Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profit Maximization Versus Disadvantageous Inequality: The Impact of Self-Categorization

Choice behavior researchers (e.g., Bazerman, Loewenstein, & White, 1992) have found that individuals tend to choose a more lucrative but disadvantageously unequal payoff (e.g., self—$600/other—$800) over a less profitable but equal one (e.g., self—$500/ other—$500); greater profit trumps interpersonal social comparison concerns in the choice setting. We suggest, however, that self-categorization (e.g., Hogg, 2000) can shift interpersonal social comparison concerns to the intergroup level and make trading disadvantageous inequality for greater profit more difficult. Studies 1–3 show that profit maximization diminishes when recipients belong to different social categories (e.g., genders, universities). Study 2 further implicates self-categorization, as selfcategorized individuals tend to forgo profit whether making a choice for themselves or another ingroup member. Study 3, moreover, reveals that social categorization alone is not sufficient to diminish profit maximization; individuals must self-categorize and identify with their categorization. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reología de suspensiones preparadas con harina precocida de yuca

Se investigo el efecto de las condiciones de proceso sobre las harinas de yuca precocidas verificando su comportamiento reologico en un medio acuoso. La inclusion en el procesamiento de una etapa de reposo a baja temperatura del parenquima de yuca precocido influyo ampliamente en las caracteristicas de la harina de yuca obtenida. La viscosidad aparente de suspensiones acuosas de harina de yuca elaborada con parenquima precocido y reposado a baja temperatura fue mas baja comparada con la viscosidad de las suspensiones de harina de yuca precocida sin periodo de reposo. Este comportamiento se debe probablemente a la reorganizacion de las moleculas de amilosa durante el reposo, lo cual genero otra estructura que disminuyo la capacidad de absorcion de agua. Palabras claves: Harina de yuca precocida, reologia, almidon, gelatinizacion.
Glucocorticoid bioactivity does not predict response to steroid therapy in severe pediatric ulcerative colitis

Background: The pathophysiological basis for corticosteroid (CS) failure in ulcerative colitis (UC) is unknown. A transactivation glucocorticoid bioassay (GBA) was developed to measure the biological activity of CS by quantifying glucocorticoid response elements. This approach eliminates differences in bioavailability, chemistry, affinity, and other potential differences between the various steroids regarding their ability to activate the glucocorticoid receptor. In this multicenter prospective study, we aimed to evaluate whether CS bioavailability plays a role in CS refractoriness in severe pediatric UC. Methods: GBA (using COS‐1 transfected cells) was measured in the serum of 50 children (52% males, age 13.4 ± 3.5 years) admitted for acute severe UC on the third day of CS treatment. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were prospectively recorded. Results: Of the children enrolled, 16 (32%) failed CS therapy and required infliximab (n = 14) or colectomy (n = 2) within a median of 10 days (interquartile range [IQR] 6.5–14.5). Reflecting internal validity of the assay, GBA was highly correlated with the last CS dose and the time interval to bloodletting (r = −0.41 and r = −0.54, respectively; P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the GBA levels between responders and nonresponders (249 nM versus 200 nM cortisol equivalent, P = 0.18). In a multivariate regression model adjusted for time elapsed from CS and the administered dose, GBA did not predict response to CS (P = 0.34). Conclusions: The lack of correlation of GBA level and treatment outcome lends support to the hypothesis that the bioavailability, type, and dosing of intravenous CS are not associated with response or failure to the drug. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010;)
Continuous quality improvement in an acute hospital: a report of an action research project in three hospital departments.

