Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intended Coping Responses to Cancer Symptoms in Healthy Adults: The Roles of Symptom Knowledge, Detection Behavior, and Perceived Threat

Background: To date, the causal effects of the knowledge of cancer-related symptoms and detection behavior on coping with cancer-related symptoms have not been identified. Therefore, the current study explored the effects of active or passive detection of supposedly well-known or less-known cancer-related symptoms on intended coping responses. In addition, we were interested in the extent to which these effects are driven by heightened perceptions of threat. Methods: In an experimental study using a 2 × 2 within-subject design, 221 Dutch adults from the general population responded to a survey study sent to their homes (18.4% response). They were asked to read scenario information about four cancer-related symptoms that were (a) well known or less known and (b) actively or passively detected (e.g., self-examination versus unusual blood loss). The authors measured intended coping responses to the detection of cancer-related symptoms as either adaptive (e.g., visiting a general practitioner) or maladaptive (e.g., denial of the symptom). Results: As expected, the findings revealed that well-known symptoms resulted in more anticipated adaptive coping and less anticipated maladaptive coping than less-known symptoms. Unfortunately, the findings also suggest that the active as opposed to passive detection of cancer symptoms (e.g., self-examination versus unusual blood loss) is likely to result in more maladaptive coping. These effects were mediated by heightened perceptions of threat. Conclusions: Future health education programs that aim to motivate people to be more active in the early detection of cancer symptoms should first focus on increasing people's knowledge about the early warning signs of cancer. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(4):818–26)
External Conflict/Internal Cohesion: A Reevaluation of an Old Theory

A. Paul Hare, Edgar F. Borgatta, and Robert F. Bales (eds.), Small Groups. New York: Knopf. Wahrman, Ralph and Meredith D. Pugh 1972 "Competence and conformity: another look at Hollander's study. " Sociometry 35:376386. 1974 "Sex, nonconformity and influence. " Sociometry 37:137-147. Webster, Murray, Jr. 1977 "Equating characteristics and social interaction: two experiments. " Sociometry 35:376-386. Webster, Murray and James E. Driskell 1978 "Status generalization: a review and some new data. " American Sociological Review 43:220-236. Zelditch, Morris Jr., Patrick Lauderdale, and Stephen Stublarec 1980 "How are inconsistencies between status and ability resolved? " Social Forces 58:1025-73.
Clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor in hepatitis C related hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients

Background and aims Several angiogenic factors are involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a hypervascular tumor. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a primary driving force for angiogenesis, and its overexpression has been reported in HCC. However, the significance of plasma and tissue VEGF levels in HCC in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection is understudied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of VEGF (measured in plasma and liver tissue) in patients with hepatitis C virus-related HCC and to assess its significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Materials and methods A total of 90 subjects were studied. Among 90 subjects, 60 with CHC were examined and were subdivided into two groups: 30 patients with CHC-related HCC (HCC group) and 30 patients with CHC without HCC (non-HCC group). Thirty apparently healthy subjects served as the control group. VEGF was estimated in plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and its expression in liver tissue was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. VEGF expression level and its relationship to tumor parameters, patients’ liver function profile, and patients’ clinical parameters were also investigated. Results Plasma VEGF levels in the HCC group were significantly higher than those of the non-HCC group, and both groups had significantly higher plasma VEGF levels than did the control group. Liver tissue VEGF expression was significantly higher in the HCC group than in the non-HCC group and positively correlated with plasma VEGF in the HCC group. The plasma VEGF levels were positively correlated with patients’ age, aspartate aminotransferase levels, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, the presence of portal vein thrombosis, and the number of hepatic focal lesions in the HCC group. However, plasma VEGF levels were not significantly correlated with the Child-Pugh score, alanine aminotransferase levels, the size of focal lesions, and Okuda stage. Using both the VEGF and alpha-fetoprotein levels to detect HCC maximizes the sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion Plasma levels of VEGF may be a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for HCC in patients who have been diagnosed with CHC.
Recent Pap tests among Canadian women: is depression a barrier to cervical cancer screening?

