Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inter-rater Agreement of Three Functional Assessment Instruments Depending on the Frequency and Severity of the Target Behavior

INTER-RATER RELIABILITY OF THREE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS DEPENDING ON THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF THE TARGET BEHAVIOR Shannon Scurlock, M.A. George Mason University, 2013 Dr. Johannes Rojahn In applied behavior analysis functional assessment refers to the process of identifying the contingencies (functions) that maintain problem behavior. Successful behavioral intervention to decrease severe behavior problems in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) depends on our ability to accurately identify why a given individual engages in a specific behavior. The Functional Assessment for Multiple Causality (FACT), Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST), and Questions about Behavioral Function (QABF) are three commonly used third-party behavior rating instruments designed to evaluate the function of target behaviors, which have previously been shown to have acceptable levels of inter-rater reliability. This study examined whether inter-rater agreement was impacted by types of target behavior problems (Self-injurious Behavior, Stereotyped Behavior, and Aggressive/Destructive Behavior), frequency or severity of the target behavior, the assessment instrument, and how these factors interact. The sample consisted of 115 adults with ID with one or more problem behaviors. Each participant was assessed with all three instruments by two raters. Two separate univariate General Linear Model analyses were used to determine what contributes to the discrepancy in rater scores on each subscale. The predictors included the assessment instrument, type of target behavior, and either frequency or severity of the target behavior (separate models) along with all 2-way interactions. We found that severity of behavior is a significant predictor and that while frequency of behavior is not an individual predictor, it does interact with type of behavior to predict rater discrepancy scores.
Deformable registration for intra-operative cone-beam CT guidance of head and neck surgery

The computational and geometric performance of Demons deformable registration techniques were investigated in the application of cone-beam CT (CBCT) for intra-operative guidance of head and neck surgery. A prototype C-arm providing CBCT images of sub-mm spatial resolution and soft-tissue contrast was used to acquire images of a cadaveric head before and after surgical intervention. Four deformable registration methods were investigated both in terms of their convergence behavior (time and number of iterations required) and registration accuracy (correlation between deformed and target images and the corresponding target registration error, TRE). Rigid registration alone exhibited a TRE of (2.6 ± 1.0) mm, compared to a TRE of (0.8 ± 0.3) mm obtained with deformable registration. A fast symmetric demons implementation was identified as the most suitable for intra-operative use in terms of speed, image quality, and accuracy. Increasing the spatial resolution of CBCT images was found to increase registration accuracy at the cost of computational expense. Intra-operative CBCT combined with deformable registration offers to overcome conventional limitations of guidance by preoperative images alone and presents an accurate method of integrating imaging and planning data in a manner that properly reflects changes in the intra-operative state.
Deafness-related self-perceptions and psychological well-being in deaf adolescents with cochlear implants

Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and self-perception in adolescents with cochlear implants, in relation to their perceptions of hearing, deaf signing, and orally communicating deaf peers. Method Self-perceptions were examined in 22 cochlear implant users aged 12–18 years, using the repertory grid technique that allows the respondent to generate personally relevant ‘identity’ constructs. Psychological well-being was assessed using the Beck Youth Inventory, a series of five self-report questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviour, anger, and self-esteem. Results Correlational analyses indicated that perceiving oneself as close to any peer, irrespective of which peer, was associated with better psychological well-being. There was also a significant positive association between perceived degree of similarity specifically to hearing peers, and psychological well-being. The closer the implanted adolescents perceived themselves to be to their hearing peers, the better their overall psychological well-being. In contrast, perceiving oneself as more similar to deaf signing peers or deaf oral peers was not significantly associated with psychological well-being. Discussion The findings are discussed in the context of previous research on social comparison, Deaf identity, and the aims of cochlear implantation.
Building Penetration Loss for Satellite Services at L-, S- and C-band: Measurement and Modeling

An extensive measurement campaign, covering a representative set of typical buildings in an urban area and aimed at building penetration loss for satellite services at L-, S- and C-band, was performed in Prague in the summer of 2009. Throughout the measurements, a remote-controlled airship was used as a pseudo-satellite carrying a transmitter which provided unmodulated continuous wave left-handed circularly polarized signals at 2.0 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 5.0 GHz, and 6.5 GHz. A description of the measurement campaign is provided here, together with a thorough analysis of the resulting experimental data. A significant dependence on elevation angle is reported for line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight propagation conditions separately. Subsequent steps to introduce elevation dependent empirical models at corresponding frequencies follow. Finally, a comparison to other studies dealing with building penetration loss for high elevation angles is presented.
Constraints on strategy construction in a speeded discrimination task.

