Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spirituality, demographic and disease factors, and adjustment to cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between demographic-disease variables, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment in a heterogeneous sample of patients with cancer. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY Participants (N = 83) accrued through the Rhode Island Hospital and the American Cancer Society completed questionnaires, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships among disease and demographic factors, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment to cancer. RESULTS Of five models tested, a mediational model received the strongest support (chi-square(35)-66.61; P = . 005; comparative fix index = . 90; root mean square error of approximation = . 09), explaining 64% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment. Being a woman, having a longer illness duration, and having a lower disease stage were related to greater levels of purpose in life and religious beliefs, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of family and social adjustment and psychological health. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The results indicate that spirituality can influence how patients with cancer adjust to their diagnosis and treatment and, thus, support the need for interventions that target spirituality to promote psychosocial adjustment in this population.
The Changing Role of Financial Stress, Oil Price, and Gold Price in Financial Contagion Among US and BRIC Markets

The objective of this paper is to explore the determining factors behind financial contagion between US and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) equity markets. To this end, we investigate the effects of global macroeconomic factors on the time‐varying correlations among these markets obtained by asymmetric dynamic conditional correlation method. Utilizing quantile regression analysis, we examine the determinants of financial contagion at different levels of time‐varying correlations. The results of quantile regression analyses reveal that global financial crisis (GFC) (2008) leads to changes in the dependence structure between dynamic conditional correlations among equity markets and global macroeconomic factors, such as global financial stress, oil prices, and gold prices. Following the GFC, monetary, and fiscal policy changes in the BRIC markets and hence changing macroeconomic risks of these markets are conducive to these changes. Our findings also demonstrate the importance of cross‐market rebalancing channel for information transmission across US and BRIC markets.
A once-weekly R207910-containing regimen exceeds activity of the standard daily regimen in murine tuberculosis.

RATIONALE R207910 (TMC207 or J) is a member of the diarylquinolines, a new family of antituberculous drugs with high bactericidal activity when given daily in the murine model of tuberculosis. R207910 exhibits a long half-life and thus is a good candidate for once-weekly therapy of tuberculosis. OBJECTIVES To study the activity of once-weekly R207910 monotherapy and combinations of R207910 with other antituberculous agents (isoniazid, rifapentine, moxifloxacin, and pyrazinamide). METHODS The established infection model of murine tuberculosis was used. Colony counts were determined in the lungs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Eight weeks of monotherapy reduced the bacillary load by 3 to 4 log(10) for rifapentine and by 5 to 6 log(10) for R207910 (P < 0.05). The addition of rifapentine and isoniazid or moxifloxacin did not improve the bactericidal activity of R207910 monotherapy. In contrast, the triple combination of R207910 plus rifapentine plus pyrazinamide given once weekly for 2 months (i.e., a total of only eight administrations), was significantly (P < 0.05) more active than R207910 monotherapy or other R207910 combinations, and led to lung culture negativity in 9 of 10 mice, whereas all lungs were culture positive in the groups treated with other drug combinations. Moreover, R207910 plus rifapentine plus pyrazinamide given once weekly was more active than the current standard regimen of rifampin plus isoniazid plus pyrazinamide given five times per week. CONCLUSIONS The unprecedented activity of the triple combination of R207910 plus rifapentine plus pyrazinamide suggests that it may be feasible to develop a fully intermittent once-weekly regimen.
Prospective evaluation of acute endocrine pancreatic injury as collateral damage of shock‐wave lithotripsy for upper urinary tract stones

There has been controversy over whether extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) can cause damage to the endocrine cells of the pancreas, leading to the later development of diabetes mellitus. Authors from Germany prospectively evaluated acute endocrine pancreatic injury as collateral damage caused by the ESWL for treating upper urinary tract stones. In a careful study they showed that there was no effect on serum levels of variables indicating exocrine and endocrine pancreatic tissue damage, suggesting that the idea that ESWL might lead to future diabetes mellitus is unlikely to be correct.
Nonpeptide AVE 0991 Is an Angiotensin-(1–7) Receptor Mas Agonist in the Mouse Kidney

