Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Incidence and Risk Factors of Retinopathy of Prematurity in Mashhad, Northeast Iran

Background Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vascular retinal disease that can cause low vision or blindness and affects premature newborns of very low birth weight. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for ROP among very premature infants in Mashhad located northeast of Iran. Material and Methods In this cross-sectional study performed between 2006 and 2010, predisposing factors and severity of ROP were evaluated in very premature infants (<32 gestational weeks). Consecutive infants were enrolled at birth and screened for ROP at 4 to 6 weeks of age by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Severe ROP was defined as stage 4 or 5. Chi-square, Student’s t-, and Fisher’s test were used for statistical analysis. Results The incidence of ROP was 26.2%. Significant differences between the ROP and control groups were observed, these include; gestational age, sex, birth weight, Apgar score, durationof parenteral nutrition, oxygen therapy, phototherapy, maximum PaO2 and minimum SpO2 (P < 0.05). Severe ROP was seen in 31.4% (11/32) of ROP cases (5.4% of newborns). Conclusion The incidence of ROP is relatively high in this region. Risk factors for ROP among very premature infants include hypoxia, severe hyperoxia, relatively low blood SPO2, gestational age, birth weight, and Apgar score.
Representations of fatness in Parents magazine: A critical discourse analysis

ABSTRACT The authors investigate bodily pressures targeted at mothers through parenting magazines in a neoliberal cultural context. Theoretically rooted Foucault’s framework of biopower, the authors applied Foucauldian critical discourse analysis to examine messaging related to food and weight in Parents magazine. Findings highlight three key problematic discourses: (a) food practices are moral, physical, and emotional decisions made by mothers; (b) women—including mothers—have a moral obligation to seek a thin, fit body and to model weight/body maintenance activities for their children; and (c) fat children are inherently unhealthy and at risk of becoming fat adults. These discourses are critically assessed within the context of present literature related to mother blame, with layered analyses of race and gender.
Comparative effectiveness of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists: a network meta-analysis of placebo-controlled and active-comparator trials

Background Clinical studies of patients with type 2 diabetes show that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) improve glycemic control and promote weight loss. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) of placebo- and active-controlled randomized trials to assess the comparative effectiveness of liraglutide, albiglutide, dulaglutide, and exenatide twice daily and once weekly, with a focus on glycemic control. Materials and methods We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (up to December 2014) for core registration programs for US-approved GLP-1 RAs. Patients reaching an A1C target of <7% were analyzed with a binomial model and change in A1C from baseline with a normal model. A covariate analysis assessed the impact of baseline A1C and treatment background on outcomes. Results The base-case NMA used 23 trials reporting A1C outcomes at ~6 month follow-up. The results, unadjusted and adjusted for baseline A1C, indicated that all GLP-1 RAs resulted in statistically significantly lower A1C at follow-up compared with placebo. The odds of reaching the <7% target were also significantly better compared with placebo. With dulaglutide, exenatide once weekly, and liraglutide, the absolute reduction in A1C at 6 months was 0.9%–1.4%, and was significantly better than exenatide twice daily. Albiglutide was not significantly different from exenatide twice daily. We estimate that ~50% of patients will meet the <7% A1C target within 6 months of commencing GLP-1 RAs. Conclusion This was a comprehensive assessment of the comparative effectiveness of GLP-1 RAs and A1C outcome. GLP-1 RAs are a viable addition to oral antidiabetes therapy, and dulaglutide, exenatide once weekly, and liraglutide are the most effective.
Society, demography and genetic structure in the spotted hyena

Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are large mammalian carnivores, but their societies, called ‘clans’, resemble those of such cercopithecine primates as baboons and macaques with respect to their size, hierarchical structure, and frequency of social interaction among both kin and unrelated group‐mates. However, in contrast to cercopithecine primates, spotted hyenas regularly hunt antelope and compete with group‐mates for access to kills, which are extremely rich food sources, but also rare and ephemeral. This unique occurrence of baboon‐like sociality among top‐level predators has favoured the evolution of many unusual traits in this species. We briefly review the relevant socio‐ecology of spotted hyenas, document great demographic variation but little variation in social structure across the species’ range, and describe the long‐term fitness consequences of rank‐related variation in resource access among clan‐mates. We then summarize patterns of genetic relatedness within and between clans, including some from a population that had recently gone through a population bottleneck, and consider the roles of sexually dimorphic dispersal and female mate choice in the generation of these patterns. Finally, we apply social network theory under varying regimes of resource availability to analyse the effects of kinship on the stability of social relationships among members of one large hyena clan in Kenya. Although social bonds among both kin and non‐kin are weakest when resource competition is most intense, hyenas sustain strong social relationships with kin year‐round, despite constraints imposed by resource limitation. Our analyses suggest that selection might act on both individuals and matrilineal kin groups within clans containing multiple matrilines.
’Is it okay to go out on the pull without it being nasty?’: lads’ performance of lad culture

