Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HbA1c Test as a Tool in the Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Aims Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent and potentially serious condition which may put both mothers and neonates at risk. The current recommendation for diagnosis is the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This study aimed to determine the usefulness of HbA1c test as a diagnostic tool for GDM as compared to the traditional criteria based on the OGTT. Methods This was a diagnostic test accuracy study. We performed OGTT and HbA1c test in women attending prenatal visits at a tertiary hospital. GDM was defined according to WHO1999 or ADA/WHO 2013 criteria. ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of HbA1c. Sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios for different HbA1c cut-off points were calculated. Results Of the 262 women in the third trimester of gestation enrolled in the study, 86 (33%) were diagnosed with GDM. Only five of these women presented HbA1c ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%). This cut-off point presented 100% specificity but very low sensitivity (7%). Based on ROC curve, and considering OGTT as the reference criterion, HbA1c ≥40 mmol/mol (5.8%) showed adequate specificity in diagnosing GDM (94.9%) but low sensitivity (26.4%). Unlike, HbA1c values of 31 mmol/mol (5.0%) presented adequate sensitivity (89.7%) but low specificity (32.6%) to detect GDM. For women with HbA1c ≥40 mmol/mol (5.8%), the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.14 (95%CI 2.49–10.63) and 0.78 (0.68–0.88), respectively. The post-test probability of GDM was about 40%, representing a 4.0-fold increase in the mean pre-test probability. This cut-off point could eliminate the need for the unpleasant and laborious OGTT tests in almost one third of cases, as 38% of patients with GDM may be diagnosable by HbA1c test alone. Conclusions Our results show that combined HbA1c and OGTT measurements may be useful in diagnosing GDM.
Spinal neurons that contain gastrin-releasing peptide seldom express Fos or phosphorylate extracellular signal-regulated kinases in response to intradermal chloroquine

Background Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is thought to play a role in the itch evoked by intradermal injection of chloroquine. Although some early studies suggested that GRP was expressed in pruriceptive primary afferents, it is now thought that GRP in the spinal cord is derived mainly from a population of excitatory interneurons in lamina II, and it has been suggested that these are involved in the itch pathway. To test this hypothesis, we used the transcription factor Fos and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) to look for evidence that interneurons expressing GRP were activated following intradermal injection of chloroquine into the calf, in mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in these cells. Results Injection of chloroquine resulted in numerous Fos- or phospho-ERK (pERK) positive cells in the somatotopically appropriate part of the superficial dorsal horn. The proportion of all neurons in this region that showed Fos or pERK was 18% and 21%, respectively. However, among the GRP–EGFP, only 7% were Fos-positive and 3% were pERK-positive. As such, GRP–EGFP cells were significantly less likely than other neurons to express Fos or to phosphorylate ERK. Conclusions Both expression of Fos and phosphorylation of ERK can be used to identify dorsal horn neurons activated by chloroquine injection. However, these results do not support the hypothesis that interneurons expressing GRP are critical components in the itch pathway.
From Spouses to Candidates: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Elizabeth Dole, and the Gendered Office of U.S. President

This essay examines media coverage and candidate rhetoric of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Elizabeth Dole during their 2000 political campaigns. Although gender was emphasized when Clinton was first lady, it became the tacit subtext of her run for the U.S. Senate, and Clinton's male opponents arguably were more disadvantaged by gender stereotypes than she was in that particular campaign. In contrast, Dole's gender was foregrounded in media portrayals of her bid for the Republican presidential nomination, making it harder for voters to imagine her as president. This study underscores the fact that although women are making strides in other realms of public governance, the U.S. presidency remains a bastion of masculinity.
Interventions for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Neurocognitive Impairment Due to Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review of the Literature

AbstractNeurocognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease (previously termed Alzheimer’s dementia) (AD) is the most common form of cognitive impairment worldwide. Given the anticipated increase in the population aged 65 and over, the prevalence of persons with AD is expected to increase exponentially during the next 30 years. Noncognitive neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) commonly occur in AD and are associated with adverse outcomes for patients and their caregivers. This review summarizes randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2004 and 2014 with a primary outcome measure of change in symptom severity for NPS in AD. Of the 388 articles initially identified through a literature search, 33 trials met inclusion criteria. Fifteen of these studies had agitation/aggression as a targeted symptom. Twenty-eight evaluated pharmacologic treatments, including psychotropics, cognitive enhancers, stimulants, and nutraceuticals. Nonpharmacologic interventions included bright light, music, exercise, and cognitive-stimulation therapies. Among the pharmacologic interventions, modest efficacy was reported with aripiprazole, citalopram, trazodone, methylphenidate, and scheduled analgesics. Significant reduction in symptom severity was reported with nearly all the nonpharmacologic interventions. Variations in methodology such as inclusion criteria, study setting, and outcome measures limit the generalizability of these results. Barriers to the implementation of nonpharmacologic interventions in clinical settings include resource and training limitations. Electroconvulsive therapy and dronabinol are promising as emerging treatment strategies. Randomized clinical trials are needed in order to validate the utility of electroconvulsive therapy and dronabinol, including where and with whom these interventions will prove most valuable.
A Linear Temporal Increase in Thrombin Activity and Loss of Its Receptor in Mouse Brain following Ischemic Stroke

