Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family Disadvantage and the Gender Gap in Behavioral and Educational Outcomes

Boys born to disadvantaged families have higher rates of disciplinary problems, lower achievement scores, and fewer high school completions than girls from comparable backgrounds. Using birth certificates matched to schooling records for Florida children born 1992–2002, we find that family disadvantage disproportionately impedes the pre-market development of boys. The differential effect of family disadvantage on boys is robust to specifications within schools and neighborhoods as well as across siblings within families. Evidence supports that this is the effect of the postnatal environment; family disadvantage is unrelated to the gender gap in neonatal health. We conclude that the gender gap among black children is larger than among white children in substantial part because black children are raised in more disadvantaged families. (JEL D91, I24, I32, J13, J15, J16)
Opposition-Based Memetic Search for the Maximum Diversity Problem

As a usual model for a variety of practical applications, the maximum diversity problem (MDP) is computational challenging. In this paper, we present an opposition-based memetic algorithm (OBMA) for solving MDP, which integrates the concept of opposition-based learning (OBL) into the well-known memetic search framework. OBMA explores both candidate solutions and their opposite solutions during its initialization and evolution processes. Combined with a powerful local optimization procedure and a rank-based quality-and-distance pool updating strategy, OBMA establishes a suitable balance between exploration and exploitation of its search process. Computational results on 80 popular MDP benchmark instances show that the proposed algorithm matches the best-known solutions for most of instances, and finds improved best solutions (new lower bounds) for 22 instances. We provide experimental evidences to highlight the beneficial effect of OBL for solving MDP.
Stereo Matching on Objects with Fractional Boundary

Conventional stereo matching algorithms assume color constancy on the corresponding opaque pixels in the stereo images. However, when the foreground objects with fractional boundary are blended to the scene behind using unknown alpha values, due to the spatially varying disparities for different layers, the color constancy does not hold any more. In this paper, we address the fractional stereo matching problem. A probability framework is introduced to establish the correspondences of pixel colors, disparities, and alpha values in different layers. We propose an automatic optimization method to solve a Maximum a posteriori (MAP) problem using Expectation-Maximization (EM), given the input of only a narrow-band stereo image pair. Our method naturally encodes pixel occlusion in the formulation of layer blending without a special detection process. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method using difficult stereo images.
Testosterone deficiency in men with heart failure: pathophysiology and its clinical, prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Copyright © Polskie Towarzystwo Kardiologiczne HEART FAILURE: A CARDIOGERIATRIC SYNDROME Heart failure (HF) is a disease syndrome cha­ racterised by large incidence and prevalence, which has been estimated in the developed countries at 5–10/1000 persons per year and 1–2%, respectively [1], with a clear rise of these indices with age [2–4]. In the Bri­ tish Hillingdon study [2], the incidence of HF among subjects aged 25–34 years was only 0.02/1000 persons per year, rising to 11.6/1000 persons per years among subjects aged ≥ 85 years. Similar trends were observed for the prevalence of HF which was less than 1% among subjects aged 55–64 years but ex­ ceeded 10% among subjects aged ≥ 85 years in the Rotterdam Study [4]. In the United States, HF is the major diagnostic group in hospitalised patients aged > 65 years [5, 6], and British data indicate that nearly 5% of acute admissions are related to HF [7]. Age is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with HF [1], including de novo HF [8], and in the ADHERE registry [9], acute decompensations of HF were observed mostly among the elderly. With these characteristics, HF has been considered a cardiogeriatric syndrome by some experts [10] and is major medical and socioeconomical problem in modern aging populations [11–14]. Despite recent advances in cardiac investigations and therapy, outcomes in HF continue to be unacceptably poor. According to the data from the European Society of Cardio­ logy (ESC) HF­Pilot registry [15], annual re­hospitalisation rate and mortality among outpatients with chronic HF has been estimated at 31.9% and 7.2%, respectively. Thus, new therapeutic approaches are needed to reverse these adverse epidemiological trends. In the recent years, this search for new therapies for HF has focused on pathogenetic concepts related to non­cardiac disturbances and abnormalities in HF [16, 17]. In the current research on the pathophysiology and natural history of HF, attention has been paid to renal dysfunc­ tion [18–20], hepatic dysfunction [21, 22], immune activation [23], autonomic sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance [24], skeletal muscle dysfunction [16, 25, 26], anaemia [27–29], iron deficiency [30–33] and insulin resistance [34]. Another important feature of the pathophysiology of HF is impaired hormone metabolism [35], with anabolic/catabolic balance shifted towards the latter [17, 36, 37]. In the most extreme form, cardiac cachexia develops which significantly worsens already poor outcomes in this patient group (18­month mor­ tality among patients with cachexia is 50% compared to 17% in those without cachexia) [38]. In this paper, we presented the most important data on the role of testosterone in normal functioning of the cardio­ vascular system (CVS) and summarised pathophysiological, clinical, and prognostic implications of testosterone deficiency in men with HF, along with available data on the effects of testosterone administration in men with HF.
Counterfactual thinking and regulatory fit

