Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Great amount of C.pneumoniae in ruptured plaque vessel segments at autopsy. A comparative study with stable plaques.

A possible relationship between C.pneumoniae (CP) infection, atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction is a debated matter. Now we performed the search of CP in histological segments of fatal ruptured plaques and of stable plaques by histochemistry (Macchiavello stain), immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques. Electron microscopy and confocal laser microscopy techniques were used in two additional cases. The semi-quantification of CP + cells (0-4+) and quantification of lymphocytes demonstrated greater amount of CP + cells and more inflammation in the adventitia of vulnerable plaque vessel segments than of stable ones, larger amount of CP + cells in adventitia than in the plaque and high frequency of CP + cells in all groups studied. This preliminary study strongly suggests a direct pathogenetic involvement of adventitial CP in the rupture of the atheromatous plaque, development of acute myocardial infarction and also in the development of atherosclerosis.
Bilateral Calcaneal Fractures: Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment

Background: There is poor information in the literature regarding patients who suffer from bilateral calcaneal fractures. The objective of this study was to analyze demographic characteristics and objective clinical features of patients with bilateral calcaneal fractures as well as subjective outcomes following either operative or conservative management. It was a prospective randomized trial. It was performed at four level 1 trauma centers. Methods: Forty-seven patients sustaining bilateral calcaneal fractures were randomized to either operative (open reduction and internal fixation) or conservative treatment groups. Demographic features and fracture patterns were compared between those sustaining unilateral fractures (large calcaneal database) and those sustaining bilateral fractures. Following treatment, comparison of both objective outcome measures (Bohler's angle and subtalar range of motion) and subjective outcomes, as measured by the previously validated visual analogue scale (VAS) and SF-36 scores, was performed. Outcomes were also compared (with existing data from trauma database) for those treated for unilateral calcaneal fracture. Results: No difference in demographic features was found between individuals suffering unilateral and bilateral calcaneal fractures. Among bilaterally injured patients, initial Bohler's angle was slightly, but significantly, more depressed relative to that in the unilateral comparison data (p < .05). Post-treatment range of motion was significantly better when injury was confined to one side regardless of treatment modality (p < .01). Surgical intervention did not significantly affect subjective patient outcome as measured by either SF-36 or the VAS. This remained true following stratification by Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) status. However, those who were treated nonoperatively were significantly more likely to require late subtalar arthrodesis (p < .05). In general, patients whose injury was not associated with a WCB claim demonstrated significantly better subjective outcomes (p < .01 for SF-36 and VAS). Conclusions: Other than demonstrating a slightly more depressed Bohler's angle, patients sustaining bilateral calcaneal fractures are very similar to those in whom the injury is confined to one side. The evidence presented here does not definitively support primary operative intervention for bilateral calcaneal fractures. Neither objective nor subjective functional outcomes are significantly improved following such intervention. However, careful operative patient selection will minimize complications and lessen the need for late subtalar arthrodesis.
ANTICIPATED SOCIAL COST AND INTERPERSONAL ACCOMODATION

The paper is concerned with demonstrating the value of social cost—a concept derived from a social psychological theory of prejudice—in analyzing the cognitive processes underlying the encoding of convergent speech acts. A study showed that when speakers anticipate meeting socially significant others immediately, the effect on their perceptual processes is to perceive greater similarity to, and less undesirable traits in, such others. It was argued that this reduction of a perceived linguistic distance between a speaker and the interlocutor, termed perceptual convergence, should facilitate the adoption of convergent speech in the former. Areas for further research were discussed.
Frequency and Phenotype of JC Virus-Specific CD8+ T Lymphocytes in the Peripheral Blood of Patients with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy

ABSTRACT JC virus (JCV)-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are associated with a favorable outcome in patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and cross-recognize the polyomavirus BK virus (BKV). We sought to determine the frequency and phenotype in fresh blood of CD8+ T cells specific for two A*0201-restricted JCV epitopes, VP1p36 and VP1p100, and assess their impact on JC and BK viremia and viruria in 15 healthy subjects, eight human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV+) individuals, and nine HIV+ patients with PML (HIV+ PML patients) classified as survivors. After magnetic preenrichment of CD8+ T cells, epitope-specific cells ranged from 0.001% to 0.22% by tetramer staining, with no significant difference among the three study groups. By use of seven-color flow cytometry, there was no predominant differentiation phenotype subset among JCV-specific CD8+ T cells in healthy individuals, HIV+ subjects, or HIV+ PML patients. However, in one HIV+ PML patient studied in the acute phase, there was a majority of activated effector memory cells. BKV DNA was undetectable in all blood samples by quantitative PCR, while a low JC viral load was found in the blood of only one HIV+ and two HIV+ PML patients. JCV and BKV DNA were detected in 33.3% and 13.3% of all urine samples, respectively, independent of the presence of JCV-specific CTL. The detection of JCV DNA in the urine was associated with the presence of a JCV VP1p100 CTL response. Immunotherapies aiming at increasing the cellular immune response against JCV may be valuable in the treatment of HIV+ individuals with PML.
The Effects of Creative Reminiscing on Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Reminiscing is known to enhance well-being, increase social participation and provide opportunities for self-expression. However, while reminiscing activities have become standard in many memory care facilities, their outcomes have not been systematically evaluated. Aims: This research explored the effects of creative reminiscence activities on the quality of life of clients with memory loss and on caregivers' self-perceived burdens associated with caring for an individual with memory loss. Methods: Using time and attention control activities and creative reminiscing activities, the observed, self-reported, and caregivers' opinions of the quality of life of clients with moderate Alzheimer's disease was documented over the course of this study. Caregivers' perceptions of the burdens associated with caring for loved ones were also assessed. Result: Results of this pilot study showed significant increases in caregivers' perceptions of their loved ones' quality of life and decreases in the burdens they experienced during the intervention phase. No significant changes occurred in clients' self-reported or observed well-being during the study. Conclusions: While using a carefully considered creative reminiscence activity intervention for clients with dementia can cause a decrease in caregivers' perception of their own burden and an increase in their perceptions of the loved ones' quality of life, future research is needed to determine the subtle nuances in well-being of individuals with memory loss and their caregivers.
On the expected value of the minimum assignment

The minimum k‐assignment of an m × n matrix X is the minimum sum of k entries of X, no two of which belong to the same row or column. Coppersmith and Sorkin conjectured that if X is generated by choosing each entry independently from the exponential distribution with mean 1, then the expected value of its minimum k‐assignment is given by an explicit formula, which has been proven only in a few cases. In this paper we describe our efforts to prove the Coppersmith–Sorkin conjecture by considering the more general situation where the entries xij of X are chosen independently from different distributions. In particular, we require that xij be chosen from the exponential distribution with mean 1/ricj. We conjecture an explicit formula for the expected value of the minimum k‐assignment of such X and give evidence for this formula. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg. , 21: 33–58, 2002
Instructional Interventions Affecting Critical Thinking Skills and Dispositions: A Stage 1 Meta-Analysis

Critical thinking (CT), or the ability to engage in purposeful, self-regulatory judgment, is widely recognized as an important, even essential, skill. This article describes an ongoing meta-analysis that summarizes the available empirical evidence on the impact of instruction on the development and enhancement of critical thinking skills and dispositions. We found 117 studies based on 20,698 participants, which yielded 161 effects with an average effect size (g+) of 0.341 and a standard deviation of 0.610. The distribution was highly heterogeneous (Q T = 1,767.86, p < .001). There was, however, little variation due to research design, so we neither separated studies according to their methodological quality nor used any statistical adjustment for the corresponding effect sizes. Type of CT intervention and pedagogical grounding were substantially related to fluctuations in CT effects sizes, together accounting for 32% of the variance. These findings make it clear that improvement in students’ CT skills and dispositions cannot be a matter of implicit expectation. As important as the development of CT skills is considered to be, educators must take steps to make CT objectives explicit in courses and also to include them in both preservice and in-service training and faculty development.
Salesforce Performance and Satisfaction as a Function of Individual Difference, Interpersonal, and Situational Factors

The author presents a model designed to explain the performance, job satisfaction, and other behavioral outcomes experienced by salespeople. By building on the model of man proposed by Lewin and modern interactionist and social learning theories of personality, the behavior of salespeople is shown to be a function of the person, the interactions the person has with significant others in his or her role set, and forces in the situation. Hypotheses are tested on data gathered on industrial salespeople.
Regional differences in cellular mechanisms of adipose tissue gain with overfeeding

