Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanism of ocular surface damage: Application to an in vitro dry eye model on human corneal epithelium

Purpose The present study was concerned with the development of a new experimental model of dry eye using human reconstructed in vitro corneal epithelium (HCE). The model is based on the use of adapted culture conditions that induce relevant modifications at the cellular and molecular level thus mimicking dry eye. Methods The HCE model was maintained in a controlled environmental setting (relative humidity <40% and 40 °C temperature) for 24 h and up to 72 h to induce dry eye. The evolution of the dry eye condition was assessed by histology, immunohistochemistry staining, scanning electron microscopy, and gene expression by using TaqMan gene assay technology (mucin-4 [MUC4], matrix metallopeptidase-9 [MMP9], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], and defensin β-2 [DEFB2). The effects of different commercially available tear substitutes on the induced dry eye condition were tested. Results This in vitro dry eye HCE model, that was well established within 24 h, has the characteristic features of a dry eye epithelium and could be satisfactorily used for preliminary assessment of the protective activity of some artificial tears. The transcriptional study of selected biomarkers showed an increase in MUC4, MMP9, TNF-α, and hBD-2 (DEFB2) gene expression. Conclusions By using a dynamic approach, we were able to define a biomarker gene signature of dry eye-induced effects that could be predictive of corneal damage in vivo and to discriminate the efficacy among different commercial artificial tears.
The Structural Relationships Between Optimism and Innovative Behavior: Understanding Potential Antecedents and Mediating Effects

Research on creative education in Taiwan is at a turning point after entering a new millennium. Developing positive attitudes and creative thinking has become increasingly essential for boosting college students' competitiveness in this fast-paced and changing world. There is a current need to extend knowledge on the association between optimistic attitudes and innovative behaviors. This study explored structural relationships between college students' optimism, creative self-efficacy, and innovative behavior in terms of hypothesized antecedents of optimism (cognitive reappraisal, promotion, and prevention) and the mediating role of creative self-efficacy via a structural equation modeling framework. The 970 participants were undergraduate students from public and private universities in Taiwan. Results indicated that (a) confirmatory factor analyses supported the evidence of construct-related validity of instruments administered in the study; (b) cognitive reappraisal and promotion had positive effects on optimism, but prevention had a negative effect; and (c) creative self-efficacy significantly and partially mediated the relationship between optimism and innovative behavior.
The link between the pursuit of intimacy goals and satisfaction in close same-sex friendships: An examination of the underlying processes

This research examines whether individuals who are strongly focused on the pursuit of intimacy in their close same-sex friendships structure and interact in these relationships in distinct ways, and thereby experience greater relationship satisfaction. Study 1 examines the association between the pursuit of intimacy goals and patterns of interaction (e.g., time spent, social support exchanged, self-disclosure) as well as the perception of one’s friend’s goals. Findings indicate that individuals with a strong focus on intimacy in friendships exchange high levels of social support and self-disclosure with their close friend, and see their friend as sharing their focus on intimacy. Study 2 examines the influence of intimacy goals on strategies for conflict resolution, and indicates that those with a focus on intimacy choose constructive methods of resolving conflict. Both studies also provide mediational analyses demonstrating that those with a strong focus on intimacy goals experience high levels of satisfaction at least in part because they interact in their close friendships in distinct ways. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and applied implications of these findings.
Where Have All the Organizers Gone

Abstract In this era of fiscal constraint and political conservatism, it is essential that graduate schools of social work recruit and prepare professional practitioners skilled in organizing and planning to play a role in improving the social conditions of functional and geographic communities. To develop a strategy for the future, an urban graduate school with a 25-year history of educating social workers with a community organization specialization studied the career paths and perspectives of its Community Organizing and Planning (CO & P) alumni. This paper reports on the views of over 100 graduates of Masters of Social Work (MSW) programs on their pre- and post-MSW values, jobs, work activities and professional identification. There was considerable overlap between the activities performed by organizers and administrators, an increase in administrative and supervisory positions, and a commensurate decrease in direct CO and clinical jobs over time. However, many CO & P alumni were engaged in CO & P act.
Octreotide use in post-cardiac surgery chylothorax: a 12-year perspective

