Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of video game use, cigarette smoking, and acceptability of a video game-based smoking cessation intervention among online adults.

INTRODUCTION Video games may serve as an ideal platform for developing and implementing technology-based contingency management (CM) interventions for smoking cessation as they can be used to address a number of barriers to the utilization of CM (e.g., replacing monetary rewards with virtual game-based rewards). However, little is known about the relationship between video game playing and cigarette smoking. The current study determined the prevalence of video game use, video game practices, and the acceptability of a video game-based CM intervention for smoking cessation among adult smokers and nonsmokers, including health care professionals. METHODS In an online survey, participants (N = 499) answered questions regarding their cigarette smoking and video game playing practices. Participants also reported if they believed a video game-based CM intervention could motivate smokers to quit and if they would recommend such an intervention. RESULTS Nearly half of the participants surveyed reported smoking cigarettes, and among smokers, 74.5% reported playing video games. Video game playing was more prevalent in smokers than nonsmokers, and smokers reported playing more recently, for longer durations each week, and were more likely to play social games than nonsmokers. Most participants (63.7%), including those who worked as health care professionals, believed that a video game-based CM intervention would motivate smokers to quit and would recommend such an intervention to someone trying to quit (67.9%). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that delivering technology-based smoking cessation interventions via video games has the potential to reach substantial numbers of smokers and that most smokers, nonsmokers, and health care professionals endorsed this approach.
Precise error determination of approximated components in sequential circuits with model checking

Error metrics are used to evaluate the quality of an approximated circuit or to trade-off several approximated candidates in design exploration. Precisely determining the error of an approximated circuit is a hard problem since the errors accumulate over time depending on the composition and nature of individual components. In this paper, we present methods based on model checking to precisely determine error behavior in sequential circuits that contain approximated combinational components. Our experiments show that such an analysis is very significant and crucial to properly deduce the effects of approximations.
Hand, an evolutionarily conserved bHLH transcription factor required for Drosophila cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis

The Hand gene family encodes highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors that play crucial roles in cardiac and vascular development in vertebrates. In Drosophila, a single Hand gene is expressed in the three major cell types that comprise the circulatory system: cardioblasts, pericardial nephrocytes and lymph gland hematopoietic progenitors, but its function has not been determined. Here we show that Drosophila Hand functions as a potent transcriptional activator, and converting it into a repressor blocks heart and lymph gland formation. Disruption of Hand function by homologous recombination also results in profound cardiac defects that include hypoplastic myocardium and a deficiency of pericardial and lymph gland hematopoietic cells, accompanied by cardiac apoptosis. Targeted expression of Hand in the heart completely rescued the lethality of Hand mutants, and cardiac expression of a human HAND gene, or the caspase inhibitor P35, partially rescued the cardiac and lymph gland phenotypes. These findings demonstrate evolutionarily conserved functions of HAND transcription factors in Drosophila and mammalian cardiogenesis, and reveal a previously unrecognized requirement of Hand genes in hematopoiesis.
Multi-view Semi-supervised Learning for Web Image Annotation

With the explosive increasing of web image data, image annotation has become a critical research issue for image semantic index and search. In this work, we propose a novel model, termed as multi-view semi-supervised learning (MVSSL), for robust image annotation task. Specifically, we exploit both labeled images and unlabeled images to uncover the intrinsic data structural information. Meanwhile, to comprehensively describe an individual datum, we take advantage of the correlated and complemental information derived from multiple facets of image data (i.e., multiple views or features). We devise a robust pair-wise constraint on outcomes of different views to achieve annotation consistency. Furthermore, we integrate a robust classifier learning component via l2,1 loss, which can provide effective noise identification power during the learning process. Finally, we devise an efficient iterative algorithm to solve the optimization problem in MVSSL. We conduct extensive experiments on the NUS-WIDE dataset, and the results illustrate that our proposed approach is promising for large scale web image annotation task.
The effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on platelet parameters

Abstract Background: Hypothyroidism has a broad clinical spectrum. Today, physicians frequently encounter patients with very mild thyroid dysfunction instead of overt hypothyroidism. These patients have normal serum levels of thyroxine and triiodothyronine and only mildly elevated serum thyrotropin levels. Such patients are often identified through routine screening or in the course of an evaluation of common nonspecific symptoms. On the other hand, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries. There are studies, which suggest platelets play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the platelet count and other platelet parameters in subclinical hypothyroidic and euthyroidic healthy control group and to investigate whether these parameters have a predictive significance in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Materials and methods: Forty-seven patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and 30 euthyroidic healthy control group were enrolled into the study. Results: Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had higher mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) values than control group, which were statistically significant (p<0·001 and p<0·001), respectively. Conclusion: Our results indicate that MPV and PDW play an important predictive role in subclinical hypothyroidism.
Maybe the sky isn't falling after all: Comment on Kleinman and Kaplan (2016)

