Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A multiple mediator model: Power analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation

Most of the applied psychological researchers usually conduct studies requiring application of advanced mediation models, such as multiple mediator models. However, in designing research, most of the applied researchers largely ignore the statistical power of their studies. As a result, power analyses are ignored when researchers report their results. It is well recognized that low power is one possible reason for no statistically significant result being identified in a study. Moreover, studies with low statistical power have been labeled "scientifically useless". The current study describes how to apply Monte Carlo simulation to test the type I error rates and statistical power of mediating effects in a multiple mediator model. Findings from the current simulation study indicated that the effect sizes of mediating effects and sample sizes were two important factors influencing type I error rates of indirect effects in a multiple mediator model. Furthermore, the requirement of sample size and desired power level were strongly depended on the effect size of the indirect effect.
Oral health knowledge in parents of Saudi cerebral palsy children.

OBJECTIVE To determine oral health knowledge in parents of cerebral palsy (CP) children, and the parents` attitude to oral health of their CP children. METHODS A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect the required information from the parents. One hundred and six parents, 73 (68.9%) mothers, and 33 (31.1%) fathers completed the questionnaire between April and June 2006 in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS All (100%) the parents thought that good oral health was important for maintaining optimum general health. Most (95.3%) of the parents believed that they can maintain good dental health in their CP children by supervising their children`s tooth brushing, reducing sugary food intake and making regular visits to a dentist. A significantly high (p=0.005) percentage of high education parents (96.8%) had heard of fluoride as compared with low education parents (79.5%). CONCLUSION The overall oral health knowledge and attitude of parents of CP children is satisfactory.
The GCC: Wind technology deployment potential

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, known fossil fuel producers, are well aware of this energy source's problems such as depletability and pollution. To address these issues, this region has shown willingness and determination in its mission of deploying renewable energy sources particularly wind energy to support and enhance their growth. The following is accomplished by investigating the suitability of these sources. This paper presents the wind potential and characteristics of this region by discussing the annual and monthly average wind speed. Based on the data obtained the locations were classified according to wind speed highlighting the applicability of wind energy in the GCC countries.
[Legionella contamination in warm water systems of a large German city].

Since 1988 the Frankfurt City Health Department examined the hot water systems of all public indoor swimming pools, old age homes and hospitals, and made subsequent checks on the corrective measures introduced. In the 6 public indoor swimming pools the percentage of positive legionella findings, after corrective measures has dropped since 1988: at the central hot-water supply units from 47% to 23%, and at the peripheral tap connections from 66% to 22%. The number of negative samples rose from 43% to 77%. Thus the favourable effect of the corrective measures is demonstrated. Since 1988 samples have been taken from the shower water at old age homes. An increase in negative findings could be shown (from 58% to 70%). From 1990, however, an increase of high-level legionella contamination (> 10,000 Legionella colonies per litre) was detected as well. In one home with a generally high legionella contamination level (up to 75,000 legionella colonies per litre) an investigation of the legionella antibodies was done in the blood of 44 residents whose medical history included fever or bronchial symptoms. In no case a previous infection could be demonstrated. However, there was one patient with a definite legionella pneumonia in the home: this patient usually had been showering for at least 20 minutes a day. Legionella were found in the hot water systems of 16 of the 17 hospitals in Frankfurt. In 1991 more than half to the 204 samples were legionella positive. 5% of the samples had legionella contamination levels of more than 100,000 per litre. Corrective measures have been taken. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exploring the role of context‐dependent hippocampal activity in spatial alternation behavior

In a continuous T‐maze spatial alternation task, CA1 place cells fire differentially on the stem of the maze as rats are performing left‐ and right‐turn trials (Wood et al. ( 2000 ) Neuron 27:623–633). This context‐dependent hippocampal activity provides a potential mechanism by which animals could solve the alternation task, as it provides a cue that could prime the appropriate goal choice. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between context‐dependent hippocampal activity and spatial alternation behavior. We report that rats with complete lesions of the hippocampus learn and perform the spatial alternation task as well as controls if there is no delay between trials, suggesting that the observed context‐dependent hippocampal activity does not mediate alternation behavior in this task. However lesioned rats are significantly impaired when delays of 2 or 10 s are interposed. Recording experiments reveal that context‐dependent hippocampal activity occurs in both the delay and no‐delay versions of the task, but that in the delay version it occurs during the delay period, and not on the stem of the maze. These data are consistent with a role for context‐dependent hippocampal activity in delayed spatial alternation, but suggest that, according to specific task demands and memory load, the activity may be generated by different mechanisms and/or in different brain structures. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immigration and the American century

