Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological awareness and word-level reading in early and middle elementary school years

Abstract We examined whether morphological awareness made a significant contribution to word-level reading across Grades 1 to 4. We test these relations specifically in a task measuring awareness of past-tense forms. A total of 375 children from Grades 1 to 4 completed tasks assessing past-tense morphological awareness along with real word and pseudoword reading. Children also completed control measures assessing phonological awareness, phonological short-term memory, sentence-level language skills, and nonverbal cognitive ability. After these controls, past-tense morphological awareness was a significant predictor of real word reading in Grades 1 and 2, but not in Grades 3 and 4. Further, following on all controls, past-tense morphological awareness was a consistent predictor of pseudoword reading across Grades 1 to 4. Morphological awareness, at least as measured with past-tense verbs, appears to have a role in word reading across the early to middle elementary school grades; for young readers, there are relations to reading of both known and novel words, and for older readers, relations are significant specifically in reading novel words. These findings are discussed within the context of theories of word reading development.
Structure and stability of Gd-doped CeO 2 thin fi lms on yttria-stabilized zirconia

Article history: Received 27 July 2015 Received in revised form 7 January 2016 Accepted 22 January 2016 Available online 26 January 2016 25 nm thick Gd-doped ceria thin films were grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates with (110) and (111) orientation by pulsed laser deposition to study both their crystalline structure and interfacial stability. The films were characterized by high-energy grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, x-ray reflectivity and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy before and after annealing to 1400 K under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions. The films were found to be epitaxial to the YSZ substrates, exhibiting good crystalline quality without defects like twinning, and low surface roughness. Upon reduction due to the annealing in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), both samples showed an increase in lattice parameter while maintaining their original crystalline quality. The x-ray reflectivitymeasurements gave evidence for interdiffusion after annealing by the presence of an additional interfacial layer with reduced electron density. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed an increase in the concentration of Ce and also yttrium at the surface upon annealing, indicating a slight reduction of the surface as well as diffusion of yttrium to the surface. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Disappearing ink! Unraveling the fading of a contemporary design object

Abstract In 2009 the Indianapolis Museum of Art acquired Fernando Brizio’s contemporary ceramic, Painting a Fresco with GiottoGiotto Turbocolor Marker"? > #3, as part of its effort to grow a collection of modern and contemporary European design objects. The artwork comprises an unglazed white faience vase that has been pierced with 30 brightly colored felt-tip markers whose dried ink stains create a whimsical polka-dot surface. The vase immediately joined a traveling exhibition, and when it returned to the museum after nearly a year of display, many of the ink spots had faded dramatically, some having nearly vanished. Technical analysis was undertaken to (1) determine the cause of the fading and the composition of its Giotto brand Turbocolor markers, (2) to determine the future fading potential of the object, and (3) to suggest new safeguards to protect this and similar objects from future damage. Non-destructive analysis of the vase using Raman spectroscopy proved challenging due to the overall application of an acrylic varnish by the artist and the intense fluorescence of many of the marker inks. Using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry on surrogate pens acquired in 2014, the 30 markers utilized in the object were ultimately determined to contain 9 primary synthetic dyes and numerous synthetic byproducts. The inks are comprised of food colorants, which accounts for their rapid fading. In situ microfade testing showed that the vase is still extremely light sensitive and will fade further under even the most stringent lighting protocols. An artist interview provided valuable information about Brizio‘s thoughts concerning the life of these objects, his working methods, and the interpretation of the Giotto series of ceramics. The artwork has since been deaccessioned from the museum’s collection but has taken on a new role in gallery didactics focused on the materials of modern design and the ephemeral and changing nature of some artworks. This project highlights the urgency of characterizing the fading rate of potentially light sensitive modern art or directly identifying the colorants used in contemporary artworks prior to their first exhibition.
Effectiveness of a community-based diabetes self-management education (DSME) program in a rural agricultural setting

Introduction The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) in a rural agricultural town. Methods In this prospective, education-intervention trial, 85 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus from villages randomly assigned to DSME and 70 from villages assigned to standard care participated. The DSME group underwent a curriculum delivered by peer educators; those in the standard group received usual advice. Outcome measures were anthropometric, biochemical, health behaviors, and medication use data taken at baseline then after three and six months. Results DSME group had a lower median A1C after three and six months. After six months, there was a 0.5% median A1C reduction in DSME group and a 0.25% increase in the standard group. There were more participants in DSME group with A1C ⩽7.0% after three and six months. By the third month, there were more participants in DSME group performing foot examination. Conclusion DSME in this rural agricultural town improved glycemic control and promoted foot examination.
A Randomized Controlled Study to Compare the Effects of Rosuvastatin 5 mg and Atorvastatin 10 mg on the Plasma Lipid Profile in Japanese Patients with Hypercholesterolemia (ASTRO-2).

OBJECTIVE For new evidence of aggressive lipid lowering treatment with statins in Japanese hypercholesterolemic patients, we performed an open-label, randomized, parallel-group comparative study to assess the effect of rosuvastatin 5 mg and atorvastatin 10 mg on plasma lipids. METHODS A total of 900 patients in whom the target control levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) set by the Japan Atherosclerosis Society Guidelines (JASGL2007) had not been achieved were randomly assigned to receive rosuvastatin 5 mg / day (n = 450) or atorvastatin 10 mg / day (n = 450) for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was the percent change of LDL-C at week 8. RESULTS LDL-C was lowered by -44.5% (from 170.2 to 93.3 mg / dL) in the rosuvastatin group and -41.6% (from 169.5 to 97.9 mg / dL) in the atorvastatin group, at week 8 (P = 0.002 vs. atorvastatin). LDL-C / HDL-C ratio was lowered by -47.6% (from 3.01 to 1.56) and -43.5 % (from 2.96 to 1.66), respectively, at week 8 (P < 0.001 vs. atorvastatin). The changes in HDL-C, ApoB, ApoA-1, and ApoB / ApoA-1 ratio showed significant improvement in the rosuvastatin group than in the atorvastatin group. Adverse events were observed comparably between the rosuvastatin group (121 events) and the atorvastatin group (104 events). None of these events had adverse clinical consequence. Both drugs were well tolerated. CONCLUSION Rosuvastatin 5 mg produced significantly greater reduction in LDL-C and beneficial effect on other lipid parameters than atorvastatin 10 mg, and was also well tolerated.
Bloodmeal identification by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), tested on Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Kenya.

A direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for bloodmeal identification of seven hosts. Commercially available reagents are used; the test can be completed in only 4.5 h. Blood meals can be detected up to 32 h after feeding for dried mosquitoes and up to 23 h for frozen mosquitoes. A two-step procedure, using antihuman peroxidase conjugate and antibovine phosphatase conjugate, was developed to test a single mosquito for two hosts in the same microtiter plate well. The assay was applied to Anopheles gambiae Giles s. lat. and A. funestus Giles collected inside huts in western Kenya; 94% of 4,338 blood meals were identified as either human (88%), cow (4%), or mixed humancow (2%). Additionally, a system was developed whereby a single mosquito could be tested by both the blood meal ELISA and the malaria sporozoite ELISA.
Obstructive sleep apnea in obese community-dwelling children: the NANOS study.

INTRODUCTION Obesity in children is assumed to serve as a major risk factor in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). However, the prevalence of OSAS in otherwise healthy obese children from the community is unknown. AIM To determine the prevalence of OSAS in obese children identified and recruited from primary care centers. METHODS A cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study. Spanish children ages 3-14 y with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for age and sex were randomly selected, and underwent medical history, snoring, and Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) assessments, as well as physical examination, nasopharyngoscopy, and nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) recordings. RESULTS Two hundred forty-eight children (54.4% males) with mean age of 10.8 ± 2.6 y were studied with a BMI of 28.0 ± 4.7 kg/m(2) corresponding to 96.8 ± 0.6 percentile when adjusted for age and sex. The mean respiratory disturbance index (RDI), obstructive RDI (ORDI), and obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) were 5.58 ± 9.90, 5.06 ± 9.57, and 3.39 ± 8.78/h total sleep time (TST), respectively. Using ≥ 3/h TST as the cutoff for the presence of OSAS, the prevalence of OSAS ranged from 21.5% to 39.5% depending on whether OAHI, ORDI, or RDI were used. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in obese children from the general population is high. Obese children should be screened for the presence of OSAS. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01322763.
Factors associated with bone mineral density in middle‐aged men

This cross‐sectional population‐based study examined the association of anthropometric and lifestyle risk factors with bone mineral density (BMD) in 218 white ambulatory men aged 50–64 from the Rancho Bernardo, California cohort. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and hip using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and at the ultradistal wrist and midshaft radius of the forearm using single‐photon absorptiometry. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly correlated with BMD at all four skeletal sites. Overall, 17.0% of men aged 55–64 were osteopenic (BMD ≥ 2 SD below the distribution for ages 50–54) at one skeletal site, 16.5% were osteopenic at two sites, and 13.6% were osteopenic at three or more sites. Men who reported regular exercise had significantly higher BMD levels at the spine and hip. Men meeting the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium intake (≥800 g/day) had significantly higher BMD levels at the spine and wrist. Alcohol intake and smoking were associated with differences of borderline significance in BMD at the spine. In analyses adjusted for BMI, weight change, exercise, smoking, drinking, and calcium intake, there was a significant independent age‐related decline in BMD at the hip (0.008 g/cm2/year; p = 0.001), at the wrist (0.004 g/cm2; p < 0.01), at the forearm (0.006 g/cm2; p < 0.01), but not at the spine (0.005 g/cm2). These data, although cross‐sectional, strongly suggest that age‐related bone loss occurs in middle‐aged men and that both physical activity and an adequate calcium intake are associated with better bone density.
Tracing of Noradrenergic Neuronal Circuitry and Functional Recovery after Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice

Cardiac complications including sudden death, arrhythmia or myocardial damage are frequent during recovery phase after stroke. In addition, plasma noradrenaline (NA) levels are often elevated, which may be responsible for increased serum cardiac enzyme, tachycardia and high cardiac output, and high blood pressure. Experimentally, plasma level of NA was significantly elevated compared to that of preocclusion condition after permanent occlusion of left middle cerebral artery (MCA) in cat. Dysfunction of the noradrenergic system is a frequent feature in various neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson disease, multisystem atrophy as well as in acute ischemic stroke. Defects in the noradrenergic system have also been implicated in many psychiatric disorders manifesting abnormal social behavior, attention deficit, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. NA is the neurotransmitter being implicated in many of these disorders and has been found to affect social behavior in both humans and animals. Therefore, investigating alterations of NA systems in stroke may provide clues to understand its symptomology, clinical courses, and adequate management. Locations and size of stroke may be related to different characteristics of autonomic dysfunction. The most important control sites of autonomic function are found to be the insular cortex, amygdala, and lateral hypothalamus and, among these, insular cortex and amygdala are supplied by seem MCA and play a crucial role in cardiovascular regulation. Brain ischemia induces both pathological synaptic plasticity causing delayed neuronal death and induce physiological plasticity, leading structural reorganization resultORIGINAL ARTICLE
Private Equity Investments in Banks

The authors investigate the performance change of 109 global banks that received private equity investments between 2000 and 2012. The investee banks experience significant improvements in operating profitability mainly due to increases in customer loans and the implementation of cost-cutting policies. Changes in leverage are not significant and have a very limited impact on banks’ performance post-investment. The increase in profitability is positively associated with the size of the acquired stake, suggesting that the larger the influence of the private equity fund on the target bank, the more effective the operating improvements.
Are managers strategic in reporting non-earnings news? Evidence on timing and news bundling

Using a comprehensive sample of non-earnings 8-K filings from 2005 to 2013, we examine whether firms strategically report mandatory and voluntary news. In particular, we examine whether firms report negative news when investor attention is low and whether they bundle positive and negative news. Our findings support the notion that managers believe in the existence of investor inattention and strategically report negative news after trading hours. These results particularly apply to public firms, where equity market pressures provide stronger incentives to mitigate market reaction to news by exploiting investor inattention. Further analysis of the market reaction to strategic disclosure uncovers no evidence of investor inattention, consistent with market efficiency. We also observe that public firms are more likely to strategically disclose through news bundling and that the likelihood of this increases with the likelihood of strategic disclosure through timing.
Induced abortion in Denmark: effect of socio-economic situation and country of birth.

BACKGROUND Equal access to health care is considered a key in Scandinavian healthcare policy. However, problematic differences between the socio-economic situation of immigrants and that of native Scandinavians are increasingly challenging this aspect of the Scandinavian welfare model. The present study focuses on how socio-economic characteristics and country of birth are associated with induced abortion. METHODS A structured questionnaire was used to collect information among 1351 women requesting abortion and a control group of 1306 women intending birth. RESULTS The strongest factor associated with the decision to have an abortion was being single (OR 39.1; 23.8-64.2), followed by being aged 19 years or below (OR 29.6; 13.4-65.5), having two children or more (OR 7.05; 5.29-9.39) and being unskilled (OR 2.48; 1.49-4.10), student (OR 2.29; 1.52-3.43) or unemployed (OR 1.65; 1.11-2.46). When evaluating the effect of social exposure on abortion among Danish-born and foreign-born women, the higher rate of abortion among non-Westerners was found to be caused by the composition of non-Westerners more often being unemployed, having a low income and having two or more children rather than the fact that they are coming from a non-Western country. CONCLUSION Immigrant women comprise a vulnerable group, with a poor socio-economic status. This situation exposes immigrant women to increased risk of induced abortion. In a society with an increasing heterogeneous population, the vulnerable situation of immigrant women has to be addressed, if equal access to health care is to be maintained.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and delays in presentation and diagnosis of breast cancer patients in public hospitals in Malaysia

