Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urbanisation, Neighbourhood Social Integration, Informal Social Control, Minor Social Disorder, Victimisation and Fear of Crime

This paper attempts to study how neighbourhood levels of victimisation and fear of crime vary with the degree of urbanisation, but also, which has rarely been done, aims empirically to explore some of the intervening mechanisms that link the degree of urbanisation with levels of neighbourhood victimisation and fear of crime. The data for the study come from two larger regional survey studies of random samples of the population (N = 7,059) in the Swedish counties of Stockholm and Gävleborg, covering all types of areas from rural areas to the central area of Sweden's biggest city Stockholm. Individual responses were aggregated by neighbourhood (cities) or residential district (rural areas). The findings show that all neighbourhood level measures (social integration, informal social control, minor social disorder, victimisation and fear of crime) vary significantly with the degree of urbanisation of the area in which the neighbourhood is located. The findings also show that the effect of urbanisation on neighbourhood levels of victimisation and fear of crime fit an empirical model where this effect is mediated by neighbourhood social integration, informal social control and minor social disorder.
Indicators of distress in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

Background. The diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of cancer can present individuals with a multitude of stressors at various points in that trajectory. Psychosocial distress may appear early in the diagnostic process and have negative effects on compliance with treatment and subsequent quality of life. Purpose. The aim of the study was to determine early-phase predictors of distress before any medical treatment. Method. Consistent with the goals of the study, 123 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (20 to 74 years old) completed multiple indicators of knowledge about breast cancer management and treatment, attitudes toward cancer, social support, coping efficacy, and distress. Results. SEM analysis confirmed the hypothesized model. Age was negatively associated with the patient’s knowledge (β = − 0.22), which, in turn, was positively associated with both attitudes toward breast cancer (β = 0.39) and coping self-efficacy (β = 0.36). Self-efficacy was then directly related to psychological distress (β = − 0.68). Conclusions. These findings establish indicators of distress in patients early in the cancer trajectory. From a practical perspective, our results have implications for screening for distress and for the development of early interventions that may be followed by healthcare professionals to reduce psychological distress.
Heart rate and activity profile for young female soccer players

The physical and physiological demands of high-level male soccer have been studied extensively, while few studies have investigated the demands placed on females during match-play, however, there is no information available about the heart rate and activity profile of young female soccer players during match play. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine cardiovascular (heart-rates HR) and physical demands of young female soccer players during a match. Players were observed during a friendly competitive match (7-a-side) over 2 x 25-min halves. Match activities were assessed with Global Position System technology (1Hz). Result showed that young female soccer players attain 88±4.4% and 86.3±4.8% of HRmax during the first and second half respectively (P=0.3), the average heart rate was 87%. During the first and second half, they covered 2072±197 m and 1905±144 m (P 13 km/h) resulted lower than that previously reported for age-matched male soccer players and elite female soccer players. This seems to indicate that gender and competitive level differences in match physical performance seem to occur mainly in the absolute match work-rate domain.
EGFR mutation status in plasma and tumor tissues in non-small cell lung cancer serves as a predictor of response to EGFR-TKI treatment

