Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Integration and Loneliness: A Comparative Study among Older Adults in the Netherlands and Tuscany, Italy

On the average, older adults in Italy are lonelier than those in the Netherlands. The results of a study by Jylha & Jokela (1990) showed that loneliness was more prevalent in regions of Europe where living alone was rarest and where community bonds were strongest. This inverse macro-level association, an increasing proportion of lonely older people and a decreasing proportion of older people who live alone from northern to southern Europe, could not be explained by differences in individual social integration. The aim of the present study was to reinvestigate this association. The data were from surveys conducted in the Netherlands (N = 3750) and northwestern Tuscany, Italy (N = 1543). Fewer older adults lived alone in Tuscany than in the Netherlands, which indicates that the Dutch were less integrated. As regards their participation in social organizations and personal networks, the Tuscan older adults were less integrated. To a large extent, loneliness among the Dutch and Tuscans based on differences in social integration could be similarly explained, and regional loneliness differences could be attributed to individual situations and characteristics:
Are engineers religious? An interpretative approach to cross-cultural conflict and collective identities

This article views culture as collective identities from an interpretative, sense-making perspective. It analyses religion-based cross-cultural conflict through the example of two ethnographic studies of multicultural high-tech organizations undergoing change. Specifically, it looks at professional identity and the practice of religion among a diverse group of highly qualified technical employees. The aim is to show when and how difference in religious practice creates cross-cultural conflict. The examples given will be from various nationalities (German, Indian, Iranian) and from various religious practices (Christian, Hindu, Muslim). Based on these findings, a model of how to assess cross-cultural conflict from an interpretative perspective is developed. This article makes two contributions to cross-cultural conflict management. First, it gives an account of how transnational professional identities, external and organizational culture, religious practice and conflict are linked in two specific high-tech work environments. Second, it proposes a model of how to assess cross-cultural conflict in cultural complexity from an emic perspective.
An evaluation of students\' perceptions of the use of case-based teaching and group work in a first-year nursing programme

Students\' evaluation of teaching and learning methods is often underplayed and misjudged, yet students are the best assessors as they are the consumers of this service (Cassimjee and Brookes 1998, 1). Also, as students are exposed to different teaching methods on a daily basis, most of them are well equipped to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each. The teaching of clinical programmes, for example nursing, involves different strategies for the teaching of theoretical and practical material. Case-based education (CBE) uses simulated or real-life cases to present a scenario to the students for learning. This was a descriptive study which evaluated students\' perceptions of CBE. A semi-structured 19-point self-administered student opinion questionnaire (SOQ) was used to collect the information. The findings show that students viewed CBE in a positive light and felt that it increased their ability to prepare their work for class and to then participate fully. Seventy percent of the students felt that CBE assisted them in acquiring the necessary skills for problem-solving. However, the students felt that some students were lazy and did not contribute or participate in any way. Almost half the students (47.8%) found the course interesting and manageable. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 21 (3) 2007: pp. 412-428
Investigating the biology of relapsed acute leukemia: Proceedings of the Therapeutic Advances for Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma (TACL) Consortium Biology Working Group

ABSTRACT During the 2016 Therapeutic Advances for Childhood Leukemia & Lymphoma (TACL) Consortium investigators' meeting (Los Angeles, CA), a Biology Working Group was established to support the consortium's mission of developing innovative therapies for currently incurable childhood leukemias and lymphomas. The charge of the Biology Working Group was to address how TACL could advance biological investigations of pediatric relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies while undertaking forward-looking therapeutic trials. To this end, the TACL Biology Committee was established to provide the scientific platform needed to further develop preclinical and translational studies that will advance the understanding and treatment of relapsed and refractory disease. The Biology Committee will focus on ensuring state-of-the-art studies that address biological components of early phase clinical trials, and developing a central biology bank of materials from these early phase trials for interrogations into the mechanisms of disease resistance.
Working memory and inference revision in brain-damaged and normally aging adults.