In three experiments, subjects reported the identity of a word (above or below) that appeared above or below a fixation point. On some trials, a cue presented 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, or 1,000 msec before the word indicated the relation between position and identity (i.e., whether the dimensions were compatible, e.g., above/above and below/below, or conflicted, e.g., above/below and below/above). On the other trials, the cue was withheld (Experiment 2) or it bore no information about the relation between dimensions (Experiment 1 and 3). In each experiment, the cue reduced reaction time below the level of no-cue or neutral-cue controls, indicating strategic use of the relation between dimensions. Experiments 1 and 2 manipulated the number of potential cues that could occur in a block. A stronger cuing effect was found when one cue could occur (Experiment 2) than when two cues could occur (Experiment 1). Experiment 3 manipulated practice; it revealed that with practice the cuing effect reached asymptote at shorter delays. The asymptote itself did not change. Experiment 4 showed that cue-delay effects were independent of warning interval (warning interval and cue delay confounded in Experiment 1, 2, and 3). The experiments demonstrate construction and utilization of strategies; they show that construction is sensitive to constraints imposed by the subject's goals and abilities and by the structure of the task environment.
Autisme, sillon temporal supérieur (STS) et perception sociale : études en imagerie cérébrale et en TMS

Les troubles du spectre autistique sont vraisemblablement lies a des alterations des circuits neuronaux au cours du developpement. Des etudes en imagerie cerebrale ont mis en evidence des anomalies anatomo-fonctionnelles localisees notamment au niveau du sillon temporal superieur (STS) dans l’autisme. Chez le sujet sain, le STS est implique dans la perception et la cognition sociale, dont les dysfonctionnements sont au coeur des symptomes autistiques. En effet, des anomalies de la perception sociale, notamment un manque de preference par les yeux, ont ete mises en evidence dans l’autisme. Dans cette these nous avons montre qu’il est possible de moduler l’activite neuronale du STS droit a l’aide de la stimulation magnetique transcranienne (TMS) avec un impact significatif sur la perception sociale, mesuree par l’eye-tracking. En effet, suite a une inhibition du STS, des jeunes volontaires sains regardent moins les yeux des personnages dans les scenes sociales. Par ailleurs, cette perception sociale a ete correlee au debit sanguin cerebral (DSC) au repos, mesure en IRM avec la sequence arterial spin labelling. Ainsi, les volontaires sains qui regardaient le plus les yeux des personnages etaient ceux chez qui le DSC au repos etait plus eleve au niveau des regions temporales droites. De plus, cette correlation a ete egalement observee chez des enfants avec autisme: les enfants qui regardaient le plus les yeux des personnages etaient ceux chez qui le DSC au repos etait plus important au niveau des regions temporales droites. Enfin, les resultats preliminaires concernant l’application de la TMS chez des adultes avec autisme ouvrent des nouvelles perspectives therapeutiques.
Analysis of Vasoactivity of Local pH, Pco2 and Bicarbonate on Pial Vessels

The mechanism by which the local effect of CO2 on pial arterioles is exerted was examined in anesthetized cats equipped with a cranial window for the direct observation of the microcirculation of the parietal cortex. The dilation of pial arterioles in response to application of artificial cerebrospinal fluid with low pH was the same whether or not the Pco2 of the solution was maintained in the normal range or markedly increased. The constriction of pial arterioles in response to application of artificial cerebrospinal fluid with high pH was the same whether or not the Pco2 of the solution was maintained in the normal range or markedly decreased. Finally, pial arterioles did not change their caliber in response to application of cerebrospinal fluid with unchanged pH but markedly increased or decreased Pco2, or bicarbonate ion concentration. These results show that the action of CO2 on cerebral vessels is exerted via changes in extracellular fluid pH and that molecular CO2 and bicarbonate ions do not have independent vasoactivity on these vessels.
Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors: Recognition of a Two-Edged Sword?

Glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa antagonists are potent inhibitors of platelet aggregation that provide marked protection from ischemic events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). 1,2⇓ Abciximab, the prototypic GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor, has been studied in >8000 patients undergoing elective or high-risk PCI.2,3,4⇓⇓ In these patients, it produces a consistent 35% to 56% reduction in ischemic end points at 30 days, with a significant 22% reduction in the risk of death, as shown in a combined analysis of long-term (3-year minimum) follow-up of the Evaluation of 7E3 for the Prevention of Ischemic Complications (EPIC), Evaluation in PTCA to Improve Long-term Outcome with abciximab GP IIb/IIIa blockade (EPILOG), and Evaluation of Platelet IIb/IIIa Inhibitor for Stenting (EPISTENT) trials.5 Similar results, albeit of a smaller magnitude, have been seen with the small-molecule antagonists tirofiban and eptifibatide, with a 16% to 35% reduction in ischemic events in patients undergoing PCI.1,6⇓ Attempts to expand the therapeutic indication of GP IIb/IIIa antagonists to other conditions associated with platelet-mediated thrombosis, however, have been less fruitful than expected. Instead of reducing major ischemic events, long-term oral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor therapy7 has uniformly increased the fatality rate. Furthermore, the overall efficacy of a number of the intravenous antagonists in non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS), or in combination with thrombolysis in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), has been less than anticipated.8 Of particular concern is the fact that there has been a paradoxical increase in adverse events in 2 of the trials of intravenous therapy in ACS.9,10⇓ Platelets are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ACS, yet the high levels of platelet inhibition attainable with GP IIb/IIIa antagonists have failed to dramatically improve clinical outcomes outside of PCI. In this article, we discuss these …
Our Lives Through Embroidery: Narrative Accounts of the Women's Embroidery Project in Post-Apartheid South Africa

The study explores the meanings newly employed women attach to the notion of being “emancipated. ” It draws on critical feminist and post-colonial theorists to investigate how Black South Africa women (n = 21; age range = 30–55) with experience of oppression and colonialism use embroidery to narrate their personal histories. Three in-depth, individual semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted using convenience sampling within the embroidery collective. Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and Zilber's (1998) narrative data analysis model and Overlien, Aronsson & Hyden's (2005) focus group data analysis were employed to explore key themes of renegotiation of gender roles, racial relations and personal stories stitched into bags that travel the world, re-presenting the women to a global audience. Findings reveal that the embroidery project enabled successful re-negotiation of gendered roles at home and in the community. Perceived proxy control by historically privileged others undermined the sense of empowerment in the women participants.
Global Structural Changes in Hepatitis B Virus Capsids Induced by the Assembly Effector HAP1

ABSTRACT Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a leading cause of liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma; over 400 million people are chronically infected with HBV. Specific anti-HBV treatments, like most antivirals, target enzymes that are similar to host proteins. Virus capsid protein has no human homolog, making its assembly a promising but undeveloped therapeutic target. HAP1 [methyl 4-(2-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-6-methyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,4-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate], a heteroaryldihydropyrimidine, is a potent HBV capsid assembly activator and misdirector. Knowledge of the structural basis for this activity would directly benefit the development of capsid-targeting therapeutic strategies. This report details the crystal structures of icosahedral HBV capsids with and without HAP1. We show that HAP1 leads to global structural changes by movements of subunits as connected rigid bodies. The observed movements cause the fivefold vertices to protrude from the liganded capsid, the threefold vertices to open, and the quasi-sixfold vertices to flatten, explaining the effects of HAP1 on assembled capsids and on the assembly process. We have identified a likely HAP1-binding site that bridges elements of secondary structure within a capsid-bound monomer, offering explanation for assembly activation. This site also interferes with interactions between capsid proteins, leading to quaternary changes and presumably assembly misdirection. These results demonstrate the plasticity of HBV capsids and the molecular basis for a tenable antiviral strategy.
DC-Derived IL-10 Modulates Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production and Promotes Induction of CD4+IL-10+ Regulatory T Cells during Plasmodium yoelii Infection

The cytokine IL-10 plays a crucial role during malaria infection by counteracting the pro-inflammatory immune response. We and others demonstrated that Plasmodium yoelii infection results in enhanced IL-10 production in CD4+ T cells accompanied by the induction of an immunosuppressive phenotype. However, it is unclear whether this is a direct effect caused by the parasite or an indirect consequence due to T cell activation by IL-10-producing antigen-presenting cells. Here, we demonstrate that CD11c+CD11b+CD8− dendritic cells (DCs) produce elevated levels of IL-10 after P. yoelii infection of BALB/c mice. DC-specific ablation of IL-10 in P. yoelii-infected IL-10flox/flox/CD11c-cre mice resulted in increased IFN-γ and TNF-α production with no effect on MHC-II, CD80, or CD86 expression in CD11c+ DCs. Accordingly, DC-specific ablation of IL-10 exacerbated systemic IFN-γ and IL-12 production without altering P. yoelii blood stage progression. Strikingly, DC-specific inactivation of IL-10 in P. yoelii-infected mice interfered with the induction of IL-10-producing CD4+ T cells while raising the frequency of IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells. These results suggest that P. yoelii infection promotes IL-10 production in DCs, which in turn dampens secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and supports the induction of CD4+IL-10+ T cells.
Comparison of the Data-based and Gene Ontology-Based Approaches to Cluster Validation Methods for Gene Microarrays

The paper presents a comparison of the data-based and gene ontology (GO)-based approaches to cluster validation methods for gene microarray analysis. We apply a homogeneous approach to obtaining metrics from different GO-based similarity measures and a normalization of validation index values, that allows us to compare them to each other as well as to data-based validation indices. The results show strong correlation between both GO-based and data-based validation indices. The results suggest that this may represent an effective tool to support biomedical knowledge discovery tasks based on gene expression data
Reduction of Spike Afterdepolarization by Increased Leak Conductance Alters Interspike Interval Variability

