Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association between material living standard and psychological distress: Results from a New Zealand population survey

Background: People with a low material living standard experience more psychological distress than those with a high living standard, but previous studies suggest the size of this difference is modest. Aim: To measure the association between living standard and psychological distress using a multidimensional measure of living standard, the Economic Living Standard Index (ELSI). Methods: Adults aged 25–64 years (n = 8,465) were selected from a New Zealand community survey. Logistic regression models were used to compare household income and ELSI scores as risk factors for high psychological distress, defined as a K10 score of 12 or over. Results: In the population, the prevalence of high psychological distress was 5.8%. The prevalence of high distress increased steeply with decreasing living standard. In the most deprived decile according to ELSI score, 24.3% had high distress, compared to 0.8% in the least deprived decile. For household income, high distress was present in 15.9% of people in the lowest decile and 2.2% of the highest decile. In fully adjusted models, ELSI score remained significantly associated with high distress but household income was not. Conclusion: The mental health disparity between those at opposite ends of the social spectrum is very large. Comprehensive measures such as the ELSI give a more accurate estimate of this disparity than household income.
The extent of dichloroacetate formation from trichloroethylene, chloral hydrate, trichloroacetate, and trichloroethanol in B6C3F1 mice.

Conflicting data have been published related to the formation of dichloroacetate (DCA) from trichloroethylene (TRI), chloral hydrate (CH), or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in B6C3F1 mice. TCA is usually indicated as the primary metabolic precursor to DCA. Model simulations based on the known pharmacokinetics of TCA and DCA predicted blood concentrations of DCA that were 10- to 100-fold lower than previously published reports. Because DCA has also been shown to form as an artifact during sample processing, we reevaluated the source of the reported DCA, i.e., whether it was metabolically derived or formed as an artifact. Male B6C3F1 mice were dosed with TRI, CH, trichloroethanol (TCE), or TCA and metabolic profiles of each were determined. DCA was not detected in any of these samples above the assay LOQ of 1.9 microM of whole blood. In order to slow the clearance of DCA, mice were pretreated for 2 weeks with 2 g/liter of DCA in their drinking water. Even under this pretreatment condition, no DCA was detected from a 100 mg/kg i.v. dose of TCA. Although there is significant uncertainty in the amount of DCA that could be generated from TRI or its metabolites, our experimental data and pharmacokinetic model simulations suggest that DCA is likely formed as a short-lived intermediate metabolite. However, its rapid elimination relative to its formation from TCA prevents the accumulation of measurable amounts of DCA in the blood.
Growth hormone variants: A potential avenue for a better diagnostic characterization of growth hormone deficiency in children

Human GH (hGH) is a heterogeneous protein hormone consisting of several isoforms. This heterogeneity is the consequence of multiple hGH genes, mRNA splicing, post-translational modifications, and peripheral metabolism, and it represents one important reason for the disparity among GH assay results from different laboratories. However, other factors are involved: a) interference from endogenous GH binding proteins; b) different specificities of anti-GH (monoclonal and polyclonal) antibodies; c) different matrix effects among the calibrators; d) the use of different calibrators. The measurement of GH levels in response to provocative testing is an essential part of the diagnosis of GH deficiency. For this purpose, an accurate, reproducible and universally valid GH measurement would be highly desirable, but, despite a huge number of efforts in clinical biochemistry, this goal remains elusive.
Studying the relationship between the educational level and the society awareness toward the risk of the consanguinity marriage in Al-Madinah

Background: Consanguinity is the union between genetically related persons. It is more prevalent in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. The offspring of consanguineous marriage are at greater risks for certain genetic diseases. Methodology: The study is a cross-sectional observational study with a self-administered questionnaire. It included 810 participants from 18 to 60 years of age from Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Results: Our study reveals that 42.2% were against consanguineous marriage and 14.3% were in favor of it, the highest percentage of those against consanguineous marriage were post graduate participants. Conclusion: There is a negative correlation between education level and attitude toward consanguineous marriage. Increasing level of education decreases the attitude toward consanguineous marriage.
[Clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulitis in Koreans].

