Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rumors and Health Care Reform: Experiments in Political Misinformation

This article explores belief in political rumors surrounding the health care reforms enacted by Congress in 2010. Refuting rumors with statements from unlikely sources can, under certain circumstances, increase the willingness of citizens to reject rumors regardless of their own political predilections. Such source credibility effects, while well known in the political persuasion literature, have not been applied to the study of rumor. Though source credibility appears to be an effective tool for debunking political rumors, risks remain. Drawing upon research from psychology on ‘fluency’ – the ease of information recall – this article argues that rumors acquire power through familiarity. Attempting to quash rumors through direct refutation may facilitate their diffusion by increasing fluency. The empirical results find that merely repeating a rumor increases its power.
Human Melanoma Metastases Express Functional CXCR4

Purpose: The chemokine receptor CXCR4 was identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in primary melanoma. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of CXCR4 in human melanoma metastases. Experimental Design: CXCR4 expression was evaluated in melanoma metastases and in metastatic cell lines through immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription-PCR. The function of CXCR4 was tested in the presence of the ligand, CXCL12, through induction of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (Erk-1 and -2) phosphorylation, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration capabilities. Results: CXCR4 expression was detected in 33 out of 63 (52.4%) metastases from cutaneous melanomas. Metastatic melanoma cell lines expressed cell surface CXCR4; PES 43, Alo 40, and COPA cell lines showed the highest levels of CXCR4 (>90% of positive cells); PES 41, Alo 39, PES 47, POAG, and CIMA cell lines showed low to moderate degrees of expression (5-65% of positive cells). Other chemokine receptors, CCR7 and CCR10, were detected on the melanoma cell lines; CXCL12 activated Erk-1 and Erk-2, the whose induction was specifically inhibited by AMD3100 treatment. CXCL12 increased the growth in PES 41, PES 43, and PES 47 cells under suboptimal (1% serum) and serum-free culture conditions; AMD3100 (1 μmol/L) inhibited the spontaneous and CXCL12-induced proliferation. No rescue from apoptosis was shown but PES 41, PES 43, and PES 47 cells migrate toward CXCL12. Conclusions: These findings indicate that CXCR4 is expressed and active in human melanoma metastases, suggesting that active inhibitors such as AMD3100 may be experienced in human melanoma.
Fuzziness over Randomness in Unforeseen Works of Construction Projects

A new approach to distinguish construction management models by uncertain and fuzzy states has been presented and laid out in the paper. Supplementing well recognised practical models of project and construction management, based on probabilistic and fuzzy events may make possible to transfer the weight of the change and extra orders assessment from the qualitative form to a quantitative one. This assessment, however, is naturally burdened with an immeasurable, subjective aspect. Elaboration of probability of occurrence in a construction project unforeseen building works requires application (in addition to the non - measurable, qualitative criteria) of measurable (quantitative) criteria which still appear during construction project implementation. In reimbursable engineering contracts, a random event described as an extra, supplementary building work has a random character and occurs with a specific likelihood. In lump sum contracts, on the other hand, such a random event has a fuzzy character and its occurrence is defined in a linear manner by the function of affiliation to the set of fuzzy events being identical with unforeseen events. The strive for quantitative presentation of criteria regarded by nature as qualitative and the intention to determine relations between them led to the application of the fuzzy sets theory to this issue. Their properties enable description of the unforeseen works of construction projects in an unambiguous, quantitative way. In 19 considered construction projects the lump sum from of engineering contracts are in majority, therefore, it is so crucial to apply fuzzy sets models with their fuzzy tools which makes possible to quantify of construction projects unforeseen works as indicated in research presented in the paper. The random event for fixed fee contracts as an unforeseen building work has a fuzzy character and its occurrence is defined by a linear function of affiliation in the set of fuzzy events identical with the unforeseen events. Such fuzzy relations between faults of construction projects with impacted unforeseen works have been precisely determined in the presented research findings.
The Effect of Individual Retirement Accounts on Household Consumption and National Saving

A major debate exists on whether expanding tax-favoured savings accounts such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) will increase national savings. Much of the empirical debate has centred on whether IRA contributions before the Tax Reform Act of 1986 represented new savings or merely reshuffled assets. We find no evidence that households financed their IRA contributions from reductions in consumption, at least initially. We find evidence that households financed their IRA contributions from existing savings or from saving that would have been done anyway. Our results indicate that, at most, 9% of IRA contributions represented net additions to national saving.
Morphological phylogenetic analysis of the genera Fragaria and Duchesnea in Iran

