Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dissemination of Family Life Education to Adolescents by Their Parents in Suburban Ibadan, Nigeria

Family life education (FLE) is a process of imparting both factual knowledge about human development, sexual relationships, preparation for parenthood, pregnancy, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases and also values, attitudes and perceptions that will enhance health self-concepts and relationships. Although experts agree that the home is the best place to begin FLE, parents themselves are sometimes reluctant as discussion of these topics may be embarrassing or even taboo between generations. Parents also express concern that they may not be knowledgeable enough to handle FLE. The inhibitions on FLE in the home may be exacerbated by urbanization that reduces traditional social support systems. With this background, the investigators looked at the nature and level of family life communication between parents and their adolescent children in homes in the suburban community of Apata in Ibadan, Nigeria. Of six FLE topics, the 253 families interviewed discussed only an average of three. Some parents did not feel competent and others felt that raising such issues might encourage undesirable behavior by the youth. Mothers were found to be the major initiators of FLE. A 12-point communication score was constructed based on potential FLE topics that could be discussed at home. The level of FLE communication was found to increase with parents' level of education. Greater time at home by parents was also associated with better scores. A positive perception of a parental role in FLE was reflected in higher scores. Strategies to increase parents' knowledge on FLE topics as well as their self-efficacy in providing FLE is suggested with special focus on the facilitating potential of schools and women's groups in the community.
A twin study of personality disorders.

No twin study has previously investigated the whole range of personality disorders (PDs) recorded by interviews. Based on twin and patient registries, 92 monozygotic (MZ) and 129 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders (SCID-II). Observed prevalence rates from a normal population study of more than 2,000 individuals were used in combination with data from the present study to generate statistics assumed to be valid for a normal twin population, and these statistics were used for structural equation modeling. The best-fitting models had a heritability of . 60 for PDs generally, . 37 for the eccentric (A) cluster, . 60 for the emotional (B) cluster, and . 62 for the fearful (C) cluster. Among the specific PDs, the heritability appeared to be . 79 for narcissistic, . 78 for obsessive-compulsive, . 69 for borderline, . 67 for histrionic, . 61 for schizotypal, . 57 for dependent, . 54 for self-defeating, . 29 for schizoid, . 28 for paranoid, and . 28 for avoidant PDs. The best-fitting models never included shared-in-families environmental effects. However, a model with only shared familial and unique environmental effects could not be ruled out for dependent PD. Shared familial environmental effects may also influence the development of any PD and borderline PD. Passive-aggressive PD did not seem to be affected by genes or family environment at all. The low occurrence of antisocial PD in the twin sample precluded any model for this disorder. PDs seem to be more strongly influenced by genetic effects than almost any axis I disorder, and more than most broad personality dimensions. However, we observed a large variation in heritability among the different PDs, probably partly because of a moderate sample size and low prevalence of the specific disorders.
Endometriosis: a high-risk population for major chronic diseases?

BACKGROUND Despite an estimated prevalence of 10% in women, the etiology of endometriosis remains poorly understood. Over recent decades, endometriosis has been associated with risk of several chronic diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma/atopic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. A deeper understanding of these associations is needed as they may provide new leads into the causes or consequences of endometriosis. This review summarizes the available epidemiological findings on the associations between endometriosis and other chronic diseases and discusses hypotheses for underlying mechanisms, potential sources of bias and methodological complexities. METHODS We performed a comprehensive search of the PubMed/Medline and ISI Web of Knowledge databases for all studies reporting on the associations between endometriosis and other diseases published in English through to May 2014, using numerous search terms. We additionally examined the reference lists of all identified papers to capture any additional articles that were not identified through computer searches. RESULTS We identified 21 studies on the associations between endometriosis and ovarian cancer, 14 for breast cancer, 8 for endometrial cancer, 4 for cervical cancer, 12 for cutaneous melanoma and 3 for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, as well as 9 on the links between endometriosis and autoimmune diseases, 6 on the links with asthma and atopic diseases, and 4 on the links with cardiovascular diseases. Endometriosis patients were reported to be at higher risk of ovarian and breast cancers, cutaneous melanoma, asthma, and some autoimmune, cardiovascular and atopic diseases, and at decreased risk of cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS Increasing evidence suggests that endometriosis patients are at higher risk of several chronic diseases. Although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood, the available data to date suggest that endometriosis is not harmless with respects to women's long-term health. If these relationships are confirmed, these findings may have important implications in screening practices and in the management and care of endometriosis patients.
Faculty and Student Perceptions of Effective Online Learning Environments