Background Chylothorax following cardiothoracic surgery is a rare condition in pediatric patients with significant morbidity and mortality. Pharmacological management with octreotide suggests possible efficacy; however, current evidence is inadequate. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of octreotide as a therapeutic option in this clinical setting. Methods This was a 12-year single-center retrospective cohort study of all patients (birth to 18-years old) who received octreotide for management of post-cardiac surgery chylothorax between January 2003 to August 2015. The primary efficacy endpoint was resolution of chylothorax, categorized as complete (<2 mL·kg−1·day−1), partial (based on physician’s judgement), or failed. The primary safety endpoint was any significant adverse drug reaction leading to discontinuation of octreotide therapy. Of the 46 patients identified as receiving octreotide for post-cardiac surgery chylothorax, 29 were included in efficacy and safety analyses. Results Resolution of chylothorax was achieved in 62% (complete in 28%, partial in 34%) of the total sample. The 38% who did not respond to octreotide therapy required thoracic duct ligation. The mean initial dose and duration of octreotide was 4 ± 3 µg·kg−1·h−1 and 10 ± 5 days, respectively. Besides minor side-effects including transient hyperglycemia (45%), abdominal distension (3%), and tachycardia (>150 beats·min−1; 10%), no patient developed a significant side-effect that required discontinuation of therapy. Conclusions Pharmacological management of post-cardiac surgery induced chylothorax with octreotide shows promising benefits with an acceptable safety profile.
Efectos de los talleres de ocio sobre el bienestar subjetivo y la soledad en las personas mayores

Resumen En el presente trabajo se estudian los efectos psicológicos que los talleres de actividades de ocio desarrollados en un Centro de Día para Mayores tienen sobre el bienestar subjetivo de sus usuarios. Sobre una muestra de 122 personas de edades comprendidas entre los 50 y 82 años (edad media = 67.6), repartidas en cinco grupos—gimnasia, manualidades, informática, dibujo-pintura y control—, utilizando un diseño cuasiexperimental pre-test/post-test, se analizan las siguientes variables: satisfacción vital, depresión y soledad. Los resultados hallados confirman que estas actividades de ocio hacen disminuir los niveles de depresión y soledad entre sus usuarios, al tiempo que ayudan a incrementar su satisfacción vital. Estos beneficios se mantienen tres meses después de la conclusión de los talleres.
Breast cancer screening: ‘‘reassuring’’ the worried well?

Background: One of the suggested benefits of cancer screening is the peace of mind and reassurance experienced by those women who are given negative results. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there was a difference in the expression of psychosocial aspects in a population of women offered screening compared to a population of women not offered screening for breast cancer. Methods: One thousand women, aged 50—69 years, were randomly drawn from the Danish Civil Registration System to receive part I of the questionnaire Consequences of Screening in Breast Cancer (COS-BC1): the sample consisted of 500 women living in a geographical area where screening mammography had been offered for more than 10 years and 500 women living in an area where the public health authorities had never invited women to breast cancer screening. Results: A total of 759 women returned the questionnaire. Those living in areas where screening was not offered reported more negative psychosocial aspects compared to women living in areas where screening was offered. Conclusions: The results indicate that women tend to perceive breast cancer screening as a reassuring preventive initiative. Alternatively, the results indicate that the lack of invitation to breast cancer screening may have a negative psychosocial impact.
Fertility Drugs and Gynecologic Cancer

Abstract: Fertility drugs (FD) are spreading worldwide fast and therefore many studies have reviewed the possible association between the use of these drugs and cancer. Since the drugs used for ovulation induction during in vitro fertilization (IVF) like hCG, hMG, rFSH increase the levels of gonadal hormones, concerns have grown regarding the risk of developing cancer in breast, ovary, endometrium, and other target organs. In this review, we discuss a number of different studies published in recent years that show no association between the use of these drugs and most cancers.
Network and direct methods of maximising harmony