The full impact of immigration on American society is obscured in policy and academic analyses that focus on the short-term problems of immigrant adjustment. With a longer-term perspective, which includes the socioeconomic roles of the children of immigrants, immigration appears as one of the defining characteristics of twentieth-century America. Major waves of immigration create population diversity with new languages and cultures, but over time, while immigrants and their descendants become more “American,” the character of American society and culture is transformed. In the early decades of the twentieth century, immigrants and their children were the majority of the workforce in many of the largest industrial cities; in recent decades, the arrival of immigrants and their families has slowed the demographic and economic decline of some American cities. The presence of immigrants probably creates as many jobs for native-born workers as are lost through displacement. Immigrants and their children played an important role in twentieth-century American politics and were influential in the development of American popular culture during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Intermarriage between the descendants of immigrants and old-stock Americans fosters a national identity based on civic participation rather than ancestry.
Universal pair-breaking in transition-metal-substituted iron-pnictide superconductors

The experimental transport scattering rate was determined for a wide range of optimally doped transitionmetal-substituted FeAs-based compounds with the ThCr2Si2 (122) crystal structure. The maximum transition temperature Tc for several Ba-, Sr-, and Ca-based 122 systems follows a universal rate of suppression with increasing scattering rate indicative of a common pair-breaking mechanism. Extraction of standard pair-breaking parameters puts a limit of ∼26 K on the maximum Tc for all transition-metal-substituted 122 systems, in agreement with experimental observations, and sets a critical scattering rate of 1.5 × 10 14 s −1 for the suppression of the superconducting phase. The observed critical scattering rate is much weaker than that expected for a sign-changing order parameter with strong interband scattering, providing important constraints on the nature of the superconducting gap in the 122 family of iron-based superconductors. The discovery of iron-based superconductors in 2008 breathed new life into the study of high-temperature superconductivity, with numerous families of compounds since discovered, characterized, and extensively studied. 1 Intermetallic iron-based systems with the ThCr2Si2 “122” structure and doped with transition-metal (TM) substitution on the iron site remain the most widely studied due to the feasibility of synthesizing large single-phase crystals coupled with the ability to substitute a plethora of TM elements for iron. With superconductivity induced by substituting almost any of the TM elements in the Fe, Co, and Ni columns, the robustness of these superconductors to disorder—in particular, disorder focused directly in the active pairing layer—provides a striking contrast to the sensitivity found in other unconventional superconductors. Furthermore, this robustness initiated one of the early challenges to the proposed s± sign-changing gap symmetry 2 and has been touted as evidence for a non-signchanging s-wave pairing symmetry. 3 The role of TM substitution in both promoting a superconducting state and shaping the phase diagrams of the 122 systems is an important topic of ongoing debate. In the
DNA-binding activity of papillomavirus proteins

We demonstrate DNA binding by papillomavirus (PV) open reading frame (ORF) proteins that correspond to the early transforming and trans-activating (E6 and E2) and late structural regions (L2 and L1) from bovine PV type 1 and human PV types 6b and 16. All PV proteins were synthesized in Escherichia coli and had a common 13-amino-acid leader sequence from the expression vector pRA10. Antibodies have been generated in rabbits against these PV proteins. The PV ORF proteins bind double-stranded DNA, and this activity is demonstrated to be inherent to the PV proteins. DNA-binding activity by PV proteins is optimal at 50 mM NaCl and at pH 7.0. For some PV proteins (e.g., bovine PV type 1 E2), DNA binding is enhanced at a lower pH (pH 6.0) and NaCl concentration (50 to 100 mM). DNA binding is inhibited by the appropriate antibodies. The possible significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the genetic and structural evidence on the function of these ORFs.
Responses to the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in cells derived from rheumatoid synovium and other joint tissues involve nuclear factor kappaB-mediated induction of the Ets transcription factor ESE-1.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of the novel Ets transcription factor ESE-1 in rheumatoid synovium and in cells derived from joint tissues, and to analyze the role of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) as one of the central downstream targets in mediating the induction of ESE-1 by proinflammatory cytokines. METHODS ESE-1 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using antibodies in synovial tissues from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). ESE-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction or Northern blotting in human chondrocytes, synovial fibroblasts, osteoblasts, and macrophages, before and after exposure to interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without prior infection with an adenovirus encoding the inhibitor of nuclear factor kappaB (IkappaB). The wild-type ESE-1 promoter and the ESE-1 promoter mutated in the NF-kappaB site were cloned into a luciferase reporter vector and analyzed in transient transfections. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and supershift assays with antibodies against members of the NF-kappaB family were conducted using the NF-kappaB site from the ESE-1 promoter as a probe. RESULTS Immunohistochemical analysis showed specific expression of ESE-1 in cells of the synovial lining layer and in some mononuclear and endothelial cells in RA and OA synovial tissues. ESE-1 mRNA expression could be induced by IL-1beta and TNFalpha in cells such as synovial fibroblasts, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and monocytes. Transient transfection experiments and EMSAs showed that induction of ESE-1 gene expression by IL-1beta requires activation of NF-kappaB and binding of p50 and p65 family members to the NF-kappaB site in the ESE-1 promoter. Overexpression of IkappaB using an adenoviral vector blocked IL-1beta-induced ESE-1 mRNA expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation further confirmed that NF-kappaB binds to the ESE-1 promoter in vivo. CONCLUSION ESE-1 is expressed in synovial tissues in RA and, to a variable extent, in OA, and is specifically induced in synovial fibroblasts, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and monocyte/macrophages by IL-1beta, TNFalpha, or LPS. This induction relies on the translocation of the NF-kappaB family members p50 and p65 to the nucleus and transactivation of the ESE-1 promoter via a high-affinity NF-kappaB binding site. ESE-1 may play a role in mediating some effects of proinflammatory stimuli in cells at sites of inflammation.
Human A- and B-Like Antigens on Red Cells of Marmosets.∗

