Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Irritability following traumatic brain injury: Divergent manifestations of annoyance and verbal aggression

Primary objectives: To evaluate irritability following traumatic brain injury. Research design: A prospective study was conducted at a level I trauma centre. Methods and procedures: One hundred and forty-four participants, which included 80 healthy subjects and 64 patients suffering from TBI, were recruited. Irritability was assessed by the National Taiwan University Irritability Scale (NTUIS) from patients themselves and their families. Main outcomes and results: the results showed 14.8% of patients and 29.4% of their families reported patients’ problems of irritability. Meanwhile, both self-reported and family-reported irritability post-injury were significantly higher than those reported by the healthy subjects. When evaluating two sub-components of irritability, respectively, both family- and self-reported post-injury annoyance were significantly higher than the pre-injury one, while the self-reported post-injury verbal aggression was not. Conclusions: TBI patients have remarkable problems of irritability after injuries. Specifically, the results showed that annoyance might be the main characteristic of irritability in TBI patients and patients themselves might be unaware of their verbal aggression post-injury. Hence, it is merited to pay more attention to the annoyance of the patients with TBI and to the reports from significant caregivers when evaluating TBI patients’ irritability in clinical settings.
Work or Place? Assessing the Concurrent Effects of Workplace Exploitation and Area-of-Residence Economic Inequality on Individual Health

Building on previous multilevel studies in social epidemiology, this cross-sectional study examines, simultaneously, the contextual effects of workplace exploitation and area-of-residence economic inequality on social inequalities in health among low-income nursing assistants. A total of 868 nursing assistants recruited from 55 nursing homes in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia were surveyed between 1999 and 2001. Using a cross-classified multilevel design, the authors tested the effects of area-of-residence (income inequality and racial segregation), workplace (type of nursing home ownership and managerial pressure), and individual-level (age, gender, race/ethnicity, health insurance, length of employment, social support, type of nursing unit, preexisting psychopathology, physical health, education, and income) variables on health (self-reported health and activity limitations) and behavioral outcomes (alcohol use and caffeine consumption). Findings reveal that overall health was associated with both workplace exploitation and area-of-residence income inequality; area of residence was associated with activity limitations and binge drinking; and workplace exploitation was associated with caffeine consumption. This study explicitly accounts for the multiple contextual structure and effects of economic inequality on health. More work is necessary to replicate the current findings and establish robust conclusions on workplace and area of residence that might help inform interventions.
Human Evaluation of the Transcription Process of a Marriage License Book

Handwriting Text Recognition (HTR) of historical documents is a very important research field of Document Image Analysis. Currently, the most well-accepted technology for off-line HTR is based on holistic, segmentation-free techniques that do not need any kind of character or word segmentation. This HTR technology is based in stochastic models that are trained with annotated data. The performance of this technology is still far from being perfect and therefore the user intervention is necessary to obtain perfect transcripts. The user intervention can be carried out in a post-editing process, in which the user corrects the errors produced by an automatic HTR system. Interactive techniques have been proposed in the past few years to obtain the correct transcript as an alternative to post-editing the transcripts. In these interactive approaches, the user and the system work interactively in tight mutual collaboration to obtain the perfect transcript of the data. In this interactive scenario, the feedback provided by the user is used to improve interactively the system output. In the post-editing scenario and in the interactive scenario, the transcribed material can be used for retraining the models as the data is processed. In this research we carried out a study with a real transcriber about how the performance of an HTR system improved with respect to the amount of training data, and how the human efficiency improved during the transcription process in both transcription scenarios.
Evaluating the Usability and Content Usefulness of Web Sites: A Benchmarking Approach

Although benchmarking technique has been widely used in various aspects of organisations and businesses, there is no clear framework on how the technique can be applied for Web evaluation. This article presents a framework for evaluating the usability and content usefulness of Web sites by using the benchmarking approach. It describes the purpose of evaluation, metrics to be used, and processes through which Web benchmarking can be carried out. Several methods were used which include content analysis of literature and expert review. A total of 46 criteria were identified that can be used as the benchmarking metrics. The framework was tested for its applicability by evaluating four political Web sites in Malaysia. The results proved that the framework is easy to implement and would be particularly valuable for those who intend to benchmark the overall usability and content usefulness of their Web sites against those of their competitors.
Holistic Face Categorization in Higher Order Visual Areas of the Normal and Prosopagnosic Brain: Toward a Non-Hierarchical View of Face Perception

