Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence of Gadolinium Distribution from the Endolymphatic Sac to the Endolymphatic Compartments of the Human Inner Ear

To verify whether injection of substances into the endolymphatic sac (ES) diffuses into the endolymphatic compartments of the human inner ear and in particular to the endolymphatic space of the scala media (ESp-SM), as demonstrated in animals, an exploratory investigation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative electrocochleographic recordings (ECoG) was conducted in patients with Ménière’s disease (MD) treated with ES decompression. A mixture of dexamethasone and gadolinium (GD) in solution was injected into the ES of 4 patients. The results of the ES injection procedure were compared with administration of the same solution intratympanically (IT, 1 patient) and via a platinotomy in 2 patients. The study was conducted retrospectively at a tertiary referral center. Main outcomes measures were pre- and postintervention complete audiological and neuro-otological evaluation; intraoperative ECoG investigation with evaluation of the morphology of acoustically elicited compound action potentials (CAPs) and 1.5 T MRI evaluations at different follow-up times. Distribution of GD from the ES injection procedure was observed first in the ES, after 24 h in the vestibule and semicircular canals, and after 24–48 h in the ESp-SM in all patients. High signal was detected within the inner ear for 1 week or more (mean: 10 days; range: 7–16 days). Changes in morphology and latency of CAPs were observed within 30 min of the dilatory injection into the ES in all patients. Administration of GD into the vestibule and the IT approach did not distribute the contrast in the ES and GD was observed in the perilymphatic space of the vestibule, cochlea and semicircular canals. No side effects relating to administration of GD into the ES, IT or into the vestibule were observed. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration in humans that drugs injected into the endolymphatic structure of the ES diffuse to the cochlea, presumably into the ESp-SM. The possibility of injecting substances into the endolymphatic space might open up new prospects in the treatment of inner ear disorders. Further studies will be needed to define the limitations of this approach.
Mimesis Aegis: A Mimicry Privacy Shield-A System's Approach to Data Privacy on Public Cloud

Users are increasingly storing, accessing, and exchanging data through public cloud services such as those provided by Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft. Although users may want to have faith in cloud providers to provide good security protection, the confidentiality of any data in public clouds can be violated, and consequently, while providers may not be "doing evil," we can not and should not trust them with data confidentiality. To better protect the privacy of user data stored in the cloud, in this paper we propose a privacy-preserving system called Mimesis Aegis (M-Aegis) that is suitable for mobile platforms. M-Aegis is a new approach to user data privacy that not only provides isolation but also preserves the user experience through the creation of a conceptual layer called Layer 7.5 (L-7.5), which is interposed between the application (OSI Layer 7) and the user (Layer 8). This approach allows M-Aegis to implement true end-to-end encryption of user data with three goals in mind: 1) complete data and logic isolation from untrusted entities; 2) the preservation of original user experience with target apps; and 3) applicable to a large number of apps and resilient to app updates. In order to preserve the exact application workflow and look-and-feel, M-Aegis uses L-7.5 to put a transparent window on top of existing application GUIs to both intercept plaintext user input before transforming the input and feeding it to the underlying app, and to reverse-transform the output data from the app before displaying the plaintext data to the user. This technique allows M-Aegis to transparently integrate with most cloud services without hindering usability and without the need for reverse engineering. We implemented a prototype of M-Aegis on Android and show that it can support a number of popular cloud services, e.g. Gmail, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. Our performance evaluation and user study show that users incur minimal overhead when adopting M-Aegis on Android: imperceptible encryption/decryption latency and a low and adjustable false positive rate when searching over encrypted data.
Perinatal Androgenic Exposure and Reproductive Health Effects Female Rat Offspring