This study examined the association between estimated working memory (WM) capacity and comprehension of passages that required revision of an initial interpretation. Predictions stemmed from the recently elaborated theory of capacity-constrained comprehension (Just & Carpenter, 1992, Psychological Review, 99, 122-149), which includes as a major feature the principle that WM influences comprehension only as processing demands approach or exceed the limits of capacity. As anticipated from task analysis, correlations between unilaterally brain-damaged patients' estimated WM capacity and discourse comprehension performance were minimal for nondemanding measures, and increased in magnitude with task processing requirements. Most notably, a meaningful correlation (/r/ greater than .50) emerged only for the task judged to involve the most demanding comprehension processes, for adults with right hemisphere brain damage. No meaningful associations between estimated WM capacity and task performance were observed for normally aging subjects, who were not expected to have difficulty with any of our comprehension measures. The nature of WM deficits in brain-damaged adults (total capacity, vs. resource allocation, vs. slow or otherwise faulty component processing operations) is considered, and some existing work is interpreted from a cognitive resource perspective. Theoretical implications and clinical applicability of the working memory/resource framework are also discussed.
Ischaemia triggered by spreading neuronal activation is inhibited by vasodilators in rats

1 It has been previously shown that spreading neuronal activation can generate a cortical spreading ischaemia (CSI) in rats. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether vasodilators cause CSI to revert to a normal cortical spreading depression (CSD). 2 A KCl‐induced CSD travelled from an open cranial window to a closed window where the cortex was superfused with physiological artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). At the closed window, recordings revealed a short‐lasting negative slow potential shift accompanied by a variable, small and short initial hypoperfusion followed by hyperaemia and then oligaemia. 3 In contrast, spreading neuronal activation locally induced CSI at the closed window when ACSF contained a NO. synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine, and an increased K+ concentration ([K+]ACSF). CSI was characterised by a sharp and prolonged initial cerebral blood flow decrease to 29 ± 11 % of the baseline and a prolonged negative potential shift. 4 Co‐application of a NO. donor, S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylpenicillamine, and NOS inhibitor with high [K+]ACSF re‐established a short‐lasting negative potential shift and spreading hyperaemia typical of CSD. Similarly, the NO.‐independent vasodilator papaverine caused CSI to revert to a pattern characteristic of CSD. 5 In acute rat brain slices, NOS inhibition and high [K+]ACSF did not prolong the negative slow potential shift compared to that induced by high [K+]ACSF alone. 6 The data indicate that the delayed recovery of the slow potential was caused by vasoconstriction during application of high [K+]ACSF and a NOS inhibitor in vivo. This supports the possibility of a vicious circle: spreading neuronal activation induces vasoconstriction, and vasoconstriction prevents repolarisation during CSI. Speculatively, this pathogenetic process could be involved in migraine‐induced stroke.
Tourism and the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity

The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the leading pieces of international environmental law. Although tourism is not explicitly mentioned in the Convention tourism has increasingly become featured in the decisions of the Conference of Parties to the Convention, including the development of a specific set of guidelines on biodiversity and tourism. The paper reviews the role of tourism in the Convention and examines the extent to which tourism-related decisions have been implemented by countries via an analysis of the national reports that are submitted to the Convention Secretariat. The results indicate that the decisions remain relatively poorly implemented given the seriousness of biodiversity decline and significance of tourism. The paper concludes that greater effort needs to be given to evaluating such international conventions and their affect on tourism policies and practices, as well as better understanding the implementation gap at both an instrumental and paradigmatic level.
Therapy of Melanoma with Allogeneic Melanoma Lysates Alone or with Interferon-Alfa

Melanoma is a disease that can be cured surgically if discovered at its earliest intradermal stages, but is notoriously difficult even to treat successfully in its disseminated form. Despite the use of combinations of chemotherapeutic agents with each other and with biological agents such as Interleukin-2 and interferonalfa (IFN-a), long-term survival in disseminated melanoma is still no more than 10%. Since late 1985, we have been studying a combination of two mechanically disrupted (allogeneic) melanoma cell lines with the adjuvant DETOXe for the treatment of disseminated melanoma. Our ultimate intention was always to treat patients after removal of their primary lesion and any involved lymph nodes, at a stage of melanoma where a therapeutic gain was most likely. However, for ethical reasons we were obliged to perform our early trials in patients with disseminated disease. This gave us the opportunity to see whether we could elicit objective responses of melanoma nodules with the therapeutic vaccine, which we have sometimes referred to as a “theraccine,” to distinguish it from a preventive vaccine. Our experience with disseminated disease and earlier stages of melanoma has indicated to us that our melanoma lysate vaccine has activity against melanoma with minimal toxicity. In this review, we will give details about the survival of all patients whom we treated in various studies of allogeneic melanoma lysates and the adjuvant DETOX, with and without IFN-a-2b (INTRON-A, ScheringPlough, Kenilworth, NJ). We have gone back to our original records to correct any inaccuracies about the number and degree of responses, and to update survival data from our original reports (1,2). Although we will allude to multi-center trials devised and conducted by Ribi ImmunoChem Research (now Corixa–Montana), we will leave detailed reports about those trials to those more closely involved in their planning, execution, and analysis. We will also point out what may be significant differences in dose and schedule between our studies and the larger group studies. However, we fully recognize that there are many inevitable differences between trials conducted by investigators who devise a new regimen
Strong polynomial bound for light linear logic by levels

