LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
The Beliefs about Emotions Scale: validity, reliability and sensitivity to change.

OBJECTIVE
Beliefs about the unacceptability of experiencing or expressing negative emotions have been noted in individuals with a range of problems, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome, somatization disorder, depression, eating disorders, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder. These beliefs are likely to have implications for emotion regulation and processing, and are addressed explicitly or implicitly within many therapies including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This article describes the development, validation, and internal reliability of the Beliefs about Emotions Scale (BES), a self-report questionnaire to assess such beliefs.


METHODS
The new scale was completed by people with CFS (n=121) and healthy controls (n=73). Twenty-two individuals with CFS completed the scale before and after CBT.


RESULTS
People with CFS had significantly higher scores on this new questionnaire than healthy controls. Principal components analysis identified one factor, and the scale had high internal consistency (0.91). Scores on the BES were most highly correlated with a measure of negative perfectionism (r=0.59) and also showed significant correlations with measures of dysfunctional attitudes, self-sacrifice, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. When completed before and after CBT for CFS, the questionnaire was sufficiently sensitive to detect a significant reduction in endorsement of unhelpful beliefs about emotions.


CONCLUSION
The new Beliefs about Emotions Scale showed good internal reliability, validity and sensitivity to change.
Using the Technology Acceptance Model in Understanding Academics’ Behavioural Intention to Use Learning Management Systems

Although e-learning is in its infancy in Saudi Arabia, most of the public universities in the country show a great interest in the adoption of learning and teaching tools. Determining the significance of a particular tool and predicting the success of implantation is essential prior to its adoption. This paper presents and modifies the technology acceptance model (TAM) in an attempt to assist public universities, particularly in Saudi Arabia, in predicting the behavioural intention to use learning management systems (LMS). This study proposed a theoretical framework that includes the core constructs in TAM: namely, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward usage. Additional external variables were also adopted— namely, the lack of LMS availability, prior experience (LMS usage experience), and job relevance. The overall research model suggests that all mentioned variables either directly or indirectly affect the overall behavioural intention to use an LMS. Initial findings suggest the applicability of using TAM to measure the behavioural intention to use an LMS. Further, the results confirm the original TAM’s findings. Keywords—Technology Acceptance Model; Higher education; Learning management systems; Saudi Arabia
Analysis and prediction of the long-run behavior of probabilistic sequential programs with recursion

We introduce a family of long-run average properties of Markov chains that are useful for purposes of performance and reliability analysis, and show that these properties can effectively be checked for a subclass of infinite-state Markov chains generated by probabilistic programs with recursive procedures. We also show how to predict these properties by analyzing finite prefixes of runs, and present an efficient prediction algorithm for the mentioned subclass of Markov chains.
Impact of dark matter microhalos on signatures for direct and indirect detection

Detecting dark matter as it streams through detectors on Earth relies on knowledge of its phase space density on a scale comparable to the size of our solar system. Numerical simulations predict that our Galactic halo contains an enormous hierarchy of substructures, streams and caustics, the remnants of the merging hierarchy that began with tiny Earth mass microhalos. If these bound or coherent structures persist until the present time, they could dramatically alter signatures for the detection of weakly interacting elementary particle dark matter (WIMP). Using numerical simulations that follow the coarse grained tidal disruption within the Galactic potential and fine grained heating from stellar encounters, we find that microhalos, streams and caustics have a negligible likelihood of impacting direct detection signatures implying that dark matter constraints derived using simple smooth halo models are relatively robust. We also find that many dense central cusps survive, yielding a small enhancement in the signal for indirect detection experiments.
Review of Human-Computer Interaction Issues in Image Retrieval

Image retrieval is an active area of research, which is growing very rapidly. Indeed, stimulated by the rapid growth in storage capacity and processing speed, the number of images in electronic collections and the World Wide Web has considerably increased over the last few years. However, with this abundance of information, people are continuously looking for tools that help them find the image(s) they are looking for within a reasonable amount of time. These tools are image retrieval engines. When using an image retrieval engine, the user is continuously interacting with the machine. First, he1 uses the system’s interface to formulate a query that expresses his needs. Second, he provides feedback about the retrieved results at each search iteration. This allows the engine to provide more accurate results by using relevance feedback (RF) techniques. Third, he may be asked to assign a goodness score or weight to each image retrieved, which helps evaluating the system’s performance. In this chapter, we will review the main interactions between human and the machine in the context of image retrieval. We will address several issues, including: Query formulation: • How the user expresses his needs and what he is looking for • The different ways the query can be formulated: keywords-based, sentence-based, query by example image, query by sketch, query by feature values, composite queries, etc. • Query by region of interest (ROI) vs. global query. • Queries with positive example only vs. queries with both positive and negative examples. • Page zero problem: finding a good image to initiate a retrieval session. Relevance feedback: we will try to answer questions like: • Why do systems use relevance feedback? • How can the user express his needs during the relevance feedback process • How this information is exploited by the system to perform operations like feature selection or the identification of the sought image. 1 Note that the masculine gender has been used strictly to facilitate reading, and is to be understood to include the feminine.
Using an internet intervention to support self-management of low back pain in primary care: protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial (SupportBack).