Body fat distribution is an important predictor of the metabolic consequences of obesity, but the cellular mechanisms regulating regional fat accumulation are unknown. We assessed the changes in adipocyte size (photomicrographs) and number in response to overfeeding in upper- and lower-body s.c. fat depots of 28 healthy, normal weight adults (15 men) age 29 ± 2 y. We analyzed how these changes relate to regional fat gain (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography) and baseline preadipocyte proliferation, differentiation [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ2 (PPARγ2) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα) mRNA]), and apoptotic response to TNF-α. Fat mass increased by 1.9 ± 0.2 kg in the upper body and 1.6 ± 0.1 kg in the lower body. Average abdominal s.c. adipocyte size increased by 0.16 ± 0.06 μg lipid per cell and correlated with relative upper-body fat gain (r = 0.74, P < 0.0001). However, lower-body fat responded to overfeeding by fat-cell hyperplasia, with adipocyte number increasing by 2.6 ± 0.9 × 109 cells (P < 0.01). We found no depot-differences in preadipocyte replication or apoptosis that would explain lower-body adipocyte hyperplasia and abdominal s.c. adipocyte hypertrophy. However, baseline PPARγ2 and C/EBPα mRNA were higher in abdominal than femoral s.c. preadipocytes (P < 0.005 and P < 0.03, respectively), consistent with the ability of abdominal s.c. adipocytes to achieve a larger size. Inherent differences in preadipocyte cell dynamics may contribute to the distinct responses of different fat depots to overfeeding, and fat-cell number increases in certain depots in adults after only 8 wk of increased food intake.
Relating leader gender, nonverbal leader behavior, transformational leadership and follower trust in leader to team effectiveness : a multi-method video-observational study

The division between men and women in leading positions is unequal in both private and public sectors, having often two times as many men than women in charge Whether this difference is justified by the gender differences in leadership effectiveness was researched in this paper. 45 leaders were studied on their leadership style, nonverbal leader behavior, follower trust, and team effectiveness. The data was obtained via video-taped meetings led by the leaders and by questionnaires filled in by followers and leaders after the meetings. The nonverbal behavior of the leaders is meticulously coded for thirty minutes per meeting by two raters with the use of a pre-defined codebook. To test the hypotheses, independent t-tests and regression analyses were conducted. The results indicated that female and male leaders exhibited equal levels of transformational leadership, while female leaders showed different nonverbal behavior, such as displaying more smiles and less raised eyebrows, compared to male leaders during regular staff meetings. Moreover, transformational leadership was found to be a predictor of follower trust, but follower trust was not a predictor of team effectiveness. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Electromyography activities for shoulder muscles over various movements on different torque changes

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the patterns of shoulder muscle activation and joint torques during maximal effort eccentric contractions with shoulder extension, abduction, and diagonal movements on the isokinetic device. Participants in this investigation were nine men and four women with no history of shoulder injury or disorders. They all participated in overhead sports at least three days a week, and volunteered to participate in this study for shoulder isokinetic muscle strength testing. They performed eccentric muscle action with shoulder flexion, abduction, and diagonal movements at velocities of 60 rad·s−1 and 180 rad· s−1, which was followed alternately by passive shoulder flexion, abduction and diagonal movement at a velocity of 30 rad· s−1, and total range of motion was standardised to 90°. Electromyography (EMG) and torque values were calculated to every 10°, except for the start and end 5° during each task. During each test, the isokinetic force output and muscle activation were synchronised. EMG data were normalised by percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC). EMG signals were recorded by surface EMG from the anterior deltoid (AD), middle deltoid (MD), posterior deltoid (PD), upper trapezius (UT), middle trapezius (MT), and biceps brachii (BB) muscles during this test. All of the muscle patterns were significantly decreased at the last compared with the initial part during eccentric shoulder flexion movement, except for the BB muscle (P < 0.05). AD and BB muscles played a similar role when peak torque was generated under load during eccentric muscle action with varying shoulder movements. PD and UT muscle activities were significantly lower than the other muscle activities during eccentric contraction with shoulder flexion and abduction movements, and the PD and UT muscles played a significant role in conjunction with MD and MT muscles in varying degrees during eccentric contraction with shoulder diagonal movements at 180 rad·s−1 (P < 0.05). Our study demonstrated that MT muscle activity was greatly influenced when torque values showed a peak moment under load during maximum effort, eccentric contraction with shoulder abduction and diagonal movements. However, the MD, PD, UT, and MT muscle activities had no great influence when peak torque was generated under load during eccentric muscle action with shoulder diagonal movement at high velocity. The present study suggested that varying eccentric muscle activity patterns may be needed to investigate proper training and functional contributions of upper extremity muscles to stabilisation of the shoulder joint when peak torque was generated under load.
Step forward? Step back? The professionalisation of fostering

