Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IL-6 transgenic mouse model for extraosseous plasmacytoma

Plasma cell neoplasms in humans comprise plasma cell myeloma, otherwise known as multiple myeloma, Ig deposition and heavy chain diseases, and plasmacytoma (PCT). A subset of PCT, designated extramedullary PCT, is distinguished from multiple myeloma and solitary PCT of bone by its distribution among various tissue sites but not the bone marrow. Extramedullary (extraosseus) PCT are rare spontaneous neoplasms of mice but are readily induced in a susceptible strain, BALB/c, by treatment with pristane. The tumors develop in peritoneal granulomas and are characterized by Myc-activating T(12;15) chromosomal translocations and, most frequently, by secretion of IgA. A uniting feature of human and mouse plasma cell neoplasms is the critical role played by IL-6, a B cell growth, differentiation, and survival factor. To directly test the contribution of IL-6 to PCT development, we generated BALB/c mice carrying a widely expressed IL-6 transgene. All mice exhibited lymphoproliferation and plasmacytosis. By 18 months of age, over half developed readily transplantable PCT in lymph nodes, Peyer's patches, and sometimes spleen. These neoplasms also had T(12;15) translocations, but remarkably, none expressed IgA. Unexpectedly, ≈30% of the mice developed follicular and diffuse large cell B cell lymphomas that often coexisted with PCT. These findings provide a unique model of extramedullary PCT for studies on pathogenesis and treatment and suggest a previously unappreciated role for IL-6 in the genesis of germinal center-derived lymphomas.
The processes through which Affect infuses judgements of subjective well-being

This thesis clarifies the processing routes through which Affect can influence global subjective well-being, and reveals that the strength of these processing routes is moderated by dispositional factors. This has important implications that furthers understanding in the field of subjective well-being. The portfolio focuses on the client characteristics that are indicated to be influential upon the effectiveness, and thus the suitability of cognitive behavioural therapy. Four case studies are presented which illustrate how the suitability of CBT can be influenced by client factors.
Muscle Fatigue Affects the Interpolated Twitch Technique When Assessed Using Electrically-Induced Contractions in Human and Rat Muscles

The interpolated twitch technique (ITT) is the gold standard to assess voluntary activation and central fatigue. Yet, its validity has been questioned. Here we studied how peripheral fatigue can affect the ITT. Repeated contractions at submaximal frequencies were produced by supramaximal electrical stimulations of the human adductor pollicis muscle in vivo and of isolated rat soleus fiber bundles; an extra stimulation pulse was given during contractions to induce a superimposed twitch. Human muscles fatigued by repeated 30-Hz stimulation trains (3 s on–1 s off) showed an ~80% reduction in the superimposed twitch force accompanied by a severely reduced EMG response (M-wave amplitude), which implies action potential failure. Subsequent experiments combined a less intense stimulation protocol (1.5 s on–3 s off) with ischemia to cause muscle fatigue, but which preserved M-wave amplitude. However, the superimposed twitch force still decreased markedly more than the potentiated twitch force; with ITT this would reflect increased “voluntary activation. ” In contrast, the superimposed twitch force was relatively spared when a similar protocol was performed in rat soleus bundles. Force relaxation was slowed by >150% in fatigued human muscles, whereas it was unchanged in rat soleus bundles. Accordingly, results similar to those in the human muscle were obtained when relaxation was slowed by cooling the rat soleus muscles. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that muscle fatigue can confound the quantification of central fatigue using the ITT.
An Advantage with Limits: the Lower Risk for Women of becoming Homeless

Marpsat Maryse. -Una ventaja relativa: el menor riesgo de indigencia entre las mujeres Las caracteristicas sociales de los indigentes son muy similares a las de otras perso- nas pobres que disponen de alojamiento. Sin embargo, la pobreza afecta en mayor medida a las mujeres. «<,Porque, entonces, hay un porcentaje tan reducido de mujeres entre los sin ho- gar? i,Por que razon, aun entre los que han perdido la vivienda, las mujeres estan en mejores condiciones que los hombres, y a menudo se encuentran en centros de acogida a largo plazo y casi nunca en la calle? Este articulo analiza los factores que explican la relativa proteccion de las mujeres ante la perdida de la vivienda. El autor relaciona esta relativa proteccion con las represen- taciones de los roles masculino, femenino y particularmente con el rol de madre, que per- miten que las mujeres se beneficien de ventajas secundarias derivadas de su posicion de dominadas. No obstante, un examen de las consecuencias practicas de estas ventajas com- parativas pone en cuestion la idea de «situacion mas favorabl» para las mujeres.
Good versus poor therapeutic alliances with non-accepting parents of same-sex oriented adolescents and young adults: A qualitative study

