Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Efficacy, State Anxiety, and Cortisol Responses to Treadmill Running

Social cognitive theory of Bandura hypothesizes that increases in self-efficacy act as a mechanism for anxiety reduction and lower biological stress reactions. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol responses to 20 minutes of treadmill running at 85% maximal heart rate and a control condition among 12 physically active males. For this study, self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol were measured prior to and 5 and 20 min. after exercise for individuals completing a 20-min. treadmill running activity or a 20-min. rest (control) activity. Repeated-measures analyses of variance showed significant condition by time interaction for self-efficacy and Cortisol (ps<.05); the exercise group's self-efficacy and Cortisol increased pre- to posttreatment. Moreover, the analysis of variance for anxiety yielded a main effect for time, with reductions in anxiety scores observed in both conditions. Correlational analyses showed that posttreatment Cortisol levels were inversely correlated −. 51 to self-efficacy scores and positively correlated . 55 to anxiety scores. The correlation between self-efficacy and anxiety was not significant. These results provide partial support for the predicted relationships among self-efficacy, anxiety, and Cortisol responses to treadmill running Suggestions for research are provided.
Learning to Attend and to Ignore Is a Matter of Gains and Losses

Efficient goal-directed behavior in a crowded world is crucially mediated by visual selective attention (VSA), which regulates deployment of cognitive resources toward selected, behaviorally relevant visual objects. Acting as a filter on perceptual representations, VSA allows preferential processing of relevant objects and concurrently inhibits traces of irrelevant items, thus preventing harmful distraction. Recent evidence showed that monetary rewards for performance on VSA tasks strongly affect immediately subsequent deployment of attention; a typical aftereffect of VSA (negative priming) was found only following highly rewarded selections. Here we report a much more striking demonstration that the controlled delivery of monetary rewards also affects attentional processing several days later. Thus, the propensity to select or to ignore specific visual objects appears to be strongly biased by the more or less rewarding consequences of past attentional encounters with the same objects.
The impact of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy groups on people with dementia: Views from participants, their carers and group facilitators

Objectives: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) can lead to significant improvements in cognitive function and quality of life for people with dementia. This study sought to investigate whether improvements found in clinical trials were also noted by people with dementia, their carers and group facilitators in everyday life. Method: Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with people attending CST groups, their carers and the group facilitators. Data were recorded and transcribed, before being analysed using Framework Analysis. Results: Two main themes emerged, ‘Positive experiences of being in the group’ and ‘Changes experienced in everyday life’, along with seven sub-themes. The overall experience of attending CST was seen as being emotionally positive and most participants reported some cognitive benefits. Conclusions: The findings lend further support to previous quantitative findings, as well as providing information about the personal experience of CST.
Predicting Risk-Adjusted Mortality for CABG Surgery: Logistic Versus Hierarchical Logistic Models

Background:In recent years, several studies in the medical and health service research literature have advocated the use of hierarchical statistical models (multilevel models or random-effects models) to analyze data that are nested (eg, patients nested within hospitals). However, these models are computer-intensive and complicated to perform. There is virtually nothing in the literature that compares the results of standard logistic regression to those of hierarchical logistic models in predicting future provider performance. Objective:We sought to compare the ability of standard logistic regression relative to hierarchical modeling in predicting risk-adjusted hospital mortality rates for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in New York State. Design, Setting and Patients:New York State CABG Registry data from 1994 to 1999 were used to relate statistical predictions from a given year to hospital performance 2 years hence. Main Outcome Measures:Predicted and observed hospital mortality rates 2 years hence were compared using root mean square errors, the mean absolute difference, and the number of hospitals whose predicted mortality rate data was within a 95% confidence interval around the observed mortality rate. Results:In these data, standard logistic regression performed similarly to hierarchical models, both with and without a second level covariate Differences in the criteria used for comparison were minimal, and when the differences could be statistically tested no significant differences were identified. Conclusions:It is instructive to compare the predictive abilities of alternative statistical models in the process of assessing their relative performance on a specific database and application.
Serum Levels of Soluble Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 Are Increased in Chronic B-Lymphocytic Leukemia and Correlate With Clinical Stage and Prognostic Markers

The serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) were significantly elevated ( P < .001) in patients with chronic B-lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL, n = 113) compared with healthy controls (n = 31). SICAM-l evels in B-CLL were positively correlated to the tumor mass as reflected by the modified Rai and the Binet staging systems, lymphocyte counts, and isolated spleno/hepatomegaly. During disease progression or regression on cytoreductive therapy, the circulating SICAM-l levels changed accordingly. SICAM-l was also correlated to a kinetic parameter such as the lymphocyte doubling time. Furthermore, the serum SICAM-l levels were inversely correlated to hemoglobin levels in patients with early clinical stage, and this may turn out to be of
An Empirical Investigation of Risk-Return Relations in Chinese Equity Markets: Evidence from Aggregate and Sectoral Data

