Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychometric validation of a subjective well-being measure for people with spinal cord injuries

Purpose: The researchers examined the factorial validity and the concurrent validity of the Sense of Well-Being Inventory (SWBI) based on a sample of Canadians with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in the community. Method: One hundred thirty-two participants were recruited from the Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba chapters of the Canadian Paraplegic Association. Mean age of participants was 45.82 years (SD = 15.67), and 77% were men. The participants were asked to complete a research packet containing a demographic questionnaire, the SWBI, and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Factor analysis yield four factors (Psychological Well-Being, Financial Well-Being, Social and Family Well-Being, and Physical Well-Being) similar to the original SWBI. In addition, the SWBI factors in the present study correlated moderately well with the corresponding factors in the WHOQOL-BREF and with demographic variables appropriate to the respective subscale. Conclusions: The factorial validity and the concurrent validity of the SWBI were generally supported. The SWBI, as a subjective well-being measure developed specifically to relate to disability and rehabilitation, appears useful for use with people with SCI in the community.
Real-Time PCR Cycle Threshold Values for the BRAFV600E Mutation in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma May Be Associated With Central Lymph Node Metastasis

AbstractPapillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) usually has excellent prognosis, but a small subset shows aggressive behavior. Although the B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF)V600E mutation is the most common oncogenic alteration in PTMCs, it is frequently heterogeneously distributed within tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the BRAFV600E mutation found in fine needle aspirates from PTMCs with known clinicopathologic prognostic factors, based on both its presence and a quantitative approach that uses cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained by a real-time PCR technique.The 460 PTMC patients were included, with 367 patients having the BRAFV600E mutation. Clinicopathologic variables were compared between patients with and without the BRAFV600E mutation. BRAFV600E Ct values were compared according to clinicopathologic prognostic factors. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate factors predicting extrathyroidal extension and central and lateral lymph node metastasis (LNM). Each analysis used either the BRAFV600E mutation status or the Ct value as an independent variable for all the study patients and the 367 BRAFV600E-positive patients. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of BRAFV600E Ct values in predicting central and lateral LNM.The BRAFV600E mutation status was not associated with clinicopathologic prognostic factors among the 460 PTMC patients. Of the 367 BRAFV600E-positive patients, Ct values were significantly lower in patients with central and lateral LNM (P < 0.001, P = 0.007). The Ct value was the only independent factor to predict central LNM (OR 0.918, P = 0.025). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for diagnosing central LNM was 0.623 (sensitivity, 50.0%; specificity, 71.9%) and for diagnosing lateral LNM, it was 0.796 (sensitivity, 71.4%; specificity, 94.7%). In conclusion, real-time PCR Ct values for the BRAFV600E mutation obtained from fine needle aspirates can be associated with central LNM in PTMC patients. Although BRAFV600E Ct values did not reach statistical significance for predicting lateral LNM in our study, further validation through larger studies can be used to overcome any possible type-II errors. With further studies, Ct values for the BRAFV600E mutation obtained from fine needle aspirates may have important implications for predicting both central and lateral LNM in patients with PTMCs.
Distinguishing Sluggish Cognitive Tempo From ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Executive Functioning, Impairment, and Comorbidity

Controversy continues as to whether sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a subtype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a distinct disorder. This study examined differences between these disorders in demographics, executive functioning (EF), impairment, and prior professional diagnoses to address the issue. There were 1,800 children 6 to 17 years of age of both sexes from various U.S. ethnic backgrounds who were divided into four groups: (a) high SCT but not ADHD (N = 41), (b) high ADHD but not SCT (N = 95), (c) high in both SCT and ADHD (N = 61), and (d) the control group (N = 1,603). Besides providing demographics, parents completed scales assessing ADHD and SCT symptoms, EF deficits, and psychosocial impairment and reported their child's history of professional diagnoses. SCT symptoms formed two distinct but interrelated factors separate from those for ADHD. SCT differed from ADHD in demographics (age, sex ratio, parental education, income). ADHD was associated with more severe and pervasive EF deficits than SCT, whereas SCT was chiefly associated with mild deficits in Self-Organization. ADHD contributed far more variance to EF deficits than did SCT. Both disorders were impairing, but ADHD was more severely and pervasively so than SCT, especially in Home-School domains; SCT was most impairing in Community-Leisure domains. Different patterns of comorbidity were evident between SCT and ADHD. SCT showed less comorbidity and was particularly associated with depression. SCT may comprise a distinct disorder from ADHD but both may coexist in 39% to 59% of cases each.
Clinical Management of Trichotillomania With Bimatoprost