Describes an action research project to improve quality in three hospital departments including operating theatres, X-ray, and medical records. The approach combined quality assurance (QA) or audit methods with those of continuous quality improvement (CQI) or TQM. The intention was to bring about improved organizational performance through an emphasis on bottom-up rather than top-down methodology, and to assess the relative effectiveness of different quality strategies being used within the hospital. Baseline studies of organizational climate and of patient perceptions enabled evaluation of effectiveness. Provides a description of the background to various health-care quality strategies, and argues that several perspectives are required if all stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, professionals, patients, and managers) are to be satisfied. Describes the responses of staff, superiors and professionals and recommendations offered for more effective quality strategy implementation.
Establishing Confidence in Surface Wave Determined Soil Profiles

Surface waves can be used to determine the shear velocity profile from the ground surface to some depth limited by the spectral band of the seismic source. il. number of factors influence the uncertainties of the determined profile. The field acqui­ sition factors include the deployment geometry of geophones, the spectral characteris­ tics of the geophones, recording instruments, and seismic source. A key data processing factor is the determination of a dispersion curve from the field recordings. Finally, there are important choices in conducting the inversion of the dispersion curve \vhich leads to the final soil profile. Even if the field factors and acquired data are fixed, determi­ nation of the dispersion and the inversion decisions will have a strong influence on the final result. Different engineers will make different decisions, and a range of soil pro­ files can be expected. Assessment of this variability was the goal of the Surface Wave Benchmark Study sponsored by the Geophysical Engineering Committee of i\. SCE. Participants were invited to analyze as little or as much of the data as they wished. This paper documents one participant's analysis of a selected set of the data taken at a sin­ gle location. A key finding documents how a lack of low frequency content limits the maximum depth for which one can have confidence in the soil profile.
The Words behind Images: A Critical Social Semiotic Approach toward Analyzing Advertising

This study was an attempt to investigate the application of Fairclough's (2003) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach and Social Semiotic Approach (SSA) proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006) in analyzing ads discourse i.e. an approach that combines textual analysis with semiotic analysis in studying advertising. This combined approach was checked in two sample ads extracted from 'Time' magazine (2000, 2001). As results, two points emerged based on this study. The first was that advertising is a crucial factor in the dissemination of ideological values in any social discourses. The second point was that this discourse is not in any sense neutral. This is mediated, meaning that whatever aspects of social life are represented in the advertising pass through the particular linguistic (cohesion, disjunctive syntax, modality) as well as social semiotic resources (words, images and colors).
IL-4, IgE, and interferon-gamma production in pulmonary blastomycosis: comparison in mice untreated, immunized, or treated with an antifungal (SCH 39304).

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between production of certain lymphokines in progressive blastomycosis in untreated mice, resistance to infection in immunized mice, and cure in antifungal triazole (SCH 39304)-treated mice. Infection was measured by colony-forming units of Blastomyces dermatitidis in lungs. Serum level of IgE was used as a marker for in vivo IL-4 activity. Serum IgE levels rose in untreated mice from 6 micrograms/ml at 3 weeks to 24 micrograms/ml by the fourth week as their infection progressed. This corresponded to a peak in vitro production of IL-4 (147 pg/ml) by antigen-stimulated spleen cells at Week 4. By contrast, there was an inverse relationship between serum IgE- and antigen-stimulated production of IFN-gamma in vitro, e.g., 80 U/ml at the third week and 4 U/ml at Week 4. In mice undergoing cure with SCH 39304, serum IgE decreased from 12 micrograms/ml at the third week to 2 micrograms/ml at Week 4. This correlated with a drop in IL-4 and an increase in IFN-gamma production in in vitro assays. As cure proceeded over the next 4 weeks, IgE and IFN-gamma measurements were near background levels. In immunized mice a low-grade chronic blastomycosis emerged after 3 weeks of infection. Chronic infection was associated with inverse cycles of elevated IgE in serum and IFN-gamma production as assayed in vitro. IL-4 production cycled directly with increased IgE levels in serum. Although spleen cells from untreated mice produced IFN-gamma and IL-4 when stimulated with antigen, they did not mount significant proliferative responses. By contrast, spleen cells and lymph node cells from immunized and SCH 39304-treated mice made good proliferative responses to antigen and this correlated with resistance and clearing of the infection, respectively. These data indicate that in pulmonary blastomycosis, serum IgE levels correlate directly with IL-4 and inversely with IFN-gamma production. Clearing of the infection by the antifungal agent SCH 39304 reduces lymphokine production to background levels but sensitizes lymphocytes for proliferative responses to antigen.
Sonographic findings in complications of cosmetic breast augmentation with autologous fat obtained by liposuction