BACKGROUND/AIMS In western countries, symptomatic diverticulitis develops in about 20% of the population with colonic diverticula, and it is mainly located at the left-sided colon. The clinical characteristics of diverticulitis have rarely been investigated although its incidence is increasing in Asia including Korea. The aim of this study was to compare diverticulitis with asymptomatic diverticulosis and to compare the clinical characteristics of right-sided diverticulitis with those of left-sided diverticulitis. METHODS We retrospectively investigated the medical records of the patients who had symptoms and signs of diverticulitis. Their diagnosis was confirmed with computed tomography, barium study, colonoscopy and/or operations at Samsung Medical Center from September 1998 to February 2002. The control cases of asymptomatic and incidental diverticulosis were randomly selected during routine health check-up after matching age and sex. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients with diverticulitis (male : female = 14 : 13) were included. The mean age was 53 (27~86). The ratio of right and left diverticulitis was 20:7, which was similar to the ratio of diverticulosis. The complications, especially perforation, were more frequent in the patients with left-sided diverticulitis (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Colonic diverticulitis is more prevalent at the right colon and left colonic diverticulitis has more complications than right colonic diverticulitis in Korea.
From theory to practice: An explorative study into the instrumentality and specificity of implementation intentions

Objective: The present study explores the behavioural impact of instrumentality and specificity of implementation intentions. Method: At baseline, 764 participants in a smoking cessation contest were asked to formulate three implementation intentions on how they planned to cope with difficult situations. Two independent researchers evaluated all formulated plans and rated them according to their instrumentality (instrumental and non-instrumental) and specificity (non-specific, medium and highly specific). Point prevalence and continuous smoking abstinence rates were measured 7 months after baseline. Results: One in four participants (23%) made at least one non-instrumental implementation intention. On average, participants made medium to highly specific plans. The mere instrumentality of plans did not significantly affect smoking abstinence. Plan specificity positively predicted point prevalence abstinence; medium to highly specific planning resulted in higher abstinence rates than less specific planning. Smoking abstinence rates did not differ between respondents with medium and highly specific planning. Women, higher educated participants, and experienced quitters were more likely to formulate instrumental implementation intentions. Women and highly motivated participants were more specific in their planning. Conclusion: By encouraging participants to furnish goal-directed actions with sufficient detail the efficacy of implementation intention formation can be increased. Implications for future studies and interventions are discussed.
SRD5A2 gene analysis in an Italian population of under‐masculinized 46,XY subjects

Objective The differential diagnosis of male under‐masculinization, including a wide spectrum of phenotypes and a heterogeneous genetic basis, is crucial for the correct management of the patients. To characterize an Italian population of under‐masculinized males, we performed the molecular analysis of the SRD5A2 gene (2p23), encoding the 5α‐reductase‐2 enzyme that converts testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and is required for full masculinization of the male foetus.
Maize proteomics: An insight into the biology of an important cereal crop

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most grown cereal crop in the world (839 million tons in 2012). According to its agro‐economical importance, maize has received tremendous attention from research communities of academic, state, and industry origin. In this manuscript, we aspire to provide readers with the first comprehensive review of proteomics studies performed on maize within a 1987–2012 time period. The following topics are presented here: maize proteome profiling, developmental proteomics, response to abiotic and biotic stress, maize phosphoproteomics, tissue‐specific wild‐type versus mutant analyses, heterosis, seed viability, maize allergens, and safety assessment of genetically modified maize. Tissues, organelles, subcellular compartments, secretomes, methods, phenomena, and pertinent proteins were summarized and referenced in tables and figures to provide readers with expediently accessible information in the context of up‐to‐date achievements. This review illustrates maize proteomics as a firmly established research area with laboratories around the world diligently advancing our knowledge of diverse aspects of maize biology.
Survey of multidrug resistance integrative mobilizable elements SGI1 and PGI1 in Proteus mirabilis in humans and dogs in France, 2010-13.

OBJECTIVES To characterize MDR genomic islands related to Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) and Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1) in Proteus mirabilis from human and animal sources in France in light of the previously reported cases. METHODS A total of 52 and 46 P. mirabilis clinical strains from human and animal sources, respectively, were studied for the period 2010-13. MDR was assessed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PCR detection of SGI1 and PGI1 and PCR mapping of the MDR regions. The diversity of the SGI1/PGI1-positive P. mirabilis strains was assessed by PFGE. RESULTS Twelve P. mirabilis strains (5 humans and 7 dogs) were found to harbour an MDR island related to SGI1 or PGI1. Among them, several SGI1 variants were identified in diverse P. mirabilis genetic backgrounds. The variant SGI1-V, which harbours the ESBL bla VEB-6 gene, was found in closely genetically related human and dog P. mirabilis strains. The recently described PGI1 element was also identified in human and dog strains. Finally, one strain harboured a novel SGI genomic island closely related to SGI1 and SGI2 without an insertion of the MDR region. CONCLUSION This study reports for the first time, to our knowledge, SGI1-positive and PGI1-positive P. mirabilis strains from dogs in France. The genetic diversity of the strains suggests several independent horizontal acquisitions of these MDR elements. The potential transmission of SGI1/PGI1-positive P. mirabilis strains between animals and humans is of public health concern, notably with regard to the spread of ESBL and carbapenemase genes, i.e. bla VEB-6 and bla NDM-1.
Muscarinic and nicotinic modulation of cortical acetylcholine release monitored by in vivo microdialysis in freely moving adult rats

