Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PRERETIREMENT PLANNING AND PERCEPTIONS OF SATISFACTION AMONG RETIREES

This study investigates the impact of preretirement planning on life satisfaction during retirement. It addresses the question of which manner of preretirement planning is most effective in enhancing life during retirement. The sample consisted of 322 retired subjects who were affiliated with either a community church or an alumni chapter of a national fraternity or who retired from a large private corporation. The findings indicate that retirement preparatory programs are most useful if they are performed or provided in a timely manner and effectively address, among other topics, health and financial matters pertinent to retirees. Further findings indicate that there were significant differences in the life satisfaction expressed by retirees who planned on their own as compared with those who participated in structured company‐sponsored preretirement planning programs and those who did not plan for retirement. Such findings suggest that gerontology educators, researchers, and professionals should continu.
Demographic determinants of incident experience and risk perception: do high-risk groups accurately perceive themselves as high-risk?

This paper analyzes demographic determinants of incident experience and risk perception, as well as the relationship between the two, for eight different risk domains. Analyses were conducted by merging the results of a Swedish population-based survey, which includes approximately 15,000 individuals, with demographic and socio-economic register data. Being male was associated with higher incident experience yet a lower risk perception for nearly all risk domains. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with higher incident experience for falls, and being a victim of violence but lower incident experience for road traffic accidents. Lower socioeconomic status was also associated with higher risk perception for falls. On aggregate, ranking the different domains, respondents’ risk perception was in almost perfect correspondence to the ranking of actual incident experience, with the exception that the risk of being a victim of violence is ranked higher than indicated by actual incident experience. On a demographic group level, men and highly educated respondents perceive their risks to be lower than what is expected considering their actual incident experience.
What Does It Mean and Imply to be Public Service Motivated?

In public service motivation (PSM) literature, PSM is assumed to have a positive effect on performance. Even though frequently mentioned, this assumption has proved difficult to verify empirically. In this article, we argue that individual interpretations of what it means to serve the public interest need to be considered to get a grip on the concept of PSM and its behavioral consequences. As interpretations of “the public interest” vary depending on the roles people occupy in society, so too does the meaning of PSM. A theoretical argument is developed that helps to clarify the meaning of PSM and its relationship with performance by introducing insights derived from identity theory. This is illustrated empirically by a study of veterinarian inspectors. The theoretical, empirical, and practical relevance of this new approach to PSM is pointed out.
Driving first-time and repeat spectators to a motor sport event

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the differences in expenditure and satisfaction level between first-time and repeat spectators to a motor sport event, as well as differences in their intention to return and to recommend the host destination. Design/methodology/approach – A structured questionnaire was developed and data were collected on-site during the 2012 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC) in Sardinia via 210 interviews. A series of descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, chi-square tests and regression analysis were run for the purposes of the study. Findings – Findings showed first-timers spend more and are more satisfied than repeaters, even if no significant differences were reported. Repeaters reported to be more willing to return and to recommend, with significant differences, only in the intention to return. Research limitations/implications – The study is based on a convenience sample of a relatively small size, and it might be influenced by t.
The role of organizational citizenship behavior in turnover : Conceptualization and preliminary tests of key hypotheses

The authors conceptualized levels of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) performance as a behavioral predictor of employee turnover and empirically examined the strength of this relationship. Data were collected from 205 supervisor-subordinate dyads across 11 companies in the People's Republic of China. The results provided considerable support for the hypothesis that supervisor-rated OCB was a predictor of subordinates' actual turnover. In particular, subordinates who were rated as exhibiting low levels of OCB were found to be more likely to leave an organization than those who were rated as exhibiting high levels of OCB. The authors also found that the self-report turnover intention was a predictor of turnover, but this relationship did not hold for 2 companies. The explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.
Early and Late Complications after a Nonabsorbable Hydrogel Polymer Injection: A Series of 14 Patients and Novel Management

Bio-Alcamid (Polymekon, Milan, Italy) is a relatively new, nonabsorbable hydrogel polymer that is used as a permanent filler for cosmetic and reconstructive purposes. The polymer, derived from acrylic acid, has a reticulated structure. It is an alkylic resin containing 96% pyrogen-free water and 4% alkylimide-amide groups. Owing to these chemical properties, Bio-Alcamid is stable and resistant to hydrolysis. It has been suggested that the filler should be considered totally biocompatible as far as the effects on cell proliferation and cell functions are concerned, thus rendering it suitable for long-term reconstruction of tissue damage even when large amounts of the polymer are used.
Peripheral Nerve Injuries and Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells for Axonal Regeneration and Remyelination: Fact or Fiction?

