Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retinal imaging study diagnoses a case of COVID-19

Background: Hyper-reflective lesions at the level of ganglion cell (GCL) and inner plexiform retinal layers (IPL) by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and cotton wool spots in the examination of the eye fundus have recently been described as findings in patients with COVID-19 infection.Case report: We report a case of a 42-year-old male anesthetist who treated COVID patients during the previous five weeks and suddenly debuted with a temporal relative scotoma in his left eye (OS); three weeks before, he presented with ageusia for several days. Best corrected visual acuity was 20/20 for OS; no discromatopsy or afferent pupillary defect were present. Visual field was performed, with no significant findings associated to the focal loss of sensitivity referred by the patient. The anterior segment was unremarkable on slit lamp examination in both eyes. Fundus examination of the left eye showed no significant findings. A placoid, hyperreflective band at the level of GCL and IPL was visible in the temporal and nasal side of the fovea on OCT which spared the outer retina, at the time of diagnosis and at one month. A propharyngeal swab test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, IgG and IgM ELISA determinations were performed. Real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was negative. ELISA testing and a third rapid antibody detection test performed 7 days after the onset of symptoms were positive.Conclusions: Ocular signs and symptoms in COVID cases are rarely reported, but may be underestimated, especially those that affect the retina and occur in asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic cases. We present the first case of diagnosis of COVID-19 based on retinal ophthalmic examination.
Coxsackievirus B 3 regulates T-cell infiltration into the heart by lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 activation via the cAMP / Rap 1 axis

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection can trigger myocarditis and can ultimately lead to dilated cardiomyopathy. It is known that CVB3-induced T-cell infiltration into cardiac tissues is one of the pathological factors causing cardiomyocyte injury by inflammation. However, the underlying mechanism for this remains unclear. We investigated the mechanism of T-cell infiltration by two types of CVB3: the H3 WT strain and the YYFF attenuated strain. T-cell activation was confirmed by changes in the distribution of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1). Finally, we identified which viral gene was responsible for LFA-1 activation. CVB3 could infect and activate T-cells in vivo and in vitro, and activated T-cells were detected in CVB3-infected mouse hearts. LFA-1 expressed on the surface of these T-cells had been activated through the cAMP/Rap1 pathway. Recombinant lentiviruses expressing VP2 of CVB3 could also induce LFA-1 activation via an increase in cAMP, whilst VP2 of YYFF did not. These results indicated that CVB3 infection increased cAMP levels and then activated Rap1 in T-cells. In particular, VP2, among the CVB3 proteins, might be critical for this activation. This VP2–cAMP–Rap1–LFA-1 axis could be a potential therapeutic target for treating CVB3-induced myocarditis.
An Examination of the Levels of Occupational Alienation of Pre-school Teachers from Their Profession in Terms of Some Variables

This study, which was carried out for the purpose of determining the occupational alienation levels (sense of insignificance, sense of isolation, self-alienation, powerlessness, normlessness) of pre-school teachers working at state and private schools and the variables affecting them, was conducted in the relational screening model. 288 pre-school teachers working at 60 state and private schools participated in the study by way of the unbiased sampling method. The data of the study were collected by using the Occupational Alienation of Pre-school Teachers Scale. The data obtained were analyzed in the SPSS program. One of the results of the study is that the occupational alienation levels of preschool teachers were found to be at a low level in general, partially high in the Sense of Powerlessness and Normlessness dimensions and at the lowest level in the sense of insignificance dimension. Another result is that significant differences were found in the occupational alienation statuses of pre-school teachers, in the normlessness sub-dimension according to weekly working hours, in the overall scale and self-alienation and normlessness sub-dimensions according to the variable of the type of educational institution, in the overall scale and sense of insignificance and isolation sub-dimensions according to the variable of choosing the occupation with one’s own will. Significant differences Kalem Eğitim ve İnsan Bilimleri Dergisi 2018, 8 (2) were determined in the self-alienation and normlessness sub-dimensions according to the variable whether there was an inclusive student in the class, in the self-alienation and normlessness sub-dimensions according to the variable of the department graduated from, in the overall scale and the sense of insignificance, sense of isolation, powerlessness and normlessness sub-dimensions according to the friendship relationships at workplace variable. It was determined that the occupational alienation levels of pre-school teachers did not demonstrate a significant difference in regard to the variables of marital status, age, the term of service, classroom size, institutional facilities, and the perceived income level.
PERCEPTION OF WOMEN ON SEXUAL AND GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE

Sexual and gender issues have been a problem in Africa and in Nigeria in particular where females were considered less important than their male counterparts in their families, cooperatives, businesses, academic matters among others. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is deeply rooted in many cultural and traditional values. It is regarded as a normal attitude, remains hidden and tacitly condoned. It has devastating health impacts on the women, as women are mostly controlled and dominated by their partners in a relationship and must never complain of sexual harassment and in the case of childlessness; the woman must accept it as her fault. This study was located in Nsukka Local Government area of Enugu State. A cross sectional survey of 200 study participants was conducted. The instruments used for data collection were structured 194 questionnaire and6 in-depth interview guide. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), frequency distribution tables and chi-square (χ²) for hypotheses. The findings from the study stated that sexual/psychological, physical violence and preference of male child are the major forms of GBV in Nsukka, Enugu State. Majority of the respondents (55.7%) indicated that Spiritual manipulation and illiteracy/ignorance are the major causes of GBV. The study also concluded and recommended that mass sensitization/awareness, empowerment, advocacy by social workers, through domestication of the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), will help curb GBV as indicated by 42.7% of the respondents.
A Cohort Analysis of Household Saving in Norway

Are there generational differences in saving behavior? On the basis of new micro data for household saving in Norway I find that differences between birth cohorts are small and statistically insignificant. In particular, cohort effects are small compared to the strong positive effect of aging on saving. Furthermore, within the framework of a life-cycle model, a generation that is characterized as being particularly patient or prudent will save more while young and less while old, a result that goes against the intuition that the current old save much because they belong to a generation with preferences for high saving. To ensure that the empirical findings are robust, a variety of econometric specifications and techniques are employed.
A Dynamic Structural Model of Contraceptive Use and Employment Sector Choice for Women in Indonesia

This research investigates the impact of the Indonesian family planning program on the labor force participation decisions and contraceptive choices of women. I develop a discrete choice dynamic structural model, where each married woman in every period makes joint choices regarding the method of contraceptive used and the sector of employment in which to work in order to maximize her expected discounted lifetime utility function. Each woman obtains utility from pecuniary sources, nonpecuniary sources, and choice-specific time shocks. In addition to the random shocks, there is uncertainty in the model as a woman can only imperfectly control her fertility. Dynamics in the model are captured by several forms of state and duration dependence. Women in this model make different choices due to different preferences, differences in observable characteristics, and realization of uncertainty. The choices made by a woman depend on the compatibility between raising children and the sector of employment (including wages). While making decisions regarding contraceptive use, a woman considers the trade-off between costs (monetary and nonmonetary) of having a child and the benefits from having one. The primary source of data for this study is the first wave of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS 1), a retrospective panel. In my research, I use the geographic expansion and the changing nature of the Indonesian family planning program as sources of exogenous variation to identify the parameters of the structural model. I estimate the model using maximum likelihood techniques with data from IFLS 1 for the periods 1979-1993. Structural model estimates indicate that informal sector jobs offer greater compatibility between work and childcare. Parameter estimates indicate that choices of contraception method and employment sector vary by exogenous characteristics.
MAXIMUM AUTOCORRELATION FACTORIAL KRIGING

This paper describes maximum autocorrelation factor (MAF) analysis, maximum autocorrelation factorial kriging, and its application to irregularly sampled stream sediment geochemical data from South Greenland. Kriged MAF images are compared with kriged images of varimax rotated factors from an ordinary non-spatial factor analysis, and they are interpreted in a geological context. It is demonstrated that MAF analysis contrary to ordinary non-spatial factor analysis gives an objective discrimination of largescale as well as small-scale geological features which are related to crustal structure and the occurrence of specific rock types.
ABSTRACT EXPLAINING VARIANCE IN COUNTERFACTUAL-SEEKING BEHAVIOR by Amanda R. Trask-Tolbert Associative self-anchoring suggests that implicit self-esteem is positively related to satisfaction

EXPLAINING VARIANCE IN COUNTERFACTUAL-SEEKING BEHAVIOR by Amanda R. Trask-Tolbert Associative self-anchoring suggests that implicit self-esteem is positively related to satisfaction with a chosen object. Moreover, satisfaction has been found to inversely predict post-decisional search for information about foregone alternatives (counterfactual-seeking). Therefore, this study attempted to examine individual differences in implicit self-esteem to explain variance in counterfactual-seeking behavior. In this study, participants completed either a decision-making task or an endowment task, and then were asked if they would like to counterfactual-seek. The results suggest that implicit self-esteem does not predict counterfactual-seeking. However, those who made a decision were significantly more likely to seek counterfactual information than those who received an endowment. Further research should examine why decisions elicit more counterfactual-seeking than endowments. EXPLAINING VARIANCE IN COUNTERFACTUAL-SEEKING BEHAVIOR
Carboxypeptidase B Inhibits Over-activation of Anaphylatoxin-neutrophil Extracellular Trap Axis in COVID-19 Patients

