Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Royal Free Interview for Spiritual and Religious Beliefs: development and validation of a self-report version

Background. Spiritual beliefs are rarely considered in psychological or medical publications. We recently published the psychometric properties of an interview designed to measure religious and spiritual belief. In this study, we aimed to develop this instrument further as a self-report questionnaire and to make it more comprehensive by including measurement of spiritual experiences in addition to faith or intellectual assent. Methods. Based on extensive discussion with colleagues, advice from users of the interview and comments from respondents, a self-report format was designed. We then evaluated the final format of the questionnaire in terms of (1) patterns of response and demographic predictors of beliefs; (2) test–retest reliability and internal consistency; (3) criterion and internal validity; and (4) the nature of spiritual experiences and their relationship to beliefs and strength of beliefs. Results. Two hundred and ninety-seven people took part in the validity and reliability tests of the questionnaire. Criterion validity, predictive validity, internal consistency and test–retest reliability were acceptably high. The instrument consistently differentiated between people with high and low spiritual beliefs. Conclusions. This instrument is brief and simple to complete. We would recommend that measures of religious and/or spiritual belief like this be more widely applied in health services research as they evaluate aspects of people's lives that go somewhat further than health status or quality of life.
Policing Drunkenness in England and Wales from the Late Eighteenth Century to the First World War1

This article investigates one of the most common offenders to be dealt with by the nineteenth-century criminal justice system in England and Wales – the drunk. It shows how one of the key aims of policing as it developed from the later eighteenth century was the achievement of a more orderly society, in which the suppression of drunkenness was an essential element. But it demonstrates too how that aim was necessarily tempered by the practicalities of policing, from the day to day dealing with drunks to the wide range of sometimes conflicting pressures under which the police worked. The drunken offenders themselves are also analysed: the overall total, their sex and social makeup. Over the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it is argued that despite all the problems there are in making this assessment, it is clear that English society did experience a decline of drunkenness,and one part of that was the fall in the rate of prosecutions for the offence.
Role of cyclooxygenase-2 in hyperprostaglandin E syndrome/antenatal Bartter syndrome.

BACKGROUND Hyperprostaglandin E syndrome/antenatal Bartter syndrome (HPS/aBS) is a congenital salt-losing tubulopathy with an induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the macula densa probably leading to hyperreninemia. Inhibition of stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation with indomethacin results in a significant improvement of clinical symptoms and is therefore standard therapy. Using the COX-2 selective inhibitor rofecoxib, we investigated the role of COX-2 in the pathophysiology of HPS/aBS. METHODS Six clinically well-characterized patients with HPS/aBS (3 girls) were enrolled into the study. Four patients had mutations in the renal potassium channel ROMK, one patient in the furosemide-sensitive cotransporter NKCC2, whereas in one patient no molecular abnormality could be detected. Median age was 15.8 years (range: 9.1 to 19.0 years). Patients were evaluated on indomethacin treatment, 3 days after indomethacin withdrawal, and after 4 days of treatment with rofecoxib. Therapeutic drug monitoring was performed. RESULTS COX-2-selectivity of rofecoxib was confirmed in vivo and ex vivo. Both indomethacin and rofecoxib ameliorated clinical symptoms, the typical laboratory findings, and significantly suppressed PGE2 and PGE-M excretion to normal values while it was elevated under withdrawal conditions. Rofecoxib suppressed hyperreninemia to a similar extent as indomethacin. CONCLUSION In patients with HPS/aBS, excessive PGE2 synthesis and hyperreninemia is dependent on COX-2 activity. This observation proves the stimulatory role of COX-2 on renin-secretion in salt-depletion in humans. Clinical long-term efficacy and potential side effects of rofecoxib need to be evaluated in a larger cohort of HPS/aBS-patients.
Effects of bending GPS antennas

