Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gray matter involvement in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuomyelitis optica (NMO) are the two main autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. They have long been considered to be autoimmune diseases that primarily affect the white matter (WM). However, renewed interest in gray matter (GM) pathology is emerging. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the details of GM pathology, and its clinical aspects including cognitive impairment in MS and NMO. Patients with MS and NMO have similar cognitive profiles as represented by the latent start of impairment from a very early stage of the disease course. Pathological assessments show that substantial cortical demyelination is prominent in all stages or courses of MS, and cortical neurodegeneration is also present not only in cortical demyelination, but also in normal‐appearing GM in MS. In contrast, cortical neurodegeneration is present in NMO and involves unique dynamics of astrocytes, but no cortical demyelination is seen in NMO. Thus, two distinct diseases, MS and NMO, each have unique characteristic features of pathological modalities in the brain. These important hallmarks of MS and NMO might influence neuronal and cognitive function in the brain, given different detrimental effects including cytokine diffusion, disruption of water homeostasis associated with aquaporin‐4 dynamics, or other unidentified mechanisms. Although the cause of GM lesions in MS and NMO has not been fully determined, an increase in knowledge of the structure of GM lesions, and the pathomechanisms in MS and NMO brains will result in more targeted pharmacotherapeutic approaches to these diseases.
When thinking rationally increases biases: The role of rational thinking style in escalation of commitment

This paper reports three studies examining the relationship between the rational thinking style (RTS, i.e. individual differences in relying on a conscious, analytical, and relatively affect-free information processing system) and decision quality in an escalation situation. In contrast to conventional wisdom that rational thinking increases decision quality, but consistent with the predictions derived from the cognitive dissonance theory, results of Studies 1 and 2 revealed that high scorers in Pacini and Epstein's (1999) rationality inventory were more likely to have escalation bias than were low scorers. The results further showed that only the ability component of rationality, not the engagement component, was positively correlated with escalating commitment. Similar patterns of results were obtained for situations when participants were personally responsible for prior decisions (Study 1) and when they were not (Study 2). Results of Study 3 showed that the underlying process responsible for the effect of RTS on the escalating tendency is that RTS increases beliefs in prior decisions, which in turn increases escalation. Implications for our understanding of escalation of commitment, rationality theory, and managerial practices are discussed. Cet article rend compte de 3 etudes examinant la relation entre le style de pensee rationnelle (RTS i.e. les differences individuelles reposent sur un systeme de traitement de l’information consciente, analytique et relativement libre d’affects) et la qualite de la decision dans une situation d’escalade d’engagement. Contrairement a l’opinion communement admise pour laquelle la pensee rationnelle accroit la qualite de la decision, mais consistante avec les predictions decoulant de la theorie de la dissonance cognitive, les resultats des etudes 1 et 2 indiquent que des personnes obtenant un score elevea l’Inventaire Rationnel-Experientiel de Pacini et Esptein (1999) sont plus enclines a tomber dans le piege de l’escalade d’engagement que celles dont le score est bas. D’autres resultats montrent que la capacitea la rationalite, non celle a l’engagement, est positivement correlee avec l’escalade d’engagement. Des resultats semblables sont obtenus lors de situations ou les participants sont personnellement responsables de leurs decisions anterieures (Etude 1) ou non (Etude 2). Les resultats de l’etude 3 montrent que le processus responsable de l’effet du RTS sur la tendance a s’engager est le suivant: il accroit les croyances dans les decisions anterieures qui augmentent a leur tour l’engagement. Ces resultats nous permettent de mieux comprendre l’escalade d’engagement, la theorie rationnelle et les pratiques manageriales.
Corruption and economic growth (with Vietnam case-study)

Despite the Government‟s recognition of the serious threat of uncontrolled corruption to the legitimacy and long-term survival of the current political system, Vietnam is still struggling to translate its policies and comparatively strong legislative framework into practice. There exists little reliable, quantitative evidence of the harmful impact of corruption on economic growth in Vietnam. Using the most updated and available data and a model incorporating transmission channels, this article attempts to estimate the direct and indirect effects of corruption on GDP growth rate. In general, the findings confirm the negative association between corruption and economic growth. Investment appears to be the most important transmission channel and the effect of corruption on investment is non-linear so that indirect effects of corruption on growth (via investments) depends on the value of each country‟s corruption level. In case of Vietnam, a one unit increase in the corruption perception index (CPI) 1 leads to a 2.15% increase in the proportion of gross domestic investment over GDP, which in turns increases growth rate by 0.372%. Counting both direct and indirect effects, a one-unit increase in the corruption perception index (CPI) will increase the growth rate by 0.509%, indicating that the investment channel accounts for 62.92% of total effects. ============================== This article is an edited version of a paper presented at the 2014 Vietnam Economist Annual Meeting (VEAM), Ho Chi Minh City, 2425 June 2014 and the Costs of Corruption in Vietnam Research Symposium, Hanoi, 2526 June 2014. The authors would like to thank the organizers and participants for their helpful comments. Financial support from the Department for International Development (DFID) Vietnam is also gratefully acknowledged. The usual caveat applies. ============================== Nguyen Ngoc Anh Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN), Hanoi, Vietnam email: ngocanh@depocen.org 1 The higher the CPI index value, the less corrupt the country is perceived to be.
Arab students of social work in Israel: adjustment difficulties and coping strategies

