Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Phonemic Fluency in Multilingual Contexts: Letter Selection Methodology and Demographically Stratified Norms for Three South African Language Groups

Because of their global clinical utility, phonemic fluency tests are frequently incorporated into neuropsychological assessment batteries. However, in heterogeneous societies their use is complicated by the lack of careful attention to using letters of equivalent difficulty across languages, and the paucity of norms stratified by relevant sociodemographic variables. In accordance with the International Test Commission's guidelines for adaptation of test material in multilingual contexts, this study provides (1) an internationally replicable methodological template for selecting appropriate letter sets; (2) empirical evidence to substantiate the equivalence of a letter set across three languages; (3) a template for evaluating the relative impact of sociodemographic variables on phonemic fluency; and (4) appropriately stratified norms for the letter set SBL (English and Afrikaans) / IBL (Xhosa) in a sample (N = 512) of urban participants (7–25 years with 1–17 years of education) from the Cape Town region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Induction infliximab levels among patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis compared with patients with moderately severe ulcerative colitis

Infliximab is effective as salvage therapy for patients with steroid refractory acute severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Although current data suggest that the pharmacokinetics of infliximab are influenced by inflammatory burden in patients with acute severe UC, data comparing infliximab trough levels in patients with acute severe UC vs. moderately severe UC are scarce.
The struggle for liberation and visions of freedom perspectives in African films

In this paper, I will examine how films recreate memories of resistance and define, both visually and in film narration, the difference between imperial aggressors and local protagonists of resistance. The examples are taken from the Brazilian film Quilombo that describes the resistance of the 17th and 18th century Maroon communities against the onslaught of the Portuguese colonial powers (political and military). Med Hondo’s (Mauretania) Sarraounia deals with the resistance in West Africa against the Jihad of the Sokoto Fulani and the (in)famous French “exploratory” expedition under the command of Voulet. Both films are based on “real” histories as they were generally communicated from the colonialist perspective. And both films present themselves as counter-discursive revisions of history. The analysis in this paper focuses on the visual representation of the resistance heroes, first isolating them from the continuity of film narration in a type of still image, thus emphasizing the contrastive imagology between aggression and resistance. In the second step, aggressors and resistors are examined in terms of how they relate socially to their fellow combatants and to their communities. The obvious difference is that the aggressors have no immediate community to relate to socially or emotionally. Particular emphasis is put on the associative and symbolic meanings of the scenic setting, in which the antagonistic characters are placed.
Survivor reactions to organizational downsizing: Does time ease the pain?

The present study used work role transitions theory as a guiding framework for examining changes in survivors' attitudes following an organizational downsizing. A total of 106 managers experiencing a downsizing provided data regarding organizational commitment, turnover intentions, job involvement, role clarity, role overload, satisfaction with top management, and satisfaction with job security at three different times. Although the results generally indicated that downsizing had a significant impact on work attitudes, that the impact varied over time, and that the initial impact was generally negative; different patterns of results among the job attitudes studied were also observed. For example, satisfaction with top management increased across time, while job involvement decreased. Findings also indicated that changes in role clarity, role overload, satisfaction with top management, and satisfaction with job security were significantly related to changes in organizational commitment and turnover intentions. Changes in job involvement also moderated several relationships such that there was a stronger relationship between the independent variable and the outcome variable when job involvement was higher than when job involvement was lower. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Recognizing (and Resisting) Regulation: Attitudes to the Introduction of Civil Partnership

This article is an exploration of lesbians' and gay men's views about the introduction of civil partnership in the UK. The article draws on 10 in-depth interviews carried out as part of a wider research project examining legal consciousness and sexuality. The focus is to explore some of the more 'critical' views about the effects of legal recognition that were raised by participants in this study. I begin by outlining the theoretical and methodological approaches used in this exploration of lesbians' and gay men's experiences of the introduction of civil partnership. I then move on to analyse participants' views about the legal recognition of same-sex relationships, focusing on two themes: the complex interplays between recognition and regulation; and participants' views about the uneasy relationship between civil partnership and marriage.
Population attributable risk for chlamydia infection in a cohort of young international travellers (backpackers) and residents in Australia

