Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Differential Impact of Goal Congruency on Attitudes, Intentions, and the Transfer of Brand Equity

Various theories suggest that the perceived similarity of objects facilitates the transfer of knowledge, affect, and intentions from one object to the other. However, there is disagreement as to the meaning of similarity and how it should be operationalized among these various theories, and no effort to relate these various measures to one another exists in the literature. In an empirical study, the authors examine the relationships among measures of product similarity in three different contexts: (1) goal-congruent products, (2) moderately goal-incongruent products, and (3) extremely goal-incongruent products. The results of exploratory factor analyses revealed that perceived similarity is a multidimensional construct and that the number and structure of these dimensions of similarity are different when products differ in their degrees of goal congruency. Structural equation analyses of the measures based on a second sample confirmed the structure obtained in the earlier exploratory analyses and demonstrated that brand attitudes and purchase intention exhibit different relationships to the underlying dimensions of similarity in the goal-congruent and goal-incongruent conditions, consistent with expectations based on the theory of goal-derived categorization. The authors discuss implications of these findings for theory and practice.
Temporal Changes in Myeloid Cells in the Cervix during Pregnancy and Parturition1

Preterm birth occurs at a rate of 12.7% in the U.S. and is the primary cause of fetal morbidity in the first year of life as well as the cause of later health problems. Elucidation of mechanisms controlling cervical remodeling is critical for development of therapies to reduce the incidence of prematurity. The cervical extracellular matrix must be disorganized during labor to allow birth, followed by a rapid repair postpartum. Leukocytes infiltrate the cervix before and after birth and are proposed to regulate matrix remodeling during cervical ripening via release of proteolytic enzymes. In the current study, flow cytometry and cell sorting were used to determine the role of immune cells in cervical matrix remodeling before, during, and after parturition. Markers of myeloid cell differentiation and activation were assessed to define phenotype and function. Tissue monocytes and eosinophils increased in the cervix before birth in a progesterone-regulated fashion, whereas macrophage numbers were unchanged. Neutrophils increased in the postpartum period. Increased mRNA expression of Csfr1 and markers of alternatively activated M2 macrophages during labor or shortly postpartum suggest a function of M2 macrophages in postpartum tissue repair. Changes in cervical myeloid cell numbers are not reflected in the peripheral blood. These data along with our previous studies suggest that myeloid-derived cells do not orchestrate processes required for initiation of cervical ripening before birth. Additionally, macrophages with diverse phenotypes (M1 and M2) are present in the cervix and are most likely involved in the postpartum repair of tissue.
Carbohydrate metabolism in lichen planus

A study of forty patients with active lichen planus and a negative family history for diabetes showed that 42%, had unequivocally abnormal oral glucose tolerance. The pattern of insulin response to glucose is similar to that seen in typical mild maturity‐onset diabetes. There was no association between the presence of glucose intolerance and the duration or type of lesions. None of the patients with glucose intolerance had demonstrable islet‐cell antibodies.
Do Cultural Differences between Contracting Parties Matter? Evidence from Syndicated Bank Loans

We investigate whether cultural differences between professional decision makers affect financial contracts in a large data set of international syndicated bank loans. We find that more culturally distant lead banks offer borrowers smaller loans at a higher interest rate and are more likely to require third-party guarantees. These effects do not disappear following repeated interaction between borrower and lender and are economically sizable: A one-standard-deviation increase in cultural distance, approximately the distance between Canada and the United States or between Japan and South Korea, is associated with a 6.5 basis point higher loan spread; the loan spread increases by about 23 basis points if the bank-firm match involves culturally more distant parties, for example, from Japan and the United States. We also find that cultural differences not only affect the relation between borrower and lender, but also hamper risk sharing between participant banks and culturally distant lead banks. This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
PedMIDAS: Development of a questionnaire to assess disability of migraines in children

BackgroundFor adults, disability produced by migraines has been assessed with a migraine-specific disability tool—MIDAS. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a similar tool that accurately depicts the disability of headaches in school-age children and adolescents. MethodsA six-question tool (PedMIDAS) was developed and administered to patients attending a tertiary referral center for pediatric headaches. Internal consistency and test/retest reliability were assessed. Validity was assessed by correlating scores with headache frequency, severity, and duration. Changes in the total score in response to treatment were assessed in a portion of the patients. ResultsThe PedMIDAS questionnaire was administered to 441 patients for a total of 724 trials. The mean score at the initial visit was 44.3 ± 47.9, whereas the overall mean score was 25.1 ± 36.5. A 2-week test/retest reliability assessment for 56 patients confirmed the stability of the instrument with a Pearson coefficient of 0.80. The correlation of the PedMIDAS score with frequency, severity, and duration had Pearson’s coefficient values of 0.58, 0.27, and 0.23. The PedMIDAS score was reduced to 20.0 ± 32.3 (p < 0.0001) at the first follow-up assessment with subsequent continued reduction. ConclusionsThe PedMIDAS questionnaire provided a developmentally sensitive, reliable, and valid assessment of the disability of childhood and adolescent headaches. This questionnaire provides a tool to assess the impact of migraines in children and to monitor response to treatment. Further research should focus on additional validation of the PedMIDAS using a larger population and sampling from other populations (e.g., primary care and community samples).
Hybrid RF and VLC Systems: Improving User Data Rate Performance of VLC Systems