According to regulatory fit theory (Higgins, 2000), when people make decisions with strategies that sustain their regulatory focus orientation, they “feel right” about what they are doing, and this “feeling-right” experience then transfers to subsequent choices, decisions, and evaluations. The present research was designed to link the concept of regulatory fit to functional accounts of counterfactual thinking. In the present study, participants generated counterfactuals about their anagram performance, after which persistence on a second set of anagrams was measured. Under promotion framing (i.e., find 90% or more of all the possible words) upward counterfactual thinking in general elicited larger increases in persistence than did downward counterfactual thinking in general, but under prevention framing (i.e., avoid failing to find 90% or more of all the possible words) upward evaluation (comparing reality to a better reality) elicited larger increases in persistence than did upward reflection (focusing on a better reality), whereas downward reflection (focusing on a worse reality) elicited larger increases in persistence than did downward evaluation (comparing reality to a worse reality). In all, the present findings suggest that the generation of counterfactuals enhances the likelihood that individuals will engage in courses of action that fit with their regulatory focus orientation.
Inversion of the circadian rhythm of melatonin in the Smith-Magenis syndrome.

OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the circadian rhythm of melatonin in the Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS), which causes behavioral problems and sleep disturbance. STUDY DESIGN Questionnaires, sleep consultations, and sleep diaries were obtained in 20 children with SMS (9 girls, 11 boys aged 4 to 17 years). Actigraphy, electroencephalography, and the circadian variations of plasma melatonin, cortisol, and growth hormone were recorded in 8 patients. Early sleep onset, early sleep offset, and sleep attack indicated sleep disturbance. RESULTS All children with SMS had a phase shift of their circadian rhythm of melatonin. Time at onset of melatonin secretion was 6 AM +/- 2 (control group: 9 P.M. +/- 2). Peak time was 12 PM +/- 1 (control group: 3:30 AM +/- 1:30), and melatonin offset was at 8 PM +/- 1 (control group: 6 AM +/- 1). Behavioral problems correlated with the inverted circadian rhythm of melatonin. CONCLUSION Considering that clock genes mediate the generation of circadian rhythms, we suggest that haploinsufficiency for a circadian system gene mapping to chromosome 17p11.2 may cause the inversion of the circadian rhythm of melatonin in SMS.
Efficacy and safety of neutral pH superoxidised solution in severe diabetic foot infections

The use of antiseptics in wound care is often controversial and there is definitely a need for a non toxic, highly disinfective agent. This study assessed the efficacy of a neutral pH superoxidised aqueous solution (NpHSS) for infection control, odour reduction and surrounding skin and tissue damage on infected diabetic foot ulcerations. From November 2003 to March 2004, 45 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomised into a single‐blind clinical trial comparing NpHSS (intervention group; n = 21) versus conventional disinfectant (control group; n = 16). All patients received comprehensive care including surgical debridement as appropriate, moist wound care, intensive glucose control and broad spectrum antibiotics. Treatment groups were matched in terms of sex, age (61·9 ± 11·9 versus 67·8 ± 11·6), years of diabetes duration (16·4 ± 8·1 versus 17 ± 10·2), obesity, HgAlc (7·1 ± 2 versus 6·7 ± 1·8), initial fasting glycaemia (163 ± 59 versus 152 ± 65·8 mg/dl), ulcer duration/week (13·7 ± 24 versus 15·1 ± 16·3), B/A Index (0·9 ± 0·5 versus 1·14 ± 0·7), depth and extent of infection/periwound cellulitis (groups B and C of the Tampico Hospital Classification) as well as aetiology (P = 0·647). Odour reduction was achieved in all NpHSS patients (100% versus 25%; P < 0·01) and surrounding cellulitis diminished (P < 0·001) in 17 patients (80·9% versus 43·7%). Nineteen patients in the NpHSS group showed advancement to granulating tissue stage (90·4% versus 62·5%; P = 0·05) with significantly less tissue toxicity (94% versus 31·2%; P < 0·01). A non toxic, NpHSS, as part of a comprehensive care regimen, may be more efficacious in infection control, odour and erythema reduction than conventional disinfectants in treatment of diabetic foot infections.
Effects of diazinon on survival and growth of two amphibian larvae

