Many myths and misconceptions exist that prevent directors from actively recruiting older adults into choral programs. Some people believe that older adults are frail, have no desire or capacity for musical learning or relearning, prefer passive rather than active involvement, and prefer sedate musical styles over others. Research indicates, however, that when adults are treated as functioning individuals, they make a commitment to musical development.1 Common adult music activities such as rhythm or kitchen bands and sing-alongs are inadequate for musical growth, whereas applied music performance, instrumental and choral ensembles, and classes in composition, theory, and music history foster musical development and interest.
An Arabic Version of the Study Process Questionnaire: Reliability and Validity

The reliability and validity of the Study Process Questionnaire were investigated for 246 United Arab Emirates college students. Analysis provided satisfactory estimates of internal consistency and stability over a 4-wk. period. Results of factor analysis followed by oblique rotation of the six subscales supported the factor structure underlying the questionnaire. In addition, surface approach correlated negatively with students' GPAs and deep and achieving approaches correlated positively with students' GPAs, indicating that the questionnaire approaches were valid in predicting college academic performance. These findings lend support to the reliability and validity of the questionnaire as a measure of studying and learning. In sum, the present investigation provides some evidence suggesting that this instrument can be used with some confidence with subjects other than Australian university students when students are influenced by different traditions, practices, and educational systems.
Molecular Characterization of Porcine MMP19 and MMP23B Genes and Its Association with Immune Traits

MMP19 and MMP23B belong to the Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) family, which are zinc-binding endopeptidases that are capable of degrading various components of the extracellular matrix. They are thought to play important roles in embryonic development, reproduction and tissue remodeling, as well as in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, angiogenesis, apoptosis and host defense. However, they are poorly understood in pigs. Here, we obtained the full length coding region sequence and genomic sequence of the porcine MMP19 and MMP23B genes and analyzed their genomic structures. The deduced amino acid sequence shares similar precursor protein domains with human and mouse MMP19 and MMP23B protein, respectively. Using IMpRH panel, MMP19 was mapped to SSC5p12-q11 (closely linked to microsatellite DK) and MMP23B was mapped to SSC8q11-q12 (linked to microsatellite Sw2521). Quantitative real-time PCR showed that MMP19 was abundantly expressed in the liver, while MMP23B was strongly expressed in the ovarian and heart. Furthermore, both genes were all expressed increasingly in prenatal skeletal muscle during development. Three SNPs were detected by sequencing and PCR-RFLP methods, and association analysis indicated that C203T at exon 5 of MMP19 has a significant association with the blood parameters WBC (G/L) and IgG2 (mg/mL) (P<0.05), SNP C131T at exon 3 of MMP23B is significantly associated with the blood parameters HGB (g/L) and MCH (P<0.05), and A150G in exon 4 has no significant association with the economic traits in pigs.
Antimicrobial Activity of the Pleuromutilin Antibiotic BC-3781 against Bacterial Pathogens Isolated in the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program in 2010

ABSTRACT BC-3781 is a novel semisynthetic pleuromutilin antibiotic inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis. BC-3781 has completed a phase 2 clinical trial in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). Its antibacterial spectrum additionally covers the predominant pathogens causing community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). In this study, the antibacterial activity of BC-3781 was evaluated against a contemporary collection of 10,035 bacterial isolates predominately causing ABSSSI and CABP, among other infections, collected within the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program worldwide in 2010. BC-3781 exhibited potent activity against organisms commonly isolated from ABSSSI such as Staphylococcus aureus (MIC50/90, 0.12/0.12 μg/ml; 99.8% inhibited at ≤0.5 μg/ml), beta-hemolytic streptococci (MIC50/90, 0.03/0.03 μg/ml; 99.3% inhibited at ≤0.5 μg/ml), and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS; MIC50/90, 0.06/0.12 μg/ml; 97.8% inhibited at ≤1 μg/ml). BC-3781 displayed similar MIC distributions among methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) S. aureus strains. BC-3781 was also active against Enterococcus faecium, with 76.3% of vancomycin-susceptible and 97.0% of vancomycin-resistant isolates being inhibited at BC-3781 concentrations of ≤1 μg/ml. Beta-hemolytic and viridans group streptococci were highly susceptible to BC-3781, with 99.3% and 96.7% of isolates inhibited at ≤0.5 μg/ml, respectively. Further, activity of BC-3781 against Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC50/90, 0.12/0.25 μg/ml), Haemophilus influenzae (MIC50/90, 1/2 μg/ml), and Moraxella catarrhalis (MIC50/90, 0.12/0.25 μg/ml) was not negatively influenced by β-lactamase production or resistance to other antimicrobial classes tested. In all, BC-3781 displayed a very potent antibacterial profile including the most prevalent bacterial pathogens causing ABSSSI and CABP, thus warranting further clinical development of this antibiotic in these and possibly other indications.
Managerial Knowledge Sharing: The Role of Individual, Interpersonal, and Organizational Factors