Environmental contaminants known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) have been associated with adverse effects on reproductive processes. These chemicals may mimic or antagonize endogenous hormones, disrupting reproductive functions. Although preliminary studies focused on environmental estrogens, the presence of compounds with androgenic activity has also been described. This study examines exposure of female pregnant and lactating rats to low doses of androgens and assesses potential effects on female offspring. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to testosterone propionate (TP) at doses of 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 mg/kg or corn oil (vehicle), subcutaneously, to determine influence on reproductive health of female offspring. There were two exposure groups: (1) rats treated from gestational day (GD) 12 until GD 20; and (2) animals treated from GD 12 until the end of lactation. Perinatal exposure to TP produced increased anogenital distance after birth and diminished height of uterine glandular epithelium at puberty in animals exposed to 0.2 mg/kg. However, these alterations were not sufficient to impair sexual differentiation and normal physiology of the female rat reproductive tract.
Significant Life Experiences Revisited Once Again: Response to Vol. 5(4) 'Five Critical Commentaries on Significant Life Experience Research in Environmental Education'

This article is a commentary on commentaries: a personal response to a set of critical commentaries on significant life experience research which formed a special issue of Environmental Education Research , Vol. 5(4), November 1999, and a symposium on the same subject at the Annual Meeting 2000 of the American Educational Research Association. The journal issue and the symposium session were prepared in response to research reports and reviews of the topic of significant life experiences that were carried in Vols 4(4) and 5(2) of the journal. The article begins with a brief history of this debate. With a focus on the 'meta-commentary' to Vol. 5(4) by Stephen Gough, it then responds to a series of major and recurring points of criticism against research on this topic.
Principals' and Teachers' Reactions to School Restructuring

There have been relatively few studies that have gauged the thoughts, reactions and expectations held by those working in schools towards decentralisation and restructuring of school systems. This study investigates the views held by a sample of principals and teachers in Western Australia of the likely effects of restructuring on changing roles and responsibilities, actual and desired outcomes, changing power and influence relations, personal values, and difficulties in meeting new expectations. Both principals and teachers predicted that decentralisation and devolution would increase their workloads and broaden their roles. Principals would require more human and technical management competencies; teachers would assume more non-teaching duties. Notwithstanding difficulties and drawbacks, principals and teachers believed that restructuring would lead to better, more effective, and more efficient schools.
Equilibrium Price Dispersion in Retail Markets for Prescription Drugs

This study seeks to establish the empirical importance of price dispersion due to costly consumer search by examining retail prices for prescription drugs. Posted prices in two geographically distinct markets are shown to vary considerably across pharmacies within the same market, even after one controls for variation due to pharmacy differences. Pharmacy heterogeneity accounts for at most one‐third of the observed price dispersion. The empirical analysis hinges on the observation that consumers’ incentives to price‐shop depend on characteristics of the drug therapy. Cross‐sectional patterns in price distributions across drugs are consistent with the predictions of a search model: prices for repeatedly purchased prescriptions (for which the expected benefits of search are highest) exhibit significant reductions in both dispersion and price‐cost margins.
The Lipidated Peptidomimetic Lau-((S)-Aoc)-(Lys-βNphe)6-NH2 Is a Novel Formyl Peptide Receptor 2 Agonist That Activates Both Human and Mouse Neutrophil NADPH Oxidase*

Neutrophils expressing formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) play key roles in host defense, immune regulation, and resolution of inflammation. Consequently, the search for FPR2-specific modulators has attracted much attention due to its therapeutic potential. Earlier described agonists for this receptor display potent activity for the human receptor (FPR2) but low activity for the mouse receptor orthologue (Fpr2), rendering them inapplicable in murine models of human disease. Here we describe a novel FPR2 agonist, the proteolytically stable α-peptide/β-peptoid hybrid Lau-((S)-Aoc)-(Lys-βNphe)6-NH2 (F2M2), showing comparable potency in activating human and mouse neutrophils by inducing a rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and assembly of the superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase. This FPR2/Fpr2 agonist contains a headgroup consisting of a 2-aminooctanoic acid (Aoc) residue acylated with lauric acid (C12 fatty acid), which is linked to a peptide/peptoid repeat ((Lys-βNphe)6-NH2). Both the fatty acid moiety and the (S)-Aoc residue were required for FPR2/Fpr2 activation. This type of proteolytically stable FPR2-specific peptidomimetics may serve as valuable tools for future analysis of FPR2 signaling as well as for development of prophylactic immunomodulatory therapy. This novel class of cross-species FPR2/Fpr2 agonists should enable translation of results obtained with mouse neutrophils (and disease models) into enhanced understanding of human inflammatory and immune diseases.
Aggregation of rapidly varying risks and asymptotic independence

