Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zygomycetes Infections in Pediatric HematologyOncology Patients: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Fungi from the Zygomycetes class are increasingly recognized causes of infection in immunosuppressed children, but no comprehensive literature review and few case series have been published on the topic. A case series of 6 pediatric oncology patients with Zygomycetes infections cared for at our institution was constructed, and a concurrent search of the English language literature for Zygomycetes infections in children with oncologic disorders was undertaken. Our case series described 6 patients (5 male) between the ages of 2.5 and 19.5 years. One patient was diagnosed with rhinocerebral disease, 2 with rhinosinusitis, 2 with pulmonary involvement, and 1 with a gastrointestinal presentation. Five patients survived. Our literature review identified 82 cases from 61 studies. The mean subject age was 10.8 years (1.4 to 21.0 y). About 92.7% of all patients suffered from some form of leukemia, with 70.7% suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Overall, 58.5% of reported patients survived, with individuals with disseminated disease showing the worst prognosis (68.2% mortality) and those with cutaneous disease the best (14.3% mortality). Survival is increasingly reported in the literature, perhaps as a result of improved diagnostic capabilities, increased physician awareness and increased reliance on adjunctive surgical therapy.
Knowledge and power asymmetries in dyadic negotiations : whose knowledge matters?

Previous research has revealed that negotiators with asymmetric best alternatives to the negotiated agreement (BATNAs) reach more efficient agreements than those with equal BATNAs. Conflicting hypotheses have been proposed to explain the relationship between BATNA-asymmetry and efficiency, and research exploring various possibilities has been relatively inconclusive. This thesis sets out to contribute to this domain, arguing that it is important to consider parties' knowledge states of BATNA-asymmetries. In addition, relationships among knowledge, aspiration and distributive outcomes are explored. A simulated job contract negotiation between an employer and employee was used. The data used in the investigation is the product of three experiments in which 112, 114, and 96 dyads participated respectively. Study 1 examines whether knowledge given to different negotiators affects agreement efficiency, aspiration levels and the nature of distributive outcomes. Study 2 investigates how this knowledge affects efficiency by exploring the relationship between knowledge and communications between parties. Finally, Study 3 focuses on why knowledge affects efficiency, examining its impact on negotiators' motivation, approach and mind-set. With the 5% significance level adopted, the key findings are that (a) aspiration levels of strong (weak) negotiators increase (decrease) with levels of knowledge; (b) knowledge increases the piece of resource pie that strong negotiators receive; (c) strong negotiators' knowledge of BATNA-asymmetries increases focus on dominance and judgement errors about opponents' interests, hindering information-exchange and the search for efficient outcomes; (d) weak negotiators' knowledge increases motivation and fosters communications, leading to more efficient agreements; and (e) the detrimental impact of strong negotiators' knowledge on efficiency is more powerful than the benefit of weak negotiators' knowledge. The findings suggest that knowledge of BAT'NA-asymmetries shapes negotiators' behaviour, and ultimately the structure and quality of outcomes. More importantly, the impact of knowledge on efficiency differs, relying on which party (strong and/or weak) has access to it.
Masked priming : the state of the art