In this research phylogenetic relationships of the two genera Fragaria and Duchesnea, including four species ( Fragaria viridis, F. vesca, Duchesnea indica and D. chrysantha) and 2 of their closely related species (Potentilla reptans and P. micrantha) plus 2 Fillipendulla species ( representing outgroups) were carried out using morphological traits. Primarily, morphological evidences of 30 taxa were carefully examined. Then, phylogenetic analysis was conducted in two steps, 1) using 38 quantitative and qualitative characters 2) using 10 selected evidences. For this, all studied morphological characters were coded and analyzed by Maximum parsimony method (MP). Data analysis was carried out through the heuristic search embedded in the PAUP software. The result emphasizes the separation of the two subtribe Potentillinae and Fragariinae. It also shows monophyly of Fragaria and Duchesnea. Furthermore, based on the current findings, Potentilla is a closest relative of Duchesnea. Among the studied morphological characters14 (9 from the first and 5 from second analysis) isolates Fragaria from Duchesnea; and 6 (4 from the first analysis and 2 from the second analysis) separates Duchesnea from Potentilla. However, intra-species relationships between the Fragaria species) except for 4 taxa) remained unresolved.
Priming and Stimulation of Bovine Neutrophils by Recombinant Human interleukin‐1 Alpha and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha

We have examined the in vitro effects of two recombinant human monokines, interleukin‐1 alpha (rHulL‐1α) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (rHuTNFα), on bovine neutrophil functions. Both rHulL‐1α (10 to 1,000 ng/ml) and rHuTNFα (5 to 50 ng/ml) directly stimulated the oxidative burst of bovine neutrophils as measured by Luminol‐dependent chemiluminescence, superoxide anion generation, and hydrogen peroxide production. In addition, both rHulL‐1α (1 to 1,000 ng/ml) and rHuTNFα (0.5 to 50 ng/ml) primed bovine neutrophils for an enhanced oxidative burst to subsequent stimulation with opsonized zymosan. Neutrophils pretreated with either monokine exhibited an earlier, as well as stronger, zymosan‐stimulated Luminol‐dependent chemiluminescence response, as compared to untreated neutrophils. Exposure of bovine neutrophils to combinations of suboptimal doses of rHulL‐1α (10 and 100 ng/ml) and rHuTNFα (0.5 and 5 ng/ml) resulted in a synergistic stimulation of Luminol‐dependent chemiluminescence, whereas, no synergism was observed when using optimal doses of each monokine. Pre‐incubation of bovine neutrophils with an optimal concentration of recombinant bovine interferon gamma (100 U/ml), and either rHulL‐1α or rHuTNFα further augmented the maximal oxidative response of neutrophils stimulated with opsonized zymosan. Bovine neutrophils released both primary and secondary granules in response to rHulL‐1α and rHuTNFα, and also exhibited enhanced adherence in the presence of either monokine.
Identification of a New Class of Prostaglandin Transporter Inhibitors and Characterization of Their Biological Effects on Prostaglandin E2 Transport

Prostaglandins (PGs) are involved in several major signaling pathways. Their effects are terminated when they are transported across cell membranes and oxidized intracellularly. The transport step of PG metabolism is carried out by the prostaglandin transporter (PGT). Inhibition of PGT would therefore be expected to change local or circulating concentrations of prostaglandins, and thus their biological effects. To develop PGT-specific inhibitors with high affinity, we designed a library of triazine compounds and screened 1842 small molecules by using Madin-Darby canine kidney cells stably expressing rat PGT. We found several effective PGT inhibitors. Among them, the most potent inhibitor had a Ki of 3.7 ± 0.2 μM. These inhibitors allowed us to isolate the efflux process of PGE2 and to demonstrate that PGT does not transport PGE2 outwardly under physiological conditions.
The levels‐of‐approximation approach in MC 2010: application to punching shear provisions

In order to address how new knowledge influences design expressions, design codes have in most cases become significantly more complex over the last decades. However, this tendency is leading to codes that are too complicated for preliminary design but still not sufficiently accurate for assessing existing structures (where even more realistic models of behaviour are sometimes required). An alternative code strategy is that proposed by codes based on a levels‐of‐approximation (LoA) approach. This approach is based on the use of theories based on physical parameters where the hypotheses for their application can be refined as the accuracy required increases. The approach proposes adopting safe hypotheses during the first stages of design, leading to relatively quick and simple analyses. In cases where such a degree of accuracy is not sufficient (e.g. design of complex structures, assessment of existing structures, significant potential economic savings), the hypotheses can be refined in a number of steps, leading to better estimates of the behaviour and strength of members. This approach, recently adopted in the first complete draft of Model Code 2010 for a number of design issues, is discussed within this paper with reference to punching shear provisions.
PEIDL : An Interaction Protocol Specification Language for Software Components