Abstract This paper describes two studies conducted in the People's Republic of China aimed at improving understanding of knowledge sharing among managers. Study 1 found evidence for the role of two individual factors: greed which reduced knowledge sharing, and self-efficacy which increased it. In addition, co-worker collegiality has an indirect influence on knowledge sharing by lowering greed and raising self-efficacy. Study 2 replicated the key findings of Study 1 and also identified the influence of organizational support on knowledge sharing. Organizational support led to higher utilization of information and communication technologies, resulting in more knowledge sharing, especially for explicit as opposed to implicit knowledge. 摘要 本文在中国大陆就管理人员的知识共享进行了两项实证研究。 研究一结果发现个人层面两种因素的作用：个人的自私贪欲心理会阻碍知识共享，而自我功效感则会促进知识共享行为。 此外，同事之间的合作与信任可以降低个人贪欲心、提髙功效感，从而间接推动知识共享。 研究二进一步验证了研究一的主要发现，并提出组织对知识共享的支持提高了信息沟通技术的使用率，从而推动知识共享。 研究的结果还表明，较之隐性知识，这种影响对显性知识的影响更为显著。
An exploratory study of work motivation among private and public sector hospital chefs in Australia

This paper assesses the reliability and rationale of Hackman and Oldham’s job characteristics model among public and private sector hospital chefs in Australia. It continues by focusing on critical job elements of chefs and their motivational outcomes. The job of chef in private sector hospitals was found to be more challenging with greater motivating potential than that in the public sector. Reliance of hospitality services managers upon technology appears to have resulted in a deskilled production process and, consequently, a demotivated workforce.
A Study of the Criterion Validity of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale

Criterion validity of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS) was evaluated with a concurrent study to obtain a cut-off score for an Argentinean population. A battery of several neuropsychological tests, including MDRS and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), was administered to 60 patients in a memory disorder clinic. The MDRS cut-off score was used as the criterion variable. A total score of 123 in MDRS was found to classify incorrectly only 8 of 60 patients. Sensitivity was 0.83, and specificity was 0.90. MDRS showed a high convergent validity with MMSE. Consistent with the cut-off scores suggested by Mattis in his manual, a total score of 123 was found to be the most appropriate for adoption in the local population.
Player Number Localization and Recognition in Soccer Video using HSV Color Space and Internal Contours

Detection of player identity is challenging task in sport video content analysis. In case of soccer video player number recognition is effective and precise solution. Jersey numbers can be considered as scene text and difficulties in localization and recognition appear due to variations in orientation, size, illumination, motion etc. This paper proposed new method for player number localization and recognition. By observing hue, saturation and value for 50 different jersey examples we noticed that most often combination of low and high saturated pixels is used to separate number and jersey region. Image segmentation method based on this observation is introduced. Then, novel method for player number localization based on internal contours is proposed. False number candidates are filtered using area and aspect ratio. Before OCR processing extracted numbers are enhanced using image smoothing and rotation normalization. Keywords—player number, soccer video, HSV color space
Actor/observer asymmetry in risky decision making

Are people willing to gamble more for themselves than what they deem reasonable for others? We addressed this question in a simplified computer gambling task in which subjects chose from a set of 10 cards. Subjects selected one card at a time after being instructed that 9 cards were good (win a dollar per card) and one was really bad (lose all the money and end the game). Subjects could stop playing at any time to collect their winnings. Some subjects played the game, others observed a confederate. Both groups took risks beyond what was rational (i.e., 5 cards) but actors were riskier than observers. The actor/observer asymmetry occurred even after controlling for monetary outcome (i.e., having observers win prizes) and after controlling for how the question was framed (i.e., asking observers what they themselves would do as opposed to what the confederate should do). We discuss these results in relation to theories of decision making that emphasize separate contributions of rational and experiential systems.
Expanding the Educational Horizons of Undergraduates through Cognitive Aging Research

Involving undergraduate students in cognitive aging research requires extra efforts not associated with graduate assistants. However, if the researcher acknowledges the limited experience of undergraduates in structuring their participation, the rewards are copious for the students and researcher alike. This paper describes undergraduate student assistance in a research project supported by a National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award grant. This is a funding mechanism tailored for 4-year teaching institutions that requires undergraduate involvement in all phases of the work. Descriptions of the researcher's institution, academic program, and student characteristics are given. Next, the recruitment and initial training of student assistants are explained. The training is tailored to provide all student assistants with a rigorous conceptual background in the research area, regardless of their ultimate responsibilities in the project. Various specializations within the project are then described, along with the student skills they require. Finally, the author reflects on this project as a growth experience of his own. Despite the special considerations needed to succeed in engaging undergraduates, the returns in the form of student growth are manifold.
Enhanced possibilities for analyzing tree structure as provided by an interface between different modelling systems

In recent years, many different advanced mathematical models and simulation systems for tree and forest growth have been developed. We show a possibility to extend analysis tools for measured and simulated plants using a data interface between the simulation model LIGNUM and the multifunctional software system GROGRA. Both systems were developed by different teams. To demonstrate the enhanced possibilities for analyzing a LIGNUM tree, several examples are given. In these examples three different approaches for analysis are applied to measured and simulated trees: Fractal dimension, deduction of tapering laws, and water potential patterns obtained from simulation of waterflow by the specialized software HYDRA. Conclusions for the interfacing and comparison of different modelling tools are drawn.