ABSTRACT Lad culture is pervasive in UK higher education, fuelling misogyny and violence towards women. Lad culture is commonly described as mix of boorish socialising, drinking, sport and pack behaviour. This study reports on the attitudes and experiences of laddish students from a UK university. Laddish behaviours were ubiquitous in their university lives. They were well aware of the harm lad culture causes but struggled to manage their behaviour. Being a lad is an important part of their identity. With their lad friends they relaxed their performance of assertive masculinity. Interviewees identified banter within their friendship group as an essential social currency but were explicit that banter aimed at other people was bullying. Academic success was important and was gained in part by making a distinct break from anti-academic lads. Their self-awareness and willingness to engage with the issue offers opportunities for more effective interventions to combat misogyny.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.org Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Patients with Sleep-disordered Breathing

Introduction: Information concerning the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is controversial. Hence, the objectives of this study were to: determine the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with SDB; explore whether the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms rises with increasing parameters of SDB severity; and investigate the factors potentially associated with anxiety and depression. SDB diagnoses were established using standard polysomnography or simplified respiratory polygraphy. All patients routinely completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) on their first visit to the Sleep Medicine Unit. Results: 382 patients with SDB were included. Mean age was 50.8±13.6 years, 62% were male. Anxiety symptoms were acknowledged by 71 patients (18.5%), while 29 (7.6%) had depression symptoms, and 116 (30.4%) had symptoms of anxiety plus depression. Patients who reported anxiety and depression symptoms scored higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS, 16±7) than those with no symptoms (11±6) (p<0.0001). Patients with symptoms of anxiety plus depression also had higher BMIs (36 ± 8 K/m 2) than patients with SDB without anxiety or depression. No other differences were observed, not even with respect to the parameters of the severity of their SDB. Conclusions: Our results support the recommendation that due to their high frequency and potential importance for long-term adherence to CPAP, anxiety and depression symptoms should be included in the routine evaluation of all adults with SDB.
Multifrequency Observations of Giant Radio Pulses from the Millisecond Pulsar B1937+21

Giant pulses are short, intense outbursts of radio emission with a power-law intensity distribution that have been observed from the Crab pulsar and PSR B1937+21. We have undertaken a systematic study of giant pulses from PSR B1937+21 using the Arecibo telescope at 430, 1420, and 2380 MHz. At 430 MHz, interstellar scattering broadens giant pulses to durations of ~50 μs, but at higher frequencies the pulses are very short, typically lasting only ~1-2 μs. At each frequency, giant pulses are emitted only in narrow (≲10 μs) windows of pulse phase located ~55-70 μs after the main and interpulse peaks. Although some pulse-to-pulse jitter in arrival times is observed, the mean arrival phase appears stable; a timing analysis of the giant pulses yields precision competitive with the best average profile timing studies. We have measured the intensity distribution of the giant pulses, confirming a roughly power-law distribution with approximate index of -1.8, contributing ≳0.1% to the total flux at each frequency. We also find that the intensity of giant pulses falls off with a slightly steeper power of frequency than the ordinary radio emission.
Source and sinks for the calcium released during fertilization of single sea urchin eggs

The source and sinks for the intracellular calcium released during fertilization were examined in single eggs from the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata. Single eggs were microinjected with the calcium photoprotein, aequorin. The calcium-aequorin luminescence was measured with a microscope-photomultiplier or observed with a microscope-image intensifier-video system. In the normal egg a propagated release has been observed. The source of the calcium was investigated in the organelle-stratified centrifuged egg and by the use of mitochondrial uncouplers. In the organelle-stratified centrifuged egg, the calcium- aequorin luminescence was found to originate from the clear zone. The principal constituent of the clear zone is the endoplasmic reticulum. Other potential sources of calcium are the mitochondria. Their contribution to the calcium transient was investigated by exposure of aequorin-injected eggs to mitochondrial uncouplers either before or after fertilization. There was no calcium released from the mitochondria before fertilization. A very large calcium store was released from the mitochondria after fertilization. Interestingly, eggs fertilized in the presence of uncouplers showed no increase in the calcium-aequorin luminescence over untreated eggs. Apparently, in the absence of mitochondrial uptake, other sinks for calcium with affinity and capacity similar to the mitochondria exist, but their nature is unknown. We suggest that the endoplasmic reticulum is the source of the intracellular calcium released upon fertilization and that the mitochondria are the principal sink. The results are discussed with regard to the metabolic activation of the egg.
Functional anatomy of macaque striate cortex. II. Retinotopic organization