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that depression is associated with both lower use of preventive cancer screening programs and lower probability of cancer survival. Given the increasing incidence of depression among Canadian women, this study sought to determine if recent Pap testing varies by the presence of depression. METHODS This population-based study used cross-sectional, self-reported data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 3.1 (2005) to estimate the association between depression and recent Pap testing within the previous 3 years among 2351 Canadian women without hysterectomy aged 18-69 years. RESULTS After adjustment for confounders, depressed women had nonsignificantly increased odds of a recent Pap test (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.95, 1.29); however, age was an important effect modifier of this relationship. Young depressed women (18-29 and 30-39 years) were significantly more likely to report a recent Pap test (AOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.37, 2.31, and AOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.00, 2.15, respectively), whereas middle-aged depressed women (40-49 and 50-59 years) were significantly less likely to report a recent Pap test (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58, 0.98, and AOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50, 0.93, respectively) compared with their nondepressed counterparts. No significant relationship was detected for the oldest age group (60-69 years). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, these results are the first to demonstrate an interaction effect of age on the association between depression and recent Pap testing. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to explore the role of age as an effect modifier of this relationship and to inform policy and programming aimed at improving rates of cervical cancer screening across all age groups.
Proposed Grading System for Subglottic Stenosis Based on Endotracheal Tube Sizes

The classification of airway stenoses has been a problem for many years. As a result, both intradepartmental and interdepartmental comparisons of airway sizes remain difficult. It follows that comparisons of therapeutic maneuvers are even more difficult. A system is proposed that is simple, reproducible, and based on a readily available reference standard. Endotracheal tubes, which are manufactured to high standards of precision and accuracy, can be used to determine the size of an obstructed airway at its smallest point. The endotracheal tube that will pass through the lumen, if one exists, and tolerate normal leak pressures (10 to 25 cm H2O), can be compared to the expected age-appropriate endotracheal tube size. By using the outside diameters of the endotracheal tubes, the maximum percentage of airway obstruction can be determined. We present a conversion of tube size to the proposed grading scale: grade I up to 50% obstruction, grade II from 51% to 70%, and grade III above 70% with any detectable lumen. An airway with no lumen is assigned to grade IV.
P‐selectin, E‐selectin, and CD40L over time in chronic hemodialysis patients

The aim of this study was to measure P‐selectin, E‐selectin, and CD‐4L levels over time in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Thirty stable patients with end‐stage renal failure undergoing chronic HD were included in the study. Blood samples were obtained before HD for measurement of P‐selectin, E‐selectin, and CD‐40L. Measurements were performed at month 0 (T0), 3 (T2), 8 (T3), and 13 (T4). The levels of P‐selectin, E‐selectin, and CD40L were also analyzed according to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to CVD‐related mortality. The levels of CD40L and P‐selectin changed significantly over time, decreasing at month 3 and 6 and returning at the T0 levels at month 13. Conversely, E‐selectin levels did not. The levels of CD40L, P‐selectin and E‐selectin over time did not differ significantly between patients with age ≤65 or >65 years, between patients with or without CVD, or between patients who died or who survived during the follow‐up. In end‐stage renal failure patients undergoing chronic HD, CD40L and P‐selectin, but not E‐selectin, showed a transient decrease over time, and the serum levels of these molecules were not associated with CVD or with CVD‐related mortality.
Le seuil différentiel de durée dans une suite régulière d''intervalles

Nous avons calcule le seuil differentiel a la duree en faisant estimer la regularite d'une cadence, c'est-a-dire l'egalite des intervalles successifs. L'experience a ete faite par la methode d'autoreglage et de comparaison avec emploi de la methode constante. ; Les seuils obtenus sont beaucoup plus bas par la methode d'autoreglage que par la methode de comparaison. Dans les deux cas, on retrouve un seuil minimum pour la duree de 600 ms (1,4 % par autoreglage et 4,2 % par comparaison).
University students’ strong experiences of music

Research has begun to explore the nature of strong experiences of music listening, identifying a number of individual components from physiological through to psychological (Gabrielsson & Lindström Wik, 2003), but this has not yet been considered in relation to mainstream theories of happiness. Drawing on positive psychology, Seligman’s (2002) framework for achieving balanced wellbeing includes the components of pleasure, engagement, and meaning. In the current study, 46 university students (median age 21) gave free reports of their strongest, most intense experiences of music listening. Accounts were analysed thematically using an idiographic approach, exploring the relevance of Seligman’s framework. Most strong experiences were positive, and occurred at live events with others. A wide range of mainly familiar music was associated with reported strong experiences, from classical through jazz and folk to old and new pop music, and experiences lasted for varying time periods from seconds to hours. Unexpected musical or non-musical events were sometimes associated with strong experiences. None of the accounts could be characterized by a single route to happiness: in addition to hedonism, engagement and meaning (particularly in terms of identity) were present in every description, and the findings thus emphasize the power of music to evoke a state of authentic happiness. The importance of taking account of the music, the listener, and the situation in order to fully understand these experiences is underlined.
Relative time scales reveal multiple origins of parallel disjunct distributions of African caecilian amphibians

