Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of family structure and parenting on the academic performance of teenage children: the case of Embakasi constituency of Nairobi county

The family is usually the major source of the basic necessities which is made possible by the prevailing socio-economic, environmental and sometimes political conditions. However, the structure of family influences the provision of the basic needs to the adolescents and hence their school attendance and concentration in class. This study sought to examine the role of family structure and parenting on the academic performance of teenage children, to establish the types of family structure, to identify the characteristics of different types of family structure, to examine the relationship between family structure and school related activities among teenagers, to establish the effect of family structure on academic performance of teenagers and to examine how family structure in relation to socio-economic status influence the academic performance of teenagers. This research study used a descriptive research design. The target population of this study was 385 3rd year students and teachers in the four public secondary schools. In addition, this study used systematic sampling method to select 20 percent of the target population. The sample size of this study was 77 respondents and 8 teachers. The study used primary data which was collected by use of questionnaires; which included structured and unstructured questions. Quantitative data was analyzed by use of descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of a data analysis software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPPS). The study also used correlation analysis to establish the relationship between the dependent variable and independent variables. The study found that there is an association between socio-economic status and parenting and academic performance of students in secondary schools. Family structure influences self-esteem, class concentration, parental support, school attendance and tardiness, parent-teenager relationship among teenagers. The study also revealed that school fees payments, healthy cognitive and social development and the provision of good uniform (clothing) influence the academic performance of the teenagers significantly. The various stakeholders in the education sector need to come up with strategies to identify various backgrounds of different students in their schools. This may enable them to understand clearly the nature of each student and thus being able to handle them with ease and appropriateness so as not to hamper the educational progress. In addition, there is also need for guidance and counseling processes in the public secondary schools. The main role of these counseling sessions may be to encourage and motivate the students to see beyond their limitations and put more focus on the future through persistence and determination in their education.
Biometric Elections in Poor Countries: Wasteful or a Worthwhile Investment?

Elections have emerged as a leading area for the application of biometric technology in developing countries, despite its high costs and uncertainty over its effectiveness. One-off voter registrations, as practiced in many countries and supported by donors, also often leave nothing behind in terms of permanent, sustainable, identification assets. Why then do donors support such programs? The paper considers the costs and benefits of technology, where the latter involves its potential to reduce the probability of seriously disputed elections that escalate into violence. Based on the limited data available, it finds that a reduction in the probability of post-election violence by only a few percentage points could offset the cost of the technology. However, this is possible only in particular situations where political parties value the legitimacy conferred by elections that are sufficiently credible to provide an acceptable basis for governing, but where democracy is not yet well-institutionalized. One priority is therefore to screen potential cases carefully. Another step towards using technology more effectively would be to build on the powerful momentum created by voter registration drives to strengthen permanent identity assets such as civil registration and national ID programs, so that they can provide a more sustainable foundation for subsequent voter rolls. This is possible with careful planning but may require some reconsideration of institutional mandates.
Framing in Entertainment-Education: Effects on Processes of Narrative Persuasion

ABSTRACT Nowadays, entertainment-education (E-E) is often used as a persuasive strategy to stimulate prosocial behavior. Although E-E is mostly regarded as a persuasive strategy in itself, in an increasing number of E-E programs several persuasive strategies are used to communicate the educational message to the audience. This study investigates the effects of a strategy widely used in health communication, but not previously studied in the field of E-E: framing. To this means we examined the effect of two different ways an E-E message can be framed: by emphasizing either the losses of not performing the behavior in question or the gains of performing this behavior. A serial multiple mediation model showed that framing affected intention to refrain from drunk cycling via counterarguing and attitude toward drunk cycling; the use of a gain frame decreased counterarguing, which decreased the attitude toward drunk cycling. This subsequently resulted in a higher intention to refrain from this behavior. Implications of these results are discussed.
Sociodemographic and lifestyle risk factors for incident dementia and cognitive decline in the HYVET.