Abstract Objective: Therapeutic themes and processes associated with five good versus five poor parent-therapist alliances among a sample of non-accepting parents of sexual minority youth/young adults participating in family therapy were examined. Method: The Consensual Qualitative Research approach was used to analyse of therapy notes and follow-up interviewsfrom good and poor alliances. Results: In good alliances, parents adopted relationship building as a goal, considered essentialist causal attributions of same-sex orientation, acknowledged positive aspects of their child, and perceived the therapist as empathic and accepting. Parents with poor alliances rejected relationship building as a goal, rebuffed essentialist causal attributions, dismissed the possibility of their own coming out, nullified positive aspects of their child, sought to change their child's sexual orientation, blamed therapists for validating their child's same-sex orientation, and pressured therapists for information about their child. Conclusions: Clinical implications are discussed.
Belief in a Just World and Jury Decisions in a Civil Rape Trial

When people's belief in a just world (BJW) is challenged, it can be restored by attributing blame to the victim or alleviating the victim's suffering. In criminal cases, jurors can attribute responsibility to victims, but cannot alleviate suffering. Participants (n= 106) heard a taped civil rape case. The effect of age of plaintiff, gender of participant, and type of participant on mock jurors' reactions to a plaintiff were examined. Participants evaluated responsibility of plaintiff and awarded monetary damages. It was hypothesized that, given this opportunity to compensate the victim, jurors would be less likely to derogate the victim. As hypothesized, women with high and low BJW attributed the same level of responsibility to the plaintiff but those with a high BJW awarded more monetaly damages. Men with high BJW awarded much less in damages than did men with low BJW. The just-world theory appears to explain many of the decisions made by mock jurors.
Needle stick injuries in nurses at a tertiary health care facility.

BACKGROUND Needle-stick injury (NSI) is a major occupational health and safety issue faced by healthcare professionals globally. This study was aimed to assess the frequency and factors associated with NSIs in nurses of a tertiary health care facility in Lahore, Pakistan. It also focuses on safety measures adopted by these nurses after a needle stick injury. METHODS This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore from October 2009 to January 2010. All nurses have participated in the study with a response rate of 99%. These responses were obtained via a pretested self-administered questionnaire. The data was analysed using SPSS-16. Percentages of the categorical variables were computed and represented in various statistical data presentation forms, for analysis and comparison. Chi-square test was applied as a test of significance with fixing the p-value of 0.05 as significant. RESULTS Out of 77 nurses who participated in our study, only 33 (42%) nurses were aware of the occupational hazards of their profession when they joined nursing. Needle stick injury was reported by 40 (71.9%) of the nurses in last one year. About 17 (31.5%) were injured at the time of recapping the syringe. The availability of needle cutters in the hospital was reported by 75 (97.4%) nurses while only 46 (60%) of them had undertaken a sharp management training course. Approximately 50 (64.9%) nurses failed to use gloves while administering injections. After getting stuck by a contaminated needle 71 (92%) of the nurses cleaned the wound with a spirit swab, 67 (87%) washed the area with soap and water and 58 (75%) applied a readily available bandage. Only 38 (49%) went on to inform the higher officials about a needle stick injury. Fifty-seven (74%) of the nurses were vaccinated against HBV, and 56 (72.2%) of needle stick injured nurses proceeded for HBV screening, while 53 (68.6%) for HCV and 37(48.5%) for HIV. CONCLUSION Needle stick injury is the most important occupational health hazard in nurses with alarmingly high rates. Reporting to the concerned authorities, screening of nurses after needle stick injury and promotion of safety measures against it should be greatly encouraged.
Post-Secondary Students' Behaviour in the College Choice Decision

The objectives of this study are to explore Sarawak post-secondary students’ behavior in the college choice decision and to establish the rank of importance of the influencing factors in students’ college choice decision. A total of 512 post-secondary students in Sarawak are surveyed using questionnaires. Data collected from the survey is analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). A series of analyses, including descriptive and factors analysis were conducted on the data. Results suggest that post-secondary students in Sarawak consider programme, cost, location, high school personnel, peers and friends and campus visit as important criteria in selecting higher learning institution. Future research suggested to be carried out is on other aspects that influence student college choice decision such as academic achievement, educational consultant and accreditation. Another direction for future studies is exploration of mediating variable such as parents’ expectation and encouragement on college choice decision.
Inoculum Composition and SalmonellaPathogenicity Island 1 Regulate M-Cell Invasion and Epithelial Destruction by Salmonella typhimurium