Background Brain thrombin activity is increased following acute ischemic stroke and may play a pathogenic role through the protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1). In order to better assess these factors, we obtained a novel detailed temporal and spatial profile of thrombin activity in a mouse model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAo). Methods Thrombin activity was measured by fluorescence spectroscopy on coronal slices taken from the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres 2, 5, and 24 h following pMCAo (n = 5, 6, 5 mice, respectively). Its spatial distribution was determined by punch samples taken from the ischemic core and penumbra and further confirmed using an enzyme histochemistry technique (n = 4). Levels of PAR1 were determined using western blot. Results Two hours following pMCAo, thrombin activity in the stroke core was already significantly higher than the contralateral area (11 ± 5 vs. 2 ± 1 mU/ml). At 5 and 24 h, thrombin activity continued to rise linearly (r = 0.998, p = 0.001) and to expand in the ischemic hemisphere beyond the ischemic core reaching deleterious levels of 271 ± 117 and 123 ± 14 mU/ml (mean ± SEM) in the basal ganglia and ischemic cortex, respectively. The peak elevation of thrombin activity in the ischemic core that was confirmed by fluorescence histochemistry was in good correlation with the infarcts areas. PAR1 levels in the ischemic core decreased as stroke progressed and thrombin activity increased. Conclusion In conclusion, there is a time- and space-related increase in brain thrombin activity in acute ischemic stroke that is closely related to the progression of brain damage. These results may be useful in the development of therapeutic strategies for ischemic stroke that involve the thrombin-PAR1 pathway in order to prevent secondary thrombin related brain damage.
‘Elle est où, ta place?’ The Social-Realist Melodramas of Laurent Cantet:

This article analyses the social-realist melodramas of director Laurent Cantet: Ressources humaines (2000) and Emploi du temps (2001). It considers the socio-political subject matter of the two films in relation to so-called New Realism and the ‘return of the political’ in French cinema since the mid-1990s. The article also examines Cantet’s use of melodrama – the function of mise-en-scène, emphasis on the family as the site of wider social crisis, and the director’s apparent pre-occupation with father–son relationships – as a means of articulating the affects/effects of broader social and political forces on the individual. Finally, the article considers how Cantet’s social melodramas are intricately bound to the theme of masculinity in crisis, through the relationship of the white, middle-class, male bodies of the central protagonists to the various spaces – physical, social, economic – that they occupy during the film.
Limitations of e‐commerce in developing countries: Jordan case

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the status of e‐commerce in terms of limitations, problems and barriers facing the application and use of e‐commerce in Jordan.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire approach was employed in this research study to obtain the most appropriate information for identifying the main limitations of e‐commerce in the context of the study. A delivery and collection questionnaire was used as a method for obtaining data from e‐commerce customers contacted through a number of universities.Findings – There are found to be six main limitations of e‐commerce: security and trust; internet experience; enjoyment; language; legal issues; and technology acceptance (ease of use and usefulness). The results of this research showed that the main limitations of e‐commerce in Jordan appeared to be related to non‐technical limitations. The reason behind this result could be related to the lack of students' awareness of technical issues, in that they might not have known abo.
Prevalence of obesity among undergraduate students, living in halls of residence, University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus, Enugu state

A study of the prevalence of obesity among undergraduate students was conducted at University of Nigeria Nsukka campus, Enugu, State, in the South Eastern partof Nigeria. A tota of 620 male andfemale students were randomly selected for the study. A structured and validated questionnaire and anthropometry were used for data collection. The study elicited information on the sex distribution of the subjects who were obese, their marital status, dietary pattern, activity pattern and their health status. Information obtained was analyzed using frequency distribution, percentages, means and cross tabulation. The result revealed that 21% of the participants were obese, (8.1% are males and 13.1% are females). Most of the participants who were obese were unmarried, a total of 934% of the of the study population. The result of the eating pattern showedthat 406% of the subjects purchased their foods from eating houses within the campus, 466% cooked their meals with foods brought fom their homes; 28.2% and 26.7% consumed fruits and vegetables daily respectively. Food choice was based on taste of the food, cultural demands and easy to prepare foods. Information on the activity level showed that 85.5% of the obese subjects occasionally engaged in physical activity. Assessment of the heath status indicate that 61% had cardiovascular disease; 23% were diabetics, 3.8% had gall bladder disease and 51% had other illness like ulcer, irregular menstruation, fever and stomach ach. Keywords: Obesity, Prevalence, University undergraduate students
A Hierarchical Bayesian Model of Individual Differences in Memory for Emotional Expressions