Macaque monkeys were shown retinotopically-specific visual stimuli during 14C-2-deoxy-d-glucose (DG) infusion in a study of the retinotopic organization of primary visual cortex (V1). In the central half of V1, the cortical magnification was found to be greater along the vertical than along the horizontal meridian, and overall magnification factors appeared to be scaled proportionate to brain size across different species. The cortical magnification factor (CMF) was found to reach a maximum of about 15 mm/deg at the representation of the fovea, at a point of acute curvature in the V1-V2 border. We find neither a duplication nor an overrepresentation of the vertical meridian. The magnification factor did not appear to be doubled in a direction perpendicular to the ocular dominance strips; it may not be increased at all. The DG borders in parvorecipient layer 4Cb were found to be as sharp as 140 micron (half-amplitude, half width), corresponding to a visual angle of less than 2′ of arc at the eccentricity measured. In other layers (including magnorecipient layer 4Ca), the retinotopic borders are broader. The retinotopic spread of activity is greater when produced by a low-spatial-frequency grating than when produced by a high-spatial-frequency grating. Orientation- specific stimuli produced a pattern of activation that spread further than 1 mm across cortex in some layers. Some DG evidence suggests that the spread of functional activity is greater near the foveal representation than near 5 degrees eccentricity.
Integrating Problem Solvers from Analogous Markets in New Product Ideation

Who provides better inputs to new product ideation tasks, problem solvers with expertise in the area for which new products are to be developed or problem solvers from “analogous” markets that are distant but share an analogous problem or need? Conventional wisdom appears to suggest that target market expertise is indispensable, which is why most managers searching for new ideas tend to stay within their own market context even when they do search outside their firms' boundaries. However, in a unique symmetric experiment that isolates the effect of market origin, we find evidence for the opposite: Although solutions provided by problem solvers from analogous markets show lower potential for immediate use, they demonstrate substantially higher levels of novelty. Also, compared to established novelty drivers, this effect appears highly relevant from a managerial perspective: we find that including problem solvers from analogous markets versus the target market accounts for almost two-thirds of the well-known effect of involving lead users instead of average problem solvers. This effect is further amplified when the analogous distance between the markets increases, i.e., when searching in far versus near analogous markets. Finally, results indicate that the analogous market effect is particularly strong in the upper tail of the novelty distribution, which again underscores the effect's practical importance. All of this suggests that it might pay to systematically search across firm-external sources of innovation that were formerly out of scope for most managers.Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi. org/10.1287/mnsc.2013. 1805. This paper was accepted by Lee Fleming, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Time flies when you are having fun: Cognitive Absorption and Beliefs about Social Media Usage

The purpose of this study was to do a methodological replication of Agarwal & Karahanna (2000), in the context of social media. The original work describes a construct labeled 'cognitive absorption' (CA) having a theoretical base derived from three inter-related areas of research: the personality trait dimension of absorption, the state of flow, and the notion of cognitive engagement. Regarding the methodological replication process, we adapted the original instrument to the context of social media and collected data from 326 students. Following the same procedures used by Agarwal & Karahanna (2000), we used Partial Least Squares (PLS) to analyze the data and found results that supported the ideas advanced in their study, although we also identified some differences concerning perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and personal innovativeness. The differences we found seem to be entirely associated with the context of social media. The level of experience in using technology is likely explained by the fact that the exposure to technology is much more significant today than 16 years ago, technology has become part of the daily routine of individuals, where social media is one of the most widely used.
M-Channel Paraunitary Multirate Filter Bank Factorisation over Fields of Characteristic Two

It has been proposed that all M-channel paraunitary (PU) multirate filter banks over GF(2 r ) can be described using the product of basic lattice blocks. In this paper this conjecture is proven by considering a redefinition of degree-0 lattice blocks. A factorisation algorithm that factors all degree-J PU filter banks over GF(2 r ) is presented. In the course of this work M-channel type-I matrices are studied in detail.
Merlin Inhibits Neurite Outgrowth in the CNS

