Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediagnostic Intervals in Retinoblastoma: Experience at an Oncology Center in Brazil

Purpose Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignancy of childhood. In most cases, parents are the first to notice leukocoria and other symptoms before undergoing a prolonged period of stress before diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to determine prediagnostic intervals of patients with retinoblastoma at an oncology tertiary center (Instituto Nacional de Cancer) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and relate them to stage at diagnosis, eye salvage, and survival. Methods Parents or caregivers of children with retinoblastoma registered between January 2006 and September 2013 were interviewed using a semistructured individually applied questionnaire, concerning their trajectory before registration. Results Out of 76 patients, 39 (51%) were girls, 52 (68%) had unilateral retinoblastoma, and 24 (32%) had bilateral retinoblastoma, totaling 100 affected eyes. The most common stage of diagnosis was the intraocular group, with 63 (83%) patients; nine (12%) were extraocular, and four (5%) had metastatic disease. During the follow-up time of 37 ± 24.5 months, 10 (13%) patients died and 70 (70%) eyes were enucleated. Mean family interval was 1.6 ± 2.6 months, mean medical interval was 5.0 ± 6.2 months, mean referral interval was 0.2 ± 1.4 months, and mean overall interval was 7.1 ± 6.9 months. In univariate analysis, age at diagnosis, maternal education, medical interval, and overall interval were significantly related to advanced stage at diagnosis and survival. In multivariate analysis, maternal education and medical interval were significantly related to advanced stage at diagnosis and survival. No variables affected eye salvage. Conclusion Medical interval was responsible for 70% of the overall interval; therefore, programs or campaigns targeting retinoblastoma early diagnosis should focus emphasize in medical awareness.
Dilemmas in International Social Work Education in the United Arab Emirates: Islam, Localization and Social Need

This paper discusses emerging dilemmas in social work education and practice in the United Arab Emirates. Here social work education is primarily based on Westernized curricula; however localized cultural sensitivities require that some mainstream issues, particularly in relation to issues of abuse, are not engaged with. Nevertheless research findings show that social problems such as these are clearly present in UAE society. Therefore it is argued that what is required is an accountable, effective social work education that retains cultural congruity whilst empowering practitioners with the knowledge needed to engage with contemporary social problems. Finally, to contextualize the dichotomy between local culture and the wider community of Islam in relation to social work, some comparisons are drawn with other Muslim nations, specifically Malaysia.
Unsupervised Learning of Overlapping Image Components Using Divisive Input Modulation

This paper demonstrates that nonnegative matrix factorisation is mathematically related to a class of neural networks that employ negative feedback as a mechanism of competition. This observation inspires a novel learning algorithm which we call Divisive Input Modulation (DIM). The proposed algorithm provides a mathematically simple and computationally efficient method for the unsupervised learning of image components, even in conditions where these elementary features overlap considerably. To test the proposed algorithm, a novel artificial task is introduced which is similar to the frequently-used bars problem but employs squares rather than bars to increase the degree of overlap between components. Using this task, we investigate how the proposed method performs on the parsing of artificial images composed of overlapping features, given the correct representation of the individual components; and secondly, we investigate how well it can learn the elementary components from artificial training images. We compare the performance of the proposed algorithm with its predecessors including variations on these algorithms that have produced state-of-the-art performance on the bars problem. The proposed algorithm is more successful than its predecessors in dealing with overlap and occlusion in the artificial task that has been used to assess performance.
Reflecting on imagery: A clinical perspective and overview of the special issue of Memory on mental imagery and memory in psychopathology

The authors provide an overview of the papers in the special issue of Memory on mental imagery and memory in psychopathology. The papers address emotional, intrusive mental imagery across a range of psychological disorders including post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), agoraphobia, body dysmorphic disorder, mood disorders, and psychosis. They include work on information processing issues including modelling cravings, conditioning, and aversions, as well as imagery qualities such as vividness and emotionality. The overview aims to place the articles in a broader context and draw out some exciting implications of this novel work. It provides a clinical context to the recent growth in this area from a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) perspective. We begin with PTSD, and consider links to imagery in other disorders. The clinical implications stemming from this empirical work and from autobiographical memory theory are discussed. These include consideration of a variety of techniques for eliminating troublesome imagery, and creating healthy, realistic alternatives.
Pressed for Time? Goal Conflict Shapes how Time is Perceived, Spent, and Valued

