Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Realizing Challenges and Guarding Against Threats: Interactive Effects of Regulatory Focus and Stress on Performance

Self-regulation seems crucial to understanding how employees perform under stress because employees must regulate their thoughts, feelings, and behavior to deal effectively with work stress. Integrating regulatory focus theory and the challenge–hindrance stressor framework, we theorized that the effects of regulatory focus on job performance would vary as a function of the level of stress employees experience. Specifically, we contend that employees are more efficacious and motivated (and thus perform better) when they have established goal and coping strategies that allow them to cope with the stress they face; those lacking in these strategies are likely to find the stress overwhelming and taxing (and perform worse). Using multisource data of 160 salespersons, we investigated this relationship with two measures of job performance. We found that challenge stress moderates the relationship between promotion focus and job performance: When challenge stress is high, promotion focus is positively related to job performance; when low, promotion focus is negatively or not significantly related to job performance. We also found that hindrance stress moderates the relationship between prevention focus and job performance: When hindrance stress is low, prevention focus is negatively related to job performance, but when high, prevention focus is positively related to job performance. Moreover, we find some support for three-way interactions suggesting that using mismatched goal and coping strategies is especially harmful. Our results explain performance differences in high-stress situations and highlight the important role of self-regulation when employees are in stressful conditions.
Correlates of Parental Misperception of Their Child’s Weight Status: The ‘Be Active, Eat Right’ Study

Objective This study reported on correlates of parental perception of their child’s weight status. Associations between parental misperception (i.e., underestimation of the child’s weight) and parental intention to improve their child’s overweight-related health behaviors and their child meeting guidelines regarding these behaviors were also investigated. Methods Baseline data from the population-based ‘Be active, eat right study’ were used. The population for analysis consisted of 630 overweight and 153 obese five year-old children and their parents. Questionnaires were used to measure parental perception of the child’s weight status, correlates of misperception (i.e., child age, child gender, child BMI, parental age, parental gender, parental country of birth, parental educational level and parental weight status), overweight-related health behaviors (i.e., child playing outside, having breakfast, drinking sweet beverages, and watching TV), and parental intention to improve these behaviors. Height and weight were measured using standardized protocols. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results In total, 44.40% of the parents misperceived their child’s weight status. Parental misperception was associated with lower child BMI, the parent being the father, a foreign parental country of birth, and a lower parental education level (p<0.05). Parental misperception was not associated with parental intention to improve child overweight-related health behavior, nor with child meeting the guidelines of these behaviors. Discussion This study showed that almost half of the parents with an overweight or obese child misperceived their child’s weight status. A correct parental perception may be a small stepping-stone in improving the health of overweight and obese children.
Bulk Data Dissemination in Low Power Sensor Networks: Present and Future Directions

Wireless sensor network-based (WSN-based) applications need an efficient and reliable data dissemination service to facilitate maintenance, management and data distribution tasks. As WSNs nowadays are becoming pervasive and data intensive, bulk data dissemination protocols have been extensively studied recently. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art bulk data dissemination protocols. The large number of papers available in the literature propose various techniques to optimize the dissemination protocols. Different from the existing survey works which separately explores the building blocks of dissemination, our work categorizes the literature according to the optimization purposes: Reliability, Scalability and Transmission/Energy efficiency. By summarizing and reviewing the key insights and techniques, we further discuss on the future directions for each category. Our survey helps unveil three key findings for future direction: (1) The recent advances in wireless communications (e.g., study on cross-technology interference, error estimating codes, constructive interference, capture effect) can be potentially exploited to support further optimization on the reliability and energy efficiency of dissemination protocols; (2) Dissemination in multi-channel, multi-task and opportunistic networks requires more efforts to fully exploit the spatial-temporal network resources to enhance the data propagation; (3) Since many designs incur changes on MAC layer protocols, the co-existence of dissemination with other network protocols is another problem left to be addressed.
Moving Beyond Alcohol: A Review of Other Issues Associated With Fraternity Membership With Implications for Practice and Research

This review of research synthesizes more than a decade of published studies on problems associated with fraternity membership beyond alcohol misuse. Topics include sex-related issues, drug use, hazing, and other issues such as gambling, academic dishonesty, campus civility, and fake identification use. Recommendations suggest the need for a role shift for campus fraternity/sorority professionals and advocate for a renewal of peer education programming specific to fraternities. Findings also call attention to research issues hindering our understanding of fraternity membership and offer suggestions for refining future studies.
Juvenile probation officers: How the perception of roles affects training experiences for evidence-based practice implementation

The articles and reviews that appear in Federal Probation express the points of view of the persons who wrote them and not necessarily the points of view of the agencies and organizations with which these persons are affiliated. Moreover, Federal Probation's publication of the articles and reviews is not to be taken as an endorsement of the material by the editors, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, or the Federal Probation and Pretrial Services System.
Behavioral/systems/cognitive Functional Anatomical Evidence for Respiratory Rhythmogenic Function of Endogenous Bursters in Rat Medulla