Preface. Section 1: Mechanisms. The Mechanics of Masked Priming Kenneth I. Forster, Kathleen Mohan & Jo Hector. An Abstractionist Account of Masked and Long-Term Priming Jeffrey Bowers. A Retrospective View of Masked Priming: Toward a Unified Account of Masked and Long-Term Repetition Priming Michael E.J. Masson & Glen E. Bodner. Section 2: Orthographics Effects. Transposed-Letter Confusability Effects in Masked Form Priming Manuel Perea & Stephen J. Lupker. Factors Underlying Masked Priming Effects in Competitive Network Models of Visual Word Recognition Colin J. Davis Section 3: Phonological Effects. The Robustness of Phonological Effects in Fast Priming Ram Frost. Dissociating Automatic Orthographic and Phonological Codes in Lexical Access and Lexical Acquisition Michael B. Johnston & Anne E. Castles The Nature of Masked Onset Priming Effect in Naming: A Review Sachiko Kinoshita. Section 4: Morphological Effects. Racehorses, Reindeers and Sparrows: Using Masked Priming to Investigate Morphological Influences on Compound Word Identification Natalie Shoolman and Sally Andrews. Reading Morphologically-Complex Words: Some Thoughts from Masked Priming Kathleen Rastle and Matthew H. Davis. Section 5: Masked Priming in Special Populations. Masked Priming Across Languages: An Insight into Bilingual Lexical Processing Chris Davis, Jeesun Kim & Rosa Sanchez-Casas Bilingual Visual Word Recognition: Evidence from Masked Phonological Priming Marc Brysbaert Word Recognition Development in Children: Insights from Masked-Priming Anne Castles, Chris Davis & Kenneth I. Forster
Intraarticular induction of interleukin-1beta expression in the adult mouse, with resultant temporomandibular joint pathologic changes, dysfunction, and pain.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of intraarticular induction of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) expression in adult mice. METHODS We used somatic mosaic analysis in a novel transgenic mouse with an inducible IL-1beta transcription unit. Transgene activation was induced by Cre recombinase in the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) of adult transgenic mice (conditional knockin model). The effects of intraarticular IL-1beta induction were subsequently evaluated at the cellular, histopathologic, and behavioral levels. RESULTS We developed transgenic mice capable of germline transmission of a dormant transcription unit consisting of the mature form of human IL-1beta as well as the reporter gene beta-galactosidase driven by the rat procollagen 1A1 promoter. Transgene activation by a feline immunodeficiency virus Cre vector resulted in histopathologic changes, including articular surface fibrillations, cartilage remodeling, and chondrocyte cloning. We also demonstrated up-regulation of genes implicated in arthritis (cyclooxygenase 2, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase 9). There was a lack of inflammatory cells in these joints. Behavioral changes, including increased orofacial grooming and decreased resistance to mouth opening, were used as measures of nociception and joint dysfunction, respectively. The significant increase in expression of the pain-related neurotransmitter calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the sensory ganglia as well as the auxiliary protein CGRP receptor component protein of the calcitonin-like receptor in the brainstem further substantiated the induction of pain. CONCLUSION Induction of IL-1beta expression in the TMJs of adult mice led to pathologic development, dysfunction, and related pain in the joints. The somatic mosaic model presented herein may prove useful in the preclinical evaluation of existing and new treatments for the management of joint pathologic changes and pain, such as in osteoarthritis.
Advantages of normothermic perfusion over cold storage in liver preservation

Background. To minimize the ischemia-reperfusion injury that occurs to the liver with the current method of preservation and transplantation, we have used an extracorporeal circuit to preserve the liver with normothermic, oxygenated, sanguineous perfusion. In this study, we directly compared preservation by the standard method of simple cold storage in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution with preservation by perfusion. Methods. Porcine livers were harvested from large white sows weighing between 30 and 50 kg by the standard procedure for human retrieval. The livers were preserved for 24 hr by either cold storage in UW solution (n=5) or by perfusion with oxygenated autologous blood at body temperature (n=5). The extracorporeal circuit used included a centrifugal pump, heat exchanger, and oxygenator. Both groups were then tested on the circuit for a 24 hr reperfusion phase, analyzing synthetic function, metabolic capacity, hemodynamics, markers of hepatocyte and reperfusion injury, and histology. Results. Livers preserved with normothermic perfusion were significantly superior (P =0.05) to cold-stored livers in terms of bile production, factor V production, glucose metabolism, and galactose clearance. Cold-stored livers showed significantly higher levels of hepatocellular enzymes in the perfusate and were found to have significantly more damage by a blinded histological scoring system. Conclusions. Normothermic sanguineous oxygenated perfusion is a superior method of preservation compared with simple cold storage in UW solution. In addition, perfusion allows the possibility to assess viability of the graft before transplantation.
Effects of an Educational Computing Course on Preservice and Inservice Teachers

Abstract This study examined the changes in preservice and inservice teachers’ attitudes toward computers following their participation in an educational computing class, and it explored the factors that contributed to their computer use. The study used data from 114 preservice and inservice teachers (83 female, 31 male) who attended a university in southern California. Results of doubly multivariate repeated measures indicated that teachers’ attitudes (anxiety, confidence, and liking) significantly improved after the computer literacy course. The follow-up study indicated that teachers’ prior computer experience shaped their expectations of the course. Teachers reported that having a home computer, a professor’s willingness to teach, and the current use of technology in the schools at which they work also influenced their attitudes toward and use of computers.
Bacterial Microbiota Profiling in Gastritis without Helicobacter pylori Infection or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use

Recent 16S ribosomal RNA gene (rRNA) molecular profiling of the stomach mucosa revealed a surprising complexity of microbiota. Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use are two main contributors to gastritis and peptic ulcer. However, little is known about the association between other members of the stomach microbiota and gastric diseases. In this study, cloning and sequencing of the 16S rRNA was used to profile the stomach microbiota from normal and gastritis patients. One hundred and thirty three phylotypes from eight bacterial phyla were identified. The stomach microbiota was found to be closely adhered to the mucosa. Eleven Streptococcus phylotypes were successfully cultivated from the biopsies. One to two genera represented a majority of clones within any of the identified phyla. We further developed two real-time quantitative PCR assays to quantify the relative abundance of the Firmicutes phylum and the Streptococcus genus. Significantly higher abundance of the Firmicutes phylum and the Streptococcus genus within the Firmicutes phylum was observed in patients with antral gastritis, compared with normal controls. This study suggests that the genus taxon level can largely represent much higher taxa such as the phylum. The clinical relevance and the mechanism underlying the altered microbiota composition in gastritis require further functional studies.
Japanese Childrearing: Two Generations of Scholarship.