Successful nerve regeneration after nerve trauma is not only important for the restoration of motor and sensory functions, but also to reduce the potential for abnormal sensory impulse generation that can occur following neuroma formation. Satisfying functional results after severe lesions are difficult to achieve and the development of interventional methods to achieve optimal functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury is of increasing clinical interest. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been used to improve axonal regeneration and functional outcome in a number of studies in spinal cord injury models. The rationale is that the OECs may provide trophic support and a permissive environment for axonal regeneration. The experimental transplantation of OECs to support and enhance peripheral nerve regeneration is much more limited. This chapter reviews studies using OECs as an experimental cell therapy to improve peripheral nerve regeneration.
Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein–Dependent Endothelial Arginase II Activation Contributes to Impaired Nitric Oxide Signaling

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) impairs NO signaling and endothelial function, and contributes to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Arginase reciprocally regulates NO levels in endothelial cells by competing with NO synthase for the substrate l-arginine. In human aortic endothelial cells, OxLDL stimulation increased arginase enzyme activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Arginase activity reached its maximum as early as 5 minutes, was maintained for a period of more than 48 hours, and was associated with a reciprocal decrease in NO metabolite (NOx [nitrite and nitrate]) production. Furthermore, OxLDL induced arginase II mRNA expression after 4 hours. Small interfering RNA targeted to arginase II decreased both the quantity and the activity of arginase from baseline, prevented OxLDL-dependent increases in arginase activity, and induced an increase in NOx production. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed an association of arginase II with the microtubule cytoskeleton. Microtubule disruption with nocodazole caused a dramatic redistribution of arginase II to a diffuse cytosolic pattern, increased arginase activity, and decreased NOx production, which was restored in the presence of the specific arginase inhibitor (S)-(2-boronoethyl)-l-cysteine (BEC). On the other hand, epothilone B prevented microtubule disruption and inhibited OxLDL-dependent increases in arginase activity and attenuated OxLDL-dependent decreases in NOx. Preincubation of rat aortic rings with OxLDL resulted in an increase in arginase activity and a decrease in NOx production. This was reversed by arginase inhibition with the BEC. Thus, OxLDLs increase arginase activity by a sequence of regulatory events that involve early activation through decreased association with microtubules and a later increase in transcription. Furthermore, increased arginase activity contributes to OxLDL-dependent impairment of NOx production. Arginase, therefore, represents a novel target for therapy in atherosclerosis.
RobotReviewer: evaluation of a system for automatically assessing bias in clinical trials

Abstract Objective To develop and evaluate RobotReviewer, a machine learning (ML) system that automatically assesses bias in clinical trials. From a (PDF-formatted) trial report, the system should determine risks of bias for the domains defined by the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool, and extract supporting text for these judgments. Methods We algorithmically annotated 12,808 trial PDFs using data from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). Trials were labeled as being at low or high/unclear risk of bias for each domain, and sentences were labeled as being informative or not. This dataset was used to train a multi-task ML model. We estimated the accuracy of ML judgments versus humans by comparing trials with two or more independent RoB assessments in the CDSR. Twenty blinded experienced reviewers rated the relevance of supporting text, comparing ML output with equivalent (human-extracted) text from the CDSR. Results By retrieving the top 3 candidate sentences per document (top3 recall), the best ML text was rated more relevant than text from the CDSR, but not significantly (60.4% ML text rated ‘highly relevant' v 56.5% of text from reviews; difference +3.9%, [−3.2% to +10.9%]). Model RoB judgments were less accurate than those from published reviews, though the difference was <10% (overall accuracy 71.0% with ML v 78.3% with CDSR). Conclusion Risk of bias assessment may be automated with reasonable accuracy. Automatically identified text supporting bias assessment is of equal quality to the manually identified text in the CDSR. This technology could substantially reduce reviewer workload and expedite evidence syntheses.
Gender Differences in Mathematical Trajectories

In this article we test the hypothesis that male students outperform female students in mathematics. Using large national data sets and curvilinear growth models, we examine gender differences in mathematical trajectories from elementary school through high school. We analyze subsamples of high-scoring students and also different areas of math, such as reasoning and geometry. Despite relatively equal starting points in elementary school, and relatively equal slopes, we find that boys have a faster rate of acceleration. By the 12th grade, this results in a slight gender difference, which is most pronounced in geometry. Realizing this slight and delayed emergence of gender differences, we qualify the strong conclusions of earlier research, such as Benbow and Stanley's (1980, 1983), which found that large gender differences emerge by junior high school.
New treatment of subglottic stenosis due to Wegener's granulomatosis

