Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the Relationship between Motor Symptoms, Affective States and Contextual Factors in Parkinson’s Disease: A Feasibility Study of the Experience Sampling Method

Background In Parkinson's disease (PD), the complex relationship between motor symptoms, affective states, and contextual factors remains to be elucidated. The Experience Sampling Method provides (ESM) a novel approach to this issue. Using a mobile device with a special purpose application (app), motor symptoms, affective states and contextual factors are assessed repeatedly at random moments in the flow of daily life, yielding an intensive time series of symptoms and experience. The aim of this study was to study the feasibility of this method. Method We studied the feasibility of a five-day period of ESM in PD and its ability to objectify diurnal fluctuations in motor symptom severity and their relation with affect and contextual factors in five PD patients with motor fluctuations. Results Participants achieved a high compliance, with 84% of assessment moments completed without disturbance of daily activities. The utility of the device was rated 8 on a 10-point scale. We were able to capture extensive diurnal fluctuations that were not revealed by routine clinical assessment. In addition, we were able to detect clinically relevant associations between motor symptoms, emotional fluctuations and contextual factors at an intra-individual level. Conclusions ESM represents a viable and novel approach to elucidate relationships between motor symptoms, affective states and contextual factors at the level of individual subjects. ESM holds promise for clinical practice and scientific research.
Job satisfaction of home care assistants related to managerial practices.

This article addresses the question. "How do specific managerial practices support home care assistants' job satisfaction? " Staff from three home care agencies were surveyed regarding their perceptions of specific managerial practices and intrinsic job satisfaction. Results of a hierarchical regression model indicate that supportive leadership practices, client-centered in-service training style, and mission implementation together explained 52% of the variance in intrinsic job satisfaction. Supportive leadership was described as the extent to which a supervisor communicates effectively, shows personal concern or caring, and maintains high professional standards. Mission implementation was defined as how strongly the staff felt the mission influenced the hiring process, orientation, in-services, and everyday management. Effective in-services included discussions of types of clients and how to effectively handle common challenges.
The Use of a Web-Based Course Management System

This article reports the results of two studies that examined (a) students’ intentions to use a web-based course management system, (b) their actual use of a course management system, and (c) the effect of their use of a course management system on classroom performance. We found that students’ attitudes toward the course management system, perceptions of support, and perceptions of their capacity to control their actions each were associated with their intentions to use the course management system. Subsequently, intentions directly influenced actual use of the course management system and greater usage of the course management system had a statistically significant, albeit modest, positive effect on students’ performance in the course. Practical applications of the findings are discussed.
School Structural Characteristics, Student Effort, Peer Associations, and Parental Involvement

This research examines the extent to which individual-level and school structural variables are predictors of academic achievement among a sample of 10th-grade students abstracted from the National Educational Longitudinal Study database. A secondary analysis of the data produced the following findings. The study results show that individual-level predictors, such as student effort, parent—child discussion, and associations with positive peers, play a substantial role in increasing students' achievement. Furthermore, the results also suggest that school climate—in particular, the sense of school cohesion felt by students, teachers, and administrators—is important to successful student outcomes. In total, school structural characteristics were found to have relatively small effects on student achievement when compared with individual-level characteristics. Given these results, interventions aimed at improving academic achievement need take into consideration the impact of individual-level and school structural factors on students and their ability to succeed.
Immunohistochemical detection of Helicobacter pylori without association of TLR5 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Approximately 15% of human deaths from cancer are associated with chronic viral or bacterial infections. Helicobacter pylori (HP), a flagellated, Gram-negative, spiral, microaerophilic bacteria is considered to be the most common chronic bacterial infection in humans. Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) is involved in recognition of bacterial flagella and is thought to promote tumour growth through inflammation-dependent mechanisms in epithelial cells. METHODS Expression of HP and TLR5 was analysed in OSCC specimen (n = 191) by immunohistochemistry. TLR5 expression specificity was conducted by Western blotting in cancer cell lines (BICR3, BICR56). TLR5-stained sections were scanned and digitally analysed using ImageJ and the immunomembrane plug-in. HP expression and TLR5 expression were associated with clinicopathological characteristics and impact on survival. RESULTS Helicobacter pylori detection was significantly associated with recurrence of the tumour, whereas TLR5 expression was not. Multivariate analysis demonstrated HP expression as an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.0260). TLR5 specificity was confirmed by Western blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, this study provides evidence that immunohistochemically detected HP expression in OSCC is associated with reduced disease-free survival in a large patient cohort. Although TLR5 was not associated with any clinicopathological characteristics or impact on survival, investigation of the TLR family seems to be reasonable due to the possible existence of other pathogenic bacterial or viral compounds in oral cavity cancer.
TOXICOKINETIC STUDY OF A SEA ANEMONE TOXIN IN MICE AFTER INTRAPERITONEAL INJECTION

