Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Social Explanatory Styles Questionnaire: Assessing Moderators of Basic Social-Cognitive Phenomena Including Spontaneous Trait Inference, the Fundamental Attribution Error, and Moral Blame

Why is he poor? Why is she failing academically? Why is he so generous? Why is she so conscientious? Answers to such everyday questions—social explanations—have powerful effects on relationships at the interpersonal and societal levels. How do people select an explanation in particular cases? We suggest that, often, explanations are selected based on the individual's pre-existing general theories of social causality. More specifically, we suggest that over time individuals develop general beliefs regarding the causes of social events. We refer to these beliefs as social explanatory styles. Our goal in the present article is to offer and validate a measure of individual differences in social explanatory styles. Accordingly, we offer the Social Explanatory Styles Questionnaire (SESQ), which measures three independent dimensions of social explanatory style: Dispositionism, historicism, and controllability. Studies 1–3 examine basic psychometric properties of the SESQ and provide positive evidence regarding internal consistency, factor structure, and both convergent and divergent validity. Studies 4–6 examine predictive validity for each subscale: Does each explanatory dimension moderate an important phenomenon of social cognition? Results suggest that they do. In Study 4, we show that SESQ dispositionism moderates the tendency to make spontaneous trait inferences. In Study 5, we show that SESQ historicism moderates the tendency to commit the Fundamental Attribution Error. Finally, in Study 6 we show that SESQ controllability predicts polarization of moral blame judgments: Heightened blaming toward controllable stigmas (assimilation), and attenuated blaming toward uncontrollable stigmas (contrast). Decades of research suggest that explanatory style regarding the self is a powerful predictor of self-functioning. We think it is likely that social explanatory styles—perhaps comprising interactive combinations of the basic dimensions tapped by the SESQ—will be similarly potent predictors of social functioning. We hope the SESQ will be a useful tool for exploring that possibility.
Rheumatic diseases: the effects of inflammation on bone

Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the seronegative spondyloarthropathies including psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus are all examples of rheumatic diseases in which inflammation is associated with skeletal pathology. Although some of the mechanisms of skeletal remodeling are shared among these diseases, each disease has a unique impact on articular bone or on the axial or appendicular skeleton. Studies in human disease and in animal models of arthritis have identified the osteoclast as the predominant cell type mediating bone loss in arthritis. Many of the cytokines and growth factors implicated in the inflammatory processes in rheumatic diseases have also been demonstrated to impact osteoclast differentiation and function either directly, by acting on cells of the osteoclast‐lineage, or indirectly, by acting on other cell types to modulate expression of the key osteoclastogenic factor receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF) κB ligand (RANKL) and/or its inhibitor osteoprotegerin (OPG). Further elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for inflammation‐induced bone loss will potentially lead to the identification of novel therapeutic strategies for the prevention of bone loss in these diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the cell types, inflammatory mediators, and mechanisms that are implicated in bone loss and new bone formation in inflammatory joint diseases.
Landraces of maize in Central Mexico: an altitudinal transect

Conservation of crop genetic resources is now considered an important component of sustainable agricultural development. If conservation of genetic resources for agriculture is to be successful, a more complete understanding of the dynamics affecting traditional (landrace) crop populations is needed. We conducted a study of maize-based agriculture in the Central Highlands of Mexico in communities at 2400, 1700, 1400, and 1200 masl to assess the status of traditional varieties in an area characterized by thorough integration into the national economy. Our research contradicts the view that modern varieties persist because of marginal conditions, deficient infrastructure, weaker markets, or traditional attitudes. One or two landraces dominated highland maize populations and farmers appeared to be more conservative in terms of their emphasis on traditional maize varieties than at lower elevations. The dominance of traditional varieties in the highlands is well known but poorly explained, and the coexistence of traditional and modern varieties in the mid-elevations was unexpected. Our highland study area has good roads, is near Mexico City, and is less than 50 km away from four major crop research institutes that have done maize breeding since 1950’s. We suggest that in situ conservation of maize genetic resources in the highlands is sustained because the landraces there have good agronomic performance and are highly valued by farmers for their end-use qualities. At the mid-elevations, competition between local and modern maize was sharpest, and farmers have found that both landraces and improved varieties suit their needs, hence enhancing genetic diversity. Interventions and incentives would appropriately be carried out here to assure in situ conservation of locally adapted landraces of maize.
Housing Market Dynamics: On the Contribution of Income Shocks and Credit Constraints

