Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Perceptions of Dysfunction and Normality Mediate Clinicians’ Judgments of Adolescent Antisocial Behavior?

Are mental health clinicians guided by the injunctions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in making judgments of mental disorder in youth engaging in antisocial behavior? The DSM requires clinicians making a judgment of mental disorder to first make complex mediating inferences about internal dysfunction and rule out the possibility that behaviors are normal reactions to a problematic environment. Responding to a case vignette in which the social context of antisocial behavior was systematically varied, a sample of 1,500 social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists made judgments about the presence of mental disorder, internal dysfunction, and normality in the antisocial behavior of a youth. Perceptions about the presence of internal dysfunction and normality are found to be related to judgments of mental disorder, but they do not fully mediate the relationship between the influence of social context and judgments of mental disorder.
Pregnancy dilatation of the urinary tract. The iliac sign and its significance.

During intravenous urography, iliac artery sign is an oblique filling defect in the ureter at the pelvic brim produced by the ureter crossing the iliac artery. It delineates the lower limit of pregnancy dilatation, thereby characterizing all changes associated with pregnancy. Asymmetry of the iliac arteries and ureters at the pelvic brim accounts for the characteristic distribution of pregnancy dilatation. There are permanent subtle functional and anatomical changes in the ureter after the first pregnancy. Upper urinary tract infection during pregnancy produces persistent ureteric dilatation which may be the only evidence of upper urinary tract involvement in the adult.
Diterpene Cyclases Responsible for the Biosynthesis of Phytoalexins, Momilactones A, B, and Oryzalexins A–F in Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) produces diterpene phytoalexins, such as momilactones, oryzalexins, and phytocassanes. Using rice genome information and in vitro assay with recombinant enzymes, we identified genes (OsKS4 and OsKS10) encoding the type-A diterpene cyclases 9β-pimara-7,15-diene synthase and ent-sandaracopimaradiene synthase which are involved in the biosynthesis of momilactones A, B and oryzalexins A–F respectively. Transcript levels of these two genes increased remarkably after ultraviolet (UV) treatment, which is consistent with elevated production of phytoalexins by UV. These two genes might prove powerful tools for understanding plant defense mechanisms in rice.
Antioxidant Ability and Mechanism of Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala

Rhizoma Atractylodes macrocephala (AM) has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for about 2,000 years. In the study, we firstly determined the antioxidant levels of five AM extracts by •OH-scavenging, •O2−-scavenging, Fe2+-chelating, Cu2+-chelating, DPPH·-scavenging, and ABTS+·-scavenging assays. After measurement of the chemical contents in five AM extracts, we quantitatively analyzed the correlations between antioxidant levels and chemical contents. It was observed that total phenolics and total flavonoids had significant positive correlations with antioxidant levels (R = 0.685 and 0.479, respectively). In contrast, total sugars and total saponins presented lower correlations with antioxidant levels (R = −0.272 and 0.244, respectively). It means that antioxidant activity of AM should be attributed to total phenolics (including phenolic acids and flavonoids), and not total sugars and total saponins. Further analysis indicated that phenolic acids exhibited higher R values with radical-scavenging assays (R = 0.32–1.00), while flavonoids showed higher R values with metal-chelating assays (R= 0.86 and 0.90). In conclusion, AM exerts its antioxidant effect through metal-chelating, and radical-scavenging which is via donating hydrogen atom and donating electron. Its metal-chelating may result from flavonoids, while its radical-scavenging can be attributed to phenolic acids, especially caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and protocatechuic acid.
It's Not Only About Lists: Explaining Preference Voting in Belgium

This article analyses the decision of Belgian voters to cast a preference vote on the occasion of the 2009 regional elections. And what appears is that preference votes could be given three meanings. First, preference voting appears to be a sophisticated voting behaviour more accessible to politically interested and involved voters. Less politically active voters more often limit themselves to marking their ballot on the top of the list without differentiating their support among candidates. Second, preference voting is very much a token of voter–candidate proximity. Voters are more likely to support candidates when they know one or several specific candidates directly or via the media. Finally, preference voting is also very much dependent on the structure of institutional incentives. The more influence a preference vote has on the process of intra-party seat allocation, the more likely voters are to make the effort. All in all, this article shows the diversity of motivations behind preference voting, and more importantly the different meanings it could take in elections.
What Does Mutual Grooming Tell Us About Why Chimpanzees Groom

