Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving student retention and achievement: what do we know and what do we need to find out?

Why do some students in post-compulsory education abandon courses? And why do others not achieve their full potential? What can colleges do to improve student retention and achievement? This report reviews the research done to date. Research about retention and achievement is examined under headings such as student motivation and decision-making, demographic factors, college-related issues, and advice and guidance. The review refers to previously inaccessible research, including unpublished reports from conferences and internal reports from institutions. In conclusion, priorities for future research and its application are identified.
PTA testing, the westmead post traumatic amnesia scale and opiate analgesia: A cautionary note

Objective: To assess the validity of the Westmead PTA scale in patients treated with opiate analgesia. Method: Seventeen non-head injured, non-traumatic, electively hospitalized orthopaedic patients treated with opiate analgesia were tested on the Westmead PTA scale for a minimum of 2 consecutive days (n=17) to a maximum of 4 consecutive days (n=10). Results: Only 20% of participants tested over 4 days reached criteria of three consecutive 12/12 scores on the Westmead PTA scale. Daily failure rates on the 12 item scale ranged from 36–70%. All failures were on the ‘new learning’ items, orientation items were never failed. Conclusions: The low pass rate of non-head injured patients treated with opiate analgesics indicates that the Westmead PTA scale is non-specific to traumatic brain injury and is probably an invalid measure of post-traumatic amnesia in patients actively treated with opiates. Implications for the measurement and accurate classification of traumatic brain injury patients are discussed.
Effects of Bushfire Smoke on Daily Mortality and Hospital Admissions in Sydney, Australia

Background: Little research has investigated the health effects of particulate exposure from bushfires (also called wildfires, biomass fires, or vegetation fires), and these exposures are likely to increase, for several reasons. We investigated associations of daily mortality and hospital admissions with bushfire-derived particulates, compared with particulates from urban sources in Sydney, Australia from 1994 through 2002. Methods: On days with the highest particulate matter (PM)10 concentrations, we assumed PM10 was due primarily to bushfires. We calculated the contribution of bushfire PM10 on these days by subtracting the background PM10 concentration estimated from surrounding days. We assumed PM10 on the remaining days was from usual urban sources. We implemented a Poisson model, with a bootstrap-based methodology, to select optimum smoothed covariate functions, and we estimated the effects of bushfire PM10 and urban PM10, lagged up to 3 days. Results: We identified 32 days with extreme PM10 concentrations due to bushfires or vegetation-reduction burns. Although bushfire PM10 was consistently associated with respiratory hospital admissions, we found no consistent associations with cardiovascular admissions or with mortality. A 10 &mgr;g/m3 increase in bushfire PM10 was associated with a 1.24% (95% confidence interval = 0.22% to 2.27%) increase in all respiratory disease admissions (at lag 0), a 3.80% (1.40% to 6.26%) increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions (at lag 2), and a 5.02% (1.77% to 8.37%) increase in adult asthma admissions (at lag 0). Urban PM10 was associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as with cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admission, and these associations were not influenced by days with extreme PM10 concentrations. Conclusions: PM10 from bushfires is associated primarily with respiratory morbidity, while PM10 from urban sources is associated with cardiorespiratory mortality and morbidity.
The effects of significant changes in auditor clientele and auditor-client mismatches on audit quality

This study contributes to the current debate on mandatory audit firm rotation by investigating how possible consequences of mandating audit firm rotation may affect audit quality. I find that audit offices with large increases in their clientele (strained capacity) or decreases in their clientele (excess capacity) have significantly lower audit quality as measured by the absolute value of discretionary accruals. I find evidence of a smaller effect for larger audit firms with strained capacity supporting a reputational or flexibility hypothesis. Additionally, audit offices with strained capacity are more likely to issue going-concern opinions to companies that do not subsequently go bankrupt (Type I errors). I further investigate the effect of strained and excess capacity on an audit firm’s client acceptance decisions and find that mismatches, where a large audit firm accepts a client expected to be served by a small audit firm, are less likely to occur when a large audit firm has strained capacity. Finally, I investigate the effect of auditor-client mismatches on audit quality. I find that audit quality is positively affected when a large audit firm performs the audit for a company expected to be served by a smaller audit firm and is negatively affected when a small audit firm performs the audit for a company expected to be served by a larger audit firm. JEL Classification: G18; L51; M42
Low dose metronomic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and piroxicam for the management of canine mammary neoplasms

