Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SOCIAL PREDICTION AND THE "ALLEGIANCE BIAS"

Abstract Two studies examined the allegiance bias - the rendering of biased predictions by individuals who are psychologically invested in a desired outcome. In Study 1, fans of either Notre Dame or University of Miami college football read information about an upcoming game between the two teams and then explained a hypothetical victory either by Notre Dame or Miami. Although explaining a hypothetical victory biased the judgments of controls (i.e., fans of neither team) in the direction of the team explained, the judgments of Notre Dame and Miami fans favored their team in every explanation condition. In addition, fans exhibited biased recall for facts favoring their own teams and this biased recall predicted fans' judgments regarding the upcoming game. Study 2 attempted to specify a debiasing technique that might attenuate the allegiance bias. Indiana University basketball fans described what they thought might happen in an upcoming game between Indiana and the University of Michigan while anticipating .
Fetal heart rate patterns at 20 to 24 weeks gestation as recorded by fetal electrocardiography

Abstract Introduction: With advancing technology it has become possible to accurately record and assess fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns from gestations as early as 20 weeks. The aim of our study was to describe early patterns of FHR, as recorded by transabdominal fetal electrocardiogram according to the Dawes–Redman criteria. Accordingly, short-term variability, basal heart rate, accelerations and decelerations were quantified at 20–24 weeks gestation among women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods: This study was conducted in a subset of participants enrolled in a large prospective pregnancy cohort study. Our final data set consisted of 281 recordings of women with good perinatal outcomes who had undergone fetal electrocardiographic assessment as part of the Safe Passage Study. Results: The success rate of the recordings was 95.4%. The mean frequency of small and large accelerations was 0.5 and 0.1 per 10 min, respectively and that of small and large decelerations 0.3 and 0.008 per 10 min, respectively. The mean and basal heart rates were both equal to 148.0 bpm at a median gestation of 161 days. The mean short term variation was 6.2 (SD 1.4) ms and mean minute range 35.1 (SD 7.1) ms. Conclusion: The 20–24-week fetus demonstrates FHR patterns with more accelerations and decelerations, as well as higher baseline variability than was anticipated. Information from this study provides an important foundation for further, more detailed, studies of early FHR patterns.
Real-time automated paging and decision support for critical laboratory abnormalities

Background For patients with critical laboratory abnormalities, timely clinical alerts with decision support could improve management and reduce adverse events. Methods The authors developed a real-time clinical alerting system for critical laboratory abnormalities. The system sent alerts to physicians as text messages to a smartphone or alphanumeric pager. Decision support was available via smartphone or hospital intranet. The authors evaluated the system in a prospective controlled stepped-wedge study with blinded outcome assessment in general internal medicine units at two academic hospitals. The outcomes were the proportion of potential clinical actions that were actually completed in response to the alert, and adverse events (worsening of condition or complications related to treatment of the condition). Results The authors evaluated 498 laboratory conditions on 271 patients. Overall, only 50% of potential clinical actions were carried out, and there were adverse clinical events within 48 h for 36% of the laboratory conditions. The median (IQR) proportion of potential clinical actions that were actually completed was 50% (33–75%) with alerting system on and 50% (33–100%) with alerting system off (p=0.94, Wilcoxon rank sum test). When the alerting system was on (n=164 alerts) there were 67 adverse events within 48 h of the alerts (42%). When the alerting system was off (n=334 alerts), there were 112 adverse events within 48 h (33%; difference: 9% higher with alerting system on, p=0.06). Conclusions The provision of real-time clinical alerts and decision support for critical laboratory abnormalities did not improve clinical management or decrease adverse events.
Peripheral synuclein tissue markers: a step closer to Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Phosphorylated α-synuclein in skin nerve fibres differentiates Parkinson’s disease from multiple system atrophy’, by Zange et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awv138). Intraneuronal Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites consisting of aggregated α-synuclein (SNCA) are the hallmark of brain pathology in Parkinson’s disease. It is now well established that Lewy-type α-synuclein histopathology also occurs in the peripheral autonomic nervous system (Beach et al. , 2010; Gelpi, 2014), and recent efforts have been directed towards detection of this pathology in peripheral tissues in the hope that it could serve as diagnostic biomarker of Parkinson’s disease. Such a tissue marker would differentiate Parkinson’s disease from mimics and related conditions such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), essential tremor and vascular parkinsonism, which are not associated with Lewy-type α-synucleinopathy. In this issue of Brain , Zange et al. present the results of one such study on peripheral SNCA, and report the presence of phosphorylated α-synuclein (pSNCA) deposits in the dermal nerves of patients with Parkinson’s disease, but not MSA or essential tremor, consistent with what one might expect from the known pathology of these disorders (Zange et al. , 2015). The results thus suggest that a simple forearm skin biopsy could permit the separation of these conditions. Zange et al. also describe changes compatible with a neuropathy in their subjects with Parkinson’s disease. As they observed a correlation between the pSNCA deposits and denervation of autonomic skin elements that was independent of age or disease duration, they suggest, as others have previously (Donadio et al. , 2014), that pSNCA is causative for the nerve fibre degeneration. However, no conclusive evidence for this exists. The situation is similar to that in the CNS in Parkinson’s disease, where it is unclear if Lewy bodies and neurites are …
The right to education of Roma children in Romania: European policies and Romanian practices

