Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal assessment of cognitive changes associated with adjuvant treatment for breast cancer: impact of age and cognitive reserve.

PURPOSE To examine the impact of age and cognitive reserve on cognitive functioning in patients with breast cancer who are receiving adjuvant treatments. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with breast cancer exposed to chemotherapy (n = 60; mean age, 51.7 years) were evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological and psychological tests before treatment and at 1, 6, and 18 months after treatment. Patients not exposed to chemotherapy (n = 72; mean age, 56.6 years) and healthy controls (n = 45; mean age, 52.9 years) were assessed at matched intervals. RESULTS Mixed-effects modeling revealed significant effects for the Processing Speed and Verbal Ability domains. For Processing Speed, a three-way interaction among treatment group, age, and baseline cognitive reserve (P < .001) revealed that older patients with lower baseline cognitive reserve who were exposed to chemotherapy had lower performance on Processing Speed compared with patients not exposed to chemotherapy (P = .003) and controls (P < .001). A significant group by time interaction for Verbal Ability (P = .01) suggested that the healthy controls and no chemotherapy groups improved over time. The chemotherapy group failed to improve at 1 month after treatment but improved during the last two follow-up assessments. Exploratory analyses suggested a negative effect of tamoxifen on Processing Speed (P = .036) and Verbal Memory (P = .05) in the no-chemotherapy group. CONCLUSION These data demonstrated that age and pretreatment cognitive reserve were related to post-treatment decline in Processing Speed in women exposed to chemotherapy and that chemotherapy had a short-term impact on Verbal Ability. Exploratory analysis of the impact of tamoxifen suggests that this pattern of results may be due to a combination of chemotherapy and tamoxifen.
Language style on trial: Effects of “powerful” and “powerless” speech upon judgments of victims and villains

Two studies are reported. The first examined consequences of “powerful”; and “powerless”; speech styles on attribution of fault to a defendant and plaintiff in a hypothetical courtroom context. A powerless style included hedges, intensifiers, polite forms, hesitation forms, and deictic phrases; a powerful style omitted these while including short or one‐word replies. Results suggested that subjects attributed greater fault to the high‐power style, regardless of whether the speaker was the plaintiff or defendant. Also, female subjects saw the alleged act as more serious when the speaker exhibited the high‐power style in the role of defendant. The second study included a high‐ or low‐power version of the testimony of a second speaker. In this case, subjects read two messages, contrasting in role (defendant vs. plaintiff) and power (high vs. low). Results for seriousness and fault were not replicated. In this case, power of style had a strong effect on judgments of communicator “internality. ”; Results of bot.
The Beginning of Women's Ministry: the revival of the deaconess in the nineteenth-century Church of England

Muddles can be instructive for historians. Henrietta Blackmore’s carefully constructed volume of source material on the Anglican deaconess movement ushers the reader into the heart of a muddle. The reader encounters the theological muddle surrounding the appropriate role of women within the ordained hierarchy of the Church of England. The reader is not spared the practical muddle over what precisely the Church expected deaconesses to be and do. Moreover, the reader is left in no doubt as to the muddle of conflicting concerns within the Episcopacy over the pastoral expedient of organized women’s work in the Church and the fear of sanctioning religious orders which might resemble the threatening independence of the Anglo-Catholic sisterhoods. As the reader works through the assembled primary documents which portray the life, faith and worship of the early English deaconesses they are taken close into the messy ambiguity of the debate. The thematic organization of the documents serves the historian richly. Not only does Blackmore encourage the reader to reassess the importance of the female diaconate in the Church of England but she does so in a manner which captures the atmosphere, complexity, frustration and humanity of the revival. In opting to introduce unfamiliar readers to the topic directly through the source material Blackmore resists the temptation to impose artificial order on the historical reality of muddle. Instead she gives the reader room to enter into a dialogue with the characters, to become acquainted with the details of their lives and witness directly their hopes and their faith as well as the tensions and frustrations under which they continued to minister. The reader is introduced in particular to the North London Deaconess Institution (NLDI), founded by Elizabeth Ferard, and the Rochester Diocesan Deaconess Institution (RDDI), headed by Isabella Gilmore. Blackmore describes both as women of ‘power and initiative’ (p. xviii). They certainly emerge as inspirational figures on the Women’s History Review Vol. 20, No. 3, July 2011, pp. 479–486
Induction of murine interleukin 1: stimuli and responsive primary cells.

An interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) cDNA probe and an IL-1 responsive T-cell clone (D10.G4; half-maximal stimulation, 0.1-1 pM) have been used to study the production of IL-1 by primary murine cell populations, particularly macrophages and dendritic cells. Spleen and peritoneal macrophages produced IL-1 mRNA and released biologically active IL-1 when challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Induction of IL-1 was evident over a dose range of 0.01-10 micrograms of LPS per ml, and maximal mRNA levels were maintained from 4 to 20 hr. Several other stimuli did not induce IL-1 in cultured macrophages, including phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, gamma-interferon, Con A, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IL-3, cachectin, and activated T cells. Activated T cells could markedly reduce the response of peritoneal macrophages to LPS. When other cell types were compared with macrophages, keratinocytes had high levels of IL-1 mRNA, apparently in response to endogenous LPS. However B and T lymphocytes did not yield detectable IL-1 during proliferative responses to LPS and Con A, respectively, while dendritic cells produced little or no IL-1 when challenged with a battery of stimuli. Therefore, IL-1 may not be required for the potent accessory function of dendritic cells in lymphocyte mitogenesis. The results indicate that macrophages and dendritic cells have different secretory capacities. The macrophage is the principal leukocyte that synthesizes IL-1, and select stimuli increase and decrease the levels of macrophage IL-1 mRNA.
Test suite generation with memetic algorithms

Genetic Algorithms have been successfully applied to the generation of unit tests for classes, and are well suited to create complex objects through sequences of method calls. However, because the neighborhood in the search space for method sequences is huge, even supposedly simple optimizations on primitive variables (e.g., numbers and strings) can be ineffective or unsuccessful. To overcome this problem, we extend the global search applied in the EVOSUITE test generation tool with local search on the individual statements of method sequences. In contrast to previous work on local search, we also consider complex datatypes including strings and arrays. A rigorous experimental methodology has been applied to properly evaluate these new local search operators. In our experiments on a set of open source classes of different kinds (e.g., numerical applications and text processing), the resulting test data generation technique increased branch coverage by up to 32% on average over the normal Genetic Algorithm.
Limb Lengthening by Implantable Limb Lengthening Devices

Implantable limb lengthening using noninvasively adjusted telescopic nails dates back to 1983. The newest technology is the Precice (Ellipse Technologies). A retrospective study of the first 65 Precice nails was carried out for the treatment of limb length discrepancy (unilateral) and short stature (bilateral). Successful lengthening was achieved in all patients. There were numerous distraction and hardware complications. Despite these, implantable limb lengthening appears to be the direction for the future of limb lengthening.
Human motives and the concept of the self.

In order to understand how human motives affect human conduct it is necessary to deal with the question of how problems arising by the so-called defense-mechanisms or mechanisms of adjustment influence us. In reviewing the mechanisms of adjustment in motivational theory the author points out the lack of systematic treatment, and the paucity of carefully formulated experimentation. The assumption is made that "all the mechanisms imply a self-reference, and that the mechanisms are not understandable unless we adopt a concept of the self. " Three aspects of the concept of the self are discussed. (1) The mechanisms and the self. (2) The self present in awareness. (3) The inferred self. The establishment of laboratories for the study of psychodynamics is recommended. Psychologists who work in these laboratories will stem from heterogeneous backgrounds, yet they will be united in their scientific research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The Importance of the Internal Information Environment for Tax Avoidance

