Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Efficacy Buffers the Relationship between Educational Disadvantage and Executive Functioning

Abstract Previous studies showed that control beliefs are more strongly related to global cognition and mortality among adults with low education, providing preliminary evidence that self-efficacy buffers against the negative impact of educational disadvantage on physical and cognitive health. The current study extends these findings to a nationally representative sample of men and women aged 30 to 85 and explores which cognitive domains are most strongly associated with self-efficacy, educational attainment, and their interaction. Data were obtained from 1032 adult (30–85) participants in the United States norming study for the NIH Toolbox. Self-efficacy, executive functioning, working memory, processing speed, episodic memory, and vocabulary were assessed with the NIH Toolbox. Multivariate analysis of covariance and follow-up regressions tested the hypothesis that self-efficacy would be more strongly related to cognitive performance among individuals with lower education, controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, reading level, testing language, and depressive symptoms. Higher education was associated with higher self-efficacy and better performance on all cognitive tests. Higher self-efficacy was associated with better set-switching and attention/inhibition. Significant self-efficacy by education interactions indicated that associations between self-efficacy and executive abilities were stronger for individuals with lower education. Specifically, individuals with low education but high self-efficacy performed similarly to individuals with high education. This study provides evidence that self-efficacy beliefs buffer against the negative effects of low educational attainment on executive functioning. These results have implications for future policy and/or intervention work aimed at reducing the deleterious effects of educational disadvantage on later cognitive health. (JINS, 2015, 21, 297–304)
Assessment of Diet and Physical Activity of Brazilian Schoolchildren: Usability Testing of a Web-Based Questionnaire

Background Information and communication technology (ICT) has been used with increasing frequency for the assessment of diet and physical activity in health surveys. A number of Web-based questionnaires have been developed for children and adolescents. However, their usability characteristics have scarcely been reported, despite their potential importance for improving the feasibility and validity of ICT-based methods. Objective The objective of this study was to describe the usability evaluation of the Consumo Alimentar e Atividade Física de Escolares (CAAFE) questionnaire (Food Consumption and Physical Activity Questionnaire for schoolchildren), a new Web-based survey tool for the self-assessment of diet and physical activity by schoolchildren. Methods A total of 114 schoolchildren aged 6 to 12 years took part in questionnaire usability testing carried out in computer classrooms at five elementary schools in the city of Florianopolis, Brazil. Schoolchildren used a personal computer (PC) equipped with software for recording what is on the computer screen and the children’s speech during usability testing. Quantitative and qualitative analyses took into account objective usability metrics such as error counts and time to complete a task. Data on the main difficulties in accomplishing the task and the level of satisfaction expressed by the children were assessed by the observers using a standardized form and interviews with the children. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to summarize both the quantitative and the qualitative aspects of the data obtained. Results The mean time for completing the questionnaire was 13.7 minutes (SD 3.68). Compared to the children in 2nd or 3rd grades, those in 4th or 5th grades spent less time completing the questionnaire (median 12.4 vs 13.3 minutes, P=.022), asked for help less frequently (median 0 vs 1.0 count, P=.005), had a lower error count (median 2.0 vs 8.0 count, P<.001), and obtained a higher overall performance score (median 73.0 vs 68.0, P=.005). Children with a PC at home spent less time completing the questionnaire (median 12.3 vs 14.9 minutes, P<.001), had a lower overall error count (median 2.0 vs 9.0 count, P=.03), and had a higher performance score (median 72.0 vs 64.0, P=.005) compared to the children without a PC at home. The most common difficulty in completing the questionnaire was in using the scroll bar. The majority of children reported a positive evaluation (liked a lot or liked) for the four design elements, which were evaluated. Conclusions The results of the present study provided feedback to improve the final version of the CAAFE questionnaire. Quantitative data showed minor errors and system failures, while qualitative data indicated that, overall, the children enjoyed the CAAFE questionnaire. Grade levels and PC use must be taken into account in Web-based tools designed for children.
Plant water deficits and insect responses: the preference of Corythucha arcuata (Heteroptera: Tingidae) for the foliage of white oak, Quercus alba