ABSTRACT Objective: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) can effectively control non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, EGFR mutations should be detected before lung cancer patients undergo EGFR-TKI therapy. This study assessed the feasibility and predictive value of EGFR mutations in peripheral blood samples.Methods: EGFR mutations in exons 19 and 21 were analyzed in tumor tissue and plasma DNA samples from 121 NSCLC patients using amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and the integrated technique of mutant enriched PCR (me-PCR) and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), respectively.Results: EGFR mutations were detected in 36.4% of tumor tissues and 34.7% of the plasma at a concordance rate of 85.1% (103/121). The sensitivity and specificity of plasma EGFR mutations were 77.3% and 89.6%, respectively. The gender and tumor histology of patients served as independent predictors of EGFR mutations in both tumor tissues and plasma, while CEA level was an independent predictor of EGFR mutations in the plasma. Furthermore, EGFR-TKI treatment showed a significantly higher objective response rate (ORR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and overall survival (mOS) in patients harboring EGFR mutation than those that did not exhibit EGFR mutation (ORR: 69.4% versus 13.0% in tissues, P < 0.001; 64.5 % vs. 28.6% in the plasma, P = 0.006. mPFS: 10.4 months versus 4.1 months in tissues, P<0.001; 10.5 months vs. 5.2 months in the plasma, P=0.001. mOS: 25.7 months versus 8.3 months in tissues, P=0.005; 25.7 months vs. 13.5 months in the plasma, P=0.038). Conclusions: EGFR mutations can be detected in the plasma using the integrated technique of me-PCR and DHPLC, which enables us to predict patient response to EGFR-TKI therapy. High serum CEA levels served as an independent predictor for plasma EGFR mutations.
Real‐time NASBA detection of SARS‐associated coronavirus and comparison with real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exhibits a high mortality rate and the potential for rapid epidemic spread. Additionally, it has a poorly defined clinical presentation, and no known treatment or prevention methods. Collectively, these factors underscore the need for early diagnosis. Molecular tests have been developed to detect SARS coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) RNA using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) with varying levels of sensitivity. However, RNA amplification methods have been demonstrated to be more sensitive for the detection of some RNA viruses. We therefore developed a real‐time nucleic acid sequence‐based amplification (NASBA) test for SARS‐CoV. A number of primer/beacon sets were designed to target different regions of the SARS‐CoV genome, and were tested for sensitivity and specificity. The performance of the assays was compared with RT‐PCR assays. A multi‐target real‐time NASBA application was developed for detection of SARS‐CoV polymerase (Pol) and nucleocapsid (N) genes. The N targets were found to be consistently more sensitive than the Pol targets, and the real‐time NASBA assay demonstrates equivalent sensitivity when compared to testing by real‐time RT‐PCR. A multi‐target real‐time NASBA assay has been successfully developed for the sensitive detection of SARS‐CoV. J. Med. Virol. 77:602–608, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Development of a bead‐based multiplex assay for the simultaneous detection of porcine inflammation markers using xMAP technology

Commercially available assays for the simultaneous detection of multiple inflammatory and cardiac markers in porcine blood samples are currently lacking. Therefore, this study was aimed at developing a bead‐based, multiplexed flow cytometric assay to simultaneously detect porcine cytokines [interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha], chemokines (IL‐8 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1), growth factors [basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet‐derived growth factor‐bb], and injury markers (cardiac troponin‐I) as well as complement activation markers (C5a and sC5b‐9). The method was based on the Luminex xMAP technology, resulting in the assembly of a 6‐ and 11‐plex from the respective individual singleplex situation. The assay was evaluated for dynamic range, sensitivity, cross‐reactivity, intra‐assay and interassay variance, spike recovery, and correlation between multiplex and commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay as well as the respective singleplex. The limit of detection ranged from 2.5 to 30,000 pg/ml for all analytes (6‐ and 11‐plex assays), except for soluble C5b‐9 with a detection range of 2–10,000 ng/ml (11‐plex). Typically, very low cross‐reactivity (<3% and <1.4% by 11‐ and 6‐plex, respectively) between analytes was found. Intra‐assay variances ranged from 4.9 to 7.4% (6‐plex) and 5.3 to 12.9% (11‐plex). Interassay variances for cytokines were between 8.1 and 28.8% (6‐plex) and 10.1 and 26.4% (11‐plex). Correlation coefficients with singleplex assays for 6‐plex as well as for 11‐plex were high, ranging from 0.988 to 0.997 and 0.913 to 0.999, respectively. In this study, a bead‐based porcine 11‐plex and 6‐plex assay with a good assay sensitivity, broad dynamic range, and low intra‐assay variance and cross‐reactivity was established. These assays therefore represent a new, useful tool for the analysis of samples generated from experiments with pigs. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Determinants of Systemic Retention: Implications for Improving Retention Practice in Higher Education

Drawing on Tinto's (1987, 1993) theory of student integration, this research examines students who withdrew from their original institution prior to graduation. Of this group, some of the students who withdraw do so to transfer to another institution, and it is reasonable to assume that these students are different in many ways from students who withdraw and do not continue their education. Thus, the purpose of this effort is to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of students who leave their original institution so that intervention strategies can be more carefully targeted to the individual needs of these two groups. Results of the logistic regression analysis concur with some aspects of the existing literature on institutional departure; however, this study of systemic departure differs on several key points. The implications for the findings are then discussed in terms of their impact on the design institutional retention programs.
Organizational commitment, career factors and career/life stage

A model of organizational commitment was developed using, as independent variables, factors associated with self, with family and with career. Australian military officers (males only) were used as the research population (N=13OO). All these factors were influential in explaining the variance in organizational commitment. Examination of the interplay of the independent variables across career/life stages gives insight into the dynamics of organizational commitment.
Evaluating differential predictions of emotional reactivity during repeated 20% carbon dioxide-enriched air challenge

