Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and Knowledge of Iranian Nurses about Hospice Care

Context: Due to expansion of chronic diseases and increase of health care costs, there is a need for planning and delivering hospice care for patients in their final stages of life in Iran. The aim of the present study is to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of nurses about delivering hospice care for End of Life (EOL) patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012 with a sample size of 200 nurses that were selected by convenient (available) sampling. The data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire whose validity was approved by experts’ opinions and its reliability was approved by test-retest method. Results: Among all participants of this study, 87% were female. The mean age of nurses was 32.00 ± 6.72. From all respondents 62% stated that they have no knowledge about hospice care and 80% declared that need for hospice care is increasing. Most of the participants felt that, appropriate services are not presented to patients in the final stages of their lives. About 80% believed that hospice care leads to reduction of health care costs, improvement of physical, mental and social health of patients and finally improvement of the quality of health care services. There was a significant relationship between age, employment history and level of education of nurses and their attitude and knowledge about how this service is provided. Conclusion: In view of the increase in chronic illnesses and the costs of caring, the need for provision of hospice care is felt more and more every day. However the awareness level of nurses about these services is low. Therefore the need for including these issues in nursing curriculum and holding scientific courses and seminars in this field is needed.
Socio-Natural Capital for Sustainable Land Use in the Fennoscandia

This paper introduces concept of socio-natural capital, which is here seen as a property of social systems including institutions, human groups and individual people to use natural capital in a sustainable way. The objectives of this article are to map gaps regarding socio-natural capital via examining case of reindeer herding and its relations to other land uses in northern Fennoscandia, mainly in Finland, and to explore ways how socio-natural capital can be promoted in order to enhance sustainable land use in the northern sparsely populated Fennoscandia. These issues are examined based on previous research and especially on reindeer herders’ perspectives, as well as on an online questionnaire (n=13) and a workshop (n=11) with stakeholders on land use in Fennoscandia. Gaps in socio-natural capital include lack of trust between different land users, discrepancy between governance ideals and real world practices, divergent perceptions on sustainable land use, and use of resources for external benefits. Following proposals can help to close these gaps: 1) to enhance public participation, 2) to stronger institutionalize indigenous land rights, 3) to enhance multi-directional knowledge exchange, and 4) to include social impact assessment more strongly into planning processes. Further studies and conceptualisations of socio-natural capital are needed to find ways how people could interact to build capital to solve land use contradictions for sustainability.
Associations of Early Kidney Disease With Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Cognitive Function in African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND Relationships between early kidney disease, neurocognitive function, and brain anatomy are poorly defined in African Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional associations were assessed between cerebral anatomy and cognitive performance with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) in African Americans with T2DM. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS African Americans with cognitive testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the African American-Diabetes Heart Study Memory in Diabetes (AA-DHS MIND; n=512; 480 with MRI) and Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) MIND (n=484; 104 with MRI) studies. PREDICTORS eGFR (CKD-EPI creatinine equation), spot UACR. MEASUREMENTS MRI-based cerebral white matter volume (WMV), gray matter volume (GMV), and white matter lesion volume; cognitive performance (Mini-Mental State Examination, Digit Symbol Coding, Stroop Test, and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, scanner, intracranial volume, education, diabetes duration, hemoglobin A1c concentration, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, smoking, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease were used to test for associations between kidney phenotypes and the brain in each study; a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS Mean participant age was 60.1±7.9 (SD) years; diabetes duration, 12.1±7.7 years; hemoglobin A1c concentration, 8.3%±1.7%; eGFR, 88.7±21.6mL/min/1.73m2; and UACR, 119.2±336.4mg/g. In the fully adjusted meta-analysis, higher GMV associated with lower UACR (P<0.05), with a trend toward association with higher eGFR. Higher white matter lesion volume was associated with higher UACR (P<0.05) and lower eGFR (P<0.001). WMV was not associated with either kidney parameter. Higher UACR was associated with lower Digit Symbol Coding performance (P<0.001) and a trend toward association with higher Stroop interference; eGFR was not associated with cognitive tests. LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional; single UACR measurement. CONCLUSIONS In African Americans with T2DM, mildly high UACR and mildly low eGFR were associated with smaller GMV and increased white matter lesion volume. UACR was associated with poorer processing speed and working memory.
IPO underpricing in the insurance industry and the effect of Sharia compliance: Evidence from Saudi Arabian market

