Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advancing trial design in progressive multiple sclerosis

The failure of a majority of clinical trials in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) has highlighted the need to reconsider how these trials are designed and conducted, and many areas deserve focus. Basic scientists are reconceptualising the pathophysiology of progressive MS into three broad areas: systemic inflammation, compartmentalized inflammation and non-inflammatory neurodegeneration, with the latter two becoming predominant as the disease progresses. This framework will guide the choice of experimental therapies. Previous clinical trials have highlighted how participant selection can have a significant impact on study outcome. Phase 2 biomarkers which are biologically stable, dynamically changing over time, and easy to assess in multi-centre studies are greatly needed. Shortcomings inherent in the Expanded Disability Status Scale are prompting the development and validation of better clinical measures. The standard two-arm, fixed-duration trial paradigm has been challenged with new, innovative approaches that can test more therapies efficiently. International collaboratives such as the Progressive MS Alliance will support increased dialogue with regulators, industry and other funding agencies. Better engagement with people living with progressive MS will transform them from simply being the recipient of MS therapies to partners in the search for new treatments. Focused, targeted action will drive further development of effective therapies for progressive MS.
Postdelivery Screening for Postpartum Depression

Objective Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious psychiatric disorder affecting 10% to 20% of women after childbirth. Research has shown that systematic screening for PPD using self-report questionnaires helps improve the identification of PPD and expedite treatment. Most studies on PPD screening have been conducted in the second and third postpartum months; little is known about whether PPD screening can be carried out on the days immediately after delivery. Methods A prospective cohort of 145 women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) within 2 days of delivery. Six weeks after delivery, the participants were interviewed by a psychiatrist, who used the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID, nonpatient version) to establish the diagnosis. The psychometric performance of the EPDS, BDI, and GHQ in detecting PPD was assessed using the SCID diagnosis as the gold standard. Results When the cutoffs of the EPDS, BDI, and GHQ were lowered to achieve a sensitivity of 80%, the positive predictive values of these scales were to 13%, 18%, and 21%, respectively. When the cutoffs were raised to achieve a positive predictive value of 50%, the sensitivity rates were 6% (EPDS), 14% (GHQ), and 36% (BDI). Conclusions When commonly used depression rating scales were administered to identify PPD immediately after delivery, their psychometric properties were unsatisfactory. Healthcare providers should not screen for PPD in the first few days after delivery.
Changing Tactics, Changing Identities: Woman’s Suffrage Protests in Washington, D.C., 1913-1920

CHANGING TACTICS, CHANGING IDENTITY: WOMAN’S SUFFRAGE PROTESTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C., 1913-1920 KIMBERLY K. JOHNSON 2013 Since the founding of the United States, the task of determining who has the right to political participation has been difficult. As a result, many groups, including women, had to take dramatic steps to ensure their right to suffrage and access to public space. Beginning in 1913 with the first National Demonstration and the pickets that followed in 1917, these women began to claim national public space as a space for protest. This research seeks to determine and understand the evolution of identities embraced by suffragists as correlated with protest tactics used from 1913 to 1920 in Washington, D.C. The research was based on photographs collected from the Records of National Women’s Party located in Library of Congress. The photographs were separated into two groups: parades/pageants from 1913-1917 and picketing from 1917-1920. Content analysis was used to analyze the photographs in order to determine which identity, civic or feminine, suffragists embraced. The analysis of photographs from the women’s suffrage movement demonstrations in Washington, D.C. confirms that feminine identity more frequently occurs in parade photographs, while photographs of pickets show higher frequencies of
Power of Statistical Tests Used to Address Nonresponse Error in the "Journal of Agricultural Education".

As members of a profession committed to the dissemination of rigorous research pertaining to agricultural education, authors publishing in the Journal of Agricultural Education (JAE) must seek methods to evaluate and, when necessary, improve their research methods. The purpose of this study was to describe how authors of manuscripts published in JAE between 2006 and 2015 tested for nonresponse error. Results indicated that none of the studies’ tests had acceptable power to detect small effect sizes, 14.3% had acceptable power to detect medium effect sizes, and 43% of the studies’ tests did not have acceptable power to detect large effect sizes. These findings suggest that while authors frequently find no difference between respondents and others, the tests used to detect these differences are often not powerful enough to do so, leading to higher than acceptable risk for Type II error. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, we highlight these findings to spur change within the profession’s expectations of reporting statistical power when testing for nonresponse error and offer a primer to improve researchers’ perceived behavioral control over reporting power. We also offer specific suggestions for conducting and reporting the results of tests for nonresponse bias.
Side-to-side stapled anastomosis may delay recurrence in Crohn's disease.

PURPOSE Perianastomotic recurrence after resection in Crohn's disease may be related to ischemia and subacute obstruction at the anastomosis. A technique designed to minimize these factors currently is being evaluated. METHODS From 1984 to 1997 69 patients underwent resection and primary anastomosis for symptomatic Crohn's disease (17 jejunal or ileal, 72 ileocolic, and 7 colocolic resections). Of these, 42 patients underwent functional end-to-end anastomoses with the use of linear cutting staplers (Proximate 75 mm or GIA 228 80 mm) and 27 patients underwent end-to-end sutured anastomoses. RESULTS In the stapled anastomosis group one (2 percent) patient required reoperation for recurrent symptoms at 46 months. Complications occurred in four (8 percent) patients (one enterocutaneous fistula, one wound infection, one abscess, and one ileus). There were no anastomotic leaks. The median postoperative stay was seven (range, 5-26) days. In the sutured anastomosis group 14 (43 percent) patients required 15 further resections for symptomatic recurrence at a median of 46 (range, 4-91) months. Complications occurred in six (17 percent) patients (two anastomotic leaks, two fistulas, one stricture, and one pulmonary embolus). The median postoperative stay was 10 (range, 6-28) days. CONCLUSIONS Functional end-to-end stapled anastomoses after resection for Crohn's disease may be associated with fewer complications than sutured anastomoses and may delay reoperation for symptomatic recurrence. Further evaluation of the technique is indicated.
African immigrants as tourists? The temporary home visits of transnational migrants in South Africa

Abstract:The paper contributes to exploring the intersection of tourism and migration, an emergent niche area of research. South Africa hosts a large number of transnational migrants, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from the African continent. Little is known about the travel patterns and touristic aspirations of these groups, as they are mostly believed to be too poor to travel. The current study focuses on the temporary return journeys home undertaken by these migrants. The literature around Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) tourism is reviewed, but it is argued – in line with other scholars – that the VFR classification is insufficient for an analysis of migrant return trips. Based on a qualitative research approach and in-depth semi-structured interviews with migrants and refugees based in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, the research finds how these travellers organise their journeys, what their motivations and experiences are, and what significance they attach to the home visit. It is found that travel to the home land is not always motivated by VFR. Beyond the emotional support from family and friends, for many migrants, the home land is an important, multifarious resource for present and future needs. Pointing out differences with similar studies conducted in various socio-geographic contexts, the paper emphasises the need for locally grounded research and the limited generalisability of extant literature in the field.
Cholangiocarcinoma: delayed CT contrast enhancement patterns.

PURPOSE To determine the usefulness of delayed post-equilibrium-phase contrast material-enhanced images in evaluation of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS Review of surgical, pathologic, and radiologic records revealed 47 patients with proved cholangiocarcinoma with delayed (6-36 minutes) post-equilibrium-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) scans. Unenhanced, dynamic contrast-enhanced, and delayed images were retrospectively reviewed, and enhancement patterns for cholangiocarcinoma lesions were recorded. Degree of delayed enhancement was compared with that of surrounding liver parenchyma. Patterns of delayed enhancement were characterized as homogeneous or heterogeneous. Enhancement characteristics were correlated with histologic findings. RESULTS Thirty-five (74%) of 47 patients had tumors with mild or marked hyperattenuating delayed contrast enhancement, of which 18 had tumors with homogeneous hyperattenuating enhancement. In three patients, the only evidence of tumor was on the delayed images. In one patient, the tumor was not definable at any imaging phase. Tumors with delayed enhancement tended to be fibrous; however, degree of contrast material retention did not always correlate with the fibrous content of tumors at histopathologic analysis. CONCLUSION Delayed tumoral contrast enhancement is a typical feature of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and may aid in the detection and characterization of such lesions at CT.
Expression of Vema in the developing mouse spinal cord and optic chiasm

