Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Irrelevant events affect voters' evaluations of government performance

Does information irrelevant to government performance affect voting behavior? If so, how does this help us understand the mechanisms underlying voters’ retrospective assessments of candidates’ performance in office? To precisely test for the effects of irrelevant information, we explore the electoral impact of local college football games just before an election, irrelevant events that government has nothing to do with and for which no government response would be expected. We find that a win in the 10 d before Election Day causes the incumbent to receive an additional 1.61 percentage points of the vote in Senate, gubernatorial, and presidential elections, with the effect being larger for teams with stronger fan support. In addition to conducting placebo tests based on postelection games, we demonstrate these effects by using the betting market's estimate of a team's probability of winning the game before it occurs to isolate the surprise component of game outcomes. We corroborate these aggregate-level results with a survey that we conducted during the 2009 NCAA men's college basketball tournament, where we find that surprising wins and losses affect presidential approval. An experiment embedded within the survey also indicates that personal well-being may influence voting decisions on a subconscious level. We find that making people more aware of the reasons for their current state of mind reduces the effect that irrelevant events have on their opinions. These findings underscore the subtle power of irrelevant events in shaping important real-world decisions and suggest ways in which decision making can be improved.
A Research Review of Technology in Early Childhood Education: Implications for Best Practice

The purpose of this review of research is to describe the integration of technology in the early childhood curriculum. The review presents issues surrounding the use of technology in early childhood education; synthesizes research findings on the impact of technology use on young children’s educational achievement; provides professionals in the field with instructional strategies for integrating technology in a variety of content areas within the early childhood curriculum; and shares recommendations for the developmentally appropriate and effective use of technology for young children. This review supports the professional growth of early childhood professionals by facilitating their understanding of research-based practices that utilize technology. This research-oriented knowledge base is essential as early childhood educators consider their perceptions and beliefs about the use of technology with young children and confront any biases that may exist. The research findings may be used as a yardstick by which educators measure their current level of expertise, self-assess their learning needs, and take steps to implement technology as a tool for promoting the educational growth of each of their young learners. This aspect of technology integration is crucial, given that the types of background experiences and range of exposure to technology that young children bring to the learning situation can be vast. Additionally, this research review may be used to guide administrators in providing teachers of young children with the tools they need to promote best practices in technology integration. Lastly, the synthesis of research informs teacher educators as they prepare their preservice teachers to enter the field of early childhood education ready to meet the unique needs of young children. Steps must be taken to ensure that technology is available for young children and that its use is both developmentally appropriate and effective. Further, professional development should involve a long-term commitment to provide on-going support based upon individual teachers’ needs. Technology in Early Childhood 2
MIDGE/hNIS vaccination generates antigen‐associated CD8+IFN‐γ+ T cells and enhances protective antitumor immunity

Human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) is a transmembrane protein that actively transports iodide ions into thyroid cells. hNIS is over‐expressed in some cases of the thyroid cancers compared with the surrounding normal tissues and has been considered to be an attractive target for immunotherapy. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of utilizing the hNIS antigenic protein in enhanced‐antigen‐associated immunotherapy using image analysis with a gamma counter. To accomplish this, minimalistic immunogenically defined gene expression (MIDGE), either plain or coupled to a nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptide, was used as a vector system. Vaccination with MIDGE/hNIS, MIDGE/hNIS‐NLS and pcDNA3.1/hNIS produced a significant increase in the number of hNIS‐associated IFN‐γ‐secreting CD8+ T cells, with MIDGE/hNIS having the strongest effect. In addition, immunization with the hNIS encoding vectors induced antigen‐mediated antitumor activity against NIS‐expressing CT26 tumors in vivo, with the highest tumor free rate (100%) and lowest tumor growth being observed up to 40 days after the CT26/NIS tumor challenge with MIDGE/hNIS than those resulting from other immunization groups. Tumor progression could be followed noninvasively and repetitively by monitoring levels of hNIS gene expression in the tumors using scintigraphic image analysis. Overall, hNIS has a potential use as an antigen for immunization approaches, and vaccination with MIDGE/hNIS vectors is an effective means of generating hNIS‐associated immune responses in mice. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Procalcitonin is a valuable prognostic marker in ARDS caused by community‐acquired pneumonia

