722 research outputs found
Reconsidering the Link Between Self-Reported Personality Traits and Political Preferences
Research on personality and political preferences generally assumes unidirectional causal influence of the former on the latter. However, there are reasons to believe that citizens might adopt what they perceive as politically congruent psychological attributes, or at least be motivated to view themselves as having these attributes. We test this hypothesis in a series of studies. Results of preregistered panel analyses in three countries suggest reciprocal causal influences between self-reported personality traits and political preferences. In two two-wave survey experiments, a subtle political prime at the beginning of a survey resulted in self-reported personality traits that were more aligned with political preferences gauged in a previous assessment. We discuss how concurrent assessment within the context of a political survey might overestimate the causal influence of personality traits on political preferences and how political polarization might be exacerbated by political opponents adopting different personality characteristics or self-perceptions thereof
Prospective study of pediatric patients presenting with idiopathic infantile nystagmusâManagement and molecular diagnostics
Idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IIN) is an inherited disorder occurring in the first 6 months of life, with no underlying retinal or neurological etiologies and is predominantly caused by mutations in the FRMD7 gene. IIN poses a diagnostic challenge as underlying pre-symptomatic âmultisystemâ disorders varying from benign to life-threatening should first be ruled out before nystagmus can be labeled as idiopathic. A multidisciplinary approach including multimodal ocular investigations and next-generation sequencing with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or targeted gene panel testing is required to delineate the exact etiology. We report the clinical and genetic outcomes of 22 patients, from 22 unrelated families of diverse ethnicities, with IIN seen in the ocular genetics service at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust between 2016 and 2022. Thirty-six percent (8/22) received a confirmed molecular diagnosis with eight mutations identified in two genes (seven in FRMD7 including one novel variant c.706_707del; p. [Lys236Alafs*66], and one in GPR143). This study expands the mutational spectrum of IIN and highlights the significant role of an integrated care pathway and broader panel testing in excluding underlying pathologies
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in adolescents: Results at two years including psychosocial aspects
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Obesity now affects 3%-4% of the pediatric population and contributes to the increase in cardiac mortality in adulthood. Bariatric surgery is the best treatment for weight loss and the obesity-associated comorbidities in adults. We report here our experience of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) in adolescents.
METHODS: The medical charts of the first 16 patients operated on in our center were reviewed. Data were compiled concerning weight loss, physical and biological comorbidities, health-related quality of life (QOL) and surgical complications before surgery and during 24months of follow-up.
RESULTS: The maximal pre-operative median body mass index was 43.0kg·m(-2), decreasing to 33.0kg·m(-2) at 2years post-LAGB, which corresponded to a 49.2% excess body weight loss (p<0.001). Most comorbidities (glucose intolerance, hypertension and sleep apnea) resolved within the first year post-LAGB and QOL was improved on the PedsQL⹠scales. No severe surgical complications were noted, with only three re-interventions for device failure (2) or band removal (1).
CONCLUSION: LAGB is well tolerated in adolescents and shows a beneficial impact on weight loss and obesity-related comorbidities. Associated with global management, it may have a positive impact on patients\u27 QOL and social and psychological status
Reducing the number of sentinel nodes removed in melanoma patients: A prospective study
CONTEXT: Since 1992, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy was generally
applied to melanoma for tumor staging. As the literature points out, an
increasing number of nodes are being removed for each procedure,
driving up the cost for this procedure and wandering away from the
defining concept of sentinel lymph node. AIMS: The objective of the
current study was to show that the number of sentinel lymph node s
removed can be minimized without influencing the reliability of tumor
staging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-arm prospective
study in patients with stage I melanoma. For each patient, the sentinel
lymph node was identified using the hand-held gamma probe technique. We
removed only the hottest nodes as well as the nodes with radioactivity
greater than 70% compared to the hottest. We analyzed the
characteristics of each melanoma, the success rate of this procedure,
how many nodes were removed and how many had micro metastases.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The results were compared to those of the
literature, previously published Porter study using the chi-square
test. RESULTS: We included 90 patients. The success rate of this
technique was 100%. We dissected 1.3 sentinel lymph nodes for each
patient, with 22% positive SLN. Statistical analyses point out a better
selectivity of our study for a similar rate of pathological positivity
and recurrence compared to the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Our technique
for decreasing the number of sentinel lymph nodes removed is reliable.
