Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dependency, Network Integration, and Development

Dependency scholars emphasize the harmful effects of economic incorporation for nations residing in the periphery. Conversely, a network perspective of international relations suggests that the major problem peripheral countries face is isolation. Considered together, peripherality implies both resource and partner dependency. Applying dependency and network principles to the world economy and world polity, the author assembles a set of cross-national measures based on international trade relations and membership in international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs). Analyzing a sample of eighty-two developing countries during the 1980–2000 period, the author tests the effects of dependency and network integration on two measures of development: Economic growth and tertiary school expansion. The author finds that dependent integration in trade and INGOs produces economic underdevelopment, while network integration in trade and INGOs positively affects economic growth and educational expansion. The findings broadly confirm dependency and network perspectives, demonstrating the developmental benefits that accrue to core/central actors relative to more dependent/peripheral economies.
Carboxyl-Ester Lipase Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young Is Associated With Development of Pancreatic Cysts and Upregulated MAPK Signaling in Secretin-Stimulated Duodenal Fluid

Carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a monogenic form of diabetes and pancreatic exocrine dysfunction due to mutations in the CEL gene encoding CEL. The pathogenic mechanism for diabetes development is unknown. Since CEL is expressed mainly in pancreatic acinar cells, we asked whether we could find structural pancreatic changes in CEL-MODY subjects during the course of diabetes development. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the diseased pancreas releases proteins that are detectable in pancreatic fluid and potentially reflect activation or inactivation of disease-specific pathways. We therefore investigated nondiabetic and diabetic CEL-mutation carriers by pancreatic imaging studies and secretin-stimulated duodenal juice sampling. The secretin-stimulated duodenal juice was studied using cytokine assays, mass spectrometry (MS) proteomics, and multiplexed MS-based measurement of kinase activities. We identified multiple pancreatic cysts in all eight diabetic mutation carriers but not in any of the four nondiabetic mutation carriers or the six healthy controls. Furthermore, we identified upregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) target proteins and MAPK-driven cytokines and increased MAPK activity in the secretin-stimulated duodenal juice. These findings show that subjects with CEL-MODY develop multiple pancreatic cysts by the time they develop diabetes and that upregulated MAPK signaling in the pancreatic secretome may reflect the pathophysiological development of pancreatic cysts and diabetes.
Race/ethnicity differences in the relationship between obesity and gait speed among older Americans

Projections indicate that the population of older Americans will become more racially diverse. Health disparities cannot be addressed until differences in the associations between risk factors and outcomes are identified. Using data from the 1999‐2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we examined the relationship between obesity, measured by BMI and waist circumference, and gait speed in 2,364 older adults (=60 y) and whether this relationship varies by race/ethnicity, gender, or age. Multiple linear regression models controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, physical activity, smoking status and standing height were used to estimate the association between obesity and gait speed. The relationship between BMI and gait speed differed by race/ethnicity. Among non‐Hispanic whites, overweight, obesity and extreme obesity all had significantly slower gait speeds (P = 0.006; P < 0.001; P < 0.001) when compared to normal weight. Among non‐Hispanic blacks, only those with extreme obesity had a significantly slower gait speed (P = 0.01) when compared to normal weight. No significant associations were observed among Hispanics. We observed similar results in the stratified waist circumference model. Our results may facilitate public health interventions by identifying those groups most vulnerable to the effects of obesity on physical functioning. Funded by Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (ALA013‐020).
Three strikes and you are out, but why? The psychology of public support for punishing rule breakers.

This study examines why the public supports the punishment of rule breakers. It does so within the context of a recently enacted California initiative mandating life in prison for repeat felons (the three strikes law). Antecedents of three aspects of people's reactions to rule breakers are explored : (1) support for the three strikes initiative, (2) support for punitiveness in dealing with rule breakers, and (3) willingness to abandon procedural protections when dealing with potential rule breakers. The results of interviews with members of the public suggest that the widely held view that public punitiveness develops primarily from concerns about crime and the courts and is primarily linked to public views about risk and dangerousness is incorrect. While these factors do influence public feelings, they are not the central reasons underlying public punitiveness. Instead, the source of people's concerns lies primarily in their evaluations of social conditions, including the decline in morality and discipline within the family and increases in the diversity of society. These concerns are about issues of moral cohesion - with people feeling that the quality and extent of social bonds and social consensus has deteriorated in American society
Challenging the classical distinction between long-term and short-term memory: reconsidering the role of the hippocampus

