Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temporal Variations of PM2.5, PM10, and Gaseous Precursors during the 1995 Integrated Monitoring Study in Central California.

The spatial and temporal distributions of particle mass and its chemical constituents are essential for understanding the source-receptor relationships as well as the chemical, physical, and meteorological processes that result in elevated particulate concentrations in California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), coarse particulate matter (PM10), and aerosol precursor gases were sampled on a 3-hr time base at two urban (Bakersfield and Fresno) and two non-urban (Kern Wildlife Refuge and Chowchilla) core sites in the SJV during the winter of 1995-1996. Day-to-day variations of PM2.5 and PM10 and their chemical constituents were influenced by the synoptic-scale meteorology and were coherent among the four core sites. Under non-rainy conditions, similar diurnal variations of PM2.5 and coarse aerosol were found at the two urban sites, with concentrations peaking during the nighttime hours. Conversely, PM2.5 and coarse aerosol peaked during the morning and afternoon hours at the two non-urban sites. Under rainy and foggy conditions, these diurnal patterns were absent or greatly suppressed. In the urban areas, elevated concentrations of primary pollutants (e.g., organic and elemental carbons) during the late afternoon and nighttime hours reflected the impact from residential wood combustion and motor vehicle exhaust. During the daytime, these concentrations decreased as the mixed layer deepened. Increases of secondary nitrate and sulfate concentrations were found during the daylight hours as a result of photochemical reactions. At the non-urban sites, the same increases in secondary aerosol concentrations occurred during the daylight hours but with a discernable lag time. Concentrations of the primary pollutants also increased at the non-urban sites during the daytime. These observations are attributed to mixing aloft of primary aerosols and secondary precursor gases in urban areas followed by rapid transport aloft to non-urban areas coupled with photochemical conversion.
Influencer Marketing: How Message Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of Branded Content on Social Media

Abstract In the past few years, expenditure on influencer marketing has grown exponentially. The present study involves preliminary research to understand the mechanism by which influencer marketing affects consumers via social media. It proposes an integrated model—the social media influencer value model—to account for the roles of advertising value and source credibility. To test this model, we administered an online survey among social media users who followed at least one influencer. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling results show that the informative value of influencer-generated content, influencer’s trustworthiness, attractiveness, and similarity to the followers positively affect followers’ trust in influencers’ branded posts, which subsequently influence brand awareness and purchase intentions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
An integrated model for m-banking adoption in Saudi Arabia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the most important factors that could predict the Saudi customer’s continued intention towards adoption of mobile banking.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed conceptual model was based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and task-technology fit (TTF) model. This is also expanded by considering two additional factors: perceived privacy and perceived security. By using a self-administered questionnaire, the data were collected from a convenience sample of Saudi banking customers from different parts of Saudi Arabia.FindingsThe main results based on structural equation modelling analyses supported the impact of perceived privacy, perceived security, perceived usefulness and TTF on the customers’ continued intention to use mobile banking.Research limitations/implicationsThe moderation influence of the demographic factors (i.e. age, gender, income level, educational level) was not tested. The data were also collected using a self-report questionnaire; however, it would be more accurate to utilise more statistics from the bank database about the users of m-banking.Originality/valueThis study represents a worthy attempt to test such novel technology (m-banking) in the KSA where there is a scarcity of literature. A considerable theoretical contribution was also made by integrating the TTF model with the TAM in addition to consider privacy and security in one single model. Moreover, considering both perceived privacy and security in the current model creates an accurate picture about the adoption of m-banking especially as there are a limited number of m-banking studies that have considered privacy and security alongside the TTF model and TAM in the same model.
Translation of incenp During Oocyte Maturation Is Required for Embryonic Development in Xenopus laevis1

ABSTRACT The chromosome passenger complex (CPC) consists of Aurora-B kinase and several other subunits. One of these, incenp, binds Aurora-B and regulates its kinase activity. During Xenopus oocyte maturation, incenp accumulates through translation, contributing to aurora-b activation. A previous study has demonstrated that inhibition of incenp translation during oocyte maturation diminishes aurora-b activation but does not interfere with oocyte maturation, characterized by normal maturation-specific cyclin-b phosphorylation, degradation, and resynthesis. Here we have extended these findings, showing that inhibition of incenp translation during oocyte maturation did not interfere with meiosis I or II, as indicated by the normal emission of the first polar body and metaphase II arrest, followed by the successful emission of the second polar body upon parthenogenetic egg activation. Most importantly, however, when transferred to host frogs and subsequently ovulated, the incenp-deficient eggs were fertilized but failed to undergo mitotic cleavage. Thus, translation of incenp during oocyte maturation appears to be part of oocyte cytoplasmic maturation, preparing the egg for the rapid mitosis following fertilization.
Assessing Energy Level as a Marker of Aerobic Exercise Readiness: A Pilot Investigation