This article examines the long term if uneven trend towards professionalisation in foster care, within the contexts of theoretical debates on professionalisation and contemporary policy in relation to looked after children. While the professionalising trend has been driven by a number of powerful factors within foster care and by broader societal and policy developments, it remains contentious due to the hybrid nature of foster care straddling the domains of ‘family’ and ‘work’. Various aspects of hybridity are explored including its implications for motivation, training and differentiation among foster carers. While broadly supporting the professionalisation of foster carers, not least as a measure to tackle their exploitation and its gendered nature, it is argued that hybridity requires a delicate balance to be struck and maintained in order that further professionalising measures do not undermine the personal and familial aspects of foster care that are crucial to its success.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SMALL CITIES AND TOWNS: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract This study is an examination of domestic dispute incidents reported to police agencies in small cities and towns. The study includes 38 percent of the police jurisdictions in Ohio and 61 percent of the agencies reporting domestic dispute data. The agencies are distributed among urban, suburban, and rural counties, serve 11 percent of Ohio's estimated 1979 population, and account for 22 percent of the state's reported domestic disputes. From these data the following conclusions are drawn. First, domestic disputes reported to these agencies displayed the highest occurrence rate per 1000 residents of any population group. Second, in domestic disputes where criminal complaints are initiated, the police display a tendency not to take any action. Third, the tendency for police not to arrest domestic offenders is seven times higher than the arrest rate. Fourth, in noncriminal complaint incidents the police seldom take any action. Fifth, when the police jurisdictions’ populations are similar, there is a .
Sparse Resource Allocation for Linear Network Spread Dynamics

Sparse resource allocation to shape a network dynamical process is studied. Specifically, we consider allocating limited distributed control resources among a subset of a network's nodes, to minimize the dominant eigenvalue of a linear dynamical spread process associated with the network. Structural characterizations of the closed-loop dynamics at the optimum are obtained. These results are then used to 1) develop constructive algorithms for optimal resource allocation, 2) identify limits on the control performance, and 3) understand the relationship between the network's graph and the optimal resource profile. While the focus here is on a simplified linear model, an exploratory study of the design's applicability to realistic stochastic and nonlinear spread processes is undertaken, via simulation examples. As a whole, this study advances a research thrust on disease spread control in networks, toward the realistic paradigm that control resources can only be allocated at a subset of network locations.
On the classical limit of a time-dependent self-consistent field system: analysis and computation

We consider a coupled system of Schr\"odinger equations, arising in quantum mechanics via the so-called time-dependent self-consistent field method. Using Wigner transformation techniques we study the corresponding classical limit dynamics in two cases. In the first case, the classical limit is only taken in one of the two equations, leading to a mixed quantum-classical model which is closely connected to the well-known Ehrenfest method in molecular dynamics. In the second case, the classical limit of the full system is rigorously established, resulting in a system of coupled Vlasov-type equations. In the second part of our work, we provide a numerical study of the coupled semi-classically scaled Schr\"odinger equations and of the mixed quantum-classical model obtained via Ehrenfest's method. A second order (in time) method is introduced for each case. We show that the proposed methods allow time steps independent of the semi-classical parameter(s) while still capturing the correct behavior of physical observables. It also becomes clear that the order of accuracy of our methods can be improved in a straightforward way.
Computing epsilon-free NFA from regular expressions in O(n log2(n)) time

The standard procedure to transform a regular expression of size n to an ϵ -free nondeterministic finite automaton yields automata with O(n) states and O ( n 2 ) transitions. For a long time this was supposed to be also the lower bound, but a result by Hromkovic et al. showed how to build an ϵ -free NFA with only O ( n log 2 ( n )) transitions. The current lower bound on the number of transitions is Ω( n log( n )). A rough running time estimation for the common follow sets (CFS) construction proposed by Hromkovic et al. yields a cubic algorithm. In this paper we present a sequential algorithm for the CFS construction which works in time O ( n log( n ) + size of the output). On a CREW PRAM the CFS construction can be performed in time O (log( n )) using O ( n + (size of the output)/log( n )) processors. We also present a simpler proof of the lower bound on the number of transitions.
Allotment holding as an eco‐leisure practice: the case of the Sataf village

This article explores the phenomenon of allotment holding as a leisure practice, by drawing upon on a 2‐year field study conducted at the Sataf village allotment site near the city of Jerusalem. The findings indicate that plotting at the Sataf involves an ideological commitment to nature and environment‐friendly related themes. Accordingly, plot holding at the Sataf is termed an eco‐leisure practice. In addition, the findings indicate that plotting at Sataf is an individual rather than a socially oriented experience. These findings are interpreted with regard to all of the particular features and developments in Israel, the specific literature on allotment holding, the study fields of leisure and tourism, and George Simmel's philosophy of experience.