Endogenous burster neurons (EBs) have been found at the level of the facial nucleus (VIIn), and 500 ␮m caudally, within the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC). They have been proposed as either causal to or playing no role in respiratory rhythmogenesis. Little is known about their broader distribution in ventrolateral medulla. Here, a Ca 2ϩ indicator was used to record respiratory network activity in ventrolateral medulla, and, following synaptic blockade, to identify EBs active at perfusate K ϩ concentrations ([K ϩ ] o) of 3, 6, and 9 mM. Recordings were made along the respiratory column, extending 300 ␮m rostrally, and 1100 ␮m caudally from the caudal pole of VIIn (VIIc), in the in vitro tilted sagittal slab preparation, isolated from neonate male and female Sprague Dawley rats. Activity under matching [K ϩ ] o in the intact respiratory network was subsequently investigated. Respiratory neurons (n ϭ 401) formed statistically significant clusters at the VIIc, within the preBötC, and 100 ␮m caudal to the preBötC. EBs (n ϭ 693) formed statistically significant clusters that overlapped with respiratory clusters at the VIIc and preBötC. EB activity increased significantly as [K ϩ ] o was increased, as did neurons that remained coupled following synaptic blockade. The overlap between respiratory and EB clusters in regions of ventrolateral medulla identified as rhythmogenic supports the hypothesis that EBs are constituents of rhythmogenic networks. In addition, the observation of truncated inspiratory bursts and ectopic bursting in respiratory neurons when [K ϩ ] o was elevated in the intact network is consistent with a causal role for EBs in respiratory rhythmogenesis.
Single-walled carbon nanotubes promote rat vascular adventitial fibroblasts to transform into myofibroblasts by SM22-α expression

The aim of this study was to explore whether single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be used as artery tissue-engineering materials by promoting vascular adventitial fibroblasts (VAFs) to transform into myofibroblasts (MFs) and to find the signal pathway involved in this process. VAFs were primary cultured and incubated with various doses of SWCNTs suspension (0, 0.8, 3.2, 12.5, 50, and 200 μg/mL). In the present study, we used three methods (MTT, WST-1, and WST-8) at the same time to detect the cell viability and immunofluorescence probe technology to investigate the effects of oxidative injury after VAFs incubated with SWCNTs. Immunocytochemical staining was used to detect SM22-α expression to confirm whether VAFs transformed into MFs. The protein levels were detected by western blotting. The results of immunocytochemical staining showed that SM22-α was expressed after incubation with 50 μg/mL SWCNTs for 96 hours, but with oxidative damage. The mRNA and protein levels of SM22-α, C-Jun N-terminal kinase, TGF-β1, and TGF-β receptor II in VAFs increased with the dose of SWCNTs. The expression of the p-Smad2/3 protein was upregulated while the Smad7 protein was significantly down-regulated. Smad4 was translocated to the nucleus to regulate SM22-α gene expression. In conclusion, SWCNTs promoted VAFs to transform into MFs with SM22-α expression by the C-Jun N-terminal kinase/Smads signal pathway at the early stage (48 hours) but weakened quickly. SWCNTs also promoted the transformation by the TGF-βl/Smads signal pathway at the advanced stage in a persistent manner. These results indicate that SWCNTs can possibly be used as artery tissue-engineering materials.
A reverse transcriptase-PCR based assay for in-vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing of Chlamydia pneumoniae.

Infections caused by Chlamydia spp are an important cause of human disease, and the accuracy and reproducibility of antimicrobial susceptibility tests for these bacteria could have considerable clinical implications. We have developed a reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) based method to determine the antibiotic susceptibility of Chlamydia spp. , and compared this with conventional tests using immunofluoresence (IF) staining. The MICs of antimicrobial agents for a test strain of Chlamydia pneumoniae were higher by RT-PCR as compared with IF staining, indicating the greater stringency of the former method. Using RT-PCR, doxycycline and tetracycline were the most active agents (MIC 1 mg/L), followed by erythromycin (1.6 mg/L), and ciprofloxacin (16 mg/L). Neither trimethoprim nor sulphamethoxazole (400 mg/L) inhibited growth as assessed by both techniques. The RT-PCR based method may thus represent an improved and less time consuming assay for in-vitro determination of the antibiotic susceptibility of Chlamydia spp.
Signs of illness in Kenyan infants aged less than 60 days.

