Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combined Therapy Versus Usual Care in the Treatment of Depressed Cancer Patients With Pain

Objective: To compare Brief Adlerian Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (B-APP) plus venlafaxine versus venlafaxine plus usual care on pain and depressive symptomatology of depressed patients with cancer pain. Methods: A total of 100 patients with pain and mood depression, according to DSM IV-TR, were randomized to receive treatment with B-APP plus venlafaxine (n=51) or venlafaxine plus usual care (n=49). The sample was evaluated at baseline and after 10 weeks with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS); the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS); the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI); the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC); the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Dosage Record and Treatment Emergent Symptom scale (DOTES). Only at the endpoint was the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale (VSSS-54) also administered. Results: A significant reduction in VAS and HADS scores was observed in both treatments, but a higher significance (p<0.01) was present only in subjects also treated with psychotherapy. A significant change was obtained in Mini-MAC scores (p<0.01) for Fighting Spirit, Fatalism, Anxious Preoccupation (p<0.01) and Avoidance items (p<0.05) only in patients treated with combined therapy. The combined group also showed more satisfaction with the treatment in their responses to the VSSS-54. Conclusions: Brief Adlerian Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (B-APP) in combination with venlafaxine was superior to usual care and venlafaxine in improving depressive symptomatology and reducing pain. DOI : 10.14302/issn.2574-612X.ijpr-17-1604 Corresponding author: Andrea Bovero, Clinical Psychology and Psycho-Oncology Unit – Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Italy, e-mail: abovero@cittadellasalute.to. it, Telephone: +390116334200 Fax: +390116334349 Running title: Treatments in depressed cancer pain patients
A simulation function approach for best proximity point and variational inequality problems

We study sufficient conditions for existence of solutions to the global optimization problem minx2A d.x;f x/; where A; B are nonempty subsets of a metric space . X;d/ and f W A! B belongs to the class of proximal simulative contraction mappings. Our results unify, improve and generalize various comparable results in the existing literature on this topic. As an application of the obtained theorems, we give some solvability theorems of a variational inequality problem. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 41A50; 47J20
Geoarchaeological evidence for the construction, irrigation, cultivation, and resilience of 15th--18th century AD terraced landscape at Engaruka, Tanzania

Abstract Agricultural landscapes are human-manipulated landscapes, most obviously in areas modified by terracing and/or irrigation. Examples from temperate, arid, and desert environments worldwide have attracted the attention of many disciplines, from archaeologists, palaeoecologists, and geomorphologists researching landscape histories to economists, agronomists, ecologists, and development planners studying sustainable resource management. This article combines these interdisciplinary interests by exploring the role archaeology can play in assessing sustainability. Our case study is Engaruka, Tanzania, archaeologically famous as the largest abandoned irrigated and terraced landscape in East Africa. The site has been cited as an example of economic and/or ecological collapse, and it has long been assumed to have been irrigated out of necessity because agriculture was presumed to be nearly impossible without irrigation in what is now a semiarid environment. Geoarchaeological research refutes this assumption, however, demonstrating that parts of the site flooded with sufficient regularity to allow the construction of more than 1000 ha of alluvial sediment traps, in places greater than 2 m deep. Soil micromorphology and geochemistry also record changes in irrigation, with some fields inundated to create paddylike soils. Geoarchaeological techniques can be applied to both extant and abandoned agricultural systems, thereby contributing to an understanding of their history, function, and sustainability.
Assessing the Developmental Instruction Model: An Exploratory Study of Classroom “Fit” Using Environmental Types

To support the instructional process, Knefelkamp advanced the developmental instruction model (DIM) to describe the aspects of academic environments that facilitate the epistemological development of college students, consistent with the Perry scheme. No related measurement tool has been developed for the DIM, which may account for the lack of research on it. Because the four DIM constructs (experiential, diversity, personalization, and structure) seemed consistent with the four dimensions found in environmental type theory (extraversion–introversion, sensing–intuition, thinking–feeling, and judging–perception), its related measure, the Salter Environmental Type Assessment, was used. The assertion that advanced learners begin to recognize these four dimensions was examined in this study of students’ (N = 200) perceptions of classroom "fit” by class standing. As compared to first-year students, advanced undergraduate students in this sample indicated stronger preferences (toward environmental extraversion, intuition, and feeling) for the types of learning environments that would support epistemological development. Findings related to environmental judging–perceiving were mixed, however. The results also suggest that the Salter Environmental Type Assessment may be a workable measure of the basic constructs in the DIM. Implications to college teaching are discussed.
Distinct Role of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1 and Fibroblast Growth Factors in Human Amelobastoma Epithelial Cell Proliferation

