Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No association between level of vitamin D and chronic low back pain in Swedish primary care: a cross-sectional case-control study

Abstract Objective: Assessment of vitamin D levels and deficiency status in individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) in a Swedish general population, compared with controls matched for sex and age. Design: Cross-sectional case-control study. Setting: Primary care, southern Sweden. Subjects: Participants (n = 44) with self-reported low back pain for at least 3 months and individually sex- and age-matched controls without a chronic pain condition (n = 44), recruited from the general population by random letter of invitation. Main outcome measure: Association between vitamin D level and CLBP when adjusting for possible confounders in a multivariate forward conditional logistic regression model. Results: Mean S-25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were 81 and 80 nmol/L in the CLBP and control group, respectively. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was low and similar in the CLBP group and the control group. Vitamin D level was not associated with CLBP when potential confounders were taken into account. Conclusions: No difference in vitamin D levels between participants with CLBP and matched controls could be demonstrated in the present sample. Assessment of vitamin D level and deficiency status may be of questionable value in the management of CLBP in primary care settings at similar latitudes, unless there are additional risk factors for deficiency or specific indicators of osteomalacia. Key Points Vitamin D deficiency is common and reported in many chronic pain conditions, including chronic low back pain (CLBP), but evidence for an association and causality is insufficient. The present study found no association between vitamin D levels and CLBP in a case-control sample of 44 + 44 individuals from the Swedish general population. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was low and comparable in individuals with CLBP and controls without chronic pain, matched for sex and age. Assessment of vitamin D status, for the purpose of finding and treating an underlying cause of pain, may be of limited value in the management of CLBP in primary care settings at similar latitudes.
Psychological Capital dan Workplace Well-Being sebagai Prediktor bagi Employee Engagement

In order to be a successful organization it is necessary to optimize the potentials of its human resources. It is including attention to factors that may be predictors for employee engagement. The study was conducted to determine whether variables of psychological capital and workplace well-being can be a predictor for employee engagement. The respondents in this study are 202 people which come from two government institutions of X. The conducted data ware analyzed by using the structural method and with the help of LISREL 8.70. The results showed: (1) Psychological capital influence the employee engagement positively, but it is not significant. (2) Workplace well-being influences the employee engagement positively and significantly with standardized value of 0.62 and t-value of 4.52. (3) Psychological capital and Workplace well-being proved influence the employee engagement. However psychological capital is not influence significantly to the employee engagement (because the standardized value of 0:23, with a value of t-1.77 does not meet the minimum requirements of direct significance value which is t-1.96). While workplace well-being influences positively and significantly to the employee engagement (with standardized value of 0.62 and t-value of 4.52) and it can be used to predict the employee engagement. Thus, workplace well-being with (1) the extrinsic dimension which consists of: using time as well as possible, working conditions, supervision, promotion and salaries, and (2) intrinsic dimension which consists of: job responsibility, the meaning of employment, self employment, the use of skills and knowledge to work as well as a feeling of achievement in work - it is well proved to be factors in predicting employee engagement.
Greater V˙O2peak is correlated with greater skeletal muscle deoxygenation amplitude and hemoglobin concentration within individual muscles during ramp‐incremental cycle exercise

It is axiomatic that greater aerobic fitness (V̇O2peak) derives from enhanced perfusive and diffusive O2 conductances across active muscles. However, it remains unknown how these conductances might be reflected by regional differences in fractional O2 extraction (i.e., deoxy [Hb+Mb] and tissue O2 saturation [StO2]) and diffusive O2 potential (i.e., total[Hb+Mb]) among muscles spatially heterogeneous in blood flow, fiber type, and recruitment (vastus lateralis, VL; rectus femoris, RF). Using quantitative time‐resolved near‐infrared spectroscopy during ramp cycling in 24 young participants (V̇2peak range: ~37.4–66.4 mL kg−1 min−1), we tested the hypotheses that (1) deoxy[Hb+Mb] and total[Hb+Mb] at V̇O2peak would be positively correlated with V̇O2peak in both VL and RF muscles; (2) the pattern of deoxygenation (the deoxy[Hb+Mb] slopes) during submaximal exercise would not differ among subjects differing in V̇O2peak. Peak deoxy [Hb+Mb] and StO2 correlated with V̇O2peak for both VL (r = 0.44 and −0.51) and RF (r = 0.49 and −0.49), whereas for total[Hb+Mb] this was true only for RF (r = 0.45). Baseline deoxy[Hb+Mb] and StO2 correlated with V̇O2peak only for RF (r = −0.50 and 0.54). In addition, the deoxy[Hb+Mb] slopes were not affected by aerobic fitness. In conclusion, while the pattern of deoxygenation (the deoxy[Hb+Mb] slopes) did not differ between fitness groups the capacity to deoxygenate [Hb+Mb] (index of maximal fractional O2 extraction) correlated significantly with V̇O2peak in both RF and VL muscles. However, only in the RF did total[Hb+Mb] (index of diffusive O2 potential) relate to fitness.
Smart-Grid Topology Identification Using Sparse Recovery

