Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of brexpiprazole in adult outpatients with early-episode schizophrenia: an exploratory study

The aim of this study was to evaluate flexibly dosed brexpiprazole for early-episode schizophrenia through the assessment of efficacy, social functioning, and tolerability. This was an exploratory, 16-week, open-label, flexible-dose (1, 2, 3, or 4 mg/day; target dose 3 mg/day) study in outpatients with early-episode schizophrenia (18–35 years old, ⩽5 years’ duration of illness). Efficacy was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score (PANSS) and social functioning was assessed by changes from baseline in PANSS modified prosocial subscale, personal and social performance (PSP), and specific levels of functioning (SLOF) scales. Safety and tolerability were also evaluated. Overall, 25/49 patients completed the study. Symptoms of schizophrenia improved over the entire treatment period, as evidenced by reductions in PANSS total score from baseline (least squares mean change at week 16: −10.2). Improvements in social functioning were shown by least squares mean changes from baseline at week 16 in the PANSS prosocial subscale (−2.0), PSP (6.6), and SLOF (13.1). Brexpiprazole was generally well tolerated; the most common adverse events were insomnia (7/49 patients), somnolence (4/49), sedation, weight increase, and nausea (each 3/49). Brexpiprazole may represent a novel and effective treatment strategy for patients with early-episode schizophrenia and may be effective for improving social function.
Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics When are Analyst Recommendation Changes Influential?

The existing literature measures the contribution of analyst recommendation changes using average stock-price reactions. With such an approach, recommendation changes can have a significant impact even if no recommendation has a visible stock-price impact. Instead, we call a recommendation change influential only if it affects the stock price of the affected firm visibly. We show that only 12% of recommendation changes are influential. Recommendation changes are more likely to be influential if they are from leader, star, previously influential analysts, issued away from consensus, accompanied by earnings forecasts, issued on growth, small, high institutional ownership, or high forecast dispersion firms.
Inter-organizational relations among schools: Collaboration rather than competition

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study that analyzed relations among schools located in a Portuguese municipality where these organizations were officially authorized to compete with one another for students. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school leaders. The findings show that despite the formal possibility of inter-school competition within an educational market framework, there was no significant competition among the schools, and that their leaders managed their relations with other organizations in accordance with collaborative principles. The paper addresses some of the factors that may account for this and which provide a useful illustration of the specific nature of local educational environments, within the context of the global introduction of market mechanisms in education systems.
Semantically structured tag clouds: an empirical evaluation of clustered presentation approaches

Tag clouds have become a frequently used interaction technique in the web. Recently several approaches to present tag clouds with the tags semantically clustered have been proposed. However, it remains unclear whether the expected gains in performance and advantages in interaction actually can be realized as no empirical evaluations of such approaches are available yet. In this paper we describe a series of experiments designed to evaluate the effects of semantic versus alphabetical and random arrangements of tags in tag clouds. The results of our work indicate that semantically clustered tag clouds can provide improvements over random layouts in specific search tasks and that they tend to increase the attention towards tags in small fonts compared to other layouts. Also, semantically structured tag clouds were preferred by about half of the users for general search tasks. Tag cloud layout does not seem to influence the ability to remember tags.
Constructing Separators and Adjustment Sets in Ancestral Graphs

Ancestral graphs (AGs) are graphical causal models that can represent uncertainty about the presence of latent confounders, and can be inferred from data. Here, we present an algorithmic framework for efficiently testing, constructing, and enumerating m-separators in AGs. Moreover, we present a new constructive criterion for covariate adjustment in directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) and maximal ancestral graphs (MAGs) that characterizes adjustment sets as m-separators in a subgraph. Jointly, these results allow to find all adjustment sets that can identify a desired causal effect with multivariate exposures and outcomes in the presence of latent confounding. Our results generalize and improve upon several existing solutions for special cases of these problems.
Exploring Nearest Neighbor Approaches for Image Captioning

We explore a variety of nearest neighbor baseline approaches for image captioning. These approaches find a set of nearest neighbor images in the training set from which a caption may be borrowed for the query image. We select a caption for the query image by finding the caption that best represents the "consensus" of the set of candidate captions gathered from the nearest neighbor images. When measured by automatic evaluation metrics on the MS COCO caption evaluation server, these approaches perform as well as many recent approaches that generate novel captions. However, human studies show that a method that generates novel captions is still preferred over the nearest neighbor approach.
Factored Soft Source Syntactic Constraints for Hierarchical Machine Translation