INTRODUCTION
Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and costly condition. The majority of patients experiencing LBP are managed in primary care, where first-line care recommendations consist of advice to self-manage and remain active. Internet interventions present a potential means of providing patients with tailored self-management advice and evidence-based support for increasing physical activity.


METHODS/ANALYSIS
This protocol describes a single-blind, randomised controlled feasibility trial of an internet intervention developed to support the self-management of LBP in primary care. Patients are being randomised to 1 of 3 groups receiving either usual primary care, usual primary care with the addition of an internet intervention or an internet intervention with physiotherapist telephone support. Patients are followed up at 3 months. Primary outcomes are the feasibility of (1) the trial design/methods, (2) the delivery of the internet intervention and (3) the provision of telephone support by physiotherapists. Secondary outcomes will include exploratory analysis of estimates and variation in clinical outcomes of pain and disability, in order to inform a future main trial.


ETHICS/DISSEMINATION
This feasibility trial has undergone ethical scrutiny and been approved by the National Health Service (NHS) Research Ethics Committee, REC Reference 13/SC/0202. The feasibility findings will be disseminated to the research community through presentations at conferences and publication in peer review journals. Broader dissemination will come following a definitive trial.


TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ISRCTN 31034004.
Beneficial effects of viscous dietary fiber from Konjac-mannan in subjects with the insulin resistance syndrome: results of a controlled metabolic trial.

OBJECTIVE
Dietary fiber has recently received recognition for reducing the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The implication is that it may have therapeutic benefit in prediabetic metabolic conditions. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of supplementing a high-carbohydrate diet with fiber from Konjac-mannan (KJM) on metabolic control in subjects with the insulin resistance syndrome.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We screened 278 free-living subjects between the ages of 45 and 65 years from the Canadian-Maltese Diabetes Study. A total of 11 (age 55+/-4 years, BMI 28+/-1.5 kg/m2) were recruited who satisfied the inclusion criteria: impaired glucose tolerance, reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated serum triglycerides, and moderate hypertension. After an 8-week baseline, they were randomly assigned to take either KJM fiber-enriched test biscuits (0.5 g of glucomannan per 100 kcal of dietary intake or 8-13 g/day) or wheat bran fiber (WB) control biscuits for two 3-week treatment periods separated by a 2-week washout. The diets were isoenergetic, metabolically controlled, and conformed to National Cholesterol Education Program Step 2 guidelines. Serum lipids, glycemic control, and blood pressure were the outcome measures.


RESULTS
Decreases in serum cholesterol (total, 12.4+/-3.1%, P<0.004; LDL, 22+/-3.9%, P<0.002; total/HDL ratio, 15.2+/-3.4%, P<0.003; and LDL/HDL ratio, 22.2+/-4.1%, P< 0.002), apolipoprotein (apo) B (15.1+/-4.3%, P<0.0004), apo B/A-1 ratio (13.1+/-3.4%, P< 0.0003), and serum fructosamine (5.2+/-1.4%, P<0.002) were observed during KJM treatment compared with WB-control. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and body weight remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
A diet rich in high-viscosity KJM improves glycemic control and lipid profile, suggesting a therapeutic potential in the treatment of the insulin resistance syndrome.
Attention to Threat in Anxiety-prone Individuals: Mechanisms Underlying Attentional Bias

Cognitive views on anxiety have proposed that attentional biases towards threatening information in high trait anxious individuals play an important role in the maintenance of anxiety and may even cause the development of clinical anxiety disorders. However, the precise nature of these attentional biases is under debate. In a pictorial version of the dot probe task, two accounts of attention to threat were contrasted and the components of attention involved in orienting to threat were assessed. Overall, the results support the view that all individuals orient to highly threatening pictures, with high trait anxious individuals orienting more strongly to moderately threatening pictures than the low trait anxious individuals. Attentional bias to threat in high trait anxious individuals was caused by attentional disengagement from threat. These results are discussed in relation to cognitive models of attention to threat.
Engineering education in China

This paper discusses the rapid growth of the engineering education sector in China. Several examples will be presented on how engineers made significant contributions to the nation's economic development. Suggestions are made on enhancing the engineering curriculum and improving the overall quality of engineering graduates in terms of technical, communications and leadership skills.
Clinical progression of severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected patients depends on virological and immunological improvement irrespective of baseline status.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to analyse factors associated with progression to AIDS/death in severely immunosuppressed HIV-infected patients receiving ART.