One of the two low molecular weight (200-300 Dalton) toxins extracted from sea anemone, Gyrostoma helianthus, from the vicinity of Hurgada, Red Sea, Egypt was subjected to a toxicokinetic study. The concentration–time profile of the acetylcholine esterase (AchE) inhibitor sea anemone toxin was characterized using 20g male mice injected with 10 mg toxin as a single dose. Serum and five tissues were collected at 8 interval points (5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 minutes). The toxin was extracted from these biological matrixes by acetonitrile. The Gyrostoma helianthus toxin showed short action as the half–life values vary from 4.5 to 27.5 min . The maximum time (tmax) was 30 min in serum and in all tissues except the heart which peaked at 45 min. The sea anemone toxin also showed first order kinetic.
Contribution of the carboxy-terminal domain of lipoprotein lipase to interaction with heparin and lipoproteins.

The C-terminal domain of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is involved in several important interactions. To assess its contribution to the binding ability of full-length LPL we have determined kinetic constants using biosensor technique. The affinity of the C-terminal domain for heparin was about 500-fold lower than that of full-length LPL (K(d) = 1.3 microM compared to 3.1 nM). Replacement of Lys403, Arg405 and Lys407 by Ala abolished the heparin affinity, whereas replacement of Arg420 and Lys422 had little effect. The C-terminal domain increased binding of chylomicrons and VLDL to immobilized heparin relatively well, but was less than 10% efficient in binding of LDL compared to full-length LPL. Deletion of residues 390-393 (WSDW) did not change the affinity to heparin and only slightly decreased the affinity to lipoproteins. We conclude that the C-terminal folding domain contributes only moderately to the heparin affinity of full-length LPL, whereas the domain appears important for tethering triglyceride-rich lipoproteins to heparin-bound LPL.
Gender and Perceived Income Entitlement Among Full-Time Workers: Analyses for Canadian National Samples, 1984 and 1994

In 2 studies, gender differences in perceived income entitlement through the use of survey data from 2 national samples of full-time workers interviewed in 1984 and 1994 were investigated. We examined whether, and how, views on income entitlement of women and men differ when they are asked about their earnings from real full-time jobs. As expected from the experimental literature, there are gender differences in perceived income entitlements before controls for work characteristics and social background characteristics for both samples and time periods; women felt deserving of less than men did. These differences persist even after multivariate controls for the effects of education, age, time in the career, and 3 characteristics of the type of job on which income entitlement views are based. However, significant gender differences in perceived income entitlement do not obtain with added controls for last year's income in the 1984 data. They are much reduced, but still significant in the 1994 data. Both women and men often felt that they deserve somewhat more than they actually earned. In 1984, there was no difference in the proportions of women and men who felt they deserved more income than they earned, but in 1994 proportionally more women than men felt deserving of additional pay. The differences in results across the 2 studies may be due either to changes over time or to small differences in the procedures of the studies.
The interactive role of performance appraisal reactions and regular feedback

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between performance appraisal (PA) reactions and employee outcomes in terms of affective organizational commitment and work performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the results of a cross‐sectional survey of 803 employees from three organizations located in Norway. The survey was conducted in 2005.Findings – The findings reveal that perceived helpfulness of PA was directly related to affective commitment. The relationship between perceived helpfulness of PA and work performance was significant only for employees reporting high levels of perceived regular feedback.Research limitations/implications – The two most important limitations, which are discussed in more detail at the end of the paper, are the cross‐sectional nature of the study and the reliance on self‐reported questionnaire data.Practical implications – The positive relationship between PA reactions and affective organizational commitment highlights the importance.
The relationship between approach to learning and learning strategies in learning music

The study investigated the relationship between approaches to learning and strategies used in learning unfamiliar music. Verbal protocols from six 8th grade music students indicated that deep and surface approaches have distinct influences on the selection of strategies for learning music. Independently of difficulty level, deep learners displayed greater depth of content concern and greater flexibility in strategy behaviours, while surface learners were consistently data-bound and strategically biased towards both rote learning techniques and recourse to external sources to resolve difficulties. The findings are consistent with previous research in student learning. The implications of the results for the teaching of music are discussed.
The relationship between memory and judgment depends on whether the judgment task is memory-based or on-line

Five alternative information processing models that relate memory for evidence to judgments based on the evidence are identified in the current social cognition literature: independent processing, availability, biased retrieval, biased encoding, and incongruity-biased encoding. A distinction between two types of judgment tasks, memory-based versus on-line, is introduced and is related to the five process models. In memory-based tasks where the availability model describes subjects' thinking, direct correlations between memory and judgment measures are obtained. In on-line tasks where any of the remaining four process models may apply, prediction of the memory-judgment relationship is equivocal but usually follows the independence model prediction of zero correlation. There ought to be a relationship between memory and judgment. Our intuition tells us that we should be able to generate more arguments and information in support of a favored position than against it, that evaluations of people should be related to the amounts of good and bad information we have about them. When a person is able to remember many arguments against a belief, or to cite many good characteristics of an acquaintance, we are surprised if they endorse the belief or dislike the person. In support of intuitions like these, names have been given to the idea that memory and judgment have a simple direct relationship, including "availability," "dominance of the given," "salience effect," and so forth. However, empirical studies of the relationship between memory and judgment with subject matter as diverse as social impressions, personal attitudes, attributions of causes for behavior, evaluations of legal culpability, and a variety of probability and frequency estimates have not revealed simple relations between memory and judgment. Some relationships have been found, but strong empirical relations are rare and results are often contradictory. Some examples seem to support the expectation of a direct relationship between memory and judgment. Tversky and Kahneman (1973) demonstrated that many judgments of numerosity were directly correlated with the "ease with which instances or associations could be brought to mind" (p. 208). In an illustrative series of experiments, they showed that judgments of the frequency of words in English text were correlated with the ease of remembering the words. Beyth-Marom and Fischhoff(1977) provided more definite evidence on the strength of the mem
Shift in a Large River Fish Assemblage: Body-Size and Trophic Structure Dynamics

As the intensity and speed of environmental change increase at both local and global scales it is imperative that we gain a better understanding of the ecological implications of community shifts. While there has been substantial progress toward understanding the drivers and subsequent responses of community change (e.g. lake trophic state), the ecological impacts of food web changes are far less understood. We analyzed Wabash River fish assemblage data collected from 1974-2008, to evaluate temporal variation in body-size structure and functional group composition. Two parameters derived from annual community size-spectra were our major response variables: (1) the regression slope is an index of ecological efficiency and predator-prey biomass ratios, and (2) spectral elevation (regression midpoint height) is a proxy for food web capacity. We detected a large assemblage shift, over at least a seven year period, defined by dramatic changes in abundance (measured as catch-per-unit-effort) of the dominant functional feeding groups among two time periods; from an assemblage dominated by planktivore-omnivores to benthic invertivores. There was a concurrent increase in ecological efficiency (slopes increased over time) following the shift associated with an increase in large-bodied low trophic level fish. Food web capacity remained relatively stable with no clear temporal trends. Thus, increased ecological efficiency occurred simultaneous to a compensatory response that shifted biomass among functional feeding groups.
Phase II study of single‐agent bortezomib for the treatment of patients with fludarabine‐refractory B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Therapeutic options are limited and the prognosis is poor for patients with fludarabine‐refractory B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Bortezomib induces apoptosis in vitro in CLL cells, both alone and in combination, including in cells resistant to fludarabine or other agents. The aim of the current randomized, open‐label, Phase II study was to investigate the clinical activity of bortezomib in patients with fludarabine‐refractory B‐cell CLL. Twenty‐two patients with histologically confirmed B‐cell CLL were treated with bortezomib at doses of 1.0 mg/m2, 1.3 mg/m2, or 1.5 mg/m2 on Days 1, 4, 8, and 11 of a 21‐day treatment cycle for a maximum of 9 cycles. None of 19 patients evaluable for response achieved complete remission or partial response; however, signs of biologic activity based on disease site responses (e.g., reduction in lymphocytosis, splenomegaly, and lymphadenopathy) were observed. In the 1.5 mg/m2 dose group, a higher proportion of patients had stable disease, and a lower proportion had progressive disease compared with the 2 lower‐dose groups. Eleven patients, all in the 2 higher dose groups, experienced Grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs) (according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria [version 2.0]); 2 patients experienced Grade 4 neutropenia. Grade 3 hematologic AEs included anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and hemolytic anemia; Grade 3 nervous system AEs included aphasia; peripheral neuropathy, not otherwise specified; and peripheral sensory neuropathy. Although no objective responses were achieved in patients with fludarabine‐refractory B‐cell CLL, single‐agent bortezomib demonstrated biologic activity. In view of the evidence for its activity, further exploration of bortezomib in combination with other agents is warranted. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Techniques for Wound Healing with a Focus on Pressure Ulcers Elimination