It has been described recently that the nonpeptide AVE 0991 (AVE) mimics the effects of angiotensin-(1–7) [Ang-(1–7)] in bovine endothelial cells. In this study, we tested the possibility that AVE is an agonist of the Ang-(1–7) receptor Mas, in vitro and in vivo. In water-loaded C57BL/6 mice, AVE (0.58 nmol/g body weight) produced a significant reduction in urinary volume (0.06±0.03 mL/60 min [n=9] versus 0.27±0.05 [n=9]; P<0.01), associated with an increase in urinary osmolality. The Ang-(1–7) antagonist A-779 completely blocked the antidiuretic effect of AVE. As observed previously for Ang-(1–7), the antidiuretic effect of AVE after water load was blunted in Mas-knockout mice (0.37±0.10 mL/60 min [n=9] versus 0.27±0.03 mL/60 min [n=11] AVE-treated mice). In vitro receptor autoradiography in C57BL/6 mice showed that the specific binding of 125I-Ang-(1–7) to mouse kidney slices was displaced by AVE, whereas no effects were observed in the binding of 125I-angiotensin II or 125I-angiotensin IV. Furthermore, AVE displaced the binding of 125I-Ang-(1–7) in Mas-transfected monkey kidney cells (COS) cells (IC50=4.75×10−8 mol/L) and of rhodamine–Ang-(1–7) in Mas-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. It also produced NO release in Mas-transfected CHO cells blocked by A-779 but not by angiotensin II type-1 (AT1) and AT2 antagonists. Contrasting with these data, the antidiuretic effect of AVE was totally blocked by AT2 antagonists and partially blocked (≈60%) by AT1 antagonists. The binding data, the results obtained in Mas-knockout mice and in Mas-transfected cells, show that AVE is a Mas receptor agonist. Our data also suggest the involvement of AT2/AT1-related mechanisms, including functional antagonism, oligomerization or cross-talk, in the renal responses to AVE.
Reliability and validity of the Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (FAHI) in patients with drug and alcohol use disorders

Abstract Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and substance use disorders can both significantly impact a patient's quality of life (QOL), and it is, therefore, important to assess QOL throughout treatments for these chronic conditions. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection (FAHI) in 170 HIV-positive patients who participated in a substance abuse treatment study. Internal consistency of the FAHI was good. Convergent and discriminant validity were generally supported with comparisons to other patient-reported measures. FAHI scores were not significantly associated with viral loads or CD4 counts, and they were similar in patients with and without AIDS. Patients who achieved longer durations of drug and alcohol abstinence during treatment reported better QOL post-treatment. The FAHI appears to be a reliable and valid measure for assessing QOL in HIV-positive patients with concurrent drug and alcohol use disorders.
A new means of measuring index/ring finger (2D:4D) ratio and its association with gender and hand preference

Relative finger length can predict a person's gender or their hand preference. We measured finger length using a new “tubes” test, which required participants to slide a clear plastic tube over their fingers and read the length from an attached mm scale. Data collected from 600 students demonstrated that the right fingers are longer than the left for dextrals, but not for non-dextrals. Examination of the relative length of the index and ring fingers revealed a clear gender effect. There was also an effect of hand preference on index/ring finger ratio whereby non-dextrals showed a more masculine pattern compared to dextrals. For non-dextrals, prenatal exposure to high testosterone levels may have caused both a shift away from dextrality and a more masculine pattern of finger ratio. In the second experiment, finger length was measured by the tubes test and by photocopying the hands in 124 undergraduates. The tubes test yielded a longer estimate of ring finger length compared to the photocopy method. Despite this, there was a strong correlation between the tests and both showed an association with gender. Finally, test–retest scores for 45 participants showed a high level of reliability for absolute and relative finger measures. We conclude that the tubes technique provides an effective and easy-to-use means of measuring finger length, which can be administered in a classroom setting.
Shock Wave Therapy Effectively Attenuates Inflammation in Rat Carotid Artery following Endothelial Denudation by Balloon Catheter