METHODS
This study included naive patients from the PISCIS Cohort with CD4 <200 cells/mm(3) at enrolment and who initiated ART consisting of two nucleoside analogues plus either a PI or an NNRTI between 1998 and 2011. The PISCIS Cohort is a multicentre, observational study of HIV-infected individuals aged >18 years followed at 14 participating hospitals in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands (Spain). Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed every 3-4 months during follow-up. Cox regression models were used to assess the effect of CD4 and viral load on the risk of progression to AIDS/death, adjusting for baseline variables and confounders.


RESULTS
2295 patients were included and, after 5 years, 69.9% reached CD4 ≥200 cells/mm(3), 64.4% had an undetectable viral load and 482 (21%) progressed to AIDS/death. The lowest rate of disease progression was found in patients who reached both immunological and viral responses during follow-up, regardless of their baseline situation (1.9% in baseline CD4 >100 cells/mm(3) and viral load <5 log copies/mL; 2.3% in baseline CD4 ≤100 cells/mm(3) and/or viral load >5 log copies/mL). Achieving a CD4 count ≥200 cells/mm(3) was the main predictor of decreased progression to AIDS/death. In those not reaching this CD4 threshold, virological response reduced disease progression by half.


CONCLUSIONS
Even in the worse baseline scenario of CD4 ≤100 cells/mm(3) and high baseline viral loads, positive virological and immunological responses were associated with dramatic decreases in progression.
Danqi Piantang Jiaonang (DJ), a traditional Chinese medicine, in poststroke recovery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Despite improvements in acute stroke treatment, many patients only make a partial or poor recovery. Therefore, there is a need for treatments that would further improve outcome. Danqi Piantang Jiaonang (DJ; NeuroAid), a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in China to improve recovery after stroke, has been compared with another traditional Chinese medicine in 2 unpublished randomized clinical trials. The results of these studies were pooled and reanalyzed to assess efficacy and safety.


METHODS
Six hundred five subjects were randomized in 2 randomized double-blinded, controlled trials to receive either DJ or Buchang Naoxintong Jiaonang. Subjects were treated for 1 month. Inclusion criteria were: (1) patients with recent (from 10 days to 6 months) ischemic stroke; (2) patients satisfying Western diagnostic standards for stroke and traditional Chinese medicine standards for diagnosis of apoplexy; and (3) Diagnostic Therapeutic Effects of Apoplexy score >/=10.


RESULTS
The functional outcome, measured by the Comprehensive Function Score component of the Diagnostic Therapeutic Effects of Apoplexy scale, showed a statistically significant superiority of DJ over the control treatment group (relative risk, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.28 to 4.51; P=0.007). Tolerance was excellent in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The pooled analysis of 2 unpublished trials of DJ, a traditional Chinese medicine currently approved in China to improve neurological recovery after stroke, shows good tolerability and superiority of DJ over another traditional Chinese medicine also approved for stroke. A large double-blind randomized clinical trial is required to further assess the safety and efficacy of DJ.
Effects of a 4-week dynamic-balance-training program supplemented with Graston instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization for chronic ankle instability.

CONTEXT
A dynamic-balance-training (DBT) program supplemented with the Graston instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (GISTM) technique has not been evaluated collectively as a treatment in subjects with chronic ankle instability (CAI).


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of GISTM in conjunction with a DBT program on outcomes associated with CAI, including pain and disability, range of motion (ROM), and dynamic postural control.


DESIGN
Pretest/posttest, repeated measures.


SETTING
High school and a Division I mid-Atlantic university.


PARTICIPANTS
Thirty-six healthy, physically active individuals (5 female, 31 male; age 17.7 ± 1.9 y; height 175.3 ± 14.6 cm) with a history of CAI as determined by an ankle-instability questionnaire volunteered to be in this study.


INTERVENTIONS
Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 intervention groups: both treatments (DBT/GISTM, n = 13), DBT and a sham GISTM treatment (DBT/GISTM-S, n = 12), or DBT and control-no GISTM (DBT/C, n = 11). All groups participated in a 4-wk DBT program consisting of low-impact and dynamic activities that was progressed from week to week. The DBT/GISTM and DBT/GISTM-S groups received the GISTM treatment or sham treatment twice a week for 8 min before performing the DBT program. Pretest and posttest measurements included the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), FAAM Sport, the visual analog scale (VAS), ankle ROM in 4 directions, and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) in 3 directions.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
FAAM and FAAM-Sport scores, VAS, goniometric ROM (plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, eversion), and SEBT (anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral).


RESULTS
Subjects in all groups posttest demonstrated an increase in FAAM, FAAM Sport, ROM, and SEBT in all directions but not in VAS, which decreased. No other results were significant.


CONCLUSION
For subjects with CAI, dynamic postural control, ROM, pain and disability improved pretest to posttest regardless of group membership, with the largest effects found in most measures in the DBT/GISTM group.
The shape of wind-receptor hairs of cricket and cockroach

We examined the exact shapes of the thread-like wind-receptor hairs in the cricket and cockroach. The diameters of hairs at various distances from the hair tip as measured by scanning electron microscopy revealed unexpected hair shapes. We had expected, a priori, that the shape of the hair would be a slender linearly tapered cone, but the measurements revealed hairs in the form of extremely elongated paraboloids. The diameter of the wind-receptor hairs varies with the square root of the distance from the hair tip, i.e., the diameter rapidly increases with the distance from the tip and is asymptotic to the base diameter. Both the cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus, and the cockroach, Periplaneta americana, showed the same hair shape. In both insects, the formation of the wind-receptor hair during metamorphosis seems to be controlled by a common cytological program. The shape of the hair constrains the mobility of the wind-receptor hair, because both the drag force caused by moving air and the moment of inertia of motion dynamics are functions of shaft diameter. The shape of the hair is a biological trait which affects the sensory information transmitted to the central nervous system.
School Vouchers: A Critical View

A mong the many reforms proposed for K–12 education are changes in governance that would increase the power of parents to choose schools and thereby make the education system function more like a market. Within this set of reforms, which also includes offering greater choice among public schools and the opportunity to establish public “charter” schools, school voucher programs are particularly controversial because they would permit parents to use public funds to secure education not only at public schools, but also at private schools. Proponents and opponents disagree about the effects of voucher programs on student achievement, on the social and racial segregation of students and on disadvantaged students. In addition, they differ on the importance of maintaining the separation between religious private schools and the state. School voucher programs currently exist only on a small scale in the United States. The main publicly funded voucher programs are in Milwaukee, Cleveland and Florida. In addition, small privately funded programs provide vouchers for lowand moderate-income students in cities such as New York City, Dayton, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. Another privately funded program, the Children’s Scholarship Fund, operates at the national level. Recent studies based primarily on U.S. evidence typically conclude that the data are insufficient to draw clear conclusions about the net effects of vouchers on academic achievement, access to schools, racial integration and civic education (for example, Ladd and Hansen, 1999; Levin, 2001; Campbell and Peterson, 2001; Gill et al., 2001). In the light of the limited U.S. experience, some authors support investments in large-scale voucher experiments as a way to generate more definitive information on their effects. However, before making such investments, it would
LC-MS/MS method for simultaneous estimation of candesartan and hydrochlorothiazide in human plasma and its use in clinical pharmacokinetics.

BACKGROUND
ATACAND HCT(®) (candesartan cilexetil-hydrochlorothiazide [CAN-HCTZ]) combines an angiotensin II receptor (type AT1) antagonist and a diuretic. Quantification of CAN and HCTZ in biological matrices has traditionally been difficult - developing a single method with the desired sensitivity has been the issue.


RESULTS
A high-throughput bioanalytical method for the analysis of CAN and HCTZ in human plasma using liquid-liquid extraction and LC coupled to negative ion mode MS/MS has been developed and validated according to US FDA guidelines. The method uses 100 µl plasma and covers the calibration range 1-160 ng/ml for CAN and 2-160 ng/ml for HCTZ for routine pharmacokinetic studies in humans. The intra- and inter-day precision values for CAN and HCTZ met the acceptance criteria. CAN and HCTZ were stable in a battery of stability studies (benchtop, autosampler and long-term).


CONCLUSION
The advantages of the described technique included a single method with a shorter run time (2.5 min), simple extraction technique, LLOQ of 1 ng/ml for CAN and 2 ng/ml for HCTZ and lower sample volume (0.10 ml), which overcomes drawbacks of two single methods for each analyte, such as higher analysis time, LOQ and sample volume, as in previously published methods. The developed assay was applied to an oral pharmacokinetic study in humans.