We show that firms׳ ability to avoid taxes is affected by the quality of their internal information environment, with lower effective tax rates (ETRs) for firms that have high internal information quality. The effect of internal information quality on tax avoidance is stronger for firms in which information is likely to play a more important role. For example, firms with greater coordination needs because of a dispersed geographical presence benefit more from high internal information quality. Similarly, firms operating in a more uncertain environment benefit more from the quality of their internal information in helping them to reduce ETRs. In addition, we provide evidence that high internal information quality allows firms to achieve lower ETRs without increasing the risk of their tax strategies (as measured by ETR volatility). Overall, our study contributes to the literature on tax avoidance by providing evidence that the internal information environment of the firm is important for understanding its tax avoidance outcomes.
The moderator as an emerging democratic intermediary: The role of the moderator in Internet discussions about public issues

A common approach towards the role of the moderator in Internet discussions is to see him as a filter. In this article I want to show that the moderator in government-initiated Internet discussions about public issues can be seen as a democratic intermediary, and that this role has the potential to enhance the quality of those discussions as forms of deliberative democracy. I develop a conceptual model of the management of Internet discussions. Five cases of Dutch Internet discussions about public issues are analyzed. The filter function of moderation appears to be of minor importance. Moderators do a lot more. They manage discussions. Particularly, they contribute to the interactivity and openness of discussions and to the accessibility of public administration and institutional politics. In most of the cases described, there had been independent, `third party' moderation. As governments gain more experience with the Internet, moderation may shift to governmental agencies. In this perspective, it is important to stress the transparency and to care for the negotiableness of moderation.
Chronic pain, depression, and quality of life: correlations and predictive value of the SF-36.

OBJECTIVE Depression is a major barrier to effective pain relief. The SF-36 Health Survey may be useful as an outcome measure for chronic pain patients with and without depression. The study purpose was to determine the correlation between the SF-36 Mental Composite Scale t-score and depression type in chronic pain patients and the positive predictive value of the SF-36 in classifying depression type in chronic pain patients. DESIGN Cross-sectional survey of chronic pain patients at baseline assessment. SETTING Interdisciplinary pain management center in the North Central United States. PATIENTS Two hundred forty-two consecutive, chronic noncancer pain patients. INTERVENTIONS Assessments of patient-reported health-related quality of life (SF-36), pain, pain type and diagnoses, mental health diagnoses, and patient demographics. OUTCOME MEASURES SF-36 Health Survey, pain diagnoses, and depression diagnoses. RESULTS Study participants were 160 women (66%) and 82 men (34%), 95% Caucasian, whose mean age was 46 (+/-0.8 SD) years (range: 19-83). All types and diagnoses of chronic pain were represented. The prevalence of major depressive disorder was 52%. The type of depression was highly correlated with SF-36 score (r=-0.567; P < 0.001). All chronic pain patients had very low SF-36 scores. Compared with U.S. population norms, chronic pain patients with and without depression had significantly lower SF-36 scores as measured by z-scores. Chronic pain patients with major depressive disorder had a significantly lower Mental Composite Score t-score than those with minor or no depression-34.1 and 47.6, respectively (P < 0.001). The positive predictive value of the SF-36 for differentiating major depression from minor or no depression was 98% (sensitivity=84.4%, specificity=93.9%). CONCLUSIONS The SF-36 Mental Composite Score and all subscales were highly correlated with depression type in chronic pain patients. The positive predictive value of the SF-36 in classifying depression type was high. The SF-36 may be a useful clinical tool to measure health-related quality of life in chronic pain patients. In addition, the SF-36 was able to detect major depression and demonstrate a dose-effect relationship between depression type (severity) and health-related quality of life in chronic pain patients.
Porins in the Cell Wall ofMycobacterium tuberculosis

