Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adolescent self-concept and health into adulthood.

OBJECTIVES This article examines factors associated with adolescent self-concept and the impact of adolescent self-concept on psychological and physical health and health behaviour in young adulthood. DATA SOURCE The data are from the household cross-sectional (1994/95) and longitudinal (1994/95 to 2000/01) components of Statistics Canada's National Population Health Survey. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES Scores on self-concept indicators in 1994/95 were compared between the sexes and age groups (12 to 15 versus 16 to 19). Multivariate analyses were used to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between adolescent self-concept and depression, self-perceived health, physical activity and obesity, controlling for other possible confounders. MAIN RESULTS Self-concept tends to be low among girls compared with boys. Cross-sectionally, adolescent self-concept was associated with household income and emotional support. For girls and for young adolescents, a weak self-concept in 1994/95 was related to the incidence of depression over the next six years; it was also predictive of physical inactivity among boys, and obesity among both sexes. A strong self-concept had a positive long-term effect on girls' self-perceived health.
Calcium‐binding protein distributions and fiber connections of the nucleus accumbens in the pigeon (columba livia)

Until recently, the exact location of the avian nucleus accumbens within the basal forebrain had not been well established (Reiner et al. [2004] J Comp Neurol 473:377–414). While a number of previous studies have shown afferents and efferents of the presumptive “nucleus accumbens,” detailed and accurate connection patterns of this newly recognized area are still lacking. We set out to clarify these connections using small, localized injections of cholera toxin subunit B and biotinylated dextran amine directly into the nucleus. In order to increase the accuracy of tracer injections into target sites, we first conducted a systematic comparison of three calcium‐binding proteins, namely, parvalbumin, calretinin, and calbindin, to characterize the nucleus accumbens and ascertain its boundaries. The results showed that the avian and mammalian nucleus accumbens had remarkable hodological similarities, including the connections with the hippocampus, amygdala, ventral pallidum, lateral hypothalamus, and ventral tegmental area. However, the most significant aspect of the present study is that the avian nucleus accumbens had extensive reciprocal connections with medial pallial structures, the mammalian counterparts of which are unclear. Three implications of this finding are discussed. First, the avian medial pallium may correspond to part of the mammalian prefrontal cortex based on the connections with the nucleus accumbens. Second, the avian brain has a “limbic loop” involving the medial pallium, which also receives input from the avian equivalent of the mediodorsal thalamus. Third, the extensive connections between the accumbens and medial pallium just dorsal to it suggest a column‐like organization of limbic‐associated areas in the avian telencephalon. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:1371–1394, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mental Health and Social Capital: Social Capital as a Promising Initiative to Improving the Mental Health of Communities

Mental illness is a growing public health concern and has been estimated to impact up to 450 million people across the globe [1]. In countries with particularly high prevalence rates, more than a third of the population will meet the criteria for some form of mental illness during their lifetime [2]. Mood and anxiety disorders tend to have the highest prevalence rates and it has been projected that major depressive disorder will be the second leading dis‐ ease burden worldwide by 2020 [3]. Mental illness often has chronic effects that can last a life-time and negatively impacts individuals’ quality of life at home, work, school, and in so‐ cial settings [4].
Effect of metabolic syndrome on heart attack and mortality in Mexican-American elderly persons: findings of 7-year follow-up from the Hispanic established population for the epidemiological study of the elderly.

