Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“PHE in Action”: Development and Modeling of an Intervention to Improve Patient Engagement among Older Adults

The increasing prevalence of chronic conditions among older adults constitutes a major public health problem. Thus, changes in lifestyles are required to prevent secondary conditions and sustain good care practices. While patient engagement received great attention in the last years as key strategy to solve this issue, to date no interventions exist to sustain the engagement of older chronic patients toward their health management. This study describes the design, development, and optimization of PHEinAction, a theoretically-driven intervention program to increase patient engagement in older chronic populations and consequently to foster healthy changes that can help reduce risks of health problems. The development process followed the UK Medical Research Council's (MRC) guidelines and involved selecting the theoretical base for the intervention, identifying the relevant evidence-based literature, and conducting exploratory research to qualitatively evaluate program's feasibility, acceptability, and comprehension. The result was a user-endorsed intervention designed to improve older patients' engagement in health management based on the theoretical framework of the Patient Health Engagement (PHE) model. The intervention program, which emerged from this process, consisted of 2 monthly face-to-face 1-h sessions delivered by a trained facilitator and one brief telephonic consultation, and aimed to facilitate a range of changes for patient engagement (e.g., motivation to change, health information seeking and use, emotional adjustment, health behaviors planning). PHEinAction is the first example of a theoretically-based patient engagement intervention designed for older chronic targets. The intervention program is based on psychological theory and evidence; it facilitates emotional, psychological, and behavioral processes to support patient engagement and lifestyle change and maintenance. It provides estimates of the extent to which it could help high-risk groups engage in effective health management and informs future trials.
Enhancement of Extracellular Pullulanase Production by Raoultella planticola DSMZ 4617 Using Optimized Medium Based on Sago Starch

Enhancement of pullulanase production by Raoultella planticola DSMZ 4617 using optimized medium formu- lation was investigated in batch fermentation using 500-mL shake flask. The fermentations were carried out, firstly, to search for a suitable cultivation medium for enzyme production and followed by the evaluations on the influence of car- bon and nitrogen sources and also initial culture pHs on the secretion of pullulanase by this bacterium. The modified min- eral Czapek medium was found suitable to produce substantially high activity of pullulanase (320 times higher) as com- pared to 'Ohba-Ueda' medium. This bacterium was found superior in pullulanase production using sago starch and pep- tone as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Using the optimized medium, the bacterium produced 0.95 U/mL of pullulanase at initial culture pH of 7 and incubation temperature of 30 o C.
Factors associated with reported snoring among elderly patients attending the geriatric centre in Nigeria

Introduction Snoring is the major symptom of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) which is of immense public health importance. It is associated with some morbidities and mortality in the elderly. Few studies have addressed this problem in the elderly Nigerians. Methods Cross-sectional study of 843 elderly patients at the Geriatric Centre, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Data were collected on the following candidate variables which may be associated with snoring such as socio-demographic characteristics, morbidities, lifestyle habits and functional disability using Katz index. Anthropometric measurements such as body mass index and neck, waist and hip circumferences were taken. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS 17. Results The point prevalence of reported snoring was 31.2%. Habitual snoring was reported by 24.8%. Snoring was significantly associated with obesity, moderate to severe oropharyngeal crowding, wide neck and waist circumferences in both sexes. Logistic regression analysis showed wide neck circumference (OR = 6.005; 95%CI= 2.150-16.770) among the males and obesity (OR = 2.028; 95%CI= 1.344-3.061) and moderate to severe oropharyngeal crowding (OR = 1.639; 95%CI= 1.057-2.543) in the females to be the most significant factors associated with snoring. Conclusion The high prevalence of snoring among elderly patients in Nigeria calls for concerted effort by healthcare workers to educate the elderly.
SEASON OF BIRTH AND SUCCESS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

The investigation which formed the basis of this article was designed to examine the possibility of a connection existing between the time of year at which a pupil is born and the results at school as indicated by the VRQ, immediately prior to entering the secondary school, success in the ‘O’ level examinations of the GCE, the completion of a five‐year course of studies in the secondary school, and the composition of the top and bottom streams by the end of the third year in the secondary school. The results described relate to a group of pupils who, over a period of ten years, entered an all‐boys comprehensive school in an industrial city and whose achievements in the areas defined above were found to be significantly related to the time of the year at which they were born. Those children born during the autumn term and having, therefore, had a longer period in the junior school, were found to be advantaged compared with those born in the spring and summer terms, the latter being in a situation of greate.
1.5 versus 3 versus 7 Tesla in abdominal MRI: A comparative study