Aim To estimate the population attributable risk (PAR) for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in young men and women in Sydney, Australia. Method Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between demographic, sexual behaviour and other potential risk factors and chlamydia positivity in young (≤30 years) heterosexual international travellers (backpackers) and Australian residents attending a sexual health clinic. Point and interval estimates of PAR were calculated to quantify the proportion of chlamydia infections that can theoretically be prevented if a combination of risk factors is eliminated from a target population. Results In males, the PAR associated with inconsistent condom use in the past 3 months was 65% (95% CI 56% to 71%) in backpackers compared to 50% (95% CI 41% to 56%) in non-backpackers and the PAR associated with reporting three or more female sexual partners in the past 3 months was similar between male backpackers and non-backpackers (33% (95% CI 28% to 40%) and 36% (95% CI 32% to 41%), respectively). In females, the PAR associated with inconsistent condom use in the past 3 months was 51% (95% CI 42% to 59%) in backpackers compared to 41% (95% CI 31% to 51%) in non-backpackers, and the PAR associated with reporting three or more male sexual partners in the past 3 months was 14% (95% CI 11% to 18%) in backpackers compared to 30% (95% CI 25% to 37%) in non-backpackers. Conclusion These findings suggest that the largest number of chlamydia infections could be avoided by increasing condom use, particularly in backpackers. Reporting multiple partners was also associated with a large proportion of infections and the risk associated with this behaviour should be considered in health promotion strategies.
Community-Based Vocational Instruction Using Videotaped Modeling for Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders Performing in Air-Inflated Mascots

The authors examined the benefits of video modeling to teach a unique vocational skill set to an adolescent and two young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Video modeling was used to teach skills necessary to entertain customers and promote products in a retail setting while wearing a WalkAround® costume. The three participants were observed before and after watching a video model perform the skills in the costume in scripted and naturalistic scenes. Data can be interpreted to conclude that all participants learned to use the skills in combination or sequence after watching the video model. The skills generalized to an actual job opportunity. The participants reported they enjoyed the work, and comments from supervisors were positive. Implications are discussed.
Using Strategy Instruction and Self-Regulation to Improve Gifted Students' Creative Writing

In an extension of a previous investigation, we examined the effects of an instructional package consisting of strategy instruction and self-regulation techniques on the story writing of two gifted, middle school students. Specifically, we used a multiple-baseline, time-series design across the two students to determine whether strategy instruction and self-regulation techniques would affect planning, text production, rates of writing (i.e., fluency), reviewing, and writing quality. Strategies for planning and reviewing involved the use of printed prompts that could be used by the participants. Self-regulation components included goal setting, charting, and monitoring the amount of time spent planning, number of words written, rate of words written per minute, and number of story elements. The findings indicated that, following application of the instructional package, both participants wrote longer stories, increased their writing fluency, and included more story elements. Conversely, we noted that the participants spent less time planning and reviewing and less time writing as the study progressed. Finally, independent raters judged stories the students wrote following intervention to be of higher overall quality than ones they had written earlier. We discuss limitations of the study and implications of the findings for practice and future research.
Adaptive thermogenesis in human body weight regulation: more of a concept than a measurable entity?

According to Lavoisier, ‘Life is combustion’. But to what extent humans adapt to changes in food intake through adaptive thermogenesis – by turning down the rate of heat production during energy deficit (so as to conserve energy) or turning it up during overnutrition (so as to dissipate excess calories) – has been one of the most controversial issues in nutritional sciences over the past 100 years. The debate nowadays is not whether adaptive thermogenesis exists or not, but rather about its quantitative importance in weight homoeostasis and its clinical relevance to the pathogenesis and management of obesity. Such uncertainties are likely to persist in the foreseeable future primarily because of limitations to unobtrusively measure changes in energy expenditure and body composition with high enough accuracy and precision, particularly when even small inter‐individual variations in thermogenesis can, in dynamic systems and over the long term, be important in the determining weight maintenance in some and obesity and weight regain in others. This paper reviews the considerable body of evidence, albeit fragmentary, suggesting the existence of quantitatively important adaptive thermogenesis in several compartments of energy expenditure in response to altered food intake. It then discusses the various limitations that lead to over‐ or underestimations in its assessment, including definitional and semantics, technical and methodological, analytical and statistical. While the role of adaptive thermogenesis in human weight regulation is likely to remain more a concept than a strictly ‘quantifiable’ entity in the foreseeable future, the evolution of this concept continues to fuel exciting hypothesis‐driven mechanistic research which contributes to advance knowledge in human metabolism and which is bound to result in improved strategies for the management of a healthy body weight.
Tissue plasminogen activator is required for the development of fetal alcohol syndrome in mice

Ethanol exposure during developmental synaptogenesis can lead to brain defects referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which can include mental health problems such as cognitive deficits and mental retardation. In FAS, widespread neuronal death and brain mass loss precedes behavioral and cognitive impairments in adulthood. Because tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been implicated in neurodegeneration, we examined whether it mediates FAS. Neonatal WT and tPA−/− mice were injected with ethanol to mimic FAS in humans. In WT mice, ethanol elicited caspase-3 activation, significant forebrain neurodegeneration, and decreased contextual fear conditioning in adults. However, tPA-deficient mice were protected from these neurotoxicities, and this protection could be abrogated by exogenous tPA. Selective pharmacological modulators of NMDA and GABAA receptor pathways revealed that the effects of tPA were mediated by the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor. This study identifies tPA as a critical signaling component in FAS.
Gambling as a perceived societal problem: A preliminary analysis of attitudes and experiences of frequent/compulsive gamblers

The main objective of this study is to determine the extents to which gambling affects individuals who frequently indulge in gambling, in order to understand their attitudes and experiences. To achieve this objective, a qualitative interview was undertaken. This required face-to-face interaction with the interviewees. Responses were tape recorded for the purposes of authenticity, credibility, transcription and analysis. The interviews were conducted in an environment most suitable and comfortable for both the researchers and the respondents. 5 participants, all of which are frequent gamblers' participated in the study. The participants displayed different personalities but one characteristic that they all had in common was a secured lifestyle, however, they are still oblivious to the dangers inherent in gambling. Some of them are of the view that they are not yet addicted and as such not at risk of becoming compulsive gamblers. Some of them are wealthy and therefore, their responsibilities are not an issue. Majority of them claimed to be seasoned gamblers based on the experiences that unfolded during the interview. The personalities of the gamblers suggest that majority of them are extroverts, however some gamblers are more mature than others and display more responsible behaviour than others. It is proposed in this treatise that gamblers should be educated more about the dangers of gambling. Casinos should perhaps monitor the behaviours of their frequent gamblers and endeavour to help them if their gambling becomes a menace. Compulsive or pathological gamblers should limit their access to cash, admit to their problem and seek help through family and professional counsellors. Key words: Gambling, gamblers, frequent, compulsive, experiences, pathological.
Transition Points for the Gender Gap In Computer Enjoyment

Abstract Data gathered from 10,000 Texas public school students in Grades 3—12 over the years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2005 were analyzed to replicate findings first discovered as a byproduct of evaluation of a large scale U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. Initial findings were that girls in Grades 4 and 5 reported enjoying computers more than boys. Detailed trend analyses determined that although boys and girls begin first grade with few or no differences in attitudes toward computers (Collis, Knezek, Lai, Miyashita, Pelgrum, Plomp, & Sakamoto, 1996), by Grades 4 and 5, girls are more positive in their enjoyment. Starting about Grade 6, girls’ self-reported perception of computers begins to become less positive than boys, and by Grade 8 becomes significantly lower than boys. Attitudes may become similar again by the end of secondary school. The authors suggest further study is needed to determine if this phenomenon exists in many locations, and if it does, why it takes place.
Estimating a Stockkeeping-Unit-Level Brand Choice Model that Combines Household Panel Data and Store Data

The marketing literature has addressed the issues of heterogeneity and endogeneity when estimating a choice model with household-level panel data. When using these data at the stockkeeping unit or the Universal Product Code level, choices for each item in each of the time periods under consideration cannot be observed. Without such information, it is difficult to control for item- and time period–specific unmeasured characteristics because there is no information on alternatives during those periods in which they are not purchased by any of the panelists. In general, when a product category has many alternatives, each with fairly small shares, the household sample may not contain sufficient choices for each alternative, thus negatively affecting the ability to control for endogeneity with household data. In contrast, because aggregate store-level data (for those stores in which the panel makes purchases) are the aggregation of purchases by all households visiting the stores, the data contain the time period–specific item-level information required to account for endogeneity as long as each item has some sales in each time period. Given the relative merits of household data to estimate the distribution of heterogeneity and store-level data to address the endogeneity problem, the authors propose an integrated estimation procedure that uses the information in both sources. They provide empirical results from their model using data on the fabric softener market. They extend their approach to situations in which there is variation in purchase quantities that households choose.
Evaluation of national science park systems: a theoretical framework and its application to the Italian and Spanish systems