The aim of the present study was to investigate, using in vivo dialysis, the existence of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors controlling acetylcholine release in the cortex of freely behaving rats. Various muscarinic receptor antagonists, including the nonselective blocker atropine, and a variety of M2 drugs (AF‐DX 116, AF‐DX 384, AQ‐RA 741) potently stimulated, in a concentration‐dependent manner, the in vivo release of acetylcholine in the rat cortex. The effects of all these antagonists were long lasting. The nature of these putative muscarinic autoreceptors is likely of the pharmacologically defined M2subtype on the basis of the high potency of the antagonists of the AF‐DX series and the variability and shorter duration of action of the effects of the prototypic M1 blocker, pirenzepine. 4‐DAMP, a purported M3 blocker, also potently stimulated in vivo cortical acetylcholine release, but this likely relates to its now established, rather limited selectivity for any given muscarinic receptor subtypes. Peripheral and central injections of nicotine also induced the in vivo release of acetylcholine in the rat cortex, albeit with a lower potency and shorter duration of action than muscarinic antagonists. Interestingly, the combination of a muscarinic antagonist, such as atropine, AF‐DX 116, or AF‐DX 384, in the presence of nicotine, induced tremendous releases of cortical acetylcholine up to 8‐to 10‐fold over basal values. This is clearly more than a simply additive effect, and it reveals the great capacity of cortical cholinergic nerve terminals to synthesize and release acetylcholine. Optimal pharmacological manipulations of these putative muscarinic and nicotinic autoreceptors could thus be useful in disorders in which the activity of cholinergic inputs is decreased, such as in Alzheimer's disease. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Managing Persistent Tensions on the Frontline: A Configurational Perspective on Ambidexterity

Ambidexterity research has noted that ﬁrms’ simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation causes organizational tensions that are difﬁcult to resolve. To make these tensions manageable, scholars have generally suggested that senior managers take the central role in designing organizational solutions, such as the structural separation or contextual integration of the exploratory and exploitative tasks. Yet, in an inductive study of ten corporate innovation initiatives, we ﬁnd that our informants assigned far less importance to the senior managers’ initial design choices than to the frontline managers’ subsequent conﬁgurational practices. Frontline managers used these practices to constantly adapt and align their initiatives’ organizational contexts, which allowed them to cope with persistent exploration-exploitation tensions in their daily business activities. Based on these empirical insights and drawing on paradox theory, we develop a conﬁgurational perspective on ambidexterity, where frontline managers play a more central, proactive, and strategic role than purported by the established design perspective on ambidexterity.
Is there a bubble in the Swedish housing market?

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the presence of a housing bubble using Swedish data from 1986Q1-2016Q4 by using various methods. Design/methodology/approach First, the authors use affordability indicators and asset-pricing approaches, including the price-to-income ratio, price-to-rent ratio and user cost, supplemented by a qualitative discussion of other factors affecting house prices. Second, the authors use cointegration techniques to compute the fundamental (or long-run) price, which is then compared with the actual price to test the degree of Sweden’s housing price bubble during the studied period. Third, they apply the univariate right-tailed unit root test procedure to capture bursting bubbles and to date-stamp bubbles. Findings The authors find evidence for rational housing bubbles with explosive behavioral components beginning in 2004. These bubbles do not continuously diverge but instead periodically revert to their fundamental value. However, the deviation is persistent, and without any policy correction, it takes decades for real house prices to return to equilibrium. Originality/value The policy implication is that monetary policy designed to contain mortgage demand and thereby prevent burst episodes in the housing market must address external imbalances, as revealed in real exchange rate undervaluation. It is unlikely that current policies will stop the rise of house prices, as the growth of mortgage credit, improvement in Sweden’s international competitiveness and the path of interest rates are much more important factors.
Variability analysis of SAR from 20 MHz to 2.4 GHz for different adult and child models using finite-difference time-domain

This paper deals with the variability of body models used in numerical dosimetry studies. Six adult anthropomorphic voxel models have been collected and used to build 5-, 8- and 12-year-old children using a morphing method respecting anatomical parameters. Finite-difference time-domain calculations of a specific absorption rate (SAR) have been performed for a range of frequencies from 20 MHz to 2.4 GHz for isolated models illuminated by plane waves. A whole-body-averaged SAR is presented as well as the average on specific tissues such as skin, muscles, fat or bones and the average on specific parts of the body such as head, legs, arms or torso. Results point out the variability of adult models. The standard deviation of whole-body-averaged SAR of adult models can reach 40%. All phantoms are exposed to the ICNIRP reference levels. Results show that for adults, compliance with reference levels ensures compliance with basic restrictions, but concerning children models involved in this study, the whole-body-averaged SAR goes over the fundamental safety limits up to 40%. For more information on this article, see medicalphysicsweb.org
Application of Gamification in a College STEM Introductory Course: A Case Study.