Summary Absorption studies with human anti-A and anti-B sera suggested the presence of B-like antigen on marmoset red blood cells and the absence of any A-like antigen. Reaction of specific anti-A and anti-B elu-ates with marmoset cells confirmed the absorption tests. Eluates prepared from the absorption of the anti-A and anti-B reagents with marmoset red cells suggested, however, the presence of an A-like antigen in addition to the B-like antigen on their red cells. Inhibition tests on marmoset saliva suggested the presence of the A antigen and the absence of B and H antigenic substances in their saliva. Addendum. In current iso- and heteroim-munization studies aimed at obtaining reagents capable of differentiating marmosets by their red cell antigens, the presence of anti-B agglutinins (log2 titer range 1-5) to human B cells has been detected in the sera of 18 of 30 marmosets tested. Weaker reactions to human A cells have been found in two. The presence of the anti-B agglutinins in their sera correlates with the A-like substance on the marmoset red cells and in the saliva, and suggests further the non-identity of the B-like substance found on their cells to that on human B cells. Wiener et al(5) have noted the lack of any anti-A agglutinins in 11 marmoset sera tested and the presence of anti-B agglutinins in four.
Mechanical state prediction based on LSTM neural netwok

Effective mechanical state prediction systems are critical to modern manufacturing systems and industries. As a method of deep learning algorithm, Recurrent neural network, (RNN) has been playing an increasingly important role in the field of time series prediction. In order to solve the problem of hard training and gradient extinction of RNN model, a long short-term memory network (LSTM) algorithm is proposed and applied to the prediction of mechanical state (PMS). On the basis of the motor bearing data, the simulation is carried out. Aiming at the non-stationary of bearing data, the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is used to decompose the bearing data into stationary singles, and the intrinsic mode function (IMF) energy entropy is calculated as the feature of mechanical state. In comparison with support vector regression machine (SVRM), LSTM achieves a better result in the single-step prediction of mechanical state. It shows that LSTM is superior in machine state prediction and monitoring.
Effectiveness of Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae) essential oil in inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from clinical material

Staphylococcus aureus apresenta-se como um microrganismo patogenico classico sendo comumente reconhecido como agente etiologico de infeccoes comunitarias e hospitalares. Considerando o conhecimento acerca das propriedades biologicas apresentadas por Lippia sidoides Cham. (Verbenaceae), este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a efetividade de seu oleo essencial em inibir o crescimento de cepas de S. aureus com diferentes perfis de resistencia antibiotica isoladas de material clinico. Os resultados mostraram destacavel atividade anti-S. aureus do oleo essencial de L. sidoides notada por grandes halos de inibicao do crescimento bacteriano (15-21 mm). A CIM encontrada foi de 0.4 µL/mL para todas as cepas ensaiada. A CIM apresentou destacavel efetividade de inibicao da viabilidade de S. aureus em caldo durante vinte e quatro horas de interacao caracterizando um efeito bacteriostatico. Estes resultados mostram a destacavel atividade antiestafilococica do oleo essencial de L. sidoides, bem como suportam a possibilidade de seu uso racional como agente antimicrobiano alternativo.
Social Determinants of HIV-Related Stigma in Faith-Based Organizations.

