Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Where Do They Go, Whom Do They Consult, and Why? Health-Seeking Behaviors in the Northern Areas of Pakistan

This study presents an ethnographic account of health-seeking behaviors and determinants of health service utilization of people living in the rural Northern Areas of Pakistan. Data was gathered from 2004 to 2005 through 10 gender-specific focus group discussions. Sociodemographic characteristics, economic conditions, cultural forces, physical and environmental conditions, and health care service features form the behaviors. The complex composition of health care systems drives us to study the most intricate phenomenon of health care-seeking behaviors. Inappropriate or delayed health care-seeking could lead to undesirable health outcomes, high fertility, unwanted pregnancies, medical complications, and amplified susceptibility to future illnesses. At times it results in a significant economic burden when a simple illness becomes drawn out because of improper health-seeking behaviors. This study is an effort to present relevant information to the policy makers to reorient the health care services to make them more acceptable. It is recommended that this research be used for designing behavior change communication modules or social marketing campaigns in raising awareness about health in the community and sensitizing health care providers to the needs of their clients.
Enhancing human security through crisis management : opportunities and challenges for learning

Enhancing human security through crisis management – opportunities and challenges for learning Since the Cold war, armed conflicts have usually started in so-called fragile states and poor countries, they have occurred inside states, mostly not between them and non-state armed groups have been involved in them. They often lead to conflict cycles, in which warfare and more stable circumstances vary. Because conflict mortality often remains under the international definition (under 1,000 annual deaths), I call these kinds of conflicts as “new conflicts”. The international community has tried to develop the models for crisis management and peacekeeping in order to obtain sustainable peace. Human security is based on a vision according to which every individual’s human rights should be respected. This vision affects how crisis management and peace-building are carried out. The present research consists of two empirical parts: a Delphi panel process and interviews of crisis management personnel. Fifteen experts on different fields in crisis management attended the panel that was carried out in 2008. According to the panel, the futures conflicts will often resemble “new conflicts”. In addition, interaction and communication abilities are required from crisis management personnel. The panel emphasized interaction and communication abilities particularly with regard to the competences of civilian crisis management personnel, although these abilities are also important for the military crisis management personnel. A clear division of labor between various actors is required in crisis management. The second empirical part of the research consisted of 27 thematic interviews with civilian and military crisis management personnel who had served in Kosovo. The interviewees were nine professional officers, ten peacekeepers who had been recruited from the reserves, and eight individuals who had worked in civilian crisis management. The interviews occurred between February and June 2008. The results emphasized the significance of interaction and communication abilities because many interviewees had solved problems with crisis management personnel and local inhabitants. Learning processes that occurred in crisis management and that were often positive and informal in nature were also highlighted through the interviews. These successful events had a positive impact on an individual’s self-confidence and this process can be described in terms of self-realization. Learning in crisis management is especially significant if the activities are developed in order to enhance human security. Informal learning should be better taken into account when developing crisis management education and opportunities for learning in crisis management. Feedback systems also require development. The entire crisis management operation should also receive critical feedback if it is necessary in regard to its positive and negative outcomes.
Burgers or Tofu? Eating Between Two Worlds: Risk Information Seeking and Processing During Dietary Acculturation

This study attempted to examine what factors might motivate Chinese international students, the fastest growing ethnic student group in the United States, to seek and process information about potential health risks from eating American-style food. This goal was accomplished by applying the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model to this study. An online 2 (severity: high vs. low) × 2 (coping strategies: present vs. absent) between-subjects experiment was conducted via Qualtrics to evaluate the effects of the manipulated variables on the dependent variables of interest as well as various relationships proposed in the RISP model. A convenience sample of 635 participants was recruited online. Data were analyzed primarily using structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS 21.0 with maximum likelihood estimation. The final conceptual model has a good model fit to the data given the sample size. The results showed that although the experimentally manipulated variables failed to cause any significant differences in individuals’ perceived severity and self-efficacy, this study largely supported the RISP model’s propositions about the sociopsychological factors that explain individual variations in information seeking and processing. More specifically, the findings indicated a prominent role of informational subjective norms and affective responses (both negative and positive emotions) in predicting individuals’ information seeking and processing. Future implications and limitations are also discussed.
Impression cytology implicates cell autophagy in aqueous deficiency dry eye

