Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of the TCARE® intervention on caregiver burden and depressive symptoms: preliminary findings from a randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVES We examined the effects of a manualized care management protocol specifically designed for care managers working with caregivers, the Tailored Caregiver Assessment and Referral® (TCARE®) protocol, on caregiver identity discrepancy, burden, and depressive symptoms. METHODS Preliminary data from a longitudinal, randomized, controlled intervention study with 266 family caregivers served by 52 care managers in 4 states were analyzed using repeated measures random effects regression procedures. Caregivers in the intervention and control groups were repeatedly assessed for up to 9 months on caregiver identity discrepancy, 3 areas of caregiving burden-objective, relationship, and stress burdens; depression; and intention for nursing home placement. RESULTS We found significant group by time interaction effects for caregiver identity discrepancy, relationship burden, stress burden, depression, and intention for nursing home placement. Caregivers in the intervention group experienced significant improvement on these measures, whereas caregivers in the control group worsened on these measures over time. DISCUSSION The preliminary findings provide strong support for effectiveness of the TCARE® protocol on improving caregiver well-being and mental health outcomes.
Gleaning Wisdom from the Past: Early Detection of Emerging Rumors in Social Media

The explosive use of social media, in information dissemination and communication, has also made it a popular platform for the spread of rumors. Rumors could be easily propagated and received by a large number of users in social media, resulting in catastrophic eﬀects in the physical world in a very short period. It is a challenging task, if not impossible, to apply classical supervised learning methods to the early detection of rumors, since the labeling process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Motivated by the fact that abundant label information of historical rumors is publicly available, in this paper, we propose to investigate whether knowledge learned from historical data could potentially help identify newly emerging rumors. In particular, since a disputed factual claim arouses certain reactions such as curiosity, skepticism, and astonishment, we identify and utilize patterns from prior labeled data to help reveal emergent rumors. Experimental results on real-world data sets demonstrate the eﬀectiveness. Further experiments are conducted to show how much earlier it can detect an emerging rumor than traditional approaches.
Predicting the Response of Molluscs to the Impact of Ocean Acidification

Elevations in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are anticipated to acidify oceans because of fundamental changes in ocean chemistry created by CO2 absorption from the atmosphere. Over the next century, these elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are expected to result in a reduction of the surface ocean waters from 8.1 to 7.7 units as well as a reduction in carbonate ion (CO32−) concentration. The potential impact that this change in ocean chemistry will have on marine and estuarine organisms and ecosystems is a growing concern for scientists worldwide. While species-specific responses to ocean acidification are widespread across a number of marine taxa, molluscs are one animal phylum with many species which are particularly vulnerable across a number of life-history stages. Molluscs make up the second largest animal phylum on earth with 30,000 species and are a major producer of CaCO3. Molluscs also provide essential ecosystem services including habitat structure and food for benthic organisms (i.e., mussel and oyster beds), purification of water through filtration and are economically valuable. Even sub lethal impacts on molluscs due to climate changed oceans will have serious consequences for global protein sources and marine ecosystems.
Online Deception Detection Refueled by Real World Data Collection

The lack of large realistic datasets presents a bottleneck in online deception detection studies. In this paper, we apply a data collection method based on social network analysis to quickly identify high quality deceptive and truthful online reviews1 from Amazon. The dataset contains more than 10,000 deceptive reviews and is diverse in product domains and reviewers. Using this dataset, we explore effective general features for online deception detection that perform well across domains. We demonstrate that with generalized features – advertising speak and writing complexity scores – deception detection performance can be further improved by adding additional deceptive reviews from assorted domains in training. Finally, reviewer level evaluation gives an interesting insight into different deceptive reviewers’ writing styles.
Trajectories of change in students’ self-concepts of ability and values in math and college major choice

This study extends previous research on the long-term connections between motivation constructs in expectancy-value theory and achievement outcomes. Using growth mixture modelling, we examined trajectories of change for 421 students from 4th grade through college in their self-concept of ability (SCA) in math, interest in math, and perceived importance of math. We also assessed how these trajectories relate to choice of college major, focusing on math-intensive and non-intensive majors. Gender, parental income, and initial achievement were included as covariates in the analyses. A 3-class solution best represented underlying trajectories of change for each of the 3 constructs. A latent class relatively high in math self-concept, interest, and importance emerged for each construct respectively, and individuals in these high classes were most likely to choose a math-intensive college major. Interpretations and implications of the trajectories of change and their influence on college major classification are discussed.
Species-specific modulation of the nitric oxide pathway after acute experimentally induced endotoxemia

