Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Nonaudiological Variables on Audiological Rehabilitation Outcomes

&NA; The link between nonaudiological variables and outcomes measurement is explored. Hearing impairment can affect an individual's everyday communication in numerous ways. Both audiological and nonaudiological variables interact with each other to produce a unique predicament for each individual with hearing impairment. The nonaudiological variables that are addressed in this article include race/ethnicity, gender, age, personality, self‐efficacy, and social support, as well as a number of other factors. Some of these variables, such as personality, have been found to exert more influence than audiological factors on audiological rehabilitation outcomes. The potential influence of each variable is discussed and directions for future research are provided.
The Relationship between the Locus of Control and Mental Health in Athlete and Non-athlete Students of Tehran University

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the locus of control and mental health in athlete and non-athlete students of Tehran University. The statistical population of this study was all athlete and non-athlete male and female students (18-25 years old) of Tehran University. 313 students were selected as the statistic sample. The instrument of measurement was included Ratter’s locus of control standard questionnaire and Goldberg’s general health questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation coefficient and independent t-Test (P<0.05). The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between locus of control and mental health in athlete and non-athlete students that it was observe a direct relationship with the internal locus of control and an inverse relationship with the external locus of control. Also, there was no significant relationship between locus of control and general health in the students’ gender. Thus, athlete students were better than non-athlete students in internal locus of control and general health. The gender had not effects on students’ mental health as well as.
Power and Sample Size Estimation for the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test with Application to Comparisons of C Statistics from Alternative Prediction Models

Summary The Wilcoxon Mann‐Whitney (WMW) U test is commonly used in nonparametric two‐group comparisons when the normality of the underlying distribution is questionable. There has been some previous work on estimating power based on this procedure ( Lehmann, 1998 , Nonparametrics). In this article, we present an approach for estimating type II error, which is applicable to any continuous distribution, and also extend the approach to handle grouped continuous data allowing for ties. We apply these results to obtaining standard errors of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for risk‐prediction rules under H1 and for comparing AUROC between competing risk prediction rules applied to the same data set. These results are based on SAS‐callable functions to evaluate the bivariate normal integral and are thus easily implemented with standard software.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors in HEL cells: comparison of binding and functional parameters for full and partial agonists and a non‐peptide antagonist

1 We have compared the binding and Ca2+ mobilizing properties of various full agonists, partial agonists and a non‐peptide antagonist at the neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptor of human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells. 2 [125I]‐NPY binding to intact HEL cells was rapid, saturable, of high affinity and with a specificity typical for the Y1‐like subtype: NPY, peptide YY (PYY) and [Pro34]‐NPY competed for [125I]‐NPY binding with high affinity whereas NPY13–36 and NPY18–36 had only low affinity. 3 NPY, PYY and [Pro34]‐NPY potently increased intracellular Ca2+ in HEL cells and had equal efficacy. NPY13–36, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) increased intracellular Ca2+ only poorly. 4 Whereas VIP and PP did not significantly affect NPY‐stimulated Ca2+ mobilization, NPY13–36 inhibited NPY‐stimulated Ca2+ increases and shifted the NPY concentration‐response curve to the right without altering its maximal effect. 5 The agonist (pEC50) potencies of the various peptides corresponded well with the affinities of these compounds in the binding assay (pKi), whereas the antagonist potencies (pKb) of the peptide partial agonists and the pA2 value of the non‐peptide NPY antagonist (He 90481), calculated from functional data, were lower than the respective affinities determined in the binding studies. 6 A plot of the fractional Ca2+ response vs the fractional receptor occupancy did not reveal any nonlinear receptor‐effector coupling for NPY or [Pro34]‐NPY; a small receptor reserve might exist for PYY. 7 We conclude that the binding and functional properties of HEL cell NPY receptors are very similar. NPY, PYY and [Pro34]NPY are full agonists at these receptors, whereas NPY13–36 is a partial agonist.
Prophylactic cranial irradiation in operable stage IIIA non small-cell lung cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: results from a German multicenter randomized trial.