Background: Thrombosis and coagulopathy are highly prevalent in severe patients with COVID-19 and increase the risk of death. Immunothrombosis has recently been demonstrated to contribute to the thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients with coagulopathy. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are primary components of immunothrombosis, whereas the mechanism of NET formation remains unclear. We aim to explore the clinical roles of NETs and the regulation of complement on the NET formation in COVID-19.Methods: We recruited 135 COVID-19 patients and measured plasma levels of C5, C3, cell-free DNA and myeloperoxidase-DNA. We detected complement-induced NET formation by immunofluorescent staining and evaluated the cytotoxicity to vascular endothelial HUVEC cells by CCK-8 assay.Results: We found that the plasma levels of complements (C3 and C5) and NETs were closely related to coagulopathy and multiple organ dysfunction in patients with COVID-19. By using anti-C3a and anti-C5a antibodies, we revealed that the complement component anaphylatoxins in the plasma of COVID-19 patients strongly induced NET formation. The pathological effect of the anaphylatoxin-NET axis on the damage of vascular endothelial cells could be relieved by recombinant carboxypeptidase B (CPB), a stable homolog of enzyme CPB2 which can degrade anaphylatoxins to inactive products.Conclusions: Over-activation in anaphylatoxin-NET axis plays a pathological role in COVID-19. Early intervention in anaphylatoxins might help prevent thrombosis and disease progression in COVID-19 patients.
Volumetric lung nodule segmentation in thoracic CT scan using freehand sketch

The authors presented a novel computerised scheme to segment pulmonary nodules using freehand sketch. Here, freehand sketching is considered to identify the location of a nodule and it serves as a natural way and also it provides inferring adaptive information i.e. size, density, texture and mass centre etc. The proposed scheme includes two phases. In first phase using the freehand sketch analysis the multi seed points to select RoI. In the second phase nodule volumetric extraction is done using geometric modelling and implicit surface reconstruction for volumetric analysis. Spherical bins are used for ray triangle intersections and then local implicit surface fitting and blending method for surface reconstruction and depiction. The performance of the proposed scheme is assessed by accuracy and consistency using 112 CT examinations from LIDC. The IoU and ASD were used to assess the discrepancy between proposed method and inter observer agreement in the proposed approach. In estimating the reproducibility, the discrepancy in proposed scheme and the manual contouring by the expert is observed to be on an average of 0.13 ± 0.07 mm and 3.04 ± 1.7 mm respectively. The experiment shows that, the proposed scheme performs reasonably well and demonstrate merit of freehand sketch.
Institutional investment and corporate social performance: aggregated time-Series evidence from an emerging economy

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined the hypothesis that higher corporate social performance results in higher institutional investment for firms in emerging economies like Bangladesh. Aggregated data of eight years with three-point data were examined by using time-series regression analysis, supplemented by data validity and robustness check, to verify the relationship. We find a positive, insignificant but gradually improving relationship between institutional investment and corporate social performance. Our findings concluded that policy-led measures might better work for emerging economies in ensuring social responsibility initiatives.
An Expectancy-Value Approach to Determinants of Trust

An expectancy-value model was used to test determinants of trust in 5 Swedish organizations. Trust was conceptualized as an attitude, dependent on respondents’ beliefs about and evaluations of the organization with respect to attributes of trustworthiness. A survey was sent out to a representative sample of the Swedish population (N = 347; response rate = 55.5%). It was found that the model was powerful in explaining trust in 3 of the 5 organizations. Values correlated more with observed trust in all organizations. It is discussed whether these findings could be explained by trust ratings based on ideologies. Since the expectancy-value approach was insufficient to account for data, a double-denial model (Sjöberg & Montgomery, 1999) was needed.
Sensitive and Selective Electrochemical Analysis of Methyl‐parathion (MPT) and 4‐Nitrophenol (PNP) by a New Type p‐NiTSPc/p‐PPD Coated Carbon Fiber Microelectrode (CFME)

A novel modified carbon fiber microelectrode (CFME) was obtained by combination of tetrasulfonated nickel phtalocyanine (p-NiTSPc) electroformed film associated to para-phenylenediamine (p-PPD) electropolymerized outer-coating. The modified CFMEs where denoted C/p-NiTSPc and C/p-NiTSPc/p-PPD, respectively. These electrodes are dedicated to the organophosphates compounds (OPs) methyl-parathion (MPT) and para-nitrophenol (PNP). Our contribution shows that both OPs can be determined simultaneously on the unmodified and modified C/ p-NiTSPc CFMEs. A clear electrocatalytic activity towards both MPT and PNP redox process was observed, for the first time, in presence of p-NiTSPc. The obtained sensitivity for the C/p-NiTSPc CFME was 80 nA L mg � 1 in the concentration range 0.01 to 10 mg/L with a detection limit of 40 mg/L. Also the combination of p-NiTSPc and p-PPD electrodeposited films show, for the first time, the possibility to discriminate on the C/p-NiTSPc/p-PPD CFME between MPT and PNP. Stability experiments were also conducted for 3 weeks in acetate buffer showing a good reproductibility of the sensitivity to PNP vs. time in presence of MPT with a little loss of sensitivity (5%) after 3 weeks.
The Hidden Cost of Globalization: Import Competition and Mental Distress