Purpose This case report presents the use of bimatoprost 0.03% to help regrow eyelashes on a patient suffering from trichotillomania. Trichotillomania is characterized by repetitive compulsive hair pulling that leads to noticeable hair loss. Trichotillomania sufferers are affected by this condition in many ways including shame, embarrassment, guilt, and lower self-esteem. Although a formal therapy regimen does not exist, current treatment approaches include behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. In cases where a patient pulls the eyelashes, topical bimatoprost (Latisse) may be used to treat madarosis of the eyelashes by increasing growth, including length, thickness, and darkness. Case Report A 55-year-old white female presented to the clinic with an interest in using bimatoprost ophthalmic solution (Latisse; Allergan). The patient reported a history of eyelash pulling since age 12 and began treatment to control the impulses with amitriptyline 1 week before her appointment. Follow-up appointments showed increased lash growth bilaterally over a 4-month period as a result of Latisse usage. Conclusions Those who pull their eyelashes may benefit from using bimatoprost 0.03%. The management of trichotillomania involving the eyelashes presents an opportunity for eye care professionals to collaborate with mental health providers for the betterment of shared patients. By expediting the patient’s lash growth, Latisse can improve patients’ self-image, reinforce compliance, and play an important adjunctive role in any therapy regimen.
Epidemiology of clinical attachment loss in adolescents.

BACKGROUND Relatively little is known about the prevalence, severity, and determinants of clinical attachment loss among adolescents. METHODS A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to obtain a sample of 9,203 high school students aged 12 to 21 years from the Province of Santiago, Chile. All but 41 students were examined for clinical attachment loss in 6 sites of first and second molars and incisors. The students were interviewed with respect to tooth brushing habits, smoking habits, dental visits, and diabetic status. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relative strength of the associations between age, gender, smoking, tooth brushing habits, dental attendance patterns, diabetic status, and governmental school support and the occurrence of clinical attachment loss. RESULTS Overall, clinical attachment loss > or = 1 mm was seen in 69.2% of the students; > or = 2 mm in 16% of the students; and > or = 3 mm in 4.5%. The distribution of clinical attachment loss was markedly skewed, but followed a continuum of disease severity. Logistic regression analyses showed that attachment loss was associated with higher age, female gender, infrequent tooth brushing, infrequent dental visits, and attending a high school receiving governmental support. CONCLUSIONS No sharp distinction exists between periodontal health and disease among Chilean adolescents. Higher age, poor oral hygiene, and a lower socioeconomic background play a role in the occurrence of clinical attachment loss.
Tacit knowledge and girls’ notions about a field science community of practice

ABSTRACT The issue of girls’ lack of connection to science has received much attention. Situated approaches such as research apprenticeships offer the chance to engage learners fully in science communities of practice and thus connect girls to science. However, such programs are often designed with lab settings, rather than field settings, in mind. This paper investigates a research apprenticeship program (Girls on Ice) that immerses girls in field science. In particular, the program makes explicit tacit elements needed for success in field science, such as a sense of adventure and physical and mental toughness. Using a qualitative approach, we explored how and in what ways girls connected to a field science community of practice. Emergent themes from the analysis illustrate that girls learned both explicit and tacit practices and ways of being that are associated with being a field scientist, such as team-oriented leadership and physical and mental perseverance. The results suggest that providing girls exposure to and practice with the tacit skills needed in science might constitute a new way to increase its perceived relevance and to counter gendered expectations of women in science.
Tax Avoidance and Asymmetric Cost Behavior

This study examines the relationship between tax avoidance and asymmetric cost behavior. This relationship arises due to direct economic benefits of cash savings from tax avoidance. On one hand, cash savings from tax avoidance may prompt managers to retain excess resources when activity goes down. On the other hand, tax avoidance may alleviate managers’ concerns about adjustment costs due to cost reductions in sales downturns. Using a large sample spanning the 1993-2013 period, we document a significantly negative relationship between tax avoidance, proxied by cash effective tax rate, and asymmetric cost behavior. The result suggests that asymmetric cost behavior is less pronounced when tax avoidance is higher. We further find that this relationship varies with firms’ business strategies, cash flow volatility, and tax fees paid to the auditor. This study advances the understanding of accounting researchers on the relationship between tax avoidance and managers’ resource adjustment decisions.
Development and application of an in vitro model for screening anti‐hepatitis B virus therapeutics