PURPOSE To investigate the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) within a trimodality protocol (chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, surgery) for patients with operable stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS After mediastinoscopic staging, patients with operable stage IIIA NSCLC were enrolled to a German multicenter trial and randomly assigned to receive either primary resection followed by adjuvant thoracic radiation therapy (50 to 60 Gy; arm A) or preoperative chemotherapy (cisplatin/etoposide [PE]; three cycles) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (PE plus 45 Gy; 1.5 Gy twice per day) and definitive surgery (arm B), respectively. Patients in arm B were scheduled to receive PCI (30 Gy; 2 Gy daily fractions). RESULTS One hundred twelve patients were randomly assigned between November 1994 and July 2001. One hundred six patients were eligible (arm A: 51, arm B: 55), 90 males and 16 females, 50 with squamous cell, 16 with large cell, five with adenosquamous, and 35 with adenocarcenoma (median age, 57 years; range, 37 to 71 years). Forty-three patients received PCI as scheduled in arm B. Eleven long-term survivors (arm A: four; arm B: seven) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological examination. PCI significantly reduced the probability of brain metastases as first site of failure (7.8% at 5 years v 34.7%; P = .02), the overall brain relapse rate was reduced comparably (9.1% at 5 years v 27.2%; P = .04). A slightly reduced neurocognitive performance in comparison with the age-matched normal population was found for patients in both treatment groups. No significant difference between patients who were treated with or without PCI could be noted. CONCLUSION PCI is effective in preventing brain metastases following this aggressive trimodality approach. Neurocognitive late effects are not significantly different between patients treated with or without PCI.
Explaining socioeconomic differences in adolescent self-rated health: the contribution of material, psychosocial and behavioural factors

Background Efforts to explain social inequalities in health have mainly focused on adults. Few studies have systematically analysed different explanatory pathways in adolescence. This study is among the first to examine the contribution of material, psychosocial and behavioural factors in the explanation of inequalities in adolescent health. Methods Data were obtained from the German part of the cross-sectional ‘Health Behaviour in School-aged Children’ Survey in 2006, with a total of 6997 respondents aged 11–15 years (response rate 86%). Socioeconomic position was measured using the Family Affluence Scale. Multistage logistic regression models were used to assess the relative importance of explanatory factors. Results Compared with adolescents from high affluent backgrounds, the ORs of fair/poor self-rated health increased to 1.53 (95% CI 1.11 to 2.12) in low affluent boys and to 2.08 (95% CI 1.62 to 2.67) in low affluent girls. In the separate analyses, material, psychosocial and behavioural factors attenuated the OR by 30–50%. Together, the three explanatory factors reduced the OR by about 80% in low affluent boys and girls. The combined analyses illustrated that material factors contributed most to the differences in self-rated health because of their direct and indirect effect (through psychosocial and behavioural factors). Conclusions The findings show that the main explanatory approaches for adults also apply to adolescents. The direct and indirect contribution of material factors for inequalities in self-rated health was stronger than that of behavioural and psychosocial factors. Strategies for reducing health inequalities should primarily focus on improving material circumstances in lower affluent groups.
Neonatal deaths among infants of diabetic mothers. Postmortem findings in ninety-five infants.