The Interface Definition Languages (IDLs) used by commercial middleware standards such as CORBA primarily address the signature aspects o f sof ware component interfaces. They do not cover important semantic aspec ts, e.g. the correct way in which component services are to be used. This often poses significant problems for designing component-based systems, esp ecially where third-party components are used. In this report, we propose a fo rm l but user-friendly language, called the Protocol-Equipped IDL (PEIDL ), for the interface specification of components. This language augments commercial IDLs with capabilities of precisely describing component interaction protoco ls. It employs unambiguous temporal operators to capture sequencing and co ncurrency constraints between component operation invocations. According ly, t enables the precise specification of the interoperability requirements of components as well as the automated inter-component interoperability checking in a composite system.
Psychological Factors That Foster or Deter the Disclosure of Disability by University Students

Despite the increased number of students with disabilities attending university compared to a few decades ago, many students do not declare that they have a disability, reducing their chances to receive support when it is needed. Here, some of the studies investigating the factors that influence disclosure of disability are reviewed. Psychological factors related to identity, stigma, self-worth, and self-awareness are identified as the most important factors in supporting the decision to disclose a disability. Early support for these dimensions is important and should be provided as early as possible in order to facilitate the disclosure and help-seeking of university students with disabilities.
Optimization of Dissolution Conditions During Fractionation of Corn-cob in ZnCl2.4H2O/Urea Solvent System: A Statistical Approach

The choice of a suitable pretreatment method and the adjustment of the pretreatment parameters for efficient conversion of biomass to value-added products is crucial to a successful biorefinery concept. Pretreatment of corn cob using ZnCl2.4H2O/ Urea was carried out and optimized in this study. Effect of pretreatment conditions on cellulose recovery, hemicellulose recovery during the pretreatment of corn cob using ZnCl2.4H2O/ Urea was investigated via response surface methodology approach and optimized in this study. Experimental results were analysed and appropriate predictive empirical linear models were developed for each response. For cellulose recovery, time and temperature, and solvent concentration were significant factors. Hemicellulose recovery in the liquid fraction is impacted by time and solvent concentration, while lignin recovery is affected by time and temperature. Using numerical optimization by desirability function, optimum pretreatment conditions obtained were: 90 min, 120°C and concentration of 71.32%/28.68 (w/w) ZnCl2.4H2O/ Urea. At these conditions, the predicted recovery for cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin were 99.03%, 27.18% and 72.43%, respectively, with a desirability of 0.902. The actual recovery was 91%, 29% and 68% for cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, respectively, at the same conditions. These results indicate that the investigated variables have pronounced effect on the pretreatment of corn cob. Therefore, optimum conditions are required for recovery of desired composition before conversion to value-added products.
Direction of Arrival Estimation for Multiple Sound Sources Using Convolutional Recurrent Neural Network

This paper proposes a deep neural network for estimating the directions of arrival (DOA) of multiple sound sources. The proposed stacked convolutional and recurrent neural network (DOAnet) generates a spatial pseudo-spectrum (SPS) along with the DOA estimates in both azimuth and elevation. We avoid any explicit feature extraction step by using the magnitudes and phases of the spectrograms of all the channels as input to the network. The proposed DOAnet is evaluated by estimating the DOAs of multiple concurrently present sources in anechoic, matched and unmatched reverberant conditions. The results show that the proposed DOAnet is capable of estimating the number of sources and their respective DOAs with good precision and generate SPS with high signal-to-noise ratio.
A price index with variable mark-ups and changing variety

This paper proposes an estimation of an augmented Tornqvist price-index - fea- turing demand shifters - which is exact for homothetic translog preferences. Contrary to previous work based on a constant elasticity of substitution across varieties, this demand system allows for changes in markups even when the number of products is large. We then propose a structural decomposition of this index in terms of changes in markups, productivity, variety and demand shocks. We illustrate our approach using sample data from ACNielsens Homescan Panel. For instance, our results are consistent with competition eﬀects where a decrease in per-product demand trans- lates into lower markups.
Implementation of a Feral Cat Management Program on a University Campus

