Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Happiness, Morality and Game Theory

This book is a welcome consolidation and extension of the recent expanding debates on happiness and economics. Happiness and economics, as a new field for research, is now of pivotal interest particularly to welfare economists and psychologists. This Handbook provides an unprecedented forum for discussion of the economic issues relating to happiness. It reviews the more recent literature and offers the interested reader an insight into the vast scope of the field in terms of the theory, its applications and also experimental design. The Handbook also gives substantial indications as to the future direction of research in the field, with particular regard to policy applications and developing an economics of interpersonal relations which includes reciprocity and social interaction theory.
Abstinence and safer sex HIV risk-reduction interventions for African American adolescents: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT African American adolescents are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but which behavioral interventions to reduce risk are most effective and who should conduct them is not known. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of abstinence and safer-sex HIV risk-reduction interventions on young inner-city African American adolescents' HIV sexual risk behaviors when implemented by adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial with 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. SETTING Three middle schools serving low-income African American communities in Philadelphia, Pa. PARTICIPANTS A total of 659 African American adolescents recruited for a Saturday program. INTERVENTIONS Based on cognitive-behavioral theories and elicitation research, interventions involved 8 1-hour modules implemented by adult facilitators or peer cofacilitators. Abstinence intervention stressed delaying sexual intercourse or reducing its frequency; safer-sex intervention stressed condom use; control intervention concerned health issues unrelated to sexual behavior. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported sexual intercourse, condom use, and unprotected sexual intercourse. RESULTS Mean age of the enrollees was 11.8 years; 53% were female and 92.6% were still enrolled at 12 months. Abstinence intervention participants were less likely to report having sexual intercourse in the 3 months after intervention than were control group participants (12.5% vs 21.5%, P=.02), but not at 6- or 12-month follow-up (17.2% vs 22.7%, P=.14; 20.0% vs 23.1%, P=.42, respectively). Safer-sex intervention participants reported significantly more consistent condom use than did control group participants at 3 months (odds ratio [OR]=3.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-9.16) and higher frequency of condom use at all follow-ups. Among adolescents who reported sexual experience at baseline, the safer-sex intervention group reported less sexual intercourse in the previous 3 months at 6- and 12-month follow-up than did control and abstinence intervention (adjusted mean days over prior 3 months, 1.34 vs 3.77 and 3.03, respectively; P< or =.01 at 12- month follow-up) and less unprotected intercourse at all follow-ups than did control group (adjusted mean days, 0.04 vs 1.85, respectively, P<.001, at 12-month follow-up). There were no differences in intervention effects with adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators. CONCLUSION Both abstinence and safer-sex interventions can reduce HIV sexual risk behaviors, but safer-sex interventions may be especially effective with sexually experienced adolescents and may have longer-lasting effects.
The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: practice guideline by the American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and American College of Gastroenterology.

The Diagnosis and Management of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Practice Guideline by the American Gastroenterological Association, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and American College of Gastroenterology NAGA CHALASANI, MD, FACG,* ZOBAIR YOUNOSSI, MD, FACG, JOEL E. LAVINE, MD, PhD, ANNA MAE DIEHL, MD, ELIZABETH M. BRUNT, MD, KENNETH CUSI, MD, MICHAEL CHARLTON, MD,** and ARUN J. SANYAL, MD
Sphincter EMG and differential diagnosis of multiple system atrophy

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a degenerative disease manifesting a combination of parkinsonism, cerebellar, pyramidal, and autonomic (including urinary, sexual, and anorectal) dysfunction. It is pathomorphologically defined, but lacks a definitive clinical diagnostic test. Sphincter electromyography (EMG), reflecting Onuf's nucleus degeneration, has been proposed as a helpful test; its value has been reevaluated by a critical review of the literature.
Monte Carlo Value Iteration with Macro-Actions

POMDP planning faces two major computational challenges: large state spaces and long planning horizons. The recently introduced Monte Carlo Value Iteration (MCVI) can tackle POMDPs with very large discrete state spaces or continuous state spaces, but its performance degrades when faced with long planning horizons. This paper presents Macro-MCVI, which extends MCVI by exploiting macro-actions for temporal abstraction. We provide sufficient conditions for Macro-MCVI to inherit the good theoretical properties of MCVI. Macro-MCVI does not require explicit construction of probabilistic models for macro-actions and is thus easy to apply in practice. Experiments show that Macro-MCVI substantially improves the performance of MCVI with suitable macro-actions.
Structural and Biophysical Characterization of Human Cytochromes P450 2B6 and 2A6 Bound to Volatile Hydrocarbons: Analysis and Comparison