INTRODUCTION previous studies have suggested that smoking, living alone and having a high body mass index may increase risk of developing dementia whereas a normal body mass index, having received education and moderate alcohol consumption may decrease risk. Dementia risk also increases with age and is thought to be higher in hypertensives. METHOD we used data collected in the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial (HYVET), and cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and annually. Participants with a fall in MMSE to <24 or with a fall of 3 points in any 1 year were investigated further. The association of baseline sociodemographic, medical and lifestyle factors with incident dementia or decline in MMSE scores was assessed by regression models. RESULTS incident dementia occurred in 263 of 3,336 participants over a mean follow-up of 2 years. In multivariate analyses, being underweight, BMI < 18.5 (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.06-3.39) or obese, BMI >30 (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.24-2.72), increased risk of incident dementia as did piracetam use (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.60-4.63). Receiving formal education was associated with a reduced risk (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45-0.78). There was no association with smoking, alcohol and gender. Similar results were found when examining mean annual change in the MMSE score. DISCUSSION our results for BMI and education agree with those from other studies. The increased risk associated with piracetam may reflect awareness of memory problems before any diagnosis of dementia has been made. Trial participants may be healthier than the general population and further studies in the general population are required.
Panel causality analysis between exchange rates and stock indexes for fragile five

Having become too dependent on foreign capital inflows to finance their economies can be expressed for the fragile five countries. The purpose of this study is to determine the existence and direction of casual relationship between stock indexes and exchange rates for the fragile five. According to Dumitrescu-Hurlin’s panel causality test for fragile five countries, bidirectional Granger causality relation is detected for overall data, except before mortgage crisis term, from exchange rate to stock indexes. Dumitrescu-Hurlin’s test and a modified type of sequential panel selection methodology are also conducted for searching the determiners of the casual relationship for each time interval.
Ligands of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and the Insulin-Like Growth Factor Family as Serum Biomarkers for Response to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors in Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction: The selection of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor (EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors [TKIs]) therapy is suboptimal as tumor tissue is often unavailable. Ligands of EGFR, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFa) and amphiregulin (ARG), and the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family have been associated with resistance to EGFR-TKIs. The aim of our study was to explore whether concentrations of these factors measured in serum were predictive of response to EGFR-TKIs. Methods: We assessed serum levels of marker candidates using enzyme-linked immunosorbent (TGFa and ARG) and chemiluminescent (IGF1 and IGF-binding protein-3) assays in 61 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs and 63 matched advanced NSCLC control patients without EGFR-TKIs treatment. We dichotomized marker levels at the 20th, 50th, or 80th percentile and evaluated whether the effect of EGFR-TKIs treatment on disease-specific survival (DSS) differed by marker level based on multivariate proportional hazards regression with an interaction term. Results: The effect of EGFR-TKIs treatment on DSS showed a significant difference by TGFa and ARG (interaction p = 0.046 and p = 0.004, respectively). Low concentrations of TGFa and high concentrations of ARG were associated with a better DSS in EGFR-TKIs patients compared with control patients. Patients with high concentrations of IGF-binding protein-3 had significantly longer DSS, independent of treatment (hazard ratio: 0.60 per 1 mg/liter, 95% confidence interval: 0.46–0.79). Conclusion: Our results suggest that concentrations of TGFa and ARG measured in serum are predictive of EGFR-TKI response. The combination of these two biomarkers could be of value in the process of selecting patients for treatment with EGFR-TKIs.
Reduced positive affect (anhedonia) is independently associated with 7-year mortality in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention: results from the RESEARCH registry