Energy ratings have been used as a marker of exercise readiness (i.e. pre-exercise physical/mental state indicating ability to perform) within flexible nonlinear periodization (FNLP)-based resistance training interventions. However, empirical data is lacking regarding the utility of this approach for aerobic exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of pre-exercise energy level to predict affective and behavioral responses to prescribed aerobic exercise. Participants consisted of 19 women and 8 men (N=27, age=20±4 years, estimated maximal oxygen uptake=37±6). Participants performed two 30-min bouts of treadmill exercise under an imposed moderate intensity (70–75% of age-predicted maximal heart rate; %HRmax) condition and a self-selected intensity condition. Pre-exercise energy level was assessed using the Energy Index (EI) score derived from the Profile of Mood States. Feeling Scale (FS) was the dependent variable in the imposed bout and average intensity (%HRmax) was the dependent variable during the self-selected bout. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine if EI predicted mean FS and %HRmax. After controlling for potential confounders, EI significantly predicted mean FS (β=.499, p=.037) during imposed exercise. No significant relationship existed between EI and overall intensity (β =−121, p=.554) during self-selected exercise. While EI predicted in-task core affect it was unrelated to self-selected intensity. It is premature to suggest EI as an optimal predictor of exercise readiness in regards to aerobic exercise for aerobically untrained young adults. More research is needed to determine an evidence-based marker of readiness that can be used for aerobic exercise prescribed within the context of FNLP.
Investment Opportunities and Economic Outcomes: Who Benefits From College and the Stock Market?

Does the power of college to increase well-being exceed that of stocks, as subsidies to the former suggest? Perhaps not: we show that access to college increases well-being, but only for those whose preparedness and ability poise them for success. For some others, access to college affects well-being and mobility negligibly. This suggests that investments whose returns do not depend on individual characteristics may be more effective in improving the well-being of some individuals. The stock market, which offers comparably high returns, is a natural alternative. We find that a non-trivial fraction of high-school graduates would prefer a stock-index retirement fund to the subsidy currently flowing to college.
An analysis of G matrix variation in two closely related cricket species, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus

An important issue in evolutionary biology is understanding the pattern of G matrix variation in natural populations. We estimated four G matrices based on the morphological traits of two cricket species, Gryllus firmus and G. pennsylvanicus, each reared in two environments. We used three matrix comparison approaches, including the Flury hierarchy, to improve our ability to perceive all aspects of matrix variation. Our results demonstrate that different methods perceive different aspects of the matrices, which suggests that, until more is known about these methods, future studies should use several different statistical approaches. We also found that the differences in G matrices within a species can be larger than the differences between species. We conclude that the expression of the genetic architecture can vary with the environment and that future studies should compare G matrices across several environments. We also conclude that G matrices can be conserved at the level of closely related species.
Psychosocial Determinants of Relocation in Survivors of the 1999 Earthquake in Turkey

Large-scale earthquakes in urban areas displace many people from their homes. This study examined the role of conditioned fears in determining survivors' tendency to live in shelters after the 1999 earthquake in Turkey. A total of 1655 survivors living in prefabricated housing compounds or residential units in the epicenter zone were screened using a reliable and valid instrument. Among participants whose houses were rendered uninhabitable during the earthquake 87.7% relocated to shelters, whereas others remained in the community by moving to a new house. In contrast, 38.7% of the participants whose houses were still inhabitable after the earthquake lived in the shelters. Relocation was predicted by behavioral avoidance, material losses, and loss of relatives. These findings suggested that a multitude of factors played a role in survivors' displacement from their houses and the elevated rates of mental health problems could constitute a cause rather than an effect of relocation.
Prognostic value of homocysteinemia in patients with congestive heart failure

