Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenges in preventing cardiovascular complications in type 2 diabetes in primary care

Background: Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) continues to increase worldwide. The associated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are high. Objectives: To study daily practice in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an unselected primary care patient population with DM2, and to study factors influencing the care delivered. Methods: Cross-sectional univariate and multivariate analyses of baseline data from a primary care population-based sample of patients with DM2, participating in a shared care project in the Netherlands. Results: Of 1269 patients invited, 1149 (91%) participated. Hypertension was present in 78% of patients, 63% of whom were treated, 41% successfully. Lipid profile abnormalities were present in 51% of patients, 22% of whom were treated, 54% successfully. The treatment rates for lipid profile abnormalities were positively correlated with younger age and the registration of the lipid profile by the GP. For hypertension the treatment rates were higher for patients who were female, of an advanced age, in the presence of CVD, and/or whose blood pressure had been registered by the GP. Conclusion: A gap exists between recommended care and the care patients actually receive in the prevention of CVD in patients with DM2 in the primary care setting. Diagnosed CVD and the accurate registration of cardiovascular risk factors by GPs are associated with higher treatment rates. Improvement strategies could be directed at primary prevention of CVD and improving the registration of cardiovascular risk factors.
Taiwan Hrd Practitioner Competencies: An Application of the Astd Wlp Competency Model

This paper aims to identify Taiwan HRD practitioners’ perceived competency levels, and to evaluate the importance of 52 workplace learning and performance (WLP) competencies. The conceptual framework is adapted from the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) models for WLP conducted by Rothwell, Sanders and Soper (1999). The survey data were obtained from 254 practitioners, results are analysed and findings reported. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
The Prevalence of Internet Addiction among University Students: A General or Specific Problem?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to measure the prevalence of internet addiction among university students as a general or specific problem. Methods: In the present study descriptive and causal-comparative research method were used. The statistical population is all of Sari Islamic Azad University students. From among the statistical population, according to the sample population determining table, from society volume or Krejcie and Morgan Table, 261 subjects were selected based on stratified random sampling. For gathering data a questionnaire was used. In this study, for measuring internet addiction the Internet Addiction Test was applied. This test was developed by Yung (1998). Finding: The findings indicate that: a) Internet addiction is common among university students. (Mean 33/26). b) Internet addiction is different between male and female students ( t=4/267 ) ) 5 % > P و 054 / 1 = ( F c) Internet addiction is not significant among students at different ages d) Internet addiction among students is different based on internet use level (F= 22/655, P> % 5) e) Internet addiction is different among students according to the students’ fields of study (F=12/187) Conclusion:
A Spanish Adaptation of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

The goal of this research was to develop and validate an Italian version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ, Gross & John, 2003). In an Italian undergraduate sample (N = 416), the two-scale ERQ structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, and each of the two scales (Reappraisal and Suppression) showed good internal consistency. The Italian ERQ also showed the predicted associations with measures of coping, affect, personality, and social functioning. Specifically, Reappraisal was positively correlated with positive reinterpretation, positive affect, and extraversion, and negatively correlated with negative affect and neuroticism. Suppression, by contrast, was negatively correlated with the venting of emotions, positive affect, extraversion, social support and social diversion. Taken together, these findings suggest that the Italian ERQ is a reliable and valid measure that inherits the nomological network of associations from the original version of the ERQ.
On the Link Excess Life in Mobile Wireless Networks

In this paper, one of the most important parameters in performance evaluation and protocol design of wireless networks, link excess life (LEL), is investigated. An analytical model for LEL is proposed and evaluated. Evaluation of the proposed model leads to the first closed form expression for the excess life PDF. The closed form expression affords ease of further evaluations, e.g., an interesting result is that the average excess life is infinite for the proposed model. The effect of relative velocity distribution on the link excess life PDF is also investigated. The superposition property of LEL is mentioned and used to explore a systematic method for evaluation of the effect of stationary or pausing nodes on link excess life as well as a general method to approximate the link excess life PDF for various relative velocity distributions. Moreover, the effect of the buffer zone on the link excess life PDF in topology control is also investigated analytically. A simulation framework is developed and extensive simulations are performed to validate the results
Development of a Model of Group Cognitive Complexity: A Combined View of a Group Compositional and a Group-as-a-Whole Perspectives *

