Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Group-Based Compassion-Focused Therapy as an Adjunct to Outpatient Treatment for Eating Disorders: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

The current study sought to assess the acceptability and feasibility of a compassion-focused therapy (CFT) group as an adjunct to evidence-based outpatient treatment for eating disorders, and to examine its preliminary efficacy relative to treatment as usual (TAU). Twenty-two outpatients with various types of eating disorders were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of TAU (n = 11) or TAU plus weekly CFT groups adapted for an eating disorder population (CFT + TAU; n = 11). Participants in both conditions completed measures of self-compassion, fears of compassion, shame and eating disorder pathology at baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 12. Additionally, participants receiving the CFT group completed measures assessing acceptability and feasibility of the group. Results indicated that the CFT group demonstrated strong acceptability; attendance was high and the group retained over 80% of participants. Participants rated the group positively and indicated they would be very likely to recommend it to peers with similar symptoms. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed that compared to the TAU condition, the CFT + TAU condition yielded greater improvements in self-compassion, fears of self-compassion, fears of receiving compassion, shame and eating disorder pathology over the 12 weeks. Results suggest that group-based CFT, offered in conjunction with evidence-based outpatient TAU for eating disorders, may be an acceptable, feasible and efficacious intervention. Furthermore, eating disorder patients appear to see benefit in, and observe gains from, working on the CFT goals of overcoming fears of compassion, developing more self-compassion and accessing more compassion from others. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eight Years of Clinical Endothelial Cell Transplantation Closing the Gap Between Prosthetic Grafts and Vein Grafts

After years of in vitro studies and non human primate implantations, the authors commenced their clinical program of autologous in vitro endothelialization of polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts in 1989. Based on the successful 3 year results of a pilot study (Phase I) with 49 patients (1:2 randomization, assigning 33 patients to the endothelialized group and 16 to the control group), the authors offered in vitro endothelialized grafts to all patients who did not have a suitable saphenous vein available from June 1993 onward (Phase II). Another 72 patients received 81 successfully endothelialized ePTFE grafts in this second phase of the transplantation program. In the Phase I randomized trial, the Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis showed a primary 3 year patency rate of 84.7% for endothelialized grafts and 55.4% for control grafts. After 5 years, it was 73.8% for the endothelialized group and 20.8% for the controls. At the end of the 7 year follow-up period, the primary patency rate for endothelialized grafts remained high at 73.8%, whereas that for the control grafts dropped to zero (log-rank test; p = 0.001 and Wilcoxon test; p = 0.003). The subsequent Phase II routine clinical implantation of endothelialized ePTFE grafts showed a 3 1/2 year primary patency rate of 72.9% for all femoropopliteal reconstructions. The authors' overall 7 year follow-up with endothelialized femoropopliteal ePTFE grafts (n = 108) shows a patency of 66.0%. When pretreated with fibronectin (n = 43), the 7 year patency was 72.1%. In the above-knee group, the 7 year patency for fibronectin treated grafts was as high as 75.8% (n = 36). After 8 years of clinical endothetial cell transplantation, the authors conclude that in vitro endothelialization of ePTFE grafts results in a patency rate of arterial prostheses comparable with that of vein grafts. ASAIO Journal 1997; 43:M515-M521.
Identification, physiological actions, and distribution of VYRKPPFNGSIFamide (Val1‐SIFamide) in the stomatogastric nervous system of the American lobster Homarus americanus

In this study, the peptide VYRKPPFNGSIFamide (Val1‐SIFamide) was identified in the stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) of the American lobster, Homarus americanus, using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐Fourier transform mass spectrometry (MALDI‐FTMS). When bath‐applied to the stomatogastric ganglion (STG), synthetic Val1‐SIFamide activated the pyloric motor pattern, increasing both burst amplitude and duration in the pyloric dilator (PD) neurons. To determine the distribution of this novel SIFamide isoform within the lobster STNS and neuroendocrine organs, a rabbit polyclonal antibody was generated against synthetic Val1‐SIFamide. Whole‐mount immunolabeling with this antibody showed that this peptide is widely distributed within the STNS, including extensive neuropil staining in the STG and commissural ganglia (CoGs) as well as immunopositive somata in the CoGs and the oesophageal ganglion. Labeling was also occasionally seen in the pericardial organ (PO), but not in the sinus gland. When present in the PO, labeling was restricted to fibers‐of‐passage and was never seen in release terminals. Adsorption of the antibody by either Val1‐SIFamide or Gly1‐SIFamide abolished all Val1‐SIFamide staining within the STNS, including the STG neuropil, whereas adsorption by other lobster neuropeptides had no effect on immunolabeling. These data strongly suggest that the staining we report is a true reflection of the distribution of this peptide in the STNS. Collectively, our mass spectrometric, physiological, and anatomical data are consistent with Val1‐SIFamide serving as a locally released neuromodulator in the lobster STG. Thus, our study provides the first direct demonstration of function for an SIFamide isoform in any species. J. Comp. Neurol. 496:406–421, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Decision-Making Model for Adopting a Cloud Computing System