ABSTRACT. 1 The preference of Corythucha arcuata (Say) (Heteroptera: Tingidae) for the foliage of Quercus alba L. (Fagaceae) grown under water deficit was examined. Potted Q.alba saplings were grown under controlled levels of water deficit in a glasshouse. Adult C.arcuata were exposed to excised Q.alba foliage under controlled conditions in a growth chamber, and feeding preference assessed by recording the percentage of individuals feeding on leaves from each level of water deficit. 2 Two experiments were performed. In the first, all foliage was supplemented with water (via the petiole) to alleviate physical changes in the leaves that accompany plant water deficits. In the second experiment, leaves were not supplemented with water. 3 C.arcuata had no preference when presented water supplemented leaves, but preferred leaves that were fully hydrated when presented leaves that were not supplemented with water. 4 These results suggest that plant water deficits are important in determining the feeding preference of C.arcuata because they lead to avoidance of drought grown foliage. This avoidance may be caused by an increase in the metabolic cost to the herbivore of maintaining water balance when ingesting drought grown foliage or to an increase in foliage toughness.
Supportive care needs of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease and their caregivers: A scoping review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To identify the supportive care needs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients and their caregivers, categorise and summarise them into a Supportive Care Needs Framework and identify gaps in literature. BACKGROUND Little is known about the supportive care needs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients and their caregivers, and this subject has not previously been systemically reviewed. DESIGN Scoping review. METHODS We conducted a scoping review from the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane databases for the period January 2000-July 2016, using the following inclusion criteria: (i) written in English only, (ii) published in peer-reviewed journals, (iii) at least part of the research considered the supportive care needs perspective of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients or their caregivers and (iv) the population sample included patients of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease or their caregivers. RESULTS Thirty-seven articles were included. Our review shows that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients and their caregivers' supportive care needs were mentioned across all seven domains of the Supportive Care Needs Framework. Most common were practical needs (n = 24), followed by Informational needs (n = 19), Social needs (n = 18), Psychological needs (n = 16), Physical needs (n = 15), Emotional needs (n = 13) and Spiritual needs (n = 8). CONCLUSION From the perspectives of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients and their caregivers, there is a significant need for more practical, social, informational, psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual support. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The Supportive Care Needs Framework has potential utility in the development of patient-centred support services or healthcare policies and serves as an important base for further studies; especially, specific examples of each supportive care needs domain can guide in clinical settings when healthcare professionals provide multidisciplinary care to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease patients and individualised care.
The scarcity of crossing dependencies: a direct outcome of a specific constraint?

The structure of a sentence can be represented as a network where vertices are words and edges indicate syntactic dependencies. Interestingly, crossing syntactic dependencies have been observed to be infrequent in human languages. This leads to the question of whether the scarcity of crossings in languages arises from an independent and specific constraint on crossings. We provide statistical evidence suggesting that this is not the case, as the proportion of dependency crossings of sentences from a wide range of languages can be accurately estimated by a simple predictor based on a null hypothesis on the local probability that two dependencies cross given their lengths. The relative error of this predictor never exceeds 5% on average, whereas the error of a baseline predictor assuming a random ordering of the words of a sentence is at least 6 times greater. Our results suggest that the low frequency of crossings in natural languages is neither originated by hidden knowledge of language nor by the undesirability of crossings per se, but as a mere side effect of the principle of dependency length minimization.
Feedback Control of Mesolimbic Somatodendritic Dopamine Release in Rat Brain

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the role of dopamine (DA) receptors in the nucleus accumbens (ACB) in controlling feedback regulation of mesolimbic somatodendritic DA release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of Wistar rats using ipsilateral dualprobe in vivo microdialysis. Perfusion of the ACB for 60 min with the DA uptake inhibitor GBR‐12909 (10‐1,000 μM) or nomifensine (10‐1,000 μM) dose‐dependently increased the extracellular levels of DA in ACB and concomitantly reduced the extracellular levels of DA in the VTA. Coperfusion of 100 μM nomifensine with either 100 μM SCH‐23390 (SCH), a D1 antagonist, or 100 μM sulpiride (SUL), a D2 receptor antagonist, produced either an additive (for SCH) or a synergistic (for SUL) elevation in the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB, whereas the reduction in the extracellular levels of DA in the VTA produced by nomifensine alone was completely prevented by addition of either antagonist. Application of 100 μM SCH or SUL alone through the microdialysis probe in the ACB increased the extracellular levels of DA in the ACB, whereas the extracellular levels of DA in the VTA remained unchanged. Overall, the results suggest that (a) increasing the synaptic levels of DA in the ACB activates a long‐loop negative feedback pathway to the VTA involving both D1 and D2 postsynaptic receptors and (b) terminal DA release within the ACB is regulated directly by D2 autoreceptors and may be indirectly regulated by D1 receptors, possibly on interneurons and/or through postsynaptic inhibition of the negative feedback loop.
Performance of decode-and-forward cooperative communications with multiple dual-hop relays over nakagami-m fading channels

In this letter, we examine the symbol-error-rate (SER) performance of decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative communications. Our focus is on the scenario in which multiple dual-hop relays are employed and the channel environment is described by Nakagami-m fading. Cooperative diversity is observed from the derived error-rate expressions, and some insight into how channel conditions in the relay nodes affect the SER performance is obtained. In addition, with the knowledge of the partial channel state information (CSI) at the transmitting sides, we derive an optimal power allocation scheme to further enhance the SER performance. Simulation results are finally presented to demonstrate the correctness of our analysis and perception for the considered DF protocol.
Hot Charge of Continuously Cast Slabs in Reheating Furnaces