Background and objective: ARDS is life‐threatening acute respiratory failure, and pneumonia is one of the most common causes of direct ARDS. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been evaluated for its utility in determining the aetiology of community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP), choice of antibiotics and prediction of outcome. This study evaluated the role of PCT in predicting the outcome of patients with ARDS caused by severe CAP.
Diagnosis and endovascular treatment of iliocaval compression syndrome.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and endovascular treatment of iliocaval compression syndrome (ICS). PATIENTS AND METHODS During a 3-year period, 18 patients (17 women, 1 man; mean age, 42 years) presented with clinical and imaging findings consistent with ICS. All patients were evaluated with venography and Doppler ultrasound (DUS), 13 of 18 with intravascular pressure measurements, 12 of 18 with intravascular ultrasound, 9 of 18 with air plethysmography (APG), and 4 of 18 with magnetic resonance venography. Seventeen patients were treated with endovascular stenting, one was treated with angioplasty alone, and six received adjunct thrombolysis. RESULTS Despite the presence of stenosis or occlusion in all cases, APG indicated no iliac vein obstruction (outflow fraction > or = 40%) in nine patients. DUS revealed acute (6) or chronic (7) unilateral iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis in 13 of 18 patients, whereas the results of five of 18 DUS studies were normal. Recanalization and stent placement (n = 17) or angioplasty (n = 1) was achieved in all patients. The average pressure gradient was 5.6 mm Hg preprocedure and 0.6 mm Hg postprocedure. The primary patency rate demonstrated with DUS (n = 17) and venography (n = 7) at 6 months was 89%. The primary patency rate at 12 months was 79%. CONCLUSIONS ICS often presents as sudden unilateral left lower extremity pain and swelling in young to middle-aged female patients after pregnancy, surgery, or a period of inactivity. Venography, intravascular ultrasound, and magnetic resonance venography demonstrate high sensitivity, whereas APG-outflow fraction demonstrates low sensitivity in the diagnosis of ICS. Endovascular stenting and angioplasty provide safe and effective early and intermediate-term treatment of symptomatic ICS.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of affective disorders—III. Tolerability, safety and pharmacoeconomics

The clinical use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) is often complicated by toxicity and safety problems due to their effects on multiple mechanisms of action, many of which are unnecessary for therapeutic effect. The development of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), with their selective mode of action, has resulted in a class of antidepressant drugs possessing an improved side-effect profile, while retaining good clinical efficacy. Their introduction into clinical practice has led to enhanced patient compliance with antidepressant therapy and the ability to maintain treatment over longer periods of time at an adequate therapeutic dose. Although, as a result of their selective action, side-effects associated with SSRI therapy are minimised, distinct variations between individual SSRIs in terms of their tolerability profiles have been observed. The wealth of clinical data now available has revealed differences in their potential to cause psychiatric and neurological side-effects, dermatological reactions, anticholinergic side-effects, changes in body weight, sexual dysfunction, cognitive impairment, discontinuation reactions and drug-drug interactions. Patients who suffer from concomitant depression and physical illness may experience different tolerability profiles, in addition to the greater likelihood that they will be receiving concomitant medications with the potential for pharmacokinetic drug-drug interactions with coadministered SSRI therapy. In addition, the safety margin of SSRIs in overdose may vary within the group. Knowledge of the differences that exist among the SSRIs in respect of tolerability and safety will aid physicians in the selection of the most beneficial treatment strategy for their patients. A successful clinical outcome leads to a reduced economic burden for the patient, their family and the healthcare services. Thus, pharmacoeconomic considerations are also important in choosing antidepressant therapy. The SSRIs, despite relatively higher prescription costs, have been demonstrated to be a more cost-effective option than the TCAs. Furthermore, there is evidence that the emerging clinical differences between SSRIs may translate into significantly different economic outcomes within the group.
Adaptive Response in Human Skeletal Muscle Subjected to Prolonged Eccentric Training