Between 2000 and 2016, the STEM industry reportedly added jobs at the rate of 28% while all jobs were growing at only 6%. However, 48% of bachelor’s degree students and 69% of associate’s degree students in STEM majors left their program of study between 2003 and 2009. The high attrition rate is often attributed to low student engagement, boredom, alienation, lack of diversity in student population, and faculty attitudes. This exploratory case study demonstrates thick descriptions of student experiences in an Introduction to Computing course with a special focus on gameful design of short-term and long-term course activities. The findings of this case study described an application of gamification to increase engagement. The participants of the case study include 501 students enrolled in 4 semesters and 15 courses. Through the process of qualitative content analysis, 1002 course review comments and 182 comments from a third-party source were categorized and processed into emerging themes and patterns. The lecture themes identified in qualitative content analysis were intellectual engagement, emotional engagement, behavioral engagement, physical engagement, and social engagement. The course-long themes to promote participation were attendance, management of anxiety, assignment completion, timely feedback, mastery of the material, and course completion. The implications of the case study included a demonstration of a working gamification system for high enrollment and mandated curriculum courses. The first research question: “How does gamification encourage engagement during lectures? ” addresses student willingness to use their personal devices in active learning with the Kahoot peer-response system, the reciprocal nature of engagement between instructors and students, and the importance of games as an instructional metaphor. The second research question: “How does gamification encourage participation in the activities during the entire length of the course? ” focuses on the role of instructional design in a candidate course for gamification, a variety of tools necessary to promote course-long engagement, a bridge in the affective domain from disinterest to emotional investment, and the application of the Anna Karenina principle for adoption of gamification.
The effect of barriers on electrical tree propagation in composite insulation materials

The propagation of electrical trees is of a particular interest for the power engineering industry as it is one of the major causes for breakdown in high voltage equipments. Composites, materials with barriers and a surrounding polymer matrix are used to extend time to breakdown of the insulations. Since the material, structure or processing of the barriers are various and can determine time to breakdown significantly, the major influences of barriers on the propagation of electrical trees is described in this paper in experiments and numerical simulations. Although it was the motivation, to determine tree growth in the composite structure of mica-epoxy winding insulations, the results can also be used for other composite materials. The trees grew in needle-plane samples and their growth characteristic was optically analysed. The results show that tree propagation can be slowed down when introducing a barrier between the needle and the plane electrode and may cause significantly increased time to breakdown values. The increase depends on the barrier materials used, their thickness, the dielectric strength of the interface to the surrounding epoxy resin and the width of the barrier. When choosing multiple barriers, their arrangement influences time to breakdown significantly. Overlapped barriers show much higher time to breakdown values than impinged ones. From the results, it can be concluded that the selection of the barrier materials, their processing and their arrangement play a major role towards time to breakdown of composite insulation materials.
Future Perspectives of Biomass Torrefaction: Review of the Current State-Of-The-Art and Research Development

The growing search for alternative energy sources is not only due to the present shortage of non-renewable energy sources, but also due to their negative environmental impacts. Therefore, a lot of attention is drawn to the use of biomass as a renewable energy source. However, using biomass in its natural state has not proven to be an efficient technique, giving rise to a wide range of processing treatments that enhance the properties of biomass as an energy source. Torrefaction is a thermal process that enhances the properties of biomass through its thermal decomposition at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C. The torrefaction process is defined by several parameters, which also have impacts on the final quality of the torrefied biomass. The final quality is measured by considering parameters, such as humidity, heating value (HV), and grindability. Studies have focused on maximizing the torrefied biomass’ quality using the best possible combination for the different parameters. The main objective of this article is to present new information regarding the conventional torrefaction process, as well as study the innovative techniques that have been in development for the improvement of the torrefied biomass qualities. With this study, conclusions were made regarding the importance of torrefaction in the energy field, after considering the economic status of this renewable resource. The importance of the torrefaction parameters on the final properties of torrefied biomass was also highly considered, as well as the importance of the reactor scales for the definition of ideal protocols.