The neurofibromatosis type 2 gene product merlin is known to provoke gliogenic tumors as a result of its mutagenic loss. Merlin's physiological anti-mitogenic function makes it unique among its ezrin–radixin–moesin (ERM) family members. Although ERM proteins and merlin are known to be expressed in glial cells of the peripheral nervous system and CNS, the neuronal expression pattern and function of merlin have been less well investigated. We report here expression of merlin in developing and mature neurons of the murine CNS. Within cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), merlin was localized in the soma, sprouting dendrites and axons. Merlin expression in PCs was high during the period of initial dendrite regression and declined during later phases of dendrite elongation. Consistently, merlin expression in vivo was increased in Engrailed-2-overexpressing PCs, which are characterized by a reduced dendritic extension. Furthermore, overexpression of merlin in dissociated cerebellar cultures and in neurogenic P19 cells caused a significant decline in neurite outgrowth, while, conversely, inhibition of merlin expression increased process formation. This effect was dependent on phosphorylation of serine 518 and involved the inactivation of the growth-promoting GTPase Rac. We thus provide evidence that merlin plays a pivotal role in controlling the neuronal wiring in the developing CNS.
Modeling and Forecasting Value-at-Risk in the UAE Stock Markets: The Role of Long Memory, Fat Tails and Asymmetries in Return Innovations

In this paper, we investigate the adequacy of the fractionally integrated asymmetric power model to measure value at risk in the United Arab Emirates stock exchanges. Our empirical results show that the accuracy of the model is improved when value at risk is computed using innovations modeled as skewed Student-t distribution. Including a long memory in the conditional volatility process would also improve the results. We conclude that, the modeling of asymmetry, fat tails and long memory have potentially important implications for risk assessment, and hedging strategies in the UAE stock exchanges.
Glossiness and Perishable Food Quality: Visual Freshness Judgment of Fish Eyes Based on Luminance Distribution

Background Previous studies have reported the effects of statistics of luminance distribution on visual freshness perception using pictures which included the degradation process of food samples. However, these studies did not examine the effect of individual differences between the same kinds of food. Here we elucidate whether luminance distribution would continue to have a significant effect on visual freshness perception even if visual stimuli included individual differences in addition to the degradation process of foods. Methodology/principal findings We took pictures of the degradation of three fishes over 3.29 hours in a controlled environment, then cropped square patches of their eyes from the original images as visual stimuli. Eleven participants performed paired comparison tests judging the visual freshness of the fish eyes at three points of degradation. Perceived freshness scores (PFS) were calculated using the Bradley-Terry Model for each image. The ANOVA revealed that the PFS for each fish decreased as the degradation time increased; however, the differences in the PFS between individual fish was larger for the shorter degradation time, and smaller for the longer degradation time. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the relative importance of the statistics of luminance distribution of the stimulus images in predicting PFS. The results show that standard deviation and skewness in luminance distribution have a significant influence on PFS. Conclusions/significance These results show that even if foodstuffs contain individual differences, visual freshness perception and changes in luminance distribution correlate with degradation time.
Phenotypic and Functional Analyses of KIR3DL1+ and KIR3DS1+ NK Cell Subsets Demonstrate Differential Regulation by Bw4 Molecules and Induced KIR3DS1 Expression on Stimulated NK Cells1

Recently, the Z27 mAb was shown to recognize the NK cell-activating receptor KIR3DS1, and several genetic studies suggest that the most probable ligands of KIR3DS1 are HLA class I molecules with the Bw4 motif. Despite these findings, the attempts to establish a functional interaction between KIR3DS1 and its potential ligand have been unsuccessful. Here, we study the proliferation and cytotoxicity of KIR3DS1+ NK cells, compared with KIR3DL1+ NK cells, according to the Bw4+ or Bw4− allogeneic environment. Our results show for the first time that KIR3DS1 expression on NK cells can be induced after exposure to stimulator cells (221, K562, EBV-B cell lines, and B cells), polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, IL-15, or IL-2. Furthermore, whereas KIR3DL1+ NK cell proliferation and cytotoxicity were inhibited in a Bw4+ but not a Bw4− context, KIR3DS1+ NK cell functions were not influenced by the presence of Bw4 on target cells. Nevertheless, despite the absence of demonstrated regulation of KIR3DS1+ NK cell functions by HLA-Bw4 molecules, we found a higher KIR3DS1+ NK cell frequency and higher levels of KIR3DS1 expression in Bw4+ compared with Bw4− individuals. Altogether, these results suggest that KIR3DS1 does not recognize HLA-Bw4 molecules in a physiological context, and they highlight the induced expression of KIR3DS1 observed on stimulated NK cells and the higher frequency of KIR3DS1+ NK cells in Bw4+ individuals. Because a protective KIR3DS1-Bw4 association has been reported in viral infections, our results further the understanding of the role of KIR3DS1+ NK cells in controlling viral infections.