This quantitative and qualitative study was designed to review alignment of student and faculty perceptions of effective online learning environments. The purpose of this study was to review statistical survey data to determine if alignment of perceptions existed. The student research sample included data from three years of archival survey data at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. Over 10,000 survey results were part of this sample. Additionally, Minnesota West Community and Technical College faculty who taught during this timeframe were surveyed. Qualitative data from one year of student responses was analyzed to add depth to the results. The results showed partial alignment of faculty and student perceptions of what constitutes an effective online learning environment. © Copyright 2016 by Kayla L. Westra
Support for learning in schools

Publikace je souborem analytických studii zaměřených na sirokou skalu podob podpory procesů uceni v norských i ceských skolach. Autoři nabizeji data z vybraných výzkumů zaměřených na dane tema, ktere realizovali v předchozich letech. Výsledky prezentovaných analýz inspiruji ke komparaci ceských a norských podminek a podpůrných mechanismů zaměřených na rozvoj uceni a kvality ve skolach.
Market Value Creation Through International Expansions: Evidence from Fortune Global 500 Firms

Although international expansion often enables firms to enhance their existing businesses, extant studies have not fully explained the drivers of international expansion success. Underpinning the belief that changes in a firm’s market value in response to an international expansion reflect the anticipated changes in the firm’s future expected cash flows resulting from this expansion, the author attempts to develop a theoretical model that may explain the effects of a firm’s international diversification on its market value creation and the moderating roles of the host-market type and the firm’s expansion strategy. The model is empirically tested using a sample of 253 international expansion announcements of firms listed in the Fortune Global 500 for the period between 2006 and 2015. Using an event study method and a linear modeling technique, the author finds that the international diversification of large international firms positively affects market value creation and that international expansions do not equally affect the market value across firms and markets. This manuscript is concluded with a discussion of important implications regarding theoretical and managerial contributions and research limitations some of which suggest plausible avenues for future research.
The value relevance of earnings, cash flows and book values in Egypt

Purpose - Motivated by the lack of research on the value relevance of accounting information in the emerging markets of Middle Eastern countries, and the unique institutional and accounting setting in Egypt, this paper aims to investigate the relation between capital market and accounting information in the emerging market of Egypt. Specifically, based on Egyptian data, this study examines the value relevance of earnings, cash flows from operations and book values. Design/methodology/approach - To examine the value relevance of the above accounting measures, this study uses statistical associations between accounting information and capital market values: the association between earnings and annual returns; the association between cash flows and accruals, and annual returns; and the association between earnings and book values of equity, and stock prices. Findings - The results show that, first, earnings have value relevance. However, earnings changes are significantly more successful than earnings levels in explaining security returns. These results suggest that changes in earnings are largely permanent; hence, earnings follow (close to) a random walk model. Second, contrary to what is stated in the literature, cash flows from operations are not successful in explaining stock returns. This result suggests that cash flows are less important and not value relevant in Egypt compared to the USA or the UK. A possible explanation is that cash flows in Egypt are very volatile (high variance) and not persistent, so the market does not rely on them. Third, individually, both earnings and book values significantly explain stock prices; however, jointly, earnings have incremental explanatory power beyond book values for stock prices whereas book values do not. These results suggest that in Egypt the income statement is much more important than the balance sheet for valuation purposes. Overall, these results are interesting because they do not completely replicate the results from other countries. Practical implications - The existence of value relevance for earnings despite the apparent lack of value relevance for cash flows can be interpreted as indicating that accruals are designed to offset and smooth cash flows’ volatility and low value relevance, so that earnings are relatively more persistent and relevant. These results show that earnings potentially are a much more important and informative measure of a firm’s value than cash flows from operations in Egypt. However, we certainly need the cash flows information as an ex-post validation of the prior earnings. Overall, it appears that the investors in Egypt are looking at the accounting data when evaluating the value of the firm, which is a good sign. However, the empirical findings of this paper are discussed. Originality/value - This study contributes to the limited research on value relevance of accounting information in the emerging market of Egypt.
Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) Recognition of a SUMO Binding Motif

Sumoylation has recently been identified as an important mechanism that regulates protein interactions and localization in essential cellular functions, such as gene transcription, subnuclear structure formation, viral infection, and cell cycle progression. A SUMO binding amino acid sequence motif (SBM), which recognizes the SUMO moiety of modified proteins in sumoylation-dependent cellular functions, has been consistently identified by several recent studies. To understand the mechanism of SUMO recognition by the SBM, we have solved the solution structure of SUMO-1 in complex with a peptide containing the SBM derived from the protein PIASX (KVDVIDLTIESSSDEEEDPPAKR). Surprisingly, the structure reveals that the bound orientation of the SBM can reverse depending on the sequence context. The structure also reveals a novel mechanism of recognizing target sequences by a ubiquitin-like module. Unlike ubiquitin binding motifs, which all form helices and bind to the main β-sheet of ubiquitin, the SBM forms an extended structure that binds between the α-helix and a β-strand of SUMO-1. This study provides a clear mechanism of the SBM sequence variations and its recognition of the SUMO moiety in sumoylated proteins.
Sterol-dependent Transcriptional Regulation of Sterol Regulatory Element-binding Protein-2*