Abstract Israel is a multi-cultural society, and this can no longer be ignored. However, there is a serious lack of theoretical and empirical literature dealing with the implications of Israel's multi-cultural social context for social work education in Israel, as well as its impact on social work practice with different ethnic and national populations in that country. The dearth of material is even more pronounced in the case of Arab students attending Israeli universities. This paper documents the first stage of a project focusing on Arab students at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A triangulation method was applied for collection of data from students enrolled in the 3-year programme, graduate students, faculty members and field work supervisors, as well as reports from previous years. Personal, academic and socio-cultural difficulties are documented as well as coping mechanisms and recommendations for schools of social work in Israel. The results are used.
Developmental Differences in Motivation for Participating in Competitive Swimming

This study examined developmental differences in motives for participating in competitive swimming across the lifespan. Six age groupings were chosen based on underlying cognitive criteria identified in the literature: younger and older children, high school/college age, and young, middle, and older adults. Swimmers from YMCAs (N= 100) completed the Participation Motivation Questionnaire modified by D. Gould, Feltz, and Weiss (1985). An exploratory factor analysis identified seven factors: characteristics of competitive swimming, health/fitness, social status, affiliation, energy release, significant others, and fan. A MANOVA on the factor scores revealed a significant age group main effect. Follow-up analyses indicated that characteristics of competitive swimming was rated significantly lower by the older adults while social status was rated significantly higher by older children and high school/college-age swimmers. Significant others was rated significantly higher by children, and fen was rated most im.
THE REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR AND THE NATURE OF SEXUAL SELECTION IN SCATOPHAGA STERCORARIA L. (DIPTERA: SCATOPHAGIDAE). IX. SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FERTILIZATION RATES AND EVOLUTION OF MALE SEARCH STRATEGY WITHIN THE REPRODUCTIVE AREA

The present series of papers is aimed towards constructing a comprehensive model of sexual selection and its influence on reproductive strategy in the dung fly, Scatophaga stercoraria. The technique used links ecological and behavioral data obtained in the field with laboratory data on sperm competition, for which a model has already been developed (Parker, 1970a) . The reproductive behavior can be summarized as follows (see also Hammer, 1941, and previous papers in this series). Males wait around fresh cattle droppings for gravid females as they arrive to mate and lay their eggs in the dung. Females can mature several batches of eggs, but visit the dung only for mating and oviposition. Here males outnumber females by over 4: 1 (males spend much more time around the dung) and intra-male competition for females is intense. Mating may occur on the dropping or in the surrounding grass, and afterwards the male stays paired to the female (in a passive phase; Parker, 1970e) while she oviposits. Paired males guard females with elaborate reactions, but take-overs can occur in attacks from unpaired males. Here the new male mates immediately, before the female starts or resumes oviposition. The average number of eggs which will be fertilized by a given male as a result of a mating with a newlyarrived ("incoming") female can be calculated; so can egg gains due to take-overs either during mating or oviposition (Parker, 1970a). Evidence has been given (Parker, 1970b)
Optimal Encoding of Interval Timing in Expert Percussionists

We measured temporal reproduction in human subjects with various levels of musical expertise: expert drummers, string musicians, and non-musicians. While duration reproduction of the non-percussionists showed a characteristic central tendency or regression to the mean, drummers responded veridically. Furthermore, when the stimuli were auditory tones rather than flashes, all subjects responded veridically. The behavior of all three groups in both modalities is well explained by a Bayesian model that seeks to minimize reproduction errors by incorporating a central tendency prior, a probability density function centered at the mean duration of the sample. We measured separately temporal precision thresholds with a bisection task; thresholds were twice as low in drummers as in the other two groups. These estimates of temporal precision, together with an adaptable Bayesian prior, predict well the reproduction results and the central tendency strategy under all conditions and for all subject groups. These results highlight the efficiency and flexibility of sensorimotor mechanisms estimating temporal duration.
Multichannel wide‐field microscopic FRET imaging based on simultaneous spectral unmixing of excitation and emission spectra