X-ray crystal structures of complexes of cytochromes CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 with the monoterpene sabinene revealed two distinct binding modes in the active sites. In CYP2B6, sabinene positioned itself with the putative oxidation site located closer to the heme iron. In contrast, sabinene was found in an alternate conformation in the more compact CYP2A6, where the larger hydrophobic side chains resulted in a significantly reduced active-site cavity. Furthermore, results from isothermal titration calorimetry indicated a much more substantial contribution of favorable enthalpy to sabinene binding to CYP2B6 as opposed to CYP2A6, consistent with the previous observations with (+)-α-pinene. Structural analysis of CYP2B6 complexes with sabinene and the structurally similar (3)-carene and comparison with previously solved structures revealed how the movement of the F206 side chain influences the volume of the binding pocket. In addition, retrospective analysis of prior structures revealed that ligands containing –Cl and –NH functional groups adopted a distinct orientation in the CYP2B active site compared with other ligands. This binding mode may reflect the formation of Cl-π or NH-π bonds with aromatic rings in the active site, which serve as important contributors to protein-ligand binding affinity and specificity. Overall, the findings from multiple techniques illustrate how drugs metabolizing CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 handle a common hydrocarbon found in the environment. The study also provides insight into the role of specific functional groups of the ligand that may influence the binding to CYP2B6.
Gene expression profiles of vitrified in vitro‐ and in vivo‐derived bovine blastocysts

Vitrification is becoming a preferred method for pre‐implantation embryo cryopreservation. The objective of this study was to determine the differentially expressed genes of in vivo‐ and in vitro‐produced bovine embryos after vitrification. In vitro‐ (IVF) and in vivo‐derived (IVV) bovine blastocysts were identified as follows: in vitro‐produced fresh (IVF‐F), in vitro‐produced vitrified (IVF‐V), in vivo‐derived fresh (IVV‐F), in vivo‐derived vitrified (IVV‐V). The microarray results showed that 53 genes were differentially regulated between IVF and IVV, and 121 genes were differentially regulated between fresh and vitrified blastocysts (P < 0.05). There were 6, 268, 962, and 17 differentially regulated genes between IVF‐F × IVV‐F, IVF‐V × IVV‐V, IVF‐F × IVF‐V, and IVV‐F × IVV‐V, respectively (P < 0.05). While gene expression was significantly different between fresh and vitrified IVF blastocysts (P < 0.05), it was similar between fresh and vitrified IVV blastocysts. Significantly up‐regulated KEGG pathways included ribosome, oxidative phosphorylation, spliceosome, and oocyte meiosis in the fresh IVF blastocyst samples, while sphingolipid and purine metabolisms were up‐regulated in the vitrified IVF blastocyst. The results showed that in vitro bovine blastocyst production protocols used in this study caused no major gene expression differences compared to those of in vivo‐produced blastocysts. After vitrification, however, in vitro‐produced blastocysts showed major gene expression differences compared to in vivo blastocysts. This study suggests that in vitro‐produced embryos are of comparable quality to their in vivo counterparts. Vitrification of in vitro blastocysts, on the other hand, causes significant up‐regulation of genes that are involved in stress responses. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 613–625, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Guidelines for standardization of radiostereometry (RSA) of implants

There is a need for standardization of radiostereometric (RSA) investigations to facilitate comparison of outcome reported from different research groups. In this document, 6 research centers have agreed upon standards for terminology, description and use of RSA arrangement including radiographic set-up and techniques. Consensus regarding minimum requirements for marker stability and scatter, choice of coordinate systems, and preferred way of describing prosthetic micromotion is of special interest. Some notes on data interpretation are also presented. Validation of RSA should be standardized by preparation of protocols for assessment of accuracy and precision. Practical issues related to loading of the joint by weight bearing or other conditions, follow-up intervals, length of follow-up, radiation dose, and the exclusion of patients due to technical errors are considered. Finally, we present a checklist of standardized output that should be included in any clinical RSA paper. This document will form the basis of a detailed standardization protocol under supervision of ISO and the European Standards Working Group on Joint Replacement Implants (CEN/TC 285/WG4). This protocol will facilitate inclusion of RSA in a standard protocol for implant testing before it is released for general use. Such a protocol—also including other recognized clinical outcome parameters—will reduce the risk of implanting potentially inferior prostheses on a large scale.
Protective effects of the Alisma orientalis extract on the experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of Alisma orientalis methanolic extract (AOME) on the experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high‐fat diet. Rats were fed with high‐fat diet for six weeks and then gavaged the AOME for another six weeks. Typical pathological symptoms of NAFLD occurred in the high‐fat diet rats. Administration with the AOME (150,300 and 600 mg kg−1) markedly decreased the serum and liver lipids; the high level of fasting serum glucose was reduced and insulin resistance was improved. The AOME treatment was also helpful in preventing the oxidative stress by lessening lipid peroxidation and activating antioxidant enzymes. Markers of the liver injury, aminotransferase abnormalities and hepatomegaly were improved and morphological changes, such as liver steatosis, mixed inflammation and collagen deposition, were lessened in rats treated with the AOME. These results suggested that the AOME showed hepatoprotective effects on NAFLD and may be a potential clinical application for treatment of this chronic liver disease.
Learning without limits

