Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Message Framing and Exemplars on Promoting Organ Donation

People in many countries are unwilling to donate organs. Drawing on previous research regarding the use of message framing and the theory of exemplification promoting intentions to donate organs, this study examined messaging strategies. This study used a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design to examine the joint effects of gain/loss frames and statistical/exemplar appeals on the intentions of 189 Taiwanese college students (108 women, 81 men; age range = 19–24 yr., M = 21.6, SD = 2.9) regarding organ donation. Each participant was randomly assigned to read one of four versions of an organ donation promotional message and then to complete a questionnaire. The analysis of variance showed a significant interaction between the two factors. Loss–exemplar messages elicited significantly more positive intentions toward donation than did loss–statistical messages. There was no significant difference between the statistical and exemplar appeals observed under the gain-framed condition. The practical implications of developing effective organ donation promotional materials and the limitations of this study are discussed.
Prospective evaluation of a modified Early Warning Score to aid earlier detection of patients developing critical illness on a general surgical ward

Admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) from the wards have a higher mortality when compared to patients admitted from the operating theatres/recovery and accident and emergency department.1 Suboptimal care may contribute to morbidity and mortality of patients admitted from the ward.2 Failure to appreciate physiological derangements of breathing and mental status has been demonstrated in patients who subsequently suffered cardiac arrest, and these events may have been apparent up to 8 h prior to the event.3 4 The Early Warning Score (EWS) was developed as a simple scoring system to be used at ward level utilising routine observations taken by nursing staff.5 Deviations from the normal score points and a total is calculated. The EWS was evaluated prospectively for 1 month. The score was then modified to include urine output, to make temperature deviations less sensitive and to include normalised blood pressure (Table 8). We then evaluated this prospectively for 9 months. A total score of 4 or more resulted in the patient being reviewed by ward medical staff and help sought from the intensive care team if appropriate. Over a 9-month period 206 patients on two general surgical wards were put on the scoring system, of these 26 were admitted to the ICU. The APACHE II scores of these patients was 16.6 (± 7.3). Eleven patients were admitted to the ICU from the surgical ward who had not been monitored on the modified EWS and their admission APACHE II scores were 23.5 (± 4.1). This compares with admission APACHE II scores of 22.3 (± 5.5) in 43 patients admitted from surgical wards in the 9-month period prior to introduction of the system. The introduction of the system has appeared to lead to earlier referral to the intensive care unit.
Psychometric Properties of the Three Pathways to Well-Being Scale in a Large Sample of Argentinean Adolescents

The Authentic Happiness Theory considers that well-being can be reached by three main pathways: a pleasant life, an engaged life, or a meaningful life. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Three Pathways to Well-being scale in Argentinean adolescents and compares that to prior results for Argentinean adults. A sample of 255 Argentinean adolescent students (110 boys, 145 girls) aged between 13 and 18 years (M age = 15.5, SD = 1.6) was used in this study. The participants completed the Spanish versions of the Three Pathways to Well-being scale, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Personal Wellbeing Index. Confirmatory factor analyses verified the three-factor structure of the test, accounting for 46% of the variance. The internal consistencies were α = . 76 for the pleasant life, α = . 80 for the engaged life, and α = . 70 for the meaningful life. Concurrent validity was examined with the Satisfaction With Life Scale, the Personal Wellbeing Index, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the engaged life was the pathway most strongly associated with the positive related measures.
Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Index of Teaching Stress—Short Form (ITS—SF)