Paul Thagard (1989t) presents an interesting and important theoretical account of choosing between hypotheses in scientific and everyday domains, describing a network model, ECHO, which aims to embody these ideas. Thagard's integration of philosophical, psychological, and computational considerations is impressive in its breadth, theoretical rigor, and conceptual simplicity. It is a compelling example of the value of interdisciplinary research in the understanding of scientific and everyday reasoning. The general problem of choosing between alternative hypotheses, explanations, or theories is so profound that it might be thought that modeling is wholly infeasible. Thagard is able to finesse nicely many thorny problems, however (by presupposing a formalisation of the domain of application into discrete propositions representing hypotheses and evidence, and taking the degree of coherence between these propositions as given), leaving a constrained yet important subproblem to be solved. Central to Thagard's thesis is the claim that theory choice can be based on the "explanatory coherence" of sets of propositions, where "the global explanatory coherence of a system S of propositions is a function of the pairwise local coherence of those propositions" (Thagard 1989t, p. 437). In theory choice, the set of propositions with the maximal explanatory coherence is preferred. Formally, Thagard measures explanatory coherence as a simple function if:
Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in relation to the severity of diabetic polyneuropathy and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE Oxidative stress resulting from enhanced free-radical formation and/or a defect in antioxidant defenses has been implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental diabetic neuropathy. The objective of this study was to evaluate plasma levels of various biomarkers of oxidative stress in diabetic subjects in relation to the presence or absence of polyneuropathy (PN) and/or cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (8-iso-PGF(2alpha)), superoxide anion (O(2)(.-)) generation, lag phase to peroxidation by peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), vitamin E-to-lipid ratio, and vitamin C were measured in nonsmoking diabetic patients without PN and CAN (PN(-)/CAN(-) group; n = 62), in a group with PN but without CAN (PN(+)/CAN(-) group; n = 105), in those with both PN and CAN (PN(+)/CAN(+) group; n = 22), and in healthy control subjects (n = 85). RESULTS All three markers of oxidative stress were significantly increased, and both markers of antioxidant defense were decreased in the PN(+)/CAN(-) group compared with the control group (all P < 0.05). PN(-)/CAN(-) subjects showed a significant increase compared with control subjects for 8-iso-PGF(2alpha), O(2)(.-), and ONOO(-) and a decrease for the vitamin E-to-lipid ratio (all P < 0.05). In the PN(+)/CAN(-) group, a significant increase compared with the PN(-)/CAN(-) group was noted for O(2)(.-), whereas the vitamin E-to-lipid ratio and vitamin C were reduced (all P < 0.05). No significant differences were noted between the PN(+)/CAN(-) and PN(+)/CAN(+) groups for each of the five markers of oxidative stress. In multivariate models, O(2)(.-) and ONOO(-) were independently associated with neuropathic deficits, but diabetes duration and triglyceride levels were also independent determinants. CONCLUSIONS Oxidative stress is enhanced in diabetic patients before the development of PN but to an even higher degree in those with PN, without further significant increase in relation to superimposed autonomic neuropathy. However, apart from oxidative stress, diabetes duration and triglyceride levels are also related to the severity of PN.
Nerding out on twitter: fun, patriotism and #curiosity

This paper presents an analysis of tweets collected over six days before, during and after the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory, known as Curiosity, in the Gale Crater on the 6th of August 2012. A sociological application of web science is demonstrated by use of parallel coordinate visualization as part of a mixed methods study. The results show strong, predominantly positive, international interest in the event. Scientific details dominated the stream, but, following the successful landing, other themes emerged such as fun, and national pride.
Current fear of crime, sense of community, and loneliness in Italian adolescents: The role of autonomous mobility and play during childhood

A structural equation model was used to examine the role of autonomous mobility and play in public and semipublic places in childhood to predict adolescents' sense Of community, fear of crime, and, through the mediation of these two last psychosocial factors, feelings of loneliness. Participants included 789 Italian students (469 females and 320 males; mean age 16.62, SD = 69). The instruments used were the Italian Sense of Community Scale, the Neighborhood Relations Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. A questionnaire was also administered to investigate the adolescents' current fear of crime and their autonomous mobility when they were children by asking them to recall their play habits and independent mobility at 8-10 years of age. The structural equation model proved satisfying: Higher autonomous mobility and higher use of public places for play in childhood predicted less intense fear of crime and a stronger sense of community in adolescence. Furthermore, a better relationship with community predicted less pervasive feelings of loneliness. The simultaneous multigroup analysis showed that the final model was comparable for both girls and boys with only one difference. Language: en
Population Drinking and Cardiovascular Mortality in Russia

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health problem and the leading cause of death in Europe [1]. The burden of CVD mortality in Europe continues to demonstrate large spatial variations [2]. The highest rate of CVD mortality was registered in the Russian Federation, especially in the working age male population [3]. The reasons for this phenomenon are not fully understood, but most probably the driving force is a hazardous drinking pattern [4]. It is well-documented that consumption of large amount of vodka (spirits) in a single drinking occasion (binge drinking) is the predominant drinking pattern among middle-aged men in Russia [5,6]. The most persuative evidence for the association between high CVD mortality in Russia and hazardous drinking comes from population-level data. This paper will summarize the aggregate-level evidence suggesting that unfavorable mixture of higher overall level of alcohol consumption and binge drinking pattern is a major risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in Russia.
Beliefs and attitudes about assessment of a sample of student teachers in South Africa

Abstract The purpose of this study was to take the first steps in a long-term approach to helping South African teachers understand and respond to government demands that they change their assessment practices. Specifically, it attempted to identify the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes about assessment that student teachers bring with them to courses that are designed to equip them to teach in ways that are consistent with current curriculum trends in South Africa. The study attempted to answer the following research questions: are student teachers’ beliefs about assessment consistent with the approaches to assessment advocated in the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement? Are student teachers’ beliefs about assessment consistent with the basic principles of outcomes-based education? The results indicated broad general agreement between student teachers’ beliefs about assessment and the principles of assessment espoused in the Revised National Curriculum Statement. However, there was evidence that the beliefs of some of the subjects were inconsistent with these principles.
Lack of association of miR-146a and Ets-1 gene polymorphisms with Fuchs uveitis syndrome in Chinese Han patients