A 37‐year‐old woman presented with breast pain after breast augmentation utilizing autologous fat obtained by liposuction. Mammography and sonography demonstrated fat necrosis in the right breast and a solid inflammatory mass in the left breast. The diagnoses were confirmed by biopsy. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 32:299–301, 2004
Selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibition blocks furosemide-stimulated renin secretion in vivo.

The macula densa is a regulatory site for renin. It contains exclusively the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), suggesting NO could stimulate renin secretion through the macula densa pathway. To test whether neuronal NOS mediates renin secretion, renin was stimulated by either the renal baroreceptor or the diuretic furosemide (acting through the macula densa pathway). Renin secretion rate (RSR) was measured in 12 Inactin-anesthetized rats at normal (104 +/- 3 mmHg) and reduced renal perfusion pressure (65 +/- 1 mmHg), before and after selective blockade of the neuronal NOS with 7-nitroindazole (7-NI, 50 mg/kg ip). 7-NI had no effect on basal blood pressure (102 +/- 2 mmHg) or renal blood flow (RBF). Decreasing renal perfusion pressure doubled RSR from 11.8 +/- 3.3 to 22.9 +/- 5.7 ng ANG I.h-1.min-1 (P < 0.01) (ANG I is angiotensin I). Similarly, in 7-NI-treated rats, reduced perfusion doubled RSR from 8.5 +/- 1.8 to 20.5 +/- 6.2 ng ANG I.h-1.min-1 (P < 0.01). Renal hemodynamics and RSR were measured in response to 5 mg/kg iv furosemide in 12 control rats and 11 rats treated with 7-NI. Blocking neuronal NOS did not alter blood pressure (102 +/- 2 mmHg), RBF (5.8 +/- 0.4 ml.min-1.g kidney wt-1), or renal vascular resistance (18.7 +/- 1.4 mmHg.ml-1.min.g kidney wt). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Self-narrative reconstruction after dilemma-focused therapy for depression: A comparison of good and poor outcome cases

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study is to improve the understanding of self-changes after an intervention for depression focused on implicative dilemmas, a type of cognitive conflict related to identity. As recent research has highlighted the relevance of identity-related dilemmas in clients with depression, we sought to assess the way in which clients resolve such inner conflicts after a tailored dilemma-focused intervention and how this is reflected in the clients’ self-narratives. Method: We used three instruments to observe differences between good (n = 5) and poor (n = 5) outcome cases: (i) the Repertory Grid Technique to track the resolution of dilemmas, (ii) the Change Interview to compile clients’ accounts of changes at posttreatment, and (iii) the Innovative Moments Coding System to examine the emergence of clients’ novelties at the Change Interview. Results: Groups did not differ in terms of the number and relevance of client-identified significantly helpful events. However, between-group differences were found for the resolution of dilemmas and for the proportion of high-level innovative moment (IM) types. Furthermore, a greater self-narrative reconstruction was associated with higher levels of symptom improvement. Conclusions: Good outcome cases seem to be associated with the resolution of conflicts and high-level IMs.
In vivo three‐dimensional reconstruction of rat brain axonal projections by diffusion tensor imaging