A critical phase of nervous system development is the formation of connections between axons and their synaptic targets. Intermediate targets play important roles in axon pathfinding by supplying growing axons with long‐ and short‐ range guidance cues at decision points along their trajectory. We recently identified Vema as a novel membrane‐associated protein that is expressed at the ventral midline of the developing vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). We report that Vema is expressed in the floor plate, an intermediate target for pathfinding commissural axons located at the ventral midline of the developing mouse spinal cord. Interestingly, Vema expression overlaps with the position of an unique population of neurons situated at the midline of the ventral diencephalon and that function as intermediate targets for pathfinding retinal ganglion cell axons. The distribution of Vema in the developing spinal cord and optic chiasm resembles the expression patterns of a variety of molecules known to play important roles in axon guidance, including Robo2, Neuropilin2, and SSEA. The expression of Vema at two key choice points for pathfinding axons suggests an important role for this protein in regulating axon guidance at the midline of the developing mouse central nervous system. J. Comp. Neurol. 451:289–299, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Politician/Celebrity and Fan(Girl) Pleasure: The Line Between Queen Hillary and Presidential Candidate Clinton

Whenever there is a major political event and the #TheBachelor live-tweeting continues, or popular online media outlets such as Jezebel go ahead with their pre-planned celebrity gossip coverage, there is outrage: seemingly, it is impossible to keep up with—and care about—both the Kardashians and election campaigns. During the 2016 United States’ election, however, this outrage emerged from within campaign coverage, drawing a line between “serious political supporter” (who is interested in facts and policy) and “emotional fangirl” (who is interested in memes, feelings, and “girl power” above all). Despite Donald Trump’s history of reality TV and non-political celebrity, Hillary Clinton’s supporters were called “fangirls” and accused of celebrity-worship, of solely getting their news from “pop” media like BuzzFeed—where foreign policy coverage is found alongside discussions of how “dead” we are from a Clinton eye-roll—and of allowing fandom to cloud political judgment. This paper is not engaging in the “fake news” debate; rather, this paper explores the intersection of political celebrity and politician in a moment when governmental politics, celebrity, social media, and reality TV are overlapping in unprecedented ways, as well as the intersection of “serious” political campaigning and fannish pleasure in an historic moment for women in American politics.
The many dimensions of historic preservation value: national and local designation, internal and external policy effects

Abstract This analysis examines the internal and external policy effects of national and local register programmes for historic preservation. Robust hedonic pricing models are crucial to informing policy proposals and understanding how property markets relate to urban heritage. Estimating a repeat-sales hedonic model with neighbourhood trends and spatial mixed models, novel to this literature, offers a marked improvement in terms of jointly identifying internal and external policy effects, comparing national and local designations, separating policy from heritage effects and estimating models robust to spatial dependence and trends in hedonic prices. Historic designation variables, while often individually insignificant in the model, are always jointly significant in explaining varying appreciation rates. Local districts exhibit no consistent price impacts across the models. Being located inside a national district confers a price premium that increases over time in the preferred model specification, while prices fall in national districts’ buffers after designation. The sensitivity of results to model specification raises questions about alternative approaches to spatial dependence in the data in the urban historic preservation context. Evidence of the influence of historic district designation on property turnover and renovation investments is also examined.
GDP, energy consumption and financial development in Italy

Purpose This study aims to explore the relationship among energy consumption, real income, financial development and oil prices in Italy over the period 1960-2014. Design/methodology/approach Different econometric techniques – such as the General Methods of Moment (GMM) or the AutoRegressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) bounds test – are usually used in the empirical analysis. Moreover, both the Toda and Yamamoto causality tests and the Granger causality tests are applied to the data. Findings The results of unit root and stationarity tests show that the variables are non-stationary at levels, but stationary in first-differences form, or I(1). The ARDL bounds F-test reveals an evidence of a long-run relationship among the four variables at 1% significance level. Moreover, an increase in real GDP and oil prices has a significant effect on energy consumption in the long run. The coefficients of estimated error correction term are also negative and statistically significant. In addition, the paper explores the causal relationship between the variables by using a VAR framework, with Toda and Yamamoto but also Granger causality tests, within both multivariate and bivariate systems. The findings indicate that energy consumption is affected by real GDP. Originality/value The study also filled the literature gap of applying ARDL technique to examine this relevant issue for Italy.
Risk management behaviour in banking