Grooming might be a resource that is offered in exchange for some benefit (e.g. access to a feeding site or coalitionary support) or it might be a mechanism for building and servicing social relationships, whose function, in turn, is to facilitate the exchange of resources and services. Bi-directional (or simultaneous mutual) grooming is unusually common among chimpanzees (though rare in other primates) and we suggest that this might be because it is an especially strong indicator of social bonding. Because the bonding role of bi-directional grooming offers substantially different predictions from the interpretation offered by the models based on reciprocal altruism (RA), we use a critical tests methodology (i.e. tests that unequivocally support one hypothesis at the expense of the other) to differentiate between the bonding and RA hypotheses. We use data on the dynamics of grooming interactions from a captive group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to show that dominant individuals tolerated the individuals with whom they performed bi-directional grooming more than they did those who typically provided them unidirectional grooming. Dominants rejected and terminated grooming sessions more often with the individuals who provided them with mostly unidirectional grooming than with those with whom they groomed bi-directionally. In addition, animals engaged in bi-directional grooming more often with both relatives and those with whom they were often in proximity. These results support the bonding model of mutually reciprocated grooming at the expense of the RA model, and suggest that, at least in chimpanzees, simultaneous mutual grooming may play a particularly important role in social bonding.
Multi-Feature Modeling of Pulse Clarity: Design, Validation and Optimization

Pulse clarity is considered as a high-level musical dimension that conveys how easily in a given musical piece, or a particular moment during that piece, listeners can perceive the underlying rhythmic or metrical pulsation. The objective of this study is to establish a composite model explaining pulse clarity judgments from the analysis of audio recordings. A dozen of descriptors have been designed, some of them dedicated to low-level characterizations of the onset detection curve, whereas the major part concentrates on descriptions of the periodicities developed throughout the temporal evolution of music. A high number of variants have been derived from the systematic exploration of alternative methods proposed in the literature on onset detection curve estimation. To evaluate the pulse clarity model and select the best predictors, 25 participants have rated the pulse clarity of one hundred excerpts from movie soundtracks. The mapping between the model predictions and the ratings was carried out via regressions. Nearly a half of listeners’ rating variance can be explained via a combination of periodicitybased factors.
Beta-blockers may reduce mortality and risk of exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Physicians avoid the use of beta-blockers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and concurrent cardiovascular disease because of concerns about adverse pulmonary effects. We assessed the long-term effect of beta-blocker use on survival and exacerbations in patients with COPD. METHODS An observational cohort study using data from the electronic medical records of 23 general practices in the Netherlands. The data included standardized information about daily patient contacts, diagnoses, and drug prescriptions. RESULTS In total, the study included 2230 patients 45 years and older with an incident or prevalent diagnosis of COPD between 1996 and 2006. The mean (SD) age of the patients with COPD was 64.8 (11.2) years at the start of the study, and 53% of the patients were male. During a mean (SD) follow-up of 7.2 (2.8) years, 686 patients (30.8%) died and 1055 (47.3%) had at least 1 exacerbation of COPD. The crude and adjusted hazard ratios with Cox regression analysis of beta-blocker use for mortality were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.84) and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.56-0.83), respectively. The crude and adjusted hazard ratios for exacerbation of COPD were 0.73 (95% CI, 0.63-0.83) and 0.71 (95% CI, 0.60-0.83), respectively. The adjusted hazard ratios with the propensity score methods were even lower. Subgroup analyses revealed that patients with COPD but without overt cardiovascular disease had similar results. CONCLUSION Treatment with beta-blockers may reduce the risk of exacerbations and improve survival in patients with COPD, possibly as a result of dual cardiopulmonary protective properties.
Does Specialized Surgical Training Increase Lymph Node Yield in Colon Cancer?