How a visual stimulus is initially categorized as a face in a network of human brain areas remains largely unclear. Hierarchical neuro-computational models of face perception assume that the visual stimulus is first decomposed in local parts in lower order visual areas. These parts would then be combined into a global representation in higher order face-sensitive areas of the occipito-temporal cortex. Here we tested this view in fMRI with visual stimuli that are categorized as faces based on their global configuration rather than their local parts (two-tones Mooney figures and Arcimboldo's facelike paintings). Compared to the same inverted visual stimuli that are not categorized as faces, these stimuli activated the right middle fusiform gyrus (“Fusiform face area”) and superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), with no significant activation in the posteriorly located inferior occipital gyrus (i.e., no “occipital face area”). This observation is strengthened by behavioral and neural evidence for normal face categorization of these stimuli in a brain-damaged prosopagnosic patient whose intact right middle fusiform gyrus and superior temporal sulcus are devoid of any potential face-sensitive inputs from the lesioned right inferior occipital cortex. Together, these observations indicate that face-preferential activation may emerge in higher order visual areas of the right hemisphere without any face-preferential inputs from lower order visual areas, supporting a non-hierarchical view of face perception in the visual cortex.
Molecular Analysis of Oral and Respiratory Bacterial Species Associated with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

ABSTRACT Trauma intensive care unit (TICU) patients requiring mechanical respiratory support frequently develop ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Oral and oropharyngeal bacteria are believed to be responsible for many cases of VAP, but definitive evidence of this relationship is lacking. Earlier studies used conventional culture-based methods for identification of bacterial pathogens, but these methods are insufficient, as some bacteria may be uncultivable or difficult to grow. The purpose of this study was to use a culture-independent molecular approach to analyze and compare the bacterial species colonizing the oral cavity and the lungs of TICU patients who developed VAP. Bacterial samples were acquired from the dorsal tongue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 16 patients. Bacterial DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA genes were PCR amplified, cloned into Escherichia coli, and sequenced. The sequencing data revealed the following: (i) a wide diversity of bacterial species in both the oral and pulmonary sites, some of them novel; (ii) known and putative respiratory pathogens colonizing both the oral cavity and lungs of 14 patients; and (iii) a number of bacterial pathogens (e.g., Dialister pneumosintes, Haemophilus segnis, Gemella morbillorum, and Pseudomonas fluorescens) in lung samples that had not been reported previously at this site when culture-based methods were used. Our data indicate that the dorsal surface of the tongue serves as a potential reservoir for bacterial species involved in VAP. Furthermore, it is clear that the diversity of bacterial pathogens for VAP is far more complex than the current literature suggests.
The emotional power of poetry: neural circuitry, psychophysiology and compositional principles

Abstract It is a common experience—and well established experimentally—that music can engage us emotionally in a compelling manner. The mechanisms underlying these experiences are receiving increasing scrutiny. However, the extent to which other domains of aesthetic experience can similarly elicit strong emotions is unknown. Using psychophysiology, neuroimaging and behavioral responses, we show that recited poetry can act as a powerful stimulus for eliciting peak emotional responses, including chills and objectively measurable goosebumps that engage the primary reward circuitry. Importantly, while these responses to poetry are largely analogous to those found for music, their neural underpinnings show important differences, specifically with regard to the crucial role of the nucleus accumbens. We also go beyond replicating previous music-related studies by showing that peak aesthetic pleasure can co-occur with physiological markers of negative affect. Finally, the distribution of chills across the trajectory of poems provides insight into compositional principles of poetry.
Age-by-disease biological interactions: implications for late-life depression

Onset of depressive symptoms after the age of 65, or late-life depression (LLD), is common and poses a significant burden on affected individuals, caretakers, and society. Evidence suggests a unique biological basis for LLD, but current hypotheses do not account for its pathophysiological complexity. Here we propose a novel etiological framework for LLD, the age-by-disease biological interaction hypothesis, based on the observations that the subset of genes that undergoes lifelong progressive changes in expression is restricted to a specific set of biological processes, and that a disproportionate number of these age-dependent genes have been previously and similarly implicated in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression. The age-by-disease biological interaction hypothesis posits that age-dependent biological processes (i) are “pushed” in LLD-promoting directions by changes in gene expression naturally occurring during brain aging, which (ii) directly contribute to pathophysiological mechanisms of LLD, and (iii) that individual variability in rates of age-dependent changes determines risk or resiliency to develop age-related disorders, including LLD. We review observations supporting this hypothesis, including consistent and specific age-dependent changes in brain gene expression and their overlap with neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disease pathways. We then review preliminary reports supporting the genetic component of this hypothesis. Other potential biological mediators of age-dependent gene changes are proposed. We speculate that studies examining the relative contribution of these mechanisms to age-dependent changes and related disease mechanisms will not only provide critical information on the biology of normal aging of the human brain, but will inform our understanding of age-dependent diseases, in time fostering the development of new interventions for prevention and treatment of age-dependent diseases, including LLD.
Dynamic Tensile, Flexural and Fracture Tests of Anisotropic Barre Granite