Purpose Risk management is now considered the responsibility of all financial services professionals, not just senior leaders or risk specialists. Very little is known about the role of staff in risk management, so the purpose of this paper is to, first, clarify what constitutes “desirable” risk management behaviour by financial services staff based on the practitioner and regulatory literature. Based on this understanding, the authors analyse the characteristics of those who are most likely to display such behaviour. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses some 36,000 survey responses across ten banks headquartered in Anglo countries. Findings Desirable risk management behaviour at the employee level includes compliance but goes well beyond mere compliance to include speaking up, thoughtful engagement with and accountability for the risk management framework. The authors find a significant negative association between individual risk tolerance and desirable risk management behaviour. Older workers as well as those with greater seniority are more likely to report desirable risk management behaviour. The link between female gender and risk management behaviour is not supported after controlling for individual risk attitudes. The authors provide evidence that females who succeed in financial services do not conform to traditional female stereotypes. Practical implications Findings suggest financial institutions should hire/retain more older workers and those with lower risk tolerance to improve risk management. Hiring more females, however, is not likely to lead to better risk management. Originality/value The paper is the first to investigate risk management behaviour in financial services staff. The research exploits a unique, difficult to obtain data set.
Drinking-driving as a component of problem driving and problem behavior in young adults.

OBJECTIVE This study replicated and extended a conceptual model of drinking-driving and its relationship to other problem behavior to determine (1) if the model characterized the problem driving and problem behavior of young adults from the general population and (2) if the model applied to women as well as to men. METHOD Telephone survey data (measures of drinking-driving, drug-driving, risky driving, problem drinking, drug use and delinquent behavior) collected from young adults (N = 4,230, 53% female) were used in structural equation modeling. Two models were developed--one for problem driving and one for problem behavior--each testing the structural associations among latent variables and testing them as latent indicators of common second-order latent variables. RESULTS The results supported the hypothesis that drinking-driving (along with problem drinking, drug use and delinquent behavior) is an indicator of problem behavior in the general population sample. Also, drinking-driving, drug-driving and risky driving were demonstrated to be indicators of a common construct: problem driving. The models fit the data equally well for both young men and young women, and a crossvalidation conducted on an independent sample confirmed the results. CONCLUSIONS The results provide empirical support for the inclusion of drinking-driving and problem driving in an extended model of Problem Behavior Theory. Drinking-driving, drug-driving and risky driving all relate to a common construct: problem driving. These results have important implications for research and for interventions to treat or prevent drinking-driving, especially among young adults.
Recent Progress of the Design Activity for the Poloidal Field Coil System in JT-60SA

PA (procurement arrangement) for poloidal field (PF) coil system, which consists of the central solenoid (CS) and the equilibrium field (EF) coils, was agreed between Japan and EU. During this activity, design of PF coils system was continued to be modified. For CS, material for the jacket of this conductor was changed into stainless steel (316LN) to make providing easier. In the modified material, maximum stress at the jacket was kept within the allowable limit. Accompanying this modification, the amount of pre-compress had to be re-estimated. Therefore, it was clarified that designs of pre-compression and tie plates need not to be major modification. For EF coils, positions and the number of turns were modified since the progress of the research for the plasma operations required in JT-60SA. Due to this optimization, total amount of superconducting material was reduced. The detail designs of PF coils were also performed to reduce the materials of supports and to evaluate the mechanical strength considering the various events. Thickness of clamp plate of the EF coil which received relatively small electromagnetic force was able to be reduced. Regarding the design of support legs with flexible plate, deformation of toroidal field (TF) coil was considered that should be included the evaluation of stress at this parts because this parts are directly attached on the TF coil case. Therefore, the revised designs of supports with sufficient mechanical strength were obtained for EF1 and EF4.
The impact of relationships on the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating in men.

OBJECTIVE Robust evidence supports that bisexual and gay (BG) men have increased eating pathology compared to heterosexual men. BG men may be at greater risk due to pressure to attract a male partner; however, the related implication that relationships serve as protective factors for BG men remains untested. METHOD BG (n = 42) and heterosexual men (n = 536) completed surveys to determine whether relationship status and satisfaction moderate sexual orientation's effect on disordered eating. RESULTS Single BG men had increased restrictive disordered eating compared to single heterosexual men, while few differences were found between BG and heterosexual men in relationships. Relationship satisfaction was not related to restrictive disordered eating; however, low relationship satisfaction was associated with increased bulimic symptomatology in BG men compared to heterosexual men. DISCUSSION Being in a relationship, independent of whether or not the relationship is satisfying, may be a protective factor for restrictive disordered eating in BG men.