Why do consumers often feel pressed for time? This research provides a novel answer to this question: consumers’ subjective perceptions of goal conflict. The authors show that beyond the number of goals competing for consumers’ time, perceived conflict between goals makes them feel that they have less time. Five experiments demonstrate that perceiving greater conflict between goals makes people feel time constrained and that stress and anxiety drive this effect. These effects, which generalize across a variety of goals and types of conflict (both related and unrelated to demands on time), influence how consumers spend time as well as how much they are willing to pay to save time. The authors identify two simple interventions that can help consumers mitigate goal conflict's negative effects: slow breathing and anxiety reappraisal. Together, the findings shed light on the factors that drive how consumers perceive, spend, and value their time.
Synthesis Of Hazard-free Multi-level Logic Under Multiple-input Changes From Binary Decision Diagrams

We describe a new method for directly synthesizing a hazard-free multilevel logic implementation from a given logic specification. The method is based on free/ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (BDD's), and is naturally applicable to multiple-output logic functions. Given an incompletely-specified (multiple-output) Boolean function, the method produces a multilevel logic network that is hazard-free for a specified set of multiple-input changes. We assume an arbitrary (unbounded) gate and wire delay model under a pure delay (PD) assumption, we permit multiple-input changes, and we consider both static and dynamic hazards. This problem is generally regarded as a difficult problem and it has important applications in the field of asynchronous design. The method has been automated and applied to a number of examples. The results we have obtained are very promising.
Attachment insecurity, depression, and the transition to parenthood

In a longitudinal study of adult attachment and depression during the transition to parenthood, 76 couples completed questionnaires on three occasions: during the second trimester of pregnancy, and six weeks and six months postbirth. On the first and second occasions, the couples were also interviewed about their experiences of pregnancy and parenthood, respectively. Measures were also completed at similar time intervals by a comparison group of 74 childless couples. Attachment security was assessed in terms of the dimensions of discomfort with closeness and relationship anxiety. Relationship anxiety was less stable for transition wives than for other participants. Relationship anxiety also predicted increases in new mothers' depressive symptoms, after controlling for a broad range of other risk factors. However, the association between relationship anxiety and maternal depression was moderated by husbands' caregiving style. Maternal depression was linked to increases in husbands' and wives' attachment insecurity and marital dissatisfaction. Results are discussed in terms of the impact of depression and negative working models of attachment on couple interaction.
Climatic effects of 1950-2050 changes in US anthropogenic aerosols - Part 2: Climate response

We investigate the climate response to changing US anthropogenic aerosol sources over the 1950–2050 period by using the NASA GISS general circulation model (GCM) and comparing to observed US temperature trends. Time-dependent aerosol distributions are generated from the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model applied to historical emission inventories and future projections. Radiative forcing from US anthropogenic aerosols peaked in 1970–1990 and has strongly declined since due to air quality regulations. We find that the regional radiative forcing from US anthropogenic aerosols elicits a strong regional climate response, cooling the central and eastern US by 0.5–1.0 °C on average during 1970–1990, with the strongest effects on maximum daytime temperatures in summer and autumn. Aerosol cooling reflects comparable contributions from direct and indirect (cloud-mediated) radiative effects. Absorbing aerosol (mainly black carbon) has negligible warming effect. Aerosol cooling reduces surface evaporation and thus decreases precipitation along the US east coast, but also increases the southerly flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico resulting in increased cloud cover and precipitation in the central US. Observations over the eastern US show a lack of warming in 1960–1980 followed by very rapid warming since, which we reproduce in the GCM and attribute to trends in US anthropogenic aerosol sources. Present US aerosol concentrations are sufficiently low that future air quality improvements are projected to cause little further warming in the US (0.1 °C over 2010–2050). We find that most of the warming from aerosol source controls in the US has already been realized over the 1980–2010 period.
Cellular wiring and the cellular modeling technique

In cellular modeling a given structure is broken up into a collection of substructures called “cells. ” Gross topology is then determined from the inter-cellular relation ships while only the essential intra cellular details are retained as parameters. Applying this method in printed circuit wiring programs results in dramatic savings in storage requirements and running times over conventional programs which consider each coordinate in their model. Storage requirements are reduced since only the inter-cellular wire routes are stored, Running time is shorter because one can determine when a wire is unroutable without computing the fine details of the routing. However, once the wiring is determined on the gross level, a significant problem remains—the overall routings must be transformed into specific coordinates with in each cell. The purpose of this paper is not to describe these programs, since they follow easily from the modeling technique, but rather to describe the ideas and concepts behind them.
Data analysis on the public charge infrastructure in the city of Amsterdam