The use of big data, artificial intelligence, and new information and communication technologies has led to sustainable developments and improved business competitiveness. Until recently cloud services were classified as having special system requirements for a business organization, and was represented by different cloud computing architecture layers like infrastructure, platform, or software as a service. However, as the environment of IT services undergoes successive changes, companies have been required to reconsider their business models and consider adopting a cloud computing system, which can bring on business achievements and development. Regarding a decision-making model for adopting a cloud computing system, this paper analyzes critical variables in a hierarchical structure of decision areas: technology, organization, and environment, as well as seven factors and 23 attributes based on underlying decision factors of cloud computing adoption by AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and Delphi analysis. Furthermore, this research explores a comparative analysis between demanders and providers of cloud computing adoption. Resultantly, this study suggests several important factors for adopting a cloud computing system: top management support, competitive pressure, and compatibility. From the demander side, the high priority factor was compatibility and competitive pressure; in contrast, related advantage and top management support were regarded as priority factors for providers to service their cloud computing systems.
“Brexit Futures: a Brexit World’s Anxieties, Fears and Hopes”: a Response to Shakuntala Banaji’s “A Review of Victor Seidler’s Making Sense of Brexit: Democracy, Europe and Uncertain Futures”

After the shock decision to leave the EU in 2016, what can we learn about our divided and increasingly unequal society and the need to listen to each other? This engaging and accessible book addresses the causes and implications of Brexit, exploring this moral anger against political elites and people feeling estranged from a political process and economic system that no longer expressed their will.Seidler argues that we need new political imaginations across class, race, religion, gender and sexuality to engage in issues about the scale and acceleration of urban change and the time people need to adjust to new realities. He suggests we need to listen to people's concerns not only about the impact of immigration and globalisation on their lives but also about the injustice of a capitalist economy that makes them pay through austerity and cuts in social welfare for a financial crisis they were not responsible for. He imagines alternative futures that will allow different generations to still appreciate themselves as Europeans with a future in Europe.
Elevated Oral and Systemic Levels of Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 (sTREM-1) in Periodontitis

The Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is a cell-surface receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily, involved in the propagation of the inflammatory response to bacterial challenge. Soluble (s)TREM-1 is released from the cell surface during the course of infection and is a useful inflammatory biomarker in the early diagnosis of systemic sepsis. The hypothesis of this study was that oral and systemic levels of sTREM-1 are elevated in periodontitis. Therefore, the aim was to investigate, by ELISA, the sTREM-1 concentrations in saliva and serum of individuals without periodontitis (control) and persons with chronic or generalized aggressive periodontitis. In saliva, sTREM-1 concentrations were higher in chronic and aggressive periodontitis than in the control group, by 3.3-fold and 5.6-fold, respectively. In serum, these differences were 1.7-fold and 2-fold, respectively. However, there were no significant differences between the two forms of periodontitis, neither in saliva nor in serum. Salivary and serum sTREM-1 levels positively correlated with full-mouth clinical periodontal parameters. In conclusion, the increased oral and systemic levels of sTREM-1 in periodontitis denote a value for this molecule as a biomarker for the disease and may also have implications in the association between periodontal infections and systemic inflammatory response.
Improving local control with breast‐conserving therapy

The risk of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after breast‐conserving therapy (BCT) is associated with treatment and tumor‐related variables, such as surgical margin status and the use of systemic therapy, and these variables have changed over time. Correspondingly, the authors of the current study hypothesized that the contemporary multidisciplinary management of breast carcinoma would lead to an improvement in IBTR rates after BCT.
The impact of extrinsic rewards on employee motivation and organisational effectiveness : a case study of ZFC Limited in Zimbabwe