A clinical research was undertaken to evaluate the effect of low dose metronomic (LDM) chemotherapy in 18 clinical cases of canine mammary neoplasms (CMN). The cases were randomly divided into three groups each consisting of six animals. Group I was subjected to LDM therapy with cyclophosphamide @ 10 mg/m2 and piroxicam @ 0.3 mg/kg per os for a period of eight weeks pre operatively on alternate days. Group II was subjected to mere surgical excision alone. Group III was subjected to LDM therapy from 10th day following tumour excision for a period of eight weeks as in group I. Effect of LDM therapy was evaluated based on regression of tumour size and the disease free interval. The haematological and biochemical values were evaluated. Among the three groups, Group I showed progressive regression in the disease free interval improving the quality of life.
WAVE1 controls neuronal activity-induced mitochondrial distribution in dendritic spines

Mitochondrial fission and trafficking to dendritic protrusions have been implicated in dendritic spine development. Here, we show that Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)-family verprolin homologous protein 1 (WAVE1) controls depolarization-induced mitochondrial movement into dendritic spines and filopodia and regulates spine morphogenesis. Depolarization-induced degradation of the p35 regulatory subunit of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), with the resultant decreased inhibitory phosphorylation on WAVE1, depend on NMDA receptor activation. Thus, WAVE1 dephosphorylation and activation are likely associated with mitochondrial redistribution and spine morphogenesis.
The Influence of Lorazepam upon Pre- and Poststimulus EEG during Sleep in Man

Enhancement of beta power in the spontaneous EEG under the influence of benzodiazepine medication is a well known phenomenon under waking conditions as well as during sleep. On the other hand, in certain frequency bands EEG activity following external stimulation is also enhanced. Therefore, the question arises what relationship exists between pre- and poststimulus EEG under the influence of benzodiazepines. Is an augmentation of beta activity during benzodiazepine medication further enhanced when external stimulation is applied? In order to address this question we compared the spectral power of pre- and poststimulus EEG under 2.5 mg lorazepam during sleep with placebo conditions. The hypothesis tested was that of Basar (1980): if the beta power is high prior to the stimulation, no further enhancement following stimulation is observed. Our results confirm the hypothesis during sleep stages II and III. At the present time it is unclear whether this effect might be dose-dependent. In any case, the investigation presented here has furnished additional information on the mechanisms by which benzodiazepines alter the brain's electrical activity.
Optimization of cardiac defibrillation by three-dimensional finite element modeling of the human thorax