Most colon cancer resections do not meet the 12-lymph node minimum recommended in 2001 National Cancer Institute (NCI) panel guidelines. Previous reports suggest surgical training influences lymph node recovery. We hypothesized that recent trends show improved results for lymphadenectomy regardless of specialty. The cancer registry database at a large community hospital with an academic surgical oncology training program was queried to identify resections performed for colon cancer before (1995 to 2000) and after (2001 to 2006) NCI guideline publication. There were no changes in pathology procedures between 374 early and 411 later procedures. The later period brought increases in mean total lymph nodes (15.4 vs 10.4, P < 0.0001), total positive nodes (1.8 vs 1.2, P = 0.005), and the percentage of procedures yielding 12 or more nodes (overall: 65.9 vs 36.0%, P < 0.0001; Stage II and III disease: 73.0 vs 41.4%, P < 0.003). In addition, mean nodal yield increased (P < 0.0001) for fellowship-trained surgeons (16.7 vs 11.2) and nonfellowship-trained surgeons (14.9 vs 10.2). Single-registry data show that since 2001, most colon resections exceed minimum recommendations for lymph node recovery regardless of surgical training. The increased rate of adequate lymphadenectomy for Stage II and III disease is encouraging because this patient population will benefit most by accurate staging of colon cancer.
Predictive Value of Pupillary Response to Mydriatic Agents for Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by assessing the pupillary response to mydriatics. Methods: This observational case series included 134 eyes of 67 premature infants with birth weight less than 2,000 grams and gestational age less than 33 weeks. A composite eye drop composed of phenylephrine 1%, tetracaine and tropicamide 0.5% was applied 3 times within 5-minute intervals and pupil diameters were measured. The eyes were examined by experienced ROP specialists using an indirect ophthalmoscope. Zone and stage of ROP, presence of plus disease and need for treatment were recorded. The relationship between the pupillary response to mydriatics, and presence and severity of ROP was evaluated. Logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. Results: According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, final pupil diameter after mydriatic administration was found the most accurate factor among other factors to recognize ROP zone I from zones II and III (Area under ROC: 0.92 [95%CI: 0.85-0.98]). The best cutoff value for final pupil diameter was 5.6 mm, because it could differentiate involvement of zone I from zones II and III with sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 100%. Conclusion: Response of the pupil to mydriatic eye drops may be useful as a less invasive method for rough estimation of ROP in high risk babies who need emergent attention; however, it cannot be considered as a screening test due to its low sensitivity.
On the Usage of Behavior Models to Detect ATM Fraud

The detection of ATM fraud is a key concern for both financial institutes and bank customers but also for ATM suppliers. This paper deals with the algorithmic learning of an ATM's behavior model given the data stream of status information produced by standard mechatronic devices embedded in modern ATMs. During operation, the observed status information is compared with the learned reference model to detect abnormal behavior—assuming that a significant anomaly is a strong indicator of a fraud attempt. In contrast to previous work on automatic ATM fraud detection, we apply a class of models that also capture the timing behavior, thus covering a broader range of fraud and manipulation. In particular, we present an approach to learn a tailored behavior model, called Probabilistic Deterministic Timed-Transition Automaton, in order to enable the detection of time-based anomalies. We also report on preliminary results of an empirical evaluation using a real-world data set recorded on a public ATM, indicating the practical applicability of our approach.
Toxins and Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from a Major Hospital in Lebanon

Molecular characterization of Staphylococcus aureus is of both clinical and infection control importance. Virulence determinants using PCR and multiple drug resistance profiles were studied in 130 S. aureus isolates. PCR-RFLP analysis of the 16S–23S DNA spacer region was done to investigate the level of 16S–23S ITS (internal transcribed spacer) polymorphism. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), which represented 72% of the studied isolates, showed multiple drug resistance with 18% being resistant to 10–18 of the drugs used compared to a maximum resistance to 9 antibiotics with the methicillin sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolates. Exfoliative toxin A (ETA) was more prevalent than B (ETB) with virulent determinants being additionally detected in multiple drug-resistant isolates. 16S–23S ITS PCR-RFLP combined with sequencing of the primary product was successful in generating molecular fingerprints of S. aureus and could be used for preliminary typing. This is the first study to demonstrate the incidence of virulent genes, ACME, and genetic diversity of S. aureus isolates in Lebanon. The data presented here epitomize a starting point defining the major genetic populations of both MRSA and MSSA in Lebanon and provide a basis for clinical epidemiological studies.
Subpicosecond photoconductivity of In0.53Ga0.47As: Intervalley scattering rates observed via THz spectroscopy.

We report on the transient photoconductivity of hot carriers in undoped bulklike In 0.53Ga0. 47As observed via time-resolved terahertz far-infrared spectroscopy. For very dilute photoexcitation densities of ,1310 cm and an initial excess carrier energy of 630 meV, we find that electrons have an effective intervalley L→G return time of 3.1 ps as measured via the increased electrical conductivity associated with G electrons. In contrast, atotal conductivity risetime of;0.5 ps is observed for electrons with initial excess energy insufficient to cause intervalley scattering. The observed frequency dependent conductivity is analyzed via the Drude theory, allowing the determination of the temporal dynamics of the mobility at dilute excitation densities of ;1310 cm. @S0163-1829 ~96! 05531-2#
Usability Study of a Computer-Based Self-Management System for Older Adults with Chronic Diseases