OBJECTIVES To examine the association between social factors in faith-based settings (including religiosity and proximity to people living with HIV/AIDS) and HIV stigma. METHODS A total of 1747 congregants from primarily African American faith-based organizations of Project FAITH (Fostering AIDS Initiatives That Heal), a South Carolina statewide initiative to address HIV-related stigma, completed a survey. RESULTS Female gender (P = .001), higher education (P < .001), knowing someone with HIV/AIDS (P = .01), and knowing someone who is gay (P < .001), but not religiosity, were associated with lower levels of stigma and with lower odds of stigmatizing attitudes (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Opportunities for connection with people living with HIV/AIDS tailored to the social characteristics of faith-based organizations may address HIV stigma in African American communities.
A two-stage cascaded foreground seeds generation for parametric min-cuts

Parametric min-cuts is an object proposal algorithm, which can be used for accurate image segmentation. In parametric min-cuts, foreground seeds generation plays an important role since the number and quality of foreground seeds have great effect on its efficiency and accuracy. To improve the performance of parametric min-cuts, this paper proposes a new framework for foreground seeds generation. First, to increase the odds of finding objects, saliency detection at multiple scales is used to generate a large set of diverse candidate seeds. Second, to further select good-quality seeds, a two-stage cascaded ranking classifier is used to filter and rank the candidates based on their appearance features. Experimental results show that parametric min-cuts using our seeding strategy can obtain a relative small pool of proposals with high accuracy.
Fundamental deliberation on exploring mental health through social interaction pattern

In order to clarify the relationship between human social interaction and mental health, we measured face-to-face communication pattern for a few months and conducted a questionnaire on mental health in two organizations in real world. Face-to-face interaction data were measured using wearable sensing system in two organizations in Japan. We extracted some feature values from those two kind data and investigated correlation between them. In this study, we reconsidered social network centrality which means the connection strength between people. We classified the group size of simultaneous interaction and duration of interaction. As results, we found that these factors affected the correlation coefficients between face-to-face interaction and degree of stress.
Neural plasticity in speech acquisition and learning

Neural plasticity in speech acquisition and learning is concerned with the timeline trajectory and the mechanisms of experience-driven changes in the neural circuits that support or disrupt linguistic function. In this selective review, we discuss the role of phonetic learning in language acquisition, the “critical period” of learning, the agents of neural plasticity, and the distinctiveness of linguistic systems in the brain. In particular, we argue for the necessity to look at brain–behavior connections using modern brain imaging techniques, seek explanations based on measures of neural sensitivity, neural efficiency, neural specificity and neural connectivity at the cortical level, and point out some key factors that may facilitate or limit second language learning. We conclude by highlighting the theoretical and practical issues for future studies and suggest ways to optimize language learning and treatment.
Measuring the impact of psychoactive substance on health-related quality of life: an update.

BACKGROUND The number of publications dealing with measurement of the quality of life and health in the area of drug dependence has increased in recent years. Its main application is as an indicator of the effectiveness of intervention in harm reduction, although there are also comparative and methodological studies. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION The literature was reviewed to identify studies on abuse or substance dependence and HRQoL. The bibliographic sources used for the review are PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycInfo. Additional articles were identified from references to relevant articles. RESULTS 111 articles were identified. The HRQoL of people who abuse or are dependent on substances is lower than the general population. The presence of physical and psychiatric comorbidity also affects patients dependent on opiates, and substitution programs improve HRQoL. CONCLUSION The measurement of HRQoL in the area of drug dependence is a suitable complement for finding out the deterioration caused by substance use, abuse or dependence. It is also a useful indicator for evaluating therapeutic results in this population.
Evaluating Validity Evidence for USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Data Gathering and Data Interpretation Scores: Does Performance Predict History-Taking and Physical Examination Ratings for First-Year Internal Medicine Residents?

Purpose To add to the small body of validity research addressing whether scores from performance assessments of clinical skills are related to performance in supervised patient settings, the authors examined relationships between United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Skills (CS) data gathering and data interpretation scores and subsequent performance in history taking and physical examination in internal medicine residency training. Method The sample included 6,306 examinees from 238 internal medicine residency programs who completed Step 2 CS for the first time in 2005 and whose performance ratings from their first year of residency training were available. Hierarchical linear modeling techniques were used to examine the relationships among Step 2 CS data gathering and data interpretation scores and history-taking and physical examination ratings. Results Step 2 CS data interpretation scores were positively related to both history-taking and physical examination ratings. Step 2 CS data gathering scores were not related to either history-taking or physical examination ratings after other USMLE scores were taken into account. Conclusions Step 2 CS data interpretation scores provide useful information for predicting subsequent performance in history taking and physical examination in supervised practice and thus provide validity evidence for their intended use as an indication of readiness to enter supervised practice. The results show that there is less evidence to support the usefulness of Step 2 CS data gathering scores. This study provides important information for practitioners interested in Step 2 CS specifically or in performance assessments of medical students’ clinical skills more generally.