This paper investigates the risk-return relations in Chinese equity markets. Based on a TARCH-M model, evidence shows that stock returns are positively correlated with predictable volatility, supporting the risk-return relation in both aggregate and sectoral markets. Evidence finds a positive relation between stock return and intertemporal downside risk, while controlling for sentiment and liquidity. This study suggests that the U.S. stress risk or the world downside risk should be priced into the Chinese stocks. The paper concludes that the risk-return tradeoff is present in the GARCH-in-mean, local downside risk-return, and global risk-return relations.
Supporting Attention Allocation in Multitask Environments

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate potential benefits of likelihood alarm systems (LASs) over binary alarm systems (BASs) in a multitask environment. Background: Several problems are associated with the use of BASs, because most of them generate high numbers of false alarms. Operators lose trust in the systems and ignore alarms or cross-check all of them when other information is available. The first behavior harms safety, whereas the latter one reduces productivity. LASs represent an alternative, which is supposed to improve operators’ attention allocation. Method: We investigated LASs and BASs in a dual-task paradigm with and without the possibility to cross-check alerts with raw data information. Participants’ trust in the system, their behavior, and their performance in the alert and the concurrent task were assessed. Results: Reported trust, compliance with alarms, and performance in the alert and the concurrent task were higher for the LAS than for the BAS. The cross-check option led to an increase in alert task performance for both systems and a decrease in concurrent task performance for the BAS, which did not occur in the LAS condition. Conclusion: LASs improve participants’ attention allocation between two different tasks and therefore lead to an increase in alert task and concurrent task performance. The performance maximum is achieved when LAS is combined with a cross-check option for validating alerts with additional information. Application: The use of LASs instead of BASs in safety-related multitask environments has the potential to increase safety and productivity likewise.
Portfolio construction and risk management: theory versus practice

Purpose This paper aims to identify a possible mismatch between the theory found in academic research and the practices of investment managers in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach The chosen approach is a field survey. This paper considers 78 survey responses from 274 asset management companies. Data obtained are analyzed using independence tests between two variables and multiple regressions. Findings The results show that most Brazilian investment managers have not adopted current best practices recommended by the financial academic literature and that there is a significant gap between academic recommendations and asset management practices. The modern portfolio theory is still more widely used than the post-modern portfolio theory, and quantitative portfolio optimization is less often used than the simple rule of defining a maximum concentration limit for any single asset. Moreover, the results show that the normal distribution is used more than parametrical distributions with asymmetry and kurtosis to estimate value at risk, among other findings. Originality/value This study may be considered a pioneering work in portfolio construction, risk management and performance evaluation in Brazil. Although academia in Brazil and abroad has thoroughly researched portfolio construction, risk management and performance evaluation, little is known about the actual implementation and utilization of this research by Brazilian practitioners.
Full-Thickness Thermal Injury Delays Wound Closure in a Murine Model.