Background Usability can influence patients’ acceptance and adoption of a health information technology. However, little research has been conducted to study the usability of a self-management health care system, especially one geared toward elderly patients. Objective This usability study evaluated a new computer-based self-management system interface for older adults with chronic diseases, using a paper prototype approach. Methods Fifty older adults with different chronic diseases participated. Two usability evaluation methods were involved: (1) a heuristics evaluation and (2) end-user testing with a think-aloud testing method, audio recording, videotaping, and interviewing. A set of usability metrics was employed to determine the overall system usability, including task incompletion rate, task completion time, frequency of error, frequency of help, satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. Interviews were used to elicit participants’ comments on the system design. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed for content. Results The participants were able to perform the predesigned self-management tasks with the current system design and they expressed mostly positive responses about the perceived usability measures regarding the system interface. However, the heuristics evaluation, performance measures, and interviews revealed a number of usability problems related to system navigation, information search and interpretation, information presentation, and readability. Design recommendations for further system interface modifications were discussed. Conclusions This study verified the usability of the self-management system developed for older adults with chronic diseases. Also, we demonstrated that our usability evaluation approach could be used to quickly and effectively identify usability problems in a health care information system at an early stage of the system development process using a paper prototype. Conducting a usability evaluation is an essential step in system development to ensure that the system features match the users’ true needs, expectations, and characteristics, and also to minimize the likelihood of the users committing user errors and having difficulties using the system.
Assessing the impact of socio-economic variables on breast cancer treatment outcome disparity.

BACKGROUND We studied Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) breast cancer data of Georgia USA to analyze the impact of socio-economic factors on the disparity of breast cancer treatment outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study explored socio-economic, staging and treatment factors that were available in the SEER database for breast cancer from Georgia registry diagnosed in 2004-2009. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was computed for each predictor to measure its discriminatory power. The best biological predictors were selected to be analyzed with socio-economic factors. Survival analysis, Kolmogorov- Smirnov 2-sample tests and Cox proportional hazard modeling were used for univariate and multivariate analyses of time to breast cancer specific survival data. RESULTS There were 34,671 patients included in this study, 99.3% being females with breast cancer. This study identified race and education attainment of county of residence as predictors of poor outcome. On multivariate analysis, these socio-economic factors remained independently prognostic. Overall, race and education status of the place of residence predicted up to 10% decrease in cause specific survival at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Socio-economic factors are important determinants of breast cancer outcome and ensuring access to breast cancer treatment may eliminate disparities.
Stayers and Leavers

Research on teacher development reports significant early-career increases in teacher effectiveness, but the extent to which this is attributable to the development of teachers who persist or to the attrition of less effective teachers is unclear. In this study of novice teachers in North Carolina public schools, the authors investigated the development of teachers’ effectiveness during their first five years in the classroom and contrasted the effectiveness of teachers who stayed with that of those who left. Across grade levels, teachers’ effectiveness increased significantly in their second year of teaching but flattened after three years. The teachers who left the profession were less effective, on average, than those who stayed at least five years, but this finding is somewhat less consistent than the findings of an initial jump in effectiveness and diminishing returns to on-the-job development.
Comparison of the interactions of daunorubicin in a free form and attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes with model lipid membranes

In this work the interactions of an anticancer drug daunorubicin (DNR) with model thiolipid layers composed of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphothioethanol (DPPTE) were investigated using Langmuir technique. The results obtained for a free drug were compared with the results recorded for DNR attached to SWCNTs as potential drug carrier. Langmuir studies of mixed DPPTE–SWCNTs-DNR monolayers showed that even at the highest investigated content of the nanotubes in the monolayer, the changes in the properties of DPPTE model membranes were not as significant as in case of the incorporation of a free drug, which resulted in a significant increase in the area per molecule and fluidization of the thiolipid layer. The presence of SWCNTs-DNR in the DPPTE monolayer at the air–water interface did not change the organization of the lipid molecules to such extent as the free drug, which may be explained by different types of interactions playing crucial role in these two types of systems. In the case of the interactions of free DNR the electrostatic attraction between positively charged drug and negatively charged DPPTE monolayer play the most important role, while in the case of SWCNTs-DNR adducts the hydrophobic interactions between nanotubes and acyl chains of the lipid seem to be prevailing. Electrochemical studies performed for supported model membranes containing the drug delivered in the two investigated forms revealed that the surface concentration of the drug-nanotube adduct in supported monolayers is comparable to the reported surface concentration of the free DNR incorporated into DPPTE monolayers on gold electrodes. Therefore, it may be concluded that the application of carbon nanotubes as potential DNR carrier allows for the incorporation of comparable amount of the drug into model membranes with simultaneous decrease in the negative changes in the membrane structure and organization, which is an important aspect in terms of side effects of the drug.