We study the effect of import competition on workers’ mental distress. To this purpose, we source information on the mental health of British workers from the British Household Panel Survey, and combine it with measures of import competition in more than 100 industries over 2001-2007. We find an increase in import competition to have a positive, statistically significant, and large impact on mental distress. The effect is strikingly robust to controlling for a wide range of individual, household, and industry characteristics. We show that part of the effect is due to import competition worsening the current labor market situation of individuals, in terms of higher probability of job displacement and lower wage growth. Additionally, and most importantly, we show that import competition worsens mental health also for individuals witnessing no change in observable labor market conditions, by increasing stress on the job and worsening expectations about the future.
Temporal dynamics of Cognitive processes : Case studies on Sequence learning and Affective adaptation of emotions

This thesis aims to investigate different aspects of timing in Sequence Learning and Adaptation to certain emotional responses. Sequencing and processing of emotions are fundamental to human behaviour and hence are important fields to explore. To investigate the influence of temporal factors in Sequence learning, we conducted a behavioural study using the paradigm of Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task and introduced delay in presentation of successive stimuli, referred to as Response-to-Stimulus Interval (RSI). By varying the RSI between successive elements of a sequence over a few temporal windows, we attempted to explore what effects this systematic varying of the RSI would have on the sequence learning process. We have also conducted post-experimental debriefing sessions to see if such learning is implicit or explicit. The SRT task requires the participants to simply respond to a stimulus that appears on the screen by clicking a key corresponding to the location at which it appeared. Reaction times were recorded for all the stimuli and reduction in this would imply learning. Statistical analysis of the reaction time data showed that learning did not get impaired in the various temporal groups despite delays experienced due to variable RSI. Post-experimental results showed that the knowledge acquired in smaller RSIs was implicit while for larger RSIs it was explicit. The results are in general agreement with the existing literature with fixed RSIs and hence we can conclude from the empirical study that varying RSIs do not impair sequence learning and that the sequential knowledge might have become explicit with larger RSIs. Additionally, we proposed a biologically realistic computational model in the form of a simple recurrent neural network (SRN) to obtain a functional account of the empirical findings. The proposed model has spatial representation of time for incorporating RSI in the neural network. The model illustrates how explicit learning could emerge due to a longer temporal window between stimuli that could potentially give insights into the mechanisms of sequence learning in variable RSI conditions. In the second part of the thesis, we investigated the duration aspect of timing. Specifically, how different kinds of emotional reactions last for different duration. For this, we conducted an empirical study with a sad and self-relevant stimulus and compared the results to a sad but not-so-self-relevant stimulus. We found that the emotional reaction in the current study lasted longer because it is perhaps difficult for human beings to adapt to an emotional response when they can relate to the stimulus that elicited the emotion. The emotional intensity and its duration are thus determined by two factors, the self-relevance of the affective stimulus and how well or poorly understood the stimulus is to the person experiencing it. The greater the self-relevance and poorer the understanding, the stronger the emotion
The Study of the Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Organizational Commitment

Cultural intelligence, acquired skill for perceiving a culture, creates growing learning about it and gradually forming personal perception to adapt that culture till colliding with other cultures, the person adapt his behavior better with. The present paper provides summary of theoretical bases of cultural intelligence and studies its relationship with organizational commitment in Ardabil Payam-e-Noor and Azad universities. Based on the obtained results of the study, there is a profound relationship between cultural intelligence three-factor model and organizational commitment. The paper also proposes that cultural intelligence can be reckoned as vital factors of success in administrating state and non-state organizations. The obtained results can be used in identifying necessary characteristics of those who are involved in multicultural interactions, and paves the new way for academic research and scientific experiences in cultural areas.
Between the Invisible hand and the Invisible Heart. Italian Welfare Restructuring and the Quest for a New Neoliberal Hegemony

The article looks at the current restructuring of Italian Welfare putting it into perspective with both the structural contradictions of contemporary capitalism and the more contingent and specific condi-tions of contemporary Italy. Relying on the approach taken by the political economy of the Welfare State, the variegated neoliberalization studies and the concept of referentiel, the process is considered and ana-lysed both in its semiotic and material elements. Looking at the transformations of the key-actors in the pre-crisis Welfare Mix arrangement, an on-going entrepreneurial and financial change is identified, open-ing the door to two, complementary, scenarios: a smart-utopia private Welfare one for those able to pay and a repressive residual Welfare state for the poor.