Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Persuasive Rhetoric in George Ridpath's Political Writings

espanolSiguiendo el enfoque socio-teorico del discurso propuesto por Fairclough dentro de la tradicion del Analisis del Discurso, el objetivo de este articulo es analizar las estrategias retoricas utilizadas por George Ridpath, un influyente periodista politico durante el periodo Estuardo. Con este proposito, analizamos una muestra de los escritos politicos de Ridpath extraidos de una de las mas destacadas publicaciones whigs de aquella epoca, The Observator, y nos centraremos en los diferentes recursos de manipulacion verbal que Ridpath utilizaba con el objeto de defender sus opiniones y manejar a los lectores durante las primeras decadas del siglo XVIII. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que Ridpath utilizaba el lenguaje como arma politica; no en vano, intentaba influir en la opinion publica por medio de recursos persuasivos como enfatizadores, atenuadores, preguntas retoricas y voces disfemisticas (tanto metaforicas como no metaforicas), entre otros mecanismos de una menor relevancia cuantitativa en el corpus consultado. EnglishFollowing Fairclough's social-theoretical approach to discourse within the tradition of Critical Discourse Analysis, the main concern of this paper is to gain an insight into the rhetorical strategies used by George Ridpath, a very influential Scottish journalist and pamphleteer during the Stuart period. To this end, we analyse a sample of Ridpath's political writings excerpted from one of the Whig leading journals at that time, The Observator, and draw attention to the different persuasive devices of verbal manipulation that Ridpath resorted to in an attempt to shape belief and defend his views in the first decades of the eighteenth century. The results obtained pro vide evidence for the fact that Ridpath used language as a political weapon: he attempted to influence public opinion through verbal persuasive devices like boosters, hedges, rhetorical questions and (metaphorical and non-metaphorical) dysphemistic terms, among other rhetorical devices of a lesser quantitative relevance in the corpus consulted.
On Chaotic Nature of the Emerging European Forex Markets

This study attempts to analyze the presence deterministic chaos in the forex markets of select European countries namely Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Monthly NEER data ranging from jan-1994 to Dec-2013 is used for the purpose of analysis. A two step methodology is employed where in the first step, non-linear dependence structure in the underlying time series is verified using BDS test. The results show that all the markets under study exhibit non-linear dependence. In the next stage, it is enquired whether this non-linear behavior is due to the presence of chaotic dynamics in the markets. This is achieved by estimating Lyapunov exponents for the time series under analysis. An EGARCH (1, 1) filter is applied to see if the non-linearity could be explained by a GARCH process. From the Lyapunov exponent values, it is found that the GARCH process is unable to explain the forex markets behavior in a satisfying manner. It is concluded that the forex markets under study exhibit deterministic chaotic behavior.
Methods of Surgical Stabilization for Metastatic Disease of the Spine

&NA; A variety of surgical techniques is available for treatment of metastatic disease of the spine. Prior emphasis on the use of these procedures has been on their benefit as a palliative measure to relieve signs and symptoms of spinal cord and nerve root compression not aided by radiation therapy and corticosteroid administration. More recently, development of surgical techniques that combine neural decompression with restoration of spinal stability has brought about consideration of additional indications for surgery in the treatment of metastatic disease of the spine. The present scope of such surgical procedures is reviewed along with identification of the most reliable selection factors for surgical candidates in order to improve functional outcome from surgical treatment of metastatic disease of the spine. Over 70 surgical series with more than 2,000 patients treated were reviewed. (Neurosurgery 25:240‐252, 1989)
Rule-based parallel query optimization for OQL using a parallelism extraction technique

This work deals with query optimization far parallel object-oriented databases using rule-based optimizers. The solution enacted departs from an existing non-parallel database query optimizer and extends it with a parallelism extraction module that modifies the original query optimizer to generate query plans for a parallel OODBMS architecture. The ideas are applied in the design of a parallel optimizer for OQL. The implementation approach shows that the parallelism extraction technique combined with a rule-based optimizer generator tool can help to produce a parallel optimizer from a non-parallel one with minimum effort.
The association between a Mediterranean-style diet and kidney function in the Northern Manhattan Study cohort.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Various dietary strategies have been investigated to slow kidney function decline. However, it is unknown whether a Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with improved cardiovascular risk, is associated with change in kidney function. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This study used the Northern Manhattan Study, a prospective, multiethnic, observational cohort of participants who were stroke free at baseline. Data were collected between 1993 and 2008. Serum creatinine measurements were taken a mean 6.9 years apart. A baseline dietary questionnaire was extrapolated into a previously used 9-point scoring system (MeDi). The primary outcome was incident eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. A secondary outcome was the upper quartile of annualized eGFR decline (≥ 2.5 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) per year). Conditional logistic regression models adjusted for demographics and baseline vascular risk factors. RESULTS Mean baseline age was 64 years, with 59% women and 65% Hispanics (N=900); mean baseline eGFR was 83.1 ml/min per 1.73 m(2). Incident eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) developed in 14% . In adjusted models, every 1-point increase in the MeDi score, indicating increasing adherence to a Mediterranean diet, was associated with decreased odds of incident eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (odds ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.71 to 0.96) and decreased odds of being in the upper quartile of eGFR decline (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.79 to 0.98). CONCLUSIONS A Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced incidence of eGFR<60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) and upper quartile of eGFR decline in a multiethnic cohort.
Acetylation of lysine 120 of p53 endows DNA-binding specificity at effective physiological salt concentration