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the feasibility as well as potential impact of altered magnetic field properties on image quality and potential artifacts of 1.5 Tesla, 3 Tesla and 7 Tesla non-enhanced abdominal MRI. Materials and methods Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging of the upper abdomen was performed in 10 healthy volunteers on a 1.5 Tesla, a 3 Tesla and a 7 Tesla MR system. The study protocol comprised a (1) T1-weighted fat-saturated spoiled gradient-echo sequence (2D FLASH), (2) T1-weighted fat-saturated volumetric interpolated breath hold examination sequence (3D VIBE), (3) T1-weighted 2D in and opposed phase sequence, (4) True fast imaging with steady-state precession sequence (TrueFISP) and (5) T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequence. For comparison reasons field of view and acquisition times were kept comparable for each correlating sequence at all three field strengths, while trying to achieve the highest possible spatial resolution. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were tested for significant differences. Results While 1.5 and 3 Tesla MRI revealed comparable results in all assessed features and sequences, 7 Tesla MRI yielded considerable differences in T1 and T2 weighted imaging. Benefits of 7 Tesla MRI encompassed an increased higher spatial resolution and a non-enhanced hyperintense vessel signal at 7 Tesla, potentially offering a more accurate diagnosis of abdominal parenchymatous and vasculature disease. 7 Tesla MRI was also shown to be more impaired by artifacts, including residual B1 inhomogeneities, susceptibility and chemical shift artifacts, resulting in reduced overall image quality and overall image impairment ratings. While 1.5 and 3 Tesla T2w imaging showed equivalently high image quality, 7 Tesla revealed strong impairments in its diagnostic value. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the feasibility and overall comparable imaging ability of T1-weighted 7 Tesla abdominal MRI towards 3 Tesla and 1.5 Tesla MRI, yielding a promising diagnostic potential for non-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA). 1.5 Tesla and 3 Tesla offer comparably high-quality T2w imaging, showing superior diagnostic quality over 7 Tesla MRI.
HER/erbB Receptors as Therapeutic Targets of Immunotoxins in Human Rhabdomyosarcoma Cells

Human rhabdomyosarcoma cells express HER/erbB growth factors receptors. Receptors belonging to this family are overexpressed and play a role in many types of epithelial and neural cancer and have been selected as targets for cancer therapy. In this paper EGF-R, HER-2 and HER-3 receptors were tested as therapeutic targets of immunotoxins in human rhabdomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma cells were treated with indirect immunotoxins consisting in primary specific murine monoclonal antibodies recognizing EGF-R, HER-2 and HER-3 followed by secondary F(ab´)2 antimouse immunoglobulin linked to saporin-S6, a type 1 ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) from the seeds of Saponaria officinalis. The indirect immunotoxin targeting EGF-R caused a significant inhibition in cell growth and protein synthesis and a strong increase in apoptosis in rhabdomyosarcoma cells, whereas indirect immunotoxins against HER-2 and HER-3 were ineffective. The toxic activity of anti-EGF-R immunotoxin was also observed on rhabdomyosarcoma cells expressing low level of EGF-R. EGF-R could be a novel therapeutic target of immunotoxins in human rhabdomyosarcoma.
Connectomics in psychiatric research: advances and applications

Psychiatric disorders disturb higher cognitive functions and severely compromise human health. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders are very complex, and understanding these mechanisms remains a great challenge. Currently, many psychiatric disorders are hypothesized to reflect “faulty wiring” or aberrant connectivity in the brains. Imaging connectomics is arising as a promising methodological framework for describing the structural and functional connectivity patterns of the human brain. Recently, alterations of brain networks in the connectome have been reported in various psychiatric disorders, and these alterations may provide biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis for the evaluation of treatment efficacy. Here, we summarize the current achievements in both the structural and functional connectomes in several major psychiatric disorders (eg, schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism) based on multi-modal neuroimaging data. We highlight the current progress in the identification of these alterations and the hypotheses concerning the aberrant brain networks in individuals with psychiatric disorders and discuss the research questions that might contribute to a further mechanistic understanding of these disorders from a connectomic perspective.
Normative Data for the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised in German-Speaking Countries

The Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) is the standard assessment method for psychopathic personality traits of offenders. PCL-R norms for German-speaking countries have not yet been published. This study reviews the extant literature on the PCL-R and its screening version in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Based on 25 published empirical studies (total N = 4,254) overall means and standard deviations were estimated using meta-analytic methods. Assuming normality, estimates of norms (percentiles and T-scores) were derived for male offenders with respect to the standard assessment protocol (PCL-R interview plus file review), purely file-based assessments, and the screening version of the instrument. Compared with the North American normative data, estimated sample means were significantly lower for PCL-R standard assessments and for the screening instrument. The present findings may serve as provisional estimates for gauging the level of psychopathic traits of male offenders in Austria, Germany, and the German-speaking parts of Switzerland.
The influence of implicit cognitive processes on physical activity: how the theory of planned behaviour and self-determination theory can provide a platform for our understanding