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the existence of underpricing in the cooperative insurance sector in the Saudi Arabian market and to examine whether Sharia compliance requirements have an impact on the level of underpricing. Design/methodology/approach Underpricing and the effect of Sharia compliance are analysed using a comprehensive sample of 33 insurance companies with data collected between 2007 and 2013, after taking into account market movements, as well as some factors well-known in the literature. Findings The authors find that underpricing not only exists but also is among the highest in the world (455 per cent), which contradicts the literature on initial public offerings (IPOs)’ pricing in highly regulated sectors. In light of one of the other findings of the authors, namely, the small number of insurance underwriters, the authors attribute these very high levels of underpricing in part to the monopsony power of insurance underwriters in Saudi Arabia. Regarding the Sharia compliance effect, they find that it does not significantly reduce the underpricing of insurance offerings. The authors interpret this as the fact that Sharia status might not be taken into account by underwriters when they price the offerings of insurance companies, due to a major drawback in the implementing regulations of cooperative insurance which have been highly criticised by practitioners. Research limitations/implications Future research should try to include more factors that might explain the underpricing and its determinants. Two important recommendations flowing from this study for regulatory and supervisory institutions are the need to improve disclosure and transparency conditions and to work towards reducing the monopsony power enjoyed by the underwriters. As for Sharia effect, the Saudi central bank should resolve the issue of Sharia compliance by adopting one of the Sharia-friendly models suggested by Islamic finance scholars, such as wakala or mudaraba. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to offer empirical evidence of the impact of Sharia compliance on the initial return of the IPOs of cooperative insurance firms.
Dynamics of the cognitive procedural learning in alcoholics with Korsakoff's syndrome.

BACKGROUND While procedures acquired before the development of amnesia are likely to be preserved in alcoholic patients with Korsakoff's syndrome, the ability of Korsakoff patients (KS) to learn new cognitive procedures is called in question. According to the Adaptive Control of Thoughts model, learning a new cognitive procedure requires highly controlled processes in the initial cognitive phase, which may be difficult for KS with episodic and working memory deficits. The goals of the present study were to examine the learning dynamics of KS compared with uncomplicated alcoholic patients (AL) and control subjects (CS) and to determine the contribution of episodic and working memory abilities in cognitive procedural learning performance. METHODS Fourteen KS, 15 AL, and 15 CS were submitted to 40 trials (4 daily learning sessions) of the Tower of Toronto task (disk-transfer task similar to the tower of Hanoi task) as well as episodic and working memory tasks. RESULTS The 10 KS who were able to perform the cognitive procedural learning task obtained lower results than both CS and AL. The cognitive phase was longer in the Korsakoff's syndrome group than in the other 2 groups but did not differ between the 3 groups any more when episodic memory abilities were controlled. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that KS have impaired cognitive procedural learning abilities compared with both AL and CS. Episodic memory deficits observed in KS result in a delayed transition from the cognitive learning phase to more advanced learning phases and, as a consequence, in an absence of automation of the procedure within 40 trials.
Efficient parabolic similariton geneartion by third order dispersion compensation

Self-similar parabolic pulse generation is studied for a designed fiber having a high value of third order dispersion (TOD) so that the effect of TOD can be realized in the proposed fiber. As TOD destroys the pulse shape leading to optical wave breaking, a compensation method for TOD in practical fibers is extremely needed. In this paper, the deleterious effect of TOD is efficiently compensated by introducing the time reversal system in self-similar parabolic pulse formation and as a result linearly chirped parabolic pulses are obtained even in presence of high value of TOD.
A Study of Accountability Practice in Dompet Dhuafa Waqf of Indonesia

The aim of this study is to address the issue of accountability practice in a waqf institution. Specifically, the focus of this study is to provide insights into how accountability is perceived and discharged by the mutawallī (waqf trustee) in managing a waqf. In so doing, a case study of one Indonesian waqf institution, that is, Dompet Dhuafa is undertaken. To achieve the stated objectives of the study, the researchers used various techniques of data collection that mainly comprises: interviews, observations and reviews of documents. The findings reveal that the belief in dual accountability – to Allah and human beings – has strengthened the mutawallī’s perception concerning the importance of accountability. Moreover, in showing its accountability in managing a waqf to stakeholders, the mutawallī uses various mechanisms. In addition, the mutawallī is also liable to discerning accountability to himself/herself. Hence, this study concludes that the holistic accountability practiced by Dompet Dhuafa is an integrative process. It does not only encompass fulfilling upward and downward accountabilities, but also involves the commitment to preserve organizational values.
Identification of genetic variants in pharmacokinetic genes associated with Ewing Sarcoma treatment outcome.