The development of effective anti‐hepatitis B virus agents has been hampered by the lack of reliable in vitro systems for the screening of new therapeutics. In an effort to circumvent this problem, we have developed an in vitro system for screening antihepatitis B virus drugs using hepatitis B virus DNAtransfected Hep G2 cells. The cell line designated 2.2. 15 produces replicative viral DNA intermediates, mature Dane particles and high levels of viral antigens. Subconfluent 2.2. 15 cells were treated with a variety of commonly used anti‐hepatitis B virus therapeutics, and their efficacy was determined by analyzing changes in the replicative cellular or extracellular hepatitis B virus DNA content by Southern blotting or slot‐blot hybridization. The slot‐blot method was sensitive, reproducible and rapid and correlated well with Southern blotting. Analysis of the media for hepatitis B virus DNA was indicative of changes in intracellular, replicative hepatitis B virus DNA, permitting sampling of the media. Therefore 2.2. 15 cells may provide a valuable method for identifying and monitoring effective anti‐hepatitis B virus therapeutics. Using this system to test various agents, we confirm that 2′‐deoxyguanosine strongly inhibited viral replication, whereas others tested were less effective. Correlation with in vivo systems is now needed. (Hepatology 1991;13:422–426.)
Gastroenterology training and career choices: a prospective longitudinal study of the impact of gender and of managed care

OBJECTIVE:We aimed to determine if gender differences exist in the selection and training of female and male gastroenterology fellows.METHODS:One hundred seventy-six of 218 training program directors returned an 18-question survey about their programs, including leave policies, training, and prevalence of female faculty. Two cohorts of graduating trainees from 1993 and 1995 (N = 393) returned anonymous surveys regarding their training program experiences, demographics, and business training.RESULTS:Female gastroenterology trainees are more likely to choose programs according to parental leave policies (p < 0.05), female faculty (0.2990 correlation coefficient), and “family reasons” (p < 0.04) than the male trainees. Female trainees were more likely to remain childless (p < 0.001) or have fewer children at the end of training despite marital status not unlike their male colleagues. Female trainees altered their family planning because of training program restrictions (20% vs 7%, p < 0.001). They perceived gender discrimination (39%) and sexual harassment (19%) during gastroenterology training. Trainees of both sexes had mentorship during training (65% vs 71%, ns); female trainees were more likely to have an opposite sex mentor (71% vs 3.4%) despite an almost 50% prevalence of female full-time and clinical faculty. Female trainees were apt to be less trained in advanced endoscopy (p < 0.005). Trainees of both sexes were influenced by the changing health care environment in career choice (49% vs 42%, ns); neither gender felt adequately prepared for the business aspects of gastroenterology.CONCLUSION:Alterations in gastroenterology training are needed to attract qualified female applicants. New graduates of both sexes lack practice management education.
Toxocara antibodies in veterinary personnel.

The prevelance of antibodies to Toxocara canis was determined in 113 veterinary personnel from 22 animal clinics. One hundred and fourteen adult hospital in-patients served as controls. All participants completed a questionnaire supplying personal data and specifies regarding animal exposure and dog ownership. Antibodies to Toxocara were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing as antigen, excretorysecretory products from second stage larvae of Toxocara canis.Toxocara antibodies were found in ten (8.8%) of 113 veterinary workers and in 11 (9.6%) of 114 controls. Antibody prevalence was no different between males and females. Toxocara infection was not associated with dog ownership in veterinary workers or in hospitalized controls. A breakdown of the specific occupations among veterinary personnel failed to show a difference in antibody prevalence, nor did years of service as a veterinary worker correlate with the presence of Toxocara antibody.Our results suggest that toxocariasis is not associated with direct humandog contact nor with occupational exposure to dogs.
A Social Networks Approach to Online Social Movement: Social Mediators and Mediated Content in #FreeAJStaff Twitter Network

The movement to free Al Jazeera journalists (#FreeAJStaff), imprisoned by Egyptian authorities, utilized social media over almost 2 years, between 2013 and 2015. #FreeAJStaff movement emerged as a unique blend of social movement and news media, taking place primarily on Twitter. This study applied a social networks approach to examine patterns of information flow within the #FreeAJStaff movement on Twitter: the emergence of information siloes and social mediators, who bridge them. Twitter data of 22 months were collected, resulting in social networks created by 71,326 users who included the hashtag #FreeAJStaff in their tweets, and 149,650 social ties (mentions and replies) among them. Analysis found social mediators to be primarily core movement actors (e.g., Al Jazeera) or elites (e.g., politicians), rather than grassroots actors. Furthermore, core actors exhibited more reciprocal relationship with other users than elite actors. In contrast, elite actors evoked denser exchange of messages. Finally, this study identified the mechanism used to create a Spillover Effect between social movements (such as #FreeAJStaff and #FreeShawkan), finding that mediated content, which travels across clusters, was more likely to include non-FreeAJStaff movement hashtags, than siloed content, which remains within a cluster. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The Role of Financial Sector Development in the Tourism- Growth Nexus: A Case of Southern African Countries

The study explored the impact of financial development on the tourism -growth nexus in Southern African (SADC) countries using the three panel data analysis approaches (pooled OLS, fixed and random effects). Specifically, the study investigated whether financial development is a channel through tourism influences economic growth in SADC countries or if the complementarity between financial development and tourism has a significant positive impact on economic growth in the SADC region? Theoretical and empirical literature review shows that the positive separate impact of tourism and financial development on economic growth is no longer a disputed matter. What has so far not been conclusively studied is whether financial management is a channel through which tourism influences economic growth. It is against this backdrop that the author undertook the current study in order to make a contribution to literature. The study found out that tourism had a significant negative influence on economic growth whereas financial development positively and significantly affected economic growth in the SADC region. The complementarity between tourism and financial development had a positive (fixed effects) and significant positive influence (pooled OLS and random effects) on economic growth in SADC countries, in line with theoretical predictions. SADC countries are therefore urged to improve their financial sector development levels in order to enhance the impact of tourism on economic growth.
User Plane Protocol Optimization in Cellular Networks with Decode-and-Forward Type of Relay

The use of relay stations in the cellular network is a good candidate method to enhance the cell edge data rate, and to provide homogeneous QoS experience for users in different locations. We discuss the decode-and-forward type relay station within the context of the 3GPP RLC/MAC layers. The emphasis is on proper RLC layer operation for the relay-enhanced-cell (REC). RLC layer evolvement in the future high data rate radio access network will first be discussed, then its performance in REC will be investigated, with or without it being implemented on the relay station. Simulations are conducted on the downlink for the future OFDMA-based relay network, from which we finally draw significant conclusions.
Inequality, Social Comparisons and Income Aspirations: Evidence from a Highly Unequal Country

Abstract We investigate the formation of minimum income aspirations in South Africa, a country characterised by high poverty rates and high and rising rates of inequality. Although a few empirical studies have explored income aspirations in South Africa, this is the first study that analyses nationally representative micro-data. We add to the broader empirical literature on income aspirations in two ways. First, we investigate whether there is evidence of aspirations failure among the poor and we test the relationship between aspirations and income inequality. Second, we explore whether aspirations have different associations when social comparisons are drawn with different reference groups. Our analysis of the minimum income question (MIQ) asked in a national household survey from 2008/2009 shows that although aspirations increase significantly with income, the poor are far more likely than the non-poor to report aspirations that exceed current income. The aspirations of both the poor and the non-poor also vary positively (and not negatively) with local levels of inequality, although aspirations respond significantly only to the relative success of others in the same race group.
Xenon Improves Recovery from Myocardial Stunning in Chronically Instrumented Dogs

In this study we tested the hypothesis that inhalational administration of xenon improves recovery from myocardial stunning. Ten dogs were chronically instrumented for measurement of heart rate; left atrial, aortic, and left ventricular pressure; coronary blood-flow velocity; and myocardial wall-thickening fraction. Regional myocardial blood flow was determined with fluorescent microspheres. Catecholamine plasma levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. An occluder around the left anterior descending artery (LAD) allowed the induction of a reversible LAD ischemia. Animals underwent 2 experimental conditions in a randomized crossover fashion on separate days: (a) 10 min of LAD occlusion under fentanyl (25 μg · kg−1 · h−1) and midazolam (0.6 mg · kg−1 · h−1) (control) and (b) a second ischemic episode under the same basal anesthesia with concomitant inhalational administration of 75 ± 1 vol% xenon (intervention). Anesthesia was induced 35 min before LAD occlusion and was discontinued after 20 min of reperfusion. Dogs receiving xenon showed a significantly better recovery of wall-thickening fraction up to 12 h after ischemia. The increase in plasma epinephrine during emergence from anesthesia and in the early reperfusion period was significantly attenuated in the xenon group. There were no differences between groups concerning global hemodynamics, blood-flow velocity, or regional myocardial blood flow. In conclusion, inhalational administration of 75 vol% xenon improves recovery from myocardial stunning in chronically instrumented dogs under fentanyl/midazolam anesthesia.
Phagocytic Activity and Nitric Oxide Production of Circulating Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes from Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Many studies have demonstrated an increase of neutrophils in patients with advanced cancer. However, the possible role of increased neutrophils in various neoplasms studied to date varies considerably. The authors examined the changes in white blood cell counts in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Malonildialdehyde and nitric oxide (NO) plasma and ascitic fluid levels, phagocitic activity and the ability of the polymorphonuclear cells (PMNCs) to produce nitric oxide were also measured. An increase in PMNCs and decrease in lymphocytes was found in cancer patients. Compared with healthy controls, cancer PMNCs showed significant enhancement of phagocytosis. Similarly, pretreatment of healthy PMNCs with crude supernatants from short-term cultures of the peritoneal cells from ascitic fluid of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis caused marked stimulation of PMNC phagocytosis. In addition, plasma and ascitic fluid nitric oxide levels in cancer patients were significantly higher than those found in control one. Most importantly, it was found that PMNCs from cancer patients release significantly more nitric oxide than corresponding normal controls. Therefore, considering the fact that neutrophils make up more than 50% of total leukocytes, these cells can play one of the most important roles in tumor biology.