After a long history of living in Europe, latterly in democracies governed with reference to human, and children's, rights, Roma children still have a very low education status and very low school participation rates. The aims of this article are to review the current state of participation of Roma children in education in European countries, with a special focus on Romania, and to discuss some issues about how the right to education is, or is not, respected in the region. Data accumulated in the last decade are revisited and educational policies are analyzed. Particular attention is given to issues of segregation in education, scrutinized through the lens of Romanian and international education practices. The article recommends a number of policy responses, including the value of added cash transfers, as well as action to ensure quality standards in all education settings frequented by Roma children.
A review of studies concerning treatment adherence of patients with anxiety disorders

Objective This paper aimed at describing the most consistent correlates and/or predictors of nonadherence to treatment of patients with different anxiety disorders. Method The authors retrieved studies indexed in PubMed/MedLine, PsycINFO, and ISI Web of Knowledge using the following search terms: attrition OR dropout OR attrition rates OR patient dropouts OR treatment adherence AND anxiety disorders. Research was limited to articles published before January 2010. Results Sixteen studies were selected that investigated the impact of sociodemographic, clinical, or cognitive variables on adherence to treatment for anxiety disorders. While no consistent pattern of sociodemographic or clinical features associated with nonadherence emerged, all studies that investigated cognitive variables in panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder found that expectations and opinions about treatment were related to adherence. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that it is essential to consider anxiety disorder patients’ beliefs about illness and treatment strategies to increase their compliance with the therapeutic plan.
A field study of employees' attitudes and behaviors after promotion decisions.

The impact of promotion decisions on equity, commitment, and behavioral outcomes was examined in a field setting. Workers in a service comapny who submitted their candidacy for promotion to either department or division heads were compared with their noncandidate counterparts (total N=191). Subjects completed surveys after promotion decisions were made. In addition, measures of the subjects' lateness and absence before and after the promotion were available. Data analyzed by level of position (departement vs. division) and promotion decision (promoted, not promoted, and control) indicated that promotions resulting from self-initiated condidacies might actually produce undiserable outcomes. Failure to get a promotion as associated with feelings of inequity, a decrease in commitment, and an increase in absenteeism, positive promotion decisions increased commitment. Theoretical and organizational implications are discussed
Sources of parental stress, dysfunctional parenting, children's behaviour problems and buffering conditions in dual-earner families

Based on a multinational sample of 1802 dual-earner families with at least one child between the ages of 3 and 5, this study investigated whether the link between family-related stress and/or work stress and problematic child behaviour were mediated by parental overreaction or moderated by a family-friendly work environment. Results revealed that family-related stress and work stress were related to problematic child behaviour and that for both parents this link was partially mediated by parental overreaction to their children's misbehaviour. A family-friendly workplace predicted less parental overreaction for both parents. With respect to problematic child behaviour, this holds for fathers only. However, for both parents, a family-friendly workplace did not moderate the links between work stress on parental overreaction and problematic child behaviour. Although no causal conclusions can be drawn from the findings based on a cross-sectional design, this study attests to the potentially harmful consequences of family- and work-related stress as well as the positive influence of a family-friendly workplace on dual-earner families' quality of parenting and their young children's behaviour problems.
Relative deprivation theory and responses to discrimination in a gay male and lesbian sample.