ABSTRACT Kleinman & Kaplan (2016) decry how family courts are being misled by biased or undertrained evaluators, who commonly discount or dismiss allegations of domestic violence and child abuse, while lending undue credence to unscientific notions concerning parental alienation. They also argue that family courts often relax evidentiary rules, including qualification and cross-examination of expert witnesses, and that judges commonly abdicate their responsibilities to experts, leading to poor and unjust decisions. Further, they claim that custody evaluators fail to take seriously the psychological consequences to children of abuse or domestic violence. The authors also minimize the frequency of false claims of domestic violence or child abuse, especially by children, who, they claim, “tell it like it is. ” This comment on their article questions the theoretical and empirical bases for such claims. There is ample reason to believe that: a) child custody evaluators consider domestic violence and abuse very important and relevant; b) the “relaxation” of the rules of evidence in family court cases is far from the norm; c) judges are charged with an active gatekeeping role with respect to expert testimony, often with the assistance of cross-examination and rebuttal experts; d) false or unfounded allegations of abuse or domestic violence are common in family court disputes; and e) there is no scientific consensus or substantive evidence showing the parental alienation is an unscientific myth. It is argued that the proper role of custody evaluators is to follow where the evidence leads, while remaining mindful of the limits of their expertise.
Assessing foreign language listening comprehension by means of the multiple-choice format : processes and products

Anckar, Joanna Assessing Foreign Language Listening Comprehension by Means of the Multiple-Choice Format: Processes and Products Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2011, 307 p. (Jyvaskyla Studies in Humanities ISSN 1459-4323 (nid.), 1459-4331 (PDF); 159) ISBN 978-951-39-4409-4 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-4410-0 (PDF) Finnish summary. Diss. In this study, the processes and strategies behind test-takers’ performance on MC items are investigated. The starting points for the study are: the cognitive nature of the listening process, the nature of the MC format, item validation and the introspection method. The analyzed 17 MC items assessing L2 French listening comprehension come from a high-stakes context: the Finnish Matriculation Examination (spring 2002). The main research tool is “short written introspection”: 218 test-takers on the upper secondary school level are asked to justify their option selection for each item. An analysis of the contents of the items and a Rasch analysis are conducted to justify the further analysis of the items. The introspective responses provide a covering picture of the processes and strategies activated in a MC test situation. They range from evidence of comprehension on different levels of the spoken text and of the use of strategies to affective reactions to the task at hand. Detailed information is obtained for example on the nature of guessing and elimination and their use as a function of the characteristics of individual test-takers and items. The study points at flaws in the items that sometimes seem difficult to foresee: excessive textual information load, opaque questions or options and implausible or not clearly false options prove to affect the test-takers’ processing and their choice of strategies. Items with flaws often fail to measure the targeted construct and to discriminate between test-takers with and without the targeted ability. These items represent threats against the reliability of item scores and against the validity of their use.
Payment for performance in the Family Health Programme: lessons from the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework.

OBJECTIVE Payment for performance financial incentive schemes reward doctors based on the quality and the outcomes of their treatment. In Brazil, the Ministry of Health is looking to scale up its use in public hospitals and some municipalities are developing payment for performance schemes even for the Family Health Programme. In this article the Quality and Outcomes Framework used in the UK since 2004 is discussed, as well as its experience to elaborate some important lessons that Brazilian municipalities should consider before embarking on payment for performance scheme in primary care settings.
Adaptive joint nonlinear transmit-receive processing for multi-cell MIMO networks

This paper considers signal processing algorithms for the downlink coordinated multi-point multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with multiple-antenna users. A novel adaptive joint nonlinear transmit-receive processing algorithm is proposed based on zero-forcing (ZF) criterion. In this algorithm, a block successive ZF precoding is first applied at the multiple base stations to pre-cancel partial multiuser interference. Then nonlinear Tomlinson-Harashima precoding is applied to further reduce interference between the data streams of other users and the other data streams of the same user, whereas linear equalization and modulo operation are applied at each user. We first show that the proposed joint nonlinear transmit-receive processing algorithm effectively decomposes the multiuser MIMO channel into parallel independent single-user MIMO channels. Different from the method in [1], our proposed algorithm allows the number of sub-channels of each user to be arbitrary number no more than the rank of that user's equivalent channel, and then for the given set of the numbers of sub-channels and the given power allocation of all users, closed-form expressions of the transmit and receive processing matrices are derived to optimize the output signal to interference plus noise ratio of each user. Subsequently, an adaptive method is proposed to adapt the number of sub-channels according to the fading of the users' channel matrices (termed as adaptive algorithm). Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves much better throughput performance than the processing methods in the literature, such as the non-adaptive nonlinear preprocessing algorithm in [1] and the known block diagonalization techniques.
Waves in nonlinear lattices: ultrashort optical pulses and Bose-Einstein condensates.