Smart grid (SG) technology reshapes the traditional power grid into a dynamical network with a layer of information that flows along the energy system. Recorded data from a variety of parameters in SGs can improve the analysis of different supervisory problems, but an important issue is their cost and power efficiency in data analysis procedures. This paper develops an efficient solution for power network topology identification and monitoring activities in SG. The basic idea combines optimization-based sparse-recovery techniques with a graph theory foundation. The power network (PN) is modeled as a large interconnected graph, which can be evaluated with the dc power-flow model. It has been shown that topology identification for such a system can mathematically be reformulated as a sparse-recovery problem (SRP), and the corresponding SRP can efficiently be solved using SRP solvers. In this study, we especially exploit the concentration of nonzero elements in the corresponding sparse vectors around the main diagonal in the nodal admittance or structure matrix of the PN to improve the results. The network models have been generated with the MATPOWER toolbox, and MATLAB-based simulation results have indicated the promising performance of the proposed method for real-time topology identification (TI) in SGs.
The temporal dynamics of visual working memory guidance of selective attention

The biased competition model proposes that there is top-down directing of attention to a stimulus matching the contents of working memory (WM), even when the maintenance of a WM representation is detrimental to target relevant performance. Despite many studies elucidating that spatial WM guidance can be present early in the visual processing system, whether visual WM guidance also influences perceptual selection remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the electrophysiological correlates of early guidance of attention by WM in humans. Participants were required to perform a visual search task while concurrently maintaining object representations in their visual WM. Behavioral results showed that response times (RTs) were longer when the distractor in the visual search task was held in WM. The earliest WM guidance effect was observed in the P1 component (90–130 ms), with match trials eliciting larger P1 amplitude than mismatch trials. A similar result was also found in the N1 component (160–200 ms). These P1 and N1 effects could not be attributed to bottom-up perceptual priming from the presentation of a memory cue, because there was no significant difference in early event-related potential (ERP) component when the cue was merely perceptually identified but not actively held in WM. Standardized Low Resolution Electrical Tomography Analysis (sLORETA) showed that the early WM guidance occurred in the occipital lobe and the N1-related activation occurred in the parietal gyrus. Time-frequency data suggested that alpha-band event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) magnitudes increased under the match condition compared with the mismatch condition only when the cue was held in WM. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the reappearance of a stimulus held in WM enhanced activity in the occipital area. Subsequently, this initial capture of attention by WM could be inhibited by competing visual inputs through attention re-orientation, reflecting by the alpha-band rhythm.
Renal Thrombotic Microangiopathy in Mice with Combined Deletion of Endocytic Recycling Regulators EHD3 and EHD4

Eps15 Homology Domain-containing 3 (EHD3), a member of the EHD protein family that regulates endocytic recycling, is the first protein reported to be specifically expressed in the glomerular endothelium in the kidney; therefore we generated Ehd3 –/– mice and assessed renal development and pathology. Ehd3 –/– animals showed no overt defects, and exhibited no proteinuria or glomerular pathology. However, as the expression of EHD4, a related family member, was elevated in the glomerular endothelium of Ehd3 –/– mice and suggested functional compensation, we generated and analyzed Ehd3 –/–; Ehd4 –/– mice. These mice were smaller, possessed smaller and paler kidneys, were proteinuric and died between 3–24 weeks of age. Detailed analyses of Ehd3 –/–; Ehd4 –/– kidneys demonstrated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)-like glomerular lesions including thickening and duplication of glomerular basement membrane, endothelial swelling and loss of fenestrations. Other changes included segmental podocyte foot process effacement, mesangial interposition, and abnormal podocytic and mesangial marker expression. The glomerular lesions observed were strikingly similar to those seen in human pre-eclampsia and mouse models of reduced VEGF expression. As altered glomerular endothelial VEGFR2 expression and localization and increased apoptosis was observed in the absence of EHD3 and EHD4, we propose that EHD-mediated endocytic traffic of key surface receptors such as VEGFR2 is essential for physiological control of glomerular function. Furthermore, Ehd3 –/–; Ehd4 –/– mice provide a unique model to elucidate mechanisms of glomerular endothelial injury which is observed in a wide variety of human renal and extra-renal diseases.
Nonaxisymmetric magnetic field generation in rapidly rotating late-type stars

