Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Topography of social touching depends on emotional bonds between humans

Significance Touch is a powerful tool for communicating positive emotions. However, it has remained unknown to what extent social touch would maintain and establish social bonds. We asked a total of 1,368 people from five countries to reveal, using an Internet-based topographical self-reporting tool, those parts of their body that they would allow relatives, friends, and strangers to touch. These body regions formed relationship-specific maps in which the total area was directly related to the strength of the emotional bond between the participant and the touching person. Cultural influences were minor. We suggest that these relation-specific bodily patterns of social touch constitute an important mechanism supporting the maintenance of human social bonds. Nonhuman primates use social touch for maintenance and reinforcement of social structures, yet the role of social touch in human bonding in different reproductive, affiliative, and kinship-based relationships remains unresolved. Here we reveal quantified, relationship-specific maps of bodily regions where social touch is allowed in a large cross-cultural dataset (N = 1,368 from Finland, France, Italy, Russia, and the United Kingdom). Participants were shown front and back silhouettes of human bodies with a word denoting one member of their social network. They were asked to color, on separate trials, the bodily regions where each individual in their social network would be allowed to touch them. Across all tested cultures, the total bodily area where touching was allowed was linearly dependent (mean r2 = 0.54) on the emotional bond with the toucher, but independent of when that person was last encountered. Close acquaintances and family members were touched for more reasons than less familiar individuals. The bodily area others are allowed to touch thus represented, in a parametric fashion, the strength of the relationship-specific emotional bond. We propose that the spatial patterns of human social touch reflect an important mechanism supporting the maintenance of social bonds.
Supervision

Abstract Although supervision is a central component of internship education for social work and other helping profession students, few reports about the supervision process exist in the literature. In the present study, weekly process data were gathered on first and second year students' (N = 77) perceptions of critical incidents in the supervision process, the most important interventions made by supervisors, feelings about the supervisor, satisfaction with supervision, and the effectiveness and impact of supervisor interventions. When the semester was completed, outcome data were gathered retrospectively from the same students on the same variables. Among the major findings were that students wanted direction and on-going support from their supervisors, but that they also wanted to think independently and to be self-reliant. Process measures provided limited support to the developmental model of supervision.
Utilization and Outcomes of Palliative Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Population-based Study in the United States

Goals: To evaluate the utilization and determinants of receiving palliative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its effect on survival. Background: Palliative treatment for HCC, including transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and systemic chemotherapy, is available for patients who do not receive potentially curative therapy. The utilization and outcomes of these therapies in clinical practice are unknown. Study: We conducted a population-based cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results Registry data linked to Medicare claims of HCC patients aged above 65 years diagnosed during 2000 to 2005 who did not receive liver transplant, resection, or ablation. The proportions of patients who received TACE or systemic chemotherapy were calculated by tumor stage, liver disease status, and non-HCC comorbidity. Determinants of receiving palliative therapy were examined in logistic regression models and propensity scores were calculated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate mortality risk. Results: We identified 3163 HCC patients (median age, 75 y; 67% men) who did not receive potentially curative treatment. Approximately 12.5% of patients received TACE and 11.0% received chemotherapy. In patients with early or intermediate stage HCC, no liver decompensation, and little or no comorbidity, only 22.8% received TACE and 13.8% received chemotherapy. Median survival was significantly higher among patients who received TACE (14.0 mo) compared with who received chemotherapy (5.0 mo) or no therapy (2.0 mo). A significant reduction in overall mortality was observed for TACE (54%) and chemotherapy (33%). Conclusions: Utilization of palliative treatment for HCC is low, which could not be explained by clinical features. However, misclassification could have occurred due to the data source. Receipt of TACE or systemic chemotherapy was associated with a reduction in mortality.
Spinal injuries in children: role of MR.

PURPOSE To define the clinical and prognostic role of MR in a pediatric population with spinal cord injury. METHODS Fifteen children underwent MR 12 hours to 2 months postinjury using decoupled surface coils and ventilator support as needed. MR was correlated retrospectively with clinical, CT, and radiographic findings. RESULTS On MR, of seven children with spinal cord neurologic deficits, four had hemorrhagic contusions, one had nonhemorrhagic contusion, one had extensive infarction, and one revealed a normal cord. All had persistent deficits on hospital discharge. Eight without cord neurologic deficit revealed no cord lesions on MR; this group included two with epidural hematoma, four with ligamentous disruption, and two with bone compression. CONCLUSIONS Children may have extensive cord contusion and/or infarction with minor, remote, or no fracture dislocation. Because both hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic cord lesions found on MR were associated with significant, persistent cord deficits, the authors conclude that MR provides a practical tool for diagnosis/prognosis in children with acute/subacute spinal injury.
Universal Service from the Bottom Up: A Study of Telephone Penetration in Camden, New Jersey