The present study explored psychological predictors of response to a series of three 25 second inhalations of 20% carbon dioxide-enriched air in 60 nonclinical participants. Multiple regression analyses indicated that only anxiety sensitivity physical concerns predicted self-reported fear, whereas both physical anxiety sensitivity concerns and behavioural inhibition sensitivity independently predicted affective ratings of emotional arousal. In contrast, the psychological concerns anxiety sensitivity dimension predicted ratings of emotional displeasure (valence), and both psychological anxiety sensitivity concerns and behavioural inhibition sensitivity independently predicted emotional dyscontrol. No variables significantly predicted heart rate. These data are in accord with current models of emotional reactivity that highlight the role of cognitive variables in the production of anxious and fearful responding to somatic perturbation, and help further clarify the particular predictors of anxiety-related responding to biological challenge.
Teaching Children About Revision in Writing

We investigated effects of instruction in the process of revision on children's knowledge of the revision process, on their ability to make revisions on paper, and on the quality of their writing. Fifteen sixth graders received instruction in the process of revision; 15 controls read good literature. After instruction, each child wrote a story, was interviewed about potential revisions, and was given an opportunity to make changes on the first copy and then write another draft. The main variables for knowledge of the revision process were number of spots suggested for revision and average specificity of suggested changes. The main variable for ability to make revisions on paper was total number of revisions made. A quality score was obtained for the first and final drafts. Instruction did affect knowledge of the revision process, and it enhanced revision efforts. Quality judgments tended to increase across drafts for the revision group, whereas they remained stable for the controls.
Predecision for Wideband Spectrum Sensing With Sub-Nyquist Sampling

Built on compressed sensing theories, sub-Nyquist spectrum sensing (SNSS) has emerged as a promising solution to the wideband spectrum sensing problem. However, most of the existing SNSS methods do not distinguish if primary users (PUs) are present or absent in the concerned spectrum band and directly pursue support recovery of the PUs. This may lead to a high false alarm rate and a waste of computational cost. To address the issue, we propose a predecision algorithm, referred to as the pairwise channel energy ratio (PCER) detector, to determine the presence or absence of PUs prior to signal support recovery. The proposed detector is based on the popular modulated wideband converter (MWC) framework for SNSS, which has several advantages over other SNSS approaches. The PCER test statistic is constructed from compressed samples obtained by the MWC. The decision threshold and the detection probability are derived in closed form following the Neyman–Pearson criterion. Numerical results are presented to verify the theoretical calculation. The proposed PCER detection method is shown to be able to detect the existence of PUs in a wide range of signal-to-noise ratio, while being robust to noise uncertainty and does not need the prior knowledge of the PU signals. Additionally, our results show that the use of the PCER detector leads to a significant improvement of the correct support recovery rate of the PU signals.
Second Language Vocabulary Acquisition

Second language acquisition research has historically been influenced by the field of linguistics, not only in terms of theoretical inisghts, but also in terms of the emphasis placed on varioustopics. Within linguistics, the lexicon has taken on a secondary role in terms of theory construction; within second language acquisition, the rift between studies of the lexicon and theory construction seems to be even greater. While it is no longer possible to say that the lexicon is the ‘neglected component’ of second language acquisition research, it does appear to be the case that most lexical studies are not centrally concerned with the establishment of a theory of the lexicon; rather, the majority deal with descriptive aspects of the lexicon.
The metal enrichment of elliptical galaxies in hierarchical galaxy formation models

We investigate the metal enrichment of elliptical galaxies in the framework of hierarchical models of galaxy formation. The semi-analytical model we use, which has been used to study the metal enrichment of the intracluster medium (ICM) by Nagashima et al., includes the effects of flows of gas and metals both into and out of galaxies and the processes of metal enrichment due to both type Ia and type II supernovae. We adopt a solar neighbourhood initial mass function (IMF) for star formation in discs, but consider models in which starbursts have either a solar neighbourhood IMF or a top-heavy IMF. We find that the α-element abundance in ellipticals is consistent with observed values only if the top-heavy IMF is used. This result is consistent with our previous study on the metal enrichment of the ICM. We also discuss the abundance ratio of α elements to iron as a function of velocity dispersion and metallicity. We find that models with a top-heavy IMF match the α/Fe ratios observed in typical L* ellipticals, but none of the models reproduces the observed increase of α/Fe with velocity dispersion.
Microscopic Evaluation of Cleaning Efficiency of Three Different Nickel-Titanium Rotary Instruments