OBJECTIVE Little data has been published on the presenting symptoms and signs among ill infants aged <60 days from developing countries. We aimed to describe and evaluate the potential of simple clinical features to identify severe illness among young infants who present to rural district hospitals in Kenya. METHODS Standardized assessment tools were designed to record clinical symptoms and signs. Data were collected prospectively on all infants aged <60 days who weighed > or = 1.5 kg and were admitted over an 18-month period. The same data were collected, prospectively from infants recruited to a contemporaneous hospital birth cohort who became ill and were assessed and treated as outpatients at the same hospital. FINDINGS Data on 467 outpatient consultations and 769 inpatient episodes were available for analysis. These data highlighted the importance of findings in the history, particularly breathing difficulties, abnormal feeding, and abnormal behaviour, as well as clinical signs in the evaluation of young infants. They indicated possible important differences in the panel of signs useful for detecting severe illness in infants aged 0-6 days and those aged 7-59 days. They also showed that some simplification of current guidelines that still preserved the sensitivity and specificity for detecting very severe disease might be possible. CONCLUSION Simple clinical features may allow distinction between severe and non-severe illness to be made with reasonable confidence. Prospective studies on an adequate scale are needed urgently to provide current integrated management of childhood illness guidelines for young infants with an adequate evidence base.
Dendritic cells respond to nasopharygeal carcinoma cells through annexin A2-recognizing DC-SIGN

Dendritic cells (DCs) play an essential role in immunity and are used in cancer immunotherapy. However, these cells can be tuned by tumors with immunosuppressive responses. DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule 3-Grabbing Nonintegrin (DC-SIGN), a C-type lectin expressed on DCs, recognizes certain carbohydrate structures which can be found on cancer cells. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial cell-derived malignant tumor, in which immune response remains unclear. This research is to reveal the molecular link on NPC cells that induces the immunosuppressive responses in DCs. In this article, we report identification of annexin A2 (ANXA2) on NPC cells as a ligand for DC-SIGN on DCs. N-linked mannose-rich glycan on ANXA2 may mediate the interaction. ANXA2 was abundantly expressed in NPC, and knockdown of ANXA2 suppressed NPC xenograft in mice, suggesting a crucial role of ANXA2 in NPC growth. Interaction with NPC cells caused DC-SIGN activation in DCs. Consequently DC maturation and the proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-12 production were inhibited, and the immunosuppressive IL-10 production was promoted. Blockage of either DC-SIGN or ANXA2 eliminated the production of IL-10 from DCs. This report suggests that suppression of ANXA2 at its expression or glycosylation on NPC may improve DC-mediated immunotherapy for the tumor.
Make it to work (and back home) safely: the effect of psychological work stressors on employee behaviour while commuting by car

ABSTRACT Despite empirical data suggesting that commuting accidents are a major problem worldwide, research on employee behaviour while commuting by car is scant. In particular, our understanding of the antecedents of unsafe commuting behaviour is limited mainly to demographic variables and work-related physical stressors. Our study addressed this lacuna by investigating the association between work-related psychological stressors and unsafe commuting behaviour. In addition, we developed and validated a scale for measuring commuting norms and considered the permissiveness of these norms as a mediator in the stressor-commuting behaviour association. The results, based on data collected from 216 employees in a large manufacturing plant at 2 points in time, indicated that abusive supervision and work–family conflict were both positively related to unsafe commuting behaviour, and that the permissiveness of commuting norms partially mediated these relationships. The potential role of work organizations in educating employees about commuting behaviour and driving safety is discussed.
No cerebrocervical venous congestion in patients with multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by demyelination centered around cerebral veins. Recent studies suggested this topographic pattern may be caused by venous congestion, a condition termed chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). Published sonographic criteria of CCSVI include reflux in the deep cerebral veins and/or the internal jugular and vertebral veins (IJVs and VVs), stenosis of the IJVs, missing flow in IJVs and VVs, and inverse postural response of the cerebral venous drainage.
Cold-water coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds: hotspots of benthic respiration and organic carbon cycling in the deep sea

Cold-water coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds are distributed widely in the deep ocean, where only a small fraction of the surface productivity reaches the seafloor as detritus. It remains elusive how these hotspots of biodiversity can thrive in such a food-limited environment, as data on energy flow and organic carbon utilization are critically lacking. Here we report in situ community respiration rates for cold-water coral and sponge ecosystems obtained by the non-invasive aquatic Eddy Correlation technique. Oxygen uptake rates over coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds in the Traena Coral Field (Norway) were 9-20 times higher than those of the surrounding soft sediments. These high respiration rates indicate strong organic matter consumption, and hence suggest a local focusing onto these ecosystems of the downward flux of organic matter that is exported from the surface ocean. Overall, our results show that coral reefs and adjacent sponge grounds are hotspots of carbon processing in the food-limited deep ocean, and that these deep-sea ecosystems play a more prominent role in marine biogeochemical cycles than previously recognized.
Being Brazilian, Becoming Canadian: Acculturation Strategies, Quality of Life, Negative Affect, and Well-being in a Sample of Brazilian Immigrants Living in the Greater Toronto Area