Ameloblastoma is a locally invasive benign epithelial odontogenic tumor and its histopathological structures are similar to the enamel organ. Although various studies have investigated cell proliferation in ameloblastoma to elucidate the biological behavior and clinicopathological mechanisms, it remains poorly understood. The studies on the development of the enamel organ reports that FGF-9, -10, and TGF-β1 are strongly involved in dental epithelial cell differentiation and cell proliferation. In this study, we attempt to evaluate the effect of these growth factors on ameloblastoma cells. Both collagen-coated and normal plastic cell culture plate cell growth curves were steeper in the presence of growth supplement than in the absence of growth supplement. The presence of TGF-β1 at each dose (1 to 10 ng/ml), however, suppressed the number of cells cultured on the collagen-coated plate but made no significant difference on the normal plastic plate. The number of cells was increased in the presence of FGF-10 at 100 ng/ml, but not in the presence of FGF-9 after 48 h culture. These results suggest that FGF-10 and TGF-β1 play distinct roles in the cell proliferation of human ameloblastoma cells.
PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MESELAMINE LOADED PLGA NANOPARTICLES

Nanoparticles (NP’s) of poly (d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), containing mesalamine were prepared using modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method (MSESD). NPs were characterized in terms of surface morphology, particle size and distribution, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and drug release profile. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning colorimetry (DSC) were employed to determine any interactions between drug and polymer. An attempt was made to fit the data to various dissolution kinetics models, including the zero order, first order, square root of time kinetics and biphasic models. NPs having mean diameter of 135±3.4 nm with low polydispersity index of 0.259 and zeta potential value -45.2±1.7 were obtained. By imaging with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), NPs having discrete, spherical morphology with smooth surface and low porosity was observed. In vitro drug release demonstrated the mixed order kinetics reveled by the initial first order burst release followed by slow zero order release. The highest correlation coefficients were obtained for the Higuchi model, suggesting a diffusion mechanism for the drug release. DSC and XRD studies revealed that mesalamine was molecularly dispersed within the PLGA nanoparticles during the production process. Also studies revealed no chemical interaction between the drug and the polymer. The results demonstrated that mesalamine NPs encapsulated with PLGA could be a possible alternative for the targeted delivery system for the long-term treatment of ulcerative colitis.
Competitive Conditions in the Turkish Non-Life Insurance Industry

This paper investigates the evolution of market structure in the Turkish insurance industry over the period 1996-2004, using the Panzar and Rosse (1987) methodology. The sample period has been divided into three sub-periods (1996-1998, 1999-2001, and 2002-2004). The results suggest that in the first and second sub-periods, the insurance firms operating in the Turkish insurance industry earned revenues under the monopoly or conjectural variations short-run oligopoly. In the third period, however, the results indicate that the insurance market was neither monopolistic nor perfectly competitive. Firm revenues were earned as if operating under monopolistic competition. Overall, the results show that market concentration is not significantly related to competitive conduct.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRUG USE AND SEXUAL ASSERTIVENESS IN A SPANISH MALE DRUG-DEPENDENT SAMPLE RELACIÓN ENTRE CONSUMO DE DROGAS Y ASERTIVIDAD SEXUAL EN UNA MUESTRA DE VARONES DROGODEPENDIENTES

Resumen Current studies assessing sexual assertiveness in drug users are sparse, despite the fact that it would be logical to expect low sexual assertiveness in such patients. Present study had the objective to compare sexual assertiveness between consumers of alcohol, cocaine, cocaine+alcohol, heroin, cannabis, and speedball and a control group. This was assessed in a sample of 556 male drug users from 8 Spanish provinces and 356 non-user males. Results showed significantly lower Initiation assertiveness in the 35-49 yearold age group (particularly in the case of alcohol, heroin, cannabis, and speedball) and worse Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Pregnancy prevention assertiveness in drug users (in the case of alcohol, cocaine, cocaine+alcohol, cannabis, and speedball). Effect sizes ranged from low to moderate. The implications of these results are discussed.
An Economic Rationale for the West African Scramble? The Commercial Transition and the Commodity Price Boom of 1835–1885

We use a new trade dataset showing that nineteenth century sub-Saharan Africa experienced a terms of trade boom comparable to other parts of the “global periphery. ” A sharp rise in export prices in the five decades before the scramble (1835–1885) was followed by an equally impressive decline during the colonial era. This study revises the view that the scramble for West Africa occurred when its major export markets were in decline and argues that the larger weight of West Africa in French imperial trade strengthened the rationale for French instead of British initiative in the conquest of the interior.
Essential Hypertension in Children: New Mechanistic Insights