Aims: Negative mood states (e.g., anxiety and depression) have been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD), but little is known about the impact of positive emotions on these health outcomes. We examined whether anhedonia (i.e., reduced positive affect) was associated with 7-year mortality in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Consecutive PCI patients (n = 1206; 71.5% men; mean age 62.0 ± 11.1 years) from the Rapamycin-Eluting Stent Evaluated At Rotterdam Cardiology Hospital (RESEARCH) registry completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess anhedonia at baseline. Anhedonia was defined as a score ≤7 (i.e., one SD below the mean) on the positive affect scale of the HADS. The endpoint was defined as all-cause mortality. Results: The prevalence of anhedonia was 23.7% (286/1206). After a median follow up of 7.0 ± 1.6 years, 186 deaths (15.4%) from any cause were recorded. The incidence of mortality in anhedonic patients was 22.7% (65/286) vs. 13.2% (121/920) in non-anhedonic patients (HR = 1.66, 95% CI [1.19–2.32], p = 0.003). Cumulative hazard functions were significantly different for anhedonic vs. non-anhedonic patients (log-rank χ2 = 16.61, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, anhedonia remained independently associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.03–2.22], p = 0.036), after adjusting for socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, and negative and relaxed affect. Conclusion: Anhedonia was independently associated with a 1.5-fold increased risk for all-cause mortality in patients who survived the first 6 months post-PCI. Enhancing positive emotions, in addition to reducing negative emotions, may constitute an important target for future psychological intervention trials in CAD patients.
Architecture of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli K12. Phase transitions of the bacteriophage K3 receptor complex.

In a previous paper (A. Verkleij, L. van Alphen, J. Bijvelt, and B. Lugtenberg, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 466:269-282, 1977) we have hypothesized that particles on the outer fracture face of the outer membrane (OM), with corresponding pits on the inner fracture face of the outer membrane (OM), consist of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) aggregates stabilized by divalent cations and that they might contain protein and/or phospholipid. In the present paper the roles of LPS, cations, and proteins in these OM particles are described more extensively, using a strain that lacks the major outer membrane proteins, b, c, and d (b- c- d-), and has a reduction in the number of OM particles of 75%. To study the role of divalent cations in the formation ofOM particles, these b- c- d- cells were grown or incubated with Ca,2+>Mg2+, or putrescine. The presence of Ca2' resulted in the appearance of many OM particles and OM pits. Mg2" and putrescine were less effective than Ca2+. Introduction of these particles was not accompanied by alterations in the relative amounts of LPS and cell envelope proteins. Ca2" treatment of a heptoseless derivative of a b- c- d- strain did not result in morphological changes. Incubation of Ca2+-treated cells with ethylenediaminetetraacetate caused the disappearance of the introduced particles as well as the release of more than 60% of the cellular LPS. These results strongly suppgort the hypothesis that LPS is involved in the formation ofOM particles and OM pits. The roles of various outer membrane proteins in the formation ofOM particles were studied by comparing the freeze-fracture morphology of b- c- d- cells with that of cells which contain one of the outer membrane proteins b, c, d, and e or the receptor protein for bacteriophage lambda. The results showed that the presence of any of these five proteins in a b- c- d- background resulted in a large increase in the number of OM particles and OM pits, indicating that these proteins are, independent ofeach other, involved in the formation ofOM particles and OM pits. The simplest explanation for the results is that in wild-type cells each particle consists ofLPS complexed with some molecules of a single protein species, stabilized by either divalent cations or polyamines. It is hypothesized that the outer membrane of the wild-type cell contains a heterogeneous population of particles, of which 75% consists of protein b-LPS, protein c-LPS, and protein dLPS particles. A function of these particles as aqueous pores is proposed.
Efficient Computing of Far-Field Radiation in Two Dimension

We deal with efficiently computing the far-field radiation/scattering by volumetric sources/objects. The approach consists of three steps: first, representation of “nonuniformly sampled” Fourier exponentials by a finite number of “uniformly sampled” ones, with such number controlling the accuracy; second, “pruned” fast Fourier transform; and third, interpolation, again with controlled accuracy, of the “uniformly sampled” exponentials onto the “nonuniformly sampled” ones corresponding to the relevant observation directions. The performance of the approach in terms of accuracy and complexity is evaluated.
북한의 경제특구⋅개발구 추진과 정책적 시사점 (North Korea's Special Economic Zones and Policy Implications)