The effect of antenna bending on return loss, impedance bandwidth, and radiation pattern is studied, taking four antennas as examples. These include a patch, slot, inverted-F, and dipole antenna. Some of them exhibit circular polarization and one is broadband. Impedance is seen to be fairly constant regardless of bending, though if circular polarization is excited by careful antenna shaping, the circular polarization and corresponding resonance are easily lost. The axial ratios of all examined antennas degrade quickly with decreasing bend radius. Linearly polarized antennas are more tolerant to bending effects, though their polarization may twist and main lobe direction change.
Clinical Profiles Predict Early Nonadherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Treatment in a Prospective Breast Cancer Cohort

Nonadherence to adjuvant endocrine breast cancer treatment adversely affects disease-free and overall survival. Clinical predictors of nonadherence may allow for specific interventions to reduce nonadherence and improve survival. The aim was to investigate whether clinical characteristics predict nonadherence. Clinical characteristics and information on adherence were obtained from 417 patients with breast cancer in a population-based prospective cohort from southern Sweden using patient charts, pathology reports, and questionnaires filled out at the 1- and 2-year follow-up visits. At the 1- and 2-year follow-up visits, 36 (8.6%) and 33 (9.7%) patients were nonadherent, respectively. Thirteen of the nonadherent patients declined treatment and were never prescribed endocrine treatment. A body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2, preoperative current smoking, and drinking alcohol less often than twice a month predicted nonadherence at the 1-year [relative risk (RR), 5.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.75–9.97] and the 2-year visits (RR, 4.07; 95% CI, 2.11–7.84) in patients with at least two of these clinical characteristics. When low histologic grade (I) was added to the model, having at least two of these four clinical characteristics predicted nonadherence at the 1-year (RR, 4.94; 95% CI, 2.46–10.00) and the 2-year visits (RR, 4.74; 95% CI, 2.28–9.87), the two profiles had a sensitivity ranging from 60.6% to 72.7%, whereas the specificity ranged from 68.0% to 78.4%. Nonadherence at the 1-year visit was associated with an increased risk for early breast cancer events (HR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.08–8.15), adjusted for age and tumor characteristics. In conclusion, two clinical profiles predicted early nonadherence and may allow for targeted interventions to increase adherence if validated in an independent cohort. Cancer Prev Res; 5(5); 735–45. ©2012 AACR.
Continuous versus bolus tube feeds: Does the modality affect glycemic variability, tube feeding volume, caloric intake, or insulin utilization?

Introduction: Enteral nutrition (EN) is very important to optimizing outcomes in critical illness. Debate exists regarding the best strategy for enteral tube feeding (TF), with concerns that bolus TF (BTF) may increase glycemic variability (GV) but result in fewer nutritional interruptions than continuous TF (CTF). This study examines if there is a difference in GV, insulin usage, TF volume, and caloric delivery among intensive care patients receiving BTF versus CTF. We hypothesize that there are no significant differences between CTF and BTF when comparing the above parameters. Materials and Methods: Prospective, randomized pilot study of critically ill adult patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement for EN was performed between March 1, 2012 and May 15, 2014. Patients were randomized to BTF or CTF. Glucose values, insulin use, TF volume, and calories administered were recorded. Data were organized into 12-h epochs for statistical analyses and GV determination. In addition, time to ≥80% nutritional delivery goal, demographics, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, and TF interruptions were examined. When performing BTF versus CTF assessments, continuous parameters were compared using Mann–Whitney U-test or repeated measures t-test, as appropriate. Categorical data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Results: No significant demographic or physiologic differences between the CTF (n = 24) and BTF (n = 26) groups were seen. The immediate post-PEG 12-h epoch showed significantly lower GV and median TF volume for patients in the CTF group. All subsequent epochs (up to 18 days post-PEG) showed no differences in GV, insulin use, TF volume, or caloric intake. Insulin use for both groups increased when comparing the first 24 h post-PEG values to measurements from day 8. There were no differences in TF interruptions, time to ≥80% nutritional delivery goal, or hypoglycemic episodes. Conclusions: This study demonstrated no clinically relevant differences in GV, insulin use, TF volume or caloric intake between BTF and CTF groups. Despite some shortcomings, our data suggest that providers should not feel limited to BTF or CTF because of concerns for GV, time to goal nutrition, insulin use, or caloric intake, and should consider other factors such as resource utilization, ease of administration, and/or institutional/patient characteristics.
Common chromosomal imbalances and stemness-related protein expression markers in endometriotic lesions from different anatomical sites: the potential role of stem cells.