We study the tail behavior of the distribution of the sum of asymptotically independent risks whose marginal distributions belong to the maximal domain of attraction of the Gumbel distribution. We impose conditions on the distribution of the risks (X, Y) such that P(X + Y > x) ∼ (constant) P(X > x). With the further assumption of nonnegativity of the risks, the result is extended to more than two risks. We note a sufficient condition for a distribution to belong to both the maximal domain of attraction of the Gumbel distribution and the subexponential class. We provide examples of distributions which satisfy our assumptions. The examples include cases where the marginal distributions of X and Y are subexponential and also cases where they are not. In addition, the asymptotic behavior of linear combinations of such risks with positive coefficients is explored, leading to an approximate solution of an optimization problem which is applied to portfolio design.
The relationship between an orientation to the future and an orientation to the past: The role of future clarity

Some research shows that people who often contemplate their future tend to be healthier. Yet the burgeoning literature on mindfulness demonstrates that people who are more attuned to their immediate experiences also enjoy many benefits. To reconcile these principles, many scholars recommend that people should distribute their attention, somewhat evenly, across the past, present, and future-but have not clarified how people should achieve this goal. We test the possibility that people who perceive their future as vivid and certain, called future clarity, might be able to both orient their attention to the future as well as experience mindfulness. Specifically, future clarity could diminish the inclination of people to reach decisions prematurely and dismiss information that contradicts these decisions, called need for closure-tendencies that diminish consideration of future consequences and mindfulness, respectively. In this cross-sectional study, 194 participants completed measures of mindfulness, consideration of future consequences, need for closure, and future clarity. Consistent with hypotheses, future clarity was positively associated with both mindfulness and consideration of future consequences. Need for closure partly mediated these relationships. Accordingly, interventions that empower people to shape and to clarify their future might generate the benefits of both mindfulness and a future orientation.
The costs of being male: are there sex-specific effects of uniparental mitochondrial inheritance?

Eukaryotic cells typically contain numerous mitochondria, each with multiple copies of their own genome, the mtDNA. Uniparental transmission of mitochondria, usually via the mother, prevents the mixing of mtDNA from different individuals. While on the one hand, this should resolve the potential for selection for fast-replicating mtDNA variants that reduce organismal fitness, maternal inheritance will, in theory, come with another set of problems that are specifically relevant to males. Maternal inheritance implies that the mitochondrial genome is never transmitted through males, and thus selection can target only the mtDNA sequence when carried by females. A consequence is that mtDNA mutations that confer male-biased phenotypic expression will be prone to evade selection, and accumulate. Here, we review the evidence from the ecological, evolutionary and medical literature for male specificity of mtDNA mutations affecting fertility, health and ageing. While such effects have been discovered experimentally in the laboratory, their relevance to natural populations—including the human population—remains unclear. We suggest that the existence of male expression-biased mtDNA mutations is likely to be a broad phenomenon, but that these mutations remain cryptic owing to the presence of counter-adapted nuclear compensatory modifier mutations, which offset their deleterious effects.
Síntomas de ansiedad y depresión en adolescentes escolarizados de 10 a 17 años en Chía, Colombia