Background: This study investigates the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave (ECSW) in ameliorating inflammatory mediator expression and neointimal formation in a rat model of vascular injury. Methods and Results: Male Sprague-Dawley rats with left carotid artery (LCA) injury induced by balloon dilatation (BD; group 1) were compared with group 2 [LCA injury plus ECSW-181 (defined as 181 total shocks given in LCA at 0.011 mJ/mm2) on day 2 post-LCA injury], and group 3 (normal controls). The rats in each group were further divided into 3 subgroups (n = 6, each) that were sacrificed on postoperative day 3, 7 and 14, respectively. The results demonstrated that, compared to groups 2 and 3, group 1 had significantly increased cellular expression of CD40, interleukin-18, and connexin 43 at each analyzed time point (all p < 0.001). Additionally, LCCA macrophage (CD68) recruitment was substantially increased in group 1 compared to groups 2 and 3 (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, LCA neointimal proliferation and media thickness were markedly higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 on days 7 and 14 post-BD (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: ECSW markedly attenuates inflammatory responses, proliferation of neointima and smooth muscle cells in a rat vascular injury model.
Poor-prognosis estrogen receptor- positive disease: present and future clinical solutions

Use of chemotherapy for patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer has been a conflicting issue. Recent studies have identified predictive markers allowing identification of poor-prognosis ER-positive breast cancers in need of more aggressive therapy. In general, tumours belonging to the so-called luminal B class, tumours expressing a high Ki67, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) overexpression or a high score on the Oncotype DX gene expression profile reveal a poor prognosis compared with ER-rich tumours of the luminal A class. In contrast, recent studies have shown these tumours, contrasting tumours of the luminal A class, to benefit from more aggressive anthracycline-containing chemotherapy including a taxane. In the case of metastatic disease, patients with HER-2-positive, ER-positive tumours may benefit from having endocrine therapy and an anti-HER-2 agent administered in combination.
[Clinical features of acute hepatitis A in the Western part of Daejeon and Chungnam province: single center experience].

BACKGROUND/AIMS There was an outbreak of hepatitis A in the western part of Daejeon with adjacent Chungnam province in the late 1990's. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical features and courses of acute hepatitis A in this area. METHODS A total of 177 cases, who were diagnosed as acute hepatitis A between June 2000 and December 2004, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS The mean age was 26 and 96% of the cases were under 40 years old. The ratio of male to female was 1.2:1. There were two hospitalized cases in 2000, 3 in 2001, 73 in 2002, 60 in 2003, and 39 in 2004, respectively. The number of diagnosis was most prevalent in June (20.3%). Common occupations were students (62 cases) and homekeepers (21 cases). It was found that 51 patients experienced consumption history of raw fish or shellfish, and that 18 cases had history of exposure to contaminated underground water. Eighteen cases were infected by family members or friends. A history of travel to domestic areas was noted in 31 cases, and to overseas areas in 6 cases (especially Southeast Asia). Only four cases were vaccinated against hepatitis A. HBsAg was positive in 10 cases, and anti-HCV in 2 cases, but none of these had active diseases. The common symptoms were anorexia, jaundice and fatigue. The common ultrasonographic findings were fatty liver (68/157) and acute hepatitis (39/157). In most cases, ALT and total bilirubin level normalized within 8 weeks. No cases of fulminant hepatitis or death were observed. CONCLUSIONS The majority of cases with acute hepatitis A were completely recovered without sequelae. It is necessary to investigate specific indications for hepatitis A vaccination either in this area or throughout Korea.
Genetically encoded pH‐indicators reveal activity‐dependent cytosolic acidification of Drosophila motor nerve termini in vivo