Parallel patterns of distribution in different lineages suggest a common cause. Explanations in terms of a single biogeographic event often imply contemporaneous diversifications. Phylogenies with absolute time scales provide the most obvious means of testing temporal components of biogeographic hypotheses but, in their absence, the sequence of diversification events and whether any could have been contemporaneous can be tested with relative date estimates. Tests using relative time scales have been largely overlooked, but because they do not require the calibration upon which absolute time scales depend, they make a large amount of existing molecular data of use to historical biogeography and may also be helpful when calibration is possible but uncertain. We illustrate the use of relative dating by testing the hypothesis that parallel, disjunct east/west distributions in three independent lineages of African caecilians have a common cause. We demonstrate that at least two biogeographic events are implied by molecular data. Relative dating analysis reveals the potential complexity of causes of parallel distributions and cautions against inferring common cause from common spatial patterns without considering the temporal dimension.
Media Violence Research Needs to Look Ahead, Not Back: Commentary on Anderson, Bushman, Donnerstein, Hummer, and Warburton (2015)

Given that media violence is still a heated debate (and that “motivated science reception” is likely to occur in such debates), reviews like the present one are very helpful. One noteworthy aspect of the present review is that it looks ahead and suggests useful pathways for parents, policy-makers, and the media industry. In all of these pathways, researchers play a key role. Media researchers should now focus on the wealth of research questions that the evolution of (violent and nonviolent) media, especially video games, has opened up.
Contactin-1 Reduces E-Cadherin Expression Via Activating AKT in Lung Cancer

Contactin-1 has been shown to promote cancer metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We report here that knockdown of contactin-1 in A549 lung cancer cells reduced A549 cell invasion and the cell's ability to grow in soft agar without affecting cell proliferation. Reduction of contactin-1 resulted in upregulation of E-cadherin, consistent with E-cadherin being inhibitive of cancer cell invasion. In an effort to investigate the mechanisms whereby contactin-1 reduces E-cadherin expression, we observed that contactin-1 plays a role in AKT activation, as knockdown of contactin-1 attenuated AKT activation. Additionally, inhibition of AKT activation significantly enhanced E-cadherin expression, an observation that mimics the situation observed in contactin-1 knockdown, suggesting that activation of AKT plays a role in contactin-1-mediated downregulation of E-cadherin. In addition, we were able to show that knockdown of contactin-1 did not further reduce A549 cell's invasion ability, when AKT activation was inhibited by an AKT inhibitor. To further support our findings, we overexpressed CNTN-1 in two CNTN-1 null breast cancer cell lines expressing E-cadherin. Upon overexpression, CNTN-1 reduced E-cadherin levels in one cell line and increased AKT activation in the other. Furthermore, in our study of 63 primary lung cancers, we observed 65% of primary lung cancers being contactin-1 positive and in these carcinomas, 61% were E-cadherin negative. Collectively, we provide evidence that contactin-1 plays a role in the downregulation of E-cadherin in lung cancer and that AKT activation contributes to this process. In a study of mechanisms responsible for contactin-1 to activate AKT, we demonstrated that knockdown of CNTN-1 in A549 cells did not enhance PTEN expression but upregulated PHLPP2, a phosphatase that dephosphorylates AKT. These observations thus suggest that contactin-1 enhances AKT activation in part by preventing PHLPP2-mediated AKT dephosphrorylation.
Exhaled Breath Analysis Using Electronic Nose in Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Infections

The current diagnostic work-up and monitoring of pulmonary infections may be perceived as invasive, is time consuming and expensive. In this explorative study, we investigated whether or not a non-invasive exhaled breath analysis using an electronic nose would discriminate between cystic fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) with or without various well characterized chronic pulmonary infections. We recruited 64 patients with CF and 21 with PCD based on known chronic infection status. 21 healthy volunteers served as controls. An electronic nose was employed to analyze exhaled breath samples. Principal component reduction and discriminant analysis were used to construct internally cross-validated receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. Breath profiles of CF and PCD patients differed significantly from healthy controls p = 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively. Profiles of CF patients having a chronic P. aeruginosa infection differed significantly from to non-chronically infected CF patients p = 0.044. We confirmed the previously established discriminative power of exhaled breath analysis in separation between healthy subjects and patients with CF or PCD. Furthermore, this method significantly discriminates CF patients suffering from a chronic pulmonary P. aeruginosa (PA) infection from CF patients without a chronic pulmonary infection. Further studies are needed for verification and to investigate the role of electronic nose technology in the very early diagnostic workup of pulmonary infections before the establishment of a chronic infection.
Optimal Thresholds, Linear or Nonlinear Relationships of Fracture Risk Reduction With Therapy