Although many authors have analysed the role and the efficiency of science parks, only a few contributions have analysed national science park systems (SPSs) as a whole. Because of the lack of data, evidence regarding the performance of science parks in a nation is very limited and there is a lack of comparisons between different systems. This paper aims to introduce a simple framework to analyse SPSs and to show its use for comparing the state of development and the main differences of two or more SPSs. Its application to the Italian and Spanish systems shows that science parks play a more important role in Spain than in Italy. The main causes of these differences are argued to be (i) the presence of a set of coherent and particular policies which favour science parks in Spain and (ii) the internal factors of the Spanish science park system, including business models of the science parks and the role of the national association.
Health professionals’ experiences of person-centered collaboration in mental health care

Objective The basic aim in this paper is to discuss health care professionals’ experiences of person-centered collaboration and involvement in mental health rehabilitation and suggest ways of improving this perspective. Furthermore, the paper explains the supportive systems that are at work throughout the process of rehabilitation. Method The study design is a qualitative approach using three focus group interviews with a total of 17 informants with different professional backgrounds such as nurses, social workers, and social pedagogies. In addition, one nurse and one social worker participated in a semi-structured in-depth interview to judge validity. Results Our results may demonstrate deficits concerning mental health care on several levels. This understanding suggests firstly, that a person-centered perspective and involvement still are uncommon. Secondly, multidisciplinary work seems uncommon and only sporadically follows recommendations. Thirdly, family support is seldom involved. Lastly, firm leadership and knowledge about laws and regulations seems not to be systematically integrated in daily care. Conclusion Taking these matters together, the improvement of a person-centered perspective implies cooperation between different services and levels in mental health care. In order to bring about improvement the health care workers must critically consider their own culture, coordination of competence must be increased, and leadership at an institutional and organizational level must be improved so that scarce rehabilitation resources are used to the optimal benefit of people with a mental illness.
Ruptura matrimonial y salud mental: Variables psicosociales asociadas en el caso de la mujer

ResumenEn el trabajo se presentan los resultados de la evaluacion de un grupo de mujeres con ruptura matrimonial en dos aspectos que la literatura sobre el tema considera relevantes: vinculacion al ex marido y situacion emocional. La primera se ba medido mediante el ASD (Kitson, 1982) y la segunda con el CAQ (Krug, 1980). Se ba considerado tambien la influencia de las variables psicosociales sobre la situacion de la mujer divorciada, tales como actividad economica, duracion del matrimonio, hijos, nueva pareja… En el caso del CAQ se ha utilizado un grupo control de mujeres casadas. Los resultados muestran que el impacto emocional del divorcio existe puesto que las mujeres con ruptura matrimonial alcanzan puntuaciones mas altas que las casadas en las escalas de depresion, paranoidismo y esquizofrenia. En vinculacion al ex marido las puntuaciones muestran un adecuado nivel de independencia. Las mujeres que conservan mayor vinculacion presentan una situacion emocional peor.
An Adaptive and Predictive Respiratory Motion Model for Image-Guided Interventions: Theory and First Clinical Application

This paper describes a predictive and adaptive single parameter motion model for updating roadmaps to correct for respiratory motion in image-guided interventions. The model can adapt its motion estimates to respond to changes in breathing pattern, such as deep or fast breathing, which normally would result in a decrease in the accuracy of the motion estimates. The adaptation is made possible by interpolating between the motion estimates of multiple submodels, each of which describes the motion of the target organ during cycles of different amplitudes. We describe a predictive technique which can predict the amplitude of a breathing cycle before it has finished. The predicted amplitude is used to interpolate between the motion estimates of the submodels to tune the adaptive model to the current breathing pattern. The proposed technique is validated on affine motion models formed from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets acquired from seven volunteers and one patient. The amplitude prediction technique showed errors of 1.9-6.5 mm. The combined predictive and adaptive technique showed 3-D motion prediction errors of 1.0-2.8 mm, which represents an improvement in modelling performance of up to 40% over a standard nonadaptive single parameter motion model. We also applied the combined technique in a clinical setting to test the feasibility of using it for respiratory motion correction of roadmaps in image-guided cardiac catheterisations. In this clinical case we show that 2-D registration errors due to respiratory motion are reduced from 7.7 to 2.8 mm using the proposed technique.