The goal of this study was to determine the optimal electrode placement and size to minimize myocardial damage during defibrillation while rendering refractory a critical mass of cardiac tissue of 100%. For this purpose, the authors developed a 3D finite element model with 55,388 nodes, 50,913 hexahedral elements, and simulated 16 different organs and tissues, as well as the properties of the electrolyte. The model used a nonuniform mesh with an average spatial resolution of 0.8 cm in all three dimensions, To validate this model, the authors measured the voltage across 3-cm/sup 2/ Ag-AgCl electrodes when currents of 5 mA at 50 kHz were injected into a human subject's thorax through the same electrodes. For the same electrode placements and sizes and the same injected current, the finite element analysis produced results in good agreement with the experimental data. For the optimization of defibrillation, the authors tested 12 different electrode placements and seven different electrode sizes. The finite element analyses showed that the anterior-posterior electrode placement and an electrode size of about 90 cm/sup 2/ offered the least chance of potential myocardial damage and required a shock energy of less than 350 J for 5-ms defibrillation pulses to achieve 100% critical mass. For comparison. The average cross-sectional area of the heart is /spl ap/48 cm/sup 2/, about half of the optimal area. A second best electrode placement was with the defibrillation electrodes on the midaxillary lines under the armpits. Although this placement had higher chances of producing cardiac damage, it required less shock energy to achieve 100% critical mass. <<ETX>>
How depth of anesthesia influences the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal from the visual cortex of children.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Functional MR imaging (fMRI) is playing an important role in investigations of cortical development and maturation. Functional MR imaging in young children or infants frequently involves measuring a clinical population under sedation or anesthesia. We examined the effect of depth of anesthesia on the extent and amplitude of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response. METHOD We performed BOLD-based fMRI on a visual stimulus flickering at 8 Hz at sevoflurane concentrations of 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), 0.75 MAC, and 1.0 MAC, on 16 children at least 5 years of age. We determined the extent of activation by counting the number of activated voxels and assessed the change in the local deoxyhemoglobin concentration by comparing DeltaR2*. RESULTS The number of activated voxels of the positive BOLD response was higher at 0.75 MAC than at 0.5 MAC or 1.0 MAC. The magnitude of their mean DeltaR2* steadily declined as the level of sevoflurane was increased from 0.5 MAC to 1.0 MAC. The extent of activation of the negative BOLD response declined progressively from 0.5 MAC to 1.0 MAC. The magnitude of their mean amplitude of the DeltaR2* did not change with sevoflurane concentrations. The change in the extent of activation and the magnitude of DeltaR2* when the concentration of sevoflurane increased from 0.5 MAC to 0.75 MAC was due to its vasodilative property. The change in the extent of activation and the amplitude of DeltaR2* following the increase in the concentration of sevoflurane from 0.75 MAC and 1.0 MAC was due to its anesthetic property. This was the case for both the positive and negative BOLD response. CONCLUSIONS Careful adjustment of anesthetic depth can be used advantageously when performing BOLD-based fMRI measurements in children.
Foreign competition and the durability of US firm investments

How does the exposure to product market competition affect the investment horizon of firms? We study if firms have an incentive to shift investments toward more short‐term assets when exposed to tougher competition. Based on a stylized firm investment model, we derive a within‐firm estimator using variation across investments with different durabilities. Exploiting the Chinese World Trade Organization (WTO) accession, we estimate the effects of product market competition on the composition of US firm investments. Firms that experienced tougher competition shifted their expenditures toward investments with a shorter durability. This effect is larger for firms with lower total factor productivity.
Magnetic resonance (MR) differential diagnosis of breast tumors using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) on 1.5‐T

To review the published reports concerning the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value evaluation for the differentiation between malignant and benign breast tumors, articles were searched with the inclusion criteria: (a) a 1.5‐T unit was used; (b) the diagnostic criteria were clearly stated; (c) diffusion‐weighted images (DWIs) were obtained, and ADC value was calculated; (d) ADC values of breast tumors were reported with mean ± standard deviation (SD). Meta‐analysis from 12 articles revealed that the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85–0.91) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.69–0.84), respectively, and that only the maximum b factor correlated with the mean ADC values of malignant and benign tumors, and the noncancerous breast tissue (P< 0.05,P < 0.01,P< 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, ADC evaluation is useful for the differentiation between malignant and benign breast tumors. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;30:249–255. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Political orientation and riot participation.