Foreword, Takeo Doi 1. Introduction: Looking Back, David W. Shwalb and Barbara J. Shwalb 2. From Productive Dependents to Precious Guests: Historical Changes in Japanese Children, Kiroko Hara and Meiko Minagawa 3. Are Japanese Young Children among the Gods? , Shing-Jen Chen 4. Psychocultural Continuities in Japanese Social Motivation, George A. DeVos 5. Socialization and School Adaptation: On the Life Work of George DeVos, Curtis A. Vaughn 6. Adult to Child in Japan: Interaction and Relations, Betty B. Lanham and Regina J. Garrick 7. The Contributions of Betty Lanham: A Legacy Unfulfilled, Catherine Lewis 8. Childrearing and child behavior in Japan and the United States, Carmi Schooler 9. Production and Reproduction of Culture: The Dynamic Role of Mothers and Children in Early Socialization, Susan D. Holloway and Masahiko Minami 10. Urban Middle-Class Japanese Family Life, 1958-1993: A Personal and Evolving Perspective, Suzanne Hall Vogel 11. Japan's Old-Time New Middle Class, Ezra Vogel 12. Renewing the New Middle Class: Japan's Next Families, Merry White 13. Cross-National Research on Child Development: The Hess Azuma Collaboration in Retrospect, Hiroshi Azuma 14. Maternal and Cultural Socialization for Schooling: Lessons Learned and Prospects Ahead, Sandra Machida 15. The Transmission of Culture-Linked Behavior Systems through Maternal Behavior: Nature versus Nurture Revisited, Nancy Shand 16. Longitudinal Research in a Cultural Context: Reflections, Prospects, Challenges, Per F. Gjerde 17. Conclusions: Looking Ahead, David W. Shwalb and Barbara J. Shwalb
The caregiver experience: a South African perspective on caring for people with multiple sclerosis

This study explored the lived experiences of caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) with regard to their daily challenges, as well as the resources which help them to cope with their caregiving task. Participants were eight South African men (n = 3) and women (n = 5) [white = 6; coloured = 2] caring for a person with MS. They responded to a qualitative interview on their caregiving experiences. The data were thematically analysed. Findings suggest their daily challenges of managing symptoms, limited social interaction, financial difficulties, and the unpredictability of the future as a result of MS. Resources helpful to coping with caregiving roles include resilience, positive attitude, patience, religion, information, and financial security. Carer support should be tailor-made, because of the unique experiences of each caregiver and the varied presentation of MS.
The Expression of MicroRNA miR-107 Decreases Early in Alzheimer's Disease and May Accelerate Disease Progression through Regulation of β-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein-Cleaving Enzyme 1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that participate in posttranscriptional gene regulation in a sequence-specific manner. However, little is understood about the role(s) of miRNAs in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used miRNA expression microarrays on RNA extracted from human brain tissue from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center Brain Bank with near-optimal clinicopathological correlation. Cases were separated into four groups: elderly nondemented with negligible AD-type pathology, nondemented with incipient AD pathology, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with moderate AD pathology, and AD. Among the AD-related miRNA expression changes, miR-107 was exceptional because miR-107 levels decreased significantly even in patients with the earliest stages of pathology. In situ hybridization with cross-comparison to neuropathology demonstrated that particular cerebral cortical laminas involved by AD pathology exhibit diminished neuronal miR-107 expression. Computational analysis predicted that the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) mRNA is targeted multiply by miR-107. From the same RNA material analyzed on miRNA microarrays, mRNA expression profiling was performed using Affymetrix Exon Array microarrays on nondemented, MCI, and AD patients. BACE1 mRNA levels tended to increase as miR-107 levels decreased in the progression of AD. Cell culture reporter assays performed with a subset of the predicted miR-107 binding sites indicate the presence of at least one physiological miR-107 miRNA recognition sequence in the 3′-UTR of BACE1 mRNA. Together, the coordinated application of miRNA profiling, Affymetrix microarrays, new bioinformatics predictions, in situ hybridization, and biochemical validation indicate that miR-107 may be involved in accelerated disease progression through regulation of BACE1.
Crossmodal load and selective attention