Girard's LLL characterized Ptime in the proof-as-program paradigm with a complexity bound on cut elimination. This logic relied on a stratification principle which Baillot and Mazza generalized by defining two variants L^4 and L^4_0 referred to as light linear logic by levels. However, for L^4, a polynomial bound was given on cut elimination only for a specific reduction strategy. L^4_0 only enjoyed a complexity soundness result without an explicit bound on cut elimination. These limitations are a problem for defining a proper type system out of theses logics. In this paper we overcome these problems by proving a polynomial time bound for cut elimination under any strategy(strong bound) both for L^4 and L^4_0. The proof is based on an extension of Dal Lago's context semantics, illustrating once again the usefullness of this tool.
A Case for Theoretical Integration

The present research investigated whether constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Extended Parallel Process Model can be integrated into a model that can better explain intentions to exercise than the TPB constructs alone. A total of 336 participants completed measures of constructs from both theories and past exercise behavior. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, susceptibility, self-efficacy, and past behavior contributed unique variance to a model that predicted intentions to exercise. This model explained a greater proportion of the variance in exercise intentions than the TPB alone. Relationships between key variables of both models were also highlighted. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Desarrollo de la identidad y salud mental en un grupo de adoptados internacionales en Suecia. Un estudio de seguimiento desde la adolescencia hasta la madurez

Resumen El primer estudio, realizado a comienzos de los noventa, explora el desarrollo de la identidad en un grupo de adolescentes adoptados en Suecia atendiendo a su origen biológico y étnico y a su salud mental. Los sujetos fueron acogidos por sus familias adoptivas entre los años 1970 y 1977 mediante lo que por entonces constituía la agencia de adopción más grande en Suecia—“The Adoption Center”—. Un nuevo estudio, ocho años después, revisa los cambios producidos en la identidad y salud mental de los sujetos ya adultos. Los resultados muestran que la familia biológica permanece en la mente del adoptado mientras que su interés por buscarlos disminuye. Esta exploración del origen biológico puede reflejar un desarrollo normal de la identidad en tanto que supone para el sujeto una vía a través de la cual conferir continuidad a su historia vital; pero puede ser también una muestra de insatisfacción con su situación de vida. La construcción de una identidad sueca no parece resultar algo problemático para los adoptados, no obstante, es posible que tengan que afrontar ser tratados como minorías étnicas y no como ciudadanos suecos. Nuestros resultados indican que el paso de la vida dependiente—en la que están protegidos por la familia adoptive—a la vida como adulto independiente puede ser especialmente difícil para aquellos que fueron adoptados tardíamente, ya que muchos sufrieron experiencias traumáticas en su vida anterior a la adopción.
On the energetics of quadrupedal running: predicting the metabolic cost of transport via a flexible-torso model

In this paper, the effect of torso flexibility on the energetics of quadrupedal bounding is examined in a template setting. Two reductive sagittal-plane models, one with a rigid, non-deformable torso and one with a flexible, unactuated torso are proposed. Both models feature non-trivial leg mass and inertia to capture the energy associated with repositioning the legs after liftoff as well as the energy lost due to impacts. Bounding motions that minimize the cost of transport are generated for both models via a simple controller that coordinates leg recirculation. Comparisons reveal that torso compliance promotes locomotion efficiency by facilitating leg recirculation in anticipation of touchdown at speeds that are sufficiently high. Furthermore, by considering non-ideal torque generating and compliant elements with biologically reasonable efficiency values, it is shown that the flexible-torso model can predict the metabolic cost of transport for different animals, estimated using measurements of oxygen consumption. This way, the proposed model offers a means for approximating the energetic cost of transport of running quadrupeds in a simple and direct fashion.
The Risks of Assessing Ethical Risks

1.1 We first need to differentiate, in considering the ESRC’s Framework for Research Ethics 2010, between issues of principle and issues of practice. In regard to the former, the issue is not whether research should be conducted according to ethical principles, but rather whether there should be some specified form of accountability for this, both in the submission of research proposals, and in the subsequent conduct of research. There are some researchers who hold that while research should self-evidently be conducted in an ethical manner, especially in regard to the potential risks of harm to research subjects, the inconvenience, costs and possible damage brought about by requirements of formal accountability outweigh any likely benefit from them. (Hammersley 2006). Such critics point out that the risks of research in the social sciences are much less than in other spheres, such as medical research, from which the pressures for ethical regulation have derived much of their impetus. FRE 2010 itself draws attention to this lower element of risk in social science compared with medical research, while nevertheless setting out extensive and mandatory protocols for its ethical regulation.
Assessing the Impact of Ad Watches on the Strategic Decision-Making Process