ABSTRACT In the mouse model of Salmonella typhimurium infection, the specialized antigen-sampling intestinal M cells are the primary route of Salmonella invasion during the early stages of infection. Under certain experimental conditions, M-cell invasion is accompanied by M-cell destruction and loss of adjacent regions of the follicle-associated epithelium (FAE), although the conditions responsible for expression of the cytotoxic phenotype in a proportion of previous studies have not been defined. In the present study, we have demonstrated that the cytotoxic effect exerted by wild-typeS. typhimurium on mouse Peyer’s patch FAE is dependent on the inoculum composition. We have also demonstrated that the extent of FAE destruction correlates with the extent of M-cell invasion. Bacteria inoculated in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth induce extensive FAE loss and exhibit efficient M-cell invasion, whereas bacteria inoculated in phosphate-buffered saline fail to induce significant FAE disruption and invade M cells at significantly lower levels. Similarly, inoculation in LB significantly enhances invasion of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells by wild-type S. typhimurium. Mutants defective for expression of invA, a component of Salmonellapathogenicity island 1 which is vital for efficient invasion of cultured cells, fail to induce FAE destruction and, when inoculated in LB, are attenuated for M-cell invasion. Variation in invgene expression is, therefore, one possible mechanism by which inoculate composition may regulate the virulence of wild-type S. typhimurium. Our findings suggest that the composition of the gut luminal contents may be critical in determining the outcome of naturally acquired Salmonella infections and that both vaccine formulation and dietary status of vaccine recipients may significantly affect the efficacy and safety of liveSalmonella oral vaccine delivery systems.
ABSTRACT The Reliability of Subjective Well-Being Measures *

This paper studies the test-retest reliability of a standard self-reported life satisfaction measure and of affect measures collected from a diary method. The sample consists of 229 women who were interviewed on Thursdays, two weeks apart, in Spring 2005. The correlation of net affect (i.e., duration-weighted positive feelings less negative feelings) measured two weeks apart is 0.64, which is slightly higher than the correlation of life satisfaction (r=0.59). Correlations between income, net affect and life satisfaction are presented, and adjusted for attenuation bias due to measurement error. Life satisfaction is found to correlate much more strongly with income than does net affect. Components of affect that are more person-specific are found to have a higher test-retest reliability than components of affect that are more specific to the particular situation. While reliability figures for subjective well-being measures are lower than those typically found for education, income and many other microeconomic variables, they are probably sufficiently high to support much of the research that is currently being undertaken on subjective well-being, particularly in studies where group means are compared (e.g., across activities or demographic groups).
Institutional Analysis and the Paradox of Corporate Social Responsibility

This article develops a series of causal propositions specifying the institutional conditions under which firms are likely to act in socially responsible ways, as defined by a standard of minimally acceptable corporate behavior. Little theoretical attention has been paid to understanding the causes of corporate social responsibility (CSR). By using institutional theory to explore the determinants of CSR, this article not only sheds light on a blind spot in the literature on CSR but also weds two literatures that have remained largely isolated from each other.
Morpho-syntactic Regularities in Continuous Word Representations: A multilingual study.

We replicate the syntactic experiments of Mikolov et al. (2013b) on English, and expand them to include morphologically complex languages. We learn vector representations for Dutch, French, German, and Spanish with the WORD2VEC tool, and investigate to what extent inflectional information is preserved across vectors. We observe that the accuracy of vectors on a set of syntactic analogies is inversely correlated with the morphological complexity of the language.
An Algorithm for Converting Rasters to Quadtrees

An algorithm is presented for constructing a quadtree for a binary image given its row-by-row description. The algorithm processes the image one row at a time and merges identically colored sons as soon as possible, so that a minimal size quadtree exists after processing each pixel. This method is spacewise superior to one which reads in an entire array and then attempts to build the quadtree.
Neuroprotection and neurodegenerative disease

This paper will focus on commonalities in the aetiology and pathology in five areas of neurological disease with illustrative examples of therapy. Possibilities of multimodal and neuroprotective therapies in human disease, employing currently available drugs and showing evidence of neuroprotective potential in animal models, are discussed. By definition, neuroprotection is an effect that may result in salvage, recovery or regeneration of the nervous system, its cells, structure and function. It is thought that there are many neurochemical modulators of nervous system damage. In epilepsy, excessive glutamate-mediated neurotransmission, impaired voltage sensitive sodium and calcium channel functioning, impaired GABA-mediated inhibition and alterations in acid base balance, when set in motion, may trigger a cascade of events leading to neuronal damage and cell death. Acute and chronic nervous system damage in response to an insult may lead to acute or delayed neuronal death, apoptotic cell death, neuronal degeneration, injury and loss, and gliosis. Cell death in the CNS following injury can occur in the manner of apoptosis, necrosis or hybrid forms. In general, NMDA receptor and non-NMDA receptor mediated excitotoxic injury results in neurodegeneration along an apoptosis-necrosis continuum. The effects of neuronal injury depend on factors including the degree of brain maturity or site of the lesion. There is some evidence supporting the hypothesis that neuroprotection may be a practical and achievable target using drugs already available, at present employed only for limited indications. Using these drugs early in the disease, may save decades of development of new drugs, which would require evaluation in animal studies, and human clinical trials. New drugs would also need to be shown to be safe and acceptable, physiologically not detrimental to humans and free from idiosyncratic adverse effects.
An algorithm for quadratic ℓ1-regularized optimization with a flexible active-set strategy