Granitic rocks usually exhibit strongly anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks induced by long-term geological loadings. The understanding of anisotropy in mechanical properties of rocks is critical to a variety of rock engineering applications. In this thesis, the anisotropy of tension-related failure parameters involving tensile strength, flexural strength and Mode-I fracture toughness/fracture energy of Barre granite is investigated under a wide range of loading rates. Three sets of dynamic experimental methodologies have been developed using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar system; Brazilian test to determine the tensile strength; semi-circular bend method to determine the flexural strength; and notched semi-circular bend method to determine the Mode-I fracture toughness and fracture energy. For all three tests, a simple quasistatic data analysis is employed to deduce the mechanical properties; the methodology is assessed critically against the isotropic Laurentian granite. It is shown that if dynamic force balance is achieved in SHPB, it is reasonable to use quasi-static formulas. The dynamic force balance is obtained by the pulse shaper technique.
Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Expert Panel on Population and Prevention Science of the American Heart Association

Air pollution is a heterogeneous, complex mixture of gases, liquids, and particulate matter. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a consistent increased risk for cardiovascular events in relation to both short- and long-term exposure to present-day concentrations of ambient particulate matter. Several plausible mechanistic pathways have been described, including enhanced coagulation/thrombosis, a propensity for arrhythmias, acute arterial vasoconstriction, systemic inflammatory responses, and the chronic promotion of atherosclerosis. The purpose of this statement is to provide healthcare professionals and regulatory agencies with a comprehensive review of the literature on air pollution and cardiovascular disease. In addition, the implications of these findings in relation to public health and regulatory policies are addressed. Practical recommendations for healthcare providers and their patients are outlined. In the final section, suggestions for future research are made to address a number of remaining scientific questions.
Thermoelastic Properties of Aluminous Phases in MORB From First‐Principle Calculation: Implications for Earth's Lower Mantle

The mantle dynamics and mineralogy of the deep Earth are fundamentally influenced by the intrusion of subducted mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Calcium ferrite (CF) structure and calcium titanate (CT) structure phases are probable candidates for the end members of the complex aluminous solid solution in MORB under Earth's lower mantle (LM) conditions. In this paper, we investigate the thermoelastic properties of CF‐type MgAl2O4 (Mg‐CF), CT‐type MgAl2O4 (Mg‐CT), and CF‐type NaMg2Al5SiO12 (NaMg‐CF) under 32 to 142 GPa at 0, 2,000, and 3,000 K by ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Using the thermal equations of state of the aluminous phases and considering the effects of composition and phase transition, we confirm that MORB is 0.7–1.8% denser than the surrounding mantle and support that oceanic plate could subduct at least to the bottom 200–300 km of the LM. At LM pressure‐temperature conditions, MORB has 0.3% faster VP, 2.2% slower Vs, and 1.9% faster VΦ than does the preliminary reference Earth model. Temperature dependencies of elasticity of Mg‐CF, Mg‐CT, and NaMg‐CF are calculated under LM conditions. We find that the temperature effect on different elastic constant components is complicated and the trend in the changes of derivatives of wave velocities with respect to temperature is contrary to other system (e.g., bridgmanite), so it is worth obtaining the elastic properties of mantle minerals under their relevant conditions. In addition, the significant elastic anisotropy due to the phase transition from CF structure to CT structure may lead to detectable seismic anisotropy at the bottom of the LM.
23Na Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Tissue Sodium

Hypertension is linked to disturbed total-body sodium (Na+) regulation; however, measuring Na+ disposition in the body is difficult. We implemented 23Na magnetic resonance spectroscopy (23Na-MR) and imaging technique (23Na-MRI) at 9.4T for animals and 3T for humans to quantify Na+ content in skeletal muscle and skin. We compared 23Na-MRI data with actual tissue Na+ content measured by chemical analysis in animal and human tissue. We then quantified tissue Na+ content in normal humans and in patients with primary aldosteronism. We found a 29% increase in muscle Na+ content in patients with aldosteronism compared with normal women and men. This tissue Na+ was mobilized after successful treatment without accompanying weight loss. We suggest that, after further refinements, this tool could facilitate understanding the relationships between Na+ accumulation and hypertension. Furthermore, with additional technical advances, a future clinical use may be possible.
The Influence of Internet-Based Customer Relationship Management on Customer Loyalty