We show in this manuscript that expression of the mRNA for sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) is regulated by the cellular sterol level in cultured HeLa cells. We have cloned the 5′-flanking region of the gene encoding human SREBP-2. Characterization of this region shows the minimum 50-base pair segment, which contains a 10-base pair sterol regulatory element 1 (SRE-1) identical to the one in the human LDL receptor promoter, confers sterol responsiveness when fused to the luciferase reporter gene. Enforced expression of the truncated SREBP-2 protein (amino acid residues 1-481) also shows that this upstream segment contains the information required for transcriptional activation. The luciferase assays using mutant versions of the reporter genes reveal that the sterol-dependent transcriptional regulation is mediated by two nearby motifs, the SRE-1 and the NF-Y binding site (the inverted CCAAT box, ATTGGC); the latter is reported to play a critical role in sterol-dependent regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase and farnesyl diphosphate synthase genes (Jackson, S. M., Ericsson, J., Osborne, T. F., and Edwards, P. A. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 21445-21448). Gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that the transcription factor NF-Y truly binds to the ATTGGC sequence. These findings suggest that the activity of SREBP-2 is controlled not only post-translationally by proteolytic activation of the precursor protein but also transcriptionally by itself together with NF-Y.
The regulatory effects of all-trans-retinoic acid on isotype switching: retinoic acid induces IgA switch rearrangement in cooperation with IL-5 and inhibits IgG1 switching.

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) can induce germline Calpha transcription in LPS-stimulated murine mu(+)B-cells by a TGF-beta-independent mechanism. In the present study, we examined whether RA can further drive the IgA switching process to Smu-Salpha switch rearrangement by DC-PCR. RA alone could not induce switch rearrangement but required the cooperation of IL-5. RA has another effect on isotype switching; RA strongly inhibits IL-4-dependent IgG1 and IgE production. To analyze the mechanism of IgG1 inhibition, we tested whether RA can inhibit IL-4-dependent Smu-Sgamma1 switch rearrangement. IL-4 by itself could induce Smu-Sgamma1 switch rearrangement in LPS-stimulated mu(+)B-cells. Addition of RA inhibited this reaction. RA also showed an inhibitory effect on the preceding step, i.e., Igamma1Cgamma1 transcription. Therefore, RA inhibition of Smu-Sgamma1 switch rearrangement was regulated at the level of germline Cgamma1 transcription. We further analyzed the amounts of both Igamma1Cgamma1 and IalphaCalpha expressed in LPS-stimulated B-cells exposed to mixtures of the two switch inducers, RA and IL-4, at various concentrations and found that the two transcripts were regulated antagonistically. These results indicated that RA can regulate isotype switching at the level of germline transcription and directs switching to IgA with the help of IL-5 and inhibits IgG1 switching.
Risk Factors for Adverse Drug Events: A 10-Year Analysis

BACKGROUND Many adverse drug events (ADEs) are the result of known pharmacologic properties, and some result from medication errors. However, some are the result of patient-specific risk factors. OBJECTIVE To identify inpatient risk factors for ADEs. METHODS Conditional logistic regression was used to analyze all pharmacist-verified ADEs by therapeutic class of drugs and severity during a 10-year study period. All inpatients ≥18 years of age from a 520-bed tertiary teaching hospital were included. Each case patient was matched with up to 16 control patients. Odds ratios for patient factors associated with ADEs were calculated from different therapeutic classes of drugs. RESULTS Odds ratios for numerous risk factors were identified for 4376 ADEs and were found to vary depending on therapeutic classification. The risk factors for the different classifications were grouped by (1) patient characteristics—female (OR 1.5–1.7), age (0.7–0.9), weight (1.2–1.4), creatinine clearance (0.8–4.7), and number of comorbidities (1.1–12.6); (2) drug administration—dosage (1.2–3.7), administration route (1.4–149.9), and number of concomitant drugs (1.2–2.4); and (3) patient type—service (1.2–4.9), nursing division (1.5–3.8), and diagnosis-related group (1.5–5.7). CONCLUSIONS Some risk factors are consistent for all ADEs and across multiple therapeutic classes of drugs, while others are class specific. High-risk agents should be closely monitored based on patient characteristics (gender, age, weight, creatinine clearance, number of comorbidities) and drug administration (dosage, administration route, number of concomitant drugs).
Tumor-Produced Interleukin-8 Attracts Human Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Elicits Extrusion of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs)