• Changes in pH occur within neurons during nerve activity and in response to hypoxic insult. • Many aspects of neurophysiology are potentially influenced by intracellular pH changes. • At the fruit fly larval neuromuscular junction, fluorescent genetically encoded pH‐indicators (GEpHIs) revealed significant cytosolic acidification of presynaptic termini during nerve activity. • GEpHIs revealed that presynaptic pH changes occur in live intact larvae, indicating for the first time that such pH changes are not an artifact of experimental conditions. • The pH changes in presynaptic termini are substantial and are likely to influence synaptic function.
The role of storytelling in the development of pronunciation of Brazilian learners of English as a foreign language

Supervisory Committee Dr. Hossein Nassaji (Department of linguistics) Supervisor Dr. Li-Shih Huang (Department of linguistics) Departmental Member Dr. Suzanne Urbanczyk (Department of linguistics) Departmental Member Dr. Ulf Schuetze (Departments of Germanic and Slavic Studies) Outside Member A number of studies in the literature claim that storytelling is a powerful tool in the development of receptive (i.e., Reading and Listening) and productive (i.e., Speaking and Writing) language skills, including pronunciation (e.g., Atta-Alla, 2011; Mottalabi & Pourgharib, 2013; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). Furthermore, there are studies that suggest that storytelling is even more effective than traditional teaching methods (e.g., Hsu, 2010; Li & Seehouse, 2010; Zare-Behatash, Saed and Sajjadi, 2016). The problem, however, is that those studies generally lack specific information about how storytelling improves pronunciation and what aspects are enhanced, for instance. This study aims to fill such a gap in the literature by investigating the effect(s) of storytelling on the development of the pronunciation of Brazilian beginner learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) who are 15 years of age and older, through a focus on specific segmental (i.e., /I/; /i/ and /ð/; /θ/) and suprasegmental (i.e., word stress) features that are considered difficult for Brazilian learners of English to pronounce intelligibly (i.e., Baptista, 2001; Cruz, 2003; Reis, 2006). Additionally, it aims to investigate how storytelling activities compare in effectiveness to textbook activities in the development of pronunciation, since textbook activities are widely used pedagogical tools in English classes in Brazil and generally considered to be effective in the development of language skills (e.g., Consolo, 1990; Xavier & Urio, 2006). Last, the study examines Brazilian learners’ perceptions about the usefulness and relevance of the storytelling/textbook activities they were exposed to in improving their pronunciation. Data were collected at a private school in Brazil three times a week, in 12, 25minute sessions. A total of 86 learners participated in the study and were randomly divided into three different groups (i.e., experimental, n=28; comparison, n=29; and control, n=29). The experimental group performed storytelling activities and the comparison group performed textbook activities. The control group received no treatment. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to examine the data gathered from pre-tests, post-tests and questionnaires.
Essays in Industrial Organization: Market Performance

Essays in Industrial Organization: Market Performance Mingxiao Ye Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Economics University of Toronto 2011 This thesis consists of three papers. Industries that motivated this analysis range are exclusive clubs (Chapter 1) and pharmaceuticals (Chapters 2 and 3). A common thread is the study of the strategic behavior of monopoly or monopoly-like firms and the implications of such behavior. Chapter 1 studies an “invitation only” strategy for a durable goods monopolist. “Invitation only” functions as a commitment device, enabling the extraction of more profit than the conventional durable goods setting. In addition, the effectiveness of commitment devices in profit-extraction can be compared: each commitment device is modeled as an extra condition in the profit maximization of the general durable goods monopolist, enabling straightforward comparisons across commitment devices. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the effect of patent protection on innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular competition to produce drugs that follow-on from pioneer drug discovery, and any feedback effects on pioneer innovation. Despite the conventional notion, I show that longer patent protection may reduce or distort the incentives of innovation: with longer patents, the increased need of pioneer inventors in deterring the production of follow-on drugs may translate to less profitability for the pioneer inventor. Chapter 2 serves as a background and a literature review for Chapter 3. It explains the multi-stage drug discovery process and the phenomenon of follow-on drugs; it reviews strategic entry deterrence theories and summarizes the behavior of brand-name drug
Three- and Four-repeat Tau Coassemble into Heterogeneous Filaments

