Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First generation antipsychotics switch with Risperidone in the treatment of chronic schizophrenic patients.

BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a severe chronic psychiatric disorder for which treatment compliance is important in the prevention of relapse. Second generation antipsychotics (SGA), such as Risperidone, have been found to be more effective in the treatment of such patients than the high potency first generation antipsychotics (FGA). This is an open study where the same group of patients was first treated with FGA and then were switched to Risperidone, in controlled hospital conditions, after a wash- out period. The aim of the study was to examine whether patients with schizophrenia who were judged to be stable on long-term treatment with FGA would further benefit from a switch to an atypical antipsychotic drug. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Eighty hospitalized patients suffering from Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder (male 54, female 26) were first treated with Haloperidol (N=60) or Fluphenazine (N=20), and then were switched to Risperidone. Their clinical state was monitored using the PANSS scale for Schizophrenia, measuring the Total PANSS score. The KLAWANS scale for assessment of extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS) was also used. Administration and dosage of Trihexiphenidil (THF) was recorded. The study lasted for 8 weeks, with 4 screenings (Visit 0-baseline- FGA, Visits 1-3 Risperidone on Day 14, 28 and 56, respectively). RESULTS The average age was 38. Patients usually suffered the paranoid form of Schizophrenia (55%). The duration of illness was more than 5 years (38.8%). During the eight- week trial on Risperidone, using the PANSS total scores, we observed clinical improvement where the therapy switch had caused an initial worsening (p<0.05). Also, the compared baseline (FGA) and last visit showed a low, but statistically significant benefit in favor of Risperidone (t=5.45, df=79, p<0.005). Intensity of EPS measured by KLAWANS scores significantly decreased during time (F=4.115; p=0.016; Partial Eta Square=0.058). Average Trihexiphenidil doses followed Risperidone in a dose dependent manner (r=0.748, r=0.661, respectively, p<0.01) with the consequent decrease of patients needing THF corrective therapy (68.8% at the baseline toward 22.5% on last visit). CONCLUSION Switch to Risperidone medication provided significant additional improvement in symptom severity, extrapyramidal side effects and need for anticholinergic medication. This suggests that one might expect better compliance in future treatment in this population of chronic schizophrenic patients.
What happens to health professionals when the ill patient is the health care system? Understanding the experience of practising medicine in the Romanian socio-cultural context.

OBJECTIVES Our aims were to investigate the sources of work strain and stress, and the way in which they are experienced by Romanian health professionals in a work context shaped by the ongoing 20 years long reform of the national health care system. DESIGN An exploratory, qualitative design was used to investigate medical professionals' perceptions of stress and work strain. METHODS Twenty eight interviews and two focus groups were conducted with 38 physicians, residents and nurses, between the age of 26 and 53. A semi-structured interview guide was used for data gathering and the major themes were identified using thematic analysis of the transcripts. RESULTS Three themes emerged in the analysis: governance and health system management, scarcity of resources, and health system reputation. Health professionals described the image of a suffering health system, exhausted by an inconsistent management plan, underfunded and understaffed; a system that is a constant source of discontent, bitterness and doubts for them and their patients. CONCLUSIONS Romanian health professionals' experiences reveal a health care system which after 20 years of reform managed to shape a learned helplessness culture within the medical community and drive a large proportion of its workforce across the borders.
Bonus or Not? Learn to Reward in Crowdsourcing

Recent work has shown that the quality of work produced in a crowdsourcing working session can be influenced by the presence of performance-contingent financial incentives, such as bonuses for exceptional performance, in the session. We take an algorithmic approach to decide when to offer bonuses in a working session to improve the overall utility that a requester derives from the session. Specifically, we propose and train an input-output hidden Markov model to learn the impact of bonuses on work quality and then use this model to dynamically decide whether to offer a bonus on each task in a working session to maximize a requester's utility. Experiments on Amazon Mechanical Turk show that our approach leads to higher utility for the requester than fixed and random bonus schemes do. Simulations on synthesized data sets further demonstrate the robustness of our approach against different worker population and worker behavior in improving requester utility.
NNLO logarithmic expansions and precise determinations of the neutral currents near the Z resonance at the LHC: the Drell-Yan case