Purpose: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are considered an important T-cell immunosuppressive component in cancer-bearing hosts. The factors that attract these cells to the tumor microenvironment are poorly understood. IL8 (CXCL8) is a potent chemotactic factor for neutrophils and monocytes. Experimental Design: MDSC were characterized and sorted by multicolor flow cytometry on ficoll-gradient isolated blood leucokytes from healthy volunteers (n = 10) and advanced cancer patients (n = 28). In chemotaxis assays, sorted granulocytic and monocytic MDSC were tested in response to recombinant IL8, IL8 derived from cancer cell lines, and patient sera. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation was assessed by confocal microscopy, fluorimetry, and time-lapse fluorescence confocal microscopy on short-term MDSC cultures. Results: IL8 chemoattracts both granulocytic (GrMDSC) and monocytic (MoMDSC) human MDSC. Monocytic but not granulocytic MDSC exerted a suppressor activity on the proliferation of autologous T cells isolated from the circulation of cancer patients. IL8 did not modify the T-cell suppressor activity of human MDSC. However, IL8 induced the formation of NETs in the GrMDSC subset. Conclusions: IL8 derived from tumors contributes to the chemotactic recruitment of MDSC and to their functional control. Clin Cancer Res; 22(15); 3924–36. ©2016 AACR.
Refractive change in diabetes mellitus around onset or when poorly controlled

Abstract. For generations it has been taught that myopic change is the principal response to hyperglycaemia in diabetes mellitus. Recently, however, a hyperopic concept has been advanced, to suggest that a change towards hypermetropia has possibly become the more frequent finding in diabetics with unstable refraction. The present sample comprises 32 cases of newly discovered diabetes and 40 cases of long duration, most cases being insulin‐dependent. Of the former 47% showed a refractive change around the recognized onset of diabetes, in some cases prior to detection and admission, but mostly after institution of insulin therapy; in 14/15 the change was towards hypermetropia. Of the longstanding cases 20% showed refractive change (while 80% did not) in association with poor metabolic control, equally towards myopia/hypermetropia. It was not possible to point out an association with specific patterns of metabolic dysregulation. The results are further discussed in relation to previous refraction studies demonstrating an increased myopia prevalence in diabetics in general, as compared to non‐diabetics. Apparently this cannot be explained merely by a possibly overlooked transient refractive change under periods of poor metabolic control.
Osteoarthritis in Football

Football is currently the most popular sporting activity in the world. Multiple reports have shown that a high incidence of osteoarthritis is found in football players. Evidence clearly shows that traumatic injury significantly predisposes players for such pathophysiology. Injuries are frequent in amateur as well as professional football players, with knee and ankle accounting for the most severe injuries. Many professional athletes lose playing time due to injuries and many are forced into early retirement. Posttraumatic osteoarthritis is a common finding among ex-football players with numbers well above the normal population. Today’s surgical techniques are advanced and capable of restoring the joint to a certain extent. However, a restitution ad integrum is reached only in very rare cases. Professional football players that return to play after serious injuries perform their extremely strenuous activity on morphologically compromised joints. Incomplete rehabilitation and pressure to return to play after an injurious event clearly put the athlete at an even higher risk for joint degeneration. Prevention strategies, improved surgical management, strict rehabilitation, as well as future aspects such as early suppression of inflammation, personalized medicine, and predictive genomics DNA profiling are needed to reduce incidence and improve the health perspectives of football players.
Heat shock proteins in obesity: links to cardiovascular disease

Abstract Adipose tissue expansion is associated with adipocyte dysfunction and increased inflammatory processes. In the obese state, adipose tissue is characterized by an impaired intracellular stress defense system and dysbalanced heat shock response. Several members of the heat shock protein (HSP) family have been identified as novel adipokines released upon cellular stress, which might be a molecular link from adipose tissue inflammation to the cardiovascular system. Therefore, this review aims at summarizing and discussing our recent knowledge on HSPs in relation to obesity and their potential links to cardiovascular disease. Of particular importance/interest are two members of the HSP family, HSP60 and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), which have been well described as adipokines, and studied in the context of obesity and cardiovascular disease. HSP60 is regarded as a novel molecular link between adipose tissue inflammation and obesity-associated insulin resistance. The role of HO-1 induction in the obese state is well-documented, but a causal relationship between increased HO-1 levels and obesity-associated metabolic diseases is still controversial. Both HSP60 and HO-1 are also forthcoming targets for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, and the current knowledge will also be discussed in this review.
Image inpainting based on an improved K-SVD counterpart algorithm

An improved K-SVD counterpart algorithm for image inpainting with a new strategy for patch extracting is proposed. In the new framework, firstly a two layers patch extracting approach is proposed to enable the process of image inpainting on each patch more effectively. Then the K-SVD counterpart dictionary learning based on each corrupted patch is realized with alternating minimization strategy. Each patch is inpainted through the framework, which will be integrated and averaged to form the final visible image. Simulations on several popular used images in different missing cases illustrate that the proposed algorithm improves the recovering performance in term of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR).