Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional versus syndromal recovery in patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE Many patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD) experience impairments in daily life. We investigated whether patients with single-episode MDD (MDD-s), recurrent MDD (MDD-r), and BD differ in functional impairments, whether time since last episode (syndromal state, in 4 categories) contributes to impairment, whether this association is moderated by diagnosis, and the role of depressive symptoms. METHOD Data were derived from 1,664 participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (MDD-s, n = 483; MDD-r, n = 1,063; BD, n = 118), from 2006 into 2009. In additional analyses, 530 healthy controls were included. DSM-IV-TR diagnosis and information about syndromal state were based on the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Psychosocial impairment was assessed with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Adjusted associations between diagnosis, syndromal state, impairment, and depression severity were investigated. RESULTS Syndromal state not being taken into account, patients with BD experienced more functional impairment than patients with MDD-s or with MDD-r, and in all diagnostic groups, impairments decreased with increasing time since last episode. However, impact of syndromal state on functioning showed a different course between diagnostic groups (mean [SD] WHODAS score: current: MDD-s 30.8 [2.8], MDD-r 32.7 [0.9], BD 37.7 [2.1], P = .07; recently remitted: MDD-s 21.7 [3.5], MDD-r 24.0 [1.2], BD 22.1[3.2], P = .7; remitted: MDD-s 10.6 [3.7], MDD-r 21.6 [1.4], BD 19.2 [4.4], P = .02; remitted > 1 year: MDD-s 13.3 [0.6], MDD-r 14.7 [0.5], BD 17.1 [2.2], P = .8). Depression severity accounted for these differences. Moreover, functioning in all remitted patients remained impaired when compared to that in healthy controls. CONCLUSION Functional recovery may take up to 1 year after syndromal remission in recurrent depressive and bipolar disorder, mainly due to residual depressive symptoms, emphasizing the need for prolonged continuation treatment.
Heavy-Tailed Limits for Medium-Size Jobs with Popular Schedulers

The service requirements in modern information networks are frequently very large and typically characterized by heavy-tailed distributions. Hence, assigning a server exclusively to these possibly very large jobs indiscriminately of their sizes, e.g., using first come first served scheduling discipline, is not desirable since large jobs may cause unacceptably large delays for smaller ones. Therefore, many practical schedulers are often based on the processor sharing (PS) and foreground background processor sharing (FBPS) disciplines because of their fairness, or the shortest remaining processing time first (SRPT) discipline because of its optimality. In the context of a stable M/G/1 queuing model with heavy-tailed service requirements, it is well known that all of the preceding scheduling disciplines exhibit the same asymptotic behavior of the waiting time distribution. In this paper, we refine the preceding results by introducing a new notion of conditional waiting time asymptotics that allows us to distinguish the former service disciplines for relatively smaller jobs. More formally, let A k be the event that the job size of a customer arriving in stationarity (say at time t = 0) is smaller than exactly k ones out of the preceding m ≥ k arrivals. Then, our main result shows that, conditionally on A k , the waiting time distribution of this customer (arriving at t = 0) is asymptotically equivalent as if this customer were served in isolation with a server of rate (1 − ρ)/(k + 1), for PS/FBPS, and (1 − ρ), for SRPT, respectively, where ρ is the traffic intensity. We discuss the engineering implications of our results.
Mechanical Joint Laxity Associated With Chronic Ankle Instability

Context: Lateral ankle sprains can manifest into chronic mechanical joint laxity when not treated effectively. Joint laxity is often measured through the use of manual stress tests, stress radiography, and instrumented ankle arthrometers. Purpose: To systematically review the literature to establish the influence of chronic ankle instability (CAI) on sagittal and frontal plane mechanical joint laxity. Data Sources: Articles were searched with MEDLINE (1966 to October 2008), CINAHL (1982 to October 2008), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (to October 2008) using the key words chronic ankle instability and joint laxity, functional ankle instability and joint laxity, and lateral ankle sprains and joint laxity. Study Selection: To be included, studies had to employ a case control design; mechanical joint laxity had to be measured via a stress roentogram, an instrumented ankle arthrometer, or ankle/foot stress-testing device; anteroposterior inversion or eversion ankle-subtalar joint complex laxity had to be measured; and means and standard deviations of CAI and control groups had to be provided. Data Extraction: One investigator assessed each study based on the criteria to ensure its suitability for analysis. The initial search yielded 1378 potentially relevant articles, from which 8 were used in the final analysis. Once the study was accepted for inclusion, its quality was assessed with the PEDro scale. Data Synthesis: Twenty-one standardized effect sizes and their 95% confidence intervals were computed for each group and dependent variable. CAI produced the largest effect on inversion joint laxity; 45% of the effects ranged from 0.84 to 2.61. Anterior joint laxity measures were influenced second most by CAI (effects, 0.32 to 1.82). CAI had similar but less influence on posterior joint laxity (effects, −0.06 to 0.68) and eversion joint laxity (effects, 0.03 to 0.69). Conclusion: CAI has the largest effect with the most variability on anterior and inversion joint laxity measurements, consistent with the primary mechanism of initial injury.
The IL-8 protease SpyCEP is detrimental for Group A Streptococcus host-cells interaction and biofilm formation

SpyCEP-mediated chemokine degradation translates into more efficient spreading and increased severity of invasive Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections, due to impaired neutrophil recruitment to the site of infection. SpyCEP is markedly up-regulated in invasive as compared to colonizing GAS isolates raising the question whether SpyCEP expression hinders bacterial attachment and thus colonization of the host. To address this question we used a molecular approach involving the use of homologous GAS strains either expressing or not SpyCEP or expressing an enzymatically inactive variant of SpyCEP. We found that expression of enzymatically functional SpyCEP lowered GAS adherence and invasion potential toward various epithelial and endothelial cells. SpyCEP also blunted biofilm formation capacity. Our data indicate that expression of SpyCEP decreases colonization and thus might be detrimental for the spreading of GAS.
High resolution observations of spectral width features associatedwith ULF wave signatures in artificial HF radar backscatter

The EISCAT high power heating facility at Tromso, northern Norway, has been utilised to generate arti- ficial radar backscatter in the fields of view of the CUTLASS HF radars. It has been demonstrated that this technique of- fers a means of making very accurate and high resolution ob- servations of naturally occurring ULF waves. During such experiments, the usually narrow radar spectral widths as- sociated with artificial irregularities increase at times when small scale-sized (high m-number) ULF waves are observed. Possible mechanisms by which these particle-driven high-m waves may modify the observed spectral widths have been investigated. The results are found to be consistent with Pc1 (ion-cyclotron) wave activity, causing aliasing of the radar spectra, in agreement with previous modelling work. The observations also support recent suggestions that Pc1 waves may be modulated by the action of longer period ULF stand- ing waves, which are simultaneously detected on the magne- tospheric field lines. Drifting ring current protons with ener- gies of 10 keV are indicated as a common plasma source population for both wave types.
Prognostic value of C‐reactive protein levels in patients with cirrhosis

Identifying cirrhosis with a poor short‐term prognosis remains crucial for improving the allocation of liver grafts. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of a model combining the variation of C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels within 15 days, the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and the presence of comorbidities in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with a Child‐Pugh score > B7 and to test the relevance of this model in patients with compensated cirrhosis. We collected data for cirrhotic patients without hepatocellular carcinoma, extrahepatic malignancy, human immunodeficiency virus infection, organ transplantation, seen between January 2010 and December 2011. Multivariate analyses of predictors of 3‐month mortality used Cox models adjusted with the age‐adjusted Charlson comorbidity index. The prognostic performance [area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs)] of the 3‐variable model was compared to that of the MELD score. The 241 patients who met the inclusion criteria included 109 patients with a Child‐Pugh score > B7 who were hospitalized for decompensation. In these patients with severe cases, the 3‐month mortality was independently predicted by the MELD score [hazard ratio (HR), 1.10; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05‐1.14; P < 0.001] and a CRP level > 32 mg/L at the baseline and on day 15 (HR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.03‐4.76; P = 0.042). This model was better than MELD alone (AUROC, 0.789 versus 0.734; P = 0.043). In the whole population with cirrhosis, the 3‐month mortality was also predicted by high MELD scores (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.07‐1.16; P < 0.001) and a CRP level > 10 mg/L at the baseline and on day 15 (HR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.29‐6.48; P < 0.001), but the AUROCs of the 3‐variable model and the MELD score alone were no longer significantly different (0.89 versus 0.88, not significant). In conclusion, prognostic models incorporating variations in CRP predict 3‐month mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Such models are particularly relevant for patients with decompensated cirrhosis but provide a limited increase in prediction in comparison with the MELD score in the whole population with cirrhosis. Liver Transpl 21:753–760, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Dark matter density profiles: A comparison of nonextensive theory with N-body simulations

Density profiles of simulated galaxy cluster-sized dark matter haloes are analysed in the context of a recently introduced nonextensive theory of dark matter and gas density distributions. Nonextensive statistics accounts for long-range interactions in gravitationally coupled systems and is derived from the fundamental concept of entropy generalization. The simulated profiles are determined down to radii of ≈ 1% of R 200 . The general trend of the relaxed, spherically averaged profiles is accurately reproduced by the theory. For the main free parameter κ , measuring the degree of coupling within the system, and linked to physical quantities as the heat capacity and the polytropic index of the self-gravitating ensembles, we find a value of -15. The significant advantage over empirical fitting functions is provided by the physical content of the nonextensive approach.
Effects of Early Diabetic Retinopathy on Rod System Sensitivity

Previous studies have shown that S-cone pathway sensitivity is selectively decreased in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. In the present study, rod system sensitivity was evaluated in a group of diabetic patients using psychophysical techniques. The course of dark adaptation was first determined, then absolute thresholds were measured in the horizontal and vertical meridians. For all patients, although the recovery of the initial portions of rod dark adaptation were normal, absolute thresholds were increased in both the horizontal and vertical meridians. The findings provide evidence that patients with early diabetic retinopathy show a generalized dysfunction of the rod system.
Patterns of Verbal Mediation During Problem Solving: A Sequential Analysis of Self-Explanation

Abstract The explanations that participants give themselves (self-explanations) while learning or solving problems have been shown to be positively associated with various performance measures. The major aim of this study was to identify patterns of self-explanation that distinguish between good and poor problem solvers. Thirty-two Grade 9 students were asked to solve 3 mixture problems—1 warm-up problem and 2 test problems—while thinking aloud. The problem-solving process was videotaped, protocols were transcribed, and 5 content categories were identified. Through a sequential analysis, patterns of self-explanation that differentiate between good and poor problem solvers were identified.
Interaction effects and combinatorial rules governing Protection Motivation Theory variables: a new model

In this article we provide a review of Protection Motivation Theory with a focus on the interaction effects and combinatorial rules, in order to resolve conflicting findings in the literature. Our review suggests that perceived cost is the main driver of persuasion. We propose that consumers use a combination of decision-making strategies, with an initial use of the elimination by aspects rule followed by the weighted additive rule. In the proposed model, consumers rank the variables and set minimum cut-offs. A weighted additive relationship takes place only when and if the minimum cut-off levels for variables are met. This analysis helps explain inconsistent findings from the literature and adds insight into the decision-making process involved when consumers consider whether or not to follow a particular recommended health behavior.
Improved backing-off for M-gram language modeling

In stochastic language modeling, backing-off is a widely used method to cope with the sparse data problem. In case of unseen events this method backs off to a less specific distribution. In this paper we propose to use distributions which are especially optimized for the task of backing-off. Two different theoretical derivations lead to distributions which are quite different from the probability distributions that are usually used for backing-off. Experiments show an improvement of about 10% in terms of perplexity and 5% in terms of word error rate.
Reflections on APOS theory in Elementary and Advanced Mathematical Thinking

What are the processes by which we construct mathematical concepts? What is the nature of the cognitive entities constructed in this process? Based on the theories of cognitive construction developed by Piaget for younger children, Dubinsky proposed APOS theory to describe how act ions become interiorized into processes and then encapsulated as mental objects, which take their place in more sophisticated cognitive schemas. He thus takes a method of construction hypothesised in (elementary) school mathematics and extends it to (advanced) college/university mathematics. In this paper I respond to Dubinsky’s theory by noting the need for cognitive action to produce cognitive structure, yet questioning the primacy of action before object throughout the whole of mathematics. Biological underpinnings reveal cognitive structures for object recognition and analysis. I use this to suggest that APOS theory has already shown its strength in designing undergraduate mathematical curricula but question its universal applicability, in particular in geometry, and, more interestingly, in the formal construction of knowledge from definitions to deductions in advanced mathematical thinking.
Dynamics of Student Cognitive-Affective Transitions During a Mathematics Game

Researchers of interactive learning environments have grown increasingly interested in designing these systems to become more responsive to differences in students’ cognitive-affective states. They believe that the detection of and adaptation to student cognition and affect may boost student learning gains and enhance the quality of students’ overall learning experience. A growing body of research focuses specifically on the study of cognitive-affective dynamics, defined as the natural ways in which a student’s cognitive-affective states change over time. These types of studies help designers identify desirable (virtuous) cycles that they want to foster and undesirable (vicious) cycles that they want to dissuade. In this study, the author examined the dynamics of the cognitive-affective states exhibited by Filipino students as they used the pre-algebra game MATH BLASTER 9-12. The author focused on the cognitive-affective states of boredom, confusion, delight, engagement, frustration, neutrality, and surprise. Using quantitative field observations, the author determined which of these states tended to persist or transition into other states over time. It was found that boredom was the only state that tended to persist. Boredom tended not to lead to engagement. Students who were confused were not likely to stay confused but were likely to transition into engagement. Students who were delighted were not likely to become confused. From these findings and based on comparisons with related work, it is concluded that boredom is a persistent and undesirable state. Confusion is not persistent and is desirable because it leads to further engagement with the content.
Seeking Excellent Recruits For Hotel Management Training: An Intercultural Comparative Study

Abstract The degree of commonality between key success criteria, hence the employability profiles, of Bulgarian and Romanian hotel management graduate trainees, is determined. The opinions of 146 hotel managers were solicited; rated attributes ranged across: education and ability; work experience; interpersonal skills and competencies; intrapersonal qualities; prerequisite qualifications; work experience; and reasons for choosing this job. Key recruitment criteria and ‘ideal’ candidate profiles are identified. Passion for customer service and passion for work are amongst key indicators of excellence. Although substantial commonality emerged, a number of statistically significant national differences are apparent. Implications for applicants, educators, recruiters and trainers are discussed.
Personality and the Prediction of Team Performance

Although much is known about personality and individuals’ job performance, only a few studies have considered the effects of team–level personality on team performance. Existing research examining the effects of personality on team performance has found that, of the Big Five factors of personality, Conscientiousness is often the most important predictor. Accordingly, we investigated the criterion validity of lower–level Conscientiousness traits to determine whether any one trait is particularly predictive of team performance. In addition to Conscientiousness, we examined the criterion validity of the other Big Five personality factors. We found that Conscientiousness and its facets predicted team performance. Agreeableness, Extraversion and Neuroticism were not predictive of team performance, whereas Openness had a modest negative relation with team performance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visual Search of Trained and Untrained Drivers in a Driving Simulator

: To investigate the effects of driving experience on visual search during driving, we measured eye movements during driving tasks using a driving simulator. We evaluated trained and untrained drivers for selected driving road section types (for example, intersections and straight roads). Participants in the trained group had received driving training by the simulator before the experiment, while the others had no driving training by it. In the experiment, the participants were instructed to drive safely in the simulator. The results of scan paths showed that eye positions were less variable in the trained group than in the untrained group. Total eye-movement distances were shorter, and fixation durations were longer in the trained group than in the untrained group. These results suggest that trained drivers may perceive relevant information efficiently with few eye movements by using their anticipation skills and useful field of view, which may have been developed through their driving training in the simulator.
Knowledge issues in the global innovation index: Assessment of the state of Saudi Arabia versus countries with distinct development

Abstract This paper is concerned with exploring the state of Saudi Arabia with regards to the main knowledge issues of the global innovation index (GII), in order to direct its future knowledge development. For this purpose, the paper follows a method of three main steps. In the first, it organizes GII knowledge issues into a framework of five integrated layers: People’s layer, which is concerned with education and research; technical tools’ layer, which is associated with the Information and Communication Technology; knowledge-in-business layer, which is related to knowledge workers, innovation linkages, and knowledge absorption; knowledge and technology output layer, which is concerned with knowledge creation, impact and diffusion; and finally creativity output layer, which is associated with creative intangibles, goods and services and online creativity. In the second step it investigates these layers for Saudi Arabia relative to four other countries: Brazil and Russia, which are the first two of the distinguished BRIC countries; and Malaysia and South Korea, which are Asian countries that enjoy distinct development drive. The final step discusses the outcome of the investigations and emphasizes future knowledge development requirements for Saudi Arabia.
RIO: minimizing user interaction in debugging of aligned ontologies

Efficient ontology debugging is a cornerstone for many activities in the context of the Semantic Web, especially when automatic tools produce (parts of) ontologies such as in the field of ontology matching. The best currently known interactive debugging systems rely upon meta information in terms of fault probabilities, which can speed up the debugging procedure in the good case, but can also have negative impact in the bad case. Unfortunately, assessment of meta information is only possible a-posteriori. Hence, as long as the actual fault is unknown, there is always some risk of suboptimal interactive diagnoses discrimination. As an alternative, one might prefer to rely on a no-risk strategy. In this case, however, possibly well-chosen meta information cannot be exploited, resulting again in inefficient debugging actions. In this work we present a reinforcement learning strategy that continuously adapts its behavior depending on the performance achieved and minimizes the risk of using low-quality meta information. Therefore, this method is suitable for application scenarios where reliable apriori fault estimates are difficult to obtain. Using faulty ontologies produced by ontology matchers, we show that the proposed strategy outperforms both active learning and no-risk approaches on average w.r. t. required amount of user interaction.