Paediatric hypertension is on the rise accompanied by concomitant increase of childhood obesity. The origin of paediatric hypertension however remains unknown. New epidemiological evidence suggests that environmental insult in utero or postna‐ tally may lead to hypertension later in life. Independent associations have been reported between maternal obesity and cardiometabolic disorders in the offspring. In the first part, I will focus on functionally mechanistic pathways of essential hypertension with an attempt to elucidate the rather complex interplay of autonomic dysfunction, leptin, melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), inflammation, genetic and epigenetic predisposi‐ tions. In the second part, the standalone risk factors will be integrated in a flow chart in attempt to understand the deeper meaning of this regulatory machinery in paediatric hypertension. I will refer to the pathophysiology of early sympathetic-mediated hypertension arising from maternal obesity. Maternal diet-induced obesity in rodents permanently resets the responsiveness to leptin-induced SNS in rat offspring via the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN)-MC4R pathway. The stimulus that mediates Leptin-SNS-MC4R activity and promotes hypertension is still unknown and remains as a key for future investigations. Future research needs to identify effective preventive measures in the pregnant mother and child to reduce the risk of paediatric hypertension and prevent future cardiovascular disease.
Efectos de la interferencia lingüística en la adquisición y transferencia de discriminaciones condicionales con tareas de igualación de la muestra de primer y segundo orden

Studies on conditional discrimination (CD) in humans have pointed out that linguistic contact with the properties and criteria of the task is critical both for acquisition and transfer, especially in extra-relational and extra-dimensional tests. Recent empirical and conceptual analyses have challenged this assumption. Studies in the field have generally included linguistic components, but the effect of linguistic restriction through tasks that compete with verbal activity regarding tasks, such as linguistic interference, has not yet been systematically explored. Two experiments were conducted: the first one used first- order matching-to-sample tasks (FOMST) and the second used second-order matching-to-sample tasks (SOMST), aiming to evaluate the effect of a linguistic interference task on the acquisition of conditional discrimination and functional adjustment in transfer tests (extra-instance, extra-modal, extra-relational, and extra-dimensional). Both experiments used an n = 1 design. A total of 24 college students participated, 12 in each study, and the effects of two experimental conditions were tested (Interference and No Interference, with six participants in each condition per study). The findings suggest that interference in linguistic contact does not affect the acquisition of CD in FOMST or in SOMST, but it does affect the adjustment in transfer tests. In these, differential effects, by type, were observed in FOMST and SOMST.
A Meta-analysis on Motivational Strategies and Well-being: Does a Worker’s Socioeconomic Status Make a Difference?

This meta-analysis provides a quantitative review on the relationships between motivational strategies and work-related well-being, and addresses the modulating effects of socioeconomic status (SES). Based upon a total number of 68 studies, involving 49,338 employees, the findings suggest that motivational strategies are associated with one’s well-being at work. Specifically, results indicate that more positive emotion regulation strategies are related to workers’ higher levels of job satisfaction and job performance. Conversely, more self-doubt is related to lower levels of job satisfaction and job performance. More interestingly, SES moderates some effect sizes, which include those related to emotional labor strategies (i.e., deep acting, and surface acting), two emotion regulation strategies commonly used in the service industry, tend to be more useful among low SES workers than the general working populations in managing well-being at work. These findings suggest that future research should identify optimal motivational strategies to improve low SES workers’ overall well-being at work, and consider additional well-being indicators such as work-family interface for these workers.
The Spectral Reflectance Responses of Water with Different Levels of Suspended Sediment in The Presence of Algae

Examining and measuring levels of suspended sediments of water column is a common application of close range remote sensing, because the technology offers an efficient and economical means of studying water quality problems. The aim of this experiment was to use close range remote sensing to determine the effect of increasing suspended sediment concentration containing different levels of organic matter on algal spectral patterns. The experiment was conducted in a small room with a 65-l volume water container. A Spectron Engineering SE-590 spectroradiometer with a 15° optic was used to take the radiant measurements. The results indicate that the suspended sediment causes increasing spectral response in surface waters. The organic matter content of the suspended sediment has an effect on the spectral reflectance. Therefore, the organic content of the soil present in the water body can be estimated and this property of sediment can help us to recognize the sediment type present in the various layers of the water.
Reporting comprehensive income issues: empirical evidence from France, Germany and Italy

In this paper we would like to investigate the issues related to the disclosure of comprehensive income in France, Germany and Italy. After the presentation of the literature about the reporting choices of the US firms, this research discusses the ones of 600 listed companies, by analysing data collected from their 2009 and 2010 consolidated financial statements. More in detail, this work aims to investigate the choice of the statement in which comprehensive income has been reported, the correlation between the statement chosen and the business size and the correlation between the format and the sign of other comprehensive income. Finally, it also investigates whether the difference between net income and comprehensive income is statistically significant. With regard to the choice of the prospect, literature shows that in USA firms largely prefer the statement of changes in stockholders' equity, while in Europe, where such prospect cannot be chosen, companies prefer to disclose comprehensive income in the separate statement of net income and comprehensive income, probably to guarantee the separation between traditional revenues (and costs) and other comprehensive income. With regard to the correlations, neither the business size nor the sign of other comprehensive income influence the choice of the prospect which comprehensive income has been reported in. Our final finding suggest that net income and comprehensive income are statistically different each other.
Radio spectra and polarisation properties of a bright sample of radio-loud broad absorption line quasars