Ethnographic methods and geographic information systems were used to investigate the extent, causes and consequences of telephone disconnection in Camden, NJ. The results have significant implications for public policies intended to promote universal telephone penetration. Universal service is usually perceived as an issue for rural areas and the elderly, but the most extensive pockets of low telephone penetration are found in inner cities, where the problem is associated with the young, the transient, and ethnic minorities. The basic monthly rate paid by subscribers is usually thought to be the most important factor affecting affordability, but the data suggest that most marginal users are driven off the network by usage-related costs, and more generally by the problem of credit-worthiness. Given prevailing consumption patterns in low-income urban areas, ''electronic redlining'' seems less of a threat than that poor Americans will, upon exposure to the advanced features of the national information infras.
Multimodal diffusion geometry by joint diagonalization of Laplacians

We construct an extension of diffusion geometry to multiple modalities through joint approximate diagonalization of Laplacian matrices. This naturally extends classical data analysis tools based on spectral geometry, such as diffusion maps and spectral clustering. We provide several synthetic and real examples of manifold learning, retrieval, and clustering demonstrating that the joint diffusion geometry frequently better captures the inherent structure of multi-modal data. We also show that many previous attempts to construct multimodal spectral clustering can be seen as particular cases of joint approximate diagonalization of the Laplacians.
Central Ghrelin Modulates Sympathetic Activity in Conscious Rabbits

Abstract—Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide originally isolated from the stomach. Intravenous administration of ghrelin has been shown to elicit a decrease in arterial pressure without a significant change in heart rate (HR), suggesting that ghrelin may act on the central nervous system to modulate sympathetic activity. The aim of the present study was to determine the central effects of ghrelin on cardiovascular and sympathetic responses in conscious rabbits. Intravenous injection of ghrelin elicited dose-related decreases in arterial pressure and HR, without a significant change in renal sympathetic nerve activity. On the other hand, intracerebroventricular injection of 1 nmol of ghrelin decreased arterial pressure, HR, and renal sympathetic nerve activity. Peak depressor or sympathoinhibitory responses of mean arterial pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity (−19.0±1.5 mm Hg and −43.3±5.4%) were observed at 50 and 40 minutes, respectively, after intracerebroventricular injection of 1 nmol of ghrelin. Furthermore, a subdepressor dose of intracerebroventricular infusion of ghrelin (0.3 nmol/150 &mgr;L per hour) significantly augmented the baroreflex sensitivities assessed by renal sympathetic nerve activity and HR compared with those of vehicle infusion (Gmax; −17.8±3.1 versus −9.4±1.6%/mm Hg, P <0.05; −12.5±1.8 versus −6.6±1.2 bpm/mm Hg, P <0.05; respectively). These results suggest that intravenous injection of ghrelin acts, at least in part, on the central nervous system to decrease arterial pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity, and that central ghrelin participates in the regulations of the sympathetic nerve activity to the kidney and the baroreceptor reflex in conscious rabbits.
Treatment outcomes and perception of social acknowledgment in war veterans: follow-up study.

AIM To assess treatment outcomes of psychotherapy for war veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to investigate self-perceived social acknowledgment. METHODS In this prospective cohort study, a set of psychological instruments was used to assess the level of posttraumatic stress symptoms (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale, Impact of Event Scale--Revised), symptoms of general psychopathology (Brief Symptom Inventory), quality of life (The Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life), and perceived social acknowledgment on a sample of 152 Croatian war veterans participating in group psychotherapy. All participants were interviewed at baseline and followed up after 3 and 12 months. We analyzed the changes in symptom levels over the course of one year, as well as the correlations between symptoms (both at baseline and after therapy) and perceived social acknowledgment. RESULTS The analysis of symptom levels at the beginning of group therapy and after 12 months showed minimal or no changes in their intensity. Only the symptoms of intrusion (ANOVA, F-value=7.09, P<0.001) were significantly reduced after a period of 12 months. Levels of hostility (ANOVA, F-value=7.85, P<0.001) and psychoticism were significantly increased (ANOVA, F-value=7.80, P<0.001) at the end of the treatment. Other categories of posttraumatic symptoms and the level of general psychopathology did not change significantly during the course of treatment. The results showed that war veterans perceive extremely low levels of social acknowledgment, especially from their wider social environment: 92.9% perceived a lack of acknowledgment from governmental institutions and 95.4% from the state in general. CONCLUSION Despite some methodological constraints, our results showed that even 10 years after the traumatization, PTSD symptoms among war veterans remained intense and that undergoing therapy over a year did not produce significant improvements, except on the dimension of intrusion. Veterans were highly sensitive to the way their primary social environment and the society as a whole react to their problems.
K-ras mutations in DNA extracted from the plasma of patients with pancreatic carcinoma: diagnostic utility and prognostic significance.