The in situ assessment of axonal projections of the brain has been severely limited by the lack of noninvasive techniques to study this type of anatomy. We show here that in vivo three‐dimensional (3D) reconstruction of axonal projections can be achieved using a rapid 3D high‐resolution diffusion‐weighted imaging technique combined with a recently designed fiber reconstruction algorithm. As a first example, neuronal pathways in the rat brain were probed. Eight well‐known fiber projections; genu and splenium of corpus callosum, internal and external capsule, fimbria, anterior commissure, optic tract, and stria terminalis were tracked and shown to be in agreement with the location of these known axonal projections. The experiment took 2 hr and shorter times should be possible in the clinical situation. By combining anisotropy information with fiber tracking, the anisotropy of individual projections was also documented. Magn Reson Med 42:1123–1127, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Aspects of Algebraic Statistics Prediction , algorithms , and geometry

Algebraic statistics provides an algebraic point of view on statistical models. In this note we consider only models for discrete (finite) multivariate data, and in this case the most clear relation to algebra is that a large number of models are naturally parameterized via polynomials or rational functions. This is closely related to the concept of log-linear models and exponential families for discrete variables. The statistical models can then be seen geometrically as varieties, that is, as solution sets to a set of polynomial equations. This will, however, play a minor role in the present note, where we focus on some computational issues – in particular in relation to predictions of unobserved variables via maximum a posteriori prediction. The ability to evaluate polynomials efficiently turns out to be important, and for predictions of unobserved variables we need to solve linear programming problems efficiently. The algebra provides a unification of these computational problems via so-called semiring homomorphisms. It also provides a deeper understanding of our ability to construct predictions, and to investigate how the predictor functions change as we vary the parameters in the models.
Enumeration and Functional Evaluation of Virus-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells in Lymphoid and Peripheral Sites of Coxsackievirus B3 Infection

ABSTRACT Previous studies have suggested that coxsackievirus B (CVB) activates CD8+ T cells in vivo, but the extent of this activation and the antigen specificity of the CD8+ T cells remain uncertain. Furthermore, CVB-induced CD4+ T-cell responses have not been carefully investigated. Herein, we evaluate CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses both in a secondary lymphoid organ (spleen) and in peripheral tissues (heart and pancreas), using a recombinant CVB3 (rCVB3.6) that encodes well-characterized CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell epitopes. Despite reaching high levels in vivo, rCVB3.6 failed to trigger a marked expansion of CD8+ or CD4+ T cells, and T-cell activation was surprisingly limited. Furthermore, epitope-specific effector functions could not be detected using highly sensitive in vivo and ex vivo assays. Moreover, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I tetramer analysis indicated that our inability to detect CVB3-specific CD8+ T-cell responses could not be explained by the cells being dysfunctional. In contrast to naïve T cells, epitope-specific memory CD8+ and CD4+ T cells proliferated markedly, indicating that both of the rCVB3.6-encoded epitopes were presented by their respective MHC molecules in vivo. These data are consistent with the observation that several CVB3 proteins can limit the presentation of viral epitopes on the surface of infected cells and suggest that the level of MHC/peptide complex is sufficient to trigger memory but not naïve T cells. Finally, our findings have implications for the biological significance of cross-priming, a process thought by some to be important for the induction of antiviral CD8+ T-cell responses.
Meet the Tenascins: Multifunctional and Mysterious*

The tenascins are a highly conserved family of large oligomeric glycoproteins found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) 1 of vertebrate organisms. Two decades ago, the molecule now known as tenascin-C was among the first proteins shown to have an adhesion modulatory role antagonizing cell attachment to fibronectin (1). Cells that normally demonstrate a stationary phenotype on the fibronectin-containing matrix by spreading out and forming cortical actin stress fibers (Fig. 1A) will show morphological changes when tenascin-C is included in the matrix by extending membrane protrusions and exhibiting decreased stress fiber formation (Fig. 1B), characteristics more typical of a migratory phenotype (2). The presence of ECM proteins such as tenascins during developmental and pathological states is now well recognized if still not well understood. Although each type has a distinctive expression pattern, the tenascins share the characteristic of having tightly regulated expression during development and throughout an organism's life. Tenascins also share the characteristic of modulating cell-matrix interactions and mediating a state of matrix attachment that promotes motility while also influencing other cell functions. As such, this protein family has important functions not only during development but also during pathological states in the adult such as tissue injury and tumorigenesis where remodeling processes are prominent. Reviews in recent years have covered pertinent aspects of tenascin biology including domain structure, modulation of cell functions, in vivo null deletion phenotypes, and contributions to human pathology (3-10). This minireview will provide a concise summary of information from these reviews, which the reader is encouraged to refer to for greater detail, and will also discuss a few of the more recent developments in the field.
‘Long‐term feeding effects of stevioside sweetener on some toxicological parameters of growing rats’