ObjectiveThe derangement of the nitric oxide pathway is an important contributing factor to the pathogenesis of septic shock. The aim of this study was to investigate potential differences in modulation of such a pathway in two experimental models of endotoxemia. DesignProspective, randomized, placebo-controlled animal investigation. SettingCardiovascular research laboratory. SubjectsMale, anesthetized, and mechanically ventilated New-Zealand rabbits (n = 24) and Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 24). InterventionsAfter pretreatment with 1400W (1 mg kg−1 subcutaneously), an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, animals received an intravenous bolus of Escherichia Coli lipopolysaccharides (5 mg kg−1). After 4 hrs, lungs, myocardial left ventricles, and aortas were collected. Measurements and Main ResultsBlood mean arterial pressure, pH, and nitrite/nitrate were monitored. Nitric oxide in the exhaled air was measured by chemiluminescence. Tissue activity of both constitutive nitric oxide synthase and inducible nitric oxide synthase was determined by measuring the conversion of [3H]l-arginine to [3H]l-citrulline. In lipopolysaccharide-treated animals, both mean arterial pressure (after 60 to 90 mins) and blood pH (after 4 hrs) decreased with respect to baseline values. 1400W prevented lipopolysaccharide-induced hypotension only in rats (p < .01). Exhaled nitric oxide decreased in lipopolysaccharide-treated rabbits by 120 mins (from 12.6 ± 0.6 to 8.4 ± 0.6 ppb, p < .01) and remained low until the end of the experiment (p < .01 vs. baseline). Conversely, exhaled nitric oxide increased in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats by 120 mins (from 0.4 ± 0.1 to 5.3 ± 1.7 ppb, p < .01) and reached a plateau by 210 mins (19.8 ± 3.1 ppb, p < .01 vs. baseline). 1400W prevented the lipopolysaccharide-induced increase in exhaled nitric oxide and blood nitrite/nitrate in rats (p < .05). Inducible nitric oxide synthase activity increased in endotoxemic rabbit heart (0.19 ± 0.05 vs. 0.07 ± 0.02 pmol l-citrulline/min/mg protein in the control group, p < .05) and in all rat tissues, being more striking in the lungs (25.00 ± 0.01 vs. 0.19 ± 0.04 pmol l-citrulline/min/mg protein in the control group, p < .001). ConclusionsThe nitric oxide pathway is differently modulated between endotoxemic rabbits and rats.
Global citizenship education and war: the needs of teachers and learners

This article is based on the data from a 2 year Department for International Development (DfID) funded research project, and looks at the perceived needs of teaching and learning about global issues, particularly war and conflict. Students want to learn about complex contemporary issues, particularly war and conflict, and have sophisticated understandings and questions. Yet, for teachers, these topics were to be avoided if possible. They felt inadequately prepared and ‘haunted stories’ about upsetting children and other problems deterred them from teaching about sensitive issues. Teachers' fears also result from unclear government legislation and advice. This could be addressed by using the concepts of ‘misrepresentation’ and ‘deceit’, rather than ‘promoting’ a ‘partisan’ ‘opinion’. CIER Website: http://www.education. bham.ac. uk/research/cier
Temporal dynamics of ovine airway epithelial cell differentiation at an air-liquid interface

The respiratory tract and lungs are subject to diverse pathologies with wide-ranging implications for both human and animal welfare. The development and detailed characterization of cell culture models for studying such forms of disease is of critical importance. In recent years the use of air-liquid interface (ALI)-cultured airway epithelial cells has increased markedly, as this method of culture results in the formation of a highly representative, organotypic in vitro model system. In this study we have expanded on previous knowledge of differentiated ovine tracheal epithelial cells by analysing the progression of differentiation over an extensive time course at an ALI. We observed a pseudo-stratified epithelium with ciliation and a concurrent increase in cell layer thickness from 9 days post-ALI with ciliation approaching a maximum level at day 24. A similar pattern was observed with respect to mucus production with intensely stained PAS-positive cells appearing at day 12. Ultrastructural analysis by SEM confirmed the presence of both ciliated cells and mucus globules on the epithelial surface within this time-frame. Trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) peaked at 1049 Ω × cm2 as the cell layer became confluent, followed by a subsequent reduction as differentiation proceeded and stabilization at ~200 Ω × cm2. Importantly, little deterioration or de-differentiation was observed over the 45 day time-course indicating that the model is suitable for long-term experiments.
Investor Sentiment and the Closed-End Fund Puzzle: Out-of-Sample Evidence