The influence of implicit cognitive processes on social behaviour has been heavily scrutinised in recent years. A burgeoning body of literature now indicates that implicit processes are particularly predictive of those behaviours that are spontaneously performed and difficult to control. Although interest in implicit cognition has been strong in many fields, few studies have investigated the role of implicit cognitive processes on physical activity. In this article we highlight the avenues through which implicit processes might influence different forms of activity. Two of the most prominent theories in sport and exercise psychology – the theory of planned behaviour and self-determination theory – are used as templates through which discussion is focused. Studies on implicit processes that have utilised these theories are reviewed and critiqued, and the implications of findings from these studies on the prediction of physical activity are discussed. The final section includes a discussion of recent theorising on the mechanisms through which implicit cognitive processes might change. It is hoped that discussion of these important issues will stimulate research into the role of implicit cognitive processes in physical activity.
Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of End-stage Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background:End-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is complicated by substantial adverse events. However, few studies have focused on electrocardiographic features and their prognostic values in HCM. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical manifestations and prognostic value of electrocardiography in patients with end-stage HCM. Methods:End-stage HCM patients were enrolled from a total of 1844 consecutive HCM patients from April 2002 to November 2013 at Fuwai Hospital. Clinical data, including medical history, electrocardiography, and echocardiography, were analyzed. Cox hazards regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors for cardiovascular mortality. Results:End-stage HCM was identified in 99 (5.4%) patients, averaged at 52 ± 16 years old at entry. Atrial fibrillation was observed in 53 patients and mural thrombus in 19 patients. During 3.9 ± 3.0 years of follow-up, embolic stroke, refractory heart failure, and death or transplantation were observed in 20, 39, and 51 patients, respectively. The incidence of annual mortality was 13.2%. Multivariate Cox hazards regression analysis identified New York Heart Association Class (NYHA) III/IV at entry (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–3.80; P = 0.036), left bundle branch block (LBBB) (HR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.47–5.31; P = 0.002), and an abnormal Q wave (HR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.16–4.23; P = 0.016) as independent predictors of cardiovascular death, in accordance with all-cause death and heart failure-related death. Conclusions:LBBB and an abnormal Q wave are risk factors of cardiovascular mortality in end-stage HCM and provide new evidence for early intervention. Susceptibility of end-stage HCM patients to mural thrombus and embolic events warrants further attention.
Assimilation of Problematic Experiences in Linguistic Therapy of Evaluation: A Case Study

In this article the process of assimilation in the problematic experience of tiredness of one patient, María, is shown. María was treated with linguistic therapy of evaluation (LTE), a therapy midway between constructivist and cognitive therapies based on the theory of General Semantics, for 14 sessions. María was one of the most successful cases of LTE. Aims of the study were to show the process of assimilation in a case with good outcome and to explore if this process shows an irregular pattern, with setbacks or jumps between stages. This process is analyzed by the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES), an eight-stage scale that shows the process of assimilation from an experience being warded off, avoided, in vague awareness, clarified, understood, solutions applied, and finally resolved and integrated into the self. Results showed, first, that the process of assimilation reaches APES Stages 5 (application) and 6 (problem solution), and, second, that the process of assimilation showed a clear sawtoothed, irregular pattern.
Autocovariance preserving estimator (APE) interpretation of the MLSD metric for Rayleigh fading channels

This paper describes a new interpretation of the maximum-likelihood sequence detector metric for a linearly modulated signal and an unknown time-varying, dispersive, Rayleigh fading channel. The metric, which involves the channel and noise autocovariances, is transformed into the intuitive Mahalanobis distance (squared Euclidean distance in white noise) between the observations and a reference estimated from them. A novel estimator, called the autocovariance preserving estimator, is obtained that trades off increased estimation bias for reduced sequence-error probability.
Prompting Middle School Science Students for Productive Reflection: Generic and Directed Prompts