One of the most pervading criticisms of rule-based models of reasoning is that they are “pre-programmed”. Cognitive models based on production systems, including most ACTR models, already have the necessary rules in memory to perform the specific task they model. This type of modeling has a number of problems. A first problem is that rules for a new task have to be learned, and that it is not always reasonable to suppose that all of the rules have been acquired during instructions. A second problem is that in complex problem-solving situations, a model based on a fixed set of production rules cannot reason “outside the system”, a problem often described by the term “brittleness. ” Many discussions have been devoted to this issue in a criticism of artificial intelligence in general, often invoking Godel’s theorem as definite proof that a rulebased approach cannot work.
Personality‐Based Profile Matching in Personnel Selection: Estimates of Method Prevalence and Criterion‐Related Validity

Profile matching refers to selection based on applicant similarity to a pre-specified pattern of standing across several mutually considered personality dimensions. Although many investigations support the use of personality data through univariate, linear-based selection methodologies, there is no evidence within the literature that supports (or refutes) the use of profile matching. Regardless, a phone survey revealed that 62 per cent of consultative vendor organisations implement some form of profile matching. The current study addresses this scientist–practitioner void by investigating the broad, cross-organisational viability of three different profile matching strategies (profile band specification, profile similarity estimation, and configural scoring). Although some specifications of profile matching came close (empirically) to challenging linear regression cross-validation estimates, the profile matching strategy is considered to be burdened with additional conceptual concerns (primarily resulting from a lack of formal model specification) as well as practical limitations (for example, the likely creation of an artificial predictor ceiling). Linear regression is presented here as the more effective use of multi-trait information; however, if practitioners continue to utilise profile matching, it is suggested that they consider either adopting a configural scoring approach or referencing an index of profile similarity rather than retaining and applying desired profile bands.
Birth of a biome: insights into the assembly and maintenance of the Australian arid zone biota

The integration of phylogenetics, phylogeography and palaeoenvironmental studies is providing major insights into the historical forces that have shaped the Earth's biomes. Yet our present view is biased towards arctic and temperate/tropical forest regions, with very little focus on the extensive arid regions of the planet. The Australian arid zone is one of the largest desert landform systems in the world, with a unique, diverse and relatively well-studied biota. With foci on palaeoenvironmental and molecular data, we here review what is known about the assembly and maintenance of this biome in the context of its physical history, and in comparison with other mesic biomes. Aridification of Australia began in the Mid-Miocene, around 15 million years, but fully arid landforms in central Australia appeared much later, around 1-4 million years. Dated molecular phylogenies of diverse taxa show the deepest divergences of arid-adapted taxa from the Mid-Miocene, consistent with the onset of desiccation. There is evidence of arid-adapted taxa evolving from mesic-adapted ancestors, and also of speciation within the arid zone. There is no evidence for an increase in speciation rate during the Pleistocene, and most arid-zone species lineages date to the Pliocene or earlier. The last 0.8 million years have seen major fluctuations of the arid zone, with large areas covered by mobile sand dunes during glacial maxima. Some large, vagile taxa show patterns of recent expansion and migration throughout the arid zone, in parallel with the ice sheet-imposed range shifts in Northern Hemisphere taxa. Yet other taxa show high lineage diversity and strong phylogeographical structure, indicating persistence in multiple localised refugia over several glacial maxima. Similar to the Northern Hemisphere, Pleistocene range shifts have produced suture zones, creating the opportunity for diversification and speciation through hybridisation, polyploidy and parthenogenesis. This review highlights the opportunities that development of arid conditions provides for rapid and diverse evolutionary radiations, and re-enforces the emerging view that Pleistocene environmental change can have diverse impacts on genetic structure and diversity in different biomes. There is a clear need for more detailed and targeted phylogeographical studies of Australia's arid biota and we suggest a framework and a set of a priori hypotheses by which to proceed.
Hypertension Screening Using Blood Pressure to Height Ratio