Tau filaments are the pathological hallmark of numerous neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer disease, Pick disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. In the adult human brain, six isoforms are expressed that differ by the presence or absence of the second of four semiconserved repeats. As a consequence, half of the tau isoforms have three repeats (3R tau), whereas the other half of the isoforms have four repeats (4R tau). Tauopathies can be characterized based on the isoform composition of their filaments. Alzheimer disease filamentous inclusions contain all isoforms. Pick disease filaments contain 3R tau. Progressive supranuclear palsy filaments contain 4R tau. Here, we used site-directed spin labeling of recombinant tau in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to obtain structural insights into these filaments. We find that filaments of 4R tau and 3R tau share a highly ordered core structure in the third repeat with parallel, in-register arrangement of β-strands. This structure is conserved regardless of whether full-length isoforms (htau40 and htau23) or truncated constructs (K18 and K19) are used. When mixed, 3R tau and 4R tau coassemble into heterogeneous filaments. These filaments share the highly ordered core in the third repeat; however, they differ in their overall composition. Our findings indicate that at least three distinct types of filaments exist: homogeneous 3R tau, homogeneous 4R tau, and heterogeneous 3R/4R tau. These results suggest that individual filaments found in Alzheimer disease are structurally distinct from those in the 3R and 4R tauopathies.
Accelerating Neural Architecture Search using Performance Prediction

Methods for neural network hyperparameter optimization and meta-modeling are computationally expensive due to the need to train a large number of model configurations. In this paper, we show that standard frequentist regression models can predict the final performance of partially trained model configurations using features based on network architectures, hyperparameters, and time-series validation performance data. We empirically show that our performance prediction models are much more effective than prominent Bayesian counterparts, are simpler to implement, and are faster to train. Our models can predict final performance in both visual classification and language modeling domains, are effective for predicting performance of drastically varying model architectures, and can even generalize between model classes. Using these prediction models, we also propose an early stopping method for hyperparameter optimization and meta-modeling, which obtains a speedup of a factor up to 6x in both hyperparameter optimization and meta-modeling. Finally, we empirically show that our early stopping method can be seamlessly incorporated into both reinforcement learning-based architecture selection algorithms and bandit based search methods. Through extensive experimentation, we empirically show our performance prediction models and early stopping algorithm are state-of-the-art in terms of prediction accuracy and speedup achieved while still identifying the optimal model configurations.
Understanding the meanings and interpretations of adventure experiences: the perspectives of multiday hikers

ABSTRACT Our paper argues for an understanding of adventure as a meaningful subjective experience. We explore the motivations and experiences of multiday hikers (n = 21) in two settings: (1) independent solo-hikers in the northern Swedish mountain range and (2) participants of a guided “charity challenge” six day hike in the Nepalese Himalayas. Although the nature of the two experiential contexts differed considerably in terms of commodification, our material highlights similarities regarding the individual adventure experience. Adventure tourism literature often seeks to categorise adventure and questions whether commercial adventure can even really be adventure. We draw attention to the ways in which the hikers tell their adventure and contextualise their quest for the extraordinary within their ordinary. Adventures offer the extraordinary, yet they also contain ordinary rhythms of eating, sleeping, walking, for example. Although mundane, these are an integral part of the adventure experience. The article demonstrates how hikers in two differing contexts and at quite different levels of commodification do perceive and feel to have an “authentic” adventure experience. This allows us to challenge the negative light in which much of the adventure tourism field paints commodified adventure as somewhat lesser and build instead a more inclusive understanding of adventure.