We present a comparative study of the invariant mass and rapidity distributions in Drell-Yan lepton pair production, with particular emphasis on the role played by the QCD evolution. We focus our study around the Z resonance (50 < Q < 200 GeV) and perform a general analysis of the factorization/renormalization scale dependence of the cross sections, with the two scales included both in the evolution and in the hard scatterings. We also present the variations of the cross sections due to the errors on the parton distributions (pdf's) and an analysis of the corresponding K-factors. Predictions from several sets of pdf's, evolved by MRST and Alekhin are compared with those generated using CANDIA, a NNLO evolution program that implements the theory of the logarithmic expansions, developed in a previous work. These expansions allow to select truncated solutions of varying accuracy using the method of the x-space iterates. The evolved parton distributions are in good agreement with other approaches. The study can be generalized for high precision searches of extra neutral gauge interactions at the LHC.
Shared multiple-valued decision diagrams for multiple-output functions

In this paper, we propose a method to represent multiple-output functions using shared multiple-valued decision diagrams (SMDDs). We show an algorithm for pairing the input variables of binary decision diagrams (BDDs). We also present the pair sifting that moves pairs of 4-valued input variables to speed up the normal sifting, and to produce compact SMDDs. The size of the SMDD is the total number of non-terminal nodes excluding the nodes for output selection variables. We derive the sizes of SMDDs for general functions and symmetric functions. From experimental results, we conjecture that, for n>1, the sizes of SMDDs for bit-counting functions (wgt n) and incrementing functions (inc n) are n[log/sub 2/n]+n-2([log/sub 2/n]) and 2n-1, respectively, where n is the number of binary input variables, and [a] denotes the largest integer not greater than a. We also compare our method with other one. Experimental results show the efficiency of our method.
Early-life socioeconomic position and periodontal status in Korean adults.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the association between different life-course socioeconomic positions (SEPs) and periodontitis in a large representative sample of the Korean population. METHODS With data from Korean adults aged 30-59, periodontitis was assessed with the community periodontal index. Parental education, own education, and income as indicators of early childhood SEP, adolescence SEP, and adulthood SEP, respectively, were categorized by four groups (1-4). The association between the different life-course SEPs and periodontitis was estimated according to three different life-course models: individual impact of the three SEPs, cumulative impact by the sum of the three SEP values (sum ranges 3-12), and the pathways of the three SEPs through lifetime to the periodontitis. Covariates were demographic factors, health behaviors, and health problems. The prevalence ratios (PRs) and relative index of inequality (RII) for periodontitis were obtained. RESULTS In an individual impact model, significant associations of each SEP with periodontitis were found after adjusting for all covariates (RII = 1.16 for parental education, 1.19 for own education, and 1.27 for income). For a cumulative impact model, there were higher risks for periodontitis as the sum of the three SEP values increased (RII = 1.51). For the intergenerational social mobility model, prevalence of current periodontal disease was highest in the persistently low group. (RII = 1.54 and PR = 1.51). CONCLUSIONS These results show that the individual and cumulative SEPs measured by the parental education, own education, and income were independently associated with the periodontal status of Korean adults. The pathway and cumulative hypotheses for the life-course SEP effects on periodontitis could be salient in oral epidemiology.
Factors associated with acute and late dysphagia in the DAHANCA 6 & 7 randomized trial with accelerated radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Abstract Background. Dysphagia is a common and debilitating side effect in head and neck radiotherapy (RT). Prognostic factors are numerous and their interrelationship not well understood. The aim of this study was to establish a multivariate prognostic model for acute and late dysphagia after RT, based on information from a prospective trial. Material and methods. The DAHANCA 6&7 randomized study included 1476 patients with head and neck cancer eligible for primary RT alone. Patients were randomized between 5 and 6 weekly fractions of conventional RT, and received 62–70 Gy in 31–35 fractions. Patients were scored for dysphagia weekly during treatment and at regular intervals until five years after treatment. Dysphagia scores were available from 1461 patients. Results. Acute dysphagia according to DAHANCA grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 occurred in 83%, 71%, 43% and 23%, respectively. Severe dysphagia occurred in 47% and 38% of patients receiving accelerated or conventional radiotherapy, respectively (p = 0.001). At one, two, three, four and five years the prevalence of chronic dysphagia above grade 0, was 46%, 32%, 29%, 24%, 23%, respectively with no difference between 5 and 6 fractions. In multivariate analysis, the following parameters were independent factors for severe acute dysphagia: T3–T4 tumors, N-positive disease, non-glottic cancer, age> median, baseline dysphagia > 1 and accelerated radiotherapy. The following factors were prognostic factors for late dysphagia: non-glottic cancer, T3–T4, N-positive disease and baseline dysphagia > 1. The data confirmed previously published predictive models, as it was possible to separate patients in groups with low, medium and high risk of dysphagia, respectively, based on pre-treatment risk scores. Conclusion. Prognostic models were established to characterize patients at risk of developing acute or late dysphagia in the DAHANCA 6&7 trial. The results may be useful to identify patients at risk of dysphagia and thus candidates for prophylactic measures against swallowing dysfunction.
The occurrence of challenging behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorders and atypical development

