Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social support in later life : the influence of retirement and marital status : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Title of Thesis: Social support in later life: The influence of retirement and marital status Laura M. Crowe, Master of Science, 2009 Thesis Directed by: Associate Professor Dr Fiona M. Alpass School of Psychology The study explored the relationship between retirement and marital status and objective and subjective measures of social support. A secondary analysis was conducted on a sample of 6,662 men and women aged 55-70 years of age. Results of a series of 2-way ANOVAs revealed greater interaction with friends amongst retired individuals than those who were employed. Marital status was shown to be associated with interaction with family and levels of perceived social support. An interaction between retirement and marital status was also shown to influence levels of perceived social support. The results reveal that retirement and marital status have an individual and interaction effect on various measures of social support and indicate the importance of considering marital status when researching, educating and working with issues regarding retirement and social support.
The effect of services and stigma on quality of life for persons with serious mental illnesses.

OBJECTIVE This study examined the effects of mental health services and stigma on self-concept and quality of life among individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses. METHODS A broad array of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as perceptions of stigma, was assessed among 188 individuals who had been diagnosed as having serious mental illnesses. Quality of life and self-concept (that is, self-esteem and mastery) were also assessed at baseline and follow-up (approximately six months). RESULTS Receiving mental health services had an effect on changes in quality of life over time. Specifically, receiving counseling services had a positive influence on quality of life, whereas receiving inpatient services decreased quality of life. Stigma was not significantly associated with changes in quality of life over the study period. Self-esteem and mastery influenced the association between stigma and quality of life but did not influence the relationship between services and quality of life. Finally, although services had little effect on changes in self-concept, perceived stigma significantly reduced both self-esteem and mastery. CONCLUSIONS The extent to which services influenced quality of life was dependent on the type of service examined. Moreover, although the effects of services were more pronounced with respect to quality of life than self-concept, the opposite was true with respect to the effects of stigma. Efforts should be made to increase access to specific types of services, such as counseling, as well as to reduce negative perceptions of stigma that erode self-image among individuals with serious mental illnesses.
On the Backward Stochastic Riccati Equation in Infinite Dimensions

We study backward stochastic Riccati equations (BSREs) arising in quadratic optimal control problems with infinite dimensional stochastic differential state equations. We allow the coefficients, both in the state equation and in the cost, to be random. In such a context BSREs are backward stochastic differential equations existing in a non-Hilbert space and involving quadratic nonlinearities. We propose two different notions of solutions to BSREs and prove, for both of them, existence and uniqueness results. We also show that such solutions allow us to perform the synthesis of the optimal control. Finally we apply our results to the optimal control of a delay equation and of a wave equation with random damping.
Looking beyond the urban poor in South Africa: the new terra incognita for urban geography?

The past two decades have seen the development of a rich body of scholarship focusing on South African urban settlements. An extensive narrative has emerged on the changing spatialities of the broader urban system, but the representation of South African urban areas remains surprisingly incomplete. The overwhelming majority of research deals with aspects of urban poverty and aims at informing policy and implementation responses that can provide an alternative urban future – with seemingly limited success.The contention in this paper does not challenge the notion that elevated levels of urbanising poverty represent a future development trajectory of the so-called “real African cities” to which scholars like Pieterse refer. However, such an observation requires considerable refinement in the South African urban context. The growing number of urban residents is not necessarily poor. In fact, the number of relatively wealthy, in Africa generally and South Africa in particular, is rapidly expanding. It is the contention of this paper that, while there might be a moral imperative to investigate poor urban lives, there is similarly an empirical and theoretical obligation to investigate beyond the urban poor. The paper argues that the current imbalance in urban scholarship, focusing too heavily on the urban poor, allows the relatively wealthy to reproduce urban spaces as they please, with little scrutiny from scholars and policy makers. It suggests that, as long as we do not take the realities of these “other” urban dwellers seriously, there is little hope of addressing the fragmentation of the urban form and exclusion of the poor so typical of South African cities. Although existing scholarship aims to integrate currently fragmented cities, ignoring those who are not poor could lead urban scholars to implicitly reinforce South Africa's dualistic cities.
Multiframe Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Small Moving Objects