PURPOSE We aim to examine the effect of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) on heart attack and overall mortality in Mexican-American elderly persons over 7-year follow-up. METHODS We studied 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 or older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly conducted in five Southwestern states of the United States. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with or without MetS. A total of 333 (11%) respondents at baseline had met the criteria of MetS (at least three of five characteristics--hyperinsulinemia or fasting plasma glucose > or =110 mg/dl, abdominal obesity, and hypertension--as defined by the World Health Organization). RESULTS Of 333 participants with MetS, the mean age was 71.1 years and 68% were females (compared with 73.2 years and 56% in those without MetS). Eighty percent of participants with MetS rated their health as fair or poor, compared to 55% of those participants without MetS. Fifty-four percent and 65% of patients with MetS had arthritis and at least one impairment in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), compared to 39% and 55% of those participants without MetS. MetS was significantly associated with increased incidence of heart attack (odds ratio: 2.75, 95% confidence interval: 1.67-4.54) and was a significant predictor for overall mortality (hazard ratio: 1.46, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.84) over a 7-year period after adjusting for other demographic and clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS Among Mexican-American elderly participants, those with MetS had poorer self-rated health. MetS was significantly associated with increased incidence of heart attack and higher mortality over a 7-year period.
HIV-1 Langerhans' Cell Tropism Associated with Heterosexual Transmission of HIV

Heterosexual transmission by vaginal intercourse accounts for most transmission of human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) in Africa and Asia but is less important in the HIV-1 epidemics of the United States and Western Europe. Epithelial Langerhans' cells (LCs) represent a possible source of initial cell contact for vaginal infection. Fifteen primary isolates of HIV-1 from U.S. homosexuals and 18 HIV-1 isolates from Thailand heterosexuals were evaluated for growth in LCs of U.S. origin. All the viruses from the Thai heterosexuals, which were subtype E, grew more efficiently in the LCs than any of the viruses from the U.S. homosexuals, which are subtype B. These results suggest that LC tropism is associated with the efficiency of heterosexual transmission of HIV.
Carboplatin nanocapsules: a highly cytotoxic, phospholipid-based formulation of carboplatin

Platinum-based drugs are widely used in cancer chemotherapy. However, their clinical use is limited by systemic toxicity, rapid blood clearance, and the occurrence of resistance. Our research is aimed at increasing the therapeutic index of these drugs by encapsulation in a lipid formulation. Previously, we developed a method for efficient encapsulation of cisplatin in a lipid formulation, yielding cisplatin nanocapsules. Here, we show that carboplatin, a cisplatin-derived anticancer drug with different chemical properties, can be efficiently encapsulated in a lipid formulation by a similar method. The carboplatin nanocapsules exhibit a very high cytotoxicity in vitro: the IC50 value of carboplatin nanocapsules is up to a 1,000-fold lower than that of conventional carboplatin when tested on a panel of carcinoma cell lines. Cellular platinum content analysis and confocal fluorescent imaging of the interaction of the carboplatin nanocapsules with IGROV-1 cells indicate that the improved cytotoxicity is due to increased platinum accumulation in the cells, resulting from uptake of the formulation by endocytosis. [Mol Cancer Ther 2006;5(8):2007–12]
Cadmium uptake in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings.

Root elongation of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) seedlings was inhibited in the presence of 5 microM Cd, but was unaffected by a Cd concentration at 0.05 microM. Nutrient solutions labeled with (109)Cd were used to investigate the influence of pH, cations and the metabolic inhibitor 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) on the uptake of Cd by roots of intact spruce seedlings. Extracellular Cd was removed by washing the roots, and the relative amounts of Cd in the root apoplast and symplast estimated. In the presence of DNP, Cd uptake was reduced at 0.05 microM (non-toxic) but not at 5 microM Cd (toxic). At 0.05 microM Cd, the uptake of Cd into both the apoplast and symplast was dependent on the pH of the nutrient solution. Lower pH decreased Cd accumulation. Aluminum supplied at 100 or 500 microM lowered the Cd concentrations of both the apoplast and symplast. An increase in Ca or Mg supply reduced the Cd concentration of the apoplast but not of the symplast. In the presence of 5 microM Mn, the concentration of Cd in the symplast decreased by 44% compared to the control (1 microM Mn). High concentrations of Zn or Hg did not affect the Cd concentration of the roots.
Staphylococcal Protein A as a Pharmacological Treatment for Autoimmune Disorders