In this paper we examine the proposition that small investor sentiment, measured by the change in the discount/premium on closed-end funds, is an important factor in stock returns. We conduct an out-of-sample test of the investor sentiment hypothesis in a market environment that is more likely to be prone to investor sentiment than the USA. We fail to provide supporting evidence for the claim of Lee et al. (1991) that investor sentiment affects the risk of common stocks. Consistent with Elton et al. (1998), who show that investor sentiment does not enter the return generating process, our tests do not detect investor sentiment in a capital market that is more susceptible to small investor sentiment. Our results provide additional support against the claim that investor sentiment represents an independent and systematic asset pricing risk.
Comparative Study of Various Methods of Fetal Weight Estimation in Term Pregnancy

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the various methods of estimating fetal weight in term pregnancy and to determine their relative accuracy in predicting the same in different weight categories. Materials and methods: The study was conducted at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata from 1st July 2009 to 30th June 2010. It was a prospective cohort type of study covering 500 pregnant women at term. Parameters studied (a) average error (gm) in different birth weight categories, (b) standard deviation of prediction error in each birth weight category. Results: Ultrasonography was found to have least standard deviation closely followed by the two clinical methods proposed by Johnson and Dare. The average positive predictive value of different methods in our study was 42.2, 70.9, 80.5 and 76% for Dawn’s, Johnson’s, Dare’s formulas and USG respectively. Conclusion: Easily measurable obstetric parameters with simple instruments requiring minimal manpower training are equally accurate as USG in predicting fetal weight.
Simvastatin Exerts Both Anti-inflammatory and Cardioprotective Effects in Apolipoprotein E—Deficient Mice

Background—Simvastatin attenuates ischemia and reperfusion in normocholesterolemic animals by stabilizing endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and inhibiting neutrophil-mediated injury. Because endothelial dysfunction is a detrimental effect of hypercholesterolemia, we examined whether short-term treatment with simvastatin could inhibit leukocyte-endothelium interaction and attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in apoE-deficient (apoE−/−) mice fed a high-cholesterol diet. Methods and Results—We studied leukocyte-endothelium interactions in apoE−/− mice fed a normal or a high-cholesterol diet after short-term (ie, 18 hours) simvastatin treatment. We also studied simvastatin treatment in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by subjecting apoE−/− mice to 30 minutes of ischemia and 24 hours of reperfusion. ApoE−/− mice fed a high-cholesterol diet exhibited higher blood cholesterol levels, which were not affected by short-term simvastatin treatment. However, the increased leukocyte rolling and adherence that occurred in cholesterol-fed apoE−/− mice (P <0.001 versus control diet) were significantly attenuated by simvastatin treatment (P <0.01 versus vehicle). Cholesterol-fed apoE−/− mice subjected to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion also experienced increased myocardial necrosis (P <0.01 versus control diet), which was significantly attenuated by simvastatin (P <0.01 versus vehicle). Simvastatin therapy also significantly increased vascular nitric oxide production in apoE−/− mice. Conclusions—Simvastatin attenuates leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions and ameliorates ischemic injury in hypercholesterolemic mice independently of lipid-lowering actions.
The Perils of Institutionalization in Neoliberal Times: Results of a National Survey of Canadian Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Centres

This article reports on a national survey of Canadian rape crisis and sexual assault centres conducted in 2005. We situate our results in relation to feminist literature on the perils of institutionalization. We argue that institutionalization takes on new forms in the context of neoliberalism and we emphasize the resistance of centres to under-funding and to individualized victims’ services policy frameworks. Despite significant pressures to redefine as social service delivery agencies, Canadian centres continue to engage in social change activism and define themselves as specifically feminist/pro-woman/equality-seeking organizations. Our respondents vary significantly in size and resources, yet nearly all emphasize the significant obstacle of inadequate funding and all continue to rely heavily on the unpaid work of (usually women) volunteers to do more with less.
Learning to play golf under different goal conditions: their effects on irrelevant thoughts and on subsequent control strategies

Volitional and self-handicapping theories suggest that individuals use various strategies to energize the maintenance and the enactment of goals. We placed 32 golfers (16 men and 16 women) alternately in four golf proficiency conditions using a randomized complete block design: task involvement, learning, achievement, and one-on-one competition goals. As expected, the path analysis showed that one-on-one competition goals generate irrelevant thoughts (anxiety, threat to self-esteem, distraction) as well as the subsequent bringing into play of control strategies (emotional control, attentional control, self-handicapping strategies). Conversely, task involvement goals not only exclude intrusive thoughts but hinder the implementation of control strategies. These results are discussed in terms of the attentional processes induced by motivational goals and their subsequent volitional and self-handicapping strategies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pinnacle: a fast, automatic and accurate method for detecting and quantifying protein spots in 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis data