This research investigates the relationship between the marketing efforts of electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) and loyalty in Hong Kong’s banking industry. A quantitative approach was employed, and 119 valid questionnaires were collected from 150 respondents. All the respondents are account holders of HSBC (the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited), the largest bank in Hong Kong. Reliability testing and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationships between various independent and dependent variables. The results suggest that all four e-CRM marketing tactics (direct mail, interpersonal communication, preferential treatment, and tangible rewards) play important roles in building customer relationships. There were also significant relationships between the e-CRM marketing tactics and customer relationship quality. The study also found that the latter has a positive impact on customer loyalty. The research results indicate that thorough implementation of e-CRM marketing efforts will heighten customer loyalty towards HSBC. Keywords: e-CRM, Customer Loyalty, Relationship Quality, Banking industry, Hong Kong To cite this document: Aris Y. C. Lam, Ronnie Cheung, and Mei Mei Lau, "The Influence of Internet-Based Customer Relationship Management on Customer Loyalty", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.9, No.4, pp.419-440, 2013. Permanent link to this document: http://dx.doi. org/10.7903/cmr.11095
Control in task-oriented dialogues

In this paper, we explore the mechanisms by which conversants control the direction of a dialogue. We find further evidence that control in task-oriented dialogues is subordinate to discourse structure. The initiator of a discourse segment has control; the non-initiator can contribute to the purpose of the segment, but this does not result in that person taking over control. The proposal has important implications for dialogue management, as it will pave the way for building dialogue systems that can engage in mixed initiative dialogues.
ERP topographic analyses from concept to articulation in word production studies

Most ERP studies using overt speech production tasks have analyzed fixed time-windows of stimulus-aligned ERPs, not exceeding the fastest production latency. These fixed ERP time-windows may cover the whole speech planning process for fast trials or participants, but only part of the planning processes for trials or participants with production latencies exceeding the analyzed period. Two core questions thus emerge when analysing fixed time-windows in overt language production, namely (1) to what extent do ERPs capture “later” encoding processes, especially phonological and phonetic encoding, and (2) how to account for different production latencies across conditions or individuals. Here we review a methodological approach combining waveform and topographic analyses on integrated stimulus- and response-aligned ERPs according to response latencies in each participant and condition. Then we illustrate the approach with a picture naming task. Crucially for the purpose of the methodological illustration, the separate analysis of fixed stimulus- and response-locked ERPs led to a counter-intuitive result (longer lasting periods of stable global electrophysiological activity for the fastest condition). Coherent results with longer lasting periods of topographic stability in the slower condition only appeared when combining stimulus- and response-aligned ERPs in order to cover the actual word planning time-windows. Thus this combined analysis enabled to disentangle the possible interpretations of the neurophysiological processes underlying differences across conditions observed on waveforms and on topographies in the fixed ERP periods.
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for the Treatment of Headache Pain: A Pilot Study

Objective:This pilot study reports the findings of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and initial estimates of efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) compared to a delayed treatment (DT) control for headache pain. It was hypothesized that MBCT would be a viable treatment approach and that compared to DT, would elicit significant improvement in primary headache pain-related outcomes and secondary cognitive-related outcomes. Materials and Methods:RCT methodology was employed and multivariate analysis of variance models were conducted on daily headache diary data and preassessment and postassessment data for the intent-to-treat sample (N=36), and on the completer sample (N=24). Results:Patient flow data and standardized measures found MBCT for headache pain to be feasible, tolerable, and acceptable to participants. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that compared to DT, MBCT patients reported significantly greater improvement in self-efficacy (P=0.02, d=0.82) and pain acceptance (P=0.02, d=0.82). Results of the completer analyses produced a similar pattern of findings; additionally, compared to DT, MBCT completers reported significantly improved pain interference (P<0.01, d=−1.29) and pain catastrophizing (P=0.03, d=−0.94). Change in daily headache diary outcomes was not significantly different between groups (P’s>0.05, d’s⩽−0.24). Discussion:This study empirically examined MBCT for the treatment of headache pain. Results indicated that MBCT is a feasible, tolerable, acceptable, and potentially efficacious intervention for patients with headache pain. This study provides a research base for future RCTs comparing MBCT to attention control, and future comparative effectiveness studies of MBCT and cognitive-behavioral therapy.