A hybrid radio frequency (RF) and visible light communication (VLC) system is considered. A hybrid system with multiple VLC access points (APs) and RF APs is designed and compared. In indoor environments, VLC APs can provide very high data rates whilst satisfying illumination requirements, and RF APs can offer ubiquitous coverage. Even though very high throughput is supported by VLC APs, such coverage area may be spatially limited. This gives an opportunity to introduce a new small cell layer to current heterogeneous wireless networks, and it is referred as optical attocellular layer. However since VLC piggy-backs on the existing lighting infrastructure, it may not be possible to achieve full coverage. Hence in practical deployments, the spatial throughput distribution of standalone VLC systems should be augmented. In this context, RF APs can be used to improve the overall rate performance of the heterogeneous wireless system. In this study, the focus is on improving the per user average and outage throughput. It is assumed that the VLC system resources are fixed, and the study quantifies the spectrum and power requirements for a RF system, which after introduction to the VLC system, achieves better per user rate performance.
Theological Correctness: Cognitive Constraint and the Study of Religion

In both natural and religious thinking, people have ntultiple versions of the same concepts that may be contradictory. In the domain of religious concepts, these ntultiple levels of representation in single individuals may be termed "Theological Correctness. " Versions of religioiis concepts range front fairly simple or concrete to very complex and abstract. Selection of the, concept to be used in any given context is largely dependent on the cognitive processing demands of the task. In tasks in which there is great derrtand to draw quick and rich inferences, a basic concept comprised largely of intuitive knowledge, is used. In tasks in which there is less demand, as when one is slowly and carefully riflecting on one's knowledge, more complicated, intuition violating theoretical concepts may be drawn upon. In the domain of religious concepts these concepts closely match traditional theology and so may be termed theological concepts. Implications for data gathering and theorizing in the study of religion are discussed. Finally, these observations suggest the. importance of insights from cognitive sciertce, for the study of religion.
Efficacy of continuous infusion 2‐CDA (cladribine) in pediatric patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis

Patients with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) may behave differently depending on what sites are involved and the response or lack of response to earlier therapies. Therapy for high‐risk patients or those with multiple reactivations continues to be challenging because of variable response rates and frequent toxicities. The goals of this study were to determine the long‐term disease free survival in children with high‐risk or multiply reactivated LCH treated with 2‐CDA, and the toxicity of low dose continuous infusion (CI). Ten children with multiple reactivations or high‐risk disease as defined by the Histiocyte Society were treated with CI 2‐CDA and were evaluable for response and toxicity assessment. The starting dose of 2‐CDA was 5 mg/M2/day for 3 days and escalated to 6.5 mg/M2/day for 3 days if tolerated. The maximum number of courses of 2‐CDA per patient was limited to six. Fifty‐two courses of 2‐CDA were administered without difficulty. After the patient demonstrated no acute toxicity with the first administration of 2‐CDA, the subsequent doses were given at home to all but one patient. All 10 patients had a clinical response, 9 documented by radiographic, or changes in physical exam or review of systems. Toxicity was limited to myelosuppression. Seven of the 10 patients required no additional therapy and remain disease free a median of 50 months from completing therapy. The three remaining patients are currently disease free after receiving other therapy. Further studies are needed to determine the role of 2‐CDA in this patient population. 2‐CDA can be given safely using home therapy, and may effective even in high‐risk patients. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ERK1 Regulates the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niches