Pressure ulcers, also called decubitus ulcers, are a common challenge of humanity. They are wounds initiated by pressure on the skin that blocks circulation causing the skin and underlying tissues to die. Without care, pressure ulcers continue to grow in diameter and depth and are exceptionally difficult to heal. They have probably always existed, and are present on Egyptian mummies. Pressure ulcers are a serious health issue, very painful, a significant physiological challenge, can shorten the life of a patient, are an emotional and financial burden to the patient, those who deal with them, and in the United States alone annually costs in excess over $10 billion dollars for care and prolonged hospitalization. Pressure ulcers can develop with as little as two hours of pressure, and because even a brief lapse in avoidance of pressure leads to ulcers, they are frequently impossible to prevent, even for the most conscientious patient with an extensive support group and unlimited financial resources. Therefore, enormous effort is required to find effective and reliable techniques for preventing the initiation of ulcers and eliminating them once they develop. This review looks at the various approaches presently used and in development for the treatment of pressure ulcers, evaluates which may be best in eliminating ulcers, and discusses combinations of techniques that may be most effective in eliminating pressure ulcers.
Does fatigue occur in MS patients without disability?

Background: Motor dysfunction and fatigue are the most common impairments that are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Walk tests and scales demonstrate the presence of fatigue in patients with MS with different levels of disability. Objective: To evaluate objective and subjective fatigue in MS patients without disability. Methods: Were selected MS patients with relapsing remitting clinical course, from 18 to 55 years old and EDSS 0 to 1.5; controls were paired for age, gender, body mass index, and physical activity level. Fatigue caused by pulmonary diseases, anemia, diabetes, thyroid disease, psychiatry diseases (except depression), and orthopedic and rheumatologic diseases are excluded. All participants performed the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), the MS Functional Composite (MSFC), and completed the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and the Beck Depression Inventory. A multivariate model was applied to identify the variables associated with fatigue. Results: 54 individuals were selected (31 patients; 23 controls). In the MSFC and 6MWT, no significant difference was observed between the groups. A MFIS total score indicated fatigue in 35% of the patients, 42% in the physical domain, 25.8% in the cognitive domain, and 29% in the psychosocial domain, which differed from the controls in all comparisons. Fatigue was associated with MS, low-physical activity, and mood disorders. Conclusions: Fatigue occurs in patients with MS in the absence of motor dysfunction and is associated with the disease itself, the sedentary lifestyle, and mood disorders. The 6MWT is not useful to demonstrate motor fatigue in subjects without neurological disability.
The interplay of locus of control and academic achievement among Iranian English foreign language learners

This study sought to look at the relationship between locus of control (LOC) orientation and academic achievement (ACH) of university-age English Foreign Language (EFL) learners. LOC is the extent to which individuals attribute their achievements either to external influences such as fate or to their own efforts. The sample for the study included 120 students studying English literature at the department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics of Shiraz University. They were chosen conveniently, on a voluntary basis, from the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The instrument used was the revised version of LOC questionnaire (Rotter, 2003) which identifies orientations of internality or externality. The participants' grade point averages were the measure of their ACH. A number of statistical analyses such as Pearson product-moment correlation, the regression analysis, and the T-tests for the independent samples were performed on the data to achieve the objectives of the study. The findings of this study revealed that (a) the LOC and the socio-economic status (SES) have significant relationships with the university EFL students' ACH (b) the LOC is a good predictor of the participants' ACH (c) the internals perform at higher levels of achievement than the externals (d) there is a significant difference between mid/high SES-students and low SES-students in LOC orientation (e) the external students with a mid/high SES achieve significantly lower averages than the external students with a low SES, but the internal students with a mid/high SES achieve only a little lower averages than the internal students with a low SES (f) the internals' grades for the general and the major courses have significant relationships with their LOC, but this is not so for the externals (g) the age and the year of the study do not have significant relationships with LOC and with ACH (h) there is no main difference between male and female participants in LOC orientation (i) and finally, there is not a significant difference in the relationship between LOC and ACH due to gender. Thus, the teaching directors and the instructors should seek ways of enabling EFL learners to take control of their learning.