Staphylococcal protein A (SpA) is a key virulence factor that enables Staphylococcus aureus to evade host innate and adaptive immune responses. The immunomodulatory properties of SpA have led to a hypothesis that it may have pharmacological applications as a treatment for autoimmune disease. Clinical trials are underway to test whether ultrapure SpA can be used to treat immune thrombocytopenia and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, we examine the potential of SpA as an innovative drug to manage autoimmune movement disorders.
CEO Effects on Firm Value and Its Components

In this paper, we contribute to the ongoing debate about the extent to which CEOs influence firm performance. We also seek to shift the existing debate from its narrower focus on CEO effects on firm performance (typically measured as ROA) to a broader focus on CEO effects on firm value (operationalized in terms of Tobin’s Q) and on the components of firm value. We analyze the three components of firm value: current performance (ROA), leverage (equity multiplier), and market valuation (price-to-earnings ratio). We also introduce a methodological innovation, the fixed effect least squares dummy variable (FELSDV) approach, to better understand the specific influence of CEOs on firms. The advantage of the FELSDV approach is that the CEO and firm effects are identified. Empirically, we find CEOs’ impact on firm value and its components are large. We examine the correlation among the CEOs’ unobservable time-invariant traits that impact firm value and its components. Our results have important implications for boards of directors in selecting and evaluating CEOs.
Perceptual Grouping in Shape from Shading

We report on the reversal of asymmetry in visual-search tasks with shaded items. Previous studies have suggested that the target of a bottom-lit disk among distractors of top-lit disks is detected in a rapid and parallel manner, but not vice versa. However, in this study, we have shown that the compound items of top-lit disks were searched more quickly than those composed of bottom-lit disks where the items had to be segregated from their background. By modulating the inter-element distances, we confirmed that the reversal of search asymmetry cannot be due to the grouping of items. Further, we showed that the regions of the top-lit disks were perceived as figure more consistently than those of bottom-lit disks. The results indicate that the boundary assignment to the compound items of the top-lit disks enhances the segregation of search items from the background, and that the search mechanism may access the relatively higher representation that includes figure – ground relations.
Pediatric Fireworks-Related Injuries in the United States: 1990–2003

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to describe the epidemiology of pediatric fireworks-related injuries among children aged 19 years and younger by using a nationally representative sample. DESIGN. We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 1990–2003. RESULTS. An estimated 85800 pediatric fireworks-related injuries were treated in US emergency departments during the 14-year study period. Injured children had a mean age of 10.8 years, and 77.9% were male. Fireworks users accounted for 49.5% of the injuries, whereas 22.2% of the injuries were to bystanders; however, user status could not be determined in 28.3% of cases. The overall fireworks-related injury rate decreased significantly during the study period, but subgroup analysis did not indicate consistent declines among all ages and types of fireworks. Injuries were most commonly caused by firecrackers (29.6%), sparklers/novelty devices (20.5%), and aerial devices (17.6%). The most commonly injured body sites were the eyeball (20.8%), face (20.0%), and hands (19.8%), and the most common injury type was burns (60.3%). Approximately 91.6% of all children with fireworks-related injuries were treated and released from hospital emergency departments, 5.3% were admitted, and 2.3% were transferred to another institution. Bystanders accounted for 13.3% of admitted cases and 20.6% of transferred cases. CONCLUSIONS. Consumer fireworks cause serious preventable injuries among pediatric fireworks users and bystanders in the United States. Parents should be advised to take their children to safer public fireworks displays rather than allowing consumer fireworks to be used by or near their children. A national restriction of consumer fireworks, in accordance with the policy recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, should be implemented to reduce the burden of fireworks-related injuries among children.
Experiences of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) Ingestion: A Focus Group Study