The peripheral adaptation process associated with repeating eccentric training over a longer period of time was studied in m. vastus lateralis of eleven healthy males aged 24 +/- 4 years. The maximal dynamic concentric muscle strength was only slightly improved after 8 weeks of training. However, eccentric work capacity was dramatically increased (375%). A maximal eccentric stint immediately after fulfilled 8 weeks of training caused a selective glycogen depletion from the type 28 fibers. An increased number of type 2C fibers was observed. The ultrastructure analysis showed an essentially well-preserved fine structure. Volume density of mitochondria was somewhat higher in all fiber types after training. Z-band widths were not affected by eccentric training. It is concluded that skeletal musculature adapts itself in a functional manner to the extreme tension demands put on them. Improved coordination and reorganization of the contractile apparatus of muscle fibers are the determining mechanisms of this adaptation.
Application of multiple-trait finite mixture model to test-day records of milk yield and somatic cell score of Canadian Holsteins.

Multiple-trait (MT) finite mixture random regression (MIX) model was applied using Bayesian methods to first lactation test-day (TD) milk yield and somatic cell score (SCS) of Canadian Holsteins, allowing for heterogeneity of distributions with respect to days in milk (DIM) in lactation. The assumption was that the associations between patterns of variation in these traits and mastitis would allow revealing the hidden structure in the data distribution because of unknown health status of cows. The MIX model assumed separate means and residual co-variance structures for two components in four intervals of lactation, in addition to fitting the fixed effect of herd-test-day, and fixed and random regressions with Legendre polynomials. Results indicated that the mixture model was superior to standard MT model, as supported by the Bayes factor. Approximately 20% of TD records were classified as originated from cows with a putative, sub-clinical form of mastitis. The proportion of records from mastitic cows was the largest at the beginning of lactation. The MIX model exhibited different distributions of data from healthy and infected cows in different parts of lactation. Records from sick cows were characterized by larger (smaller) means for SCS (milk) and larger variances. Residual, and daily genetic and environmental correlations between milk and SCS were smaller from the MIX model when compared with MT estimates. Heritabilities of both traits differed significantly among records from healthy, sick and MT model estimates. Both models fitted milk records from healthy cows relatively well. The ability of the MT model in handling SCS records, measured by model residuals, was low, but improved substantially, however, where the data were allowed to be separated into two components in the MIX parameterization. Correlations between estimated breeding values (EBV) for sires from both models were very high for cumulative milk yield (>0.99) and slightly lower (0.95 in the interval from 5 to 45 DIM) for daily SCS. EBV for SCS from MT and MIX models were weakly correlated with posterior probability of sub-clinical mastitis on the phenotypic scale.
Modulation of migratory activity and invasiveness of human glioma spheroids following 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic treatment. Laboratory investigation.