Lys120 in the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of p53 becomes acetylated in response to DNA damage. But, the role and effects of acetylation are obscure. We prepared p53 specifically acetylated at Lys120, AcK120p53, by in vivo incorporation of acetylated lysine to study biophysical and structural consequences of acetylation that may shed light on its biological role. Acetylation had no affect on the overall crystal structure of the DBD at 1.9-Å resolution, but significantly altered the effects of salt concentration on specificity of DNA binding. p53 binds DNA randomly in vitro at effective physiological salt concentration and does not bind specifically to DNA or distinguish among its different response elements until higher salt concentrations. But, on acetylation, AcK120p53 exhibited specific DNA binding and discriminated among response elements at effective physiological salt concentration. AcK120p53 and p53 had the highest affinity to the same DNA sequence, although acetylation reduced the importance of the consensus C and G at positions 4 and 7, respectively. Mass spectrometry of p53 and AcK120p53 DBDs bound to DNA showed they preferentially segregated into complexes that were either DNA(p53DBD)4 or DNA(AcK120DBD)4, indicating that the different DBDs prefer different quaternary structures. These results are consistent with electron microscopy observations that p53 binds to nonspecific DNA in different, relaxed, quaternary states from those bound to specific sequences. Evidence is accumulating that p53 can be sequestered by random DNA, and target search requires acetylation of Lys120 and/or interaction with other factors to impose specificity of binding via modulating changes in quaternary structure.
Computing of educational paths based on the euclidean distance ability-to-learning object

An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) is a software process aiming to adapt the provisioning of educational information to student's needs and skills. An affective tutoring system (ATS) is an ITS platform that is focused on the affective status of the student user. The main components of the ITS/ ATS platforms are: the student module, the pedagogical module. , the domain module (DM) and the dialog module. The DM keeps in a database the information about courses and tests. The pedagogical module manages all the strategies of teaching and it closely works with the DM. In this research it is offered a new way of designing the DM. , enabling individualized interaction with the pedagogical module, based on a new concept of minimum Euclidean distance between a learning object and the student's ability (EDALO)-related to this learning object which is described by a 3 × 5 Reusable Learning Object Matrix (3×5RLOM). It was considered the domain module structured as a collection of reusable learning objects (RLO). The evaluation of the student ability versus these RLO is based on the Item Response Theory. It defines the learning path as a choice - of the ITS/ ATS platform - for the most appropriate RLO set from a RLO repository dedicated to teaching of the same concept.
Rational Irrationality: Modeling Climate Change Belief Polarization Using Bayesian Networks

UNLABELLED Belief polarization is said to occur when two people respond to the same evidence by updating their beliefs in opposite directions. This response is considered to be "irrational" because it involves contrary updating, a form of belief updating that appears to violate normatively optimal responding, as for example dictated by Bayes' theorem. In light of much evidence that people are capable of normatively optimal behavior, belief polarization presents a puzzling exception. We show that Bayesian networks, or Bayes nets, can simulate rational belief updating. When fit to experimental data, Bayes nets can help identify the factors that contribute to polarization. We present a study into belief updating concerning the reality of climate change in response to information about the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming (AGW). The study used representative samples of Australian and U.S. PARTICIPANTS Among Australians, consensus information partially neutralized the influence of worldview, with free-market supporters showing a greater increase in acceptance of human-caused global warming relative to free-market opponents. In contrast, while consensus information overall had a positive effect on perceived consensus among U.S. participants, there was a reduction in perceived consensus and acceptance of human-caused global warming for strong supporters of unregulated free markets. Fitting a Bayes net model to the data indicated that under a Bayesian framework, free-market support is a significant driver of beliefs about climate change and trust in climate scientists. Further, active distrust of climate scientists among a small number of U.S. conservatives drives contrary updating in response to consensus information among this particular group.
The Madonna-Whore Dichotomy Is Associated With Patriarchy Endorsement: Evidence From Israel, the United States, and Germany