This paper describes a factored approach to incorporating soft source syntactic constraints into a hierarchical phrase-based translation system. In contrast to traditional approaches that directly introduce syntactic constraints to translation rules by explicitly decorating them with syntactic annotations, which often exacerbate the data sparsity problem and cause other problems, our approach keeps translation rules intact and factorizes the use of syntactic constraints through two separate models: 1) a syntax mismatch model that associates each nonterminal of a translation rule with a distribution of tags that is used to measure the degree of syntactic compatibility of the translation rule on source spans; 2) a syntax-based reordering model that predicts whether a pair of sibling constituents in the constituent parse tree of the source sentence should be reordered or not when translated to the target language. The features produced by both models are used as soft constraints to guide the translation process. Experiments on Chinese-English translation show that the proposed approach significantly improves a strong string-to-dependency translation system on multiple evaluation sets.
Trade, catching‐up and divergence

This paper investigates the link between trade and convergence in per capita income by applying a threshold methodology to standard growth regressions in order to capture a nonlinear effect of trade on growth. We use 10 trade measures, divided into trade intensity ratios and measure of trade restrictions. For the former group of indicators only, our tests show that linear models have to be rejected in favour of threshold regressions. We have identified three different regimes, characterized by different relationships between growth and its determinants. Countries belonging to the regimes grouping higher‐income economies and poorer countries are diverging. The conditional convergence hypothesis is only accepted in the regime of middle‐income countries; a process of catching‐up can be mainly found in the case of few developing countries. For the vast majority of developing countries, divergence in per capita income seems to be the norm. The correlation between measures of trade restrictions and growth is different across regimes, and the positive effect of a decrease in tariffs on growth depends on the level of development; for the majority of the developing countries included in our sample a decrease in tariffs will have no effect on growth.
Excretion, Metabolism, and Pharmacokinetics of CP-945,598, a Selective Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonist, in Rats, Mice, and Dogs

1-(8-(2-Chlorophenyl)-9-(4-chlorophenyl)-9H-purin-6-yl)-4-(ethylamino)piperidine-4-carboxamide (CP-945,598) is an orally active antagonist of the cannabinoid CB-1 receptor that progressed into phase 3 human clinical trials for the treatment of obesity. In this study, we investigated the metabolic fate and disposition of CP-945,598 in rats, Tg-RasH2 mice, and dogs after oral administration of a single dose of [14C]CP-945,598. Total mean recoveries of the radioactive dose were 97.7, 97.8, and 99.3% from mice, rats, and dogs, respectively. The major route of excretion in all three species was via the feces, but on the basis of separate studies in bile duct-cannulated rats and dogs, this probably reflects excretion in bile rather than incomplete absorption. CP-945,598 underwent extensive metabolism in all three species, because no unchanged parent compound was detected in the urine across species. The primary metabolic pathway of CP-945,598 involved N-deethylation to form an N-desethyl metabolite (M1). M1 was subsequently metabolized by amide hydrolysis, oxidation, and ribose conjugation to numerous novel and unusual metabolites. The major circulating and excretory metabolites were species-dependent; however, several common metabolites were observed in more than one species. In addition to parent compound, M1, M3, M4, and M5 in rats, M1, M3, and M4 in mice, and M1 and M2 in dogs were identified as the major circulating metabolites. Gender-related differences were also apparent in the quantitative and qualitative nature of the metabolites in rats. An unprecedented metabolite, M4, formed by deamidation of M1 or M3 (N-hydroxy-M1), but not by decarboxylation of M2, was identified in all species. M4 was nonenzymatically converted to M5.
Characterization of Refractory Period Extension by Transcardiac Shock

BackgroundTo better understand the refractory period extension (RPE) produced by transcardiac shocks and its possible role in defibrillation, we measured RPE under various experimental conditions. Methods and ResultsUsing ventricular pacing in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, we characterized RPE in relation to the anatomic site of pacing, the local voltage gradient (LVG) produced by the shocks at the pacing site, and the pacing rate and pacing current used to make the measurements. We also determined ifRPE persisted into the next refractory period after the shock and measured RPE at the end of 30-second episodes of acute ischemia to the pacing site, which were caused by occluding the left anterior descending artery. Each anatomic site tested showed RPE, which increased sharply with increasing LVG at lower levels but less sharply at higher LVG. The RPE versus LVG was approximated with an exponential curve that had an exponential constant of about 5-6 V/cm. At faster pacing rates, RPE occurred earlier in the refractory period but was unchanged when expressed as a percent increase of refractory period. RPE did not vary with the pacing current and was present only in the refractory period during which the shock was delivered. The RPE was not significantly altered by acute ischemia. These results show that transcardiac shocks selectively extend the refractory period of tissue proportional to the LVG and the timing of the shock in the refractory period. They are consistent with the concept that RPE prevents depolarization from tissue directly excited by a shock from propagating to tissue that was refractory to that same shock. ConclusionsThe insensitivity of RPE to short ischemic episodes and the presence of RPE at increased activation rates suggest that RPE might exist under conditions of fibrillation and be a major determinant of the success or failure of defibrillation. (Circulation 1991;83:2057—2066)
Faculty Perspectives of Academic Preparedness of Nontraditional Students Who Earned Prior Learning Assessment Credits