OBJECT Five-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA/PDT) can improve the clinical outcome in patients suffering from glioblastoma. Besides direct phototoxicity, additional mechanisms may contribute. Therefore, the authors studied the influence of ALA/PDT on glioblastoma's migratory and invasive behavior in a human glioma cell spheroid model. METHODS Glioma spheroids were grown from human U373 and A172 cell lines. After ALA/PDT of spheroids, the authors assessed the migration of tumor cells and their capacity to invade a collagen matrix, as well as changes in their viability, morphology, and expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). RESULTS The authors found that ALA/PDT caused long-lasting, nearly complete suppression of glioma cell migration and matrix invasion compared with nontherapeutic controls, including either irradiation or incubation with ALA only. Although ALA/PDT induced tumor cell apoptosis, suppression of migration/invasion was not simply due to phototoxicity because 50% of tumor cells remained vital throughout the observation period. Moreover, the morphology of ALA/PDT-treated cells changed significantly toward a polygonal, epithelial-like appearance, which was associated with alterations in the actin cytoskeleton. Furthermore, downregulation of MMP-7 and -8 was observed after treatment whereas other MMPs remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS In addition to directly eliminating glioma cells through apoptosis, ALA/PDT alters their invasiveness, possibly due to the effects on the cytoskeletal organization and MMP expression.
Disruption of the imprinted Grb10 gene leads to disproportionate overgrowth by an Igf2-independent mechanism

To investigate the function of the Grb10 adapter protein, we have generated mice in which the Grb10 gene was disrupted by a gene-trap insertion. Our experiments confirm that Grb10 is subject to genomic imprinting with the majority of Grb10 expression arising from the maternally inherited allele. Consistent with this, disruption of the maternal allele results in overgrowth of both the embryo and placenta such that mutant mice are at birth ≈30% larger than normal. This observation establishes that Grb10 is a potent growth inhibitor. In humans, GRB10 is located at chromosome 7p11.2–p12 and has been associated with Silver–Russell syndrome, in which ≈10% of those affected inherit both copies of chromosome 7 from their mother. Our results indicate that changes in GRB10 dosage could, in at least some cases, account for the severe growth retardation that is characteristic of Silver–Russell syndrome. Because Grb10 is a signaling protein capable of interacting with tyrosine kinase receptors, we tested genetically whether Grb10 might act downstream of insulin-like growth factor 2, a paternally expressed growth-promoting gene. The result indicates that Grb10 action is essentially independent of insulin-like growth factor 2, providing evidence that imprinting acts on at least two major fetal growth axes in a manner consistent with parent–offspring conflict theory.
Calcium dependency of the endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization in smooth muscle cells of the rabbit carotid artery.

1. In smooth muscle cells of the rabbit carotid artery, ACh (greater than 10(‐8) M) generated a hyperpolarization with two components (transient followed by sustained), only in the tissues with an intact endothelium. There were no detectable changes in the membrane potential, as elicited by ACh (up to 10(‐5) M) in tissues with no endothelium or in the presence of atropine (10(‐6) M). 2. Reduction of [Ca2+]o inhibited the sustained component which was not apparent in [Ca2+]o below 0.16 mM. In Ca2+‐free (EGTA‐containing) solution, the generation of the transient component of the hyperpolarization remained sustained but with a substantially reduced amplitude. 3. Procaine (greater than 10(‐6) M) inhibited the ACh‐induced hyperpolarization in a concentration‐dependent manner, and at a concentration of procaine (10(‐3) M) which caused substantial depolarization of the membrane, no detectable change was elicited by ACh. 4. Caffeine (10(‐6)‐10(‐3) M) produced a transient hyperpolarization, independent of the presence or absence of the endothelium, and inhibited the sustained component of the ACh‐induced hyperpolarization more so than the initial component. 5. A23187 (greater than 10(‐8) M) hyperpolarized the smooth muscle membrane in a concentration‐dependent manner, and this hyperpolarization was not generated in Ca2+‐free solution or in the absence of endothelial cells. 6. In intact tissues, pre‐treatment with A23187 resulted in a reduction of the subsequently generated ACh‐induced hyperpolarization, in an irreversible manner. 7. It would thus appear that in the rabbit carotid artery, the endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization induced by ACh has Ca2+‐dependent and Ca2+‐independent components, and each may be related to the increase in endothelial [Ca2+]i by release from the intracellular store and by influx from the extracellular medium, respectively. The increased [Ca2+]i would trigger a release of an endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) from the endothelial cells.
Shareholder Proposals on the Auditor–Client Relationship: The Case of Nonaudit Service Purchases

