Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factor structure of the Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ).

The Grief Experience Questionnaire (GEQ; T.W. Barrett & T.B. Scott, 1989) is a self-report measure of grief responses, including some that have been associated with grief after a suicide (e.g., feelings of rejection, responsibility, shame, stigmatization, etc.). In this study, a sample of 350 university students who had experienced the death of a significant other completed the GEQ. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded an 8-factor solution with satisfactory psychometric properties. Results clearly document that the GEQ is a multidimensional measure of grief phenomenology. It is concluded that although the GEQ has broad applicability, the scale as revised herein may have a special relevance to suicide bereavement, and may be of use in both research and clinically based applications.
A monitor for consumer confidence in the safety of food

Despite the fact that in the developed countries food safety standards are higher than ever, food safety incidents continue to occur frequently. The accumulation of food safety incidents might affect general consumer confidence in the safety of food. Therefore, in this thesis, the concept of general consumer confidence in the safety of food is further conceptualised, and embedded within an integrative framework that incorporates both its antecedents and consequences. General consumer confidence in the safety of food is determined by 1) consumer trust in societal actors, 2) consumer recall of food safety incidents and media coverage, 3) the perceived safety of different product groups, and 4) socio-demographic and personality characteristics. The behavioural consequences of general consumer confidence relate to information search and particular food choice behaviours. A measure for general consumer confidence in the safety of food is developed, showing that the construct consists of two distinct, although correlated, dimensions: optimism and pessimism. In the thesis, the construct of general consumer confidence in the safety of food is validated within its nomological network. The results show that optimism and pessimism are activated by different sources, and that consumer trust in societal actors, and consumer perceptions of the safety of meat are the strongest determinants of general consumer confidence in the safety of food. The framework is shown to be stable over time, and found to be applicable to an international context. In terms of the relationship between general consumer confidence in the safety of food and its behavioural consequences, it is shown that consumers low in general confidence in the safety of food are more likely to revert to specific risk relief strategies. A more in depth analysis of the role of trust in societal actors in shaping general consumer confidence in the safety of food, shows that the strength of the relationship between trust and general consumer confidence in the safety of food depends on the specific food chain actor, the specific dimension of trust, as well as the specific combinations between actors and different dimensions of trust. Overall, this thesis has extended existing research that largely focused on consumer perceptions of specific food-related hazards, by developing and validating an integrative framework of general consumer confidence in the safety of food. This research informs stakeholders that share responsibility on food safety about how confidence develops in the complex environment of the food production system, and provides risk managers and communicators, as well as other stakeholders, with important insights and tools to better respond to consumer concerns about food safety issues.
The DASH to lower blood pressure.

uring 1997 epidemiologic studies continued to show that an elevated serum blood homocysteine concentration increases the risk of coronary artery disease. People carrying the gene for homocystinuria have the highest concentrations of serum homocysteine, but milder increases occur far more frequently and (in the absence of renal failure) are most often due to inadequate vitamin B12 and, especially, folic acid nutriture. Indeed, levels of serum homocysteine and methylmalonic acid — the latter is selectively increased in people with vitamin B12 deficiency — are emerging as better tests of vitamin B12 and folic acid status than are blood levels of the vitamins themselves. Research continues in an attempt to find whether a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme that enables folate to metabolize homocysteine, constitutes a disease risk factor in increasing the folic acid requirement. Surveys continue to indicate that large numbers of Canadians, Americans and Europeans are still eating foods deficient in folic acid. This is important both for preventing congenital neural tube defects and — quite possibly — cardiovascular disease. Although it is well known that obesity or excessive sodium and alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure, there is epidemiologic evidence that decreased consumption of certain other nutrients — fibre, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — can have the same effect. Prospective clinical trials testing the antihypertensive effect of one or another of these nutrients have produced only small or inconsistent results, so a multicentre feeding study was developed. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial was designed to determine the effect on blood pressure of entire dietary patterns that combine some or all of these nutrients. 1
A method for estimating physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold (PWCFT).