WITHDRAWAL NOTICE for Cleliazurlo, M. , Pes, D. , & Romano, R. (2015). Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Index of Teaching Stress— Short Form (ITS—SF). Psychological Reports, 117(3), 763–780. DOI: 10.2466/ 08.PR0. 117c24z5 The article has been withdrawn at the request of the author. The author contacted the journal to inform them that PARS, the rightsholder of the Index of Teaching Stress (“ITS”), expressed concern at the author’s unauthorized creation and publication of a short form version of the ITS. Although the author had received permission to validate an Italian version of ITS, the rights holder did not permit the development and publication of the resulting short form, and requested the article be withdrawn from access. If you have any questions about this, please contact SAGE. This study analyses factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian short version of the Index of Teaching Stress–Short Form (ITS–SF). The original version of the ITS (90 items) was submitted to 567 teachers randomly drawn from a cross-section of school levels. Confirmatory factor analysis to check the factor structure was unsatisfactory, and Cronbach's α (.98) indicated a redundancy of items. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted for each section of the test and cross-loading items were eliminated. The resulting ITS–SF consists of 43 items, tapping eight meaningful and adequately reliable dimensions substantially corresponding to all dimensions measured by the original version of the ITS. The Italian short version of the Index of Teaching Stress constitutes a reliable measure of teacher stress in educative interactions.
Rating of Perceived Exertion and Affective Responses during Tai Chi Chuan

Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and affective responses were assessed during Tai Chi Chuan. A total of 16 women (M age = 61.2 yr., SD = 8.8) participated in this study. Individuals practiced Tai Chi Chuan three times / week during seven weeks, and were assessed session-by-session (21 Wu Tai Chi Chuan sessions) in three moments (15, 30, and 45 min.) using Borg's scale (CR 0–10) and the Feeling Scale (+5/–5). With regard to RPE, there was a difference between 15 and 30 min. and between 15 and 45 min. The same pattern of differences was observed for the affective response. The RPE during the seven weeks ranged from “fairly light” to “moderate” and the affective response from “good” to “very good. ” Thus, Tai Chi Chuan was perceived as a low-moderate intensity and pleasurable (positive affect) exercise by middle-aged and elderly women.
Use of T2-weighted images in computer-aided diagnosis for breast MRI

Poster: "ECR 2008 / C-104 / Use of T2-weighted images in computer-aided diagnosis for breast MRI" by: "W. van Aalst1, T. Twellmann1, H. Buurman2, F. Gerritsen2, B. M. ter Haar Romeny1; 1Eindhoven/NL, 2Best/NL"
Factor Structure of Quality of Life in Adolescents

The goal was to present the factor structure of subjective quality of life in adolescents, investigated by means of four questionnaires: the Youth Quality of Life-Research Version (YQOL–R), the Quality of Life Profile–Adolescent Version (QOLP–AV), the KIDSCREEN-52 Questionnaire, and the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (QLQ–CA). Two exploratory factor analyses conducted on the results obtained from two samples of adolescents: healthy, N=252 (144 girls, 108 boys), and chronically ill, suffering from several illnesses, N=189 (118 girls, 71 boys). Both factor analyses revealed four-factor solutions, each explaining about 60% of the total variance. The factor structure for the healthy group approximately reproduced the structures of the four questionnaires: Developmental quality of life (23%), Health and Well-being (16%), Relational quality of life (14%), and Ego strength (8%). The factor structure for the chronically ill group was similar for three factors: Developmental quality of life (22%), Harmony between the self and the environment (14%), and Coping and Support (12%), but different for another one: Health-related quality of life (10%). The discussion focuses on the specific nature of four aspects of quality of life observed in the healthy sample and their similarities to and differences from the factors in the chronic patients' sample.
Effects of Medical Disputes on Internet Communications of Negative Emotions and Negative Online Word-of-Mouth

Emotions play an important role in human behavior. Negative emotions resulting from medical disputes are problems for medical personnel to solve but also have a significant impact on a hospital's reputation and people's trust in the hospital. One medical dispute case was chosen from an Internet news source to assess the correlation between people's negative emotions and negative online word-of-mouth. Convenience sampling was used in school faculties and university students who had shared their medical treatment experiences online were the research participants. A total of 221 Taiwanese participants volunteered (158 women, 63 men; ages: 26.7% under 19, 22.6% 20–29, 30.8% 30–39, 19.9% over 40). Four negative emotions were measured using rating scales: uncertainty, anger, disappointment, and sadness. Four negative online word-of-mouth measures were: venting, advice search, helping receiver, and revenge. A modeled relationship was assessed by partial least square method (PLS). Then, people's positive emotions were further analyzed to assess changes after spreading negative word-of-mouth. The results showed that uncertainty had a positive effect on venting and advice search. People who felt anger or regret spread word-of-mouth in order to help the receiver. Disappointment may trigger the revenge behavior of negative word-of-mouth. Negative emotions could be relieved after engaging in the behavior of helping the receiver.
MIC Distributions and Epidemiological Cut-off Values for Azithromycin in Neisseria gonorrhoeae as Determined by Agar Dilution