We read with interest the response by Dr Eastell et al. regarding the reanalysis of his 2003 JBMR paper. The allegations that the study sponsor withheld data and did not allow all authors full access to the raw data are serious and clearly deserve a detailed response. However, the reanalysis raises a number of issues. We commend the authors for supplementing the smoothed curves with decile analyses but are mystified why Tables 1 and 2 in the response show incident vertebral fracture rates from the risedronate and placebo groups combined, because the decile cut-points for the two treatment groups must differ, and the relationship between change in bone turnover and fracture in the placebo group is not relevant. Even if a statistically significant interaction with treatment group assignment is not found, the decile analyses of the risedronate and placebo groups should be displayed and analyzed separately (as alluded to in the Appendix). Inferences about optimal thresholds and nonlinear relationships, including the statements that critical thresholds were observed at a “CTX reduction of 51%” and at an on-therapy “CTX T-score of 0,” may be incorrect if derived from pooled risedronate and placebo group data. This issue is particularly concerning given that, among risedronate-treated women, only 36 suffered a new vertebral fracture. Furthermore, no data are presented to support the statement in the Appendix that on-therapy measurement of bone turnover is “a better measure of future fracture” than short-term changes in bone turnover. As pointed out in the accompanying Editorial, it is unfortunate that the authors of the response did not comment on the observed inconsistencies between their revised N-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) and Cterminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) results, nor do they describe any reanalysis of nonspine fracture data. Last, we believe that the results of the revised analyses should be considered in the context of more recent data from larger antiresorptive trials that do not support a nonlinear relationship between short-term changes in bone turnover and subsequent fracture incidence.
Genetic Factors in Alzheimer's Disease

lzheimer’s disease (AD) is now recognized as a common disorder of older people. A general classification of AD has been proposed reA cently to encompass both the presenile and senile forms. ’ It is estimated that at present there are well over one million affected individuals in North America. The etiology of AD remains unknown, but putative factors most often cited have included transmissible agents, environmental toxins, and genetic defects. Although the risk factor most consistently identified besides advanced age-is that of having an affected first-degree relative, the contribution of genetic factors to the development of AD has not been elucidated. In most instances, the mode of transmission of the disease is uncertain, as is the proportion of cases that are genetic (as opposed to sporadic). This article will review some of the major etiological hypotheses for AD with an emphasis on the involvement of genetic factors.
Reading to Young Children: A Head-Start in Life?

This paper investigates the importance of parents reading to their young children. Using Australian data we find that parental reading to children at age 4–5 has positive and significant effects on reading skills and cognitive skills (including numeracy skills) of these children at least up to age 10 or 11. The effects on skills more closely related to reading and language are larger than those on skills such as numeracy skills. However, all findings in relation to reading and other cognitive skills are persistent and robust to a wide range of sensitivity analyses. Although reading to children is also correlated with children's non-cognitive skills, after accounting for the endogeneity of reading to children, no causal effect remains.
Protection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Death by Fluoroquinolones

ABSTRACT Because fluoroquinolones have an immunomodulatory effect on cytokine production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human monocytes, we examined the effect of fluoroquinolones on the survival of mice injected with a lethal dose of LPS. Trovafloxacin (100 mg/kg), ciprofloxacin (250 mg/kg), and tosufloxacin (100 mg/kg) protected 75% (P = 0.0001), 25% (P = 0.002), and 50% (P = 0.002), respectively, of mice against death. The fluoroquinolones significantly reduced serum levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in LPS-treated mice. The protective effects of fluoroquinolones in LPS-induced shock in mice may also occur in humans.
Continuous Bangla Speech Segmentation using Short-term Speech Features Extraction Approaches

This paper presents simple and novel feature extraction approaches for segmenting continuous Bangla speech sentences into words/sub-words. These methods are based on two simple speech features, namely the time-domain features and the frequency-domain features. The time-domain features, such as short-time signal energy, short-time average zero crossing rate and the frequency-domain features, such as spectral centroid and spectral flux features are extracted in this research work. After the feature sequences are extracted, a simple dynamic thresholding criterion is applied in order to detect the word boundaries and label the entire speech sentence into a sequence of words/sub-words. All the algorithms used in this research are implemented in Matlab and the implemented automatic speech segmentation system achieved segmentation accuracy of 96%.
Exact solutions for null fluid collapse.

Exact nonstatic spherically symmetric solutions of the Einstein equations for a null fluid source with pressure P and density \ensuremath{\rho} related by P=k${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\rho}}}^{\mathit{a}}$ are given. The a=1 metrics are asymptotically flat for 1/2k\ensuremath{\le}1 and cosmological for 0k1/2. The k=1 metric is the known charged Vaidya solution. In general the metrics have multiple apparent horizons. In the long time limit, the asymptotically flat metrics are hairy black hole solutions that ``fall between'' the Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstr\"om metrics. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.