Abstract Conclusions: The presented new endoscopic surgical technique offers a safe and successful approach for treatment of subglottic stenosis due to Wegener's granulomatosis. Objective: Subglottic stenosis is a potentially limiting and complex condition among patients with Wegener's granulomatosis. It causes various symptoms and often requires interventional therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new endoscopic submucosal technique. Methods: Altogether 13 consecutive patients with subglottic stenosis due to Wegener's granulomatosis were treated with a new endoscopic technique. The procedure was carried out endoscopically, removing the stenotic part submucosally, sealing back the raised mucosal flap, and the bare areas were soaked with mitomycin-C. Follow-up telephone interviews were carried out and hospital records were reviewed. Results: Patients included 3 males and 10 females, with an average age of 37.5 years. A total of 37 procedures were performed, with an average of 2.8 procedures per patient. There was a statistically significant reduction in the all symptoms related to the stenoses (p < 0.05). Mean follow-up period was 3.5 years (range 1.5–6.5 years). Overall success rate was 85%. Only one patient relapsed following adequate medical and surgical treatment. No perioperative mortality was recorded.
Magda and Albana: Learning to Read with Dual Language Books

This paper explores the ways in which dual language books are used in England to support bilingual pupils in school. While pupils in many schools speak a wide range of languages at home, these hardly feature in the curriculum. In the context of a project in which an education authority provided dual language books to primary schools, the paper describes how two women used Albanian/English story books to teach their six-year-old daughters to read in Albanian. The study reports on how the mothers and their children used both texts to transfer skills from one language to another, to negotiate meaning in both languages and to compare reading strategies. At the end of the school year the girls were reading in English with the best in their class, were developing fluency in Albanian and using it more in the home. Their mothers had become closely involved in their daughters’ schooling and reported improvements in their own English literacy skills. The teacher's role was crucial: by providing support and resources to parents she enabled them to help their children become additive bilinguals in a situation in which they were beginning to lose the active use of their first language.
Stock Price Booms and Expected Capital Gains

Investors' subjective capital gains expectations are a key element explaining stock price fluctuations. Survey measures of these expectations display excessive optimism (pessimism) at market peaks (troughs). We formally reject the hypothesis that this is compatible with rational expectations. We then incorporate subjective price beliefs with such properties into a standard asset-pricing model with rational agents (internal rationality). The model gives rise to boom-bust cycles that temporarily delink stock prices from fundamentals and quantitatively replicates many asset-pricing moments. In particular, it matches the observed strong positive correlation between the price dividend ratio and survey return expectations, which cannot be matched by rational expectations.
Rising Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Infections in Hospitalized Children in the United States.

OBJECTIVE Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is an emerging drug-resistant organism responsible for increasing numbers of nosocomial infections in adults. Few data are available on the epidemiology and impact of VRE infections in children. We hypothesized a significant increase in VRE infections among hospitalized children. Additionally, we predicted that VRE infection would be associated with certain comorbid conditions and increased duration and cost of hospitalization. METHODS A retrospective study of inpatient pediatric patients was performed using data on hospitalizations for VRE from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database from 1997 to 2012. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to establish factors associated with VRE infection and a high-dimensional propensity score match to evaluate death, length of stay, and cost of hospitalization. RESULTS Hospitalizations for VRE infection showed an increasing trend, from 53 hospitalizations per million in 1997 to 120 in 2012 (P < .001). Conditions associated with VRE included Clostridium difficile infection and other diagnoses involving immunosuppression and significant antibiotic and health care exposure. Patients with VRE infection had a significantly longer length of stay (attributable difference [AD] 2.1 days, P < .001) and higher hospitalization costs (AD $8233, P = .004). VRE infection was not associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio 1.03; 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.47). CONCLUSIONS VRE infections among hospitalized children are increasing at a substantial rate. This study demonstrates the significant impact of VRE on the health of pediatric patients and highlights the importance of strict adherence to existing infection control policies and VRE surveillance in certain high-risk pediatric populations.
A model for the Z-track phenomenon, jet formation and the kilohertz QPO based on Rossi-XTE observations of the Z-track sources