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used among the breast cancer patients in Malaysia. Delays in presentation, diagnosis and treatment have been shown to impact the disease prognosis. There is considerable use of CAM amongst breast cancer patients. CAM use has been cited as a cause of delay in diagnosis and treatments in qualitative studies, however there had not been any confirmatory study that confirms its impact on delays. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the use of CAM among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients was associated with delays in presentation, diagnosis or treatment of breast cancer. This multi-centre cross-sectional study evaluating the time points of the individual breast cancer patients’ journey from first visit, resolution of diagnosis and treatments was conducted in six public hospitals in Malaysia. All newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from 1st January to 31st December 2012 were recruited. Data were collected through medical records review and patient interview by using a structured questionnaire. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) was defined as the use of any methods and products not included in conventional allopathic medicine before commencement of treatments. Presentation delay was defined as time taken from symptom discovery to first presentation of more than 3 months. The time points were categorised to diagnosis delay was defined as time taken from first presentation to diagnosis of more than 1 month and treatment delay was defined as time taken from diagnosis to initial treatment of more than 1 month. Multiple logistic regression was used for analysis. A total number of 340 patients participated in this study. The prevalence of CAM use was 46.5% (n = 158). Malay ethnicity (OR 3.32; 95% CI: 1.85, 5.97) and not interpreting symptom as cancerous (OR 1.79; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.92) were significantly associated with CAM use. The use of CAM was associated with delays in presentation (OR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.59), diagnosis (OR 2.42; 95% CI: 1.56, 3.77) and treatment of breast cancer (OR 1.74; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.72) on univariate analyses. However, after adjusting with other covariates, CAM use was associated with delays in presentation (OR 1.71; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.78) and diagnosis (OR 2.58; 95% CI: 1.59, 4.17) but not for treatment of breast cancer (OR 1.58; 95% CI: 0.98, 2.55). The prevalence of CAM use among the breast cancer patients was high. Women of Malay ethnicity and not interpreting symptom as cancerous were significantly associated with CAM use. The use of CAM is significantly associated with delay in presentation and resolution of diagnosis. This study suggests further evaluation of access to breast cancer care is needed as poor access may cause the use of CAM. However, since public hospitals in Malaysia are heavily subsidized and readily available to the population, CAM use may impact delays in presentation and diagnosis.
Suppression of extracellular invertase inhibitor gene expression improves seed weight in soybean (Glycine max)

Cell wall invertase (CWI) and vacuolar invertase (VI) play multiple functions in plant growth. As well as depending on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, there is growing evidence that CWI and VI are also subject to post-translational control by small inhibitory proteins. Despite the significance of this, genes encoding inhibitors, their molecular and biochemical properties, and their potential roles in regulating seed production have not been well documented in soybean (Glycine max). In this study, two invertase inhibitor isoforms, GmCIF1 and GmC/VIF2, were characterized to possess inhibitory activities in vitro via heterologous expression. Transcript analyses showed that they were predominantly expressed in developing seeds and in response to ABA. In accordance with this, surveys of primary targets showed subcellular localizations to the apoplast in tobacco epidermis after expressing YFP-fusion constructs. Investigations using RNAi transgenic plants demonstrated marked elevations of CWI activities and improvements in seed weight in conjunction with higher accumulations of hexoses, starch, and protein in mature seeds. Further co-expression analyses of GmCIF1 with several putative CWI genes corroborated the notion that GmCIF1 modulation of CWI that affects seed weight is mainly contingent on post-translational mechanisms. Overall, the results suggest that post-translational elevation of CWI by silencing of GmCIF1 expression orchestrates the process of seed maturation through fine-tuning sucrose metabolism and sink strength.
Sickness Presenteeism Today, Sickness Absenteeism Tomorrow? A Prospective Study on Sickness Presenteeism and Future Sickness Absenteeism

Objective: To prospectively investigate whether sickness presenteeism (SP), ie, going to work despite illness, has an impact on future sickness absenteeism. Methods: Two study populations were used, one female dominated from the public sector that included 3757 employees, and one male dominated from the private sector comprising 2485 employees. Results: SP on more than five occasions during the baseline year (2000) was a statistically significant risk factor for future sick leave (2002 and 2003) of more than 30 days among both populations even after adjusting for previous sick leave, health status, demographics, lifestyle, and work-related variables (2002, public sector, relative risk = 1.40; private sector, relative risk = 1.51). Conclusions: SP may be an important phenomenon to consider when evaluating measures aimed at decreasing sickness absenteeism because more SP may lead to future sickness absence.