Presently available tests of physical working capacity (PWC) such as [Vdot]O2max and critical power may not be appropriate for unfit subjects because they require maximal or supramaximal workloads. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate a submaximal discontinuous incremental bicycle ergometer test (PWCFT) with an end point (fatigue threshold) determined by recording electromyographic (EMG) fatigue curves in the quadriceps muscle. The fatigue threshold was defined as the lowest workload producing a slope of the EMG voltage-time relation that was significantly different from zero slope at p<0.05 (single tail). The test-re-test reproducibility of PWCFT (n=17 subjects) was found to be r = 0.947, with no significant difference between trials. Thirty-two healthy male subjects aged 18-29 (mean 23-4 ± 31 years) whose fitness levels ranged from highly trained to untrained sedentary level were tested for PWCFT, lactate threshold (OBLA), percentage heart rate range at PWCFT (%HRR), and heart rate-workl.
Relationship between previous reproductive history and chemically induced mammary cancer in rats

The relationship between a previous history of multiple pregnancies and/or lactations and 7,12‐dimethylbenz(a)anthracene‐induced mammary carcinogenesis was studied in groups of Sprague‐Dawley rats. All rats received the carcinogen at approximately 6 1/2 months of age. Virgin control rats which did not receive the carcinogen did not develop mammary cancer within 13 months although carcinogen‐fed virgin rats exhibited a mammary cancer incidence of 38.5%. A single pregnancy prior to feeding the carcinogen resulted in a decrease in the incidence and an increase in the mean time of appearance of the first palpable tumor. A single pregnancy followed by a subsequent nursing period reduced the percentage incidence and increased the mean time of appearance of the first palpable tumor when compared to the carcinogen‐fed virgin rats. A further increase in the number of pregnancies and/or lactations did not greatly influence the incidence of mammary cancer nor the number of cancers per rat. The mean time of tumor appearance was, however, increased. These data indicated that the relationship between party and carcinogen‐induced mammary cancer in the rat is similar to that existing in the human female but opposite to that found for the mouse.
Effect of Scavenging Circulating Reactive Carbonyls by Oral Pyridoxamine in Uremic Rats on Peritoneal Dialysis

Pyridoxamine, a reactive carbonyl (RCO) scavenger, can ameliorate peritoneal deterioration in uremic peritoneal dialysis (PD) rats when given via dialysate. We examined the effects of scavenging circulating RCOs by oral pyridoxamine. Rats underwent nephrectomy and 3 weeks of twice daily PD either alone or with once daily oral pyridoxamine. PD solution was supplemented with methylglyoxal, a major glucose‐derived RCO, to quench intraperitoneal pyridoxamine. Oral pyridoxamine achieved comparable blood and dialysate pyridoxamine concentrations, suppressed pentosidine accumulation in the blood but not in the mesenterium or dialysate, and reduced the increases in small solute transport and mesenteric vessel densities, with no effects on submesothelial matrix layer thickening or serum creatinine. Thus, reducing circulating RCOs by giving oral pyridoxamine with PD provides limited peritoneal protection. However, orally given pyridoxamine efficiently reaches the peritoneal cavity and would eliminate intraperitoneal RCOs. Oral pyridoxamine is more clinically favorable and may be as protective as intraperitoneal administration.
Does Gender Moderate the Relationship between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Physical Aggression?

Abstract The study investigates the interaction effect of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and gender on physical aggression among Nigerian adolescents. Two hundred and ninety five (295) senior secondary school students who were between 14–16 years of age participated in the study. These participants included boys (152) and girls (143). They were selected from a public senior secondary school in Anambra a South Eastern State of Nigeria and all the participants were of Igbo ethnic group. The raw data for Callous-unemotional traits and Physical Aggression were collected using Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) by Frick (2004) and Aggression Scale by Orpinas and Frankowski (2001) respectively. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, and conditional process analysis (model number 1; Hayes, 2013). The results showed that gender correlated significantly with uncaring and physical aggression but did not correlate significantly with CU and callousness. The results further showed that gender, CU traits, uncaring and callousness subscales significantly predicted physical aggression. Gender also moderated the effect of CU traits and uncaring on physical aggression, but did not moderate the effect of callousness on physical aggression. The discussion focused on the ways of helping individuals with high level of CU traits to reduce aggression, also the limitations of the study, suggestions for further studies and the implications of the finding were highlighted.
Making difficult decisions: Immigrants' experiences of employment preparation and participation.