Data from neurons in vivo have shown that spike output can often sustain episodes of high variability. Theoretical studies have indicated that the high conductance state of neurons brought on by synaptic activity can contribute to an increase in the variability of spike output by decreasing the integration timescale of the neuron. In the present work, we were interested in understanding how background synaptic conductance activity alters the interspike interval (ISI) variability of layer III pyramidal cells of the medial entorhinal cortex. We compared ISI variability in pyramidal cells as a result of synaptic current- or conductance-mediated membrane fluctuations. We found that the effects of background synaptic conductance activity on ISI variability depend on the neuron type. In pyramidal cells lacking spike frequency adaptation, the variability increased in relation to a comparable synaptic current stimulus. In contrast, in pyramidal cells displaying spike frequency adaptation, the synaptic conductance stimulus produced lower ISI variability. To understand this result, we constructed a phenomenological model that reproduced the basic properties of these neurons under control and increased leak conductance. We found that leak can change the properties of the neuron by acting as a bifurcation parameter that reduces the afterdepolarization (ADP) and decreases the slope (gain) of the frequency–current relationship, particularly for transient stimuli. A lower gain with the added leak causes a reduction in ISI variability. We conclude that the ability of a high conductance state to increase ISI variability cannot be generalized and can depend on the spike ADP dynamics expressed by the neuron.
Role of AFR1, an ABC Transporter-Encoding Gene, in the In Vivo Response to Fluconazole and Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans

ABSTRACT We have recently demonstrated that upregulation of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter-encoding gene AFR1 in Cryptococcus neoformans is involved in the in vitro resistance to fluconazole of this yeast. In the present study, we investigated the role of AFR1 in the in vivo response to fluconazole in a mouse model of systemic cryptococcosis. Mice were infected with a wild-type fluconazole-susceptible strain of C. neoformans, strain BPY22; an afr1 mutant, BPY444, which displayed hypersusceptibility to fluconazole in vitro; or an AFR1-overexpressing strain, BPY445, which exhibited in vitro resistance to the drug. In each of the three groups, infected animals were randomly assigned to fluconazole treatment or untreated-control subgroups. As expected, fluconazole prolonged survival and reduced fungal tissue burdens (compared with no treatment) in BPY22- and BPY444-infected mice, whereas it had no significant effects in mice infected with BPY445. When the pathogenicities of these strains in mice were investigated, strain BPY445 was significantly more virulent than BPY22 following inhalational or intravenous inoculation, but mice infected with BPY444 survived significantly longer than BPY22-infected animals only when infection was acquired via the respiratory tract. In in vitro macrophage infection studies, strain BPY445 also displayed enhanced intracellular survival compared with strains BPY22 and BPY444, suggesting that its increased virulence may be due to its reduced vulnerability to the antimicrobial factors produced by phagocytic cells. These findings indicate that the upregulation of the AFR1 gene is an important factor in either determining the in vivo resistance to fluconazole or influencing the virulence of C. neoformans.
Innervation territories of single sympathetic C fibers in human skin.

Microneurography techniques were used to record action potentials from unmyelinated nerve fibers (C fibers) in the cutaneous fascicles of the peroneal nerve in healthy volunteers. C units were identified by their long latency responses to electrical stimulation of their terminals in the skin. Their responsiveness to mechanical or heat stimuli applied to the skin or to sympathetic reflex provocation tests was determined by transient slowing of conduction velocity following activation (marking technique). In a sample of 381 C units, 59 were unresponsive to mechanical and thermal stimulation of their endings, but responded to sympathetic reflex provocation tests, e.g., arousal or deep inspiration. They were classified as sympathetic efferent units. On average, conduction velocities of sympathetic units were lower (0.78 +/- 0.12 m/s, mean +/- SD) than those of mechano-heat (CMH) or mechanoresponsive (CM) afferent C units (0.91 +/- 0.14 m/s). Endings of most of the sympathetic units were located in the skin of toes or in the foot dorsum. Innervation territories of 16 sympathetic units were mapped by means of conditioning transcutaneous electrical stimuli. Twelve units had one continuous skin territory, whereas two units had two and two other units had three and five separate territories, respectively. The mean innervated area was 128 mm2 (range: 24-350 mm2). Innervation territories of sympathetic units were of approximately the same size in different skin regions on the lower leg, foot, or toes. Based on responses to whole body cooling and warming, two units were tentatively classified as vasoconstrictor and sudomotor units, respectively. Eleven units were tested for responsiveness to iontophoresis of acetylcholine in their innervation territories. In five of them, activity was induced that was not due to central reflex activity but instead due to antidromic activation from the peripheral terminals. Iontophoresis of saline or histamine was ineffective. These findings confirm the existence of excitatory cholinergic receptors in the terminal membrane of some sympathetic units, possibly sudomotors.