The percentage of presidential ads containing a misleading statement rose to 52% in 1996, up from 14% in 1992. At the same time, there was a drop both in broadcast and print press coverage of the presidential election, as well as in ad watches. The amount of broadcast coverage of the election was down 55% from 1992. Front-page newspaper campaign coverage was down 45% from 1992, whereas campaign coverage, measured in stories, was down 40% from 1992. Proportionally, broadcast ad watch stories in 1996 dropped by 68%, whereas print ad watches dropped by 20%. This article examines how ads were covered by the media and asks whether the drop in broadcast and print ad watches affected the decisions of political ad makers about creating or continuing to air controversial ads. In addition to a content analysis of print and broadcast ad watches, ad watch journalists and presidential ad consultants were questioned to help determine how ad watches affect the strategic decision-making process.
Variability in outcome for children with an ASD diagnosis at age 2.

BACKGROUND Few studies have examined the variability in outcomes of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at age 2. Research is needed to understand the children whose symptoms - or diagnoses - change over time. The objectives of this study were to examine the behavioral and diagnostic outcomes of a carefully defined sample of 2-year-old children with ASD, and to identify child and environmental factors that contribute to variability in outcomes at age 4. METHODS Forty-eight children diagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS) at age 2 were followed to age 4. Diagnostic measures included the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Generic (ADOS-G) and clinical diagnosis at ages 2 and 4, and the ADI-R at age 4. RESULTS Diagnostic stability for an ASD diagnosis (autism or PDDNOS) was 63%, and for an autism diagnosis was 68%. Children who failed to meet diagnostic criteria for ASD at follow-up were more likely to: 1) be 30 months or younger at initial evaluation; 2) have milder symptoms of autism, particularly in the social domain; and 3) have higher cognitive scores at age 2. No differences between children with stable and unstable diagnoses were found for amount of intervention services received. Among the children with unstable diagnoses, all but one continued to have developmental disorders, most commonly in the area of language. CONCLUSIONS The stability of ASD was lower in the present study than has been reported previously, a finding largely attributable to children who were diagnosed at 30 months or younger. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.
Prevalence of diarrhoea and antibiotic susceptibility test in children below 5 years at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

*Corresponding Author E-mail: fakinnibosun@yahoo.co.uk Tel. : +2348146247781 Diarhoea disease is among of leading public health significance among children of below five years where that more than 315,000 deaths of preschool age children are recorded annually in Nigeria. A survey to determine the significance of bacterial species as possible pathogenic microorganisms that cause diarrhoea was carried out in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria. The age, sex, prevalence and maternal level of education in relation to diarrhoea in children younger than five years of age were determined. A questionnaire was used for collecting information on socio-economic characteristics, environmental hygiene and behavioural practices of patients and their care givers. Faecal specimen from 50 children, less than 60 months (5 years) old, were collected and assessed for microbiological profile of enteric pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on all identified isolates using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The prevalence of infectious diarrhoea was age specific being highest at the age of 7 12 months and lowest at the age of 37-48 months. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated bacteria in all age groups (62.58%). However, the isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella sp. in this study showed these bacteria as veritable aetiologic pathogens of infectious childhood diarrhoea. Antibiotics susceptibility test conducted revealed that the isolates were most resistant to doxycycline followed by ciprofloxacin while the isolates were most susceptible to amoxicillin. Proper education and awareness are keys to combat this public health problem caused by these pathogens.
Supporting English second-language learners in disadvantaged contexts: learning approaches that promote success in mathematics

In the Australian context, children living in disadvantaged circumstances, whose second language is English, are one of the groups at risk of failing in mathematics. This paper explores the impact purposely developed learning activities (Representations, Oral Language and Engagement in Mathematics Learning activities) have on pupils' mathematics outcomes in the first three years of formal schooling (Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2). The participating group (n = 461) comprised 328 English language learners and 133 mainstream pupils. To ascertain the impact of the learning experience, pre- and post-tests were conducted at the commencement and completion of each school year. The results indicate that all of the children significantly improved, with English as a second language pupils showing the greatest gains, and achieving norm-referenced expectations for their age.