Context. The origin of broad-absorption-line quasi-stellar objects (BAL QSOs) remains unclear. Accounting for ∼20% of the QSO population, these objects have broad absorption lines in their optical spectra generated from outflows with velocities of up to 0.2 c . I n this work, we present the results of a multi-frequency study of a well-defined radio-loud BAL QSO sample, and a comparison sample of radio-loud non-BAL QSOs, both selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Aims. We aim to test which of the currently popular models of the BAL phenomenon – “orientation” or “evolutionary” – best accounts for the radio properties of BAL quasars. We also consider a third model in which BALs are produced by polar jets driven by radiation pressure. Methods. Observations from 1.4 to 43 GHz have been obtained with the VLA and Effelsberg telescopes, and data from 74 to 408 MHz have been compiled from the literature. The spectral indices give clues about the orientation, while the determination of the peak frequency can constrain the age, and test the evolutionary scenario, in which BAL QSOs are young QSOs. The fractional polarisation and the rotation measure in part reflect the local magnetic field strength and particle density. Results. The fractions of resolved sources in the BAL and non-BAL QSO samples are similar (16% versus (vs.) 12%). The resolved sources in the two samples have similar linear sizes (20 to 400 kpc) and morphologies. There is weak evidence that the fraction of variable sources amongst BAL QSOs is smaller. The fractions of candidate GHz-peaked sources are similar in the two samples (36 ± 12% vs. 23 ± 8%), suggesting that BAL QSOs are not generally younger than non-BAL QSOs. Both BAL and non-BAL QSOs have a wide range of spectral indices, including flat-spectrum and steep-spectrum sources, consistent with a broad range of orientations. There is weak evidence (91% confidence) that the spectral indices of the BAL QSOs are steeper than those of non-BAL QSOs, mildly favouring edge-on orientations. At a higher level of significance (≥97%), the spectra of BAL QSOs are no flatter than those of non-BAL QSOs, which suggests that a polar orientation is not preferred. The distributions of fractional polarisation in the two samples have similar median values (1–3%). The distributions of rotation measure are also similar, the only outlier being the BAL QSO 1624+37, which has an extreme rest-frame rotation measure (from the literature) of −18 350 ± 570 rad m −2 .
Synthesis, physicochemical characterization and antimicrobial activity of Co(III) complexes with diamine chelate ligands

Four coordination compounds of trans-[Co(N,N)2(H2O)2](ClO4)3 and trans-[Co(N,N)2Cl2]Cl type where N,N denotes ethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane as chelating moieties were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic, potentiometric and other auxiliary analytical methods. It had been assumed that these compounds are potential models for several novel antimicrobial agents. The results of chemical and biological investigations showed a direct effect of the type of ligand on microbiological activity of the analogues compounds studied. UV-Vis absorption titration spectra of chlorates of the Co(III) coordination compounds were recorded over a wide pH range in the constant temperature (25 °C). Based onabove investigations the relationships between absorbance vs. pH were plotted and deprotonation equilibrium constants in the form of pK’s were determined. Furthermore, it was found that the pKs determined using a potentiometric titration methodin the same temperature are in a very good agreement with those obtained using spectrophotometric data. Calculations of these constants were performed using the CVEQUID computer program. The reduction potential values of selected Co(III) complexes with aqua ligands were determined by using a cyclic voltamperometry method. Moreover, the in vitro antimicrobial activities of the synthesized complexes were examined against some antimicrobial strains of Gram-positive bacteria viz. Enterococcus hirae, Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungus, Candida albicans.
Marriage and Work: an analysis for French couples in the last decade

This paper looks at French couples’ labour market behaviour over the last thirteen years, from 1990 to 2002. We find that the proportion of dual earners couples has been steadily rising over time. Joint activity rates have gone up from 52% in 1990 to over 58% in 2002. About a fifth of women in dual earners couples in our sample earns a higher gross monthly salary than their husbands. The proportion of male breadwinners couples has diminished steadily overtime, from 30% in 1990 to 22% in 2002; while that of female breadwinners has increased from 5% to 7%. We provide some descriptive and exploratory analysis of the determinants of the labour market states of spouses, accounting for class endogamy as well as for changing macroeconomic conditions. W e find that class endogamy is an important determinant of the labour market states occupied by spouses. Wives that earn more than their husbands are either low-educated women with a low-educated husband or high-educated women. Classification-JEL : D1, J12, J21 Keywords : Marriage, work behaviour, household economics.