Relative deprivation (RD) theory states that the perception of the relative positions of one's group and an out-group in terms of status and privilege is psychologically important. RD theory predictions for members of oppressed groups include increased endorsement of militant acts, decreased feelings of control and life-satisfaction as a function of perceived relative deprivation and perceived discrimination. In the present study, these predictions were tested with 74 members of Toronto's gay male and lesbian community. RD measures encompassed the cognitive-affective (i.e. concerned with knowledge vs. feelings about the deprivation) and egoistical-fraternal (i.e. concerned with the status of the individual vs. the in-group) dimensions, with a measure of concrete fraternal discrimination (CFD) also included for comparison. The results indicated that CFD was the best predictor of increased militancy, decreased control and decreased satisfaction. Implications for RD theory are discussed.
Widespread functional disconnectivity in schizophrenia with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined the functional connectivity throughout the entire brain in schizophrenia. The abnormalities in functional connectivity were identified by comparing the correlation coefficients of each pair of 116 brain regions between 15 patients and 15 controls. Then, the global distribution of the abnormal functional connectivities was examined. Experimental results indicated, in general, a decreased functional connectivity in schizophrenia during rest, and such abnormalities were widely distributed throughout the entire brain rather than restricted to a few specific brain regions. The results provide a quantitative support for the hypothesis that schizophrenia may arise from the disrupted functional integration of widespread brain areas.
Improving Access to Cancer Treatments: The Role of Biosimilars

Biologics play a key role in cancer treatment and are principal components of many therapeutic regimens. However, they require complex manufacturing processes, resulting in high cost and occasional shortages in supply. The cost of biologics limits accessibility of cancer treatment for many patients. Effective and affordable cancer therapies are needed globally, more so in developing countries, where health care resources can be limited. Biosimilars, which have biologic activity comparable to their corresponding reference drugs and are often more cost effective, have the potential to enhance treatment accessibility for patients and provide alternatives for decision makers (ie, prescribers, regulators, payers, policymakers, and drug developers). Impending patent expirations of several oncology biologics have opened up a vista for the development of corresponding biosimilars. Several countries have implemented abbreviated pathways for approval of biosimilars; however, challenges to their effective use persist. Some of these include designing appropriate clinical trials for assessing biosimilarity, extrapolation of indications, immunogenicity, interchangeability with the reference drug, lack of awareness and possibly acceptance among health care providers, and potential political barriers. In this review, we discuss the potential role and impact of biosimilars in oncology and the challenges related to their adoption and use. We also review the safety and efficacy of some of the widely used biosimilars in oncology and other therapeutic areas (eg, bevacizumab, darbepoetin, filgrastim, rituximab, and trastuzumab).
Performance Comparison of Training Algorithms for Semi-Supervised Discriminative Language Modeling

Discriminative language modeling (DLM) has been shown to improve the accuracy of automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems, but it requires large amounts of both acoustic and text data for training. One way to overcome this is to use simulated hypotheses instead of real hypotheses for training, which is called semisupervised training. In this study, we compare six different perceptron algorithms with the semi-supervised training approach. We formulate the DLM both as a structured prediction and a reranking problem, optimizing different criteria in each. We find that ranking variants achieve similar or better word error rate (WER) reduction with respect to structured perceptrons when used with real, simulated, or a combination of such data.
Assessing GastroPanel serum markers as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection

Gastric colonization by Helicobacter pylori increases the risk of gastric disorders, including atrophic gastritis which can be diagnosed based on levels of serum biomarkers like Gastrin and Pepsinogen. We therefore examined the efficacy of a serological-based method namely GastroPanel Blood kit, in diagnosing and scoring gastritis associated to Helicobacter pylori infection. Patients with dyspeptic symptoms were prospectively recruited on voluntary basis at the Yaounde Central Hospital and University Teaching Hospital, from March to July 2011. The degree of atrophy was classified according to levels in patient serum of pepsinogens I and II (PGI and PGII) and Gastrin 17 (G17) and compared with histological profiles as reference method. A specific ELISA test was used for the detection of H. pylori IgG antibodies. In total, 86 volunteers from 21 to 83 years old (mean = 46.4 ± 3.3) were enrolled, including 74.4% of women and 25.6% of men. The prevalence of gastritis was statistically similar between Gastro Blood Panel test and histology used as reference method (89.5% versus 83.7%: p > 0.20). Diagnosis based on serum makers showed high sensitivity (93.1%) in comparison with the reference method. However, the serological based method has diagnosed more atrophic gastritis than the reference (17.4% versus 7.0%: p 0.05). Furthermore, the prevalence of H. pylori infection did not differ significantly between serological method (84.9%) and reference method (81.4%). These results suggest that diagnosis of atrophic gastritis and H. pylori infection obtained with an optional serological method (GastroPanel) is in a strong agreement with the biopsy findings, and thus can be a useful non endoscopic assessment of stomach mucosal atrophy in patients with dyspepsia.
The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community