BACKGROUND Endometriosis is a multifactorial gynecological disease characterized by the presence of functional endometrium-like tissue in ectopic sites. Several studies have focused on elucidating the immunological, endocrine, environmental and genetic factors involved in endometriosis. However, its pathogenesis is still unclear. METHODS High-resolution comparative genomic hybridization was applied to screen for genomic imbalances in laser microdissected stromal and epithelial cells from 20 endometriotic lesions and three samples of eutopic endometrium derived from eight patients. The expression of seven stemness-related markers (CD9, CD13, CD24, CD34, CD133, CD117/c-Kit and Oct-4) in endometrial tissue samples was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Samples of eutopic endometrium showed normal genomic profiles. In ectopic tissues, an average of 68 genomic imbalances was detected per sample. DNA losses were more frequently detected and involved mainly 3p, 5q, 7p, 9p, 11q, 16q, 18q and 19q. Many of the genomic imbalances detected were common to endometriotic stroma and epithelia and also among different endometriotic sites from the same patient. These findings suggested a clonal origin of the endometriotic cells and the putative involvement of stem cells. Positive immunostaining for CD9, CD34, c-Kit and Oct-4 markers was detected in isolated epithelial and/or stromal cells in eutopic and ectopic endometrium in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS The presence of shared genomic alterations in stromal and epithelial cells from different anatomical sites of the same patient and the expression of stemness-related markers suggested that endometriosis arises as a clonal proliferation with the putative involvement of stem cells.
In vitro activity of ceftizoxime against Bacteroides fragilis: comparison with benzylpenicillin, cephalothin, and cefoxitin

Minimum inhibitory concentrations of ceftizoxime for seven clinical isolates of Bacteroides fragilis were found to be markedly affected by inoculum size; the very low minimum inhibitory concentration values (less than or equal to 0.25 microgram/ml) obtained in tests with most strains were not sustained when the inoculum was raised 100-fold. Benzylpenicillin and cephalothin were also affected by inoculum size, but cefoxitin was not. Antibiotic assays showed that the strains inactivated ceftizoxime and cephalothin completely, benzylpenicillin partially, and cefoxitin not at all. Morphological investigations revealed that populations of B. fragilis responded differently to each of the four beta-lactam agents during the early stages of the encounter between B. fragilis and the antibiotic. Benzylpenicillin and cefoxitin induced spheroplast formation at lower concentrations than did ceftizoxime. Cephalothin evoked a novel morphological response that was not seen with other beta-lactam agents.
Ateso Grammar: A descriptive account of an Eastern Nilotic Language