When participants view and then reproduce simple objects that vary along a continuous dimension such as length or shade, or when they view images of faces that vary in emotional expression, their estimates tend to be biased toward the average value of the presented objects, a phenomenon that has been modeled as the result of a Bayesian combination of prior category knowledge with an imprecise memory trace (Corbin, Crawford & Vavra, 2017; Huttenlocher, Hedges & Vevea, 2000). Whereas previous work described a general cognitive strategy based on data aggregated across participants, here we examined individual differences in strategy. Thirty-six participants viewed and reproduced 496 morphed face stimuli that ranged from angry to happy. We found substantial variation in the bias patterns participants produced. Individuals’ estimates were well fit by a model that posited attraction toward three categories, one at the happy end of the range, one at the angry end, and one that captured the entire range of presented stimuli, and by allowing the weight given to each category to vary by participant.
Phylogenetic Relations of Rhizoplaca Zopf. from Anatolia Inferred from ITS Sequence Data

Like many lichen-forming fungi, species of the genus Rhizoplaca have wide geographical distributions, but studies of their genetic variability are limited. The information about the ITS rDNA sequences of three species of Rhizoplaca from Anatolia was generated and aligned with other species from other countries and also with the data belonging to Lecanora species. The examined species were collected from the volcanic rocks of Mount Erciyes which is located in the middle of Anatolia (Turkey). The sequence data aligned with eight other samples of Rhizoplaca and six different species of Lecanora were obtained from GenBank. The results support the concept maintained by Arup and Grube (2000) that Rhizoplaca may not be a genus separate from Lecanora. According to the phylogenetic tree, Rhizoplaca melanopthalma from Turkey with two different samples of R. melanopthalma from Arizona (AF159929, AF159934) and a sample from Austria formed a group under the same branch. R. peltata and R. chrysoleuca samples from Anatolia located in two other branches of the tree formed sister groups with the samples of the same species from different countries. Although R. peltata remained on the same branch with other samples of the same species from other countries it was placed in a different branch within the group. When the three species from Anatolia were considered alone, it was noticed that Rhizoplaca melanopthalma and Rhizoplaca peltata are phylogenetically closer to each other than Rhizoplaca chrysoleuca; the morphological characteristics also support this result.
Chinese teachers' attitudes toward teaching physical activity and fitness

In this study we examined Chinese physical educators' attitudes toward teaching physical activity and fitness. We then compared the Chinese teacher attitudes to their American counterparts. Participants were 330 Chinese elementary, middle and high school physical educators. The Teachers' Attitudes Toward Curriculum in Physical Education (TATCPE) instrument was used to gather data. One‐way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests indicated that the Chinese teachers scored significantly higher on the self‐actualization and physical activity/fitness than the motor skill development and social development outcome goals. The MANOVA on motor skill development, physical activity/fitness, self‐actualization and social development outcome goals showed no significant differences for gender, teaching level, or years of teaching experience among the Chinese teachers. Teachers from both countries, however, considered all four domain areas to be important outcome goals. Despite cultural differences, Chinese and American teachers share key core attitudinal values about their respective programs.
Distinct roles of transcription factors EGL-46 and DAF-19 in specifying the functionality of a polycystin-expressing sensory neuron necessary for C. elegans male vulva location behavior

Caenorhabditis elegans polycystins LOV-1 and PKD-2 are expressed in the male-specific HOB neuron, and are necessary for sensation of the hermaphrodite vulva during mating. We demonstrate that male vulva location behavior and expression of lov-1 and pkd-2 in the ciliated sensory neuron HOB require the activities of transcription factor EGL-46 and to some extent also EGL-44. This EGL-46- regulated program is specific to HOB and is distinct from a general ciliogenic pathway functioning in all ciliated neurons. The ciliogenic pathway regulator DAF-19 affects downstream components of the HOB-specific program indirectly and is independent of EGL-46 activity. The sensory function of HOB requires the combined action of these two distinct regulatory pathways.
Religion and economic activity in the South Asian population