Objetivo Estimar la prevalencia de sintomas ansiosos y depresivos en adolescentes escolarizados entre los 10-17 anos, de la comunidad de Chia Cundinamarca, utilizando las escalas CDI y SCARED, durante los anos 2008 a 2010. Metodologia Estudio de corte transversal, realizado en 538 estudiantes. Se identificaron las variables socio demograficas: edad, sexo, seguridad social y centro educativo de procedencia (publico, privado, oficial o urbano). Se aplicaron las escalas CDI y SCARED. Resultados Se detectaron sintomas ansiosos o depresivos en el 40,5 % de la poblacion estudiada (538); de los cuales el 28,3 % presento sintomas sugestivos de ansiedad exclusivamente, con sintomas depresivos exclusivamente en 3,3 % y sintomas tanto de ansiedad, como de depresion en 8,9 %. Los sintomas ansiosos fueron mas frecuentes en las mujeres y los sintomas depresivos y mixtos se presentaron con mas frecuencia en hombres. Se encontro mayor prevalencia de sintomas depresivos 6,9 % en hombres vs 5,4 % en mujeres, dato que no fue estadisticamente significativo. Conclusion Los sintomas ansiosos y depresivos son frecuentes en adolescentes, se hace indispensable sospecharlos y diagnosticarlos tempranamente, con el fin de poder brindar una atencion oportuna. Se deben implementar estrategias que permitan detectar factores protectores y de riesgo para evitar que se desarrollen trastornos mayores, disenando programas de educacion encaminados hacia una buena salud mental de ninos y adolescente.
Molecular and clinical perspectives of polyomaviruses: Emerging evidence of importance in non‐kidney transplant populations

JC virus (JCV), BK virus (BKV) and simian virus 40 (SV40) are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) viruses, members of the family Polyomaviridae. These viruses establish persistent infections, and reactivate from latency in their host under immunosuppression. During the last few years there has been recognition of the morbidity related to polyomaviruses, particularly BKV in kidney transplant recipients. More importantly, recent studies indicate the potential implication of JCV, BKV, and SV40 in renal dysfunction among nonrenal organ transplant patients. Polyomaviruses are tumor‐inducing viruses and animal models have provided evidence of the oncogenicity of these pathogens. Although data are not conclusive, molecular studies suggest an association of BKV and SV40 with malignancies among solid organ transplant patients. As new and potent immunosuppressive agents are introduced into clinical practice, it is believed that the incidence of polyomavirus‐related diseases in organ transplantation might increase. This review evaluates the biologic and epidemiologic features of these 3 viruses, the data regarding their infections in nonkidney organ transplant patients and describes future directions in the management and research of these opportunistic pathogens. Liver Transpl 12:1457–1463, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
The Impact of Gender and Race-Ethnicity in the Pretrial Release Process

This study analyzes pretrial release data on a sample of felony defendants representing the nation’s 75 most populated counties for 1990‐1996 to assess the main and interactive effects of gender and race-ethnicity on both pretrial release decisions and outcomes . We find that both gender and race-ethnicity have moderately strong main effects on whether the defendant secures pretrial release, net of controls for legal factors like prior record and offense conduct. Female defendants are more likely to receive pretrial release than their male counterparts, while Hispanic and black defendants are more likely to be detained than similarly situated white defendants. Most notably, we find that compared to all other gender-racial/ethnic defendant groups, white females are the most likely to receive pretrial release. In contrast, Hispanic males receive the most disadvantaging decisions throughout the pretrial release process and are the group most likely to be detained. A major factor that explains this discrepancy in outcomes is the inability of many Hispanics and blacks to post bail to gain their release. An assessment of the research on gender disparities in the case processing of criminal defendants highlights two major shortcomings. First, in addition to the relative paucity of studies examining the treatment of women in the courts, there is in particular a lack of research on decision making at earlier stages of the criminal case process (e.g., pretrial release). Indeed, most of what we know about the treatment of women in the criminal courts is based on the impact of gender at the sentencing stage. This narrow research focus on sentencing is not limited to studies involving gender, but rather is also a notable limitation of prior studies examining race and ethnicity in the courts. Data are more readily available for examinations of sentencing, in part, because sentencing is (1) more proximate to jail and prison and is viewed as where the “real” punishments are meted out and (2) more visible and more highly regulated than other stages. Second, there is a scarcity of research examining possible interactive effects between gender and race, and even more so, interactive effects between gender and ethnicity —i.e., the inclusion of Hispanic defendants. Despite a rapidly growing Hispanic population in the United States, research on case processing has been slow to examine the treatment of this ethnic minority group. Prior sentencing research (Steffensmeier, Ulmer, and Kramer 1998) demonstrates the importance of considering the joint effects of social statuses such as race and gender. Not only may the joint effects of race and gender be considerably larger than either single main effect, but an examination of interactive effects may also reveal extra-legal disparities that are otherwise masked when examining additive models. At issue, in particular, is the question of whether gender differences in case processing outcomes for criminal defendants are similar/different across different racial and ethnic groups.
Celebrity and the media