Multiframe super-resolution (SR) reconstruction of small moving objects against a cluttered background is difficult for two reasons: a small object consists completely of “mixed” boundary pixels and the background contribution changes from frame-to-frame. We present a solution to this problem that greatly improves recognition of small moving objects under the assumption of a simple linear motion model in the real-world. The presented method not only explicitly models the image acquisition system, but also the space-time variant fore- and background contributions to the “mixed” pixels. The latter is due to a changing local background as a result of the apparent motion. The method simultaneously estimates a subpixel precise polygon boundary as well as a high-resolution (HR) intensity description of a small moving object subject to a modified total variation constraint. Experiments on simulated and real-world data show excellent performance of the proposed multiframe SR reconstruction method.
Study on optimization of radiological worker allocation problem based on nonlinear programming function-fmincon

On the basis of Matlab mathematical tool, nonlinear programming function-fmincon is used to optimize and design allocation plan for radiological workers at strong radiation field in this paper, establishing corresponding mathematical model and calculating evaluation function. By two-dimension data dimension reduction and constraint conditions matrix transformation to realize the algorithm successfully. Under the same conditions, comparing calculation result of this paper with calculation result of references. As a result, the optimal extent of this paper calculation results is almost same to that of genetic algorithm, but the method of this paper can greatly shorten the calculation time compared with genetic algorithm, so the method of this paper is able to provide reasonable and practical optimization of radiological worker allocation problem in a much shorter time.
Genetic control of immunity to Trichinella spiralis infections of mice. Hypothesis to explain the role of H-2 genes in primary and challenge infections.

H-2 congenic strains of mice were compared for their ability to expel T. spiralis infections from the small intestine and for their ability to limit the reproduction of adult female worms. B10.M mice (H-2f) expelled both primary and challenge infections more quickly than did the strains B10.Q(H-2q) and B10.BR(H-2k). During a primary infection, expulsion of worms from B10.M mice began before Day 9 post-infection and worm counts differed significantly (P less than .05 Student's t-test) from counts in B10.BR mice on each of Days 12 and 15.B10.Q mice expelled worms more rapidly than B10.BR but worm counts did not differ significantly until Day 15. Whereas B10.M mice responded most quickly to expel worms from the gut, B10.Q mice were most effective in limiting worm reproduction. Female worms harvested from B10.Q mice and cultured for 24 hr in vitro produced significantly fewer newborn larvae than did worms from B10.M or B10.BR mice. Worms from B10.M mice were less fecund than worms from B10.BR, but this difference was not apparent before Day 9 post-infection, and worms from B10.M were always more fecund than worms from B10.Q. Challenge infections 21 days following a priming dose of 200 T. spiralis muscle larvae were rejected very quickly. B10.M mice expelled 65% of their worms during the first 24 h. By Day 6 after challenge, B10.M mice had expelled 84% of their worms; B10.Q and B10.BR expelled 75% and 37% respectively. These results suggest that a rapid expulsion response may be expressed in many different strains of mice depending on how the mice are immunized and the size of the infecting dose. Fecundity of female worms 6 days following a challenge infection was reduced for all strains tested when compared to primary infection controls; however, worms from B10.Q mice were less fecund than worms from B10.M or B10.BR. Results of these experiments demonstrate that H-2 genes play an important role in controlling the immune response which expels worms from the gut and the response which limits worm reproduction. These H-2-controlled differences are expressed during both primary and challenge infections. As the present results conflict somewhat with results published elsewhere, we have proposed a new hypothesis to explain the data collected in our laboratories thus far. According to this hypothesis, the anti-adult response, the anti-fecundity response, and the rapid expulsion response are under independent genetic control and influenced by the interacting products of both H-2 and non-H-2 genes.
Occupational choice of youth in a disadvantaged community

Introduction The ability to make daily autonomous occupational choices has been identified as a human right and positively linked to wellbeing. Those marginalized from choice are considered at risk of occupational injustice. Disadvantaged young people are one group who may be marginalized from making such choices. Occupational choice is largely assumed to be an internal, individual process based on abilities and motivation, within environmental boundaries. From an external, contextual standpoint, this process has been scantly explored. This research, underpinned by an occupational justice perspective, sought understanding of disadvantaged young peoples’ daily choices. Method Qualitative and participative methods were used. Nine young people, aged 11–14 participated in Photovoice and photo elicitation interviews. Data were analysed thematically. Findings Occupational choices are contextually informed and constrained, as illustrated by three themes: a limited perception of choices, choices informed by a need to stay connected to others and choices as a vehicle for social positioning. Conclusion Occupational choices do not appear to emanate from internal interests and abilities but rather from necessitated and mandated actions based on socio-cultural expectations. This suggests that occupational therapists must pay closer attention to the social context that informs choices to improve wellbeing of at-risk young people.
The utility of computed tomography in the management of fever and neutropenia in pediatric oncology