Background: Clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cutoff values for N. gonorrhoeae azithromycin antimicrobial susceptibility testing have not been established. This study utilized existing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) data from CDC's Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) to establish epidemiological cutoff values for azithromycin and N. gonorrhoeae as determined by agar dilution. Methods: MIC distributions for the pooled dataset and each data year (2005-2012) were constructed. Epidemiological cutoff values were calculated using two methods. Method 1 considers the wild-type MIC distribution, the modal MIC for the distribution, and the inherent variability of the test (±1 twofold-dilution). Method 2 defines the epidemiological cutoff value as two twofold-dilutions higher than the MIC 50. Results: Taking into consideration the wild-type MIC distributions and the inherent variability of the test, the epidemiological cutoff value chosen for the pooled dataset and each data year using Method 1 was ≤1.0 µg/mL. The MIC 50 for the pooled dataset and each data year was 0.25 µg/mL. Two twofold-dilutions higher than the MIC 50 (0.25 µg/mL) for the pooled dataset and each data year was 1.0 µg/mL. Discussion: The epidemiological cutoff values chosen using methods 1 and 2 (≤1.0 µg/mL) were identical for the pooled dataset and each data year, indicating the epidemiological cutoff value has not changed from 2005-2012. The epidemiological cutoff value for N. gonorrhoeae azithromycin agar dilution antimicrobial susceptibility testing established during this study can be used to help set clinical breakpoints and identify isolates with reduced susceptibility to azithromycin. In presenting this thesis as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the Library of the University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote from, to copy from, or to publish this thesis may be granted by the author or, in his/her absence, by the professor under whose direction it was written, or in his/her absence, by the Associate Dean, College of Health and Human Sciences. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and will not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation which involves potential financial gain will not be allowed without written permission of the author. All theses deposited in the Georgia State University Library must be used in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the …
Arm Movement as a Cue for the Estimation of Visual Location

Two experiments including 24 (M age = 29 yr., SD = 9; 6 men) and 25 participants (M age = 27 yr., SD = 9; 8 men), respectively, examined how arm movement extent affects the perception of visual locations. Linear arm movements were performed on a horizontal plane from a start position until an auditory signal occurred. Subsequently, the position of a visual target located along the movement path was judged. The target was judged as further away with an increase in movement extent. The results indicated that motor-related signals are taken into account in visual perception of locations. There were no indications, though, that changes of location perception prompted subsequent changes of action planning, which demonstrates the short-term nature of action-induced plasticity of space perception under the present conditions.
Barriers to immunization among children of migrant workers from Myanmar living in Tak province, Thailand.