In recent years electric mobility has gained a great deal of attention, leading to electric vehicles on the market and development of necessary charging infrastructure. Charging infrastructure is mostly enabled through subsidies by local or national governments to overcome the chicken and egg problem, while the business case for charge stations in this early stage of development is not yet sufficient. The municipality of Amsterdam is a forerunner in the development of charge infrastructure, with over 500 public charge points available. The municipality and service providers struggle how to optimize the roll out of further charge points and how to optimize the use of the charge points. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the actual usage patterns of the public charging infrastructure in the city of Amsterdam, based on more than 109.000 charge sessions collected at the existing local charge points in 2012/2013. The conclusions from this analysis can be used to gain insight in the actual usage patterns of public charging infrastructure and may lead to recommendations concerning further roll out of charge stations, increasing effectiveness and improving the business case for charge points. The conclusions and recommendations may have implications for, and may support municipalities in the effective development of charging infrastructure.
Effects of diazepam, acepromazine, detomidine, and xylazine on thiamylal anesthesia in horses.

The cardiorespiratory effects of thiamylal (10 mg/kg of body weight, IV) and the effects of preanesthetic medication with diazepam, acepromazine, detomidine, or xylazine administered prior to a thiamylal dosage of 6 mg/kg, IV, were evaluated in 6 adult horses. The quality of recovery from thiamylal anesthesia also was evaluated. Intravenous administration of thiamylal at a dosage of 10 mg/kg increased heart rate, systemic arterial, pulmonary artery, and central venous blood pressures, as well as cardiac output and arterial partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2). The maximal rate of right ventricular pressure increase (RVdP/dtmax), respiratory rate, and arterial partial pressure of O2 (PaO2) decreased, whereas arterial pH and systemic vascular resistance remained unchanged. Preanesthetic medication with diazepam prior to IV administration of thiamylal (6 mg/kg) did not change the pattern of this response, but diazepam did increase heart rate, cardiac output, and respiratory rate during the recovery period. Administration of acepromazine (0.1 mg/kg, IV) prior to administration of thiamylal increased heart rate and decreased systemic arterial and central venous blood pressures and systemic vascular resistance. Detomidine (10 micrograms/kg, IV), administered prior to thiamylal, decreased heart rate, cardiac output, and respiratory rate, and increased right atrial blood pressure. Administration of xylazine (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, IV) prior to thiamylal induced effects qualitatively similar to detomidine. Thiamylal decreased RVdP/dtmax and PaO2 in horses that received diazepam, acepromazine, detomidine, or xylazine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A review of randomized clinical trials reporting antibiotic treatment of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis in cattle

The objective of the study was to evaluate treatments for infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), based on a systematic review of the published literature. A search was conducted to identify all manuscripts relating to antibiotic treatment of cattle with IBK. Relevant studies involved naturally occurring IBK and reported the resolution of lesions as a study outcome. Studies which failed to use methods such as blinding, blocking or randomization to minimize bias were excluded from the review. The initial search yielded 196 manuscripts, of which nine described high-quality, randomized clinical trials. These manuscripts reported antibiotic treatment of IBK with florfenicol, ceftiofur, oxytetracycline, procaine penicillin G, procaine penicillin G and dexamethasone, tilmicosin, or benzathine cloxacillin compared to either a placebo control or a non-medicated control. Overall, the studies suggest that antibiotic treatment is successful in reducing healing times of IBK-associated corneal lesions. Very few manuscripts reported a direct comparison of different antibiotic classes, so it was not possible to make comparative evaluations of efficacy. This review demonstrates the need for further randomized controlled trials that evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for IBK, including direct comparisons of two or more antibiotics.
Metaconocimiento fonológico: estudio descriptivo sobre una muestra de niños prelectores en edad preescolar

ResumenEste estudio ha consistido en investigar en una muestra de ninos prelectores de zona rural y bajo nivel socioeconomico el nivel de metaconocimiento fonologico que presentan al finalizar el periodo de preescolar. Para ello, se utilizo la Prueba de Segmentacion Linguistica (Forma A) (Jimenez y Ortiz, en prensa) que comprende un conjunto de tareas metafonologicas donde los ninos han de descubrir rimas, aislar, dividir, y omitir unidades minimas del lenguaje. Los principales hallazgos del trabajo coinciden con los resultados obtenidos en otros estudios que se ban realizado en diferentes ambitos linguisticos. Concretamente, se demuestra que las habilidades de segmentacion silabica se adquieren antes que las habilidades de analisis fonetico de las palabras. Tambien se relacionan estos resultados con la variable sexo y nivel de madurez o disposicion para aprender a leer de los escolares segun juicio del profesor. Por ultimo, se describen las implicaciones educativas que se derivan de los hallazgos encontr.
On therapeutic authority: psychoanalytical expertise under advanced liberalism