nouns can also be derived from stative verbs. This is illustrated in (21) below. 21. a. é-dáŋ-à-dáŋ-à-rà ‘(s)he is stupid’ à-dáŋàdáŋà-nùtù ‘stupidity’ (abstract) b. á-báŋànù ‘I am foolish’ à-báŋànù-tù ‘foolishness’ (abstract) Example (21a) has a reduplicated stem. Reduplication is a very rare morphological phenomenon that occurs to the abstract noun following the reduplicated stative verb stem that it is derived from. Apart from the introduction of a gender morpheme in place of a person prefix, the suffix ra in the stative verb is replaced with -nutu to derive the abstract noun. The stative verb root that undergoes reduplication consists of a single syllable with a CVC structure such as -dáŋ-. Generally, the nouns that undergo reduplication are limited to this example as identified from the elicited data. Reduplication, a wide spread phenomenon in world’s languages, does not express any expanded meaning that is far from its base form meaning but is used as a strategy for intensification (cf. e.g. Anderson 1992, Aronoff 1988). In (21b), an abstract noun is derived from the stative verb by affixing the suffix -tu to it. The gender marker on the derived noun is similar in shape to the first person singular prefix though it is different from those of other person markers that may be prefixed to the verb. Mostly, the derivation in (19), (20) and (21) is “parasynthetic”, a term coined by Grevisse (1993: 233) to refer to a derivation obtained by adding a prefix and a suffix to the root. For Ateso, the nouns are derived by suffixes only or by prefixes and suffixes as illustrated in these examples. The verb or noun suffix is replaced by a derived noun prefix only or by addition of a suffix to the root of the two word categories. 20. Verb Concrete noun Abstract noun a. -cúd ‘bewitch’ b. àkí-tʊ́m ‘to fatten’ c. à-túbjò ‘to circumcise’ è-/lo-kà-cúd-àn ‘witch’ (male) à-/na-kà-cúd-àn ‘witch’(female) lò-kà-túbò-n ‘circumcisor’ à-cùd ‘witchcraft’ á-tʊ́m-ɛ̀s ‘fatness' à-túbjò ‘circumcision’
Executive Learning in Entrepreneurial Firms and the Role of External Directors

Provides an analysis of the role of “external” or non‐executive directors and their relationship with executive entrepreneurs in small but entrepreneurial (growing) companies, focusing on their influence on executive learning. We provide qualitative analysis of research based on 45 face‐to‐face interviews. Despite the importance given to individual executive and organisational learning in large companies, comparatively little literature exists on executive entrepreneurial learning in small companies. The factors that can affect such learning are discussed with emphasis on the role played by external directors who, it is argued, are likely to be appointed in such companies due to the need for additional expertise and knowledge in a rapidly changing environment.
IGF 2 , LEPR , POMC , PPARG , and PPARGC 1 gene variants are associated with obesity-related risk phenotypes in Brazilian children and adolescents

Association studies of genetic variants and obesity and/or obesity-related risk factors have yielded contradictory results. The aim of the present study was to determine the possible association of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the IGF2, LEPR, POMC, PPARG, and PPARGC1 genes with obesity or obesity-related risk phenotypes. This case-control study assessed overweight (n=192) and normal-weight (n=211) children and adolescents. The SNPs were analyzed using minisequencing assays, and variables and genotype distributions between the groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance and Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and gender was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for selected phenotype risks in each group. No difference in SNP distribution was observed between groups. In children, POMC rs28932472(C) was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure (P=0.001), higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (P=0.014), and higher risk in overweight children of altered total cholesterol (OR=7.35, P=0.006). In adolescents, IGF2 rs680(A) was associated with higher glucose (P=0.012) and higher risk in overweight adolescents for altered insulin (OR=10.08, P=0.005) and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (OR=6.34, P=0.010). PPARG rs1801282(G) conferred a higher risk of altered insulin (OR=12.31, P=0.003), and HOMA-IR (OR=7.47, P=0.005) in overweight adolescents. PARGC1 rs8192678(A) was associated with higher triacylglycerols (P=0.005), and LEPR rs1137101(A) was marginally associated with higher LDL cholesterol (P=0.017). LEPR rs1137101(A) conferred higher risk for altered insulin, and HOMA-IR in overweight adolescents. The associations observed in this population suggested increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and/or type 2 diabetes later in life for individuals carrying these alleles.
A Comparison of Salmonella Serotypes Isolated from New Zealand Sea Lions and Feral Pigs on the Auckland Islands by Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis

The Salmonella serotypes S. Cerro and S. Newport were isolated from New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) and feral pigs on the Auckland Islands in the New Zealand subantarctic region. The isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using Xba1 as the restriction enzyme. The isolates were indistinguishable, which suggests that Salmonella infection cycles between sea lions and pigs in this environment. Apart from a previous isolation from a single New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri), S. Newport has not been recorded in any animals from New Zealand, but it is associated with gastroenteritis in humans. Contamination of the marine environment by human waste is a possible source of infection for marine mammals and warrants further investigation.
A linear mixed model approach to compare the evolution of multiple biological rhythms