Faculty Perspectives of Academic Preparedness of Nontraditional Students Who Earned Prior Learning Assessment Credits by Kerri Moseley-Hobbs MBA, University of Maryland, University College, 2011 MS, University of Maryland, University College, 2010 BS, University of Maryland, University College, 2008 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University August 2017 Abstract Through prior learning assessment (PLA) programs, students’ professional and life experiences are evaluated to determine if they equate to college program courses– removing the need for the student to complete traditional college courses to earn a postsecondary degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of faculty at the study site on the academic preparedness of nontraditional students.Through prior learning assessment (PLA) programs, students’ professional and life experiences are evaluated to determine if they equate to college program courses– removing the need for the student to complete traditional college courses to earn a postsecondary degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of faculty at the study site on the academic preparedness of nontraditional students. Knowles’ andragogy theory guided the research questions on the academic preparedness of students earning prior learning credits and what characteristics of PLA programs faculty believe contribute to the academic success of these students. Thirty-six participants completed a survey where they provided narratives that were coded to determine overarching themes. The findings of this case study suggested that faculty believed that nontraditional students who earned credits through PLA are independent, motivated, and knowledgeable, but whether or not they are academically prepared seemed to vary by academic program. The findings also suggested that, while PLA programs have limitations because of student perceptions that may conflict with reality and the limited usability of PLA across academic programs, PLA programs provide a time benefit to students by allowing a shorter time to degree. The study supports positive social change by providing a resource for future development and growth of PLA programs to expand student access and options in obtaining postsecondary credentials while also lowering postsecondary education cost. Faculty Perspectives of Academic Preparedness of Nontraditional Students Who Earned Prior Learning Assessment Credits by Kerri Moseley-Hobbs MBA, University of Maryland, University College, 2011 MS, University of Maryland, University College, 2010 BS, University of Maryland, University College, 2008 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
HNC, HCN and CN in Seyfert galaxies

Aims. Bright HNC 1−0 emission, rivalling that of HCN 1−0, has been found towards several Seyfert galaxies. This is unexpected since traditionally HNC is a tracer of cold (10 K) gas, and the molecular gas of luminous galaxies like Seyferts is thought to have bulk kinetic temperatures surpassing 50 K. There are four possible explanations for the bright HNC: (a) large masses of hidden cold gas; (b) chemistry dominated by ion-neutral reactions; (c) chemistry dominated by X-ray radiation; and (d) HNC enhanced through mid-IR pumping. In this work, we distinguish the cause of the bright HNC and to model the physical conditions of the HNC and HCN emitting gas. Methods. We have used SEST, JCMT and IRAM 30 m telescopes to observe HNC 3−2 and HCN 3–2 line emission in a selection of 5 HNC-luminous Seyfert galaxies. We estimate and discuss the excitation conditions of HCN and HNC in NGC 1068, NGC 3079, NGC 2623 and NGC 7469, based on the observed 3–2/1–0 line intensity ratios. We also observed CN 1−0 and 2–1 emission and discuss its role in photon and X-ray dominated regions. Results. HNC 3−2 was detected in 3 galaxies (NGC 3079, NGC 1068 and NGC 2623). Not detected in NGC 7469. HCN 3–2 was detected in NGC 3079, NGC 1068 and NGC 1365, it was not detected in NGC 2623. The HCN 3–2/1–0 ratio is lower than 0.3 only in NGC 3079, whereas the HNC 3−2/1–0 ratio is larger than 0.3 only in NGC 2623. The HCN/HNC 1−0 and 3–2 line ratios are larger than unity in all the galaxies. The HCN/HNC 3−2 line ratio is lower than unity only in NGC 2623, which makes it comparable to galaxies like Arp 220, Mrk 231 and NGC 4418. Conclusions. We conclude that in three of the galaxies the HNC emissions emerge from gas of densities n 10 5 cm −3 ). Instead, we conclude that the emissions of HNC and HCN emerge from the same gas in NGC 3079. The observed HCN/HNC and CN/HCN line ratios favor a PDR scenario, rather than an XDR one, which is consistent with previous indications of a starburst component in the central regions of these galaxies. However, the N(HNC)/N(HCN) column density ratios obtained for NGC 3079 can be found only in XDR environments.
Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on emotional experience and expression: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been found to reduce psychological distress and improve psychological adjustment in medical, psychiatric, and nonclinical samples. We examined its effects on several processes, attitudes, and behavior patterns related to emotion regulation. DESIGN Fifty-six adults were randomly assigned to MBSR or to a waiting list (WL). RESULTS Compared with WL completers (n = 21), MBSR completers (n = 20) reported significantly greater increases in trait mindfulness and decreases in absent-mindedness, greater increases in self-compassion, and decreases in fear of emotions, suppression of anger, aggressive anger expression, worry, and difficulties regulating emotions. The WL group subsequently received MBSR, and the two groups combined showed significant changes on all of these variables from pre-MBSR to post-MBSR, and on all except the 2 anger variables from pre-test to 2-month follow-up, as well as significant reductions in rumination. CONCLUSION An 8-week mindfulness training program might increase mindful awareness in daily life and have beneficial impact on clinically relevant emotion regulation processes.
Analysing mediating effects underlying the relationships between P–O fit, P–J fit, and organisational commitment