Drawing on the input-process-output model (Hackman 1987), this study attempts to integrate two different perspectives on group-level cognition: a compositional and a group-as-a-whole perspective. A compositional perspective focuses on individual member cognitions and then examines how cognitions of group members combine to produce group-level cognition. In contrast, a group-as-a-whole perspective views group cognition as an emergent quality resulting from group interactions. Using the concept of cognitive complexity, this study explores some aspects of group compositions as a cause for an emergent property of group cognitive complexity, which in turn affects group decision-making effectiveness. This study introduces a causal mapping combined with a group discussion method as a useful tool to measure group cognitive complexity as a collective phenomenon.
From Childhood Maltreatment To Depression Behind Bars : Testing A Theoretical Model Of Adolescent Depression Among Juvenile Offenders

Despite research consistently demonstrating a link between childhood maltreatment and depression, our understanding of the potential mediators of this relationship remains limited. Based on the existing literature and corresponding theories, a theoretical model was constructed to assess the effects of childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, hopelessness, and substance use on adolescent offenders' depression severity. This model was tested for sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect using a series of path analyses. Impulsivity and hopelessness partially mediated the effects of childhood sexual abuse and emotional abuse on depression severity, and fully mediated the effects of childhood physical abuse and emotional neglect. Contrary to expectation, substance use did not mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression severity. These results suggest that childhood maltreatment, impulsivity, and hopelessness may be important variables to include in clinical research related to depression in incarcerated youth.
Mechanisms of peritoneal metastasis after operation for non-serosa-invasive gastric carcinoma: an ultrarapid detection system for intraperitoneal free cancer cells and a prophylactic strategy for peritoneal metastasis.

PURPOSE This aims of this study are to establish an ultra-rapid quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) protocol that enables the diagnosis of i.p. cancer spread during operation, to reveal the mechanisms of peritoneal metastasis from non-serosa-invasive gastric carcinoma, and to evaluate the effect of the extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage (EIPL) using the ultra-rapid quantitative RT-PCR as a prophylactic strategy for peritoneal metastasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Peritoneal lavage samples from 63 patients with non-serosa-invasive gastric carcinoma were obtained at laparotomy and immediately after lymph node dissection. To identify the free cancer cells in the samples, carcinoembryonic antigen- and cytokeratin 20-specific RT-PCRs were performed using the LightCycler method in combination with an automated mRNA extractor. In addition, EIPL was performed in five cases with serosa-invasive gastric carcinoma, and its efficacy was evaluated by the ultra-rapid quantitative RT-PCR protocol. RESULTS The method enabled us to complete the detection of cancer cells within approximately 70 min. Both the carcinoembryonic antigen and cytokeratin 20 mRNA in i.p. lavages after lymph node dissection were identified in three (14.3%), four (26.7%), and six (46.2%) patients with submucosal, muscularis propria, and subserosal tumors, respectively. Lymph node metastasis was the independent predictor of the existence of i.p. free cancer cells. The ultra-rapid quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that EIPL reduced free cancer cells from 3.8 x 10(5) +/- 1.4 x 10(5) cells to 2.8 +/- 1.5 cells/100 ml lavage after six to eight washes, and they disappeared after seventh to ninth wash. CONCLUSIONS The present study proved that lymph node dissection opened lymphatic channels and spread viable cancer cells into the peritoneal cavity. It is suggested that the combination of the novel detection system with the intraoperative therapy of EIPL can be a useful prophylactic strategy for peritoneal metastasis from gastric carcinoma.
THE TRANSLATION, VALIDATION AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CHRONIC ILLNESS THERAPY - SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING 12 (FACIT-SP12) SCALE IN GREEK LANGUAGE