Objective: The contemporary treatment of a full-thickness burn consists of early eschar excision followed by immediate closure of the open wound using autologous skin. However, most animal models study burn wound healing with the persistence of the burn eschar. Our goal is to characterize a murine model of burn eschar excision to study wound closure kinetics. Approach: C57BL/6 male mice were divided into three groups: contact burn, scald burn, or unburned control. Mice were burned at 80°C for 5, 10, or 20 s. After 2 days, the eschar was excised and wound closure was documented until postexcision day 13. Biopsies were examined for structural morphology and α-smooth muscle actin. In a subsequent interval-excision experiment (80°C scald for 10 s), the burn eschar was excised after 5 or 10 days postburn to determine the effect of a prolonged inflammatory focus. Results: Histology of both contact and scald burns revealed characteristics of a full-thickness injury marked by collagen coagulation and tissue necrosis. Excision at 2 days after a 20-s burn from either scald or contact showed significant delay in wound closure. Interval excision of the eschar, 5 or 10 days postburn, also showed significant delay in wound closure. Both interval-excision groups showed prolonged inflammation and increased myofibroblasts. Innovation and Conclusions: We have described the kinetics of wound closure in a murine model of a full-thickness burn excision. Both contact and scald full-thickness burn resulted in significantly delayed wound closure. In addition, prolonged interval-excision of the eschar appeared to increase and prolong inflammation.
Whole-body hypothermia for term and near-term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness and safety of moderate whole-body hypothermia in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy born in hospitals with and without newborn intensive care facilities or complicated hypothermia equipment. DESIGN Multicenter, international, randomized controlled trial. SETTING Neonatal intensive care units in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States (N = 28) from February 2001 through July 2007. PARTICIPANTS Newborns of 35 weeks' gestation or more, with indicators of peripartum hypoxia-ischemia and moderate to severe clinical encephalopathy, randomly allocated to hypothermia (n = 110) or standard care (n = 111). INTERVENTION Whole-body hypothermia to 33.5°C for 72 hours or standard care (37°C). Infants who received hypothermia were treated at ambient environmental temperature by turning off the radiant warmer and then applying refrigerated gel packs to maintain rectal temperature at 33°C to 34°C. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Death or major sensorineural disability at 2 years of age. RESULTS Therapeutic hypothermia reduced the risk of death or major sensorineural disability at 2 years of age: 55 of 107 infants (51.4%) in the hypothermia group and 67 of 101 infants (66.3%) in the control group died or had a major sensorineural disability at 2 years (risk ratio, 0.77 [95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.98]; P = .03). The mortality rate decreased, and the survival rate free of any sensorineural disability increased. Adverse effects of hypothermia were minimal. CONCLUSIONS Whole-body hypothermia is effective and appears to be safe when commenced within 6 hours of birth at the hospital of birth in term and near-term newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. This simple method of hypothermia could be used within strict protocols with appropriate training on correct diagnosis and application of hypothermia in nontertiary neonatal settings while awaiting retrieval and transport to the regional neonatal intensive care unit. TRIAL REGISTRATION anzctr.org. au Identifier: ACTRN12606000036516.
The complex set of late transcripts from the Drosophila sex determination gene sex-lethal encodes multiple related polypeptides

Sex-lethal (Sxl), a key sex determination gene in Drosophila melanogaster, is known to express a set of three early transcripts arising during early embryogenesis and a set of seven late transcripts occurring from midembryogenesis through adulthood. Among the late transcripts, male-specific mRNAs were distinguished from their female counterparts by the presence of an extra exon interrupting an otherwise long open reading frame (ORF). We have now analyzed the structures of the late Sxl transcripts by cDNA sequencing, Northern (RNA) blotting, primer extension, and RNase protection. The late transcripts appear to use a common 5' end but differ at their 3' ends by the use of alternative polyadenylation sites. Two of these sites lack canonical AATAAA sequences, and their use correlates in females with the presence of a functional germ line, suggesting possible tissue-specific polyadenylation. Besides the presence of the male-specific exon, no additional sex-specific splicing events were detected, although a number of non-sex-specific splicing variants were observed. In females, the various forms of late Sxl transcript potentially encode up to six slightly different polypeptides. All of the protein-coding differences occur outside the previously defined ribonucleoprotein motifs. One class of Sxl mRNAs also includes a second long ORF in the same frame as the first ORF but separated from it by a single ochre codon. The function of this second ORF is unknown. Significant amounts of apparently partially processed Sxl RNAs were observed, consistent with the hypothesis that the regulated Sxl splices occur relatively slowly.
Choice of evaluation-selection system to maximize genetic response at the same level of inbreeding.

A stochastic sim ulation w as used to com pare genetic and inbreeding responses for different genetic evaluation-selection system s, viz; selection 1) at ran dom , 2 ) on true breeding value (T B V ), 3 ) on phenotype, 4 ) on B LU P estimated breeding value (E B V ) and 5) on B LU P E B V H , using a false high heritability estim ate. A n algorithm to adjust the E B V of a selection candidate for the average relationship w ith those already selected w a s also used. T h e relation of the genetic response to inbreeding response at generation 10 is s h o w n graphically for a range in the num ber of sires used. Com parisons sh o w a gradual increase in the inbreeding (for the sam e num ber of sires) from random selection, selection on T B V , on phenotype, on E B V H and to the highest level w ith EB V , from co-selection of relatives. W h e n the num ber of sires is fixed (and sm all--less than 2 0 ), it is possible to get substantial reductions in inbreeding for small reductions in response using E B V H , com pared w ith selection on E B V . H o w e ve r, similar results can be obtained sim ply by increasing the num ber of sires used. Put in this graphical form for com parison, only m odest gains in genetic response at the sam e level of inbreeding w e re obtained by the alternative evaluation-selection syste m s, and no single system seem s generally optim um .
Regulation of the imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 locus by allele-specific enhancer activity