In spite of modern obstetric and medical management, the total fetal loss in pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes mellitus is still appreciably higher than in nondiabetic women. The newborn infant of the diabetic mother shows anatomical and biochemical peculiarities which may be indicative of the mechanisms of fetal wastage operative under these conditions. For this reason, the detailed postmortem findings in a uniquely large series of these infants are reported. Gellis and Hsia1have recently reported on a group of 934 pregnancies among women with diabetes. Of the 721 liveborn infants in their series, 104 died during early infancy. The present report is based on those 95 who were examined post mortem. These infants were delivered at the Faulkner Hospital, Boston, and the Boston Lying-in Hospital, between 1940 and 1956, and include 29 infants described by Warren and LeCompte2and 40 reported by Winter and Gellis.3Because
CUSTOMER WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR ONLINE MUSIC: THE ROLE OF FREE MENTALITY

Free mentality, a strong belief that everything online should be free, has been ironed into people’s minds. This concept also significantly affects the development of e-commerce. However, despite the importance of this “free mentality” concept, a lack of systematic investigations inhibits our understanding of this issue. Based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior, this study focuses on free mentality and investigates its direct and interactive effects on the consumer’s attitude toward paying, which, in turn, affects the intention to pay for online music services. Data collected from 268 online music users illustrates the direct and negative impact of free mentality on attitude toward paying. The moderating role of free mentality on the relationship between perceived sacrifices and attitude toward paying is also illustrated. At the conclusion of this paper, we discuss the results and their implications for practitioners and academics.
Mediation of Host Immune Responses after Immunization of Neonatal Calves with a Heat-Killed Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Vaccine

ABSTRACT A major drawback of current whole-cell vaccines for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is the interference with diagnostic tests for bovine tuberculosis (TB) and paratuberculosis. The current study was designed to explore the effects of immunization with a heat-killed whole-cell vaccine (Mycopar) on diagnostic test performance and to characterize host immune responses to vaccination over a 12-month period. Neonatal dairy calves were assigned to treatment groups consisting of (i) controls, not vaccinated (n = 5), and (ii) vaccinates, vaccinated with Mycopar vaccine (n = 5). The results from this study demonstrated a rapid initiation of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in vaccinated calves by 7 days, with robust responses throughout the study. Vaccinated calves also had responses to M. bovis purified protein derivative tuberculin (BoPPD) but minimal reactivity to ESAT-6/CFP-10, an M. bovis recombinant fusion protein. The levels of antigen-specific interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10 were markedly decreased in vaccinated calves between days 7 and 90 of the study but thereafter were similar to the levels in controls. Vaccinated calves began to seroconvert at 4 months, with 4/5 calves having detectable M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis antibody by 6 months. The responses in test platforms for bovine TB were negligible in the vaccinate group, as only one calf had a response, which was in the suspect range of the comparative cervical skin test. Serum antibody responses to M. bovis antigens ESAT-6, CFP-10, and MPB83 were negative on the Vet TB STAT-PAK, DPP VetTB, and DPP BovidTB tests. These results suggest that the Mycopar vaccine will interfere with diagnostic tools for paratuberculosis but result in low interference with the comparative cervical skin test and emerging serologic tests for M. bovis.
Toothbrushing patterns over time in at-risk metropolitan African-American 5th- 8th graders.

OBJECTIVES A large study of risky pre-teen behavior provided an opportunity to examine self-reported toothbrushing frequency for stability over time and adequacy. METHODS 1115 metropolitan African-American children at risk for violence and drug use self-reported toothbrushing frequency in at least one of five measurement points from 5th to 8th grade as part of a larger study. Longitudinal data were available for 815 students. RESULTS 81% reported mainly twice daily, 8% reported mainly once daily, 10% changed over time, and 1% were consistently less than once daily. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the children reported once or twice daily toothbrushing frequency, stable between 5th and 8th grades. A minority of children showed low or inconsistent frequencies and these results may indicate an opportunity for intervention to improve habits.
Coley toxins immunotherapy: a retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE Coley toxins are administered to cancer patients worldwide, though clinical studies assessing efficacy either alone or in combination with conventional cancer therapy are limited. This article provides an overview of Coley toxins immunotherapy and compares the survival experience of cancer patients who received Coley toxins for renal, ovarian, breast cancer, or soft-tissue sarcomas with patients who received conventional treatment other than radiation. DATA SOURCES Cases were compiled from 5 of 18 monographs by Helen Coley Nauts. STUDY SELECTION Using a retrospective cohort design with external controls, 128 Coley cases treated in New York from 1890 to 1960 were compared with 1675 controls from the Surveillance Epidemiology End Result (SEER) population-based cancer registry who received a cancer diagnosis in 1983. DATA EXTRACTION Groups were matched on age, sex, ethnicity, site, stage, and treatment status (i.e., no radiotherapy). DATA SYNTHESIS The Cox proportional hazards model controlled for stage and menopausal status (when applicable) and the hazard ratio and 95% CI defined the odds of site-specific survival from date of diagnosis to last follow-up. Compared to the SEER population, risk of death within 10 years was not significantly different in Coley patients treated for renal, ovarian, breast cancer, or soft-tissue sarcomas. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that patients treated with surgery and Coley toxins between 1890 and 1960 experienced survival rates comparable to those of patients diagnosed in 1983 and treated with nonradiotherapeutic conventional approaches. The study is limited by small sample sizes, possibly inaccurate technology for staging during Coley time, and potential selection bias with Coley patients.
Attribution and Motivation: Gender, Ethnicity, and Religion Differences among Indonesian University Students

The study explores the possibilities of gender, ethnicity, and religion differences on attributions (locus of control, stability, personal and external control), motivational goals (learning, performance approach, performance avoidance, and work avoidance), self-efficacy, intelligence beliefs, religiosity, racial/ethnic identity, and academic performance (mid-term test, final test, and GPA scores) within the Indonesian university settings. Racial/ethnic identity had three dimensions: private regard, ethnic importance, and social embeddedness; whilst religiosity had two dimensions: religious behaviour and intrinsic religiosity. 1,006 students (73.8% Native Indonesians and 24.8% Chinese Indonesians) from three public and two private universities participated. Significant gender differences were found on work avoidance goals. Ethnic and religion differences were found on religiosity. Gender and religion interactions resulted significant differences on attribution (locus of control), religiosity (intrinsic religiosity), and academic performance (final test score).
Corneal temperature in patients with dry eye evaluated by infrared radiation thermometry.

AIMS: The corneal temperature change following each blink was investigated in patients with dry eye using an infrared radiation thermometer. METHODS: Twenty patients with dry eye and 20 normal controls were enrolled in this study. Subjects kept their eyes open for 10 seconds without blinking and corneal temperature was measured every second with a recently improved infrared radiation thermometer. RESULTS: In the 20 patients with dry eye, corneal temperature change after keeping the eye open for 10 seconds was 0.21 (SD 0.06) degree C while it was 0.61 (0.28) degree C in the 20 normal patients (p = 0.0001). In an exponential equation, the inclination of the slope of a patient with dry eye was smaller than the normal. The correlation coefficient was r = 0.79 (0.16) in patients with dry eye and r = 0.90 (0.07) in normal patients. The mean K value of patients with dry eye was 0.20 (0.13)/second and that of normal subjects was 0.31 (0.19)/second (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Findings demonstrate the usefulness of this thermometer for measuring corneal temperature in the evaluation of dry eye. Decrease in corneal temperature with each blink in patients with dry eye was smaller than in normal subjects.
Radiation protection and mitigation potential of phenylbutyrate: delivered via oral administration