The relationship between political trust, political efficacy and riot participation is analyzed in a survey of 237 black males in Newark, New Jersey. Self-reported riot participants are more likely to be found among the dissident-those high on political efficacy but low on political trust, rather than among the alienated-those who are both distrustful and ignorant of government. When compared to civil rights activists and voters, rioters are similar in their generally higher levels of political information but lower in trust of the government. Rioting appears to be a disorganized form of political protest rather than an act of personal frustration, or social isolation, as has been suggested in some past research.
The Voracity Effect

The authors analyze an economy that lacks a strong legal-political institutional infrastructure and is populated by multiple powerful groups. Powerful groups dynamically interact via a fiscal process that effectively allows open access to the aggregate capital stock. In equilibrium, this leads to slow economic growth and a 'voracity effect,' by which a shock, such as a terms of trade windfall, perversely generates a more-than-proportionate increase in fiscal redistribution and reduces growth. The authors also show that a dilution in the concentration of power leads to faster growth and a less procyclical response to shocks.
Trends in online social networking: adolescent use of MySpace over time

MySpace has received a significant amount of negative attention from the media and many concerned adults, who point to several isolated incidents where predators have contacted, become involved with and even assaulted adolescents whom they met through the popular social networking web site. Furthermore, concerned parents have expressed discontent with the amount and type of personal and private information youth seem to reveal on their profile pages. In 2006, the authors performed an extensive content analysis of approximately 2423 randomly sampled adolescent MySpace profiles, and found that the vast majority of youth were making responsible choices with the information they shared online. In this follow-up study, the authors revisited the profiles one year later to examine the extent to which the content had changed. Though exceptions occur, youth are increasingly exercising discretion in posting personal information on MySpace and more youth are limiting access to their profile. Moreover, a significant number of youth appear to be abandoning their profiles or MySpace altogether.
The alerting effects of short and long naps in narcoleptic, sleep deprived, and alert individuals.

Eleven narcoleptic patients and 22 age- and gender-matched normal controls participated in a study to determine the alerting effects of differing nap lengths. All narcoleptic patients had been previously diagnosed [mean sleep latency on the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) < or = 5 minutes with two or more sleep-onset rapid eye movement periods (SOREMPs)]. Healthy, normal subjects with a mean sleep latency on the screening MSLT > or = 8 minutes were randomly assigned to one of two groups (i.e. sleep-deprived and alert). All subjects completed two experimental night and days with at least 5 days between sessions. On the evening prior to each experimental day, narcoleptic and alert subjects spent 8 hours in bed and sleep-deprived subjects spent 0 hours in bed. The following day, all subjects underwent one of two napping conditions, 15 or 120 minutes in bed. Both naps were terminated at noon. Every subject underwent both conditions and the order of conditions was counterbalanced. From 1215 to 1355 hours all subjects underwent a modified MSLT. At 1500 hours, the subjects had a 1-hour nap. The results showed that the 120-minute nap condition was more beneficial than the 15-minute nap. Narcoleptic and sleep deprived subjects were shown to have comparable levels of sleepiness on the modified MSLT. However, a differential response pattern on their latency to sleep was noted on the 1-hour nap. Sleep-deprived subjects were shown to be differentially more alert following a 120-minute nap opportunity. In contrast, for narcoleptic patients the beneficial effects of the nap were lost when tested 3 hours later. These results show that narcoleptic patients benefit from a longer nap but that these benefits are short-lived.
Bone Health in Patients With Hematopoietic Disorders of Bone Marrow Origin: Systematic Review and Meta‐ Analysis