This paper presents a dynamic theory of housing market fluctuations. It develops a life-cycle model where households are heterogeneous with respect to income and preferences, and mortgage lending is restricted by a down-payment requirement. The market interaction of young credit-constrained households with older or richer unconstrained households generates the following results. (1) Current income of young credit-constrained households affects housing prices independently of aggregate income. (2) Housing prices and the number of housing transactions are positively correlated. (3) Housing prices over-react to income shocks. (4) A relaxation of the down-payment constraint triggers a boom-bust cycle. These results are consistent with patterns observed in the US and the UK.
Improvement of Antibacterial Efficacy Through Synergistic Effect in Photodynamic Therapy Based on Thiazinium Chromophores Against Planktonic and Biofilm-Associated Periodontopathogens.

OBJECTIVE Aim of the study was to improve the antibacterial efficacy of toluidine blue (TBO)/methylene blue (MB)-mediated photodynamic systems with light-emitting diode (LED) or laser irradiation administered to planktonic and biofilm-associated periodontopathogens. BACKGROUND DATA Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a common, noninvasive adjunctive clinical method to inactivate microorganisms. So far, the disadvantage of this method has been its limited effectiveness in eliminating pathogens. METHODS An anaerobic cocktail consisting of six representative periodontal pathogens was prepared as initial culture for planktonic samples and biofilms grown on human tooth slides. Both types of microbial samples were exposed to three commercial photodynamic systems (PDT1: TBO, 630 nm LED, PDT2: TBO, 635 nm laser, PDT3: MB, 665 nm laser) in conventional and a new modified approach (PDTplus) based on the use of an oxygen supplement (photosensitizer+hydrogen peroxide). The microbial viability was characterized by bacterial growth [colony forming units (CFU)], total bacterial cell counts, and microbial vitality. Statistical data analysis was performed using 95% confidence intervals (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey's test (p < 0.05). RESULTS The modified PDTplus showed the highest statistically significant synergistic antimicrobial activity for TBO-based systems evidenced by a CFU reduction of 9 log10 units to 0 for planktonic pathogens and a 4 log10 CFU reduction for biofilm bacteria. The MB-based PDTplus was superior mainly against biofilm pathogens. By comparison, the default TBO-based PDT achieved colony growth reductions of 2 and 1 log10 units concerning planktonic and biofilm cells. CONCLUSIONS Compared to conventional PDT, PDTplus showed superior antibacterial efficacy based on its synergistic effect, promising vast application possibilities.
Nonseparable Models with Information Frictions