Korean Abstract: 본고는 최근 북한이 강조하고 있는 경제개발구에 대한 정확한 실태조사와 그에 대한 정책적 시사점 도출을 목적으로 한다. 김정은 집권 이후 2013년부터 적극적으로 추진되고 있는 북한의 경제개발구 정책은 ‘김정은 브랜드’의 경제정책이라고 할 수 있다. 기존 경제특구 정책과 비교하여 규모, 개수, 관리방식 등 과거와는 다른 점들이 관찰되기 때문이다. 그럼에도 불구하고 북한이 가지고 있는 폐쇄성, 제한적인 정보 접근성, 잦은 정책 변화, 수시로 뒤바뀌는 지역 지정 등으로 인해 정확하지 않은 사실이 외부세계에 전달되는 경우도 많았으며, 남북경협에 대한 막연한 기대감으로 이에 대한 장밋빛 전망을 내놓는 경우도 있었다. 그러한 측면에서 본고는 다음의 사실에 집중하여 북한 경제개발구를 분석했다. 첫째, 파편적으로 흩어져 있는 정보를 한데 모으는 한편 정확한 사실만 연구결과물로 도출할 수 있도록 했다. 즉, 북한이 단발성으로 발표하는 정보를 토대로 하기보다는 이들을 비공식채널, 전문가 자문, 통계자료 등의 다양한 방법으로 상호 비교하고 대조⋅검토함으로써 사실의 정확성을 기했다. 둘째, 북한경제의 현재 상황에 맞추어 연구를 진행했다. 일례로 북한의 경제개발구를 논의하면서 규모의 경제를 통해 비약적인 발전을 거듭했던 중국의 경제특구 사례를 논하는 것은 적합하지 않다고 판단했다. 따라서 현재 북한이 추진하고 있는 경제개발구와 유사한 사례들을 살펴봄으로써 시사점을 얻을 수 있도록 했다. 셋째, 현시점에서 어떠한 지역이 투자에 유망한지 분석하는 연구는 이미 기존 연구에서 많이 수행되었고, 큰 의미가 없다고 판단했기 때문에 본고에서는 지역 연구에 초점을 맞추어 진행했다. 최근 북한이 경제개발구로 지정한 지역에서는 자신들이 강점을 지녔다고 판단하는 지역 고유의 특성과 산업을 내세우는 경우가 많았다. 따라서 그러한 지역을 분석함으로써 향후 북한의 지역경제에 대한 연구를 하는 데 있어 기초자료로 활용될 수 있도록 하는 데 집중했다. English Abstract: Under ‘Kim Jong Un Brand,’ North Korea has renewed its efforts and restored the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to the fore of policy. In line with the new leadership, recent policies regarding SEZs have not only expanded in scale and number but the management and administration of said policies have also been upgraded. Accordingly, this study examines the recent developments and their policy implications. Based on past trial and errors, current SEZ policies have undergone considerable reform. For example, the scope of the SEZ, which was previously limited at a regional level, has been expanded nationwide. Additionally, investment requirements have been scaled down to include small- and medium-sized investments, reducing the risks to foreign investors while also allowing the participation of North Korean firms.
Normalizing the Fed Funds Rate: The Fed’s Unjustified Rationale

In December 2015, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) initiated the process of "normalization," with the objective of gradually raising the federal funds rate back to "normal" -- i.e., levels that are "neither expansionary nor contrary" and are consistent with the established 2 percent longer-run goal for the annual Personal Consumption Expenditures index and the estimated natural rate of unemployment. This paper argues that the urgency and rationale behind the rate hikes are not theoretically sound or empirically justified. Despite policymakers' celebration of "substantial" labor market progress, we are still short some 20 million jobs. Further, there is no reason to believe that the current exceptionally low inflation rates are transitory. Quite the contrary: without significant fiscal efforts to restore the bargaining power of labor, inflation rates are expected to remain below the Federal Open Market Committee's long-term goal for years to come. Also, there is little empirical evidence or theoretical support for the FRB's suggestion that higher interest rates are necessary to counter "excessive" risk-taking or provide a more stable financial environment.
The impact of job contact networks on wages of rural–urban migrants in China: a switching regression approach*