Amphibian populations are declining globally at an alarming rate and evidence suggests that pesticides may be a principal cause. The present study investigated the effects of diazinon on the survival and growth of larvae of two amphibians, Bufo melanostictus (Asian common toad) and the Sri Lankan endemic Polypedates cruciger (Common hourglass frog). Larvae were laboratory bred from egg clutches collected from ponds and wells in home gardens in the Gampaha and Colombo districts. Two separate trials were conducted using gill stage hatchlings (Gosner stages 20-22) of each species. The larvae were repeatedly exposed to 4 μg/L, 400 μg/L and 10 mg/L of diazinon for seven days. Results showed that exposure to 10 mg/L of diazinon caused significant elevations (p B. melanostictus and P. cruciger as compared to the controls. No significant increases in mortality were noted at 4 μg/L and 400 μg/L. The trends in mortality were significant and positive for both species. Growth retardation was also noted at the highest dose of 10 mg/L, these larvae being significantly smaller than those in the controls (p Keywords: Amphibian, Bufo melanostictus , diazinon, mortality, organophosphate pesticide, Polypedates cruciger , tadpoles doi:10.4038/jnsfsr.v36i2.149 Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 36 (2) 165-169
Sequence to Sequence Learning for Optical Character Recognition

We propose an end-to-end recurrent encoder-decoder based sequence learning approach for printed text Optical Character Recognition (OCR). In contrast to present day existing state-of-art OCR solution which uses connectionist temporal classification (CTC) output layer, our approach makes minimalistic assumptions on the structure and length of the sequence. We use a two step encoder-decoder approach -- (a) A recurrent encoder reads a variable length printed text word image and encodes it to a fixed dimensional embedding. (b) This fixed dimensional embedding is subsequently comprehended by decoder structure which converts it into a variable length text output. Our architecture gives competitive performance relative to connectionist temporal classification (CTC) output layer while being executed in more natural settings. The learnt deep word image embedding from encoder can be used for printed text based retrieval systems. The expressive fixed dimensional embedding for any variable length input expedites the task of retrieval and makes it more efficient which is not possible with other recurrent neural network architectures. We empirically investigate the expressiveness and the learnability of long short term memory (LSTMs) in the sequence to sequence learning regime by training our network for prediction tasks in segmentation free printed text OCR. The utility of the proposed architecture for printed text is demonstrated by quantitative and qualitative evaluation of two tasks -- word prediction and retrieval.
The psychological distress of the young driver: a brief report

The objective of the research was to explore the role of psychological distress in the self-reported risky driving of young novice drivers. A cross-sectional online survey incorporating Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale and the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale was completed by 761 tertiary students aged 17-25 years with an intermediate (Provisional) driving licence in Queensland, Australia, between August and October 2009. Regression analyses revealed that psychological distress uniquely explained 8.5% of the variance in young novices' risky driving, with adolescents experiencing psychological distress also reporting higher levels of risky driving. Psychological distress uniquely explained a significant 6.7% and 9.5% of variance in risky driving for males and females respectively. Medical practitioners treating adolescents who have been injured through risky behaviour need to be aware of the potential contribution of psychological distress, while mental health professionals working with adolescents experiencing psychological distress need to be aware of this additional source of potential harm. The nature of the causal relationships linking psychological distress and risky driving behaviour are not yet fully understood, indicating a need for further research so that strategies such as screening can be investigated.
Effect of nerve injury on the number of dorsal root ganglion neurons and autotomy behavior in adult Bax-deficient mice

Background The proapoptotic molecule BAX, plays an important role in mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons depend on neurotrophic factors for survival at early developmental stages. Withdrawal of neurotrophic factors will induce apoptosis in DRG neurons, but this type of cell death can be delayed or prevented in neonatal Bax knockout (KO) mice. In adult animals, evidence also shows that DRG neurons are less dependent upon neurotrophic factors for survival. However, little is known about the effect of Bax deletion on the survival of normal and denervated DRG neurons in adult mice. Methods A unilateral sciatic nerve transection was performed in adult Bax KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. Stereological method was employed to quantify the number of lumbar-5 DRG neurons 1 month post-surgery. Nerve injury-induced autotomy behavior was also examined on days 1, 3, and 7 post-surgery. Results There were significantly more neurons in contralateral DRGs of KO mice as compared with WT mice. The number of neurons was reduced in ipsilateral DRGs in both KO and WT mice. No changes in size distributions of DRG neuron profiles were detected before or after nerve injury. Injury-induced autotomy behavior developed much earlier and was more serious in KO mice. Conclusion Although postnatal death or loss of DRG neurons is partially prevented by Bax deletion, this effect cannot interfere with long-term nerve injury-induced neuronal loss. The exaggerated self-amputation behavior observed in the mutant mice indicates that Bax deficiency may enhance the development of spontaneous pain following nerve injury.
Survival of patients with lung cancer, Yazd, Iran.