In this study, Luo et al. find that the AFF family protein AFF3 can specifically bind both gametic differentially DNA-methylated regions (gDMRs) and enhancers within imprinted loci in an allele-specific manner. These results provide the mechanistic details of the control of dosage-critical imprinted gene expression through the regulated binding of the transcription elongation factor AFF3 between a DMR and an enhancer.
Mitigating Range Ambiguities in High-PRF SAR With OFDM Waveform Diversity

Range-ambiguity suppression is a technical challenge for high-pulse-repetition-frequency (PRF) synthetic aperture radar (SAR). This letter proposes a practical approach to mitigate the range ambiguities in high-PRF SAR by using the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform diversity. The system scheme, waveform design, and range-ambiguity-to-signal-ratio performance are detailed. The approach eliminates the ambiguities, instead of just suppressing them like other techniques. The proposed OFDM chirp diverse waveform has a large time–bandwidth product. It is validated by computer-simulation results. Although OFDM radar has received much attention in recent years, there appears to be little work done in applying OFDM concepts to mitigate high-PRF radar range ambiguities, as is the subject of this letter.
Six-minute walk test in adults with cerebral palsy. A study of reliability

Objective: To determine the reliability of a six-minute walk test in adults with cerebral palsy. Design: Four repeated walk tests during two weeks. Setting: The tests were conducted in a 40-m-long corridor at a rehabilitation centre for outpatients. Subjects: Twenty-five adults (9 women and 16 men) with CP. Mean age 36 (26 58) years. Twelve subjects walked with walking aids and 13 without. Interventions: No intervention. Measures: The subjects were instructed to walk as far as possible for 6 min. The distance walked, heart rate and perceived exertion were assessed. Results: Mean distances walked by the subjects in the four tests were 316, 336, 341 and 345 m. The repeatability between test 1 and the other tests was 66 m, and when the first walk test was excluded 40 m. The coefficient of variation (CV) between test 1 and the other tests varied between 7.1 and 8.7%, and when the first walk test was excluded between 3.7 and 4.5%. Intraclass correlation (ICC 1.1) was 0.97 in the four tests, and when the first walk test was excluded 0.99. Walking distance was longer (P<0.01) and varied less in subjects walking without walking aids (n=13) compared with subjects using walking aids (n=12). Conclusions: Six-minute walk test showed high reliability, with a repeatability of 40 m. One practice test is recommended, as the walking distance in the first test was significantly shorter (P B=0.01) than the other three tests.
An Interplay Between F0 and Phonation in Du'an Zhuang Tone

This paper undertook an acoustic study of the tone system of one speaker of Du'an Zhuang, finding that his tone system involved phonation contrasts in addition to F0 contrasts. It was found that two of the six tones in unchecked syllables involved significant creakiness near the midpoint of the vowel. These results suggest a phonological tone contrast that involves both F0 and creakiness. Among pairs of tones that differed in their phonation, significant differences in the timing of F0 fall were discovered. Additionally, the two creaky tones differed in the timing of the maximum creakiness. Future research could establish whether and to what extent Du'an Zhuang speakers utilize creakiness and F0, and their relative timing, in discerning between tonal categories. Production studies are needed with larger samples of speakers and perception studies are needed to confirm the contrastive roles of phonation and F0 in the Du’an Zhuang tone system.
Dietary energy restriction in the SENCAR mouse: Elevation of glucocorticoid hormone levels but no change in distribution of glucocorticoid receptor in epidermal cells

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that dietary energy restriction elevates plasma glucocorticoid hormone (GCH) levels while maintaining a circadian profile. Furthermore, we indirectly measured the effect of energy restriction on receptor activation in epidermis by determining the cellular localization of receptor protein in control‐fed and energy‐restricted (ER) mice. SENCAR mice were maintained on an ad libitum control diet or an ER diet that provided 60% of the total energy consumed by control‐fed mice. Plasma corticosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein levels in epidermal lysates were measured by western blotting. Electron microscopy was used to identify gold‐conjugated immunoreactive GR in epidermal cells of the skin in control and ER mice. Plasma corticosterone levels in ER mice were significantly increased 10 times over the levels in control mice at 0700 h, significantly increased two times over control levels at 1600 h, and not different from controls at 2300 h in the circadian cycle. The total amount of epidermal GR protein in ER mice was 140% (95% confidence interval, 104–169%) of that in controls at the early time point, not different at the midpoint, and 60% (95% confidence interval, 48–79%) of that in controls at the late time point. The distribution of gold‐conjugated GR in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of epidermal cells was similar in control and ER mice. Thus, we showed that dietary ER increased the level of plasma GCH without abolishing diurnal variation. However, an increase in ligand activation in epidermal cells, as indicated by nuclear localization of GR protein, was not supported by the results of this study. Mol. Carcinog. 21:62–69, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.