Purpose Impression cytology in combination with a cell autophagy marker was used to demonstrate the utility of a novel frozen section technique, to assess the health of the ocular surface, as well as to correlate autophagic cell death with the commonly used clinical tests for dry eye. Methods Female patients over the age of 18 years who attended an outpatient ophthalmology clinic were invited to participate. Schirmer’s test, tear film break-up time and the ocular surface disease index questionnaire were used as objective and subjective clinical tests for dry eye. The cellular biomarker microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) was used as a marker of autophagic cell death. Results Low LC3 nuclear staining was positively correlated with Schirmer’s test <10 mm. No correlation was found between other clinical tests for dry eye. Conclusion This study demonstrates a positive linear relationship between Schirmer’s testing and LC3. There is a lack of correlation between the commonly used diagnostics tests for dry eye, highlighting our incomplete understanding and assessment of dry eye.
Distinguishing acute-onset CIDP from fluctuating Guillain-Barré syndrome

Objective: The aim of the study was to provide criteria that can help to distinguish between GBS-TRF and A-CIDP in the early phase of disease. Background: The distinction between Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) with fluctuations shortly after start of treatment (treatment-related fluctuations, or GBS-TRF) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with acute onset (A-CIDP) is difficult but important because prognosis and treatment strategy largely differ. Methods: Patients with GBS (n = 170) were included in a prospective longitudinal study. Patients with GBS-TRF (n = 16) and patients with A-CIDP (n = 8) were analyzed and compared. Extended clinical data, biologic material, and electrophysiologic data were collected during 1 year follow-up. Results: The first TRF in the GBS-TRF group always occurred within 8 weeks (median 18 days; range 10–54 days) from onset of weakness. In the GBS-TRF group, 5 (31%) patients had a second TRF and none had more TRFs. At all timepoints, patients in the A-CIDP group were less severely affected than patients with GBS-TRF, did not need artificial ventilation, rarely had cranial nerve dysfunction, and tended to have more CIDP-like electrophysiologic abnormalities. More GBS-TRF patients were severely affected and more patients had sensory disturbances when compared to the GBS group without fluctuations. Conclusions: The diagnosis of acute-onset chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) should be considered when a patient thought to have Guillain-Barré syndrome deteriorates again after 8 weeks from onset or when deterioration occurs 3 times or more. Especially when the patient remains able to walk independently and has no cranial nerve dysfunction or electrophysiologic features likely to be compatible with CIDP, maintenance treatment for CIDP should be considered.
A program for predicting significant RNA secondary structures

We describe a program for the analysis of RNA secondary structure. There are two new features in this program. (i) To get vector speeds on a vector pipeline machine (such as Cray X-MP/24) we have vectorized the secondary structure dynamic algorithm. (ii) The statistical significance of a locally 'optimal' secondary structure is assessed by a Monte Carlo method. The results can be depicted graphically including profiles of the stability of local secondary structures and the distribution of the potentially significant secondary structures in the RNA molecules. Interesting regions where both the potentially significant secondary structures and 'open' structures (single-stranded coils) occur can be identified by the plots mentioned above. Furthermore, the speed of the vectorized code allows repeated Monte Carlo simulations with different overlapping window sizes. Thus, the optimal size of the significant secondary structure occurring in the interesting region can be assessed by repeating the Monte Carlo simulation. The power of the program is demonstrated in the analysis of local secondary structures of human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type III (HIV).
In situ analysis of C-C chemokine mRNA in human glomerulonephritis.

BACKGROUND Glomerular and tubulointerstitial accumulations of macrophages and T cells are a prominent feature of immune inflammatory glomerulonephritis. The C-C family of chemokines are major mononuclear-cell chemoattractants and may be central to the recruitment of these cells. METHODS Using in situ hybridization (ISH) we analyzed the expression of mRNA for the C-C chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha and beta (MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta) and RANTES in renal biopsy material from twenty patients with glomerulonephritis. RESULTS In overt inflammatory glomerulonephritides, chemokine transcripts were differentially expressed by glomerular and tubulointerstitial leukocyte infiltrates, glomerular parietal and proximal tubular epithelial cells and endothelial cells. There was little expression in minimal change nephropathy and normal tissue. Expression of individual chemokines correlated with intrarenal T cell and macrophage infiltrates. Combined immunohistochemistry and ISH demonstrated that 56.9% of cells expressing MCP-1 mRNA were CD68+ve (monocytes/macrophages) and 53% of infiltrating CD68 +ve cells were MCP-1 mRNA positive. CONCLUSIONS These studies indicate that the in situ production of C-C chemokines by resident and infiltrating cells may play a crucial role in regulating macrophage and T-cell recruitment in glomerulonephritis.
A topological study of repetitive co-activation networks in in vitro cortical assemblies