BACKGROUND Despite the effectiveness of current treatment protocols for Ewing sarcoma (ES), many patients still experience relapse, and survival following recurrence is <15%. We aimed to identify genetic variants that predict treatment outcome in children diagnosed with ES. PATIENTS AND METHODS We carried out a pharmacogenetic study of 384 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 24 key transport or metabolism genes relevant to drugs used to treat in pediatric patients (<30 years) with histologically confirmed ES. We studied the association of genotypes with tumor response and overall survival (OS) in a discovery cohort of 106 Spanish children, with replication in a second cohort of 389 pediatric patients from across Europe. RESULTS We identified associations with OS (P < 0.05) for three SNPs in the Spanish cohort that were replicated in the European cohort. The strongest association observed was with rs7190447, located in the ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 6 (ABCC6) gene [discovery: hazard ratio (HR) = 14.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.53-134, P = 0.020; replication: HR = 9.28, 95% CI = 2.20-39.2, P = 0.0024] and its correlated SNP rs7192303, which was predicted to have a plausible regulatory function. We also replicated associations with rs4148737 in the ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) gene (discovery: HR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.08-8.10, P = 0.034; replication: HR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.05-2.44, P = 0.029), which we have previously found to be associated with poorer OS in pediatric osteosarcoma patients, and rs11188147 in cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily C member 8 gene (CYP2C8) (discovery : HR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.06-5.87, P = 0.037; replication: HR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.06-2.96, P = 0.030), an enzyme involved in the oxidative metabolism of the ES chemotherapeutic agents cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. None of the associations with tumor response were replicated. CONCLUSION Using an integrated pathway-based approach, we identified polymorphisms in ABCC6, ABCB1 and CYP2C8 associated with OS. These associations were replicated in a large independent cohort, highlighting the importance of pharmacokinetic genes as prognostic markers in ES.
An Evolutionary Approach to Finding Bidding Strategies in a Combinatorial Auction

PRITI P PHADKE. An Evolutionary Approach to finding Bidding Strategies in a Combinatorial Auction. (Under the direction of Dr. Peter Wurman.) Auctions involve trading of variety of different items. Auctions that allow agents to bid for combinations of items are called Combinatorial Auctions (CAs). The Ascending k -Bundle Auction(AkBA) is a combinatorial auction founded on a notion of bundle price equilibrium. The purpose of this research is to explore the strategy space and help agents evolve strategies for a Proxy version of A1BA(P-AkBA). We use a Genetic algorithm to search the space of strategies. Several experiments were performed for different categories of problems and the results show that the approach yields good solutions. We compare the outcomes of the evolved solutions with the outcomes that result from truthful bidding, and compare prices against those generated in the sealed-bid version of k -bundle auction and the standard GVA payments. We also make several observations about the effect of genetic parameters on the performance of search. AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO FINDING BIDDING STRATEGIES IN A COMBINATORIAL AUCTION
FcRγ‐chain deficiency reduces the development of diet‐induced obesity

Pathogenic immunoglobulins are produced during the development of obesity and contribute to the development of insulin resistance (IR). However, the mechanisms by which these antibodies affect IR are largely unknown. This study investigated whether Fc‐receptors contribute to the development of diet‐induced obesity and IR by studying FcRγ−/− mice that lack the γ‐subunit necessary for signaling and cell surface expression of FcγR and FcεRI.
Mass Opinion and Immigration Policy in the United States: Re-Assessing Clientelist and Elitist Perspectives

We argue that widely accepted elitist and “clientelist” models of immigration policy in the United States unduly minimize popular pressure on policy-making. These models portray majority opinion in ways that fail to recognize divergence between the public’s abstract goals for immigration policy and its support for the concrete policy changes needed to achieve them. As a result, they obscure many important instances in which immigration policy accords with public preferences despite counter-pressure from elites and organized lobbies. We demonstrate this point by identifying and explaining gaps between generalized attitudes and beliefs about specific policies in the domains of both legal and illegal immigration, showing that status quo legal admissions policies are not starkly at odds with majority preferences and that, contrary to interpretations of most commercial polling on the topic, majorities reject specific aspects of legalization programs that organized lobbies insist on as components of a “grand bargain” to overhaul an immigration system widely viewed as “broken. ” Appreciating the nuance in mass opinion toward immigration policy helps explain policy stagnation that confounds elitist models and suggests that forging ahead with immigration reform will require persuading the public and not only successful bargaining among elites and interest groups.
Peripheral arterial disease and depressed mood in older men and women

