UTUPub
Not a member yet
55238 research outputs found
Sort by
Stable Marital Histories Predict Happiness and Health Across Educational Groups
Get PDFCouple relations are a key determinant of mental and physical well-being in old age. However, we do not know how the advantages and disadvantages associated with partnership histories vary between socioeconomic groups. We create relationship history typologies for the cohorts 1945-1957 using the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe and examine, for the first time, how relationship histories relate to multiple indicators of well-being by educational attainment. The results show that stable marriages predict greater well-being, compared to single and less stable partnership histories. The positive outcomes are similar across all educational groups. Those with lower education who have divorced experience even lower well-being in old age. The interaction analyses suggest that individuals with fewer resources could suffer more from losing a partner. The findings underscore that current and past romantic relationships are linked to well-being in old age and help policymakers identify vulnerable subgroups among the ageing population
Role of the Educational Atmosphere on Self-Efficacy Among Dental Students
Get PDFBackground: Learning is due to behavioral changes in knowledge, skills, and attitude.Objectives: The current research assesses the state of the atmosphere, educational environment, and self-efficacy domains. It also assesses how the educational environment affects dental students' sense of self-efficacy.Methods: All clinical undergraduate dental students (N=190) at Tehran University of Medical Science's School of Dentistry were the focus of a descriptive-analytical research conducted in 2018. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), the demographic surveys, and the validated Persian version of the Sherer Self-Efficacy Scale were all employed by the researchers. The DREEM assessed students' perceptions of learning (PoL), teaching (PoT), academic self-perception (ASP), atmosphere (PoA), and social self-perception (SSP) in addition to other key categories. Demographic factors and educational data (academic level, admittance quota, overall average grade, final semester grade, employment experience outside of dentistry school, and self-perceived effectiveness) were included in the demographic questionnaire. The factors from the demographic questionnaire were compared to the educational climate and self-efficacy using linear regression analysis. Additionally, the association between the educational environment and self-efficacy was assessed using Pearson's correlation (rho) coefficient.Results: The majority of clinical dentistry students (87.3%) were single, female (52.6%), and lived in dorms. All DREEM domains and the overall educational environment, with the exception of the PoT domain (p-value=0.302), significantly correlated positively with students' self-efficacy (p-value Conclusion: A good educational atmosphere may enhance dental students’ self-efficacy.</p
Detection of the Geminga pulsar at energies down to 20 GeV with the LST-1 of CTAO
No full textContext. Geminga is the third gamma-ray pulsar firmly detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) after the Crab and the Vela pulsars. Most of its emission is expected at tens of giga-electronvolts, and, out of the planned telescopes of the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) are the only ones with optimised sensitivity at these energies.Aims. We aim to characterise the gamma-ray pulse shape and spectrum of Geminga as observed by the first LST (hereafter LST-1) of the Northern Array of CTAO. Furthermore, this study confirms the great performance and the improved energy threshold of the telescope, as low as 10 GeV for pulsar analysis, with respect to current-generation Cherenkov telescopes.Methods. We analysed 60 hours of good-quality data taken by the LST-1 between December 2022 and March 2024 at zenith angles below 50°. Additionally, a new Fermi-LAT analysis of 16.6 years of data was carried out to extend the spectral analysis down to 100 MeV. Lastly, a detailed study of the systematic effects was performed.Results. We report the detection of Geminga in the energy range between 20 and 65 GeV. Of the two peaks of the phaseogram, the second one, P2, is detected with a significance of 12.2σ, while the first (P1) reaches a significance level of 2.6σ. The best-fit model for the spectrum of P2 was found to be a power law with a spectral index of Γ = (4.5 ± 0.4stat)−0.6sys+0.2sys, compatible with the previous results obtained by the MAGIC Collaboration. No evidence of curvature is found in the LST-1 energy range. The joint fit with Fermi-LAT data confirms a preference for a sub-exponential cut-off over a pure exponential, even though both models fail to reproduce the data above several tens of giga-electronvolts. The overall results presented in this paper prove that the LST-1 is an excellent telescope for the observation of pulsars, and improved sensitivity is expected to be achieved with the full CTAO Northern Array.</p