To address the issue of extracting useful information from large data-set of large scale networks of neurons, we propose an algorithm that involves both algebraic-statistical and topological tools. We investigate the electrical behavior of in vitro cortical assemblies both during spontaneous and stimulus-evoked activity coupled to Micro-Electrode Arrays (MEAs). Our goal is to identify core sub-networks of repetitive and synchronous patterns of activity and to characterize them. The analysis is performed at different resolution levels using a clustering algorithm that reduces the network dimensionality. To better visualize the results, we provide a graphical representation of the detected sub-networks and characterize them with a topological invariant, i.e. the sequence of Betti numbers computed on the associated simplicial complexes. The results show that the extracted sub-populations of neurons have a more heterogeneous firing rate with respect to the entire network. Furthermore, the comparison of spontaneous and stimulus-evoked behavior reveals similarities in the identified clusters of neurons, indicating that in both conditions similar activation patterns drive the global network activity.
Treatment of Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myelogenous leukemia with weekly polyethylene glycol formulation of interferon‐alpha‐2b and low‐dose cytosine arabinoside

To evaluate the activity and toxicity of weekly Schering 54301, a polyethylene glycol formulation of interferon‐ α‐2b (PEG‐IFN‐α‐2b), with cytosine arabinoside (ara‐C) in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
Guinness Rugby World Cup Sponsorship; a Global Platform for Meeting Business Objectives

In a recession sponsorship could be one of the first budgets to be cut but there are arguments to suggest that it should be one of the last. Although primarily used as a marketing tool, those companies with a mature attitude to the subject have realised that it can be used to address a very wide range of business objectives that also include internal communications, staff retention/recruitment and business-to-business communications. The Guinness sponsorship of the 1999 Rugby World Cup demonstrates the wide-ranging objectives that can be met while also proving the power of sponsorship in consumer marketing.
Sustainability or Profitability? How Communicated Motives for Environmental Policy Affect Public Perceptions of Corporate Greenwashing

Companies in the energy sector face a dilemma regarding how to communicate their environmental policies to the public. Communicating that environmental policies and activities are motivated by concern for the environment could elicit positive reactions, but may also lead to accusations of corporate greenwashing – the idea that companies deliberately frame their activities as ‘green’ in order to look environmentally friendly. The results of three experiments demonstrate that people easily suspect greenwashing when an energy company invests in environmental measures. Importantly, suspicions of corporate greenwashing are reduced by acknowledging economic motives instead of communicating environmental motives for such investments. Suspicion of strategic organizational behavior mediates the effect of communicated motive on perceived corporate greenwashing. This indirect effect occurs primarily among people who are not by nature very skeptical about organizational communications in general. These findings highlight the need to think carefully about how to communicate corporate environmental policies to the public. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
CEO Membership of New Zealand Boards: Determinants and Firm Performance

This study primarily investigates the determinants of CEO membership of New Zealand (NZ) boards, and the effect of CEO board membership on firm performance, for publiclylisted NZ firms between 1997 to 2008. The project is conducted using a unique handcollected panel dataset containing information about CEO participation on the board, firm characteristics, firm performance, ownership, and firm governance. The sample covers the twelve-year period. The sample statistics of CEO board membership reveal that on average, approximately 30% of NZ CEOs do not sit on their company board. In addition, the number (percentage) of incidences of CEOs off their company board has been increasing. Specifically, the percentage of CEOs off the board was approximately 20% in 1997 but 42% in 2008. Models examining the determinants of CEO board participation indicate that the probability of CEO board membership is significantly related to the opacity of firms’ information environment and the strength of firms’ governance environment. Specifically, the probability of CEO board membership is significantly affected by firm size, firm age, percentage of independent directors, board ownership, and multiple directorships in independent companies. In particular, firm size and percentage of independent directors on the board possess economic significance. The negative association between the probability of CEO board membership and the strength of firms’ governance environment is consistent with CEO utility maximization. I also find that although CEO board membership is positively related to ROA, ROE and Jensen’s alpha in basic regression models, the positive effect observed in accounting performance models disappears after controlling for self-selection. In other words, firms with better accounting firm performance tend to appoint their CEOs on the board. This may attribute to the possibility that CEO board membership is optimally determined by shareholders. The evidence from a market-based model also reflects shareholder interests after controlling for the negative self-selection behavior. As an additional analysis, I examine the determinants of different degrees of CEO board involvement where CEOs on the board are categorized into CEO-director and CEO
TEVAR for complicated acute type B dissection with malperfusion.