Objective: This study examines the occurrence of challenging behaviours in children with ASDs and atypical development. Design: This study is a descriptive non-experimental design that inspects the frequencies of challenging behaviours among two diagnostic groups. This type of methodology is important since research in this area is still in the beginning stages of development. Methods: The sample consisted of 2131 children, with 633 having an ASD and 1498 having atypical development. The Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits-Part 3 (BISCUIT-Part 3) assesses problematic behaviours within this population. The frequencies of challenging behaviours were examined along with an inspection of the co-occurring items. Results: Greater percentages of problematic behaviours were found in the ASD group as compared to the group with atypical development. Conclusion: Challenging behaviours are variables affecting the behavioural presentation of those with ASDs and may be considered into the treatment plans for these children.
Phase locking, oscillations and cycle slipping in synchronization systems

Many engineering applications employ nonlinear systems, representable as a feedback interconnection of a linear time-invariant dynamic block and a periodic nonlinearity. Such models naturally describe phase-locked loops (PLLs), which are widely used for synchronization of built-in computer clocks, demodulation and frequency synthesis. Other example include, but are not limited to, dynamics of pendulum-like mechanical systems, coupled vibrational units and electric machines. Systems with periodic nonlinearities, often referred to as synchronization systems, are usually featured by the existence of an infinite sequence of equilibria (stable or unstable). The central problem, concerning dynamics of synchronization systems, is the convergence of solutions to equilibria, treated in engineering applications as phase locking. In general, not any solution is convergent (“phase-locked”). This raises a natural question which oscillatory trajectories (such as e.g. periodic solutions) are possible. Even when the solution converges, the transient process can be unsatisfactory due to cycle slippings, leading to demodulation errors. In this paper, we address the mentioned three problems and offer novel criteria for phase locking, estimates for the number of slipped cycles and possible frequencies of periodic oscillations. The methods used in this paper are based on the method of integral quadratic constraints, stemming from Popov's technique of “a priori integral indices”.
Effects of WMA additives and hydrated lime on high-stress and high-temperature performance of Elvaloy®- and PPA-modified asphalt binder

Addition of Poly Phosphoric Acid (PPA) and polymer modifiers such as Elvaloy® found to improve the rheological performance of asphalt binders. However, such modification has also shown an increase in mixing and compaction temperature. Use of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) additives has shown a reduction in construction temperature, hence making such modification environmentally sustainable. Therefore, a control binder (an AC-30 asphalt binder modified with PPA and Elvaloy®) was modified using three different types of WMA additives: Sasobit®, Evotherm® and Advera®. In addition, considering moisture susceptibility of WMA-modified control binders additives, hydrated lime was further added to asphalt binder combinations. The current study involves the performance evaluation of different asphalt binder combinations using (a) Superpave rutting parameter, (b) time–temperature superposition data of complex modulus over a wide range of frequency and (c) multiple stress creep recovery test with application of different stress levels (0.1, 3.2, 6.4, 12.8 and 25.6 kPa). The addition of Sasobit® observed to enhance stiffness, rut resistant and recovery characteristics, whereas, Advera® and Evotherm® addition led to degrade the stiffness, rut resistant and recovery characteristics of a control binder. HL addition to control binder and control binder containing Advera® were observed to have an undesirable effect on rutting resistive performance. However, HL addition to control binder containing Evotherm® and Sasobit® showed improvement in rutting resistivity potential. Overall, high stress levels observed to have a significant effect on all asphalt binder combinations; hence, consideration of higher stresses can play a vital role in binder selection process.
Identification of a new DPY19L2 mutation and a better definition of DPY19L2 deletion breakpoints leading to globozoospermia.