BACKGROUND Lung carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although the 5-year survival rate nearly tripled from 5-15% over the last 25 years, the estimated number of deaths still exceeds 1.3 million annually. The overall 5-year survival of lung cancer is only 10% in Europe and 15% in the United States. The aim of the current study was to determine the long-term survival and the effect of certain prognostic factors on survival of patients with lung cancer in Yazd city, Iran. METHODS In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we retrospectively reviewed hospital records and follow-up data of 148 patients with histological proven lung cancer using the cancer data registered between 1998 and 2005 in the pathology department of Shahid Sadoughi educational hospital, Yazd, Iran. Data were extracted from patient documents that included sex, age, clinical manifestations, histopathological report of the tumor and type of treatment given. RESULTS Overall survival time in all patients was 8.5 months after diagnosis and there was no significant difference in survival according to sex (p=0.958). Histological analysis revealed that squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histologic type (35%). Kaplan-Meier statistical methods estimated the average survival time for SCC to be better (22.6 months) in comparison with the other types of histology (all of them below 10 months). There was a trend towards significance between type of histology and duration of survival (p=0.08). CONCLUSION It is reasonable to expect that early lung cancer detection, and appropriated treatment, may improve surgical morbidity and mortality. Low survival of lung cancer in our center patients show our shortages in screening programs for early diagnosis. Designing studies with larger sample size that take some other variables like staging of patients is now necessary.
An Ecology of a Secondary School Outdoor Adventure Camp

The behavioral ecology model was used to examine tasks and accountability in a secondary school outdoor adventure camp. Similar to results in physical education, the teachers held students strongly accountable for accomplishing managerial tasks, whereas accomplishing instructional tasks saw greater variance of performance outcomes. However, in significant contrast to the school setting, there were high levels of task involvement in the absence of any formal accountability. Although students were not given grades for the camp, many students were fully involved in all instructional tasks. The explanation for this is twofold. First, the nature of instructional tasks was such that ambiguity and risk could be manipulated by students to present an optimal level of challenge. Second, the student social system actually drove the instructional tasks system, whereby the students’ social agenda actually encouraged and supported full participation. The implications for teaching physical education are discussed.
Impact of Sarcopenia in Patients with Unresectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Receiving Chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND Esophageal cancer often involves direct invasion of adjacent organs and patient survival rates are low. Sarcopenia has been reported to be associated with a poor prognosis in several types of malignancies. However, the impact of sarcopenia on the long-term survival of patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 48 patients undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy at our Institution from October 2012 to December 2015 were enrolled; their data were compared according to patient skeletal muscle index (SMI): low SMI (sarcopenia group), n=34; normal SMI (non-sarcopenia group), n=14. RESULTS There were no significant differences in the incidence of severe adverse events and dose reduction rate between the two groups. The incidence of nutritional support was significantly higher in the groups with sarcopenia than in the non-sarcopenia group (44.1% vs. 7.1%, p=0.077). Response rates were significantly lower in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group (43.8% vs. 78.6%, p=0.025). The overall survival rate in the group with sarcopenia was significantly lower than that in the non-sarcopenia group (3-year: 36.95% vs. 63.9%, p=0.018). CONCLUSION Sarcopenia prior to treatment may worsen the long-term survival of patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer. Further well-designed prospective trials are needed to estimate whether adequate nutritional support has a favorable impact on therapeutic outcomes in this population.
Planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) Diversity and Molecular Markers: A New View of an Old Group

Planarians are a group of free-living platyhelminths (triclads) best-known largely due to long-standing regeneration and pattern formation research. However, the group’s diversity and evolutionary history has been mostly overlooked. A few taxonomists have focused on certain groups, resulting in the description of many species and the establishment of higher-level groups within the Tricladida. However, the scarcity of morphological features precludes inference of phylogenetic relationships among these taxa. The incorporation of molecular markers to study their diversity and phylogenetic relationships has facilitated disentangling many conundrums related to planarians and even allowed their use as phylogeographic model organisms. Here, we present some case examples ranging from delimiting species in an integrative style, and barcoding them, to analysing their evolutionary history on a lower scale to infer processes affecting biodiversity origin, or on a higher scale to understand the genus level or even higher relationships. In many cases, these studies have allowed proposing better classifications and resulted in taxonomical changes. We also explain shortcomings resulting in a lack of resolution or power to apply the most up-to-date data analyses. Next-generation sequencing methodologies may help improve this situation and accelerate their use as model organisms.
Energy-efficient scheduling of throughput-constrained streaming applications by periodic mode switching

In this paper, we address the problem of energy reduction when scheduling streaming applications with throughput constraints on homogeneous multiprocessor systems with voltage and frequency scaling capability. We propose a novel periodic scheduling framework which allows streaming applications to switch their execution periodically between a few energy-efficient schedules at run-time in order to meet a throughput constraint at long run. Using such periodic switching, we can benefit from adopting Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) techniques to exploit available static slack time in the schedule of an application efficiently. The experimental results, on a set of real-life streaming applications, show that our novel scheduling approach can achieve up to 68% energy reduction depending on the application and the throughput constraint compared to related approaches.