The hippocampus and surrounding medial temporal lobe structures have long been held to be critical for long-term declarative memory, but not for short-term or working memory. In fact, the notion that patients with selective and bilateral medial temporal lobe lesions have intact short-term memory has been a key argument to support the classical distinction between long- and short-term memory. However, recent behavioral, neuroimaging and electrophysiological data collected in humans have begun to challenge this classical distinction. Converging evidence now suggests that the ability to maintain the configural relationships of visual information in working memory for periods as short as a few seconds critically depends on the hippocampus. In functional terms, the hippocampus may be necessary for coordinating short-term maintenance when it relies on distributed cortical representations of objects, locations and their conjunctions. These findings indicate a need for modifying the current diagnostic work-up of .
Increased dopamine D2High receptors in amphetamine‐sensitized rats, measured by the agonist [3H](+)PHNO

Repeated injections of amphetamine causes animals to become sensitized and supersensitive to DA. Previous work showed that the striata from such sensitized rats revealed a 3.5‐fold increase in the density of D2High DA receptors, as measured by the guanine‐nucleotide‐sensitive component of [3H]raclopride binding. The present study was done to confirm these earlier findings by different methods and different ligands. The striata from amphetamine‐sensitized rats showed an increase of 2.2‐fold in the density of guanine‐nucleotide‐sensitive D2 receptors labeled by saturation experiments with [3H](+)PHNO. The proportion of D2High receptors was also found to increase 2.5‐fold using the method of competition between DA and [3H]domperidone. The overall 2.2–3.5‐fold increase of DA D2High receptors may explain why amphetamine‐sensitized animals are much more sensitive to DA agonists, even though the total density of D2 receptors may apparently be unchanged or even decreased. Synapse 61:263–267, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Therapist Training and Client Characteristics as Predictors of Treatment Response to Group Therapy for Depression

Although psychotherapists routinely make decisions about how to match treatment to a particular client, these decisions are typically guided by something other than empirical knowledge. Two variables that have shown promise in matching treatments to clients are psychological reactance and externalizing coping styles. The current study explored the relationship of these 2 client characteristics to response to 2 types of group therapies for depression-group cognitive-behavioral therapy and mutual support group therapy-led by 2 types of leaders: professionally trained and paraprofessional. Hypotheses regarding interactions of client characteristics and treatment type were not supported. However, an interaction of therapist training level with clients' coping style emerged, indicating that, regardless of the type of treatment provided, clients with a more externalizing coping style fared better when treated by paraprofessionals than by professionals, whereas those with a more internalizing coping style gained more from treatment with professionally trained therapists than paraprofessionals. These results suggest that attention must be given to therapist characteristics if research is to contribute to a model of systematic treatment selection.
Interpretation and Judgmental Biases in Socially Anxious and Nonanxious Individuals

Interpretation and judgmental biases for threat-relevant stimuli are thought to play a role in anxiety disorders. To investigate whether social anxiety is associated with interpretation and judgmental biases for unambiguous external social events, individuals high and low in social anxiety (N = 36 per group) were presented with unambiguous scenarios depicting positive and mildly negative social events. Interpretations were assessed by participants' answers to open-ended questions and by their ratings for experimenter-provided, alternative explanations. In addition, for each event, participants indicated the probability that the event would happen to them and estimated their own emotional reaction to it. Compared to low socially anxious group, individuals high in social anxiety were more likely to interpret positive social events in a negative way and to catastrophize in response to unambiguous, mildly negative social events. Also, they estimated the emotional cost of negative social events as higher and the probabilities of positive social events as lower.
Predictors of Grade 2 Word Reading and Vocabulary Learning from Grade 1 Variables in Spanish–Speaking Children: Similarities and Differences

We examined the components of first (L1) and second language (L2) phonological processing that are related to L2 word reading and vocabulary. Spanish–speaking English learners (EL) were classified as average or low readers in grades 1 and 2. A large number of children who started out as poor readers in first grade became average readers in second grade while vocabulary scores were more stable. Binary logistic regressions examined variables related to classifications of consistently average, consistently low, or improving on reading or vocabulary across grades. Good L2 phonological short–term memory and phonological awareness scores predicted good reading and vocabulary scores. L1 and L2 measures differentiated consistently good performers from consistently low performers, while only L2 measures differentiated children who improved from children who remained low performers. Children who are EL should be screened on measures of pseudoword repetition and phonological awareness with low scorers being good candidates for receiving extra assistance in acquiring L2 vocabulary and reading. This study suggests measures that can be used to select children who have a greater likelihood of experiencing difficulties in reading and vocabulary.
Cognitive Strategies for the Management of Severe Sleep-Maintenance Insomnia: A Preliminary Investigation