INTRODUCTION This study compared the cleaning efficiency of Mtwo, Race and Medin Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty mandibular molar mesial roots were selected with angle curvatures between 25-35 degrees and divided into three groups; each containing 20 teeth. Canals were prepared with the rotary files and irrigated with 2.5% NaOCl solution after each instrument. Total of 5mL of normal saline was used as the final rinse; subsequently the canals were dried with paper points. The amount of debris and smear layer in three parts of the root canal walls was evaluated using SEM and the data were analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS The results for remnant debris in the coronal part of root canals were similar, whereas in the middle third, Mtwo instruments achieved significantly better results compared to Race and Medin instruments. In the apical third of the root canals more debris was created by Race instruments. CONCLUSION Overall, Mtwo instruments had greater success in producing clean canals.
TNF Regulates Chemokine Induction Essential for Cell Recruitment, Granuloma Formation, and Clearance of Mycobacterial Infection1

Host immunity to mycobacterial infection is dependent on the activation of T lymphocytes and their recruitment with monocytes to form granulomas. These discrete foci of activated macrophages and lymphocytes provide a microenvironment for containing the infection. The cytokine, TNF, is essential for the formation and maintenance of granulomas, but the mechanisms by which TNF regulates these processes are unclear. We have compared the responses of TNF-deficient (TNF−/−) and wild-type C57BL/6 mice to infection with Mycobacterium smegmatis, a potent inducer of TNF, and virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis to delineate the TNF-dependent and -independent components of the process. The initial clearance of M. smegmatis was TNF independent, but TNF was required for the early expression of mRNA encoding C-C and C-X-C chemokines and the initial recruitment of CD11b+ macrophages and CD4+ T cells to the liver during the second week of infection. Late chemokine expression and cell recruitment developed in TNF−/− mice associated with enhanced Th1-like T cell responses and mycobacterial clearance, but recruited leukocytes did not form tight granulomas. Infection of TNF−/− mice with M. tuberculosis also resulted in an initial delay in chemokine induction and cellular recruitment to the liver. Subsequently, increased mRNA expression was evident in TNF−/− mice, but the loosely associated lymphocytes and macrophages failed to form granulomas and prevent progressive infection. Therefore, TNF orchestrates early induction of chemokines and initial leukocyte recruitment, but has an additional role in the aggregation of leukocytes into functional granulomas capable of controlling virulent mycobacterial infection.
Australian implementation and evaluation of active support

Background The implementation and evaluation of Active Support in Australia is reported, the first such formal evaluation outside the UK. Method Residents and staff of five group homes participated. Active Support was introduced by training staff in one home at a time. Effectiveness was assessed using direct observation of resident engagement in activity and of staff help, as well as written assessments of resident outcomes. Results Staff help and resident engagement increased in four of five group homes. There was significantly greater participation in a wider variety of domestic activities, as well as more frequent and varied community participation. Change in resident engagement was positively related to change in staff help, but not related to residents' level of adaptive behaviour. Conclusions Most of our findings were consistent with earlier UK studies. There was evidence of the successful transfer of Active Support training skills to an Australian training team. Nonsignificant trends towards reduced depression and increased adaptive behaviour warrant further investigation.
Effect of subantimicrobial dose doxycycline as an effective adjunct to scaling and root planing.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a subantimicrobial dose of doxycycline (SDD) in conjunction with scaling and root planing (SRP). METHODS The study was a 9-month, double masked, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. A total of 41 patients with moderate chronic periodontitis who received SRP were randomly allocated to receive either a doxycycline hyclate or a placebo 2 weeks after SRP. Clinical attachment level (CAL), the probing depth (PD), gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 and -13 levels were measured throughout the study. The effect of SDD in conjunction with SRP on the dynamics of the periodontal microflora was also assessed using dark-field microscopic and culture analysis. Information on adverse events was collected throughout the study. RESULTS During the treatment period, per-patient reductions in PD and CAL were demonstrated for both treatment groups, with a significantly greater reduction for the SDD group. The mean value of per-patient change in the GCF was much greater for the SDD group. Microbial analysis showed there were a general tendency for cocci, non-motile rods, and aerobes to increase with increasing treatment duration and a general decreasing tendency for spirochetes, motile rods, and anaerobes and black pigmented bacteria in both treatment groups, but no significant difference between the groups. The MMP-8 and -13 levels of the SDD group gradually reduced with time, and the mean perpatient average was significantly higher than in the placebo group. The adverse events in the SDD group were similar to those in the placebo group. CONCLUSION This study suggests that a submicrobial dose of doxycycline as an adjunct therapy with SRP might be safe and effective in the long-term management of chronic periodontitis.