Abstract Background: Elevated plasma homocysteine levels are associated with increased risk of vascular disease and of congestive heart failure (CHF), with a relationship between homocysteine values and disease severity. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for cardiac dysfunction. In this study, the predictive value of elevated homocysteine levels was investigated in the prognosis of ischemic and non-ischemic CHF. Methods: A total of 159 patients with CHF, 89 with non-ischemic and 70 with ischemic CHF (83% males, mean age 62years, mean ejection fraction 27%), and 119 controls (79% males, mean age 59.8years) had fasting blood samples taken to measure plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels. Coronary angiography was performed for all patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 49.6±36.7months. Results: As in other studies, the mean level of homocysteinemia was significantly higher in the CHF group (15.80μmol/L) than in the control group (10.90μmol/L) (p=0.001) whatever the etiology (non-ischemic, 16.11±6.84μmol/L; ischemic, 15.41±6.45μmol/L). This result was observed without vitamin deficiency, but in patients, the mean creatinine value was moderately higher than in controls. We found a positive correlation between plasma homocysteine levels and New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, creatinine and age. Moreover, hyperhomocysteinemia appears to be a powerful predictive factor of mortality in CHF patients (relative risk of death, 4.23; p=0.0003). In the follow-up of this study, 41.5% of patients with homocysteinemia >17μmol/L died vs. 21.3% of patients with levels <17μmol/L. In multivariate analysis, when homocysteine levels were adjusted for a second parameter (age, NYHA, creatinine, diabetes), the risk of death remained significant after each adjustment. Conclusions: Elevated homocysteine levels observed in CHF patients, whatever the etiology of their heart disease (ischemic or non-ischemic), were correlated with the severity of the disease. Hyperhomocysteinemia appears to be a predictive factor of mortality in CHF patients. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:813–6.
Take it to the Limit? The Effects of Household Leverage Caps

We analyze the effects of borrower-based macroprudential policy at the household-level. For identification, we exploit administrative Dutch tax-return and property ownership data linked to the universe of housing transactions, and the introduction of a mortgage loan-to-value limit. The regulation reduces mortgage leverage, with bunching in its limit. Ex-ante more-affected households substantially reduce overall leverage and debt servicing costs but consume greater liquidity to satisfy the regulation. Improvements in household solvency result in less financial distress and, given negative idiosyncratic shocks, better liquidity management. However, fewer households transition from renting into ownership. All of these effects are stronger for liquidity-constrained households.
Thermal resistance of Enterobacter sakazakii in reconstituted dried‐infant formula

Enterobacter sakazakii, designated a unique species in 1980, has been implicated in a rare but severe form of neonatal meningitis, with dried‐infant formula being implicated as the mode of transmission. The high mortality rate (40–80%) and the lack of information about this organism led to a study of the heat resistance of Ent. sakazakii in reconstituted dried‐infant formula. Ten Canadian Ent. sakazakii strains (5 clinical and 5 food isolates) were used to determine the heat resistance of this organism at 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60°C in reconstituted dried‐infant formula. D‐ values of 54·8, 23·7, 10·3, 4·2 and 2·5 min were obtained for each temperature, respectively. The overall calculated z‐value was 5·82°C. In a comparison of the D‐values of several members of the Enterobacteriaceae in dairy products, Ent. sakazakii appeared to be one of the most thermotolerant organisms. The importance of process control during manufacture and the use of aseptic procedures during the preparation, use and storage of dried‐infant formula is discussed.
Low Affinity Interaction of Human or Rat T Cell Adhesion Molecule CD2 with Its Ligand Aligns Adhering Membranes to Achieve High Physiological Affinity*

The mechanism by which low affinity adhesion molecules function to produce stable cell-cell adhesion is unknown. In solution, the interaction of human CD2 with its ligand CD58 is of low affinity (500 mm −1) and the interaction of rat CD2 with its ligand CD48 is of still lower affinity (40 mm −1). At the molecular level, however, the two systems are likely to be topologically identical. Fluorescently labeled glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored CD48 and CD58 were prepared and incorporated into supported phospholipid bilayers, in which the ligands were capable of free lateral diffusion. Quantitative fluorescence imaging was used to study the binding of cell surface human and rat CD2 molecules to the fluorescent ligands in contact areas between Jurkat cells and the bilayers. These studies provide two major conclusions. First, CD2/ligand interactions cooperate to align membranes with nanometer precision leading to a physiologically effective two-dimensional affinity. This process does not require the intact cytoplasmic tail of CD2. Second, the degree of membrane alignment that can be achieved by topologically similar receptors deteriorates with decreasing affinity. This suggests an affinity limit for the ability of this mode of cooperativity to achieve stable cell-cell adhesion at approximately 10 mm −1.
An Expert System for Wide Area Surveillance based on Ontology

An overwhelming amount of data arriving from disparate sources can be a bottleneck in realization of any service. This data, if properly processed and annotated, can be a useful source of information. This work builds an Area Profile Ontology (APO) and imports other related ontology to annotate rich data arriving from multiple sensor streams like cameras. The annotation process provides an impetus to the improvement of knowledge over time. APO provides the main concepts and properties to model an area which can span even a city. We define Jena rules to infer intelligent information about the position of an object of our interest. We illustrate ontology emergence by drawing upon a case study to show an actual application.
Mindfulness Training and Problem Formulation

Evidence suggests mindfulness-based clinical interventions are effective. Accepting this, we caution against assuming that mindfulness can be applied as a generic technique across a range of disorders without formulating how the approach addresses the factors maintaining the disorder in question. Six specific issues are raised: mindfulness has been found to be unhelpful in some contexts; where mindfulness has been found to be effective, instructors have derived and shared with clients a clear problem formulation; there may be many dimensions of effectiveness underlying the apparent simplicity of mindfulness; mindfulness was developed within a particular “view” of emotional suffering that implies wider changes that go beyond meditation practice alone; professionals need to match the different components of mindfulness with the psychopathology being targeted; nonetheless, mindfulness may affect processes common to different pathologies.
Cellular Therapy for Disc Degeneration

Study Design. Review article regarding the developing field of cellular therapies for symptomatic disc degeneration. Objective. To review the rationale and discuss the results of cellular strategies that have been proposed or investigated for disc degeneration. Summary of Background Data. Disc degeneration is a substantial clinical problem. Disc degeneration begins with a loss of disc cells and alterations in the extracellular matrix of the disc. One promising approach for this problem involves the use of cells transplanted to the degenerative disc to achieve functional tissue repair. Methods. The rationale for using cellular therapy for disc degeneration is discussed. The basic science studies involving cellular transplantation to the disc are reviewed and future directions of this line of research are discussed. Results. Although substantial work remains, the future of cellular therapies for symptomatic disc degeneration appears promising. Conclusion. Continued research is warranted to further define the optimal cell type, scaffolds, and adjuvants that will allow successful disc repair in human patients.
Including Mechanisms in Our Models of Ascriptive Inequality

Sociologists’ principal contribution to our understanding of ascriptive inequality has been to document race and sex disparities. We have made little headway, however, in explaining these disparities because most research has sought to explain variation across ascriptive groups in more or less desirable outcomes in terms of allocators’ motives. This approach has been inconclusive because motive-based theories cannot be empirically tested. Our reliance on individual-level data and the balkanization of research on ascriptive inequality into separate specialties for groups defined by different ascriptive characteristics have contributed to our explanatory stalemate. Explanation requires including mechanisms in our models—the specific processes that link groups’ ascribed characteristics to variable outcomes such as earnings. I discuss mechanisms that contribute to variation in ascriptive inequality at four levels of analysis—intrapsychic, interpersonal, societal, and organizational. Redirecting our attention from motives to mechanisms is essential for understanding inequality and—equally important—for contributing meaningfully to social policies that will promote social equality.
Schistosoma mansoni in infants (aged <3 years) along the Ugandan shoreline of Lake Victoria

Abstract In two complementary epidemiological surveys of villages on the Ugandan shoreline of Lake Victoria, the putative occurrence of intestinal schistosomiasis in the local infants (children aged <3 years) was investigated. When, during the first survey, 136 mother-and-infant pairs from a total of 12 villages were studied, only 7% of the infants but 45% of the mothers were found to be egg-patent for Schistosoma mansoni infection. The use of dipstick tests for urine-circulating cathodic antigen indicated, however, a much higher prevalence, of approximately 40%, among the infants. In the second survey, urine samples and multiple, not single, stool samples were collected from another 19 mother-and-infant pairs in two of the 12 study villages (Bugoto and Bwondha), and a standardized questionnaire was implemented. The prevalence of egg-patent infection was then found to be markedly higher in the study infants from Bugoto (86%) than in those from Bwondha (25%). A greater level of mother-and-infant water contact, a higher abundance of (infected) Biomphalaria choanomphala, and an unusual lakeshore topology may explain why S. mansoni infection was so much more common in the Bugoto subjects than in the Bwondha. All but one of the infants studied in the second survey were found to be anaemic (with <110 g haemoglobin/litre). Taken together, these children were less likely to be found infected with hookworm (16%), Hymenolepis nana (11%) or Trichuris trichiura (5%) than with S. mansoni (47%). Infection with the parasites causing intestinal schistosomiasis can be common among the infants living in these lakeshore villages. Although the immediate and later-life clinical impacts of such infection have yet to be elucidated, such infants would probably benefit from regular de-worming. Mothers should be strongly encouraged to visit the nearest health-services clinic, with their infants, for any necessary anthelmintic treatment.