OBJECTIVES: The definition of hypertension in children is too complex to be used by medical professionals and children and their parents because of the age-, gender-, and height-specific blood pressure (BP) algorithm. The aim of this study was to simplify the pediatric BP percentile references using BP to height ratio (BPHR, equal to BP/height) for screening for prehypertension and hypertension in Chinese children. METHODS: Data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, which was conducted from 1991 to 2009 and included 11 661 children aged 6 to 17 years with complete data on age, gender, height, and BP values. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the performance of systolic BPHR (SBPHR) and diastolic BPHR (DBPHR) for screening for pediatric prehypertension and hypertension. RESULTS: The optimal thresholds for defining prehypertension were 0.81 in children aged 6 to 11 years and 0.70 in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years for SBPHR and 0.52 in children and 0.46 in adolescents for DBPHR, respectively. The corresponding values for hypertension were 0.84, 0.78, 0.55, and 0.50, respectively. The negative predictive values were much higher (all ≥99%) for prehypertension and hypertension, although the positive predictive values were relatively lower, ranging from 13% to 75%. CONCLUSIONS: BPHR index is simple and accurate for screening for prehypertension and hypertension in Chinese children aged 6 to 17 years and can be used for early screening or treating Chinese children with hypertension.
Expertise with characters in alphabetic and nonalphabetic writing systems engage overlapping occipito-temporal areas

Parts of the left ventral visual pathway are engaged selectively during the perception of words, letter strings, and even single letters. While studies have shown overlap between activations for letters and characters across writing systems, they adopted group analyses with very limited spatial resolution, or used words and letter strings that have been shown to activate different regions from those activated by single characters. The current study compared activity within individual participants for the perception of single characters from different writing systems. Roman letters, Chinese characters, objects, and faces were presented to Chinese–English bilinguals and English readers with no Chinese reading experience. Individual subject analyses revealed a large overlap between Roman- and Chinese-selective areas in the bilinguals. In general, the activity in the Roman-selective area of the left hemisphere is associated with experience with the script, as non-Chinese readers showed lower activations to Chinese characters than to Roman letters. Further analyses found considerable variation within non-Chinese readers in the activation for Chinese characters: While the majority had no selectivity for Chinese characters at all, some showed activations for Chinese characters at locations similar to those selective for Roman letters. The results suggest that both stimulus properties and experience are important factors in determining the response to single characters across writing systems.
Comparison of Harrington Rod and Cotrel-Dubousset Devices in Surgical Correction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Background Since the time of Paul Harrington numerous implants have been introduced for correction of scoliosis, but none are ideal. Newer devices are very expensive, and in our country some patients cannot afford them. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the results of the Harrington rod (HR) device and the newer Cotrel-Dubousset (CD) device in treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Materials and Methods A retrospective review assessed patients with AIS admitted for spinal curve correction treated with HR (n = 120) and CD devices (n = 138) between October 1988 to April 2001 at the Shafa Yahyaeian Hospital, Tehran, Iran. We extracted information from the patient’s file and radiographs before, after and two years post-operation. Results The mean age of patients was 16.7 ± 2.5 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding gender, age, curve before surgery, and percentage of flexibility. The mean curvature was 70 ± 20.7 in the HR and 64.81 ± 19.4 in the CD group before surgery (P = 0.09); and the mean curvature was 40 ± 16.3 and 26.58 ± 15.37 in HR and CD groups respectively after surgery (P = 0.156). The mean curvature was 47.2 ± 15.9 in HR and 31.2 ± 15.4 in CD groups at two years follow-up (P = 0.156). Conclusions Results of many studies have shown no significant impairment in long-term quality of life and function in patients treated with Harrington rods. According to previously performed studies and the current study, surgical correction with Harrington rods seem to be comparable with the newer more expensive CD device. Although there is no doubt that the preference is to use newer devices in view of some disadvantages of HR, but this does not preclude using it for patients that cannot afford the newer devices.
Can Different "Eye" Designs for Anthropomorphic Manga Characters Inform Users of Different Functions of Anthropomorphized Systems?

We investigated whether anthropomorphic manga characters (AMCs) with eyes having different designs can inform users of the identity of the different functions of smartphones that are anthropomorphized as AMCs. Specifically, we prepared three different AMCs that 3 different artists drew, and each artist drew 32 different eye designs. In addition, we selected the four smartphone functions that the different AMC eye designs should express. As a result, although the different designs failed in informing users of the four different functions, users' requirements for smartphones or general characteristics of smartphones were clearly expressed by the different eye designs.