Philip Selznick's study of moral and social theory establishes the intellectual foundations of an important new movement in American thought: communitarianism. Emerging in part as a response to the excesses of American individualism - particularly rampant during the 1980s - communitarianism seeks to restore the balance between individual rights and social responsibilities. "The Moral Commonwealth" attempts to explain and justify this communitarian turn and give it a liberal interpretation. Selznick begins by challenging the pervasive subjectivism and relativism of modern and postmodern thought. He vigorously defends the place of objectivity in moral discourse, particularly in establishing the common good - in how we make and justify our moral choices, whether in educating children, supporting the arts or protecting the community against private indifference and greed. He then examines three closely connected levels of moral experience - persons, institutions, and communities. The book ends with wide-ranging discussion of the foundations of community and, most importantly, of the promise of justice and democracy. Selznick grounds his theory of community in the experience of everyday life. Drawing heavily on developments in law and jurisprudence as well as on as on policy applications, he explores such major issues as free speech, abortion, church and state and responsive government. The book is a testament to his belief in the moral relevance of social inquiry, combining philosophy and social science.
The Driving Habits of Older Adults with Visual Impairment

It is estimated that there are 3 million Americans with visual impairment (best corrected acuity of 20/40). How many persons with visual impairment drive and how their driving habits differ from elderly drivers without visual impairment is not known. To address this issue a driving survey was administered to a group of elderly (mean age = 78.69, SD=10.73) recruited from a retirement home community and an agency providing services to persons with visual impairment. The survey solicited demographic information (age, sex, education level), information about driving habits (miles driven yearly, frequency of driving at night, during rush-hour etc.), and ratings of either the level or frequency of difficulty experienced with different driving tasks (seeing the instrument panel, difficulty is glare produced by headlights, judging speed, reading signs etc.). We found that ∼50% and 83% of elderly, respectively with and without visual impairment continue to drive. The low vision drivers report significantly greater difficulty with glare caused by headlights, reading street signs, seeing past a dirty windshield and seeing their instrument panel clearly. Analysis of the driving habits revealed that the drivers with and without visual impairment reported similar levels of rush-hour driving, and drove approximately the same number of miles a year. However, visually impaired elderly drivers were significantly less likely to drive at night than their elderly counterparts with normal vision.
Making Good Sense: Assessing the Quality of Risky Decision-making

How good are managers at making risky decisions? Recent research has identified this gap in decision-making research; this paper attempts to address this question in the context of risky decision-making. Following a review of the behavioural decision-making and sensemaking schools of research on risky decision-making, a research methodology is presented which is derived from a critique of the former school to address limitations of the research of the latter school. A combination of active information search and cognitive mapping was deployed to assess the performance of 45 project managers in identifying project risks. The findings show that some managers perform better than others at this type of decision-making due to the differences in the ways in which they tackle the problem. The concluding discussion argues that the two schools are more complementary than antithetical.
Design of a tropical rain - Disaster alarm system: A new approach based on wireless sensor networks and acoustic rain rate measurements

This paper discusses the design of a broadband wireless network infrastructure which itself is a rain measurement platform for applications such as disaster alarm and sudden hazard decision management systems. A sensor testbed is setup which consists of a hybrid broadband wireless network in conjunction with real-time acoustic rain rate point sensors and complementary rain gauges. The testbed simulates the commercial deployment of a line-of-sight wireless backbone (implemented via a 26 GHz line of sight link) and broadband wireless access network at 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz. Combined wireless signal fade, acoustic power and tipping bucket rain rate measurements over a several month span indicate the feasibility of using rain-induced attenuation and fade durations to trigger imminent-hazard alerts.
A yoga-based exercise program for people with chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This was a preliminary investigation of the effects of a yoga-based exercise program on people with chronic (greater than 9 months) poststroke hemiparesis. Many people who have had a stroke report an impaired health status because of a reduced level of activity. Proponents of yoga contend that it offers a gentle alternative exercise program that can be easily adapted for people who have had a stroke. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Four subjects with chronic poststroke hemiparesis participated in this single-case study. The primary outcome measures were the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Movement Battery (TMB). A secondary outcome measure was the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS). The baseline testing phase varied for each subject and ranged from 4 to 7 weeks. The 8-week intervention phase consisted of 1.5-hour yoga sessions, 2 times per week, in the subject's home. The primary outcome data were collected each week, and the secondary outcome data were collected before the baseline testing phase and before and after the intervention phase. RESULTS Subjects 1, 2, and 4 had improved TMB scores, and subjects 3 and 4 had improved BBS scores. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The results suggest that yoga may be beneficial to people who have had a stroke. Further investigation is warranted to further examine the effects of yoga in this population.