Simultaneous spectral unmixing of excitation and emission spectra (ExEm unmixing) has inherent ability resolving spectral crosstalks, two key issues of quantitative fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurement, of both the excitation and emission spectra between donor and acceptor without additional corrections. We here set up a filter‐based multichannel wide‐field microscope for ExEm unmixing‐based FRET imaging (m‐ExEm‐spFRET) containing a constant system correction factor (fsc) for a stable system. We performed m‐ExEm‐spFRET with four‐ and two‐wavelength excitation respectively on our system to quantitatively image single living cells expressing FRET tandem constructs, and obtained accurate FRET efficiency (E) and concentration ratio of acceptor to donor (RC). We also performed m‐ExEm‐spFRET imaging for single living cells coexpressing CFP‐Bax and YFP‐Bax, and found that the E values were about 0 for control cells and about 28% for staurosporin‐treated cells when RC were larger than 1, indicating that staurosporin induced significant oligomerisation.
Assessing Stalking Behaviors in a Control Balance Theory Framework

Tittle’s control balance theory is a modern exemplar of theoretical integration premised on the ratio of perceived control exerted versus control subjected, which predicts the probability of deviant acts. Although the theory offers promise for contextualizing both perpetration and victimization, relatively few empirical tests have been conducted to date. This study describes stalking as a crime representing a unique manifestation of power dynamics and perceived control imbalances for both offenders and victims. Using a large college student sample, we assess the empirical associations between control balance and stalking perpetration and victimization outcomes, including gender-specific models, featuring several different operationalizations of the control balance ratio. Results suggest partial support for the theory, demonstrating that control surpluses are associated with stalking perpetration among men, while control deficits are associated with stalking perpetration and victimization among women, net of controls. Implications for control balance theory and stalking research are discussed.
The Role of Magnesium Supplementation in Cisplatin-induced Nephrotoxicity in a Rat Model: No Nephroprotectant Effect

Objectives: Cisplatin (CP) is used as the commonest drug to treat solid tumors. It is accompanied by a nephrotoxicity side effect. The main objective of this study is to investigate the protective role of magnesium (Mg) supplementation in CP-induced nephrotoxicity in a rat model. Methods: Twenty-nine Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups (1–4). Groups 1–3 received 20, 80, and 200 mg/kg magnesium sulfate respectively, for 10 days, but on day 3, a single dose of CP (7 mg/kg, i.p.) was also injected. Group 4 (positive control group) received the same regimen of Groups 1–3 except saline instead magnesium sulfate. One week after CP administration, blood samples were obtained and all animals were killed for kidney histopathological investigations. Results: All CP-treated animals lost weight, and the percentage of weight loss in Group 1 (low dose Mg sulfate treated) was significantly higher compared with the positive control group (Group 4, P < 0.05). The increase in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) levels in serum in Group 1 were more than those in other groups (P < 0.05). No statistical differences were observed in serum magnesium, nitrite, and total protein levels among the groups. The kidney tissue damage in Groups 1–3 was not significantly different when compared with Group 4. Moreover, the kidney and testis weights in Group 1 were significantly greater than those in the positive control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Regarding the BUN and Cr levels in the serum, kidneys weight, and the histopathological study, the low dose of Mg supplementation intensifies kidney toxicity and renal dysfunction in CP-induced nephrotoxicity in the rat model. However, the protective role of Mg with moderate and high doses is not certain.
Curriculum-Based Measurement of At-Risk Students' Reading Skills: A Preliminary Investigation of Bias

This study was a preliminary investigation of gender, socioeconomic status, and racial bias in curriculum-based measurement reading probes using students from an inner city, Chapter 1 elementary school. The reading probes involved brief 1-min. reading samples of middle-of-grade reading passages from Grade 1 through 4 as drawn from the reading texts used in the participating students' own classrooms. Analysis indicated that, except for socioeconomic status and gender differences in Grade 1, there were no gender, socioeconomic status, or racial biases across the four grades assessed. These results were discussed in the context of research on bias.
Educating Extension Agents: An Evaluation of Method and Development of a Remarried Family Educational Program.

The purpose of this study is to test two formats of a remarriage educational program on cooperative extension agents. Agents were randomly assigned to a written format group, an audiotape format group, or a control group and were mailed pretest-posttest packets. Analysis of pretest-posttest scores for the three groups indicate a significant increase in scores for the written format group. Discussion focuses upon differences between the two formats and implications for service providers.
Research Review: Engaging men: a multi‐level model to support father engagement

ABSTRACT While there is a growing body of work on using fatherhood as an opportunity to engage men in strategies to prevent child maltreatment and further acts of domestic violence, there is limited research on engaging fathers in strategies to prevent domestic violence from occurring. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper explores existing father engagement frameworks used in child and family services and supports a multi‐level model of father engagement for domestic violence primary prevention. Drawing together evidence about father engagement from a range of studies, including the more general parenting literature, we describe factors that influence father engagement based on an analysis of the literature. These factors include accessibility, staff attitudes and behaviours, programme marketing and the format of service provision.
Frequency of WISC-III and WAIS-R pairwise subtest differences