PURPOSE Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of K-ras mutations in the plasma of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. However, the diagnostic utility and the prognostic significance of this finding have never been addressed. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-four consecutive patients with histologically confirmed primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were included. A control group of 37 patients with chronic pancreatitis, 10 patients with other tumors of the pancreatic area, nine patients with acute pancreatitis, and four healthy volunteers was also included. Plasma DNA was isolated and K-ras codon-12 mutations were analyzed by means of restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism techniques. Patients were followed up to establish their clinical outcome. RESULTS The mutant-type K-ras gene was found in plasma DNA samples of 12 (27%) of 44 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; this finding was related to the tumor stage (P = .05), mainly in the presence of distant metastases (P = .02). In addition, K-ras mutations were detected in the plasma DNA of two (5%) of 37 patients with chronic pancreatitis. In the subset of patients with pancreatic masses, the sensitivity and specificity of plasma K-ras analysis for pancreatic adenocarcinoma were 27% and 100%, respectively. Finally, pancreatic carcinoma patients with the mutant-type K-ras gene in plasma DNA exhibited a shorter survival time than patients with the wild-type gene (P<.005), and plasma K-ras mutations were identified as the only independent prognostic factor (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 2.23). CONCLUSION Plasma K-ras analysis is a highly specific, low-sensitivity approach that has diagnostic and prognostic clinical implications in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.
Mutant calreticulin‐expressing cells induce monocyte hyperreactivity through a paracrine mechanism

Mutations in the calreticulin gene (CALR) were recently identified in approximately 70–80% of patients with JAK2‐V617F‐negative essential thrombocytosis and primary myelofibrosis. All frameshift mutations generate a recurring novel C‐terminus. Here we provide evidence that mutant calreticulin does not accumulate efficiently in cells and is abnormally enriched in the nucleus and extracellular space compared to wildtype calreticulin. The main determinant of these findings is the loss of the calcium‐binding and KDEL domains. Expression of type I mutant CALR in Ba/F3 cells confers minimal IL‐3‐independent growth. Interestingly, expression of type I and type II mutant CALR in a nonhematopoietic cell line does not directly activate JAK/STAT signaling compared to wildtype CALR and JAK2‐V617F expression. These results led us to investigate paracrine mechanisms of JAK/STAT activation. Here we show that conditioned media from cells expressing type I mutant CALR exaggerate cytokine production from normal monocytes with or without treatment with a toll‐like receptor agonist. These effects are not dependent on the novel C‐terminus. These studies offer novel insights into the mechanism of JAK/STAT activation in patients with JAK2‐V617F‐negative essential thrombocytosis and primary myelofibrosis. Am. J. Hematol. 91:211–219, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Financial Liberalization, Structural Reforms and Foreign Direct Investment: An Empirical Investigation*

The relationship between structural reforms and f oreign direct investment inflows (FDI) is complex because differe nt reforms have different impacts and because their complementarities have important yet imperfectly understood effects on FDI inflows. The objective of this paper is to try to extricate these effects, focusing on the dynamics of privatiz ation, trade and financial liberalization in a large yearly panel of developin g countries (Latin America and transition economies) for 1989-2004. Our main findi ng is of a strong relationship from reforms to FDI and, in particular, from financ ial liberalization. We subject our results to various sensitivity tests and find they are robust to different measures of reforms, split samples, panel estimators (fixed-eff ects, system GMM, and differences-in-differences), and endogeneity and om itted variables concerns.
Foreign Language Anxiety: Past and Future