This paper presents the results of a survey of stories dealing with celebrities in a sample of newspapers, magazines, and television programming. Aimed at testing anecdotal accounts of an increase in the volume of such material within the media generally, the survey pravides detailed evidence for the view that this now constitutes asignificant portion of media output. The paper discusses these findings in the context of attempting to better understand the cultural function of such stories for their audience.
A review and meta-analysis of research on the relationship between behavioral intentions and employee turnover.

Behavioral intentions have an expanding role in the field of turnover research They are becoming increasingly indispensable to empirical and theoretical work linking turnover behavior to psychological antecedents A literature review of published and unpublished works was undertaken to examine the magnitude and consistency of intent-turnov er relationships . Meta-analysis was used to cumulate and average results over studies A weighted average correlation of 50 was calculated between behavioral intentions and employee turnover Intentions were more predictive of attrition than overall job satisfaction, satisfaction with the work itself, or organizationa l commitment Furthermore, an analysis of potential moderator variables indicated that the length of time between procurement of predictor and criterion data influences the magnitude of intent-turnover relationships Behavioral intentions have rapidly come into vogue in the field of turnover research Prior to 1974, few published references to behavioral intentions existed in industrial and organizational psychology research domains (Locke, 1968; Lyons, 1971). However, since that date a veritable explosion of intentturnover research has taken place (Horn, Katerberg, & Hulin, 1979; Kraut, 1975; Mobley, Griffeth, Hand, & Meglino, 1979; Price & Mueller, 1981). Added impetus for the study of behavioral intentions stems m part from theoretical arguments that have singled them out as the most direct and immediate cognitive antecedents of overt behavior (Fishbem & Ajzen, 1975; Tnandis, 1977). The present investigation reviews the published literature linking behavioral intentions and employee turnover to determine the average magnitude of these correlations and to identify potential moderators of this relationship. Average va
Defining oppositional defiant disorder.

BACKGROUND ICD-10 and DSM-IV include similar criterial symptom lists for conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), but while DSM-IV treats each list separately, ICD-10 considers them jointly. One consequence is that ICD-10 identifies a group of children with ODD subtype who do not receive a diagnosis under DSM-IV. METHODS We examined the characteristics of this group of children using the Great Smoky Mountains Study of children in the community aged 9-16. This study provided child and parent reports of symptoms and psychosocial impairment assessed with standardised diagnostic interviews. RESULTS Children who received an ICD-10 diagnosis but not a DSM-IV diagnosis showed broadly similar levels of psychiatric comorbidity, delinquent activity and psychosocial impairment to those who met DSM-IV criteria in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that DSM-IV excludes from diagnosis children who receive an ICD-10 diagnosis of CD (ODD sub-type), and who are substantially disturbed. Methods of redressing this situation are considered.