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation i (partial differential)(z)A(z,x,t)+(inverted Delta)(2)(x,t)A+[1+m(kappax)]|A|2A=0 models the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses in a planar waveguide for which the Kerr nonlinearity varies along the transverse coordinate x, and also the evolution of 2D Bose-Einstein condensates in which the scattering length varies in one dimension. Stability of bound states depends on the value of kappa=beamwidth/lattice period. Wide (kappa>>1) and kappa=O(1) bound states centered at a maximum of m(x) are unstable, as they violate the slope condition. Bound states centered at a minimum of m(x) violate the spectral condition, resulting in a drift instability. Thus, a nonlinear lattice can only stabilize narrow bound states centered at a maximum of m(x). Even in that case, the stability region is so small that these bound states are "mathematically stable" but "physically unstable. "
Unbounded Utility for Savage's "Foundations of Statistics, " and Other Models

A general procedure for extending finite-dimensional "additive-like" representations for binary relations to infinite-dimensional "integral-like" representations is developed by means of a condition called truncation-continuity. The restriction of boundedness of utility, met throughout the literature, can now be dispensed with, and for instance normal distributions, or any other distribution with finite first moment, can be incorporated. Classical representation results of expected utility, such as Savage 1954, von Neumann and Morgenstern 1944, Anscombe and Aumann 1963, de Finetti 1937, and many others, can now be extended. The results are generalized to Schmeidler's 1989 approach with nonadditive measures and Choquet integrals, and Quiggin's 1982 rank-dependent utility. The different approaches have been brought together in this paper to bring to the fore the unity in the extension process.
The Productivity impact of E-Commerce in the UK, 2001: Evidence from microdata

This paper considers the impact of e-commerce on establishment level productivity for all sectors of the economy, using data from the UK E-commerce survey. E-Commerce represents the operational application of technology in the production process and may be regarded as an innovation driven change in workplace practice. Using a production function approach to measuring productivity, we find that OLS estimation fails to adequately account for the selectivity bias amongst enterprises that use e-commerce. Using a treatment effect estimator, we find that both e-buying and e-selling have significant and positive impacts on productivity.
Epinephrine in cardiac arrest: systematic review and meta-analysis

abstract Objective: evaluate the effectiveness of epinephrine used during cardiac arrest and its effect on the survival rates and neurological condition. Method: systematic review of scientific literature with meta-analysis, using a random effects model. The following databases were used to research clinical trials and observational studies: Medline, Embase and Cochrane, from 2005 to 2015. Results: when the Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) with administration of epinephrine was compared with ROSC without administration, increased rates were found with administration (OR 2.02. 95% CI 1.49 to 2.75; I2 = 95%). Meta-analysis showed an increase in survival to discharge or 30 days after administration of epinephrine (OR 1.23; 95% IC 1.05-1.44; I2=83%). Stratification by shockable and non-shockable rhythms showed an increase in survival for non-shockable rhythm (OR 1.52; 95% IC 1.29-1.78; I2=42%). When compared with delayed administration, the administration of epinephrine within 10 minutes showed an increased survival rate (OR 2.03; 95% IC 1.77-2.32; I2=0%). Conclusion: administration of epinephrine appears to increase the rate of ROSC, but when compared with other therapies, no positive effect was found on survival rates of patients with favorable neurological status.
Effect of Heat Conductivity on Bridge Break at Different Material Contact Pairs

In this paper, to clarify the thermal effect of the bridge for long lifetime contacts, the effects of heat conductivity on bridge break at different material contact pairs were discussed experimentally. To examine the relationship between the bridge and material, the electrode materials of the anode and the cathode were chosen as the same and the different material pairs in this experiment. Ag, AgPd60 and Pd were chosen as the electrode materials, because Ag, AgPd60 and Pd had the different thermal diffusivity. Firstly, the voltage waveforms in the bridge with different material pair were compared to the voltage waveform with the same material pair case. Secondary, the effects of heat conductivity on the break of bridge were discussed. In the results, the bridge voltage waveform depends on the electrode material at anode side. The length of the bridge at bridge break depends on the heat conductivity of the electrode material at anode side. This study provides the basic considerations on the thermal condition of the bridge break.
Are Aid Flows Excessive or Insufficient? Estimating the Growth Impact of Aid in Threshold Regressions

Existing empirical studies and policy reports provide ambiguous results on the growth effect of foreign aid flows in the recipient countries. The present paper examines whether there exists an aid threshold that determines the growth impact of foreign aid. We use a threshold regression methodology to estimate growth specifications and the associated aid thresholds in a sample of 42 aid recipients covering the period 1970–2000. Our findings indicate that there is a threshold level of aid, above which the growth impact of aid becomes positive.
Variation in TP63 is Associated with Lung Adenocarcinoma in the UK Population