Recently the discovery of the “flip-flop” phenomenon, by which a predominant “active” longitude jumps by about $180^\circ$, on several rapidly rotating late-type stars has directed attention to the issues surrounding the presence of large-scale nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields in these objects. Here we study nonlinear mean field dynamo models with quasi-cylindrical rotation laws, acting in spherical shells. Stable nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields are found to be generated for a range of parameters and, for certain of these models, jumps in a measure plausibly related to the position of active longitudes are found to occur. In general, nonaxisymmetric fields appear to be easier to generate in thinner dynamo-active regions. However, flip-flops appear to be stronger for intermediate thicknesses of the dynamo-active shells.
Improving executive function using transcranial infrared laser stimulation

Transcranial infrared laser stimulation is a new non-invasive form of low-level light therapy that may have a wide range of neuropsychological applications. It entails using low-power and high-energy-density infrared light from lasers to increase metabolic energy. Preclinical work showed that this intervention can increase cortical metabolic energy, thereby improving frontal cortex-based memory function in rats. Barrett and Gonzalez-Lima (2013, Neuroscience, 230, 13) discovered that transcranial laser stimulation can enhance sustained attention and short-term memory in humans. We extend this line of work to executive function. Specifically, we ask whether transcranial laser stimulation enhances performance in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task that is considered the gold standard of executive function and is compromised in normal ageing and a number of neuropsychological disorders. We used a laser of a specific wavelength (1,064 nm) that photostimulates cytochrome oxidase - the enzyme catalysing oxygen consumption for metabolic energy production. Increased cytochrome oxidase activity is considered the primary mechanism of action of this intervention. Participants who received laser treatment made fewer errors and showed improved set-shifting ability relative to placebo controls. These results suggest that transcranial laser stimulation improves executive function and may have exciting potential for treating or preventing deficits resulting from neuropsychological disorders or normal ageing.
Thalidomide Inhibits Alternative Activation of Macrophages In Vivo and In Vitro: A Potential Mechanism of Anti-Asthmatic Effect of Thalidomide

Background Thalidomide is known to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions. However, the effect and the anti-asthmatic mechanism of thalidomide in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airways are not fully understood. Objective This study is designed to determine the effect and the potential mechanism of thalidomide in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airways using animal model of allergic asthma. Methods Six-week-old female BALB/C mice were sensitized with alum plus ovalbumin (OVA) and were exposed to OVA via intranasal route for 3 days for challenge. Thalidomide 200 mg/kg was given via gavage twice a day from a day before the challenge and airway hyperresponsivenss (AHR), airway inflammatory cells, and cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) were evaluated. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other mediators were evaluated using ELISA, real time (RT)-qPCR, and flow cytometry. CRL-2456, alveolar macrophage cell line, was used to test the direct effect of thalidomide on the activation of macrophages in vitro. Results The mice with thalidomide treatment showed significantly reduced levels of allergen-induced BALF and lung inflammation, AHR, and the expression of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators including Th2 related, IL-17 cytokines, and altered levels of allergen-specific IgG1/IgG2a. Of interesting note, thalidomide treatment significantly reduced expression levels of allergen- or Th2 cytokine-stimulated alternative activation of macrophages in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion These studies highlight a potential use of thalidomide in the treatment of allergic diseases including asthma. This study further identified a novel inhibitory effect of thalidomide on alternative activation of macrophages as a potential mechanism of anti-asthmatic effect of thalidomide.
The Effect of Reading a Short Passage of Literary Fiction on Theory of Mind: A Replication of Kidd and Castano (2013)

The results reported by Kidd and Castano (2013) indicated that reading a short passage of literary fiction improves theory of mind (ToM) relative to reading popular fiction. However, when we entered Kidd and Castano’s results in a p-curve analysis, it turned out that the evidential value of their findings is low. It is good practice to back up a p-curve analysis of a single paper with an adequately powered direct replication of at least one of the studies in the p-curve analysis. Therefore, we conducted a direct replication of the literary fiction condition and the popular fiction condition from Kidd and Castano’s Experiment 5 to scrutinize the effect of reading literary fiction on ToM. The results of this replication were largely consistent with Kidd and Castano’s original findings. Furthermore, we conducted a small-scale meta-analysis on the findings of the present study, those of Kidd and Castano and those reported in other published direct replications. The meta-analytic effect of reading literary fiction on ToM was small and non-significant but there was considerable heterogeneity between the included studies. The results of the present study and of the small-scale meta-analysis are discussed in the light of reading-times exclusion criteria as well as reliability and validity of ToM measures.
Professional identities of school leaders across international contexts

This introductory article attempts to set a conceptual stage for the special issue on identities of school leaders. We do this by beginning with a discussion of identity – its definition, philosophical roots, nature, and components. We then move to a discussion of identity development and the various dimensions that characterize this development. The article ends with a brief description of a critical constructivist model of identity. Our intention in the article is not to offer a theoretical framework that will be used by the article authors, but to offer a conceptual stage that provides the background for understanding identity.
The Effect of Normally Consumed Amounts of Sucrose or High Fructose Corn Syrup on Lipid Profiles, Body Composition and Related Parameters in Overweight/Obese Subjects