Abstract GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) is a significant new drug of abuse added to the United States Controlled Substance Act in 2000. The majority of the published literature on GHB consists of clinical case reports. mainly from emergency departments, and a collection of laboratory-based studies, focused mainly on anesthesia. While comments about the various experiences and behaviors of human users are often included in such studies or reports, these aspects of GHB are only just beginning to be systematically investigated or detailed. Reported here are data from a qualitative study using focus group methods on the consumption habits. experiences, and beliefs of GHB users. A total of 51 people, 30 men and 21 women, mean age of 31.1±7.6 years (range 18 to 52 years), who report having used GHB for an average of 4.3±2.5 years (range one to II years), were interviewed in 10 separate groups held in 2004. This article discusses broadly the general experience of the GHB high, major perceived benefits including sexual responses to the drug, perceived risks and dangers of ingestion, co-ingestion, and various contexts of use. It concludes with a discussion of the implications drawn from this information for clinicians treating patients who use GHB.
Cervical cancer chemoprevention, vaccines, and surrogate endpoint biomarkers

At the Second International Conference on Cervical Cancer, held April 11–14, 2002, experts in cervical cancer prevention, detection, and treatment reviewed the need for more research in chemoprevention, including prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, immunomodulators, peptides, and surrogate endpoint biomarkers. Investigators and clinicians noted the need for more rigorous Phase I randomized clinical trials, more attention to the risk factors that can affect study results in this patient population, and validation of optical technologies that will provide valuable quantitative information in real time regarding disease regression and progression. They discussed the role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical cancer development and the importance of developing strategies to suppress HPV persistence and progression. Results in Phase I randomized clinical trials have been disappointing because few have demonstrated statistically significant regression attributable to the agent tested. Researchers recommended using a transgenic mouse model to test and validate new compounds, initiating vaccine and immunomodulator trials, and developing immunologic surrogate endpoint biomarkers. Cancer 2003;98(9 Suppl):2044–2051. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Lipoprotein(a) in patients with acute cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In several cross-sectional studies, a high serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] level was found to be an independent risk factor for cerebral infarction. In a recent prospective study, however, no association was found between Lp(a) levels at baseline and future risk of stroke. Whether Lp(a) is a prognostic factor in a high-risk population of patients with acute ischemic stroke remains unclear. METHODS We assessed Lp(a) level on admission to study its relationship with cardiovascular risk profile, stroke severity, and prognosis in 151 consecutive patients with acute cerebral ischemia. The mean follow-up period was 2.5 +/- 1.2 years. Lp(a) was measured by means of a solid-phase two-site immunoradiometric assay. RESULTS Increased Lp(a) levels were found in 53 (35%) of the patients with cerebral ischemia. Median (5th and 95th percentile) values of Lp(a) were 191 (12 and 1539) mg/L and 197 (10 and 1255) mg/L for patients with transient ischemic attack and patients with ischemic stroke, respectively. No relationship was found between Lp(a) levels and stroke severity (P=.68) or the occurrence of vascular events during follow-up (P log rank=0.81). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that Lp(a) is increased in about one third of patients with acute cerebral ischemia, but it does not appear to be associated with the cardiovascular risk profile, stroke characteristics, or the prognosis of such patients.
Effect of antiphase boundaries on the electronic structure and bonding character of intermetallic systems: NiAl.

The possible origin of the high degree of brittleness, i.e., low ductility, of the NiAl-based alloys in the B2 structure is investigated by all-electron self-consistent total-energy linear-muffin-tin-orbital calculations. Using a supercell approach (with up to 20 atoms/unit cell), the energetics of the two simplest antiphase boundaries (APB's) for NiAl in the B2 structure--namely the 1/2〈111〉 on {110} and 1/2〈111〉 on {112}--are calculated assuming no relaxation at the interface. We find APB energies of the order of 800 mJ/${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ for both cases. Since the calculated APB energies are very high, 〈111〉 slip is unlikely to occur--as suggested experimentally and by some phenomenological theories. By substituting Ni or Al with V, Cr, or Mn at the APB interfacial planes, remarkably decreased APB energies are obtained. These theoretical results on simplified model systems may suggest a way to decrease the APB energy in order to eliminate one of the possible reasons for the brittleness at ambient temperatures.
Patient and staff perceptions of a psychiatric ward environment.