The hot charging of continuously cast slabs steel is usually considered an effective method to reduce the energy consumption in the hot rolling mills. In this work the application and optimizing of hot charging of continuously cast slab in Mobareke Steel Company has been investigated. Mathematical relationship between the cooling time of the stack of slabs and its mass average temperature is described. The results show that the application of the hot charging of slabs could reduce the energy consumption by 40%. Keyword: Hot charging, Slab, Continnous casting, Mathematical relationship
Screening for MOG-IgG and 27 other anti-glial and anti-neuronal autoantibodies in ‘pattern II multiple sclerosis’ and brain biopsy findings in a MOG-IgG-positive case

Background: Histopathological studies have revealed four different immunopathological patterns of lesion pathology in early multiple sclerosis (MS). Pattern II MS is characterised by immunoglobulin and complement deposition in addition to T-cell and macrophage infiltration and is more likely to respond to plasma exchange therapy, suggesting a contribution of autoantibodies. Objective: To assess the frequency of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), anti-M1-aquaporin-4 (AQP4), anti-M23-AQP4, anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptors (NMDAR) and 25 other anti-neural antibodies in pattern II MS. Methods: Thirty-nine serum samples from patients with MS who had undergone brain biopsy (n = 24; including 13 from patients with pattern II MS) and from histopathologically non-classified MS patients (n = 15) were tested for anti-MOG, anti-M1-AQP4, anti-M23-AQP4, anti-NMDAR, anti-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor-type glutamate receptors (AMPAR), anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABABR), anti-leucine-rich, glioma-activated protein 1 (LGI1), anti-contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2), anti-dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein-6 (DPPX), anti-Tr/Delta/notch-like epidermal growth factor–related receptor (DNER), anti-Hu, anti-Yo, anti-Ri, anti-Ma1/Ma2, anti-CV2/collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5), anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), anti-amphiphysin, anti-Ca/RhoGTPase-activating protein 26 (ARHGAP26), anti-Sj/inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 (ITPR1), anti-Homer3, anti-carbonic anhydrase–related protein (CARPVIII), anti-protein kinase gamma (PKCgamma), anti-glutamate receptor delta 2 (GluRdelta2), anti-metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) and anti-mGluR5, as well as for anti-glial nuclei antibodies (AGNA) and Purkinje cell antibody 2 (PCA2). Results: Antibodies to MOG belonging to the complement-activating immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) subclass were detected in a patient with pattern II MS. Detailed brain biopsy findings are shown. Conclusion: This is the largest study on established anti-neural antibodies performed in MS so far. MOG-IgG may play a role in a small percentage of patients diagnosed with pattern II MS.
A comparative evaluation of intranasal dexmedetomidine, midazolam and ketamine for their sedative and analgesic properties: a triple blind randomized study.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of Intranasal (IN) Dexmedetomidine, Midazolam and Ketamine in producing moderate sedation among uncooperative pediatric dental patients. STUDY DESIGN This randomized triple blind comparative study comprises of eighty four ASA grade I children of both sexes aged 4-14 years, who were uncooperative and could not be managed by conventional behavior management techniques. All the children were randomized to receive one of the four drug groups Dexmedetomidine 1 microg/ kg (D1), 1.5 microg/kg (D2), Midazolam 0.2 mg/kg (M1) and Ketamine 5 mg/kg (K1) through IN route. These drug groups were assessed for efficacy and safety by gauging overall success rate and by monitoring vital signs, respectively. RESULTS The onset of sedation was significantly rapid with M1 and K1 as compared to D1 and D2 (p = < 0.001). The overall success rate was highest in D2 (85.7%) followed by D1 (81%), K1 (66.7%) and M1 (61.9%), however, the difference among them was not statistically significant (p = > 0.05). Even though all the vital signs were within physiological limits, there was significant reduction in pulse rate (PR) (p = < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p = < 0.05) among D1 and D2 as compared to M1 and K1. D1, D2 and K1 produced greater intra- and post-operative analgesia as compared to M1. There were no significant adverse effects with any group. CONCLUSION Dexmedetomidine, Midazolam and Ketamine, all the three drugs evaluated in the present study can be used safely and effectively through IN route in uncooperative pediatric dental patients for producing moderate sedation.
Cross sectional study of the relation between sibling number and asthma, hay fever, and eczema