Abstract Purpose: Phenylbutyrate (PB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) has demonstrated radiation protection in both in vitro and in vivo models. Studies previously demonstrated that PB and other HDAC inhibitors could inhibit radiation lethality in vivo by subcutaneous (s.c) injection. The objective of this study was to test the ability of oral PB treatment to protect against or to mitigate acute gamma radiation-induced lethality in vivo. Materials and methods: Human osteoblasts cells were used to evaluate radiation survival when PB was delivered pre- or post-radiation. A 30-day radiation lethality study was used to assess the radioprotective (pre-radiation) and radiomitigative (post-radiation) capability of PB. Possible mechanisms evaluated were antioxidant activity effects, HDAC inhibition, DNA damage, and hematological recovery. Results: Treatment of HOS cells with PB 50 μM either before or after radiation increased radiation resistance as assessed by clonogenic survival. Western blot studies showed that PB treatment acetylated histones in vivo and ameliorated the radiation-induced reduction in acetylated histone-4 (H4). Pre-radiation oral administration of PB (10 mg/kg) provided radioprotection against gamma radiation (7–11.5 Gy) with a dose reduction factor of 1.25 (p = 0.001). PB oral administration post-radiation provided moderate radiation mitigation against gamma radiation (7–11.5 Gy) and demonstrated a dose reduction factor of 1.18 (p = 0.05). PB pre-radiation and post-radiation treatment was associated with significant elevations in neutrophils and platelets and attenuation of DNA damage. Conclusions: These results indicate that oral PB has potential as a radiation protector and a radiation mitigator and that potential mechanisms of action include attenuation of DNA damage, antioxidant activity, and bone marrow protection.
A prospective, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, clinical trial to assess central haemodynamic effects of bisoprolol and atenolol in hypertensive patients

Objective: The results from the ASCOT CAFÉ study demonstrated the inferiority of beta blockers in reducing central aortic blood pressure. In this study, we wanted to demonstrate whether or not second-generation beta blockers with higher beta 1 selectivity, namely bisoprolol, may counterbalance the effect of bradycardia through reduced reflection wave magnitude resulting from the relative lack of increase in peripheral vascular resistance. Method: This was a prospective, randomized, open-label, active-controlled trial in 209 hypertensive patients to evaluate the effect of bisoprolol and atenolol on aortic pulse pressure. Patients received a once-daily 5 mg dose of bisoprolol (n = 96) or 50 mg dose of atenolol (n = 95) at baseline with titration up to bisprolol 10 mg and atenolol 100 mg allowed at the 4th week when the brachial blood pressure was above treatment goal (average dose: bisoprolol: 5.4 mg, atenolol: 52.8 mg). Central blood pressure and augmentation index were measured at baseline and 12 weeks later, by pulse wave analysis with radial artery tonometry. The primary endpoint of the study was the difference in the central pulse pressure (CPP) at 12 weeks. Results: The results showed a significant reduction of CPP in both groups at week 12 of administration compared with the predose level (P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in terms of CPP change [bisoprolol (baseline CPP 47.49 ± 11.33, follow-up 43.09 ± 11.67) vs. atenolol (baseline CPP 45.93 ± 11.62, follow-up 42.23 ± 9.92), P = 0.594]. Conclusion: In this study, there was no significant difference between bisoprolol and atenolol in terms of reduction of aortic pulse pressure after 12 weeks of treatment.
Climate and host plant characteristics effects on lepidopteran caterpillar abundance on Miconia ferruginata DC . and Miconia pohliana Cogn (

Folivore cerrado caterpillars are found on their host species in low frequencies, which vary between plants and throughout the year. We analysed the effects of climatic variation and of the characteristics of two host species (Miconia, Melastomataceae) on caterpillar abundance. The work was carried out in a cerrado sensu stricto area in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil, from May 1998 to September 1999. One hundred plants of each species were inspected monthly. All caterpillars found were collected and raised in the laboratory with Miconia leaves as food sources. Climatic data for the study area and plant characteristics such as local density, spatial distribution, foliar phenology, leaf pilosity and nutritional content were used to test the effects on caterpillar abundance. Less than 10% of the plants had larvae. Caterpillars were more frequent and abundant in M. pohliana, which was also present at higher densities than M. ferruginata. Low caterpillar frequency in host plants and an abundance peak during the dry season are consistent patterns for different cerrado Lepidoptera larvae. This abundance peak, however, is not coincident with higher leaf production in host species. We suggest that M. pohliana’s higher local density and better leaf digestibility can account for the higher abundance of caterpillars in this species.