The madonna-whore dichotomy denotes polarized perceptions of women as either good and chaste or as bad and promiscuous. In the present research, we examined the correlates of madonna-whore dichotomy among samples of heterosexual Israeli, U.S., and German women and heterosexual U.S. and German men. Demonstrating cross-cultural generalizability, madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement correlated with endorsement of patriarchy-supporting ideologies across samples. U.S. (but not German) men’s madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement negatively correlated with their sexual satisfaction in romantic relationships, which in turn predicted lower general relationship satisfaction. Among women, madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement did not correlate with sexual or general relationship satisfaction. These findings (a) support the feminist perspective on the madonna-whore dichotomy, which points to the role of the stereotype in policing women and limiting their sexual freedom; and (b) provide evidence that madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement can have personal costs for men. Increasing awareness to the motivations underlying the madonna-whore dichotomy endorsement and its costs can be beneficial at the social and personal levels for women and men, by providing knowledge that may help in developing focused interventions to change existing perceptions and scripts about sexuality, and perhaps foster more satisfying heterosexual relationships.
Thyroglobulin assay 4 weeks after thyroidectomy predicts outcome in low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma

Abstract Background: Thyroidectomy followed by administration of large activities of 131I is the treatment of choice for differentiated thyroid carcinomas. Due to its good prognosis, some authors argue that papillary thyroid cancer with a diameter of up to 10mm can be treated by surgery alone. In the new TNM classification started in 2002, the T1 group now encompasses all tumours with a diameter up to 20mm, which widens the indications for a conservative approach. In this instance, prognostic markers are needed to better select patients before planning non-aggressive treatment. Serum thyroglobulin plays a pivotal role in thyroid carcinoma management after thyroid ablation (i.e., surgery and radioiodine) but is of limited value before these treatments. However, thyroglobulin assay performed after surgery but before radioiodine treatment has been proven to be useful in predicting the presence/absence of distant metastasis. Patients and methods: Our study was undertaken in patients affected by pT1 papillary thyroid carcinoma to evaluate the predictive value of post-surgery thyroglobulin assay on 1) restaging immediately after radioiodine treatment and 2) restaging at 12months. We selected 156 patients affected by pT1 histologically proven papillary thyroid carcinoma, submitted to total thyroidectomy. Serum thyroglobulin was assayed by a specific immunoradiometric method 4weeks after surgery, just before radioiodine administration. Cut-off levels were selected by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Thyroglobulin levels were compared to the results of a post-radioiodine treatment scan and 12-month restaging. Results: Globally, 23 out of 156 patients showed persistent/recurrent disease (15%). Post-surgery thyroglobulin levels above 4. 50μg/L identified 94% of patients with metastasis at post-dose scan, and a level below 3. 20μg/L identified 86% and 93% of relapsed and disease-free patients at 12-month restaging, respectively. Multivariate analysis and Spearman rank correlation showed that the N-status and post-surgery thyroglobulin level are independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: The post-surgery thyroglobulin level could be systematically assayed in patients with pT1-papillary thyroid carcinoma and taken into account in planning treatment.
Acute Effect of Insulin on Autonomic Regulation of the Cardiovascular System: A Study by Heart Rate Spectral Analysis

Insulin is suggested to have direct effects on the cardiovascular system but these are not well described. We assessed the possible influence of insulin on autonomic control of heart function. A 2‐h hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp was performed in 10 healthy women (mean age 21.7 ± 1.3 years), at two different insulin infusion rates: 80 mU m−2 and 400 mU m−2 min−1, in 7 and 3 subjects, respectively. Saline alone was infused in 4 controls. Power spectral analysis (PSA) of heart rate was recorded before and after 90–120 min of insulin infusion, as were blood pressure and heart rate. Although there were no significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure, PSA showed marked reductions of high frequency (HF) bands after insulin (2.60 ± 0.12 vs 2.09 ± 0.16 log ms2, p < 0.005), as at both low and high infusion rates (2.46 ± 0.13 to 2.14 ± 0.23 log ms2, p < 0.05, and 2.92 ± 0.18 to 1.98 ± 0.06 log ms2, p < 0.01, respectively). There were no significant changes of low frequency (LF) bands. Densities at LF and HF did not change significantly in control studies. As HF and LF are considered to reflect parasympathetic and mainly sympathetic control respectively, our observation of an increased LF/HF ratio (0.13 ± 0.10 vs 0.63 ± 0.13, p < 0.005) may be considered an index of relative sympathetic predominance induced by insulin infusion. We conclude that insulin affects the cardiovascular system, reducing vagal influence on the heart and inducing a relative hypersympathetic tone.
Framing Contention: A Content Analysis of How U.S. Newspapers Report on the Policy Solutions of Climate-Change