In August 1998, Texas A&M University implemented on campus a trap-test-vaccinate-alter-return-monitor (TTVARM) program to manage the feral cat population. TTVARM is an internationally recognized term for trapping and neutering programs aimed at management of feral cat populations. In this article we summarize results of the program for the period August 1998 to July 2000. In surgery laboratories, senior veterinary students examined cats that were humanely trapped once a month and tested them for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus infections, vaccinated, and surgically neutered them. They euthanized cats testing positive for either infectious disease. Volunteers provided food and observed the cats that were returned to their capture sites on campus and maintained in managed colonies. The program placed kittens and tame cats for adoption; cats totaled 158. Of the majority of 158 captured cats, there were less kittens caught in Year 2 than in Year 1. The proportion of tame cats trapped was significantly greater in Year 2 than in Year 1. The prevalence found for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus ELISA test positives was 5.8% and 6.5%, respectively. Following surgery, 101 cats returned to campus. The project recaptured, retested, and revaccinated more than one-fourth of the cats due for their annual vaccinations. The program placed 32 kittens, juveniles, and tame adults for adoption. The number of cat complaints received by the university's pest control service decreased from Year 1 to Year 2.
Racial Disparities in Health-Related Quality of Life After Lung Cancer Surgery: Findings From the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium

Introduction: This study investigated racial disparities in postsurgical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Data were collected by the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium. Inclusion criteria were greater than or equal to 21 years of age, NSCLC, and receipt of surgery. HRQOL data were available from patients' surveys, and complete medical record abstraction was performed to obtain clinical data. HRQOL was assessed by the physical/mental component summary scores (PCS/MCS) of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey at two time points. Mean time between surgery and the initial assessment (time 1) after surgery was 4.1 (SD 2.2) months and between surgery and second assessment (time 2) was 12.7 (SD 3.8) months. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine associations between race and HRQOL. Results: Of 650 patients, 80.5% were White, 8.8% Black, and 10.7% other races. At second assessment, Blacks reported lower MCS than Whites (47.4 versus 52.6, p = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, Blacks had lower MCS compared with Whites. No difference was found between Whites and Blacks on PCS. Those with less than high school education reported lower MCSs. Older age and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery were associated with gain in MCS. Male, less than college education, and comorbidities were associated with impaired PCS. Older age was associated with improved PCS. Conclusion: Racial disparities exist in postoperative mental HRQOL. Results highlight the need for interventions after lung cancer surgery to improve mental health in Black and younger patients.
Evidence that Human Chlamydia pneumoniae Was Zoonotically Acquired

ABSTRACT Zoonotic infections are a growing threat to global health. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a major human pathogen that is widespread in human populations, causing acute respiratory disease, and has been associated with chronic disease. C. pneumoniae was first identified solely in human populations; however, its host range now includes other mammals, marsupials, amphibians, and reptiles. Australian koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are widely infected with two species of Chlamydia, C. pecorum and C. pneumoniae. Transmission of C. pneumoniae between animals and humans has not been reported; however, two other chlamydial species, C. psittaci and C. abortus, are known zoonotic pathogens. We have sequenced the 1,241,024-bp chromosome and a 7.5-kb cryptic chlamydial plasmid of the koala strain of C. pneumoniae (LPCoLN) using the whole-genome shotgun method. Comparative genomic analysis, including pseudogene and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution, and phylogenetic analysis of conserved genes and SNPs against the human isolates of C. pneumoniae show that the LPCoLN isolate is basal to human isolates. Thus, we propose based on compelling genomic and phylogenetic evidence that humans were originally infected zoonotically by an animal isolate(s) of C. pneumoniae which adapted to humans primarily through the processes of gene decay and plasmid loss, to the point where the animal reservoir is no longer required for transmission.
Norepinephrine triggers metaplasticity of LTP by increasing translation of specific mRNAs

Norepinephrine (NE) is a key modulator of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, a brain structure crucially involved in memory formation. NE boosts synaptic plasticity mostly through initiation of signaling cascades downstream from beta (β)-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs). Previous studies demonstrated that a β-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol, can modify the threshold for long-term potentiation (LTP), a putative cellular mechanism for learning and memory, in a process known as “metaplasticity. ” Metaplasticity is the ability of synaptic plasticity to be modified by prior experience. We asked whether NE itself could engage metaplastic mechanisms in area CA1 of mouse hippocampal slices. Using extracellular field potential recording and stimulation, we show that application of NE (10 µM), which did not alter basal synaptic strength, enhances the future maintenance of LTP elicited by subthreshold, high-frequency stimulation (HFS: 1 × 100 Hz, 1 sec). HFS applied 30 min after NE washout induced long-lasting (>4 h) LTP, which was significantly extended in duration relative to HFS alone. This NE-induced metaplasticity required β1-AR activation, as coapplication of the β1-receptor antagonist CGP-20712A (1 µM) attenuated maintenance of LTP. We also found that NE-mediated metaplasticity was translation- and transcription-dependent. Polysomal profiles of CA1 revealed increased translation rates for specific mRNAs during NE-induced metaplasticity. Thus, activation of β-ARs by NE primes synapses for future long-lasting plasticity on time scales extending beyond fast synaptic transmission; this may facilitate neural information processing and the subsequent formation of lasting memories.