This paper studies nonparametric identification of nonseparable models when true endogenous variables are unobservable because of information frictions. We consider identification of various structural parameters such as the average structural function and quantile structural effects, based on the instrumental variables and control variables approaches, and show how the identification results can be extended to the case of the unobservable true endogenous variables. The identification results are further extended to the nonseparable models where both the true endogenous variables and instrumental variables are unobservable because of information frictions, which have been neglected despite their theoretical and empirical importance. Our identification strategy is constructive in the sense that it produces explicit forms of the identified parameters and suggests corresponding nonparametric estimation strategies from these closed-form expressions. Uniform convergence rates of the proposed estimators are provided. We apply the results to analyze nonseparable consumer demand system using the PSID data. The estimated outcomes underscore the importance of addressing both the endogeneity and information frictions in the form of measurement errors on the family expenditure.
Diagnostic inconsistencies in Barrett's esophagus. Department of Veterans Affairs Gastroesophageal Reflux Study Group.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Few studies have compared the precision of various diagnostic tests used to determine the presence of Barrett's esophagus. The aim of this study was to compare the results of histological, endoscopic, and manometric tests for patients with Barrett's esophagus in two closely spaced examinations. METHODS In a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study, 192 patients with complicated gastroesophageal reflux disease had esophageal manometry and endoscopy performed at baseline and after 6 weeks. At each examination, the endoscopist localized the most proximal level of Barrett's epithelium and the lower esophageal sphincter and obtained esophageal biopsy specimens. RESULTS One hundred sixteen patients met the criteria for Barrett's esophagus on at least one of the two endoscopic examinations. Among patients with specialized columnar epithelium, 20% had specialized columnar epithelium found on only one of the two examinations. Although the mean lower esophageal sphincter level did not change, approximately 10% of patients had a change > or = 4 cm on endoscopy and manometry between examinations. This led to an apparent change in the diagnosis in 18% of patients with Barrett's esophagus. CONCLUSIONS From one endoscopic examination to another, inconsistencies in the ability to detect specialized columnar epithelium are common. This may lead to substantial problems in establishing an accurate diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus.
Leptin role in advanced lung cancer. A mediator of the acute phase response or a marker of the status of nutrition?

Leptin is an anorexia inductor peptide produced by adipocytes and related to fat mass. Leptin is also produced by fat under proinflammatory cytokine action. Our objective is to study serum leptin levels in relation to nutritional status and acute phase response in advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.Seventy-six patients newly diagnosed of non surgical non-small cell lung cancer before chemotherapy treatment and 30 healthy controls were included. BMI, serum leptin and cholesterol levels and lymphocyte count were decreased in lung cancer patients. Cytokine IL-6, TNF-alpha, sTNF-RII, sIL-2R, IL-12, IL-10 and IFN-gamma, and other acute phase reactants as alpha1 antitrypsin, ferritin, CRP and platelets were all raised in patients, whereas the IL-2 was decreased. We found a direct relationship between leptin and other indicators of the status of nutrition, especially total fat mass. We also found a close relationship between the status of nutrition and the performance status (Karnofsky index). However, serum leptin and nutritional status were inversely correlated with acute phase proteins and proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting a stress-type malnutrition. Although serum leptin levels, nutritional status and Karnofsky index are related to survival, at multivariate analysis they all were displaced by the acute phase reaction markers. These results suggest that cancer anorexia and cachexia are not due to a dysregulation of leptin production. Circulating leptin concentrations are not elevated in weight-losing cancer patients and are inversely related to the intensity of the inflammatory response. In advanced lung cancer patients serum leptin concentrations only depend on the total amount of fat.
Decreasing Proportion of Recent Infections among Newly Diagnosed HIV-1 Cases in Switzerland, 2008 to 2013 Based on Line-Immunoassay-Based Algorithms