This classroom study, involving 178 middle school science students, investigates ways of prompting students for reflection. Reflection refers to both metacognition and sense-making. The primary research question is "Do students merely need to be prompted to reflect, or do they need guidance in reflecting productively? " Two types of reflection prompts are contrasted. The first type, called generic prompts, represents a view that asking students to "stop and think" will encourage reflection. The second type, called directed prompts, assumes that a generic request for reflection is insufficient, and that students should instead be provided with hints indicating potentially productive directions for their reflection. (Students in both conditions received identical activity prompts that helped them complete the project.) The results show that students in the generic prompt condition develop more coherent understandings as they work on a complex science project. Students reflect unproductively more often in response to directed prompts as compared to the generic prompts. These poor reflectors are less successful on the project than are other better reflectors. Students with some autonomy who received generic prompts develop more coherent understandings than do their similarly autonomous peers who receive directed prompts. The role of reflection in promoting multiple, complementary knowledge integration processes is described. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for both instruction and cognition, including strategies for promoting productive reflection in classroom situations.
Preschoolers begin to differentiate the times of events from throughout the lifespan

Three-, 4- and 5-year-old children were presented with simple timelines of past and future and asked to place pictures representing different events at appropriate places. Events came from three rough temporal groupings for both past and future (24 hours, 12 months and several years). Placement of items in the categories improved with age. Three-year-olds placed events that occurred years ago further away on the past timeline than events that had occurred more recently, but they failed to discriminate between the times of future events. Four-year-olds performed no better than 3-year-olds on the past timeline, but successfully differentiated daily events from more remote future events. Five-year-olds differentiated between all three temporal categories of events in both the past and future. The ability to localize events at distinct points in time appears to undergo major transition during the preschool years.
Inequality Persistence and Revolution : What can we learn from the Long March in China ?

Are radical reforms able to tackle inequality persistence? We investigate the impact of one of the most radical changes one can think of, Mao’s revolution in rural China, on inequality persistence. We identify places which experienced reforms of different intensity for exogenous reasons, by using a unique historical event, the Long March of the Red Army in the mid 1930s, which was retreating to escape the Nationalists. The counties crossed by the Long March were not very different from their neighbouring counties, but they faced more radical changes from the late 1940s on. We focus on two important determinants shaping households opportunities : land endowment and education. First, we show that in the Long March counties, formerly poor families have now more land than others, and educational outcomes of children are independent of their grandfathers’. Second, we show that the the situation is different for the other counties. For most rural areas, the historical poverty of households is strongly correlated with less land nowadays. For most areas in rural China, the reform failed to disrupt the transmission of human capital. Overall, the persistence of inequality is remarkable. Radical reforms might be powerful in changing patterns of inequality persistence, but such impact is likely to be geographically limited to places where land reform or revolution are receiving increased attention and resources. JEL Classification: D63, P48, O13.
Medical students’ awareness of the role of physiotherapists in multidisciplinary healthcare

Abstract Background: Successful implementation of multidisciplinary healthcare approach may among other things depend on students' education and knowledge of the roles of healthcare professions other than their own. This study investigated medical students’ awareness of the role of physiotherapists in multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Methods: One hundred and ninety-eight medical students of the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, participated in this study. Each student completed a self-administered questionnaire that obtained information on demographics, awareness of role of physiotherapists and educational sources of information as well as suggestions about other sources of information about physiotherapy. Chi-square test was used to analyze differences in awareness by gender and year of study. Results: Although rates of awareness regarding some physiotherapy roles were high, many of the medical students were unaware that physiotherapists can practice on first-contact basis and autonomously. About 60% of the students also viewed the role of physiotherapists in the health team as one of providing assistance for medical work. Clinical ward round was the most common source of information on physiotherapy although many of the students suggested classroom lecture as a preferred means of obtaining information. Year of study resulted in significantly different level of awareness (p < 0.05) with a higher proportion of final year students exhibiting awareness of physiotherapists’ roles. Conclusion: Clinical ward rounds facilitated the students’ awareness of the role of physiotherapists. Interprofessional education involving lectures and clinical ward rounds may assist in building medical students’ level of awareness and appreciation of the physiotherapy profession.
The Effects of Modeling, Feedback, and Experiential Methods on Counselor Empathy

This study compares the effects of three supervisory techniques—modeling, feedback, and experiential intervention—in teaching counseling students to communicate empathic understanding. The students participated in three simulated counseling interviews during which their responses to standard clients were rated on the degree of empathic understanding conveyed. After each of the first two interviews students in the experimental groups were given one of the three supervisory treatments; students in the control group received no supervision. The ratings indicated that the modeling method of supervision was more effective than the feedback method and the feedback method was more effective than the experiential method in helping the counselors communicate empathy. No significant differences were found between students receiving experiential supervision and those in the control group. The interaction between method and sex was significant in that male students responded better than female students to the feedback method.