We present a new model for the Z-track phenomenon, based on analysis of the spectral evolution around the Z-track in several Z-track sources, in which radi ation pressure plays a major role. Increasing mass accretion rate on the normal branch causes heating of the neutron star with the emissive flux from the surface increasing by an order of magni tude to become super-Eddington at the horizontal branch where radio detection shows the pre sence of jets. We propose that the radiation pressure disrupts the inner disk leading to the la unching of the jets. Secondly, by timing analysis of the same data we find a correlation of the frequenc y of kHz QPO with the emissive flux and propose that the higher frequency QPO is an oscillati on at the inner disk edge which progressively moves to larger radial positions as the disk i s disrupted by radiation pressure.
A Multiresolution 3D Morphable Face Model and Fitting Framework

3D Morphable Face Models are a powerful tool in computer vision. They consist of a PCA model of face shape and colour information and allow to reconstruct a 3D face from a single 2D image. 3D Morphable Face Models are used for 3D head pose estimation, face analysis, face recognition, and, more recently, facial landmark detection and tracking. However, they are not as widely used as 2D methods - the process of building and using a 3D model is much more involved. In this paper, we present the Surrey Face Model, a multi-resolution 3D Morphable Model that we make available to the public for non-commercial purposes. The model contains different mesh resolution levels and landmark point annotations as well as metadata for texture remapping. Accompanying the model is a lightweight open-source C++ library designed with simplicity and ease of integration as its foremost goals. In addition to basic functionality, it contains pose estimation and face frontalisation algorithms. With the tools presented in this paper, we aim to close two gaps. First, by offering different model resolution levels and fast fitting functionality, we enable the use of a 3D Morphable Model in time-critical applications like tracking. Second, the software library makes it easy for the community to adopt the 3D Morphable Face Model in their research, and it offers a public place for collaboration.
Effectiveness of a Computer-Assisted Intervention for Young Children with Attention and Reading Problems

Children who are significantly inattentive and poor early readers require intervention, and traditional tutoring approaches may not be effective with this group. Using a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design, Study 1 examines whether a computer-assisted reading intervention increases performance for three first-grade children with teacher-rated inattention and early reading problems. Study 2 replicates this intervention using three second-grade students. The independent variable was an evidence-based computer-assisted intervention (Earobics). Dependent variables were oral reading fluency, phoneme segmentation, and attention-to-task. Results provide evidence of reading gains, suggesting moderate size effects. For all, attention-to-task was higher during the computer-assisted intervention than during small-group reading instruction. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. The use of computer-assisted interventions for children who are inattentive and poor early readers may be an effective solution to improve reading performance.
Melatonin, cardiolipin and mitochondrial bioenergetics in health and disease

Abstract: Melatonin is a natural occurring compound with well‐known antioxidant properties. Melatonin is ubiquitously distributed and because of its small size and amphiphilic nature, it is able to reach easily all cellular and subcellular compartments. The highest intracellular melatonin concentrations are found in mitochondria, raising the possibility of functional significance for this targeting with involvement in situ in mitochondrial activities. Mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, are considered to be the most important cellular organelles to contribute to degenerative processes mainly through respiratory chain dysfunction and formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to damage to mitochondrial proteins, lipids and DNA. Therefore, protecting mitochondria from oxidative damage could be an effective therapeutic strategy against cellular degenerative processes. Many of the beneficial effects of melatonin administration may depend on its effect on mitochondrial physiology. Cardiolipin, a phospholipid located at the level of inner mitochondrial membrane is known to be intimately involved in several mitochondrial bioenergetic processes as well as in mitochondrial‐dependent steps of apoptosis. Alterations to cardiolipin structure, content and acyl chain composition have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in multiple tissues in several physiopathological situations and aging. Recently, melatonin was reported to protect the mitochondria from oxidative damage by preventing cardiolipin oxidation and this may explain, at least in part, the beneficial effect of this molecule in mitochondrial physiopathology. In this review, we discuss the role of melatonin in preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and disease.
Choice as a book selection tool in sociology : a comparison with contemporary sociology

This paper explores the usefulness of Choice as a book selection aid for academic librarians by comparing sociology titles it reviews to those published in the scholarly review journal, Contemporary Sociology. Findings reveal that overlap of titles reviewed is only moderate, that there are discrepancies in the subject, matter of the books reviewed, and that there is substantial disagreement on the "boundaries" of the discipline. Librarians responsible for collection development in sociology, particularly in graduate and research libraries, are cautioned against relying solely on the recommendations of Choice in making selection decisions.