Anthropological and sociological literature points to the importance of religion as a basis for understanding the diverse nature of Britain's South Asian population. Using a rare quantitative source, the 1994 National Survey of Ethnic Minorities, and against a backdrop of relative neglect by quantitative social scientists, this article considers the religious dimension to observed differences in economic activity among South Asians. The analysis reports substantial differences between religious sub-groups (by age and sex) across a range of key measures, including: differences in the proportion who are economically active; differences in the proportion of the economically active who successfully gain employment; among the employed, differences in the type of jobs held and in reported income. The analysis suggests a more complex picture than the Muslim/non-Muslim dichotomy often inferred from analysis using conventional ethnic group classifications, with notable differences between Indian Sikhs and Hindus, and between Indian Muslims and Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslims.
An australian sex-role scale: Additional psychometric data and correlations with self-esteem

The present paper reports psychometric properties for parallel forms of an Australian Sex-Role Scale. the Personal Description Questionnaire, using a sample of 736 females and 542 males. In general findings were consistent with the design of the scale, however, two problems were noted: correlations between the parallel forms of the feminine negative scale were low, and coefficient ∞ was somewhat low for the feminine negative scale on Form B. Data were also presented on the relationship between self-esteem and the masculinity and femininity scales. Self-esteem was found to be positively related to the masculine positive scales, but negatively related to the feminine negative scales. These findings were broadly consistent with previous studies but indicated a need to investigate the components of masculinity and femininity rather than treating them as global constructs.
ATTACHMENTS IN A MULTIPLE‐CAREGIVER AND MULTIPLE‐INFANT ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF THE ISRAELI KIBBUTZIM

caregiver and more than one child, interacting on a regular basis with their mothers, fathers, grandparents, and siblings as well as with baby-sitters or professional caregivers. Similarly, both parents and nonparental caregivers very often establish attachments with more than one child. Nevertheless, until relatively recently, attachment research has focused mainly on the attachment relationship of only the mother and with only one of her children, and the most widely used assessments of attachment quality-the Strange Situation procedure (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978) and the security scores derived from the Attachment Q-Set (Vaughn & Waters, 1990; Waters & Deane, 1985)-had been validated only for infant-mother dyads. During the last decade, infant-father relationships came to be studied more intensively (for a meta-analysis of these studies, see Fox, Kimmerly, & Schafer, 1991), and some observational studies of infant attachments to nonfamilial caregivers have been reported (Anderson, Nagle, Roberts, & Smith, 1981; Goossens & van IJzendoorn, 1990; Howes & Hamilton, 1992a,
Bacterial population succession and adaptation affected by insecticide application and soil spraying history

Although microbial communities have varying degrees of exposure to environmental stresses such as chemical pollution, little is known on how these communities respond to environmental disturbances and how past disturbance history affects these community-level responses. To comprehensively understand the effect of organophosphorus insecticide application on microbiota in soils with or without insecticide-spraying history, we investigated the microbial succession in response to the addition of fenitrothion [O,O-dimethyl O-(3-methyl-p-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate, abbreviated as MEP] by culture-dependent experiments and deep sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Despite similar microbial composition at the initial stage, microbial response to MEP application was remarkably different between soils with and without MEP-spraying history. MEP-degrading microbes more rapidly increased in the soils with MEP-spraying history, suggesting that MEP-degrading bacteria might already exist at a certain level and could quickly respond to MEP re-treatment in the soil. Culture-dependent and -independent evaluations revealed that MEP-degrading Burkholderia bacteria are predominant in soils after MEP application, limited members of which might play a pivotal role in MEP-degradation in soils. Notably, deep sequencing also revealed that some methylotrophs dramatically increased after MEP application, strongly suggesting that these bacteria play a role in the consumption and removal of methanol, a harmful derivative from MEP-degradation, for better growth of MEP-degrading bacteria. This comprehensive study demonstrated the succession and adaptation processes of microbial communities under MEP application, which were critically affected by past experience of insecticide-spraying.
The social life of divorced parents. Do custody arrangements make a difference in divorced parents’ social participation and contacts?

Social life is fostered by having a partner and children that create interactions and generate new social networks. For divorced parents, the question is whether these positive relationships remain after marital dissolution. Do children form an additional barrier to social interaction, or do new partners present a means to reconstruct divorcees’ social life? In this case, it is important to consider custody arrangements. The research question is how custody arrangements affect divorced parents’ possibilities to participate in outdoor home leisure activities and to maintain their social contacts. Focus is placed on the recent post-divorce parenting model of joint physical custody, taking Belgium as a pioneer case study. Multi-level regressions are conducted, using multi-actor data from the Divorce in Flanders survey (N = 1506 divorced parents). Results show that joint physical custody helps divorced parents to stay socially integrated. Especially for mothers, joint physical custody has a liberating effect. They engage in more outdoor home activities and better maintain their social networks than sole custody mothers. In this way, the positive effects of social interaction can counterbalance other detrimental effects of divorce and contribute to a higher level of their general well-being. While joint custody for fathers means they may spend more time with their children, their engagement in personal leisure activities and social networks is not altered by this custody arrangement.