This research project was aimed to investigate the impact of extrinsic rewards on employee motivation and organisational effectiveness at ZFC Limited in Zimbabwe. In the globalised environment, it is of important to ensure a motivated workforce because employees are the only asset that appreciates in value over time, thereby directly contributing to organisational outcomes. Employee motivation has been a major problem in manufacturing companies in Zimbabwe, due mainly to poor salaries and pecuniary benefits such as transport allowances and bonuses. The main objectives of the study were to determine employee perceptions of extrinsic rewards, ascertain the relationship between extrinsic rewards and employee motivation and determine the effect of extrinsic rewards on organisational effectiveness. The study adopted a quantitative paradigm, which entailed a structured questionnaire being distributed to respondents. The structured questionnaire comprised Section A and Section B. The sample size was 140, which was derived from a target population of 280 employees through the systematic sampling technique. The researcher used the personal method in distributing and collecting questionnaires to sample respondents and 98 completed questionnaires were returned. This equated to a high response rate of 70%. Furthermore, the data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 for Windows. Upon completion, the entire dissertation was checked for plagiarism through the TURNITIN program. The study found that salaries, bonuses and transport allowances were amongst the top extrinsic rewards at ZFC Limited in Zimbabwe. Good financial rewards are vital in influencing the behaviour of employees, as well as in enhancing organisational outcomes. The researcher recommended that ZFC Limited should consider reviewing the reward system, offering competitive financial rewards and timeously rewarding employees. The research project concluded with directions for future research on the role of extrinsic rewards on employee behaviour.
Isolation improvement using an MTM inspired structure with a patch based MIMO antenna system

A split-ring resonator (SRR) based isolation enhancement technique is presented in this work. The proposed method increases the isolation between the elements of a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) loaded patch based MIMO antenna systems. A single SRR is used between the two antenna elements for isolation enhancement. The method is applied to a 4-element MIMO antenna system operating in the ISM band. A 7 dB increase in isolation is achieved. The isolation method is thoroughly investigated and different parameters of the antenna with the proposed isolation structure are compared with the antenna without any isolation structure.
Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus DNA transcription in endodontic symptomatic lesions.

OBJECTIVES Productive Herpesviridae infections are implicated in the etio-pathogenesis of aggressive periodontitis. However, virtually nothing is known about a possible role of herpesviruses in pulpal and periapical pathosis. This study employed a cDNA analysis to determine transcription of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in 14 recalcitrant periapical lesions and in 2 periapical healthy control sites. METHODS Periapical samples were collected in conjunction with periapical surgery and kept frozen until virologic examination. RNA was isolated from periapical tissue by using a guanidinium isothiocyanate-acid phenol procedure (TRIZOL LS Reagent, GIBCO BRL, Rockville, MD). cDNAs were amplified by means of oligonucleotides targeting highly conserved regions of the test viruses and the RT-PCR-100 amplification kit (Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO). Standardization of PCR primer sensitivity and validation was carried out according to established methods. Amplification products were identified by agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS HCMV transcript was detected in 12 of 13 symptomatic and in 1 asymptomatic periapical lesion. EBV transcript was demonstrated in 8 of the 13 symptomatic lesions but not in the asymptomatic periapical lesion. HCMV and EBV dual transcription occurred at higher frequency in periapical lesions showing radiographic bone destruction of 5 mm x 7 mm or larger than in smaller size lesions (P = 0.03; Chi-squared test). No HCMV or EBV transcription was identified in the 2 healthy control sites. HSV transcript was not detected in any study site. CONCLUSION The present data suggest that HCMV or EBV infections participate in the pathogenesis of periapical symptomatic lesions. Herpesviruses may produce periapical pathosis as a direct result of viral infection and replication, or as a consequence of virally induced impairment of the host defense and subsequent increased virulence of resident bacterial pathogens.
Comparative Genomics and Experimental Characterization of N-Acetylglucosamine Utilization Pathway of Shewanella oneidensis*

We used a comparative genomics approach implemented in the SEED annotation environment to reconstruct the chitin and GlcNAc utilization subsystem and regulatory network in most proteobacteria, including 11 species of Shewanella with completely sequenced genomes. Comparative analysis of candidate regulatory sites allowed us to characterize three different GlcNAc-specific regulons, NagC, NagR, and NagQ, in various proteobacteria and to tentatively assign a number of novel genes with specific functional roles, in particular new GlcNAc-related transport systems, to this subsystem. Genes SO3506 and SO3507, originally annotated as hypothetical in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, were suggested to encode novel variants of GlcN-6-P deaminase and GlcNAc kinase, respectively. Reconstitution of the GlcNAc catabolic pathway in vitro using these purified recombinant proteins and GlcNAc-6-P deacetylase (SO3505) validated the entire pathway. Kinetic characterization of GlcN-6-P deaminase demonstrated that it is the subject of allosteric activation by GlcNAc-6-P. Consistent with genomic data, all tested Shewanella strains except S. frigidimarina, which lacked representative genes for the GlcNAc metabolism, were capable of utilizing GlcNAc as the sole source of carbon and energy. This study expands the range of carbon substrates utilized by Shewanella spp. , unambiguously identifies several genes involved in chitin metabolism, and describes a novel variant of the classical three-step biochemical conversion of GlcNAc to fructose 6-phosphate first described in Escherichia coli.
Sex differences in naturally occurring leg muscle pain and exertion during maximal cycle ergometry.