We present an active-set method for minimizing an objective that is the sum of a convex quadratic and regularization term. Unlike two-phase methods that combine a first-order active set identification step and a subspace phase consisting of a cycle of conjugate gradient (CG) iterations, the method presented here has the flexibility of computing a first-order proximal gradient step or a subspace CG step at each iteration. The decision of which type of step to perform is based on the relative magnitudes of some scaled components of the minimum norm subgradient of the objective function. The paper establishes global rates of convergence, as well as work complexity estimates for two variants of our approach, which we call the interleaved iterative soft-thresholding algorithm (ISTA)–CG method. Numerical results illustrating the behaviour of the method on a variety of test problems are presented.
The Impossibility of Minority Ethnic Educational ‘Success’? An Examination of the Discourses of Teachers and Pupils in British Secondary Schools

This article argues that in Britain dominant educational discourses of ‘the ideal pupil’ exclude minority ethnic pupils and prevent them from inhabiting a position of authentic ‘success’. It suggests that ‘the successful pupil’ is a desired yet refused subject position for many minority ethnic young people — even for those who are (to some extent) performing educational success. The article draws on interview and discussion group data from teachers, minority ethnic parents and minority ethnic pupils (aged 14–16 years) that were collected across four separate studies. All the studies were conducted in British secondary schools and focused on the identities and experiences of British Chinese, British Muslim and ethnically diverse samples of young people. The article engages in an unpicking of the multiple ways in which minority ethnic pupils are Othered in relation to the dominant identity of the ‘ideal pupil’ as White, male, middle class, and so on. The article moves beyond the notion of a singular Other position, engaging with the slipperiness of power and entanglements of ‘race’, gender, class and sexuality through the conceptual device of a trichotomy. This integrated model moves beyond notions of simplistic ‘stereotyping’ to explain how complexly located minority ethnic pupils are always-already positioned as ‘other’ within British educational discourse, such that even ‘high-achieving’ minority ethnic pupils may experience success as precarious.
Climate change impacts on coastal and pelagic environments in the southeastern Bay of Biscay

The impacts of global climate change on the Basque coast and the pelagic systems within the southeastern Bay of Biscay are reviewed. Climate projections under greenhouse gas emission scenarios indicate that this area will experience changes in climate throughout the 21st century, including warming of surface air (especially heat wave episodes), intensification of extreme daily rainfall (10%), warming of the upper 100 m of the ocean layer (1.5 to 2.05°C), and sea level rise (SLR; 29 to 49 cm). Observations made in the bay throughout the 20th century for air temperature and mean sea level are in agreement with these projections. Trends in ocean-climatic historical observations within the area, including sea temperature, precipitation, upwelling/downwelling, turbulence and wave climate, are also reviewed. The main impacts on the coast are expected to be from SLR, especially in low-lying areas (mostly urbanised) within estuaries. Sandy beaches are also expected to undergo significant mean shoreline retreats of between 25 and 40% of their width. As the sea level rises, the natural migration of saltmarshes and intertidal seagrasses landward will be constrained, in most cases, by existing anthropogenic fixed boundaries. Empirical relationships between the distribution and dynamics of the long-term biological measures (plankton, primary production, benthos, and fisheries) on the one hand, and ocean-climatic variability on the other, indicate that pelagic and coastal water ecosystems will be affected by ocean warming, increased stratification, shifts in anomaly patterns and streamflow regimes. The largest uncertainties are associated with the lack of downscaled projections within the bay on ocean circulation, ocean-meteorological indices, wave climate and ocean acidification.
Potential Problems in the Statistical Control of Variables in Organizational Research: A Qualitative Analysis With Recommendations

The author examines statistical control in a random sample of 60 articles published in four top journals during 2000 to 2002. Authors’bases for including control variables, clarity regarding measures and methods, and reporting of results were recorded. Potential problems included a lack of explanations for inclusion, unclear descriptions of measures and methods, incomplete reporting, and other flaws. Implications for interpreting results, replication, future reviews, and effect sizes are discussed. Twelve recommendations for addressing these issues are offered.
Research on Work as a Calling

Research on work as a calling has increased substantially in the last 5 years within vocational psychology and related disciplines. This special issue brings together a diverse group of scholars who address four key needs of empirical research on calling: (a) research on the measurement of calling and closely related constructs, (b) research with participants from outside the United States, (c) research using qualitative and longitudinal designs, and (d) research and theory that explores the conditions in which a sense of calling can lead to negative outcomes. Our hope is that these articles will advance the growing literature on the study of work as a calling.