The removal of minimal number of nodes doesn\u2032t compromise the
sensitivity of tumor staging, while it does reduce the cost of the
procedure
Intelligent Sensing in Dynamic Environments Using Markov Decision Process
In a network of low-powered wireless sensors, it is essential to capture as many environmental events as possible while still preserving the battery life of the sensor node. This paper focuses on a real-time learning algorithm to extend the lifetime of a sensor node to sense and transmit environmental events. A common method that is generally adopted in ad-hoc sensor networks is to periodically put the sensor nodes to sleep. The purpose of the learning algorithm is to couple the sensorâs sleeping behavior to the natural statistics of the environment hence that it can be in optimal harmony with changes in the environment, the sensors can sleep when steady environment and stay awake when turbulent environment. This paper presents theoretical and experimental validation of a reward based learning algorithm that can be implemented on an embedded sensor. The key contribution of the proposed approach is the design and implementation of a reward function that satisfies a trade-off between the above two mutually contradicting objectives, and a linear critic function to approximate the discounted sum of future rewards in order to perform policy learning
Managerial Work in a Practice-Embodying Institution - The role of calling, the virtue of constancy
What can be learned from a small scale study of managerial work in a highly marginal and under-researched working community? This paper uses the âgoods-virtues-practices-institutionsâ framework to examine the managerial work of owner-directors of traditional circuses. Inspired by MacIntyreâs arguments for the necessity of a narrative understanding of the virtues, interviews explored how British and Irish circus directors accounted for their working lives. A purposive sample was used to select subjects who had owned and managed traditional touring circuses for at least 15 years, a period in which the economic and reputational fortunes of traditional circuses have suffered badly. This sample enabled the research to examine the self-understanding of people who had, at least on the face of it, exhibited the virtue of constancy. The research contributes to our understanding of the role of the virtues in organizations by presenting evidence of an intimate relationship between the virtue of constancy and a âcallingâ work orientation. This enhances our understanding of the virtues that are required if management is exercised as a domain-related practice
Lewis X antigen mediates adhesion of human breast carcinoma cells to activated endothelium. Possible involvement of the endothelial scavenger receptor C-Type lectin
Lewis x (Lex, CD15), also known as SSEA-1 (stage specific embryonic antigen-1), is a trisaccharide with the structure GalÎČ(1â4)Fucα(1â3)GlcNAc, which is expressed on glycoconjugates in human polymorphonuclear granulocytes and various tumors such as colon and breast carcinoma. We have investigated the role of Lex in the adhesion of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and PMN to human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the effects of two different anti-Lex mAbs (FC-2.15 and MCS-1) on this adhesion. We also analyzed the cytolysis of Lex+-cells induced by anti-Lex mAbs and complement when cells were adhered to the endothelium, and the effect of these antibodies on HUVEC. The results indicate that MCF-7 cells can bind to HUVEC, and that MCS-1 but not FC-2.15 mAb inhibit this interaction. Both mAbs can efficiently lyse MCF-7 cells bound to HUVEC in the presence of complement without damaging endothelial cells. We also found a Lex-dependent PMN interaction with HUVEC. Although both anti-Lex mAbs lysed PMN in suspension and adhered to HUVEC, PMN aggregation was only induced by mAb FC-2.15. Blotting studies revealed that the endothelial scavenger receptor C-type lectin (SRCL), which binds Lex-trisaccharide, interacts with specific glycoproteins of MrâŁâŒâŁ28 kD and 10 kD from MCF-7 cells. The interaction between Lex+-cancer cells and vascular endothelium is a potential target for cancer treatment.Fil: Elola, Maria Teresa. FundaciĂłn Instituto Leloir; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; ArgentinaFil: Capurro, Mariana Isabel. University of Toronto; CanadĂĄFil: Barrio, Maria Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; Argentina. FundaciĂłn para la InvestigaciĂłn, Docencia y PrevenciĂłn del CĂĄncer; ArgentinaFil: Coombs, Peter J.. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Taylor, Maureen E.. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Drickamer, Kurt. Imperial College London; Reino UnidoFil: Mordoh, Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas; Argentina. FundaciĂłn para la InvestigaciĂłn, Docencia y PrevenciĂłn del CĂĄncer; Argentin
Measurement of the cross-section ratio sigma_{psi(2S)}/sigma_{J/psi(1S)} in deep inelastic exclusive ep scattering at HERA
The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of and
at an centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS
detector at HERA in the kinematic range GeV,
GeV and GeV, where is the photon virtuality, is the
photon-proton centre-of-mass energy and is the squared four-momentum
transfer at the proton vertex. The data for GeV were taken in
the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114
pb. The data for GeV are from both HERA I and HERA II
periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb. The decay
modes analysed were and for the
and for the . The cross-section ratio
has been measured as a function of
and . The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired
models of exclusive vector-meson production.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure
Combined QCD and electroweak analysis of HERA data
A simultaneous fit of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and electroweak
parameters to HERA data on deep inelastic scattering is presented. The input
data are the neutral current and charged current inclusive cross sections which
were previously used in the QCD analysis leading to the HERAPDF2.0 PDFs. In
addition, the polarisation of the electron beam was taken into account for the
ZEUS data recorded between 2004 and 2007. Results on the vector and
axial-vector couplings of the Z boson to u- and d-type quarks, on the value of
the electroweak mixing angle and the mass of the W boson are presented. The
values obtained for the electroweak parameters are in agreement with Standard
Model predictions.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. D. Small corrections
from proofing process and small change to Fig. 12 and Table
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