Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Not just a teenage phase : - functions of non-suicidal self-injury in adults

The aim of this study was to investigate how adults 25 years old and over describe the functions of their non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and to explore whether they report any changes in their experience with NSSI as they become older. Qualitative e-mail interviews were used in order to capture the participants’ experiences. The results of the study were analysed based on coping theory and previous research. The results indicate that, consistent with previous literature, adults self-injure for mostly the same reasons as adolescents – however, as the previous research shows adolescents are more likely to hurt themselves in order to communicate with others. The adults in the present sample report using problem-solving coping strategies to the same extent as emotion-focused strategies; a slight deviation from previous research which has suggested that people who self-injure are more likely to employ emotion-focused strategies. The participants of the study generally experience a feeling of increased control and deliberation of their self-injury as they have gotten older; hurting themselves has become a purposeful coping strategy. The results of this study might have implications for treatment of self-injury in adults; focusing the treatment on strengthening the adults’ autonomy and encouraging further problem-solving coping strategies might be beneficial.
Detection of entorhinal layer II using Tesla magnetic resonance imaging

The entorhinal cortex lies in the mediotemporal lobe and has major functional, structural, and clinical significance. The entorhinal cortex has a unique cytoarchitecture with large stellate neurons in layer II that form clusters. The entorhinal cortex receives vast sensory association input, and its major output arises from the layer II and III neurons that form the perforant pathway. Clinically, the neurons in layer II are affected with neurofibrillary tangles, one of the two pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. We describe detection of the entorhinal layer II islands using magnetic resonance imaging. We scanned human autopsied temporal lobe blocks in a 7T human scanner using a solenoid coil. In 70 and 100μm isotropic data, the entorhinal islands were clearly visible throughout the anterior–posterior extent of entorhinal cortex. Layer II islands were prominent in both the magnetic resonance imaging and corresponding histological sections, showing similar size and shape in two types of data. Area borders and island location based on cytoarchitectural features in the mediotemporal lobe were robustly detected using the magnetic resonance images. Our ex vivo results could break ground for high‐resolution in vivo scanning that could ultimately benefit early diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative disease. Ann Neurol 2005;57:489–494
Surgical treatment of endometriosis with special reference to conservative surgery in young women.

In the past twenty-five years abundant information regarding the behavior of endometriosis has been acquired. Enlightenment is so far from complete that the variegated pattern of this disease leads to a "wide open" field in fundamental research. This common gynecologic lesion has undeniably been dealt with satisfactorily in many instances, long before the entity endometriosis was known to exist. The empiric treatment of dysmenorrhea has in the past and is now relieving many patients suffering from endometriosis. Nature (since the beginning of time) has employed an efficient prophylactic and curative measure for endometriosis, i. e. , pregnancy. It is noteworthy that the frequency with which the diagnosis of endometriosis is made parallels the increased use of contraception, the emancipation or rise of womankind to careers and/or late marriage with late childbearing. As observations on the behavior of endometriosis increase, the indications for surgical treatment decline. Medical and hormonal therapy have played
Estimating Tree Height and Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from Digital Surface Models and Orthophotos Obtained with an Unmanned Aerial System for a Japanese Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) Forest

Methods for accurately measuring biophysical parameters are a key component for quantitative evaluation regarding to various forest applications. Conventional in situ measurements of these parameters take time and expense, encountering difficultness at locations with heterogeneous microtopography. To obtain precise biophysical data in such situations, we deployed an unmanned aerial system (UAS) multirotor drone in a cypress forest in a mountainous area of Japan. The structure from motion (SfM) method was used to construct a three-dimensional (3D) model of the forest (tree) structures from aerial photos. Tree height was estimated from the 3D model and compared to in situ ground data. We also analyzed the relationships between a biophysical parameter, diameter at breast height (DBH), of individual trees with canopy width and area measured from orthorectified images. Despite the constraints of ground exposure in a highly dense forest area, tree height was estimated at an accuracy of root mean square error = 1.712 m for observed tree heights ranging from 16 to 24 m. DBH was highly correlated with canopy width (R2 = 0.7786) and canopy area (R2 = 0.7923), where DBH ranged from 11 to 58 cm. The results of estimating forest parameters indicate that drone-based remote-sensing methods can be utilized to accurately analyze the spatial extent of forest structures.
Role of tobacco smoking in hangover symptoms among university students.

OBJECTIVE Although hangover results from excessive alcohol consumption, the specific pathways through which hangover symptoms arise have not been elucidated. Research on predictors of hangover sensitivity may provide clues about such mechanisms. The present study investigated whether tobacco smoking on days of heavy drinking affects next-day hangover incidence and severity. METHOD The study drew on diary data from a study on smoking and drinking among 113 students at a midwestern university in the United States. Participants completed a daily, web-based, 26-item survey for 8 weeks to assess prior-day alcohol and tobacco use as well as current-day hangover symptoms. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to test the hypothesis that amount of smoking is related to hangover, controlling for amount of alcohol consumed, sex, and other individual characteristics. Analyses were conducted after selecting only days with alcohol consumption levels that typically elicit hangover, then repeated on lighter drinking days for comparison. Validity of the hangover items was checked by comparing reports after such heavy drinking days with days of lighter drinking. RESULTS Across all possible person-days, 92% of daily reports were obtained. When selecting only events where an estimated blood alcohol concentration of 110 mg/dl was attained, smoking significantly increased the odds of hangover incidence and hangover severity while controlling for number of drinks consumed and sex. Additional analyses controlling for age first smoked regularly, frequency of drug use, type of drug involvement, or smoking status resulted in findings that were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS Smoking more on heavy drinking days affects hangover sensitivity and severity, possibly because of acute pharmacological effects.
Evaluation of acute copper toxicity to larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) in soft surface waters

The hardness‐based regulatory approach for Cu prescribes an extrapolation of the toxicity‐versus‐hardness relationship to low hardness (⩽50 mg/L as CaCO3). Hence, the objective of the present research was to evaluate the influences of water quality on acute Cu toxicity to larval fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) in low‐hardness surface waters. Seasonal water sampling was conducted at 24 sites throughout South Carolina, USA, to determine the site‐specific influences of soft surface‐water conditions on acute Cu toxicity. Concurrent toxicity tests in laboratory water, matched for hardness and alkalinity (modified method), also were conducted to allow calculation of water‐effect ratios (WERs). In addition, tests were conducted at recommended hardness levels (recommended method) for comparison of WER methodology in soft water. Surface‐water conditions (average ± standard deviation, n = 53) were hardness of 16 ± 8 mg/L as CaCO3, alkalinity of 18 ± 11 mg/L as CaCO3, and dissolved organic carbon of 6 ± 4 mg/L. Dissolved Cu 48‐h median lethal concentration (LC50) values varied nearly 45‐fold across the dataset and greater than four‐fold at individual sites. Spatial (p < 0.0001) and seasonal (p = 0.026) differences among LC50 values were determined for eight sites that had multiple toxicity results for one year. All modified WERs were greater than 1.0, suggesting that the site waters were more protective of Cu toxicity than the matched laboratory water. Some WERs generated using recommended methods were less than 1.0, suggesting limited site‐specific protection. Based on these observations, extrapolation of the hardness‐based equation for Cu at 50 mg/L or less as CaCO3 would adequately protect fathead minnow populations in soft surface waters. The WER results presented here demonstrate the inconsistency between hardness‐based criteria and the methodology for deriving site‐specific water‐quality criteria in low‐hardness waters.
The evolution of inflorescence diversity in the nightshades and heterochrony during meristem maturation

One of the most remarkable manifestations of plant evolution is the diversity for floral branching systems. These “inflorescences” arise from stem cell populations in shoot meristems that mature gradually to reproductive states in response to environmental and endogenous signals. The morphology of the shoot meristem maturation process is conserved across distantly related plants, raising the question of how diverse inflorescence architectures arise from seemingly common maturation programs. In tomato and related nightshades (Solanaceae), inflorescences range from solitary flowers to highly branched structures bearing hundreds of flowers. Since reproductive barriers between even closely related Solanaceae have precluded a genetic dissection, we captured and compared meristem maturation transcriptomes from five domesticated and wild species reflecting the evolutionary continuum of inflorescence complexity. We find these divergent species share hundreds of dynamically expressed genes, enriched for transcription factors. Meristem stages are defined by distinct molecular states and point to modified maturation schedules underlying architectural variation. These modified schedules are marked by a peak of transcriptome expression divergence during the reproductive transition, driven by heterochronic shifts of dynamic genes, including transcriptional regulators with known roles in flowering. Thus, evolutionary diversity in Solanaceae inflorescence complexity is determined by subtle modifications of transcriptional programs during a critical transitional window of meristem maturation, which we propose underlies similar cases of plant architectural variation. More broadly, our findings parallel the recently described transcriptome “inverse hourglass” model for animal embryogenesis, suggesting both plant and animal morphological variation is guided by a mid-development period of transcriptome divergence.
In vitro antagonistic activity, plant growth promoting traits and phylogenetic affiliation of rhizobacteria associated with wild plants grown in arid soil

The role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in adaptation of plants in extreme environments is not yet completely understood. For this study native bacteria were isolated from rhizospeheric arid soils and evaluated for both growth-promoting abilities and antagonistic potential against phytopathogenic fungi and nematodes. The phylogentic affiliation of these representative isolates was also characterized. Rhizobacteria associated with 11 wild plant species from the arid soil of Almadinah Almunawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were investigated. From a total of 531 isolates, only 66 bacterial isolates were selected based on their ability to inhibit Fusarium oxysporum, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The selected isolates were screened in vitro for activities related to plant nutrition and plant growth regulation as well as for antifungal and nematicidal traits. Isolated bacteria were found to exhibit capabilities in fix atmospheric nitrogen, produce ammonia, indoleacetic acid (IAA), siderophores, solubilize phosphate and zinc, and showed an antagonistic potential against some phytopathogenic fungi and one nematode species (Meloidogyne incognita) to various extent. Isolates were ranked by their potential ability to function as PGPR. The 66 isolates were genotyped using amplified rDNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The taxonomic composition of the representative genotypes from both rhizosphere and rhizoplane comprised Bacillus, Enterobacter and Pseudomonas. Out of the 10 genotypes, three strains designated as PHP03, CCP05, and TAP02 might be regarded as novel strains based on their low similarity percentages and high bootstrap values. The present study clearly identified specific traits in the isolated rhizobacteria, which make them good candidates as PGPR and might contribute to plant adaption to arid environments. Application of such results in agricultural fields may improve and enhance plant growth in arid soils.
Do Risk Attitude and Diversification Match ? Evidence from German Household Portfolios . ∗

This paper explores the effect of the risk attitude on the level of diversification in household portfolios. The research is based on the German Socioeconomic Panel. The panel provides unique measures for the propensity to take risks in general and in case of investing money. The first part of the empirical study examines the impact of manifested risk aversion on the total number of distinct assets held in a portfolio (naive diversification). The second part focuses on a more sophisticated strategy of diversification and asks whether financial theory is compatible with the observed diversification patterns. The results of the regression analysis show that along with some socioeconomic characteristics the propensity of taking investment risks is an important predictor for the household’s conducted diversification strategy. However, some of our findings are strongly at odds with what the concept of mean-variance utility suggests. JEL: D14, G11
Impact of Valproate and Phenytoin on Cognitive Function in Elderly Patients: Results of a Single‐Blind Randomized Comparative Study

Summary: Thirty‐eight patients (median age 77 years; range 62–88 years) with elderly‐onset seizures were entered into a single‐blind, randomized study designed to compare the impact of phenytoin (PHT) and valproate (VPA) on cognitive function. A stratified minimization program matched the two groups for age, sex, and seizure type. Attention, concentration, psychomotor speed, and memory were assessed twice before treatment (to minimize practice effects), at 6 weeks and (for patients remaining in the study) at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year by an extensive battery of psychologic tests. Changes in cognitive function were minor, and some tended toward improvement. Contrary to expectation, there was little difference between PHT and VPA with regard to impact on cognitive function. Frequent noncognitive adverse effects were reported. Thus, we did not replicate the findings of previous literature. We conclude that antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy as used in our trial did not produce significant adverse cognitive effects. The choice of AED in the elderly may therefore be more influenced by consideration of other adverse effects.
Mechanism of taxol‐induced apoptosis in human SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells

Taxol is extensively used clinically for chemotherapy of patients with ovarian, breast, and lung cancer. Although taxol induces apoptosis of cancer cells, its exact mechanism of action is not yet known. To determine the mechanism of action of taxol in ovarian cancer, we tested the effects of the drug, on the human ovarian carcinoma cell line, SKOV3. We observed that taxol‐induced apoptosis of these cells by phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization and DNA fragmentation. While treatment of cells with taxol resulted in bcl‐2 phosphorylation and mitochondrial depolarization, cytochrome c was not released and pro‐caspase‐3 was not activated. Treatment of SKOV3 cells with taxol, however, resulted in the translocation of AIF from the mitochondria to the nucleus via the cytosol. Taken together, these findings suggest that in SKOV3 cells, taxol induces caspase‐independent AIF‐dependent apoptosis. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Temporal Sequences Quantify the Contributions of Individual Fixations in Complex Perceptual Matching Tasks

Perceptual tasks such as object matching, mammogram interpretation, mental rotation, and satellite imagery change detection often require the assignment of correspondences to fuse information across views. We apply techniques developed for machine translation to the gaze data recorded from a complex perceptual matching task modeled after fingerprint examinations. The gaze data provide temporal sequences that the machine translation algorithm uses to estimate the subjects' assumptions of corresponding regions. Our results show that experts and novices have similar surface behavior, such as the number of fixations made or the duration of fixations. However, the approach applied to data from experts is able to identify more corresponding areas between two prints. The fixations that are associated with clusters that map with high probability to corresponding locations on the other print are likely to have greater utility in a visual matching task. These techniques address a fundamental problem in eye tracking research with perceptual matching tasks: Given that the eyes always point somewhere, which fixations are the most informative and therefore are likely to be relevant for the comparison task?
Music and Conflict Resolution: Can a Music and Story Centered Workshop Enhance Empathy?

The Story and Song Centered Pedagogy (SSCP) is a workshop that uses songs, stories and reflective questioning to increase empathy. This preliminary study tested the prediction that being exposed to the SSCP would increase empathy using, the Emotional Concern (EC) and Perspective Taking (PT) subscales of the renowned Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis, 1990). Subjects self-reported their answers to the IRI before and after undergoing the SSCP intervention. Comparing their pre and post intervention results, no statistically significant changes were noticed for the EC and PT scales (p-value = 0.7093 for EC; p-value = 0.6328 for PT). These results stand in direct tension with the anecdotal evidence gathered from 10 years of action research that shows that the SSCP impacts audiences’ ability to empathize. This opens the door for additional research with more rigorous methodology and a larger sample size which will allow for more interpretative analysis. These results also probe the concern about whether the IRI is the most suitable tool to quantitatively measure the empathetic responses caused by the SSCP and evidenced by action research.
Relationship of core self-evaluations traits--self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability--with job satisfaction and job performance: a meta-analysis.

This article presents meta-analytic results of the relationship of 4 traits--self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability (low neuroticism) with job satisfaction and job performance. With respect to job satisfaction, the estimated true score correlations were . 26 for self-esteem, . 45 for generalized self-efficacy, . 32 for internal locus of control, and . 24 for emotional stability. With respect to job performance, the correlations were . 26 for self-esteem, . 23 for generalized self-efficacy, . 22 for internal locus of control, and . 19 for emotional stability. In total, the results based on 274 correlations suggest that these traits are among the best dispositional predictors of job satisfaction and job performance. T. A. Judge, E. A. Locke. and C. C. Durham's (1997) theory of core self-evaluations is used as a framework for discussing similarities between the 4 traits and their relationships to satisfaction and performance.
“Rational Fatalism”: Non-Monotonic Choices in Response to Risk

This paper looks at the impact of corruption on the e↵ectiveness of antiretroviral drugs in preventing deaths due to HIV and the potential channels that generate this relationship. This is based on a unique panel dataset of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which combines information on all imported antiretroviral drugs from the World Health Organization’s Global Price Reporting Mechanism with measures of corruption and estimates of the HIV prevalence and the number of deaths in each year and in each country. Countries with higher levels of corruption experience a significantly smaller drop in HIV deaths as a result of the same quantity of ARVs imported. This is followed up with a single case-study from Kenya to illustrate one potential mechanism for the observed e↵ect, demonstrating that disproportionately more clinics begin distributing ARVs in areas that are predominantly represented by the new leader’s ethnic group.
Cancer mortality among Chinese migrants: a review.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies of cancer among migrant groups are beneficial in that they can provide insight into genetic and environmental factors in disease aetiology. Seven studies in the epidemiological literature have examined cancer mortality in migrants from China; methodological features and findings, which display remarkable consistencies between studies, are reviewed here. METHODS Papers were included that compare site-specific cancer mortality patterns in first and second generation migrants to the experience in the host regions using vital statistics and census data. Rates had to be standardized either indirectly (using age-specific rates from the host regions) or directly (using a standard age structure) and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) or rate ratios (RR) were calculated. RESULTS Migrant males had overall mortality from cancer that was often in significant excess compared to the host experience; results for females (for overall cancer) were equivocal. Both sexes had large and significant excess mortality from nasopharyngeal and liver cancer; SMR and RR were also consistently elevated for cancers of the stomach and oesophagus. There was notable attenuation in the high risk at these four sites in the second generation. All studies reported pronounced and significant reduced risk for prostatic cancer and female breast cancer, with little or no increase in mortality in the second generation. The SMR and RR also tended to be below unity for brain, bladder and kidney cancer. CONCLUSIONS The results of this review indicate that cancer risk at several sites among Chinese migrants appears to be in transition, and that these findings are consistent across studies.