PROBLEM Immunization is a cost-effective means of improving child survival but implementation of programmes in low- and middle-income countries is variable. Children of migrants are less likely to be immunized. APPROACH The qualitative study aimed to identify barriers to the successful implementation of migrant immunization programmes in Tak province, Thailand. We ran a total of 53 focus groups involving 371 participants in three sites. LOCAL SETTING Tak province in Thailand borders Myanmar and has an estimated 200,000 migrants from Myanmar. Vaccine-preventable diseases are a documented cause of morbidity in this population but there is no systematic or coordinated immunization programme in the area. RELEVANT CHANGES As a result of the findings, the subsequent immunization campaign targeted children in school to overcome those barriers of distance to immunization services, fear of arrest, not remembering immunization appointments, and the disruption of parental work. The campaigns also included immunization education for both parents and teachers. LESSONS LEARNT Migrant parents identified similar barriers to accessing childhood immunization programmes as migrant populations elsewhere in the world, although a unique barrier identified by parents from Myanmar was "fear of arrest". The subsequent school-based strategy to overcome these barriers appears to be effective.
Towards Hybrid EEG-EMG-Based Control Approaches to be Used in Bio-robotics Applications: Current Status, Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract In the last few decades, bio-robotics applications such as exoskeletons, prosthetics and robotic wheelchairs have progressed from machines in science fiction to nearly commercialized products. Though there are still several challenges associated with electromyography (EMG) signals, the advances in use of EMG signals for controlling such bio-robotics applications have been enormous. Similarly, recent trends and attempts in developing electroencephalography- (EEG) based control methods have shown the potential of this area in the modern bio-robotics field. However, the EEG-based control methods are also yet to be perfected. A new approach of combining both these control methods, which take the advantages, and diminish the disadvantages, of each system might therefore be a promising approach. In this paper, we review hybrid fusion of EMG- and EEG-based control approaches in the bio-robotics field which have been attempted or developed to date. We provide a design overview of the method and consider the main features and merits/disadvantagages for the approaches that have been analyzed. We also discuss the current challenges regarding these hybrid EEG-EMG control approaches and propose some potential future directions.
Possible precursory accelerated Benioff strain in the region of Sistan Suture Zone of Eastern Iran

We investigated whether accelerated seismic strain release precedes large earthquakes occurring in and around the Sistan Suture Zone, Eastern Iran. Online catalogs of teleseismic events occurring post-1960 within the region 27.0°–37.0°N, 55.0°–65.0°E, report five Mw > 7.0 earthquakes, namely, 1968 Dasht-e-Bayaz, 1978 Tabas, 1979 Khuli-Buniabad, 1981 Sirch and 1997 Zirkuh-e-Q’aenat events. We defined four earthquake test episodes, 1968–1978, 1978–1981, 1979–1981, and 1981–1997, with all catalogued intermediate events having magnitudes within 2.0 units that of the final large event. Using the 1968 event as the starting point, we investigated possible increased moderate earthquake activity patterns prior to the large events of 1978, 1981 and 1997 by examining if the cumulative Benioff strain released from such preceding events followed a power law time-to-failure. Our investigation seem to suggest that the 1978, 1981 and 1997 events (i) followed a period of accelerated moderate earthquake activity and (ii) the radius of their optimal critical region, R, scaled with their magnitude, M, according to the scaling law log R ∝ 0.36 M. Our suggestions conform to those proposed by similar investigations in varied seismotectonic regimes.
Biomass power plants and health problems among nearby residents: A case study in Thailand

ObjectivesElectricity generation from biomass has become a boom business. However, currently, concerns over their environmental and health impact have emerged. This study aimed to explore these health problems by studying two small biomass power plants in Thailand.Materials and MethodsData concerning chronic diseases and health symptoms was collected from 392 people by trained interviewers by the use of a questionnaire.ResultsResidents living within 1 km from the power plants had a higher prevalence of allergies (Odds ratio = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5–4.0), asthma (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.0–4.4) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.0–8.4). The risks of other symptoms, itching/rash, eye irritation, cough, stuffy nose, allergic symptoms, sore throat, and difficulty breathing among those living within 0.5 km from the power plants (OR = 2.5–8.5) were even more marked.ConclusionsIt has been concluded that without a proper control, pollution from the biomass power plants can cause significant health problems to the nearby residents.
Serum Lipids and their Correlates in Chinese Urban and Rural Populations of Beijing and Guangzhou