The recent publication by Awney et al. (2010) suggesting that oral exposure of growing rats to stevioside produces adverse effects on bone contains a number of technical inaccuracies, as well as inaccurate citations of the literature. These problems fall into two large areas: (1) analytical and sample handing errors; and (2) over-interpretation of results from a nonspecific assay that do not support the authors’ conclusions.
Characterization of the nuclear export signal of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 Rex reveals that nuclear export is mediated by position-variable hydrophobic interactions

We previously determined that amino acids 64 to 120 of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Rex can restore the function of an effector domain mutant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Rev (T. J. Hope, B. L. Bond, D. McDonald, N. P. Klein, and T. G. Parslow, J. Virol. 65:6001-6007, 1991). In this report, we (i) identify and characterize a position-independent 17-amino-acid region of HTLV-1 Rex that fully complements HIV-1 Rev effector domain mutants and (ii) show that this 17-amino-acid region and specific hydrophobic substitutions can serve as nuclear export signals. Mutagenesis studies revealed that four leucines within the minimal region were essential for function. Alignment of the minimal Rex region with the HIV-1 Rev effector domain suggested that the position of some of the conserved leucines is flexible. We found two of the leucines could each occupy one of two positions within the context of the full-length HTLV-1 Rex protein and maintain function. The idea of flexibility within the Rex effector domain was confirmed and extended by identifying functional substitutions by screening a library of effector domain mutants in which the two regions of flexibility were randomized. Secondly, the functional roles of the minimal Rex effector domain and hydrophobic substitutions were independently confirmed by demonstrating that these effector domains could serve as nuclear export signals when conjugated with bovine serum albumin. Nuclear export of the wild-type Rex conjugates was temperature dependent and sensitive to wheat germ agglutinin and was blocked by a 20-fold excess of unlabeled conjugates. Together, these studies reveal that position-variable hydrophobic interactions within the HTLV-1 Rex effector domain mediate nuclear export function.
Hazard Characteristics and Patterns of Environmental Injustice: Household‐Level Determinants of Environmental Risk in Miami, Florida

Limited systematic comparative knowledge exists about patterns of environmental injustices in exposure to varied natural and technological hazards. To address this gap, we examine how hazard characteristics (i.e., punctuated event/suddenness of onset, frequency/magnitude, and divisibility) influence relationships between race/ethnicity, nativity, socioeconomic status (SES), older age, housing tenure, and residential hazard exposure. Sociodemographic data come from a random sample survey of 602 residents of the tricounty Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area (Florida). Hazard exposure was measured using spatial data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Air Toxics Assessment, and the Emergency Response Notification System. We specified generalized estimating equations (GEEs)—which account for sociospatial clustering—predicting 100‐year flood risk, acute chemical accidental releases, and chronic cancer risk from air toxics from all and on‐road mobile sources. We found that for punctuated, sudden onset events, some socially advantaged people were significantly at risk. Racial/ethnic minority variables were significant predictors of greater exposure to the three technological hazards, while higher SES was associated with 100‐year flood risk exposure. Black and foreign‐born Hispanic residents, and white and U.S.‐born Hispanic residents, shared nearly identical risk profiles. Results demonstrate the complexities found in human‐hazard associations and the roles of hazard characteristics in shaping disparate risk patterns.