Abstract In nationally representative household data from the 2008 Chinese Rural to Urban Migration Survey, nearly two thirds of rural–urban migrants found their employment through family members, relatives, friends or acquaintances. This paper investigates why the use of social network to find jobs is so prevalent among rural–urban migrants in China, and whether migrants face a wage penalty as a result of adopting this job search method. Using a switch regression approach, we find evidence of positive selection effects of the use of networks on wages. Users of networks tend to be older, to have migrated longer ago and to be less educated. In addition, married workers and those from villages with more out-migrant are more likely to use networks, while those without local residential registration status are less likely. Controlling for selectivity, we find a large negative impact of network use on wages. Using job contacts brings access to urban employment, but at the cost of markedly lower wages.
Effectiveness of YouTube Advertising: A Study of Audience Analysis

5 Introduction . 6 Theoretical Perspective . 8 Literature Review . 12 Social Media Usage . 12 Advertising Effectiveness . 15 Research Questions . 16 Methodology . 17 Results . 20 Demographic Profile . 21 RQ1 . 22 RQ2 . 24 RQ3 . 26 RQ4 . 28 Other Findings . 29 Discussion . 30 Limitations and Directions for Future Research . 33 Conclusion . 33 References . 35 Appendix . 39 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUTUBE ADVERTISING 5 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUTUBE ADVERTISING: STUDY OF AUDIENCE ANALYSIS Paula R. Rodriguez School of Communication College of Liberal Arts Master of Science in Communication & Media Technologies Term Degree Awarded: Spring Semester 2017 (2165) Abstract Social media have become an important platform for companies to connect with their target audience and make an impression. With the rise of digital platforms, effectiveness of advertisements has become an important area of study for marketers to determine the most efficient and appropriate medium of communication to place their advertisements. Drawing on the media richness theory framework, this study investigates YouTube advertising effectiveness based on the multiplicity of cues in the videos and the possible feedback channels offered by the platform. Using a cross-sectional survey method, participants from the Dominican Republic (n = 109) and the United States (n = 112) were recruited to fill-out a questionnaire asking for their opinions about how they connect with YouTube advertisements and what cues were crucial for them to understand, relate, or react to the message in the video. A significant relationship was found between race/ethnicity and education of participants and their preferences for cues needed to make a successful advertisement. The results also showed that feedback option on YouTube is not considered important for engagement with the brand.
Plasma endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) in management of community-acquired pneumonia

Abstract Background: Endothelial cell-specific molecule (ESM)-1 is a soluble proteoglycan expressed by the vascular endothelium and which also circulates in the bloodstream. Inflammatory cytokines and proangiogenic growth factors increase its expression, and increased serum levels are found in immunocompetent patients with sepsis. The aim of this study was to investigate differential changes in plasma levels of ESM-1 before and after antibiotic treatment in hospitalized adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods: Plasma ESM-1 levels were measured in 82 adult patients with CAP and 82 healthy controls using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Upon initial hospitalization, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), CURB-65, and Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) scores were determined to assess CAP severity in these patients. Results: Results showed a decline in the number of white blood cells (WBCs) and neutrophils, and decreases in the concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ESM-1 after antibiotic treatment. The plasma concentration of ESM-1, but not CRP or the WBC count, was correlated with the severity of CAP based on the PSI (r=0.554, p<0.001), CURB-65 (r=0.510, p<0.001), and APACHE II scores (r=0.447, p<0.001). Conclusions: Plasma levels of ESM-1 may be able to play a role in the diagnosis and clinical assessment of the severity of CAP, which could potentially guide the development of treatment strategies.