The assessment and comparison of multiple biological rhythms represent an important challenge in chronobiology. They allow the investigation of whether a well‐defined time‐qualified relationship between biorhythms of the same frequency range is maintained in the presence of functional alterations, which may lead to chronodisruption or internal desynchronization. We propose a multivariate linear mixed model approach where functions of several biorhythms are jointly modeled in a multivariate longitudinal fashion, handling both the correlation between biorhythms of multiple outcomes and the correlation between measurements collected over time within the same biological entity. Furthermore, between‐subject heterogeneity is also taken into account with the inclusion of random effects. Pairwise comparisons between biorhythms are performed by means of proper contrasts. As an example, we define contrasts which allow us testing whether or not two biorhythms are identical or opposing, providing additional support in clinical practice. Moreover, we illustrate the proposed method using both simulated and biological real data, concerning the comparison of three specific lymphocytes profiles which modulate the function of immune system between healthy subjects and non‐small lung cancer patients. Finally, the corresponding SAS syntax is provided. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surveillance on the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus, Isfahan, Iran

During the spring of 2009, a new influenza A (H1N1) virus caused human acute respiratory illness first in Mexico.1 The Iranian Ministry of Health (MoH) launched a system to monitor and report the presence of this new virus throughout the country on May 10, 2009. Here we report the first confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) virus that were identified from July through October 2009 in Isfahan, the second important province in Iran. In a laboratory-based reporting system, the Provincial Health Centers were supplied by the MoH with case definition and patient information forms to be disseminated to all health care institutions in their province. Any person who fulfilled the case definition criteria2 was directed to designated health facilities. The nasopharyngeal samples were sent to the National Influenza Reference Laboratory at Tehran school of Public Health in a viral transport medium (virocult, Medical wire & Equipment, UK) and were tested with the real time RT-PCR protocol and reagents supplied by the WHO. A total of 376 samples were taken from suspected cases. Fifty from these samples were positive. The first confirmed case had traveled to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) and had already become symptomatic while staying there. The median age was 27 years (range: 10-75 years). Most travel-associated cases were returning travelers from Saudi Arabia (55.2%); followed by Malaysia (17.24%). Fever was the most common symptom, presented in 95.9% of the cases, followed by cough (85.7%) and myalgia (77.5%). Influenza A (H1N1) virus entered Isfahan through travelers, mainly coming from Saudi Arabia.3 The majority of the confirmed cases consisted of young adults and they mainly manifested clinical symptoms similar to those reported in other areas.4 Since many patients with influenza like symptoms may not visit the physicians, it is possible that the cases have been under diagnosed.
Meta analysis in food safety risk management View project Spent coffee grounds : horticultural recovering program and implications in the vegetables quality and safety View project

Honey is a natural product with recognized physical and chemical properties, which contribute to its biological activity. However, honey is currently being sold at low prices, making it imperative to find alternatives to make apiculture a viable national enterprise. One of these alternatives could be mead production. evier Inc. reserved. ança,
Unfair Treatment? The Case of Freedle, the SAT, and the Standardization Approach to Differential Item Functioning

In 2003, the Harvard Educational Review published a controversial article by Roy Freedle that claimed bias against African American students in the SAT college admissions test. Freedle's work stimulated national media attention and faced an onslaught of criticism from experts at the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the agency responsible for the development of the SAT. In this article, Maria Veronica Santelices and Mark Wilson take the debate one step further with new research exploring differential item functioning in the SAT. By replicating Freedle's methodology with a more recent SAT dataset and by addressing some of the technical criticisms from ETS, Santelices and Wilson confirm that SAT items do function differently for the African American and White subgroups in the verbal test and argue that the testing industry has an obligation to study this phenomenon.