Blood cell production and bone homeostasis are physically interlinked systems that exhibit active cross‐talk. We examined how bone health is affected in patients with hematopoietic disorders due to abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells. The electronic databases Medline, Embase, PubMed, BIOSIS Previews, Web of Science, and Cochrane were searched for studies presenting numerical values for trabecular bone volume or bone mineral density in control and patients with hematopoietic disorders. We identified 5 studies for beta‐thalassemia, 6 for sickle cell anemia, 2 for polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia, 3 for chronic myelogenous leukemia, 6 for myelofibrosis, 5 for multiple myeloma, and 4 studies each for systemic mastocytosis, lymphocytic leukemia, and hemochromatosis. The effect of the disease state on bone density was significant and negative for beta‐thalassemia (r = –2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] –3.41, –0.58; p < 0.005), sickle cell anemia (–0.91; –1.36, –0.47; p < 0.00005), chronic myelogenous leukemia (–0.55; –0.88, –0.22; p < 0005), mastocytosis (–0.99; –1.16, –0.82; p < 0.00001), lymphoblastic leukemia (–0.69; –0.98, –0.40; p < 0.00001), multiple myeloma (–0.67; –0.99, –0.35; p < 0.00005), and hemochromatosis (–1.15; –1.64, –0.66; p < 0.00001). The changes were negative but not significant for polycythemia vera (–0.16; –0.38, 0.05; p = 0.069) and essential thrombocythemia (–0.33; –0.92, 0.26; p = 0.14). In myelofibrosis, disease state was associated with increased bone density (0.74; 0.12, 1.36; p < 0.05). Bone density change significantly and negatively correlated with the level of ferritin and bone marrow cellularity but not with hemoglobin or erythropoietin. Thus, independent of hematopoietic lineage, abnormal proliferation of bone marrow cells appears to be associated with bone loss. Iron metabolism may independently contribute to bone homeostasis. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus and Photic Entrainment of Circannual Rhythms in Ground Squirrels

The efficacy of photoperiod as a zeitgeber for entrainment of circannual body weight and estrous rhythms was tested in female golden-mantled ground squirrels maintained for 3 or more years in either a simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) or a fixed LD 14:10 photoperiod (FP). The role of the retinohypothalamic tract—suprachiasmatic nucleus (RHT-SCN) projection in photic entrainment was assessed in animals that sustained destruction of the SCN (SCNx ). Circannual rhythms were lengthened by the SNP as compared to the FP. Mean periods (τ's) for neurologically intact animals in the third year of testing were 49.6 ± 0.3 weeks and 43.1 ± 1.2 weeks (p < 0.001) for the SNP and FP groups, respectively; furthermore, 56% and 7% of animals in these groups had τ's not significantly different from 365 days (p < 0.005), and within-group variability was lower for SNP than for FP squirrels (p < 0.01). SCNx squirrels differed from animals with the SCN intact (SCNc), as evidenced by higher within-group variability (p < 0.001); only 29% of SCNx squirrels had τ's not different from 365 days (p < 0.03 compared to the SCNc group). The coupling between estrous and body weight rhythms that was evident in SCN-intact SNP and FP squirrels was disrupted in SCNx animals. The RHT-SCN pathway is implicated in entrainment and in maintenance of normal phase relations among the several circannual rhythms. In a second experiment, female squirrels were maintained for 2.5 years in an accelerated SNP that compressed two normal annual photocycles into each calendar year. Of 12 squirrels, 3 had τ's that did not differ significantly from 6 months; 6 had τ's equivalent to 12 months; and 3 had τ's significantly different from both 6 months and 12 months. The data suggest that photoperiod is a major zeitgeber for entrainment of golden-mantled ground squirrels' circannual rhythms.
Effects of repetitive subconcussive head trauma on the neuropsychological test performance of high school athletes: A comparison of high, moderate, and low contact sports

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the neuropsychological test results of non-concussed high school athletes playing at three different levels of contact sports. Based on the concussion risk data of 12 different sports, a High Contact group (n=2819; wrestling/martial arts, cheerleading, track and field, football), a Moderate Contact group (n=2323; softball, basketball, soccer), and a Low Contact group (n=1580; baseball, volleyball, water polo, tennis, cross-country) were formed and compared in terms of their scores on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). The results revealed that the High Contact group obtained small but statistically poorer performances in ImPACT Visual Memory, Visual Motor Speed, Impulse Control, and Total Symptom scores compared to the Moderate and Low Contact groups. The High Contact group also had poorer Reaction Time scores compared to the Low Contact group. No differences between the Moderate and Low Contact groups were noted. The findings, along with prior similar results, tentatively raise concerns that participant in high contact sports, exposed to repetitive subconcussive head trauma, may be at greater risk for lowered neuropsychological functioning and increased symptoms, compared to other high school athletes. In view of the preliminary nature of this investigation, more research into the effects of frequent head impacts in high school sports is strongly recommended.