Despite the frequent use and radiation exposure of computed tomography (CT) scans, there is little information on patterns of CT use and their utility in the management of pediatric patients with fever and neutropenia (FN). We examined the contribution of either the commonly employed pan‐CT (multiple anatomical locations) or targeted CT (single location) scanning to identify possible infectious etiologies in this challenging clinical scenario. Procedure Pediatric patients with an underlying malignancy admitted for fever (temperature ≥38.3°C) and an absolute neutrophil count <500 cells/μL from 2003–2009 were included. Risk factors associated with utilization, results, and effects on clinical management of CT scans were identified. Results Charts for 635 admissions for FN from 263 patients were reviewed. Overall, 139 (22%) admissions (93 individuals) had at least one scan. Of 188 scans, 103 (55%) were pan‐scans. Changes in management were most strongly associated with the identification of evidence consistent with infection (OR = 12.64, 95% CI: 5.05–31.60, P < 0.001). Seventy‐eight (41%) of all CT scans led to a change in clinical management, most commonly relating to use of antibiotic (N = 41, 53%) or antifungal/antiviral medications (N = 33, 42%). The odds of a change in clinical management did not differ for those receiving a pan‐scan compared to those receiving a targeted scan (OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 0.61–2.46; P = 0.57). Conclusions When CT is clinically indicated, it is important for clinicians to strongly consider utilizing a targeted scan to reduce radiation exposure to patients as well as to decrease costs without compromising care. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1761–1767. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Survivin expression in glioblastomas correlates with proliferation, but not with apoptosis.

BACKGROUND Survivin is expressed in proliferating tissues and in tumors. It is a member of the inhibitory apoptosis protein (IAP) family known to regulate mitosis and to inhibit apoptosis. It has therefore been regarded as a target for therapies. In malignant gliomas it increases with malignancy, even though in glioblastomas it does not seem to correlate with outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Survivin was immunohistochemically studied in 39 selected viable glioblastoma areas belonging to 20 cases which were assayed for apoptosis, using a TUNEL assay, caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1), Bid (BH3-interacting domain death agonist) and with the proliferation index Ki-67/MIB-1 and mitotic index (MI). RESULTS A positive linear correlation was found between the survivin labelling index (LI) and the Ki-67/MIB-1 LI and MI. No inverse correlation was found with apoptosis. CONCLUSION This double behavior can be attributed to mechanisms mediating survivin activity, either as a mitosis regulator and apoptosis inhibitor, and should be taken into account in therapeutic strategies using survivin.
Human Performance Improvement and Confucian Values

Human performance improvement and performance management are discussed through the visor of Confucian values. In line with the Way of the Tao and filled with Confucian values (‘Heavenly directed’), the Confucian (person) leader, learns and grows in terms of his or her ability or competence, overall character and motivation. There is continuous learning and improvement, and he or she increases his or her ability to become efficient and productive. And not only that, not only being just and with moral courage – in spite of obstacles, he or she takes the challenges; he or she acts and stands tall. This article is an adaptation of Low’s (2013a) ‘Confucian Leadership, D Way’.
Nonlinear differential equations

1. Introduction. A few nonlinear differential equations have known exact solutions, but many which are important in applications do not. Sometimes these equations may be linearized by an expansion process in which nonlinear terms are discarded. When nonlinear terms make vital contributions to the solution this cannot be done, but sometimes it is enough to retain a few "small" ones. Then a perturbation theory may be used to obtain the solution. A differential equation may sometimes be approximated by an equation with "small" nonlinearities in more than one way, giving rise to different solutions valid over different ranges of its parameters. There are two types of small nonlinearity problems. In the first type the nonlinearities occur in the most highly differentiated terms. These are very important in several physical theories. Carrier refers to them as "boundary layer problems" [l; 2] in recognition of the application in which they had their first important development. They include many important nonlinear partial differential equations problems, as well as some ordinary nonlinear differential equations in which such phenomena as relaxation oscillations occur. Boundary layer problems are usually closely tied in with applications. Their theories have not yet received very general or exhaustive development , and much art and ingenuity has been called for in the work that has been done ([l]-[3]). The second type of nonlinearity problem is that in which non-linearities do not occur in the most highly differentiated terms. In this case the theory has been developed farther, and something more nearly resembling a general method of attack is possible. Actually several such methods have been developed. Each has its own special merits and limitations. I will discuss one such method. This particular method has the advantage of wide scope and practicality of application , but is limited to a class of differential equations which is associated with nonconservative physical systems. This method offers nothing new in the case of ordinary nonlinear differential equations of the second order, but has a practical advantage in the case of systems of equations (or, what comes to the same
Brisk walking can promote functional recovery in chronic stroke patients.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether regular brisk walking can promote functional recovery in community-dwelling stroke patients. PATIENTS A total of 44 chronic stroke patients, recruited in Belgium and Benin, respectively European high-income and African low-income countries. METHODS This longitudinal, single-cohort, observational study with 1 intervention period and 4 time-points of assessments (2 baseline, 1 post-intervention and 1 follow-up) was structured in 3 periods: pre-intervention period (1 month), intervention period (3 months) and follow-up period (3 month). Intervention consisted of a 3 times/week group-based brisk walking programme. Primary outcome measures were ACTIVLIM-Stroke questionnaire and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Secondary outcome measures were the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS All outcome measures were stable during the pre-intervention period (p ≥ 0.16). They all improved significantly after intervention (p ≤ 0.01), except the HADS (p = 0.058). However, during the follow-up period, SIAS (p = 0.002) and BBS (p = 0.001) decreased, while ACTIVLIM-Stroke, 6MWT and HADS showed no significant change (p ≥ 0.13). CONCLUSION This study suggests regular brisk walking as an effective approach to promote functional recovery in chronic stroke survivors. However, further studies are required before generalizing these results to the whole stroke population.
Developing retailer selection factors for collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment

Purpose – Selecting an appropriate partner is a vital and strategic decision-making process in any supply chain collaboration initiative. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and explore the key factors considered by manufacturers in the selection of an appropriate retailer(s) for collaboration and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) implementation and the relationships between these factors. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature review and experts’ views are applied to identify the main retailer selection and evaluation factors for CPFR implementation. A fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory approach is then used to rank and analysis the interaction among identified factors. The findings are finally evaluated using a case study from a high-tech industry. Findings – The most important partner selection factors comprising of five dimensions and 24 factors are introduced. Of the identified criteria, three factors: manufacturer’s familiarity wi.
Behavioral momentum: Empirical, theoretical, and metaphorical issues

In reply to the comments on our target article, we address a variety of issues concerning the generality of our major findings, their relation to other theoretical formulations, and the metaphor of behavioral momentum that inspired much of our work. Most of these issues can be resolved by empirical studies, and we hope that the ideas advanced here will promote the analysis of resistance to change and preference in new areas of research and application.
Bevacizumab in the treatment of HER2-negative breast cancer

Angiogenesis has a clear and definite role in the breast cancer progression process, making antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies an attractive option for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Bevacizumab is a potent humanized monoclonal antibody to VEGF, which has shown regression of breast cancer in preclinical and clinical setting, either alone or in combination with cytotoxic treatment. Additionally, bevacizumab potentially increases the effectiveness of other anticancer therapies through the normalization of tumor vasculature, reduction of intratumoral pressure and improved tumor oxygenation. Phase 1/2 trials showed significant antitumor effects of bevacizumab in MBC, in particular in tumors not expressing HER2 receptor. A first phase 3 trial in pre-treated MBC patients showed better response rates but no survival benefit from the addition of bevacizumab to capecitabine. However, in two phase 2 trial in first-line setting in patients with MBC, bevacizumab improved progression-free survival in combination with weekly paclitaxel in comparison to paclitaxel alone or in combination with 3-weekly docetaxel in comparison with docetaxel alone, respectively. Bevacizumab in combination with taxanes seems to be a highly effective first-line treatment for MBC patients. Future research will investigate bevacizumab in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting, where even more potential may exist for these patients.
Targeted photodynamic therapy with multiply‐loaded recombinant antibody fragments

Current photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is limited by inefficiencies involved in specifically targeting photosensitizers to tumors. Although antibodies are being explored as targeting vehicles, they present significant challenges, particularly in terms of pharmacokinetics and drug‐coupling. We describe here a novel and effective system to covalently attach multiple photosensitizer molecules (both preclinical, pyropheophorbide‐a and clinically approved, verteporfin photosensitizers) to single‐chain Fvs. Further, we demonstrate that not only do the resulting photoimmunoconjugates retain photophysical functionality, they are more potent than either free photosensitizer, effectively killing tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. For example, treatment of human breast cancer xenografts with a photoimmunoconjugate comprising an anti‐HER‐2 scFv linked to 8–10 molecules of pyropheophorbide‐a leads to significant tumor regression. These results give an insight into the important features that make scFvs good carriers for PDT drugs and provide proof of concept of our unique approach to targeted photodynamic therapy (tPDT). This promises to significantly improve on current photodynamic therapies for the treatment of cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.