Background: According to World Health Organization (WHO), spirituality is an important domain of quality of life especially in terminal, life threatens chronic diseases. For many people spirituality and religion are not just very important dimensions of their existence, but also a source of support that contributes to wellbeing and coping with everyday difficulties of life. Aim: Aim of the study was the translation of the Facit Spiritual Well Being Scale (Facit-Sp12) in Greek language and the validation of the scale for the Greek population. Material and Methods: The Facit-Sp12 questionnaire is an anonymous self-administered questionnaire that contains twelve, four point Likert scale, closed questions (0=Not at all, 1=A little bit, 2=Some-what, 3=Quite a bit, 4=Very Much). The questionnaire was translated into Greek language and then back translated in the English in order to be checked for any inconsistencies. The sample of the study was 183 chronic kidney disease patients, undergoing hemodialysis. Exploratory factor analysis, with principal components analysis with Varimax rotation was performed for checking the construct validity of the questionnaire. The test–retest reliability and the internal consistency were also examined. Statistical analysis performed by the use of SPSS 21.0. Statistical significance level was set at p=0.05 Results: The final Greek version of the questionnaire includes all of the twelve questions. The mean age of the participants was 61.81±13.9. Three factors were exported from the statistical analysis. The Cronbach-α coefficient was 0.77 for the total questionnaire and for each subscale was 0.70 for “meaning”, 0.73 for “peace” and 0.87 for “faith”. Between the three subscales “meaning” had the highest score (mean 12.49, SD=2.865). Conclusions: The Facit Spiritual Wellbeing Scale–Facit-Sp12, is a valuable and reliable questionnaire of three dimensions that can be used for assessing spirituality and spiritual wellbeing in Greek population.
On the Role of the Atmospheric Energy Transport in 2 3 CO 2 –Induced Polar Ampliﬁcation in CESM1

A doubling of the atmosphericCO 2 content leads to global warming that is ampliﬁed in the polar regions. The CO 2 forcing also leads to a change of the atmospheric energy transport. This transport change affects the local warming induced by theCO 2 forcing. Using the Community Earth System Model (CESM), the direct response to the transport change is investigated. Divergences of the transport change associated with aCO 2 doubling are implemented as a forcing in the 1 3 CO 2 preindustrial control climate. This forcing is zero in the global mean. In response to aCO 2 increase in CESM, the northward atmospheric energy transport decreases at the Arctic boundary. However, the transport change still leads to a warming of the Arctic. This is due to a shift between dry static and latent transport components, so that although the dry static transport decreases, the latent transport increases at the Arctic boundary, which is consistent with other model studies. Because of a greenhouse effect associated with the latent transport, the cooling caused by a change of the dry static component is more than compensated for by the warming induced by the change of the latent transport. Similar results are found for the Antarctic region, but the transport change is larger in the Southern Hemi- sphere than in its northern counterpart. As a consequence, the Antarctic region warms to the extent that this warming leads to global warming that is likely enhanced by the surface albedo feedback associated with considerable ice retreat in the Southern Hemisphere.
Lack of CCR7 expression is rate limiting for lymphatic spread of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