The objective of this study was to determine whether lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with depressive symptoms and whether PAD-related disability mediates the association between PAD and depressive symptoms. The study used a cross-sectional design set in an academic medical center. A cohort of men and women aged 55 years and older with (n = 93) or without (n = 74) PAD was recruited. PAD subjects were identified from a blood flow laboratory and a general medicine practice. Non-PAD subjects were identified from the same general medicine practice. PAD was diagnosed and quantified using the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 15-item short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-S; score range 0-15, 0 = no depressive symptoms). The six-minute walk test and the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ) distance score (score range 0-100, 100 = better walking ability) were measures of walking impairment. PAD subjects had depressive mood (DM) (defined by GDS-S score ≤5) twice as often as controls (24% vs 12%, p = 0.06). After adjustment for age, education, and number of comorbidities, the prevalence of depressive mood among PAD subjects was increased, but this association was not significant (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 0.7-4.4). The WIQ distance score weakened the association between PAD and DM, and higher distance scores were associated with a lower likelihood of DM (OR = 0.98 per one unit of the WIQ, 95% CI 0.96-0.99). Among PAD subjects, severe PAD (ABI >0.5) was not significantly associated with DM (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 0.5-4.1), but a greater 6-min walk distance was associated with a lower likelihood of DM (OR = 0.8 per 100 feet, 95% CI 0.70-0.97). Substituting the WIQ scores for six-min walk distance in the model showed that higher WIQ scores were associated with lower likelihood of DM among PAD subjects (OR = 0.98 per one unit of the WIQ, 95% CI 0.95-1.0), though the association did not achieve statistical significance. In conclusion, these data suggest that PAD may be associated with an increased risk of DM and that this relationship may be related to PAD-associated disability. An evaluation for depression may be appropriate in men and women with PAD. Findings should be evaluated in a larger study cohort.
Sources and Consequences of Productivity Growth Dynamics: Is Japan Suffering from Baumol's Diseases?

This study examines the sources and consequences of labour productivity growth dynamics in Japan (1970-2011) to investigate the extent to which Japanese economic performance has been affected by Baumol's growth and cost diseases. We find that although it is not as apparent in actual aggregate labour productivity dynamics, Baumol's growth disease lies behind the Japanese economy. In regard to Baumol's cost disease, the Japanese economy has undergone a change from productivity growth rate differential inflation to productivity growth rate differential deflation since the end of the 1990s. In other words, Baumol's cost disease appears atypically as deflation in the recent performance of the Japanese economy.
Rat monocytes up‐regulate NKR‐P1A and down‐modulate CD4 and CD43 during activation in vivo: monocyte subpopulations in normal and IFN‐γ‐treated rats

LEW rats were treated intravenously with recombinant rat interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) for 3 days to achieve intravascular accumulation, proliferation, and activation of monocytes. Monocytes, defined by their expression of the ED1, ED9, and Ox41 antigens, were recovered from the vasculature by perfusion with PBS/EDTA, subsequently depleted of erythrocytes and granulocytes by Percoll density gradient centrifugation, and analyzed by flow cytometry and immunocytology. In untreated and control‐infused specified pathogen‐free (SPF) rats, lymphocytes and monocytes formed overlapping cell populations with respect to size and internal granularity. At least two intravascular monocyte subsets, probably central and marginating cells, were distinguished by their size and differential expression of CD43, CD4, CD11a, CD18, and L‐selectin. It is interesting to note that a fraction of the monocytes in normal and control‐infused animals carried the NKR‐P1A molecule. IFN‐γ treatment provoked a duplication of monocyte size and granularity. Both the number of positive monocytes and the level of expression of NKR‐P1A strongly increased after IFN‐γ infusion, whereas CD43 (leukosialin) and CD4 were impressively down‐regulated. NKR‐P1A+ L‐selectin+CD43low CD4‐ monocytes also occur in the vasculature of rats during immune reactions in vivo. We speculate that these cells are involved in organ damage and that their number is controlled by activation‐induced cell death within the vessels. J. Leukoc. Biol. 62: 741–752; 1997.
Cementless total hip arthroplasty with a close proximal fit and short tapered distal stem (third-generation) prosthesis.

This study presents the results of a prospective, consecutive series of 50 patients (60 hips) who were observed for a minimum of 6 years after they had a primary total hip arthroplasty with a cementless Duraloc 100 series cup (DePuy, Warsaw, IN) with a close proximal fit and short tapered distal stem prosthesis (IPS hip; DePuy, Leeds, UK). There were 37 men and 13 women; the mean age was 46.6 years (range, 26 to 70 years). The mean follow-up was 6.3 years (range, 6 to 7 years). The mean preoperative Harris hip score was 42 points, which improved to 96 points at the final follow-up examination. The prevalence of transitory thigh pain was 2%. All hips had a satisfactory fit of the femoral stem in coronal (average, 88%) and sagittal (average, 94%) planes. There was no aseptic loosening or revision of the components. The wear rate per year was 0.23 mm. Four hips (7%) had osteolysis in the calcar femorale <1 cm in diameter. Although there was no aseptic loosening of the components, a low incidence of osteolysis, and a low incidence of thigh pain, a high rate of polyethylene liner wear in these young patients is a problem.