This thesis explores a current dominant theory of attention - the load theory of selective attention and cognitive control (Lavie et al., 2004). Load theory has been posited as a potential resolution to the long-running debate over the locus of selection in attention. Numerous studies confirm that high visual perceptual load in a relevant task leads to reduced interference from task-relevant distractors; whereas high working memory load leads to increased interference from task-irrelevant distractors in a relevant task. However, very few studies have directly tested perceptual and working memory load effects on the processing of task-relevant stimuli, and even fewer studies have tested the impact of load on processing both within and between different sensory modalities. This thesis details several novel experiments that test both visual and auditory perceptual and working memory load effects on task-relevant change detection in a change-blindness “flicker” task. Results indicate that both high visual and auditory perceptual load can impact on change detection, which implies that the perceptual load model can account for load effects on change detection, both within and between different sensory modalities. Results also indicate that high visual working memory load can impact on change detection. By contrast, high auditory working memory load did not appear to impact change detection. These findings do not directly challenge load theory per-se, but instead highlight how working memory load can have markedly different effects in different experimental paradigms. The final part of this thesis explores whether high perceptual load can attenuate distraction from highly emotionally salient stimuli. The findings suggest that potent emotional stimuli can “breakthrough” and override the effects of high perceptual load - a result that presents a challenge to load theory. All findings are discussed with reference to new challenges to load theory, particularly the “dilution” argument.
Scaffolding EFL Students' Writing through the Writing Process Approach.

This research reports a study conducted at Koya University/English Language Department, and it aims at presenting the effect of scaffolding on EFL students’ writing ability through the writing process. In this study, the students have taken the role of writers, so they need to follow the same steps that writers apply during their writing process. To this end, students start with writing process approach such as Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, and ended with Publishing. Students are provided with teacher scaffolding from the beginning until the end of writing process. Pre- and post-writing tasks are collected from the learners for both giving feedback and checking student’s writing improvement. This study aims at investigating the effect of teacher’s scaffolding with teaching writing process on improving students’ writing skills. For this investigation, thirty second-year college students studying in the English Department, School of Languages, Koya University were selected to be subjects of this study. They were only one experimental group. Pre-test and post-test were conducted for assessing how much students achieved from what had been taught. The study concludes with the result that students’ achievement in post-test compare to pre-test revealed significant improvement. Also, scaffolding students’ writings through writing process approach met the students’ needs in EFL writing, and then it has improved their writing skill, while most of them have had difficultly in the basic elements of writing, e.g. grammar. In addition, learners could more confidentially express their ideas in their writings.
Ontology, Epistemology, Strategy and Method in Educational Research. A Critical Realist Approach

This article focuses on the development of a meta-theory for the use and application of qualitative strategies and methods. This meta-theory is sometimes referred to as critical realism, though it is important to acknowledge that there are in existence a number of rival theories that are described as critical realist. The suggestion being made here is that methods and strategies used by researchers to collect and analyse data in the world cannot be a-epistemic, but in every case are underpinned by ontological and epistemological frameworks. In particular, the issue of causality is central to any framework that is adopted. Since researchers cannot avoid these philosophical issues then it is obligatory for them to base their methods, strategies and modus operandi on a meta-theory which is both more rational and, in addition, fully comprehensive.
Oral complaints and stimulated salivary flow rate in 1188 adults.

BACKGROUND Recently, oral sensory complaints (OSC) were proposed as a disease entity to represent idiopathic sensory disturbances of dry mouth, burning mouth, and taste disturbance, even though neither the status of OSC in the general population nor its underlying mechanism has yet been elucidated. Moreover, these three OSC-related complaints have not been assessed in combination by means of a visual analog scale (VAS) in a large-scale, community-dwelling population of a broad age range. METHODS In a 1188-member community-dwelling adult population, comprised of 373 males and 815 females, aged 20-90 years, the three OSC-related complaints and stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR) were assessed by means of a VAS and modified Saxon test, respectively. Association of each complaint with age, gender, SSFR, and other complaints was analyzed. RESULTS Increases in both prevalence and intensity of subjective dry mouth and burning mouth were associated closely with decreasing SSFR. Even for taste disturbance, which may be affected less significantly by salivation status than the other two complaints, a significant association was suggested between decreasing SSFR and especially severe taste disturbance. However, these oral complaints were found in considerable prevalence even in the individuals with high SSFR. Often overlapping presentation of these complaints and a close association in intensity between the complaints to each other were also found. CONCLUSIONS Hyposalivation may be a significant and common etiology for the three oral complaints, although the considerable prevalence of complaints without hyposalivation suggests other etiologies, including those related to the OSC.