Psychological treatments for sleep-maintenance insomnia have received little attention in the literature. Problems with staying asleep are commonplace, however, especially in the older age groups, and there is a need to develop effective management alternatives to night-time sedation. This single case report describes the sequential application of two cognitive interventions with treatment effects being evaluated by means of time series analysis. The mental overarousal model of sleep disturbance is discussed.
Identification, modeling, and characterization studies of Tetrahymena thermophila myosin FERM domains suggests a conserved core fold but functional differences

Myosins (MYO) define a superfamily of motor proteins which facilitate movement along cytoskeletal actin filaments in an ATP‐dependent manner. To date, over 30 classes of myosin have been defined that vary in their roles and distribution across different taxa. The multidomain tail of myosin is responsible for the observed functional differences in different myosin classes facilitating differential binding to different cargos. One domain found in this region, the FERM domain, is found in several diverse proteins and is involved in many biological functions ranging from cell adhesion and actin‐driven cytoskeleton assembly to cell signaling. Recently, new classes of unconventional myosin have been identified in Tetrahymena thermophila. In this study, we have identified, modeled, and characterized eight FERM domains from the unconventional T. thermophila myosins as their complete functional MyTH4‐FERM cassettes. Our results reveal notable sequence, structural, and electrostatic differences between T. thermophila and other characterized FERM domains. Specifically, T. thermophila FERM domains contain helical inserts or extensions, which contribute to significant differences in surface electrostatic profiles of T. thermophila myosin FERMs when compared to the conventional FERM domains. Analyses of the modeled domains reveal differences in key functional residues as well as phosphoinositide‐binding signatures and affinities. The work presented here broadens the scope of our understanding of myosin classes and their inherent functions, and provides a platform for experimentalists to design rational experimental studies to test the functional roles for T. thermophila myosins. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Deciding the fate of supernumerary frozen embryos: parents' choices

Embryo cryopreservation is a routine procedure in assisted reproductive technologies. Although couples have been informed about all potential procedures, some of them face the dilemma of what to do with surplus frozen embryos. The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the attitude of patients toward their surplus cryopreserved embryos. Fifty patients who had undergone successful IVF cycles, and had surplus embryos cryopreserved were selected from a clinical database. We could contact twenty two patients agreed to participate in the study and responded the interview. Seventeen participants (77.3%) believed that cryostoraged embryos were ‘life’. Patients who would discard embryos rather than donate to research expressed their concern about the misuse of embryos. Those who would discard rather than donate to other couples considered that donating an embryo would be like giving away a child. Seven patients were unsure whether life had begun at this stage of development. Although some couples thought of their embryos as little more than biological material, others envisioned them as living entities or ‘virtual’ children. The decisions on whether to donate embryos to another couple, or discard them were coloured by strong values about human life and equated with child abandonment.
Frontal Brain Electrical Activity in Shyness and Sociability

A number of studies have shown that shyness and sociability may be two independent personality traits that are distinguishable across a variety of measures and cultures. Utilizing recent frontal activation–emotion models as a theoretical framework, this study examined the pattern of resting frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in undergraduates who self-reported high and low shyness and sociability. Analyses revealed that shyness was associated with greater relative right frontal EEG activity, whereas sociability was associated with greater relative left frontal EEG activity. Also, different combinations of shyness and sociability were distinguishable on the basis of resting frontal EEG power. Although high-shy/high-social and high-shy/low-social subjects both exhibited greater relative right frontal EEG activity, they differed significantly on EEG power in the left, but not right, frontal lead. High-shy/high-social subjects exhibited significantly less EEG power (i.e., more activity) in the left frontal lead compared with the high-shy/low-social subjects. These findings suggest that in distinguishing individual differences in personality and personality subtypes, it is important to consider not only frontal EEG asymmetry measures, but also the pattern of absolute EEG power in each frontal hemisphere.
A comparison of teenage and older mothers: a systems analysis.