Perceptions of 37 psychiatric patients and 34 staff were surveyed to compare their views of ward environment, using items from the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS). The actor-observer (A-O) model, which focuses on the inclination of individuals to make ego-enhancing explanations for their situation, was used in interpreting patient and staff differences. Perceptions of patients and staff were significantly different (p less than or equal to .05) on six of the nine WAS subscales. In situations where staff take pride in a behavior (involvement, support, spontaneity, practical orientation, personal problem orientation, and program clarity), perceptions on the WAS were higher for staff than patients. In the area of staff control, which may be perceived as negative by staff, staff rated themselves as less potent than did patients. Discussion of the difference in perception has potential therapeutic use in clarifying roles, sharing of responsibility, and enhancing the ability of patients and staff to express or modify perceptions.
Surface evaporation from the normal body surface and with sweat glands inactivated in Indian cattle.

Abstract The contribution of the sweat glands to skin surface evaporation under high temperature conditions was studied using areas on the rump of six Hariana and on the shoulders of six Gir heifers. The sweat glands were inactivated by three cataphoretic administrations of 10% formaldehyde. Evaporation rates were measured for five-minute periods by capsule technique from the two symmetrically opposite body locations after exposing the animals in a controlled room at 40.5 C for four to six hours. These were compared with rates recorded under similar conditions 15 days after one of the test sites on each animal had been treated with the formaldehyde. The formaldehyde suppressed the sweat gland activity 84% in Harianas and 79% in the Gir. Breed differences were not important, but the between-animal variances for rate from both treated and untreated areas were significant. The results corroborate the assumption that the major portion of the substance available for evaporation from the skin surface of cattle under thermal stress comes from the sweat glands.
Achieving time-based fairness for VoIP applications in IEEE 802.11 WLAN using a cross-layer approach

IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Physical Layer (PHY) offers multiple data rates. In multi-rate WLANs, 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol, Distributed Coordination Function (DCF), essentially provides equal transmission opportunities to each sender host, causing the degradation of system throughput due to some hosts using low rates. In this paper we propose a cross-layer link adaptation scheme which improves throughput by adjusting MAC parameters according to PHY data rates to achieve time-based fairness instead of throughput-based fairness. Most importantly, in comparison with other approaches using a deterministic manner for temporal fairness (e.g. OAR), our random-access-based approach in statistic can be more effective to restrict the maximum packet delay within a bound when the number of stations grows. We conduct the transmission scenario of VoIP applications to evaluate the performance of our proposed scheme and the results demonstrate its effectiveness.
From Blood to Lesioned Brain: An In Vitro Study on Migration Mechanisms of Human Nasal Olfactory Stem Cells

Stem cell-based therapies critically rely on selective cell migration toward pathological or injured areas. We previously demonstrated that human olfactory ectomesenchymal stem cells (OE-MSCs), derived from an adult olfactory lamina propria, migrate specifically toward an injured mouse hippocampus after transplantation in the cerebrospinal fluid and promote functional recoveries. However, the mechanisms controlling their recruitment and homing remain elusive. Using an in vitro model of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and secretome analysis, we observed that OE-MSCs produce numerous proteins allowing them to cross the endothelial wall. Then, pan-genomic DNA microarrays identified signaling molecules that lesioned mouse hippocampus overexpressed. Among the most upregulated cytokines, both recombinant SPP1/osteopontin and CCL2/MCP-1 stimulate OE-MSC migration whereas only CCL2 exerts a chemotactic effect. Additionally, OE-MSCs express SPP1 receptors but not the CCL2 cognate receptor, suggesting a CCR2-independent pathway through other CCR receptors. These results confirm that OE-MSCs can be attracted by chemotactic cytokines overexpressed in inflamed areas and demonstrate that CCL2 is an important factor that could promote OE-MSC engraftment, suggesting improvement for future clinical trials.