The American Heart Association (AHA) has advocated that women and men not consume more than 100 and 150 kcal/day, respectively, from added sugars. These levels are currently exceeded by over 90% of the adult population in the United States. Few data exist on longer-term metabolic effects when sucrose and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), the principal sources of added dietary sugars, are consumed at levels typical of the general population. Sixty five overweight and obese individuals were placed on a eucaloric (weight stable) diet for 10-weeks, which incorporated sucrose- or HFCS-sweetened, low-fat milk at 10% or 20% of calories in a randomized, double-blinded study. All groups responded similarly (interaction p > 0.05). There was no change in body weight in any of the groups over the 10-week study, or in systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Likewise, there were no changes in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or apolipoprotein B (Apo B). We conclude that (1) when consumed as part of a eucaloric diet fructose—when given with glucose (as normally consumed) does not promote weight gain or an atherogenic lipid profile even when consumed at two to four times the level recently recommended by the AHA. (2) There were no differences between HFCS and sucrose on these parameters.
Postnatal Depression and Its Associated Factors in Women From Different Cultures

Objective: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common health problem which affects women in the postpartum period. This is a brief note on its associated factors in women from different cultures. Methods: A literature review was performed in MEDLINE and Pubmed from 1991 to 2008 and Magiran from 1991 to 2009. Additional articles and book chapters were referenced from these sources. Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression has been reported to be from 0.5% to 60% globally, and from 3.5% to 63.3% in Asian countries, in which Malaysia and Pakistan had respectively the lowest and highest rates. One of the factors contributing to PPD in Asian societies can be that women may not have the empowerment to reject traditional rituals that are imposed on them by their caregivers. Unsatisfactory pre-existing relationships between the mothers and their caregivers resulting in mothers experiencing difficulties during their confinement period may be another factor. Thirdly, some features of these traditional rituals may be the cause of tension, stress and emotional distress. Emotional conflicts caused by insistence on practice of traditional rituals during the postpartum period may lead to mental breakdown. Conclusion: Health care professionals should be aware that the phenomenon in Asian cultures is as prevalent as European cultures. Moreover, further research needs to be conducted on the global prevalence of the experiences of childbearing women with depressive symptoms.
Susceptibility to anchoring effects: How openness-to-experience influences responses to anchoring cues

Previous research on anchoring has shown this heuristic to be a very robust psychological phenomenon ubiquitous across many domains of human judgment and decision-making. Despite the prevalence of anchoring effects, researchers have only recently begun to investigate the underlying factors responsible for how and in what ways a person is susceptible to them. This paper examines how one such factor, the Big-Five personality trait of openness-to-experience, influences the effect of previously presented anchors on participants' judgments. Our findings indicate that participants high in openness-to-experience were significantly more influenced by anchoring cues relative to participants low in this trait. These findings were consistent across two different types of anchoring tasks providing convergent evidence for our hypothesis.
The Consequences of Living in High-Rise Buildings

Abstract A full account of architectural science must include empirical findings about the social and psychological influences that buildings have on their occupants. Tall residential buildings can have a myriad of such effects. This review summarizes the results of research on the influences of high-rise buildings on residents' experiences of the building, satisfaction, preferences, social behavior, crime and fear of crime, children, mental health and suicide. Most conclusions are tempered by moderating factors, including residential socioeconomic status, neighborhood quality, parenting, gender, stage of life, indoor density, and the ability to choose a housing form. However, moderators aside, the literature suggests that high-rises are less satisfactory than other housing forms for most people, that they are not optimal for children, that social relations are more impersonal and helping behavior is less than in other housing forms, that crime and fear of crime are greater, and that they may independently account for some suicides.
Language Structure and Thought in Written Composition: Certain Relationships.

Given the near universal acceptance of this proposition, it seems notable that research in composition has yet to probe in depth the specific nature of the "think/write" relationship. Most current research concerned with thought and expression treats language acquisition and development, but these efforts tend to be primarily concerned with lexical and syntactic variables and only incidentally with ideational variables. For example, Loban (1976) in his monumental study traces the development of children's mastery of English syntax and relates degree of syntactic sophistication to "effectiveness" of language use. The effectiveness variable is operationally defined by a score from a teacher evaluation scale. The factors on this scale include such criteria as how well a student organizes what he or she expresses and how creative and numerous his/her ideas are. Loban finds that syntactic sophistication correlates with teacher ratings on the language effectiveness scale. He does not, however, examine the ideation of the student expressions that yield the syntactic data. No evidence suggests that these procedures weaken the Loban study itself; they are entirely suitable to the hypotheses which engendered them. Typically, however, language development studies establish the relationship between effectiveness and syntax merely to legitimize the syntactic variables under investigation. Golub and Kidder (1974), for example, outline the development of a