MOTIVATION One of the key limitations for proteomic studies using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) is the lack of rapid, robust and reproducible methods for detecting, matching and quantifying protein spots. The most commonly used approaches involve first detecting spots and drawing spot boundaries on individual gels, then matching spots across gels and finally quantifying each spot by calculating normalized spot volumes. This approach is time consuming, error-prone and frequently requires extensive manual editing, which can unintentionally introduce bias into the results. RESULTS We introduce a new method for spot detection and quantification called Pinnacle that is automatic, quick, sensitive and specific and yields spot quantifications that are reliable and precise. This method incorporates a spot definition that is based on simple, straightforward criteria rather than complex arbitrary definitions, and results in no missing data. Using dilution series for validation, we demonstrate Pinnacle outperformed two well-established 2DE analysis packages, proving to be more accurate and yielding smaller coefficiant of variations (CVs). More accurate quantifications may lead to increased power for detecting differentially expressed spots, an idea supported by the results of our group comparison experiment. Our fast, automatic analysis method makes it feasible to conduct very large 2DE-based proteomic studies that are adequately powered to find important protein expression differences. AVAILABILITY Matlab code to implement Pinnacle is available from the authors upon request for non-commercial use.
Products and Productivity

Firms' decisions about which goods to produce are often made at a more disaggregate level than the data observed by empirical researchers. When products differ according to production technique or the way in which they enter demand, this data aggregation problem introduces a bias into standard measures of firm productivity. We develop a theoretical model of heterogeneous firms endogenously self-selecting into heterogeneous products. We characterize the bias introduced by unobserved variation in product mix across firms, and the implications of this bias for identifying firm and industry responses to exogenous policy shocks such as deregulation. More generally, we demonstrate that product switching gives rise to a richer set of industry-level dynamics than models where firm product mix remains fixed.
Dehumanization of Ethnic Groups in Britain and Romania:Socio-Cognitive and Ideological Aspects

This research explored why certain stigmatized and marginalized groups such as the Gypsies are dehumanized by being considered less than human. Twelve studies conducted in Britain and Romania (six in each country) explored what might predispose an ethnic minority to being dehumanized, and what functions dehumanization might serve in the context of inter-ethnic relations. Firstly, focus groups interviews probed how the human-animal binary as well as anthropocentrism can inform theories of dehumanization. It indicated that rational autonomy differentiates humans from animals, while sentience makes them similar, and that the motives underlying the ideology of speciesism may underpin dehumanization, too. Secondly, questionnaire surveys measured on a 7-point scale the human typicality of twelve emotions and twenty traits that were used in the operationalization of dehumanization in the present research. Some emotions and traits were rated as more typically human than others, and their human typicality ratings were not significantly correlated to their animal typicality ratings, suggesting that what is typically human is not necessarily un-typically animal. Thus, dehumanization was measured through the lesser association of typically human attributes with the out-group than with the ingroup. Three vignette experiments employing artificial out-groups revealed that while the target out-groups were overall dehumanized, the out-groups culturally different from the in-group, as well as the poor ones, were more dehumanized than the culturally similar out-groups and the rich ones, respectively. Concerning real groups, a pilot study indicated that the Gypsies and the Germans were perceived as threatening and non-threatening and as low-status and high-status groups, respectively. A questionnaire survey and a vignette experiment revealed that the Gypsies were dehumanized, but that the Germans were not, in both countries. Overall, the results indicate that dehumanization is not an automatic in-group bias, and that it may be shaped by ideologies that place poor low-status and marginalized people at the boundaries of the category . human' .
c-Abl Kinase Is Required for β2 Integrin-Mediated Neutrophil Adhesion1

Integrin regulation in neutrophil adhesion is essential for innate immune response. c-Abl kinase is a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase and is critical for signaling transduction from various receptors in leukocytes. Using neutrophils and dHL-60 (neutrophil-like differentiation of HL-60) cells, we show that c-Abl kinase is activated by β2 integrin engagement and is required for β2 integrin-dependent neutrophil sustained adhesion and spreading. The expression of β2 integrin on neutrophils induced by TNF-α is not affected by c-Abl kinase inhibitor STI571, suggesting that c-Abl kinase is not involved in TNF-α-induced integrin activation. The recruitment of c-Abl kinase to β2 integrin is dependent on talin head domain, which constitutively interacts with β2 integrin cytoplasmic domain. After activated, c-Abl kinase increases the tyrosine phosphorylation of Vav. The SH3 domain of c-Abl kinase is involved in its interaction with talin and Vav. Thus, c-Abl kinase plays an essential role in the activation of Vav induced by β2 integrin ligation and in regulating neutrophil-sustained adhesion and spreading.