A multivariate causal model of the influence of childbearing and early child rearing was developed to investigate the potential impact of teenage mothers upon their children. The model was evaluated as a system linear equation using data obtained from a sample of 62 women (15-34 years old) and their firstborn children. From the complex results of the analysis the 2 most important relationships were that socioeconomic status was the strongest single influence upon each variable in the model and the influence of maternal age consistently was in the opposite direction to that of socioeconomic status. The relevance of the analysis to future research in teenage parenting and to programs for teenage parents is discussed. The model used was not entirely satisfactory and suggestions for improvement are discussed. (authors)
The Distinctive City: Pitfalls in the Pursuit of Differential Advantage

In the face of growing competitive pressures, cities in Britain and elsewhere have been exploring new ways of promoting their distinctiveness in order to increase local prosperity. I analyse the main approaches used for this purpose and consider their underlying rationale. I argue that there is some justification for developing more specialised activities and sources of differential advantage that other cities cannot reproduce. However, many cities appear to be pursuing the same policy formula comprising one or more of the following elements: nascent industries, high-level occupations, signature buildings, and consumer identities. I discuss the limitations of each of these. I conclude with some constructive suggestions for what cities might do to develop more original and distinctive advantages.
Attentional Modulation of Temporal Contrast Sensitivity in Human Vision

Recent psychophysical studies have shown that attention can alter contrast sensitivities for temporally broadband stimuli such as flashed gratings. The present study examined the effect of attention on the contrast sensitivity for temporally narrowband stimuli with various temporal frequencies. Observers were asked to detect a drifting grating of 0–40 Hz presented gradually in the peripheral visual field with or without a concurrent letter identification task in the fovea. We found that removal of attention by the concurrent task reduced the contrast sensitivity for gratings with low temporal frequencies much more profoundly than for gratings with high temporal frequencies and for flashed gratings. The analysis revealed that the temporal contrast sensitivity function had a more band-pass shape with poor attention. Additional experiments showed that this was also true when the target was presented in various levels of luminance noise. These results suggest that regardless of the presence of external noise, attention extensively modulates visual sensitivity for sustained retinal inputs.
Recurrent leg ulcers and arterial thrombosis in a 33‐year‐old homozygous variant of antithrombin

We report here a homozygous variant case of antithrombin (AT) associated with arterial thrombosis and recurrent leg ulcers. The deep vein thrombosis was recognized by the venogram of his pelvic veins. His leg ulcers were scattered around his left ankle and accompanied by lipodermatosclerosis, which was evident in venous insufficiency. The propositus had developed cerebral infarction 12 years prior to his leg ulcers. Coagulation study showed low heparin cofactor activity of his AT with a normal level of immunoreactive AT. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the exon 2 of his AT gene showed Arg47‐Cys mutation, leading to the lack of affinity of AT for heparin. The propositus is a homozygote for this abnormality. Am. J. Hematol. 66:285–291, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Current Status and Future Challenges

Abstract This paper reviews recent theoretical, conceptual and practice developments in cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders. The empirical status of CBT for anxiety disorders is reviewed and recent advances in the field are outlined. Challenges for the future development of CBT for the anxiety disorders are examined in relation to the efficacy, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the approach. It is concluded that the major challenge currently facing CBT for anxiety disorders in the UK is how to meet the increased demand for provision whilst maintaining high levels of efficacy and effectiveness. It is suggested that the creation of an evidence base for the dissemination of CBT needs to become a priority for empirical investigation in order effectively to expand the provision of CBT for anxiety disorders.
Acculturation Level and Postpartum Depression in Hispanic Mothers

Purpose:Perinatal health outcomes for Hispanic women are associated with acculturation. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between acculturation levels and postpartum depressive symptomatology and diagnosed postpartum depression among Hispanic subgroups. Study Design and Methods:The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale and the Short Acculturation Scale were used in the two phases of data collection. Phase 1 and 2 samples consisted of 377 and 150 Hispanic mothers, respectively. Puerto Rican mothers showed higher levels of acculturation than Mexican and other Hispanic women. A DSM-IV diagnostic interview (SCID) was used to establish a diagnosis of depression. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to study the unique relationships between ethnicity, depressive symptomatology, diagnosed depression, and acculturation. Results:There was no consistent relationship between acculturation and postpartum depression. Significant predictors of elevated postpartum depressive symptoms in Hispanic mothers were Puerto Rican ethnicity and cesarean delivery. Single martial status was a significant risk factor for postpartum depression. A limitation of the study was use of language as the sole criterion measure for acculturation. Acculturation is a complex construct with problematic measurement that needs greater refinement to facilitate research in which it is used as a variable. Clinical Implications:Hispanic mothers are a heterogeneous group and should not be treated as a homogeneous group. Subgroups of Hispanic mothers may not have the same level of acculturation or the same level of postpartum depressive symptomatology.