CCR7 expression on tumor cells promotes lymphatic spread in several malignant tumors. However, a comprehensive characterization of the CCL19/CCL21–CCR7 axis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is known for its high rates of lymph‐node metastases, is still lacking. CCR7 mRNA and CCR7 protein were found to be expressed in spheroid cultures of all six examined PDAC cell lines. In migration assays, CCR7 expressing PDAC cells showed enhanced migration toward CCL19 and CCL21, the two ligands of CCR7. In an orthotopic nude mouse model, CCR7‐transfected PT45P1 cells gave rise to significantly larger tumors and showed a higher frequency of lymph vessel invasion and lymph‐node metastases than mock‐transfected cells. In an analysis using quantitative real‐time PCR, CCR7 showed fourfold overexpression in microdissected PDAC cells compared to normal duct cells. Moderate‐to‐strong immunohistochemical CCR7 expression, found in 58 of 121 well‐characterized human PDACs, correlated with high rates of lymph vessel invasion. Conversely, PDACs completely lacking CCR7 expression showed only low rates of lymph vessel invasion and lymph‐node metastases. The evaluation of CCL21 expression by immunofluorescence staining revealed a significant upregulation of CCL21 in peritumoral and intratumoral lymph vessels compared to lymph vessels in disease‐free pancreata. In conclusion, our study revealed strong evidence that lack of CCR7 impairs the metastatic potential of PDAC. Lymph vessel invasion by CCR7 expressing PDAC cells may be additionally enhanced by upregulation of CCL21 in tumor‐associated lymph vessels, representing a previously unknown factor of lymphatic spread.
Societal judgment silences singers

This article outlines recent recognition of the instinctive nature of human musicality against a backdrop of individuals who feel that only the talented have a propensity to be musical. Where notions of performance, judgement and talent undermine attempts to engage in music as a natural human communicative action, it is important to recognise societal expectations which leave some individuals disengaged from a healthy aspect of what it means to be human. As participant stories uncover an ‘unnatural’ phenomenon, they bring an understanding of how pathological educational practice continues to estrange individuals from a natural human activity. Experiences of those who have been distanced from their inherited potential can contribute to our understanding of music in our society to offer ways towards healthy attitudes to music and musicking in schools and wider society.
Classifying Action Items for Semantic Email

Email can be considered as a virtual working environment in which users are constantly struggling to manage the vast amount of exchanged data. Although most of this data belongs to well-defined workflows, these are implicit and largely unsupported by existing email clients. Semanta provides this support by enabling Semantic Email ― email enhanced with machine-processable metadata about specific types of email Action Items (e.g. Task Assignment, Meeting Proposal). In the larger picture, these items form part of ad-hoc workflows (e.g. Task Delegation, Meeting Scheduling). Semanta is faced with a knowledge-acquisition bottleneck, as users cannot be expected to annotate each action item, and their automatic recognition proves difficult. This paper focuses on applying computationally treatable aspects of speech act theory for the classification of email action items. A rule-based classification model is employed, based on the presence or form of a number of linguistic features. The technologys evaluation suggests that whereas full automation is not feasible, the results are good enough to be presented as suggestions for the user to review. In addition the rule-based system will bootstrap a machine learning system that is currently in development, to generate the initial training sets which are then improved through the users reviewing.
Consolidation through the looking‐glass: sleep‐dependent proactive interference on visuomotor adaptation in children

Although a beneficial role of post‐training sleep for declarative memory has been consistently evidenced in children, as in adults, available data suggest that procedural memory consolidation does not benefit from sleep in children. However, besides the absence of performance gains in children, sleep‐dependent plasticity processes involved in procedural memory consolidation might be expressed through differential interference effects on the learning of novel but related procedural material. To test this hypothesis, 32 10–12‐year‐old children were trained on a motor rotation adaptation task. After either a sleep or a wake period, they were first retested on the same rotation applied at learning, thus assessing offline sleep‐dependent changes in performance, then on the opposite (unlearned) rotation to assess sleep‐dependent modulations in proactive interference coming from the consolidated visuomotor memory trace. Results show that children gradually improve performance over the learning session, showing effective adaptation to the imposed rotation. In line with previous findings, no sleep‐dependent changes in performance were observed for the learned rotation. However, presentation of the opposite, unlearned deviation elicited significantly higher interference effects after post‐training sleep than wakefulness in children. Considering that a definite feature of procedural motor memory and skill acquisition is the implementation of highly automatized motor behaviour, thus lacking flexibility, our results suggest a better integration and/or automation or motor adaptation skills after post‐training sleep, eventually resulting in higher proactive interference effects on untrained material.
Envelope Is a Major Viral Determinant of the Distinct In Vitro Cellular Transformation Tropism of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2