BACKGROUND Immigrants engage in complex integration processes that are mediated through daily occupations. A central element of socio-economic integration relates to labor market preparation and participation, including job searching, learning cultural values in the workplace, pursuing credential recognition and engaging in volunteering roles and paid employment. OBJECTIVE To examine how immigrants experienced occupations relating to preparing for, seeking, and gainingemployment. METHODS A secondary analysis using whole text analysis and line-by-line coding of twenty verbatim transcripts from interviews held with ten recently arrived immigrants to London, Ontario, Canada. Sessions consisted of a narrative interview, creation of an occupational map and a semi-structured follow-up interview. RESULTS The participants' employment related occupations were characterized by the overarching theme of 'making difficult decisions'. This main theme was connected to four related sub-themes: 1) mechanisms of exclusion, 2) learning the host country's culture, 3) the influence of one's outlook on the decisions made, and 4) accessing support. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies factors influencing immigrants' experiences of labor market preparation and participation. 'Making difficult decisions' was faced by all participants throughout the process of becoming part of the Canadian workforce and, ultimately, society at large.
The venture capital cycle

Three principal aspects of venture capital (VC) are empirically explored: fundraising, investing, and exiting those investments. Despite the recent attention to VC, misconceptions abound that the authors attempt to correct. Throughout, the discussions are based on examinations of a large sample of firms, VC funds, and investments. Three themes are elaborated in the volume: (1) The great incentive and information problems venture capitalists must overcome; (2) the interrelatedness of each aspect of the VC process and how it proceeds through cycles; and that (3) the VC industry adjusts slowly to shifts in the supply of capital or the demand for financing. The VC partnership is the intermediary between investors and high-tech start-ups. The fundraising aspect is examined in terms of its structure, means of compensation, and the importance of the structure of the limited partnership form used by most VC funds. The need to provide incentives and shifts in relative negotiating power impact the terms of VC limited partnerships. Covenants and compensation align the incentives of VC funds with those of investors; covenants and restrictions limit conflicts among investors and venture capitalists. Supply and demand and costs of contracting determine contractual provisions. VC contracting may not always be efficient. During periods of high demand and capital flows, partners negotiate compensation premiums. The investing aspect is discussed in terms of why investments are staged, how VC firms oversee firms, and why VC firms syndicate investments. Four factors limit access to capital for firms: uncertainty, asymmetric information, nature of firm assets, and conditions in the financial and product markets. These factors determine a firm's financing choices. Asymmetries may persist longer in high-tech firms, thus increasing the value of delaying investment decisions. Exiting VC investments is examined, in regard to the market conditions that affect the decision to go public, whether reputation affects the decision to go public, why venture capitalists distribute shares, the performance of VC-backed firms, and the future of the VC cycle. Exiting investments affects every aspect of the investment cycle. Venture capitalists add value to the firms in which they invest. The VC cycle is a solution to information and inventive problems. (TNM)
Narrow band imaging with magnification for dysplasia detection and pit pattern assessment in ulcerative colitis surveillance: a case with multiple dysplasia associated lesions or masses

A 62 year old man with longstanding ulcerative colitis and previous endoscopic excision of two dysplasia associated lesions or masses (DALMs) was admitted to our endoscopy unit for evaluation and resection of other possible DALMs. He had previously been offered and refused colectomy because of comorbidity from Parkinson’s disease. He had multiple polypoid and sessile lesions which were assessed using a third generation prototype narrow band imaging (NBI) colonoscope with magnification. Selected lesions were either biopsied or resected with a combination of endoscopic submucosal dissection and endoscopic mucosal resection techniques. We correlated the pit pattern and vascular pattern intensity seen with magnification NBI with histology of both inflammatory and dysplastic lesions. Dysplastic areas showed Kudo pit patterns II, IIIL, and IV and high vascular pattern intensity. Non-dysplastic and dysplastic areas of recurrence immediately adjacent to the scar from a previous endoscopic mucosal resection site were also assessed. This is the first case report where NBI has been shown to help in DALM detection and to distinguish dysplastic from non-dysplastic mucosa in ulcerative colitis.
Species-specific SSR alleles for studies of hybrid cattails (Typha latifolia x T. angustifolia; Typhaceae) in North America.

UNLABELLED PREMISE Studies of hybridizing species are facilitated by the availability of species-specific molecular markers for identifying early- and later-generation hybrids. Cattails are a dominant feature of wetland communities, and a better understanding of the prevalence of hybrids is needed to assess the ecological and evolutionary effects of hybridization. Hybridization between Typha angustifolia and T. latifolia produce long-lived clones, known as Typha ×glauca, which are considered to be invasive. Although morphological variation in cattails makes it difficult to recognize early- and later-generation hybrids, several dominant, species-specific RAPD markers are available. Our goal was to find codominant, species-specific markers with greater polymorphism than RAPDs, to identify later-generation hybrids more efficiently. • METHODS We screened nine SSR (simple sequence repeat) loci that were described from populations in Ukraine, and we surveyed 31 cattail populations from the upper Midwest and eastern USA. • KEY RESULTS Seven SSR loci distinguished the parent taxa and were consistent with known species-specific RAPD markers, allowing easier detection of backcrossing. We used linear discriminant analysis to show that F(1) hybrid phenotypes were intermediate between the parent taxa, while those of backcrossed plants overlapped with the hybrids and their parents. Log(leaf length/leaf width), spike gap length, spike length, and stem diameter explained much of the variation among groups. • CONCLUSIONS We provide the first documentation of backcrossed plants in hybridizing cattail populations in Michigan. The diagnostic SSR loci we identified should be extremely useful for examining the evolutionary and ecology interactions of hybridizing cattails in North America.
SplitMEM: a graphical algorithm for pan-genome analysis with suffix skips