This investigation examined the role of sex in perceptions of leg muscle pain during exercise. Males (N = 26; age = 23.2 +/- 3.9) and females (N = 26; age = 21.9 +/- 3.5) matched on weekly energy expenditure completed a ramped maximal cycle ergometry test. Leg muscle pain thresholds were determined and pain intensity ratings as well as ratings of perceived exertion were obtained during and after exercise. The power output at pain threshold was lower in females (129.9 +/- 46.5 watts) compared to males (148.2 +/- 56.6 watts). Peak power output and peak pain intensity ratings were lower (P < 0.001) in females (211.3 +/- 39.1 watts; 5.5 +/- 2.9) compared to males (303.6 +/- 27.5 watts; 8.5 +/- 2.3). A Sex X Relative Intensity (i.e., % peak power output) ANOVA revealed that females reported lower pain ratings at each relative intensity examined (F = 17.7; df = 1.50; p < 0.001). The primary conclusion of this investigation is that females rate naturally occurring leg muscle pain as less intense than males when data are relativized to peak power output.
Online Pricing for Mobile Crowdsourcing with Multi-Minded Users

Mobile crowdsourcing has been proposed as a promising approach for urban data collection, but it has also brought the critical problem of designing proper mechanisms to incentivize user participation. Most previous work on crowdsourcing incentivization has assumed that each user holds a single private cost for participation or behaves in a "win all or nothing" (a.k.a. "single-minded") manner. However, in some crowdsourcing applications such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk, the users are usually "multi-minded" in the sense that each of them holds heterogeneous private costs for different tasks and only performs a portion of her/his interested tasks according to the announced payments. To address this problem, we propose LIME, an onLine prIcing mechanism to incentivize Multi-minded usErs under the scenario where the users arrive sequentially in an arbitrary order. We show that the design of LIME involves solving a "dummy semi-bandits with multiple knapsacks and random costs" problem, which has not been investigated before, and we also prove that LIME achieves several desirable properties including computational efficiency, budget feasibility, truthfulness, individual rationality and low regret on the utility. Finally, the effectiveness of LIME as well as its superiorities over prior related work are demonstrated through extensive simulations.
Denial and concealment of eating disorders: a retrospective survey.

OBJECTIVE To get an idea of how (ex-)patients deal with the recognition of an emergent eating disorder. METHOD A retrospective survey was carried out via the websites of two organizations for (ex-)patients with an eating disorder. RESULTS The respondents (N = 401) reported a variety of attempts to conceal their eating disorder: excuses to avoid eating together, methods to give the false impression of having eaten, avoidance of being weighed and falsifying weight. Often these methods were described as a deliberate strategy. Information about possible health risks had little or no impact on most respondents, who were familiar with the notion of eating disorder but did not apply it to themselves. Many believed they would have recognized their eating disorder earlier if they had met a clinician who was familiar with this disorder. CONCLUSION Denial of illness together with concealment often reflects a deliberate refusal of self-disclosure within a specific interpersonal context.
The moral competence of the Portuguese certified accountants

The moral judgment competence has been defined as the capacity to make a moral judgment and to act accordingly with that judgment. This thesis uses Georg Lind’s Moral Competence Test (MCT) to evaluate the moral competence of the Portuguese Certified Accountants that are in practice (active service). In addition, adapts, validates and implements a new dilemma – Accountant’s dilemma – designed specifically for the accounting domain and tests the relation between moral competence and selected individual factors. Through an online and face-to-face questionnaire, we have collected data from 1 037 Certified Accountants. The MCT scored a total of 13.91 and we have observed the phenomenon of “moral segmentation” between the Workers and the Doctors’ dilemma. However, the Accountants’ dilemma score is very close to the Doctors’ dilemma score, which raises the need to re-evaluate the rationale behind the “moral segmentation” phenomenon. When testing for relations between moral competence and individual factors, our findings indicate that, on average, women show higher moral competence than man, younger accountants show higher moral competence than older accountants, less experienced accountants show higher moral competence than more experienced accountants, and accountants who said to be a person of faith show lower moral competence than accountants who claimed otherwise. There is no significant relationship between moral competence and education level, marital status, children status dependency and income. This study is the first to use the MCT with professional accounting practitioners and to adapt and validate the use of a new dilemma in the accounting domain. It also adds to the available empirical evidence on factors affecting ethical decision-making, providing valuable insights to accounting professional regulatory bodies, especially in Portugal.