ABSTRACT Lipid bilayer experiments indicated that the cell wall ofMycobacterium tuberculosis contains at least two different porins: (i) a cation-selective, heat-sensitive 0.7-nS channel which has a short-lived open state and is probably composed of 15-kDa subunits and (ii) a 3-nS, >60-kDa channel with a long-lived open state, resembling porins from fast-growing mycobacteria.
Job Embeddedness: A Construct of Organizational and Community Attachment Utilized to Assess Voluntary Turnover

Abstract : The purpose of this research was to further refine and evaluate the extent to which job embeddedness influences voluntary turnover. Specifically, this thesis sought to determine the effectiveness of job embeddedness in explaining additional incremental variance in intent to leave, above what is usually accounted for with traditional attitudinal variables. Additionally, the individual effects of tenure, education level, organizational rank, and pay were evaluated to determine if they moderated the effects of job embeddedness on a person's level of intent to leave.
Offenders with Mental Illness in the Correctional System

Abstract The escalating mentally ill population in prisons has created unique challenges for correctional systems, Colorado being no exception with 25% of its incarcerated population having mental health needs. This study examined correctional offenders with mental illness (OMIs) and found a growing number of OMIs in Colorado's prison system. Not only is this population expanding, OMIs have higher rates of recidivism, oftentimes a result of failing under parole supervision. OMIs present with characteristics that differentiate them from the general offender population, exhibiting greater rehabilitation needs and prison adjustment difficulties, which has a direct impact on the resources required to house them.
Effects of Surgical Sympathetic Denervation on myo‐Inositol Trisphosphate Production and Contraction in the Dilator and Sphincter Smooth Muscles of the Rabbit Iris: Evidence for Interaction Between the Cyclic AMP and Calcium Signaling Systems

The effects of norepinephrine (NE), carbachol (CCh), NaF, 3‐isobutyl‐l‐methylxanthine (IBMX), and high K+ concentration (80 mM) depolarization on inositol trisphosphate (IP3) accumulation, cyclic AMP (cAMP) formation, and contraction were investigated in the dilator and sphincter smooth muscles of the sympathetically denervated as well as the normal rabbit eye. (a) In the denervated dilator muscle, NE‐stimulated IP3 production and contraction are enhanced, (b) In the sphincter muscle of rabbits that have undergone sympathetic denervation, CCh‐stimulated IP3 production and contraction are attenuated, (c) The increase in tension by a maximal effective dose of NaF (20 mM) in the dilator was 12.5 and 18 mg of tension/mg wet weight in normal and denervated tissue, respectively, and in the sphincter was 33.8 and 15.2 mg of tension/mg wet weight in normal and denervated tissue, respectively. NaF had no effect on cAMP formation, (d) Addition of NE had no effect on cAMP formation in both the normal and denervated dilator, whereas basal and IBMX‐induced cAMP formation increased in the denervated sphincter over that of the normal tissue by 15 and 60%, respectively, (e) Isoproterenol (5 μM) increased cAMP formation in the normal and denervated sphincter by 47 and 91%, respectively, (f) Whereas CCh inhibits cAMP formation in the normal sphincter, it lost its inhibitory effect in the sphincter with denervation. (g) IBMX (0.1 mM) attenuated the CCh‐stimulated IP3 production and contraction of the sphincter by ∼30% of their respective controls, (h) High K+ concentration depolarization attenuated contraction in both dilator and sphincter muscles with denervation. These observations suggest that an increase in the level of cAMP in the iris sphincter due to sympathetic denervation could lead to inhibition of phospholipase C (or other target sites, such as phosphorylation of the muscarinic receptor, Gp protein itself, myosin light chain kinase, or the IP3 receptor), IP3 production, and contraction. In conclusion, we suggest that the supersensitivity and subsensitivity observed after surgical sympathetic denervation of the iris dilator and sphincter muscles, respectively, are causal by alterations in the efficiency of coupling, probably through the Gp proteins, between their respective receptors and the breakdown of polyphosphoinositides by phospholipase C. In addition, we propose that the sympathetic nervous system can regulate, through alterations in cAMP levels, the muscarinic stimulation of IP3 accumulation and contraction in the iris sphincter. These findings add further support to tie hypothesis that there are reciprocal interactions between the cAMP and IP3‐Ca2+ signaling systems and the contractile response in the iris smooth muscle.
Flow cytometric study of potential target antigens (CD19, CD20, CD22, CD33) for antibody-based immunotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: analysis of 552 cases