By examining U.S. newspaper coverage of climate-change policy, this paper seeks to fill a gap in our understanding of how media covers this issue. With agenda setting and framing theories as its theoretical foundation, this project employs a systematic, quantitative content analysis of how the five largest U.S. newspapers reported the most recent national climatechange policy debate in 2009-2010. Based on what is known about public understanding of and attitudes about climate-change policy, it is hypothesized that media largely downplayed climatechange policy as an issue of national importance. The pilot study conducted for this project also pointed to coverage that would be dominated by economic costs and risks, little reporting on the effectiveness of policy to address climate change, and discourse dominated by political elites, such as members of Congress and President Obama. This project found that climate-change policy was downplayed as an important issue, only making the front page of newspapers a handful of times over the course of the two-year debate. Newspapers also mostly framed climate policy in terms of economic considerations, with little reporting on the efficacy of policy, possible benefits, the costs of inaction, or the social and moral dimensions of the issue. Extensive literature points to the negative impacts that this type of coverage has on public engagement in this issue. Lastly, by including opinion content in the analysis, this project determined that a more robust and diverse discourse is happening about
Comparison of body fluid distribution between chronic haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients as assessed by biophysical and biochemical methods.

BACKGROUND The control of extracellular volume is a key parameter for reducing hypertension and the incidence of cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. In recent years bioimpedance measurement (BIA) has been proven as a non-invasive and accurate method for measuring intracellular and extracellular fluid spaces in man. In addition, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphatase (cGMP) concentrations have been shown to reflect central venous filling. Using these methods, we compared body fluid status between stable patients on haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. METHODS Thirty-nine chronic haemodialysis patients, 43 chronic peritoneal dialysis patients and 22 healthy controls were included in the study. Multifrequency BIA was performed using the Xitron BIS4000B device (frequencies from 5 to 500 kHz were scanned and fitted) in patients before and after haemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis patients were measured after drainage of the dialysate. Plasma ANP and cGMP levels were measured in plasma using a (125)I solid phase RIA. Serum albumin concentrations and serum osmolality were measured in all patients. The body fluid data were analysed in relation with the clinical findings. RESULTS Total body water (TBW) was 0.471+/-0.066 l/kg before haemodialysis and 0.466+/-0.054 l/kg after haemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis patients had a TBW (0.498+/-0.063 l/kg) that was greater than the before and after dialysis values of haemodialysis patients. The extracellular body fluid (V(ecf)) was increased pre-haemodialysis. It was even greater in peritoneal dialysis patients compared with patients both pre- and post-haemodialysis (pre 0.276+/-0.037 l/kg; post 0.254+/-0.034 l/kg; peritoneal dialysis 0.293+/-0.042 l/kg, P<0.05). However, plasma ANP concentrations (representing intravascular filling) in peritoneal dialysis patients were comparable with post-haemodialysis values (284+/-191 pg/ml vs 286+/-144 pg/ml). The correlation coefficient between sysRR and V(ecf) was r=0.257 in haemodialysis (P=0.057) and r=0.258 in peritoneal dialysis (P<0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between serum albumin and V(ecf)/TBW in peritoneal dialysis patients (r= -0.624). CONCLUSION Body fluid analysis by BIA demonstrated that TBW and V(ecf) were increased in peritoneal dialysis patients, and were comparable or even greater than values found before haemodialysis. However, plasma ANP levels indicated that intravascular filling was not increased in peritoneal dialysis. The ratio of V(ecf) to TBW was correlated to systolic pressure and negatively to serum albumin in peritoneal dialysis patients.
Involvement of C-Terminal Histidines in Soybean PM1 Protein Oligomerization and Cu2+ Binding

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are widely distributed among plant species, where they contribute to abiotic stress tolerance. LEA proteins can be classified into seven groups according to conserved sequence motifs. The PM1 protein from soybean, which belongs to the Pfam LEA_1 group, has been shown previously to be at least partially natively unfolded, to bind metal ions and potentially to stabilize proteins and membranes. Here, we investigated the role of the PM1 C-terminal domain and in particular the multiple histidine residues in this half of the protein. We constructed recombinant plasmids expressing full-length PM1 and two truncated forms, PM1-N and PM1-C, which represent the N- and C-terminal halves of the protein, respectively. Immunoblotting and cross-linking experiments showed that full-length PM1 forms oligomers and high molecular weight (HMW) complexes in vitro and in vivo, while PM1-C, but not PM1-N, also formed oligomers and HMW complexes in vitro. When the histidine residues in PM1 and PM1-C were chemically modified, oligomerization was abolished, suggesting that histidines play a key role in this process. Furthermore, we demonstrated that high Cu2+ concentrations promote oligomerization and induce PM1 and PM1-C to form HMW complexes. Therefore, we speculate that PM1 proteins not only maintain ion homeostasis in the cytoplasm, but also potentially stabilize and protect other proteins during abiotic stress by forming a large, oligomeric molecular shield around biological targets.