In contemporary European and North American societies, authority has acquired a new therapeutic vocation. ’ This is not simply a matter of the rise and fall of schools of thought, or professions: these events have been bound up with a transformation in authority itself, a reshaping of the ethical warranting required for the exercise of authority over the conduct of one’s fellow human beings. Under therapeutic authority, a new ’relational’ ontology has taken shape that has transformed the government of life in a variety of locales the family, the factory, the school, the hospital, the office. Therapeutic authority has inaugurated new ways of thinking and acting upon all those points where an individual’s relations
Is the psychological contract worth taking seriously

Although the psychological contract has become the focus for a body of research, it retains a number of conceptual and empirical problems and challenges. This paper reviews some of the main problems associated with the construct and with the way in which it has been studied. It also considers critically the ‘problem’ of the psychological contract, namely that organizations are either no longer able to promise the traditional organizational career and job security or they violate their promises, and suggests that the novelty of this problem has been overstated. Finally, it sets out a case for retaining the psychological contract as a focus for policy and research and presents an embryonic theory built around the causes, content and consequences of the psychological contract which implies a rather different research agenda to that which has dominated the debates so far. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recognition of Traffic Sign Based on Bag-of-Words and Artificial Neural Network

The traffic sign recognition system is a support system that can be useful to give notification and warning to drivers. It may be effective for traffic conditions on the current road traffic system. A robust artificial intelligence based traffic sign recognition system can support the driver and significantly reduce driving risk and injury. It performs by recognizing and interpreting various traffic sign using vision-based information. This study aims to recognize the well-maintained, un-maintained, standard, and non-standard traffic signs using the Bag-of-Words and the Artificial Neural Network techniques. This research work employs a Bag-of-Words model on the Speeded Up Robust Features descriptors of the road traffic signs. A robust classifier Artificial Neural Network has been employed to recognize the traffic sign in its respective class. The proposed system has been trained and tested to determine the suitable neural network architecture. The experimental results showed high accuracy of classification of traffic signs including complex background images. The proposed traffic sign detection and recognition system obtained 99.00% classification accuracy with a 1.00% false positive rate. For real-time implementation and deployment, this marginal false positive rate may increase reliability and stability of the proposed system.
Tontine et banque en contexte camerounais

La tontine traditionnelle, pratiquee par nombre de camerounais et jadis rattachee aux vertus socioculturelles de solidarite africaine, a-t-elle ete fragilisee au profit d’interets individuels deconstruisant la sociabilite cette fois en faveur de l’economie capitaliste ? Telle est la question centrale que souleve la presente reflexion. Notre propos consiste, eu egard a la perte de confiance dans les banques consecutive a la faillite de nombre d’entre elles dans les annees 1980, a rendre compte des motivations des acteurs sociaux pour qui, les banques et/ou les institutions de microfinance passent desormais, contrairement aux tontines, pour etre les lieux de securisation de l’epargne. L’hypothese retenue est la suivante : la confiance des Camerounais dans les banques est justifiee par la modernisation du systeme financier. Les Camerounais sont contraints, par la mondialisation, a adopter des comportements nouveaux en matiere d’epargne. Sont evoquees ici, la theorie du jeu de Olson et l’individualisme methodologique de Boudon pour examiner quelques cas et experiences. Mots-cles : sociabilite, securisation de l’epargne, confiance, communication, mondialisation.
Desire for children and unmet need for contraception among HIV-positive women in Lesotho

In Lesotho, where the HIV prevalence rate for women is 26.4%, there is high risk for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Efforts to prevent MTCT can focus on reducing the fertility level of HIV-positive women. This paper examines the desire for children and unmet need for contraception to limit or space births among HIV-positive women age 15-49 years, using data from the 2004 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariate analysis of HIV-positive women, 83% of whom have never learned their HIV status, shows that the desire for children in the future does not differ by socioeconomic status. Unmet need for contraception is highest among women in the poorest households. Although these women have lower HIV prevalence, they have higher potential for MTCT. The multivariate results are similar for both HIV-positive and HIVnegative women because of low self-awareness of HIV status. Efforts to reduce the level of MTCT require improved access to family planning services for all women, especially the poorest, and an increase in HIV testing and counseling.
Gait recognition by using Spectrum Analysis on state space reconstruction

This paper describes a method for identifying a person while walking by means of a triaxial accelerometer attached to the waist. Human gait is considered as a dynamical system whose attractor is reconstructed by time delay vectors. A Spectral Analysis on the state space reconstruction is used to characterize the attractor. The method is compared to other common methods used in gait recognition tasks through a preliminary test.