This article provides empirical evidence on shareholder proposals seeking to restrict nonaudit service (NAS) purchases by public companies from their independent auditors. Our analysis is based on 104 instances of shareholder proposals seeking to restrict NAS provided by independent auditors, received by 94 firms during a unique period from 2001 to 2004 (when the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] allowed such proposals to proceed to shareholder votes), and a control sample that did not receive such proposals. We find that firms targeted by shareholders had higher nonaudit fee ratios. We also find that firms receiving such shareholder proposals are likely to have steeper subsequent declines in the nonaudit fee ratio than firms not receiving such proposals. Finally, considering only the subset of firms that have a shareholder vote on proposals seeking to restrict NAS purchases, the subsequent reduction in the nonaudit fee ratio is positively related to the magnitude of the proportion of votes in favor of the shareholder proposal. Our findings suggest that permitting shareholder participation in issues related to the auditor–client relationship can lead to significant changes in the nature of the auditor’s relationship with the client, and they call into question recent SEC actions permitting companies to restrict shareholder participation in issues related to auditor selection.
Analysis of margin sharpness for breast nodule classification on ultrasound images

Breast cancer has the highest prevalence, incidence and mortality for females in worldwide and no exception in Indonesia. Ultrasound is a recommended modality for diagnosing breast cancer through ultrasound images. However, misdiagnosis might still occurs which is caused by human factors. Margin of breast nodule is one of the malignancy characteristics based on BIRADS. This research proposes a computer aided diagnosis (CADx)-based method for classifying breast nodules in ultrasound images based on margin characteristics. In practice, CADx is used as a second opinion in interpreting ultrasound images in order to obtain more accurate diagnosis results. The proposed approach consists of adaptive median filter for marker removal, pre-processing with normalisation and speckle reduction anisotropic diffusion (SRAD) filter followed by neutrosophic and watershed methods for segmentation process, features extraction and feature selection. A total of ten selected features including of texture, geometry and margin sharpness features are then classified by using multi-layer perceptron (MLP). This study uses 102 breast ultrasound nodule images with 57 non-circumscribed and 45 circumscribed margins. The performance of proposed approach achieves the accuracy of 95.10%, sensitivity of 93.33%, specificity of 96.49%, PPV of 95.45%, NPV of 94.83%, Kappa of 0.9004 and area under curve (AUC) of 0.989. These promising results indicate that the proposed approach successfully classifies breast nodule based on margin characteristics has a potential for assisting the radiologists in interpreting breast ultrasound images.
Mode of delivery and mortality among preterm newborns.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to analyze the frequency of preterm deliveries in Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic, University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, Prishtina (Republic of Kosovo), as well as to assess the survival advantage of premature newborns according to mode of delivery (cesarean section vs. vaginal). MATERIAL AND METHODS A cohort of 12,466 deliveries from the year 2002 was studied retrospectively and preterm deliveries were analyzed. Survival advantage until 28 days of life associated with cesarean and vaginal delivery was assessed with regard to birth weights (500-999 g, 1000-1499 g, 1500-1999 g, and 2000-2499 g). RESULTS There were 1,135 preterm deliveries which resulted in 1,189 preterm infants (including multiples). The overall cesarean delivery rate in this group was 32.2%. Among preterm newborns with birth weight 500-999 g, 68 children were delivered vaginally and 5 by caesarean section (5.7% and 0.4% of all preterm babies respectively). None of the infants survived. The percentage of children from cesarean deliveries in the other groups was higher: for preterm infants with birth weight 1000-1499 g--3.2%, 1500-1999 g--8.8% and 2000-2499 g--19.8%. A survival advantage associated with cesarean section was observed in neonates with birth weight 1000-1499 g (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS On the basis of our study it can be concluded that cesarean delivery is associated with a decreased neonatal mortality risk in preterm neonates but only in those with birth weight of 1000-1499 g.