MOTIVATION Genomics is expanding from a single reference per species paradigm into a more comprehensive pan-genome approach that analyzes multiple individuals together. A compressed de Bruijn graph is a sophisticated data structure for representing the genomes of entire populations. It robustly encodes shared segments, simple single-nucleotide polymorphisms and complex structural variations far beyond what can be represented in a collection of linear sequences alone. RESULTS We explore deep topological relationships between suffix trees and compressed de Bruijn graphs and introduce an algorithm, splitMEM, that directly constructs the compressed de Bruijn graph in time and space linear to the total number of genomes for a given maximum genome size. We introduce suffix skips to traverse several suffix links simultaneously and use them to efficiently decompose maximal exact matches into graph nodes. We demonstrate the utility of splitMEM by analyzing the nine-strain pan-genome of Bacillus anthracis and up to 62 strains of Escherichia coli, revealing their core-genome properties.
Close Relationships and Emotional Processing Predict Decreased Mortality in Women with Breast Cancer: Preliminary Evidence

Objective: To examine close relationships and emotional processing as predictors of breast cancer mortality. Methods: Ninety women were enrolled at 14 ± 5 months after diagnosis of Stage II/III breast cancer. The Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) quantified disease severity. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to predict mortality using standardized variables. Results: Twenty-one subjects developed recurrent disease and 16 died during an 8-year follow-up. NPI predicted increased mortality: risk ratio (RR) = 1.60 (CI = 1.05–2.41). Decreased mortality was predicted by confiding marriage (CONF): RR = 0.31 (CI = 0.10–0.99), and number of dependable, nonhousehold supports (SUPP): RR = 0.41 (CI = 0.21–0.80). A composite measure of close relationships (standardized CONF + SUPP = SUPPCONF) had a strong protective effect: RR = 0.30 (CI = 0.13–0.69). Two emotion processing variables, acceptance of emotion and emotional distress (POMS-TOT) were found to be negatively correlated (r = −.49). Acceptance of emotion predicted decreased mortality (RR = 0.46 (CI = 0.24–0.86)) when analyzed together with emotional distress, but not separately. There was a trend for a protective effect of emotional distress: RR = 0.37 (CI = 0.12–1.09) in the same analysis. RRs for mortality in a multivariable analysis were: SUPPCONF: RR = 0.55 (CI = 0.30–1.00); acceptance of emotion: RR = 0.48 (CI = 0.25–0.91); and emotional distress: RR = 0.40 (CI = 0.14–1.19). Conclusions: Two aspects of close relationships—marital confiding and dependable, nonhousehold supports—were protective against breast cancer progression. Acceptance of emotion, after controlling for emotional distress, also predicted decreased mortality. Analysis of close relationships together with emotion processing variables suggested unique protective effects against mortality, but a larger study is necessary to determine whether this is the case. CI = confidence interval; CONF = marital confiding; NPI = Nottingham Prognostic Index; RR = Risk Ratio; POMS-TOT = Total Mood Disturbance Score, Profile of Mood States; SUPP = number of dependable, nonhousehold supports; SUPPCONF = close relationships total.
The study of the effect of brand name on customer loyalty

The use of the brand name by potential and actual customers is often a criterion for quality and excellence of their product or service. This study examines the effect of services brand on customer loyalty. An important point that should be pointed is that the services are not meant to naming services. In this study, four dimensions of brand namely the brand image, company image, company trust, and employee trust and their impact on customer loyalty have been examined in customers of Tehran real estate services in Tehran city. The basis of this research is to understand the theoretical and operational services of brand and how consumer perceptions of a brand influence on the customer value and loyalty? The statistical population was the real estate customers in Tehran city and 380 questionnaires were distributed by proportional to size cluster among them in April 2012. At the end of the data analysis by SPSS soft ware for descriptive statistics and LISREL for correlation analysis and factor analysis, it was found that, the brand in the services area has a positive effect on customer loyalty. Normal 0 false false false RU X-NONE X-NONE