Abstract This paper gives a comprehensive review of studies on foreign language anxiety. Foreign language anxiety has been recognized in the past few decades as a situation-specific emotional reaction that potentially impedes foreign language learning. Research has shown that foreign language anxiety is not only prevalent among foreign language learners, but also has various negative effects on foreign language learning. In order to help learners cope with this problem, researchers have identified a large number of sources of foreign language anxiety, which generally fall into four major categories, namely, the classroom environment, learner characteristics, the target language, and the foreign language learning process itself. Researchers have also investigated quite a number of factors associated with foreign language anxiety (including categorical background variables and quantitative learner variables) and have produced mixed results. Based on a thorough review of foreign language anxiety, the paper concludes with recommendations for future studies on foreign language anxiety.
Interprofessional undergraduate clinical learning: Results from a three year project in a Danish Interprofessional Training Unit

On entering higher education students become professionally socialized, and parallel with this, stereotyping takes place, students developing a more positive assessment of their own roles than those of other professions. This difference between the view of their own and other professions can contribute to creating cognitive and social boundaries between professions that hinder sharing of knowledge, which can result in poor cooperation. Interprofessional training can provide students with good clinical expertise in their own profession as well as teach them about other professions encouraging more positive attitudes between the professions. This project has taken place from 2004 to 2007 in a Danish Interprofessional Training Unit manned with students from the professions occupational therapy, physiotherapy, medicine and nursing. As part of an evaluation of the project, four focus group interviews and two in-depth interviews were analysed using the technique of Systematic Text Condensation. Results show that the goals of the Interprofessional Training Unit were fulfilled because the students learned interprofessional teamwork, strengthened their own professional role and worked together in an organization for the benefit of the patient. All this took place in a secure learning environment in which new methods of coordinating and integrating clinical and theoretical interprofessional learning were developed and tested.
Function of homo- and hetero-oligomers of human nucleoplasmin/nucleophosmin family proteins NPM1, NPM2 and NPM3 during sperm chromatin remodeling

Sperm chromatin remodeling after oocyte entry is the essential step that initiates embryogenesis. This reaction involves the removal of sperm-specific basic proteins and chromatin assembly with histones. In mammals, three nucleoplasmin/nucleophosmin (NPM) family proteins–NPM1, NPM2 and NPM3–expressed in oocytes are presumed to cooperatively regulate sperm chromatin remodeling. We characterized the sperm chromatin decondensation and nucleosome assembly activities of three human NPM proteins. NPM1 and NPM2 mediated nucleosome assembly independently of other NPM proteins, whereas the function of NPM3 was largely dependent on formation of a complex with NPM1. Maximal sperm chromatin remodeling activity of NPM2 required the inhibition of its non-specific nucleic acid-binding activity by phosphorylation. Furthermore, the oligomer formation with NPM1 elicited NPM3 nucleosome assembly and sperm chromatin decondensation activity. NPM3 also suppressed the RNA-binding activity of NPM1, which enhanced the nucleoplasm–nucleolus shuttling of NPM1 in somatic cell nuclei. Our results proposed a novel mechanism whereby three NPM proteins cooperatively regulate chromatin disassembly and assembly in the early embryo and in somatic cells.
Quantifying Rural Hunter Access in Alaska

ABSTRACT Despite hunter access influencing harvest success, few studies have quantified characteristics of hunter access. Based on spatially explicit interview data, we used geographic information system (GIS) analyses to calculate access pathways and distances that rural hunters traveled to moose (Alces alces) harvest locations in Interior Alaska. Using Jenks Natural Breaks classification, approximately 53%, 21%, 5%, and 21% of harvest locations occurred along navigable rivers within 0 to 24, 25 to 52, 53 to 86, and >86 km (0 to 14, 15 to 32, 33 to 53, and >53 mi), respectively, from the hunter’s community of residence. We used moose density estimates in the area being accessed by hunters to calculate annual moose harvest. Our results were similar to estimates from independent sources that used more standardized methods (e.g., agency household surveys). This suggests that our access-based approach has potential to provide an alternative method for estimating harvest intensity in areas where harvest report data are considered unreliable. Also, our findings demonstrated how insight on hunter access may help prioritize areas for active management.
False data injection attacks targeting DC model-based state estimation

The false data injection attack (FDIA) is a form of cyber-attack capable of affecting the secure and economic operation of the smart grid. With DC model-based state estimation, this paper analyzes ways of constructing a successful attacking vector to fulfill specific targets, i.e., pre-specified state variable target and pre-specified meter target according to the adversary's willingness. The grid operator's historical reading experiences on meters are considered as a constraint for the adversary to avoid being detected. Also from the viewpoint of the adversary, we propose to take full advantage of the dual concept of the coefficients in the topology matrix to handle with the problem that the adversary has no access to some meters. Effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by numerical experiments on the IEEE-14 benchmark system.