Despite their psychometric shortcomings, pairwise Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; D. Wechsler, 1991) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R; D. Wechsler, 1981) subtest scaled score comparisons can be important in neuropsychological evaluations (M. D. Lezak, 1995), an endeavor in which hypotheses from pairwise comparisons can be tested with independent neuropsychological instruments. The authors used WISC-III and WAIS-R standardization sample data to derive frequency tables for all pairwise subtest comparisons. The authors present tables of the difference values necessary to be equal to or less than the 1st, 5th, and 15th percentiles for all pairwise difference scores; discuss caveats for their use; and provide clinical examples for their application.
Assessing the Functions of Supportive Messages

This article reports two studies of the process by which supportive messages in nonintimate relationships yield positive outcomes. The first experiment compares the efficacy of instrumental and emotional support in reducing distress and improving performance on a cognitive task. The second experiment examines the perceived effectiveness of instrumental and emotional support messages. The results suggest that instrumental support provided by an experimenter improves performance and is evaluated positively.
Simultaneous Determination of Warfarin and 7-Hydroxywarfarin Enantiomers by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography With Ultraviolet Detection

Warfarin is administered clinically as a racemic mixture of two enantiomers, (R)-warfarin and (S)-warfarin. (S)-Warfarin has more potent anticoagulant activity than (R)-warfarin and is metabolized mainly to (S)-7-hydroxywarfarin by CYP2C9. A simple, rapid, and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection was developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin in human plasma. Analytes and the internal standard (p-chlorowarfarin) were separated using a mobile phase of 0.5% KH2PO4 (pH 3.5)-methanol (41:59, v/v) on a Chiral CD-Ph column at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and were detected at a ultraviolet absorbance of 305 nm. Analysis required 200 μL of plasma and involved a simple and rapid solid-phase extraction with an Oasis HLB cartridge, which gave high recovery (greater than 91.8%) and good selectivity for all analytes. The lower limit of quantification for the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin was 2.5 ng/mL for each analyte. Inter- and intraday coefficients of variation for all analytes were less than 14.2% and accuracies were within 6.6% over the linear range. Our results indicate that this method is applicable to the simultaneous monitoring of the enantiomers of warfarin and 7-hydroxywarfarin in human plasma. The S/R-enantiomer ratio of warfarin and the (S)-warfarin/(S)-7-hydroxywarfarin ratio 3 hours after administration in 67 CYP2C9*1/*1 patients ranged from 0.24 to 0.75 and from 1.83 to 19.02, respectively, whereas these ratios in a CYP2C9*3/*3 patient were 1.12 and 17.02, respectively.
Feedback, Self-Esteem and Performance in Organizations

We examine whether private feedback about relative performance can mitigate moral hazard in competitive environments by modifying the agents' self-esteem. In our experimental setting, people work harder and expect to rank better when told that they may learn their ranking, relative to cases when feedback will not be provided. Individuals who ranked better than expected decrease output but expect a better rank in the future, whereas those who ranked worse than expected increase output but lower their future rank expectations. Feedback helps create a ratcheting effect in productivity, mainly because of the fight for dominance at the top of the rank hierarchy. Our findings suggest that organizations can improve employee productivity by changing the likelihood of feedback, the reference group used to calculate relative performance, and the informativeness of the feedback message. This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
Some Solutions to the Perspectival Plurality Problem for Relativism In recent literature

(1) Johnny played a silly prank and had a lot of tasty licorice. phenomenon of perspectival plurality has been shown to pose a serious problem for at least some versions of relativism about predicates of taste (the view that postulates a parameter for perspectives in the circumstances of evaluation with respect to which utterances of sentences are evaluated). Perspectival plurality is the phenomenon whereby sentences containing two or more predicates of taste have to be interpreted by appeal to two or more perspectives. The problem for (certain versions of) relativism stems from this phenomenon getting in tension with a core commitment of such versions, namely that “[i]n a relativist theory, in order to assess a sentence for truth or falsity, one must adopt a stance – that is, truth assessment is always done from a particular perspective” (Lasersohn, 2008: 326). In this presentation I want to further the debate by i) showing that the phenomenon applies to a wider range ofexpressions than predicates of taste and ii) investigating and criticizing a number of possible relativist proposals to account for perspectival plurality. In the works mentioned, perspectival plurality is illustrated with respect to predicates of taste, which is a good place to start. Thus, consider the following scenario: Halloween has just passed, and the neighbors discuss about how their kids spend the holiday. Parents take turns, and when Johnny’s father’s turn comes, he utters