STUDY HYPOTHESIS The purpose of this study was to analyze DPY19L2 sequence variants to investigate the mechanism leading to the entire DPY19L2 deletion in a large cohort of infertile globozoospermic patients. STUDY FINDING An improved analysis of the DPY19L2 deletion breakpoints (BPs) allowed us to identify two BPs located in a small 1 kb region and to more precisely localize the BPs reported previously. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Three genes [spermatogenesis associated 16 (SPATA16), protein interacting with PRKCA (PICK1) and DPY19L2] were previously correlated with globozoospermia, but a homozygous deletion of the entire DPY19L2 was identified as the most frequent alteration causing this phenotype. In addition, several point mutations in this gene were reported. In previous work, we have identified nine BPs for the DPY19L2 deletion clustered in two hotspot regions, while others reported a total of five BPs. STUDY DESIGN, SAMPLES/MATERIALS, METHODS We screened for the DPY19L2 deletion and for mutations in the DPY19L2, SPATA16 and PICK1 genes in a cohort of 21 Tunisian globozoospermic patients. In order to characterize the DPY19L2 deletion BPs, we sequenced a 2 kb fragment on low copy repeat (LCR) 1 and LCR2 in Tunisian fertile controls to distinguish between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and LCR-specific markers. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Molecular analyses performed on 18 genetically independent individuals showed that 11 (61.1%) were homozygous for the DPY19L2 deletion, 2 (11.1%) were homozygous for the non-synonymous mutation (p.R298C) in exon 8, 1 patient (5.6%) was homozygous for a new splice-site mutation at the junction exon-intron 16 [c. 1579_1580+4delAGGTAAinsTCAT] and no DPY19L2, SPATA16 or PICK1 mutations were identified for 4 patients (22.2%). By defining 15 specific LCR markers, we characterized 2 BPs for the DPY19L2 deletion in 11 patients showing the homozygous deletion. Using 20 non-LCR-specific SNPs, we identified 8 distinct haplotypes. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION A limitation of this study is the small number of patients owing to the rarity of this form of male infertility. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our data showed that some nucleotides, described by others as LCR-specific markers and used to limit their BPs, were in fact SNPs demonstrating the difficulty in precisely determining the localization of BPs. LARGE SCALE DATA Not applicable. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS This work was supported by the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), the Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche, the University of Strasbourg, the University Hospital of Strasbourg, the Agence Nationale pour la Recherche, the Agence de la BioMédecine and l'Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). There are no conflicts of interest to declare.
Effect of sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate modifier and PP-g-MA on the morphology and thermal conductivity of PP/EG composites

This study investigates the influence of expanded graphite (EG) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) treated EG (SDBS/EG) on the structure, thermal stability and thermal conductivity of polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene/maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (PP/MAPP) blend. The dispersion of EG and SDBS/EG was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SDBS-EG showed a crushed and randomly deformed structure. There was an improved interfacial adhesion between the polymer and the SBDS-EG particles. The graphite dispersed much better with less restacking for PP/MAPP/SDBS/EG system. The better dispersion also contributed towards the improved compatibility between the PP or PP/MAPP and SBDS/EG. The SDBS functionalised EG composites showed better thermal stability than the non-functionalized SDBS composites. It was further shown that the functionalized graphite significantly improved the thermal conductivity of the PP and PP/MAPP. This is because the functionalized SDBS/EG seemed to improve the interfacial heat transfer between the conductive filler (EG) and PP matrix.
Optimal Choice and Beliefs with Ex Ante Savoring and Ex Post Disappointment

We propose a new decision criterion under risk in which individuals extract both utility from anticipatory feelings ex ante and disutility from disappointment ex post. The decision maker chooses his degree of optimism, given that more optimism raises both the utility of ex ante feelings and the risk of disappointment ex post. We characterize the optimal beliefs and the preferences under risk generated by this mental process and apply this criterion to a simple portfolio choice/insurance problem. We show that these preferences are compatible with first-degree and second-degree stochastic dominance and yield a preference for early resolution of uncertainty. Furthermore, they are consistent with observed violations of the independence axiom, such as the preference reversal in the Allais paradox, and predict that the decision maker takes on less risk compared to an expected utility maximizer. Our decision criterion can thus help explain the equity premium puzzle and the preference for low deductibles in insurance contracts.
Massively parallel molecular dynamics simulations of lysozyme unfolding

We have performed molecular dynamics simulations for a total duration of more than 10 µs (with most molecular trajectories being 1 µs in duration) to study, the effect of a single mutation on hen lysozyme protein stability and denaturing, using an IBM Blue Gene/L™ supercomputer. One goal of this study was to assess the use of certain force fields to reproduce experimental results of protein unfolding using thermal denaturing techniques. A second and more important goal was to gain microscopic insights into the mechanism of protein misfolding using both thermal and chemical denaturing techniques. We found that the thermal denaturing results were robust and reproducible with various force fields. The chemical denaturing results explained why the single amino-acid mutation on residue Trp62 causes the disruption of long-range interactions in the tertiary structure. Simulation results revealed that the Trp62 residue was the key to a cooperative long-range interaction within the wild-type protein. Specifically, Trp62 acts as a bridge between two neighboring basic residues through a π-type H-bond or π-cation interaction to form an Arg-Trp-Arg "sandwich-like" structure. Our findings support the general conclusions of the experiment and provide an interesting molecular depiction of the disruption of the long-range interactions.