Background HIV surveillance requires monitoring of new HIV diagnoses and differentiation of incident and older infections. In 2008, Switzerland implemented a system for monitoring incident HIV infections based on the results of a line immunoassay (Inno-Lia) mandatorily conducted for HIV confirmation and type differentiation (HIV-1, HIV-2) of all newly diagnosed patients. Based on this system, we assessed the proportion of incident HIV infection among newly diagnosed cases in Switzerland during 2008-2013. Methods and Results Inno-Lia antibody reaction patterns recorded in anonymous HIV notifications to the federal health authority were classified by 10 published algorithms into incident (up to 12 months) or older infections. Utilizing these data, annual incident infection estimates were obtained in two ways, (i) based on the diagnostic performance of the algorithms and utilizing the relationship ‘incident = true incident + false incident’, (ii) based on the window-periods of the algorithms and utilizing the relationship ‘Prevalence = Incidence x Duration’. From 2008—2013, 3’851 HIV notifications were received. Adult HIV-1 infections amounted to 3’809 cases, and 3’636 of them (95.5%) contained Inno-Lia data. Incident infection totals calculated were similar for the performance- and window-based methods, amounting on average to 1’755 (95% confidence interval, 1588—1923) and 1’790 cases (95% CI, 1679—1900), respectively. More than half of these were among men who had sex with men. Both methods showed a continuous decline of annual incident infections 2008—2013, totaling -59.5% and -50.2%, respectively. The decline of incident infections continued even in 2012, when a 15% increase in HIV notifications had been observed. This increase was entirely due to older infections. Overall declines 2008—2013 were of similar extent among the major transmission groups. Conclusions Inno-Lia based incident HIV-1 infection surveillance proved useful and reliable. It represents a free, additional public health benefit of the use of this relatively costly test for HIV confirmation and type differentiation.
Older people as health service consumers: background to a study.

User involvement in health care has received a high profile within the NHS Plan (Department of Health, 2000a), giving patients a greater say in their treatment and in the way that the NHS works. Older people, i.e. those over 65 years of age, as a group, are the highest users of hospital and community services (DH, 2001a). The national service framework (NSF) for older people (DH, 2001a) highlights the need to listen to older people, help them make informed choices and involve them in achieving a healthy lifestyle. While the NSF for older people rightly attempts to ensure fair and equitable access to health care services for older people, it is assumed that they want to be involved, and want to exercise their rights as users. This assumption needs to be tested. This study, presented as a series of four articles, sets out to explore if there is a consumerist ethic among older people in relation to health care. The first paper outlines some of the literature reviewed together with the methodology.
Medicaid prescription drug access restrictions: exploring the effect on patient persistence with hypertension medications.

OBJECTIVE To compare rates of discontinuation of prescription therapy for hypertension in Medicaid patients with and without medication access restrictions. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Prescription data were extracted from a pharmacy claims database in a large state that implemented a Medicaid preferred drug list (PDL), both before and after the PDL was implemented. Prescriptions filled between June 2000 and May 2003 were included. RESULTS Medicaid patients taking prescription medications commonly used to treat hypertension were 39% (odds ratio = 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.21, 1.6) more likely to discontinue hypertension therapy after the restriction was implemented compared with Medicaid patients 1 year earlier when there were no restrictions. Patients were classified as "discontinued" if they had therapy available less than 50% of the time during the 12 months after implementation of the PDL. Before the PDL, 17% of patients receiving treatment with hypertension medication discontinued therapy. After the PDL, 21% of Medicaid patients taking hypertension medication discontinued therapy. After the PDL, Medicaid patients were significantly more likely to switch medications from a restricted to an unrestricted drug. Those patients also were less likely to have a restricted drug added to their therapy regimen. CONCLUSIONS After implementation of the PDL, Medicaid patients were more likely to discontinue filling prescriptions for antihypertensive medication. Because hypertension management is an important challenge within the Medicaid community, the potential connection between access restrictions and patient adherence to medication therapy is a worthy topic for further exploratory studies and quantitative outcomes research.
Parent-child problem solving in families of children with or without intellectual disability.

OBJECTIVE To examine differences in child social competence and parent-child interactions involving children with intellectual disability (ID) or typical development (TD) during a Parent-Child Problem-Solving Task. DESIGN Mothers and their 9-year-old children (n = 122) participated in a problem-solving task in which they discussed and tried to resolve an issue they disagreed about. The interactions were coded on child and mother problem solving and affect behaviours, as well as the dyad's problem resolution. RESULTS Children with ID (n = 35) were rated lower on expression/negotiation skills and higher on resistance to the task than children with TD (n = 87). Mothers in the ID group (vs. TD group) were more likely to direct the conversation. However, there were no group differences on maternal feeling acknowledgement, engagement, warmth or antagonism. The ID dyads were less likely to come to a resolution and to compromise in doing so than the TD dyads. These group differences were not attributable to differences in children's behaviour problems. CONCLUSIONS Children with ID and their mothers had more difficulty resolving problems, and this increased difficulty was not explained by greater behaviour problems. Additionally, with the exception of directiveness, mothers of children with ID displayed similar behaviours and affect towards their children during problem solving as mothers of children with TD. Results suggest that the Parent-Child Problem-Solving Task is a useful way to assess social skills and associated parental behaviours in middle childhood beyond self-report. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed.
Outcomes for Surgical Coverage of Pressure Sores in Nonambulatory, Nonparaplegic, Elderly Patients