Anthocyanin-rich extract from purple potatoes decreases postprandial glycemic response and affects inflammation markers in healthy men
No full textOur recent clinical study suggested that polyphenol-rich purple potatoes lowered postprandial glycemia and insulinemia compared to yellow potatoes. Here, 17 healthy male volunteers consumed yellow potatoes with or without purple potato extract (PPE, extracted with water/ethanol/acetic acid) rich in acylated anthocyanins (152 mg) and other phenolics (140 mg) in a randomized cross-over trial. Ethanol-free PPE decreased the incremental area under the curve for glucose (p = 0.019) and insulin (p = 0.015) until 120 min after the meal, glucose at 20 min (p = 0.015) and 40 min (p = 0.004), and insulin at 20 min (p = 0.003), 40 min (p = 0.004) and 60 min (p = 0.005) after the meal. PPE affected some of the studied 90 inflammation markers after meal; for example insulin-like hormone FGF-19 levels were elevated at 240 min (p = 0.001). These results indicate that PPE alleviates postprandial glycemia and insulinemia, and affects postprandial inflammation.</p
‘Que peut la fiction?’ Storying the Unexperienced Experience in Jorge Semprun's Fiction
No full textThis
article discusses the ethical potential
of fiction as an artistic storytelling practice that facilitates
the exchange of experiences by constructing a shared terrain of understanding
between author and reader. Buchenwald
survivor Jorge Semprun’s fiction is ethically
valuable because it both facilitates the exchange of experiences and
disrupts the communication of experience
that lies beyond imagination. In La Montagne blanche (1986), narrative doubles defer the arrival of the experience of death so that what is exchanged is the experience as unexperienced, and the storytelling
exchange itself becomes an art of survival after the Holocaust. </p
Risk Factors for Short-Term Versus Long-Term Mortality in Patients Who Underwent Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
No full textCardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an effective therapy in selected patients with advanced heart failure that reduces all-cause mortality at short-term follow-up. However, data regarding long-term mortality after CRT implantation are scarce, with no separate analysis available of the covariates associated with respectively short-term and long-term outcomes. Accordingly, the present study evaluated the risk factors associated with short-term (2-year follow-up) versus long-term (10-year follow-up) mortality after CRT implantation. Patients who underwent CRT implantation and had echocardiographic evaluation before implantation were included in the present study. The primary end point was all-cause mortality, and independent associates of short-term (2-year follow-up) and long-term (10-year follow-up) mortality were compared. In total, 894 patients (mean age 66 ± 10 years, 76% males) who underwent CRT implantation were included in the present study. The cumulative overall survival rates for the total population were 91%, 71%, and 45% at 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-up, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that short-term mortality was associated with both clinical and echocardiographic variables at the moment of CRT implantation; whereas long-term mortality was predominantly associated with baseline clinical parameters and was less strongly associated with baseline echocardiographic parameters. In conclusion, at long-term (10-year) follow-up, a significant proportion (45%) of patients with advanced heart failure who underwent CRT implantation were still alive. Importantly, the risk assessment for short-term (2-year follow-up) and long-term (10-year follow-up) mortality differ considerably, which may influence clinical decision making. © 2023 The Author(s)</p
Detection of human rhinoviruses by reverse transcription strand invasion based amplification method (RT-SIBA)
No full textBackground: Rhinovirus (RV), a major
cause of respiratory infection in humans, imposes an enormous economic
burden due to the direct and indirect costs associated with the illness.
Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for deciding the appropriate
clinical approach and minimizing unnecessary prescription of
antibiotics. Diagnosis of RV is extremely challenging due to genetic and
serological variability among its numerous types and their similarity
to enteroviruses.Objective: We sought to develop a
rapid nucleic acid test that can be used for the detection of Rhinovirus
within both laboratory and near patient settings.Study
design: We developed and evaluated a novel isothermal nucleic acid
amplification method called Reverse Transcription Strand Invasion-Based
Amplification (RT-SIBA) to rapidly detect Rhinovirus from clinical
specimens.Result: The method, RT-SIBA, detected RV
in clinical specimens with high analytical sensitivity (96%) and
specificity (100%). The time to positive result was significantly
shorter for the RV RT-SIBA assay than for a reference RV nucleic acid
amplification method (RT-qPCR).Conclusion: The
rapid detection time of the RV SIBA assay, as well as its compatibility
with portable instruments, will facilitate prompt diagnosis of infection
and thereby improve patient care.</div
Yksityisluontoista illanviettoa vai verhottua fasismia? – Suojeluskuntien henkinen demobilisaatio ja entiset suojeluskuntalaiset sodanjälkeisessä Helsingissä
No full textEntiset suojeluskuntalaiset muodostivat toisen maailmansodan jälkeisessä Suomessa yhteisöjä, jotka joutuivat osaksi poliittista murrosta. Artikkelissa käsitellään toisiinsa kytkeytyviä tapauksia, joissa entisten suojeluskuntalaisten toiminta päätyy valtiollisen poliisin tutkimuksen kohteeksi keväällä 1945. Artikkelissa muotoillaan ajatus suojeluskuntien henkisestä demobilisaatiosta. Siihen liittyi päätepisteen tuottaminen paikallisen suojeluskunnan toiminnalle ja sitä vastusti vasemmistosta tullut voimakas retoriikka ja paine. Kysymys oli myös ihmisten identiteettiä koetelleesta muutoksesta, kun aiemmin hyvää kansalaisuutta tarkoittanut suojeluskuntalaisuus muuttui kielletyksi ja epäilyjä herättäväksi. Tutkimustyö tuo esille suojeluskuntayhteisön ja -identiteetin jatkeeksi syntyneiden yhteisöjen merkitystä vuoden 1944 välirauhansopimuksen jälkeisenä rauhankriisin aikana. Tutkimustyömme yhdistää vallankäytön ja hallintokoneiston toiminnan tutkimuksen yksilön ja pienyhteisön tasolla tapahtuvan henkisen murroksen tutkimukseen. Keskeiset tutkimamme aineistot ovat poliisin tutkimuspöytäkirjojen lisäksi tutkittujen yhteisöjen aineistot, sanoma- ja puoluelehdet ja keskeisten toimijoiden kirjeenvaihto.</p
Maternal serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
No full textExposure to infection and inflammation during the fetal period are associated with offspring neuropsychiatric disorders. Few previous studies have examined this association with ADHD with mixed findings. This study aims to examine the association between early gestational maternal C-reactive protein (CRP), prospectively assayed in stored maternal sera and the risk of ADHD in offspring. This study is based on the Finnish Prenatal studies of ADHD (FIPS-ADHD) with a nested case–control design. It includes all singleton-born children in Finland between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999 and diagnosed with ADHD. A total of 1079 cases and equal number of controls were matched on date of birth, sex and place of birth. Maternal CRP levels were assessed using a latex immunoassay from archived maternal serum specimens, collected during the first and early second trimester of pregnancy. Elevated maternal CRP when analyzed as a continuous variable was not associated with offspring ADHD (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.96–1.15). No significant associations were seen in the highest quintile of CRP (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88–1.58). The results were similar in both sexes as well as among ADHD cases with or without comorbid ASD or conduct disorder. In this first study examining CRP, a biomarker for inflammation, during early pregnancy in relation to offspring ADHD, we report no significant associations. The lack of any association, when considered with positive findings seen in ASD and schizophrenia, and negative findings in bipolar disorder suggests different pathways linking maternal immune activation and development of various neuropsychiatric disorders.</p
Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Management of Technology
No full textThe effect of user generated product ratings has been studied by academics in different contexts from books to movies and its importance has been noted by the industry. In this study, the relevance of customer ratings in a mobile application ecosystem with two different datasets, over 174,000 applications, gathered from Google Play in December 2011 and in November 2012 is analyzed. The results show that a high average rating correlates positively with sales improvement as well as a high variance correlates positively with the number of installations, both statistically significant. The correlations are, however, small. On contrary to the suggestions of previous studies, the price of the application does not seem to affect the importance of product ratings. Further research would investigate how application providers’ brands and visibility in social media may influence on the popularity and its growth in mobile application ecosystems.</p