OBJECTIVES To document the relation between sibling number and atopic disease, and to assess the contribution of possible confounding factors to the protective effect of siblings in relation to asthma and hay fever. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS Cross sectional survey by parental questionnaire in Tasmania, Australia, on 6378 children (92% of those eligible) who reached 7 years of age during 1995. METHODS Exercise challenge lung function testing was conducted on 428 children. Analyses reported were conducted on singleton births only (n = 6158). RESULTS The prevalences of a history of asthma ever, hay fever, and eczema were 27%, 19%, and 22%, respectively. Asthma and hay fever, but not eczema, were inversely related to sibling number, with evidence of a dose–response trend. The mean age at onset for asthma or wheezy breathing decreased as the number of siblings increased. The inverse association between sibling number and asthma or hay fever persisted after adjustment for several confounders, such as parental smoking or breast feeding, but did not persist after adjustment for household size in 1995. CONCLUSIONS The protective effect of high sibling number could not be separated from household size at age 7, and it appears to be operating after birth and influences the age at onset of asthma symptoms. Further work to increase knowledge of how the protective effect of the presence of siblings works might have important implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of asthma.
Continuity properties and sensitivity analysis of parameterized fixed points and approximate fixed points

In this paper we consider continuity of the set of fixed points and approximate fixed points for parameterized set-valued mappings. Continuity properties are provided for the fixed points of general multivalued mappings, with additional results shown for contraction mappings. Further analysis is provided for the continuity of the approximate fixed points of set-valued functions. Additional results are provided on sensitivity of the fixed points via set-valued derivatives related to tangent cones.
Target Gene-specific Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity by P42/p44 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase

Evidence that the androgen receptor (AR) is not only important in androgen-dependent prostate cancer, but also continues to play a role in tumors that become resistant to androgen deprivation therapies, highlights the need to find alternate means to block AR activity. AR, a hormone-activated transcription factor, and its coactivators are phosphoproteins. Thus, we sought to determine whether inhibition of specific cell signaling pathways would reduce AR function. We found that short-term inhibition of p42/p44 MAPK activity either by a MAPK kinase inhibitor, U0126, or by depletion of kinase with small interfering RNA caused target gene-specific reductions in AR activity. AR enhances histone H3 acetylation of target genes that are sensitive to U0126 including prostate-specific antigen and TMPRSS2, but does not increase histone H3 acetylation of the U0126-resistant PMEPA1 gene. Thus, although AR induces transcription of many target genes, the molecular changes induced by AR at the chromatin level are target gene specific. Long-term treatment (24–48 h) with U0126 causes a G 1 cell cycle arrest and reduces AR expression both through a decrease in AR mRNA and a reduction in AR protein stability. Thus, treatments that reduce p42/p44 MAPK activity in prostate cancer have the potential to reduce AR activity through a reduction in expression levels as well as by target gene-selective inhibition of AR function. A LTHOUGH THE IMPORTANCE of the androgen receptor (AR) and androgens in prostate cancer has long been recognized, several recent findings underscore the contribution of AR in primary tumors and in recurrent cancers subsequent to androgen ablation. Tomlins et al. (1) have found that a very high percent of prostate tumors contain a somatic genetic rearrangement , which results in a fusion between the promoter region of the androgen-regulated TMPRSS2 gene and the coding region of an Ets factor. Thus, the expression of this fusion is dependent on AR action. There is increasing evidence that recurrent prostate tumors remain AR dependent. In comparisons of androgen-dependent tumors with androgen-independent tumors from humans and from xenografts, the most consistent difference is an elevation in AR expression in the androgen ablation-resistant tumors (2). Moreover , the recurrent tumors reexpress many AR-regulated targets including prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Eliminating AR expression or activity in AR-positive androgen-independent prostate cancer cells blocks cell proliferation and eliminates PSA expression (3, 4), supporting the concept that tumors develop alternate means for activating AR in the absence of normal levels of androgens. Consequently, understanding …
Plasma Ghrelin Levels and Weight Loss in Chinese Uygur Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Ghrelin is an important orexigenic hormone that reduces fat oxidation and increases adiposity. This study investigated plasma ghrelin levels in Chinese Uygur patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Plasma ghrelin and anabolic and catabolic factors were measured in 38 patients and 24 control subjects. COPD patients were divided into two groups based on body mass index (BMI): underweight (BMI ≤ 20 kg/m2, n = 18) or normoweight (BMI ≤ 20 kg/m2, n = 20). Plasma ghrelin levels were found to be significantly higher in underweight than in normoweight patients or healthy controls. Circulating tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 concentrations were significantly higher in underweight than in normoweight patients, whereas insulin concentrations were significantly lower. Plasma ghrelin levels correlated negatively with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; r = 0.35), but did not significantly correlate with FEV1/forced vital capacity. Plasma ghrelin levels were elevated in underweight COPD patients and were associated with cachexia and abnormal pulmonary function.