ABSTRACT Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 are related deltaretroviruses but are distinct in their disease-inducing capacity. These viruses can infect a variety of cell types, but only T lymphocytes become transformed, which is defined in vitro as showing indefinite interleukin-2-independent growth. Studies have indicated that HTLV-1 has a preferential tropism for CD4+ T cells in vivo and is associated with the development of leukemia and neurological disease. Conversely, the in vivo T-cell tropism of HTLV-2 is less clear, although it appears that CD8+ T cells preferentially harbor the provirus, with only a few cases of disease association. The difference in T-cell transformation tropism has been confirmed in vitro as shown by the preferential transformation of CD4+ T cells by HTLV-1 versus the transformation of CD8+ T cells by HTLV-2. Our previous studies showed that Tax and overlapping Rex do not confer the distinct T-cell transformation tropisms between HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. Therefore, for this study HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 recombinants were generated to assess the contribution of LTR and env sequences in T-cell transformation tropism. Both sets of proviral recombinants expressed p19 Gag following transfection into cells. Furthermore, recombinant viruses were replication competent and had the capacity to transform T lymphocytes. Our data showed that exchange of the env gene resulted in altered T-cell transformation tropism compared to wild-type virus, while exchange of long terminal repeat sequences had no significant effect. HTLV-2/Env1 preferentially transformed CD4+ Tcells similarly to wild-type HTLV-1 (wtHTLV-1), whereas HTLV-1/Env2 had a transformation tropism similar to that of wtHTLV-2 (CD8+ T cells). These results indicate that env is a major viral determinant for HTLV T-cell transformation tropism in vitro and provides strong evidence implicating its contribution to the distinct pathogenesis resulting from HTLV-1 versus HTLV-2 infections.
Analysis of myocardial deformation based on ultrasonic pixel tracking to determine transmurality in chronic myocardial infarction.

AIMS Pixel tracking-derived myocardial deformation imaging is a new echocardiographic modality which allows quantitative analysis of segmental myocardial function on the basis of tracking of natural acoustic markers in 2D echocardiography. This study evaluated whether myocardial deformation parameters calculated from 2D echocardiography allow assessment of transmurality of myocardial infarction as defined by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI). Methods In 47 patients with ischaemic left ventricular dysfunction, transmurality of myocardial infarction was assessed using pixel-tracking-derived myocardial deformation imaging and ceMRI. For each left ventricular segment in a 16-segment model, peak systolic radial strain, circumferential strain, radial strain rate, and circumferential strain rate were calculated from parasternal 2D echocardiographic views using an automatic frame-by-frame tracking system of natural acoustic echocardiographic markers (EchoPAC, GE Ultrasound). Myocardial deformation parameters were related to the segmental extent of hyperenhancement by ceMRI. The relative amount of contrast-enhanced myocardial tissue per segment was used to define no infarction (0% hyperenhancement), non-transmural infarction (1-50% hyperenhancement), or transmural infarction (51-100% hyperenhancement). Results Analysis of myocardial deformation parameters was possible in 659 segments (88%). Systolic strain and strain rate parameters decreased with increasing relative hyperenhancement defined by ceMRI. Radial strain was 27.7+/-8.0, 20.5+/-9.7, and 11.6+/-8.5% for segments with no infarction (n=422), non-transmural infarction (n=106), and transmural infarction (n=131), respectively (P<0.0001). Radial strain allowed distinction of non-transmural infarction from transmural infarction with a sensitivity of 70.0% and a specificity of 71.2% (cut-off value for radial strain 16.5%). CONCLUSION Frame-to-frame tracking of acoustic markers in 2D echocardiographic images for the analysis of myocardial deformation allows discrimination between different transmurality states of myocardial infarction.