Background: Variation at TP63 has recently been shown to be associated with lung adenocarcinoma in the Asian population. Methods: To investigate how this finding translates to the European population we compared the genotypes of SNPs annotating the TP63 locus at 3q28 in 4,462 lung cancer patients, including 911 with adenocarcinoma, and 8,235 controls from the United Kingdom. Results: A statistically significant association between adenocarcinoma risk and SNP genotype was shown: rs10937405, OR = 1.21, P = 1.82 × 10−4; rs17429138, OR = 1.23, P = 7.49 × 10−5; and rs4396880, OR = 1.21, P = 2.03 × 10−4. Haplotype analysis was consistent with a single TP63 risk locus defined by SNPs rs10937405, rs17429138, and rs4396880. While no association between SNPs and small cell lung cancer was shown, the rs10937405 and rs439680 associations were significant for squamous cancer (respective P-values, 0.0022 and 0.02). Conclusions: These findings show TP63 variation is a risk factor for the development of lung adenocarcinoma in the UK population. Furthermore, they provide additional insight into the subtype-specificity of the 3q28 lung cancer association. Impact: Our data confirm the association of 3q28 with lung adenocarcinoma and that this association is not confined to the Asian population. Elucidating the functional basis of this association will be contingent on future fine mapping of the TP63 loci. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(7); 1453–62. ©2011 AACR.
Patient doses in interventional cardiology procedures

In most countries of European Union legislation re quires the determination of the total skin dose to patient resulting from interventional procedures to assess the risk of deterministic effect. To this e nd, various dose indicators like dose area product (DAP), cumul ative dose (CD) and entrance dose at the patient pl ane (EFD) are used in clinical practice. The study aims at relating those dose indicators with doses ascri be to the most irradiated areas of the patient skin usually e xpr ssed in terms of local maximal skin dose (MSD) . For the study the local MSD and related to their areas are inv stigated and compared for coronary angiography CA and intervention (PCI). Two methods implying radiograph ic films Kodak EDR2 and matrixes of thermoluminesce nt dosimeters (TLDs) are applied for direct measuremen ts of dose distribution for selected procedures. Bo th methods are compared. Additionally, for patient dosimetry the following d ata: MSD, CD, EFD, fluoroscopy time (FT), number of acquired images, total DAP, fluoro-DAP and recor d-DAP were collected for randomly selected procedur . The statistical quantities like: median, 3 rd quartile, mean and standard deviation for all dosi metric parameters are determined. Preliminary study showed that the values of data collected for coronary pro cedures are in the ranges 0,7 – 27,3 min for fluoroscopy ti me, 50 – 350 Gy cm 2 for total DAP, 300 – 2000 mGy for CD, 140 – 2000 mGy for EFD and 100 – 1500 mGy for local m ximal skin dose. For interventions the ranges ar , accordingly 3,0 – 43,6 min , 25 – 450 Gy cm , 270 – 6600 mGy, 80 – 2600 mGy and 80 – 1500 mGy. As a result of the study the correlations between d ose indicators and local MSD are analyzed. The concentration of dose on irradiated films are going to be investigated in some detail as well.
Treatment of Neuropathic Pain with the Capsaicin 8% Patch: Is Pretreatment with Lidocaine Necessary?

The capsaicin 8% patch can effectively treat neuropathic pain, but application can cause discomfort or a burning sensation. Until March 2013, it was recommended that patients be pretreated with a topical anesthetic, for example lidocaine, before capsaicin patch application. However, speculation existed over the need for pretreatment and its effectiveness in alleviating treatment‐associated discomfort. This article compares tolerability to and efficacy of the capsaicin patch in pretreated and non‐pretreated patients. All patients received a single capsaicin patch application. Pretreated patients received a lidocaine plaster before and intravenous lidocaine and metamizole infusions during capsaicin patch application. Pain levels, assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), were used to determine tolerability and efficacy. All patients (pretreated n = 32; non‐pretreated n = 26) completed 100% of the intended capsaicin patch application duration. At the time of capsaicin patch removal, 69% of pretreated and 88% of non‐pretreated patients reported an NRS score increase, which returned to baseline by 6 hours post‐treatment. There was no significant difference in mean NRS score between patient groups at any time during or after capsaicin patch treatment. Response was similar between patient groups; capsaicin patch treatment provided rapid and significant pain reductions that were sustained over 12 weeks. The same proportion of pretreated and non‐pretreated patients reported willingness to receive retreatment with the capsaicin patch. This analysis shows that the capsaicin 8% patch is generally tolerable, and the small discomfort associated with patch application is short‐lived. Lidocaine pretreatment does not have a significant effect on tolerability, efficacy, or patient willingness to receive retreatment.