In 1983 and 1984, surveys were conducted in four Chinese population samples, urban and rural for both Beijing and Guangzhou, as part of PRC-USA collaborative research in cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary epidemiology. Serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were measured in 4280 men and 4695 women aged 35-54 years, in laboratories standardized by the US Centers for Disease Control. Age-adjusted mean serum TC was higher in urban than rural samples and generally higher in Beijing than Guangzhou, ranging from 155 mg/dL for Guangzhou rural women to 187 mg/dl for Guangzhou urban women. Group mean values of HDL-C varied from 48 to 59 mg/dl, higher in Beijing than Guangzhou, and higher in women than men. TC/HDL-C ratio ranged from 3.05 to 3.82. Serum TG values were higher for Beijing than Guangzhou; the lowest group mean values of 78 mg/dl and 75 mg/dl were in rural Guangzhou men and women. Mean body mass index (BMI) was uniformly low, ranging from 20 kg/m2 for rural Guangzhou to 24 kg/m2 for urban Beijing. Multiple regression analyses showed that BMI was positively and independently related to serum TC, LDL-C, TG, and TC/HDL-C, and inversely related to HDL-C. Smoking was positively related in both sexes to TG and TC/HDL-C, and inversely related to HDL-C. Smoking was also positively related to TC and LDL-C in men. In men, alcohol was positively related to TC and HDL-C, and was inversely related to TG and TC/HDL-C. Heavy manual work was inversely related to TC, LDL-C, and TC/HDL-C in men, but not related to lipids in women. Thus, for these Chinese population samples, despite their lower serum TC and BMI, the correlates of serum lipids are similar to those in western populations. These variables accounted for only part of the observed urban-rural and north-south differences in serum lipids among these Chinese population samples. The significance of the relatively low serum TC and TG and high HDL-C in relation to low cardiovascular disease in Chinese populations is the object of further investigation in follow-up studies.
Psychological Models of Aging: How, Who, and What? A Comment

RÉSUMÉ Schroots soulève d'importantes questions ayant trait au processus du vieillissement, notamment «De quelle façon devrions-nous étudier le processus du vieillissement? », «Quelles personnes devrions-nous étudier? », et «Quel est le meilleur moyen d'établir les modèles de changement? ». J'aborde ces questions en utilisant des analogies dans leur sens large, comme «gérodynamique» et entropie, et je défends une stratégie qui détermine des phénomènes de base pour fournir une explication et utilise la simulation par ordinateur pour modeler ces phénomènes.
Blood lead, cadmium and mercury among children from urban, industrial and rural areas of Fez Boulemane Region (Morocco): Relevant factors and early renal effects

ObjectivesTo describe blood lead (Pb-B), cadmium (Cd-B) and mercury (Hg-B) levels in children living in urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city (north of Morocco) and to identify the determinants and some renal effects of exposure.Material and MethodsThe study was conducted from June 2007 to January 2008 in 209 school children (113 girls, 96 boys), aged 6–12 years, from urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city. Interview and questionnaires data were obtained. Blood and urinary samples were analyzed.ResultsThe mean of blood lead levels (Pb-B) in our population was 55.53 μg/l (range: 7.5–231.1 μg/l). Children from the urban area had higher blood lead levels (BLLs) mean (82.36 μg/l) than children from industrial and rural areas (48.23 and 35.99 μg/l, respectively); with no significant difference between boys and girls. BLLs were associated with traffic intensity, passive smoking and infancy in the urban area. The mean of blood cadmium levels (BCLs) was 0.22 μg/l (range: 0.06–0.68 μg/l), with no difference between various areas. Rural boys had higher BCLs mean than rural girls, but no gender influence was noticed in the other areas. BCLs were associated with the number of cigarettes smoked at children’s homes. The blood mercury levels (BMLs) mean was 0.49 μg/l (range: 0.01–5.31 μg/l). The BMLs mean was higher in urban and industrial areas than in the rural area with no gender-related difference. BMLs were associated with amalgam fillings and infancy in the urban area. About 8% of the children had BLLs ≥ 100 μg/l particularly in the urban area, microalbuminuria and a decrease in height were noticed in girls from the inner city of Fez and that can be related to high BLLs (89.45 μg/l). ConclusionsThere is a need to control and regulate potential sources of contamination by these trace elements in children; particularly for lead.