Abstract Person–Organisation fit (P–O fit) and Person–Job fit (P–J fit) are important predictors of employees’ commitment to their organisations. Yet little is known about the underlying mediating variables that account for these relationships. Based on assumptions derived from Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Social Identity Theory (SIT), the present study predicts that the effects of P–J fit and P–O fit on employee commitment are mediated by job satisfaction and organisational identification, respectively. An online survey (N = 432 employees) was used to test the proposed relationships using a series of path models in AMOS. As expected, P–O fit and P–J fit are positively related to affective, normative, and continuance commitment, with P–O fit showing stronger effects than P–J fit. Organisational identification and job satisfaction completely mediate the effects of fit on the commitment facets. Evidence of differential effects for P–O fit and P–J fit suggest that different forms of fit operate in different ways to influence facets of organisational commitment. This knowledge can be helpful for advancing the integration of SIT and SET in the context of the employee–organisation relationship and for designing interventions to foster organisational commitment.
Properties of Modified p-Cyclic Self-Maps in Metric Spaces

distance constraint in a metric space which mixed non-expansive or contractive properties and potentially expansive properties related to some distance threshold. The above mentioned constraint is feasible in certain real -world problems. Two classes of self-maps are investigated, namely, those which become p-cyclic strict contractions in the absence of perturbations and those which in the same conditions become p-cyclic contractions of Meir-Keeler type.
Na +-Ca 2 + Exchange in Cultured Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) contract as intracellular free calcium ([Ca],) rises. While Na-Ca exchange has been proposed to contribute to transmembrane Ca flux, its role in cultured VSMC is unknown. Accordingly, we have investigated the role of Na-Ca exchange in unidirectional and net transmembrane Ca fluxes in cultured rat aortic VSMC under basal conditions and following agonist-mediated stimulation. Transmembrane Ca uptake was significantly increased in response to a low external Na concentration ([Na]J compared with 140 mM [Na],,. Na-dependent Ca uptake in response to low [Na]o was further increased by intracellular Na + loading by preincubation of the VSMC with 1 mM ouabain. Under steady-state conditions, Ca content varied inversely with [Na]o, increasing from 1.0 nmol Ca /mg protein at 140 mM [Na], to 4.0 nmol Ca/mg protein at 20 mM [Na + )0. Increasing [K ], to 55 mM also enhanced Na-dependent Ca influx. Augmentation of Ca + uptake with K depolarization was not significantly inhibited by the calcium channel antagonist verapamil. Transmembrane Ca efflux was increased in response to 130 mM [Na)o compared with zero [Na]o (iso-osmotic substitution with choline ), and was further stimulated by the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II, which is known to elevate [Ca],. These changes in [Ca*], were studied directly using fura-2 fluorescence measurements. Elevated [Ca], levels returned to baseline more rapidly in the presence of normal (130 mM) [Na]0 compared with zero [Na ]o (iso-osmotic substitution with choline). These findings suggest that a bidirectional Na*-Ca exchange mechanism is present in cultured rat aortic VSMC. Na-Ca exchange appears to play a part in Ca homeostasis, particularly under conditions of altered intracellular Na or increased [Ca], following agonist stimulation. (Circulation Research 1988;62:486-493)