Acculturation is a predominant feature of today’s society and one that has unique implications for immigrants’ mental health. Given that two thirds of Canada’s population growth is due to immigration, understanding the effects of acculturation on newcomers should be a central focus of academic research. The present study utilized an exploratory quantitative method to investigate the associations between acculturation strategies, quality of life, and negative affect in a sample of 180 Brazilian immigrants living in the Greater Toronto Area. The mediating and moderating roles of quality of life (QOL) were explored, as well as which patterns of acculturation strategies were associated with enhanced well-being, represented by low negative affect (NA), high QOL, and high Satisfaction with Life in Canada (SLCI). Clusters analysis identified patterns of acculturation strategy use, resulting in four acculturation profiles: integrated, assimilated, separated, and marginalized. Results indicated that QOL did not act as either a mediator or moderator of the relationship between acculturation profiles and NA. With regard to well-being indicators, acculturation profiles successfully predicted NA and SLCI, with the Assimilated being the most favourable profile evidenced by its lowest NA and highest SLCI
Is There Any Additional Benefit of Contrast-Enhanced CT as Part of Routine PET/CT Protocols for the Differentiation of Suspicious Incidental Gastrointestinal 2-Deoxy-18F-FDG Uptake?

Objective Suspicious incidental gastrointestinal FDG uptake during positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examinations can be caused by different diseases, including malignancies. However, differentiation with PET alone is difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of PET alone, contrast-enhanced CT (ceCT), and low-dose CT (ldCT) in routine PET/CT protocols for differentiation of incidental gastrointestinal lesions. Materials and Methods Sixty patients with incidental gastrointestinal lesions who underwent a routine PET/CT protocol with ldCT and ceCT were retrospectively analysed. The PET lesions were evaluated regarding their FDG uptake patterns and the standard uptake value. The anatomical correlates in both CT protocols were compared in regard to the correct lesion classification with the reference standard endoscopy. Results Sixty-two lesions were found in 60 patients (17 malignant, 10 premalignant, 5 benign, 13 inflammatory, 17 physiological). The differentiation of the FDG uptake patterns did not enable reliable lesion classification. The positive predictive value for pathology was 0.81 for ceCT in PET/CT and 0.70 for ldCT. Malignancies were detected in 100% of the patients by ceCT vs. 29.4% by ldCT. The false negative rate of ceCT for all pathologies was 31.1%, vs. 68.9% for ldCT. False positive results (17/62) could not be excluded sufficiently by either CT protocol. Conclusion PET/ceCT protocols provide additional benefit especially in detecting gastrointestinal malignancies as a cause of suspicious incidental gastrointestinal FDG uptake. However, since follow-up endoscopy cannot be forgone due to the considerable false negative rate even with ceCT, the addition of ceCT to a routine PET/ldCT protocol cannot be recommended for this purpose.
Clean city politics: An urban political ecology of solid waste in West Bengal, India

Solid waste management is often perceived as one of the most pressing environmental problems facing local governments in urban India and elsewhere in the global south. However, solid waste is not simply a managerial problem but is in many ways a highly political issue that involves diverse political actors at different scales. Particularly at the local level, solid waste management can also be a key part of broader political strategies, acting through its unique materiality as an environmental artefact and social relic. In this paper, we use an urban political ecology approach to examine a recent segregation-at-source project in a small town in West Bengal as a lens to understand more general multi-scalar, socio-political urban processes. Drawing primarily upon qualitative field research, the paper shows how diffuse forms of power and different governmentalities were applied between and within state-level government agents, municipal authorities, local waste workers and local communities to implement and (re)shape this project. The research points to the complexity of urban environmental governance and everyday politics in which action repertoires ranging from threats, the creation of environmental and hygienic subjects, moral appeals and economic rationality, underpinned by the harmful character of waste and by socio-cultural imaginaries thereof, (re)produced uneven political ecologies of waste between and within different neighbourhoods of the city.
Convex Duality in Constrained Portfolio Optimization

We study the stochastic control problem of maximizing expected utility from terminal wealth and/or consumption, when the portfolio is constrained to take values in a given closed, convex subset of R^d. The setting is that of a continuous-time, Ito process model for the underlying asset prices. General existence results are established for optimal portfolio/consumption strategies, by suitably embedding the constrained problem in an appropriate family of unconstrained ones, and finding a member of this family for which the corresponding optimal policy obeys the constraints. Equivalent conditions for optimality are obtained, and explicit solutions leading to feedback formulae are derived for special utility functions and for deterministic coefficients. Results on incomplete markets, on short-selling constraints and on different interest rates for borrowing and lending are covered as special cases. The mathematical tools are those of continuous-time martingales, convex analysis and duality theory.