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) and V-Ets oncogene homolog 1 (Ets-1) gene polymorphisms with Fuchs Uveitis syndrome (FUS). Methods Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), miR-146a/rs2910164, ets-1/rs1128334, and ets-1/rs10893872 were genotyped in 219 Han Chinese patients with FUS and 612 healthy controls using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Genotype counts were analyzed by the χ2 test. Results No significant difference concerning the genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs2910164, rs1128334, and rs10893872 polymorphisms could be found between patients with FUS and the normal controls. Analysis according to gender did not show any influence of sex on the association of miR-146a and Ets-1 with FUS. Conclusions Our results suggest that the investigated three SNPs, miR-146a/rs2910164, ets-1/rs1128334, and ets-1/rs10893872, are not associated with FUS in the Han Chinese population.
A Comparison of Adult Bereavement in the Death of a Spouse, Child, and Parent

The Grief Experience Inventory (GEI) and the MMPI were used to assess bereavement reactions in 102 newly bereaved individuals; 107 controls were also assessed. Intensities of bereavement reactions were compared across three types of deaths experienced, i.e., spouse, child, and parent. Significantly higher intensities of grief were noted in parents surviving their child's death. A distinct number of physiological symptoms were noted in the bereaved group as compared to controls. Frequent church attenders were more likely to respond with higher optimism and social desirability but more repression of bereavement responses than were less frequent church attenders. Income did not appear to contribute negatively to bereavement itself but rather to the constellation of debilitating variables which surrounds those with low income. There were no differences in bereavement intensities between those who survived a chronic-illness death as compared with sudden death situations.
Capillary-gravity wave resistance in ordinary and magnetic fluids

Wave resistance is the drag force associated to the emission of waves by a moving disturbance at a free fluid surface. In the case of capillary-gravity waves it undergoes a transition from zero to a finite value as the speed of the disturbance reaches a certain critical value. For the first time an experiment is designed in order to obtain the capillary-gravity wave resistance as a function of speed. The effect of viscosity is explored, and a magnetic fluid is used to extend the available range of critical speeds. The threshold values are in good agreement with the proposed theory. Contrary to the theoretical model, however, the measured wave resistance reveals a non-monotonic speed dependence after the threshold.
Involvement in voluntary associations in North America and Western Europe: Trends and correlates 1981–2000

Abstract There is no lack of studies that point at discomforting trends in community life and citizens' social and political involvement in contemporary society. According to various indicators, Americans have become increasingly disconnected from their families, friends, neighbours and associations, leading to a decline of civic community and social trust and to more individual unhappiness. Similar developments are supposed to take place elsewhere. In this article we use data from the European and World Values Studies to address, for North America and Western Europe, (1) trends regarding voluntary associations, social trust, political involvement and happiness in the 1981–2000 period; (2) changing patterns and types of involvement in associations; and (3) macro and micro relationships between this involvement and political involvement, social trust and happiness. We find no general decline in these traits, no trend towards more passive membership, and only mixed evidence for positive connections between involvement, trust and happiness.
Asymptotically exact spectral estimates for left triangular matrices

For a family of $n*n$ left triangular matrices with binary entries we derive asymptotically exact (as $n\to\infty$) representation for the complete eigenvalues-eigenvectors problem. In particular we show that the dependence of all eigenvalues on $n$ is asymptotically linear for large $n$. A similar result is obtained for more general (with specially scaled entries) left triangular matrices as well. As an application we study ergodic properties of a family of chaotic maps.
Creating a culture of vocabulary acquisition for children living in poverty

This paper presents a compelling case for early and sustained vocabulary development for children reared in poverty. Research findings indicate that vocabulary knowledge is a critical factor in literacy and academic success for low-income children from preschool to higher levels of schooling. Vocabulary proficiency is strongly related to language and reading understanding and to success in academic subjects, particularly when topics are presented with semantically laden words related to conceptual knowledge. Practitioners learn which words to emphasize in the continuum range of high frequency/high utility to rare words and why conversation, discussion, book readings, morpheme and root word play, and writing become so important in the learning of new words. Presented are four broad suggestions relating to (1) using enhanced talk in the classroom, (2) capitalizing on the rich vocabulary of children's book authors, (3) manipulating morphemes with word roots, and (4) developing the vocabulary of informational topics. Practitioners can readily implement these suggestions in their own classroom contexts, thereby creating positive climates of vocabulary acquisition for children with low and meager receptive and productive vocabularies.