Pressure sores are a common complication of long-term institutional care. Surgical coverage of late-stage ulcers in the elderly refractory to conservative therapy remains controversial. The authors reviewed the outcome of 22 predominately nonambulatory, nonparaplegic, elderly patients with coverage of 27 pressure sores. The mean patient age was 59 years (range, 50–82 years). The average follow-up was 6 months (range, 3 months–2 years). There were 11 complications for the 22 patients (50%) and the 27 ulcers (41%). Postoperatively, a well-healed ulcer was present in 19 of 27 patients (70%) at 6 months. Of the 19 reconstructed sacral ulcers, there were 10 complications (53%) and one recurrence at 6 months. Seven trochanteric ulcers were covered with tensor fascia lata flaps without complications or recurrences at the 6-month follow-up. One ischial ulcer was managed using a V-Y hamstring advancement flap, resulting in dehiscence and a subsequent revision. The authors advocate surgical coverage to treat late-stage pressure sores in nonparalyzed elderly persons to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and economic burden of patients with late-stage pressure ulcers. With an increasing geriatric population, prevention and postoperative care are necessary to diminish the incidence, recurrence, and burden of pressure sores.
Mercury methylation by anaerobic microorganisms: A review

Abstract Although mercury (Hg) is toxic at all valence states, organic Hg, especially monomethylmercury (MeHg, CH3Hg+, methylmercury), is more toxic than inorganic Hg (Hg(II), Hg2+). As Hg is predominately methylated via bio-methylation, studies on the mechanism of Hg bio-methylation by microorganisms are particularly important. It is widely accepted that MeHg is mainly produced by anaerobic microorganisms in the environment, and the Hg-methylating process is a cellular reaction. Hence, the production rate of MeHg is not only related to the presence and activities of Hg-methylating anaerobic microorganisms, but also the transport of Hg(II) into microbial cells and the biochemical reactions for forming MeHg in the cells. Therefore, this review described the current state of knowledge on: 1) what kind of microorganisms can methylate Hg; 2) what pathways are the Hg(II) take to enter into the microbial cells; 3) what kind of biochemical reactions happen in the cells; and 4) biogeochemical factors affecting Hg methylation, which are critical to elucidate the regulating mechanisms of Hg methylation by microorganisms. Simultaneously, the existing issues or controversies on biotic Hg methylation were also discussed.
Periodic Traveling Waves in Integrodifferential Equations for Nonlocal Dispersal

Periodic traveling waves (wavetrains) have been extensively studied for reaction-diffusion equations. One important motivation for this work has been the identification of periodic traveling wave patterns in spatiotemporal data sets in ecology. However, for many ecological populations, diffusion is no more than a rough phenomenological representation of dispersal, and spatial convolution with a dispersal kernel is more realistic. This paper concerns periodic traveling wave solutions of differential equations with nonlocal dispersal terms, and with local dynamics of lambda--omega form. These kinetics include the normal form near a standard supercritical Hopf bifurcation and are therefore significant for a wide range of applications. For general dispersal kernels, an explicit family of periodic traveling wave solutions is derived, as well as the condition for waves to be stable to perturbations of arbitrarily small wavenumber. Three specific kernels are then considered in detail: Laplace, Gaussian, and top .