Departments of Cardiac Surgery and Radiology, Samuel & Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Correspondence to: Himanshu J. Patel, MD. Associate Professor of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michigan Hospitals, Department of Cardiac Surgery, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, 5144 Cardiovascular Center/SPC #5864, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5864, USA. Email: hjpatel@med.umich. edu.
PENGARUH PENGALAMAN, PENGETAHUAN, AUDIT TENURE DAN PEER REVIEW TERHADAP KUALITAS AUDIT (Studi Empiris Pada Kantor Akuntan Publik Di Pekanbaru, Batam, Padang dan Medan)

Audit is a process to reduce the information contained in consistencies between managers and share holders. So the company should be more critical in choosing Public Accounting Firm to the financial statements audited by a public accountants a report that is free from material misstatement, be credible. There fore, we need a professional services independent and objective public accountants to assess the fairness of the financial statements presented by management. This study aimed to examine the effect of experience, knowledge, audit tenure and peer review of audit quality in the public accounting firm in Pekanbaru, Batam, Padang and Medan. The sampling technique using purposive sampling. Data collection methods conducted by using a questionnaire. The data collected will be analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that the experience, knowledge, peer reviewed significant effect on audit quality. While no effect exhibited significantly audit tenure on audit quality produced by a public accountant. The amount of donations influence the experience, knowledge, audit tenure and peer review of audit quality by 59%.
Changing forest structure across the landscape of the Sierra Nevada, CA, USA, since the 1930s

Understanding the dynamics of forest structure aids inference regarding future forests and their distributions around the world. Over the last few decades, several papers have addressed changing forest structure in the Sierra Nevada, CA, USA, but these studies were limited in scope. We carried out a broad comparison of forest density and composition in the 1930s versus the 2000s for the west slope of the central and northern Sierra Nevada, using the two most extensive data sets available. Forests in this region have endured a long, complex history of human disturbance, and are now experiencing climatic shifts. We subdivided the landscape into elevation and latitude zones and compared historical and modern tree densities within each zone. We compared densities in historical plots to burned and unburned modern plots, as well as densities of individual tree species in historical vs. modern plots for their entire elevational distribution. Density of small trees (10.2–30.4 cm dbh) was significantly higher in t.
Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system decreases adipocyte size with improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Objective Based on results of in vitro studies, it has been hypothesized that blockade of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) promotes the recruitment and differentiation of pre-adipocytes and that increased formation of small insulin-sensitive adipocytes counteracts ectopic deposition of lipids, thereby improving insulin sensitivity. We investigated the effect of RAS blockade on insulin sensitivity, adipocyte size, and intramuscular lipid content in fructose-fed rats (FFR) as a model of insulin-resistant hypertension. Design and methods Six-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups: those fed a standard chow (control) and those fed a fructose-rich chow for 6 weeks. FFR were treated with a vehicle or with 1 mg/kg per day of temocapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, or 0.1 mg/kg per day of olmesartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, for the last 2 weeks. Insulin sensitivity (M value: mg/kg per min) was estimated by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp method. Sizes of adipocytes derived from epididymal fat and triglyceride content in the soleus muscle were determined. Results FFR had lower M value, higher blood pressure, larger adipocyte size, higher ratio of epididymal fat pads over body weight (%fat pads), and higher intramuscular triglyceride than did the control rats. Both temocapril and olmesartan significantly improved the M value and decreased blood pressure and adipocyte size without change in %fat pads in FFR. Adipocyte size was negatively correlated with the M value. Treatment for 2 weeks decreased, but not significantly, intramuscular triglyceride. Conclusions RAS blockade decreases adipocyte size without change in epididymal %fat pads accompanied by improvement in insulin sensitivity.
Effects of Short‐Term Isokinetic Training on Standing Long‐Jump Performance in Untrained Men

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week isokinetic training program on quadriceps and hamstrings peak torque (PT) and standing long-jump (SLJ) performance. Twelve untrained men (age 31.4 ± 4.2 years, mean ± SD) were tested at a velocity of 1.75 rads−1 (100°s−1), before and after a 6-week control period and on completion of a 6-week training program. Training consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetitions, 3 days per week, for 6 weeks. Repeated-measures analysis-of-variance analyses revealed that quadriceps PT increased, on average, by 10.5% as a result of training (p < 0.01). No significant changes in hamstrings PT (p = 0.062) and SLJ performance occurred as a result of training (p > 0.05). The major finding of this study was that PT gains subsequent to isokinetic resistance training did not influence functional performance. That open-chain training did not affect the performance of a closed-chain activity is unsurprising, but on these grounds of nonfunctionality the use of moderate velocity isokinetic dynamometry in rehabilitation and performance ssessment for closed-chain sports needs addressing in future research.