Monoclonal antibody (MoAb)-based therapies have opened innovative treatment avenues that have impacted on the management of patients with both neoplastic and non-neoplastic hematological diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate in a large series of cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) the expression of specific antigens, CD19, CD20, CD22, and CD33, for which MoAbs are available for clinical use. For each antigen, evaluation was based on the percentage of positive leukemic cells and the degree of antigen expression by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) and antibody binding capacity (ABC) that were correlated with age, immunophenotype, and presence/absence of particular molecular markers. We can document that some of the analyzed antigens showed a degree of expression related to the B-cell maturation profile, and that the antigen expression intensity appeared to vary according to the presence of specific genetic markers. These findings suggest that the possible clinical use of a given MoAb in patients with ALL should take into account both the maturation profile of the leukemic cells and the presence of a given molecular transcript. Only clinical studies will conclusively demonstrate whether the differences in antigenic expression truly correlate with the different therapeutic efficacies of the various clinical grade MoAbs.
Intertester reliability of judgments of the presence of trigger points in patients with low back pain.

The purpose of this study was to determine the intertester reliability of assessments of the presence of trigger points in the region of the lumbar spine of patients with low back pain (LBP). A total of six trigger points described by Travell and Simons were studied. The trigger point examination procedures described by Travell and Simons were used by 12 physical therapists. Randomly paired therapists examined 50 patients for 197 trigger points. The Kappa coefficient, percent agreement, the observed proportion of positive agreement (Ppos), and the observed proportion of negative agreement (Pneg) were used to describe reliability. Kappa values ranged from . 29 to . 38. Percent agreement ranged from 76% to 79%. Ppos ranged from . 43 to . 52. The low Kappa and Ppos values suggest different therapists are unable to reliably determine when a trigger point is present in a patient with LBP. This study suggests the usefulness of examining for the presence of trigger points in patients with LBP should be questioned.
Effects of Different Methods on the Comparison between Land Surface and Ground Phenology - A Methodological Case Study from South-Western Germany

Several methods exist for extracting plant phenological information from time series of satellite data. However, there have been only a few successful attempts to temporarily match satellite observations (Land Surface Phenology or LSP) with ground based phenological observations (Ground Phenology or GP). The classical pixel to point matching problem along with the temporal and spatial resolution of remote sensing data are some of the many issues encountered. In this study, MODIS-sensor’s Normalised Differenced Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data were smoothed using two filtering techniques for comparison. Several start of season (SOS) methods established in the literature, namely thresholds of amplitude, derivatives and delayed moving average, were tested for determination of LSP-SOS for broadleaf forests at a site in southwestern Germany using 2001–2013 time series of NDVI data. The different LSP-SOS estimates when compared with species-rich GP dataset revealed that different LSP-SOS extraction methods agree better with specific phases of GP, and the choice of data processing or smoothing strongly affects the LSP-SOS extracted. LSP methods mirroring late SOS dates, i.e., 75% amplitude and 1st derivative, indicated a better match in means and trends, and high, significant correlations of up to 0.7 with leaf unfolding and greening of late understory and broadleaf tree species. GP-SOS of early understory leaf unfolding partly were significantly correlated with earlier detecting LSP-SOS, i.e., 20% amplitude and 3rd derivative. Early understory SOS were, however, more difficult to detect from NDVI due to the lack of a high resolution land cover information.