The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) ERK1 and ERK2 are among the major signal transduction molecules but little is known about their specific functions in vivo. ERK activity is provided by two isoforms, ERK1 and ERK2, which are ubiquitously expressed and share activators and substrates. However, there are not in vivo studies which have reported a role for ERK1 or ERK2 in HSCs and the bone marrow microenvironment. The present study shows that the ERK1-deficient mice present a mild osteopetrosis phenotype. The lodging and the homing abilities of the ERK1−/− HSC are impaired, suggesting that the ERK1−/−-defective environment may affect the engrafment of HSCs. Serial transplantations demonstrate that ERK1 is involved in the maintenance of an appropriate medullar microenvironment, but that the intrinsic properties of HSCs are not altered by the ERK1−/− defective microenvironment. Deletion of ERK1 impaired in vitro and in vivo osteoclastogenesis while osteoblasts were unaffected. As osteoclasts derive from precursors of the monocyte/macrophage lineage, investigation of the monocytic compartment was performed. In vivo analysis of the myeloid lineage progenitors revealed that the frequency of CMPs increased by approximately 1.3-fold, while the frequency of GMPs significantly decreased by almost 2-fold, compared with the respective WT compartments. The overall mononuclear-phagocyte lineage development was compromised in these mice due to a reduced expression of the M-CSF receptor on myeloid progenitors. These results show that the cellular targets of ERK1 are M-CSFR-responsive cells, upstream to osteoclasts. While ERK1 is well known to be activated by M-CSF, the present results are the first to point out an ERK1-dependent M-CSFR regulation on hematopoietic progenitors. This study reinforces the hypothesis of an active cross-talk between HSCs, their progeny and bone cells in the maintenance of the homeostasis of these compartments.
IgG Antibodies against Measles, Rubella, and Varicella Zoster Virus Predict Conversion to Multiple Sclerosis in Clinically Isolated Syndrome

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by a polyspecific B-cell response to neurotropic viruses such as measles, rubella and varicella zoster, with the corresponding antibodies measurable in CSF as the so-called “MRZ reaction” (MRZR). We aimed to evaluate the relevance of MRZR to predict conversion of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to MS, and to compare it to oligoclonal bands (OCB) and MRI. Methodology/Principal Findings MRZR was determined in a prospective study over 2 years including 40 patients that remained CIS over follow-up (CIS-CIS) and 49 patients that developed MS (CIS-RRMS) using ELISA. Using logistic regression, a score (MRZS) balancing the predictive value of the antibody indices included in MRZR was defined (9 points measles, 8 points rubella, 1 point varicella zoster, cutpoint: sum of scores greater 10). MRZR and MRZS were significantly more frequent in CIS-RRMS as compared to CIS-CIS (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02). MRZS showed the best positive predictive value (PPV) of all parameters investigated (79%, 95%-CI: 54–94%), which could be further increased by combination with MRI (91%, 95%-CI: 59–99%). Conclusions/Significance Our data indicate the relevance of MRZR to predict conversion to MS. It furthermore shows the importance of weighting the different antibody indices included in MRZR and suggest that patients with positive MRZR are candidates for an early begin of immunomodulatory therapy.
Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with colon adenomas in a Brazilian university hospital.

CONTEXT The association between Helicobacter pylori infection and colon neoplasia has been the subject of recent investigations which have produced controversial results. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with colonic adenomas and also in patients whose colonoscopy exams were normal. METHODS After colonoscopy, the individuals were distributed into two groups: patients with colon adenomas (cases) and patients whose colons were normal (controls). The groups were similar regarding age and gender. The individuals of both groups were subjected to a dosage of IgG antibody against H. pylori. The dosage was applied according to the solid phase, chemiluminescent immunometric assay. The chi-square test was used to analyze the data. RESULTS There were 30 men and 64 women in each group (94 cases and 94 controls). The mean age of the cases was 59.79 +/- 12.25 years and that of the controls was 58.98 +/- 11.55 years. The H. pylori serology was positive for 66 (70.21%) of the cases and for 51 (54.25%) of the controls. There was a significant difference (P = 0.024). The odds ratio was 1.98 (CI 95%, 0.82-3.15). The prevalence of H. pylori in cases and controls according to gender, histological type and location of the colon lesions showed a significant difference only among women (P = 0.03), among patients with tubular adenomas (P = 0.03), and in those with distal adenomas (P = 0.038). CONCLUSION There is a positive association between H. pylori infection and colonic adenomas. This association is more evident in women, especially for tubular adenomas and distal colonic location.
Identification of High-Speed Rail Ballast Flight Risk Factors and Risk Mitigation Strategies

With the development of high speed rail (HSR) systems around the world during the past 50 years, one of the observed phenomena that occur at the train-track interface is the “ballast flight”, a phenomenon where ballast particles become airborne during the passage of a train. This phenomenon occurs when a combination of both mechanical and aerodynamic forces generated mostly by the passage of the train cause a ballast particle to overcome gravity. Factors affecting ballast flight include aerodynamic conditions, track response, ground effects and atmospheric conditions. Damages to the railhead, train body, and adjacent structures as well as injuries to maintenance staff have been reported in the literature to result in a major maintenance cost and safety concern for HSR systems with ballasted track. Previous studies have used laboratory wind tunnel tests and large-scale field tests to verify the various causes and mechanisms of ballast flight, and theoretical models have been developed to simulate the phenomena. However, there are only few existing practical risk models formulated according to certain field and/or analytical occurrences and used to assess the risk of ballast flight under different HSR operating conditions. For example the French National Railways (SNCF) and the Spanish Railway Administration (ADIF) have developed models to assess the flying ballast. A comprehensive literature review is needed to identify all the risk factors relevant to potential HSR operational conditions in the U.S. This would enable the development of a risk model to assess the ballast flight risk. The purpose of this article is to present the planned framework by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to perform a full evaluation of risk factors that may contribute to ballast flight in the United States where HSR is now emerging. This findings will likely to provide a basic strategic development plan for ballast flight risk for HSR operations in the United States. The scope of the work will include an identification of operating and infrastructure conditions that may lead to ballast flight, a development of risk assessments and methodologies for HSR planners and operators in North America, thus allowing the development of safe HSR systems.
Latitude migration of solar filaments

The Carte Synoptique catalogue of solar filaments from 1919 March-1989 December, corresponding to complete cycles 16-21, is utilized to show the latitudinal migration of filaments at low latitudes (less than 50 degrees), and the latitudinal drift of solar filaments in each hemisphere in each cycle of the time interval is compared with the corresponding drift of sunspot groups. The latitudinal drift of filaments obviously differs from that of sunspot groups. At the beginning of a cycle, filaments (sunspot groups) migrate from latitudes of about 40 degrees (28 degrees) with a drift velocity of about 2.4 m s-1 (1.2 m s-1) toward the solar equator, reach latitudes of about 25 degrees (20 degrees) 4 yr later at the cycle maximum with a drift velocity of about 1.0 m s-1 (1.0 m s-1) and halt at about 8 degrees (8 degrees) at the end of the cycle. When solar activity is programmed into a solar cycle, the difference between the latitudes of appearance of filaments and sunspot groups becomes smaller and smaller. The difference rapidly decreases in the first and last similar to 4 yr of a cycle, but barely decreases at all in the similar to 4 yr after the cycle maximum. For filaments, the latitudinal drift velocity decreases in the first similar to 7.5 yr of a cycle, but increases in the last similar to 3.5 yr of the cycle. However, for sunspot groups the drift velocity always decreases over the whole cycle. The difference between the latitude drift of filaments in the northern and southern hemispheres is found not to be obvious. The latitudinal drift velocity of filaments differs slightly in the northern and southern hemispheres within a cycle. The physical implication behind the latitudinal drift of filaments is explored.
A Longitudinal Examination of Latino Adolescents' Ethnic Identity, Coping With Discrimination, and Self-Esteem

The current longitudinal study tested the premise that Latino adolescents' (N = 323) proactive coping with discrimination would mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem. Each component of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration, resolution, and affirmation) was positively associated with concurrent assessments of adolescents' self-esteem. However, in the longitudinal analyses, none of the ethnic identity components predicted future levels of self-esteem. Ethnic identity resolution was the only ethnic identity component to predict proactive coping over time. Furthermore, proactive coping did not mediate the relationship between ethnic identity and self-esteem. However, there was evidence to suggest that the association between proactive coping and self-esteem was bidirectional. These findings underscore the importance of examining the unique components of ethnic identity as well as using longitudinal designs to examine the associations between ethnic identity and adolescents' psychological well-being.
NOVA-dependent regulation of cryptic NMD exons controls synaptic protein levels after seizure

The neuronal RNA binding protein NOVA regulates splicing, shuttles to the cytoplasm, and co-localizes with target transcripts in dendrites, suggesting links between splicing and local translation. Here we identified >200 transcripts showing NOVA-dependent changes in abundance, but, surprisingly, HITS-CLIP revealed NOVA binds these RNAs in introns rather than 3′ UTRs. This led us to discover NOVA-regulated splicing of cryptic exons within these introns. These exons triggered nonsense mediated decay (NMD), as UPF1 and protein synthesis were required for NOVA's effect on RNA levels. Their regulation was dynamic and physiologically relevant. The NMD exons were regulated by seizures, which also induced changes in Nova subcellular localization and mediated large changes in synaptic proteins, including proteins implicated in familial epilepsy. Moreover, Nova haploinsufficient mice had spontaneous epilepsy. The data reveal a hidden means of dynamic RNA regulation linking electrical activity to splicing and protein output, and of mediating homeostatic excitation/inhibition balance in neurons. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.00178. 001
Perceptions of Female and Male Superintendents for a Middle School Principalship as Moderated by Sex and National Origin of Applicants

A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design involving sex of superintendents, sex of applicants, and national origin of applicants (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic) is used to assess screening decisions for a middle school principalship. Screening decisions are analyzed from a sequential model to capture selection as a process. Results indicate that biases surface early for male superintendents relative to the national origin of job candidates. Our research indicates the playing field for Hispanic job candidates is less than level for leadership positions at middle schools when assessed by male public school superintendents even when Hispanic job candidates are equally qualified as compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts.