Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability, Validity and Factor Structure of the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire among General Population

AIM: The aim of the study is to analyze the internal consistency; validity and factor structure of the twelve item General Health Questionnaire for the Macedonian general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data came from nationally representative sample of 1603 randomly selected Macedonians all aged 18 years or older. RESULTS: The mean GHQ score in the general sample was found to be 7.9 (SD = 4.3). The results revealed a higher GHQ score among women (M = 8.91, SD = 4.5) compared to men (M = 6.89; SD = 4.2). The participants from the rural areas obtained a lower GHQ score (M = 7.55, SD = 3.8) compared to participants coming from the urban areas (M = 9.37, SD = 4.1). The principal component analysis with oblique rotation (direct oblimin) with maximum likelihood procedure solution was performed and the results yielded a three factor solution which jointly accounted for 57.17% of the total variance: Factor I named social management (items 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8); Factor II stress (items 2, 5 and 9) and Factor III named self-confidence (items 10, 11 and 12). Its factor structure is in line with representative research from other population groups. CONCLUSION: The GHQ-12 can be used effectively for assessment of the overall psychological well-being and detection of non-psychotic psychiatric problems among the Macedonian population.
Comparison of clinical and radiological outcomes after automated open lumbar discectomy and conventional microdiscectomy: a prospective randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE Microdiscectomy (MD) is the gold standard for surgical discectomy. As a minimally invasive discectomy, automated open lumbar discectomy (AOLD) is designed to preserve annular integrity and disc height as well as effectively remove herniated disc and degenerated disc material. However, there have been no prospective clinical studies comparing their effectiveness. The study was designed to compare clinical and radiological outcomes after AOLD with those of MD. METHODS Seventy-eight patients were evaluated for unilateral leg pain with the presence of disc herniation on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at a single attributable level. Sixty-two patients were enrolled; 33 patients (53%) were randomly assigned to the AOLD group and the remaining 29 patients (47%) were assigned to the MD group. Follow-up assessment was performed for 19 of the AOLD patients and 17 of the MD patients. The average follow-up period was 20 months. Clinical and functional outcomes were assessed using VAS and ODI scores. Change of disc height (DH), instability, and disc degeneration were assessed from radiographs, while Modic change and reherniation were assessed using MRI scans. RESULTS Postoperative VAS scores for leg pain and ODI scores for function were significantly improved in both groups. Postoperative VAS for back pain tended to decrease in the MD group but the decrease was statistically insignificant (P = 0.081). The postoperative VAS for back pain was significantly reduced in the AOLD group (P = 0.012). Patients from the MD group showed greater DH reduction than the AOLD group (P = 0.049). The MD group experienced greater disc degeneration and Modic change than the AOLD group. Follow-up MRI revealed 2 cases of reherniation in the AOLD group; 1 case was symptomatic, the other was asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS AOLD showed comparable clinical and radiological outcomes to conventional MD. AOLD preserves the central disc and removes only the loose degenerative disc fragments that are the main cause of reherniation by small annulotomy. Our results suggest that preservation of the central disc prevents loss of disc height and segmental instability, which is related to postdiscectomy back pain.
A Methodology for the Extraction of Reader's Emotional State Triggered from Text Typography

Writing is employed by humans in order to communicate, exchange ideas or store facts and descriptions. A well known Latin phrase is “verba volant, scripta manent” i.e. “spoken words fly away, written words remain”. Humans in prehistoric years, used figurations to describe several events and express their fear or their admiration, the ancient Egyptians used papyrus to write down their ideas and the Chinese, in 11th Century, went beyond handwriting using typography with moveable type to create multiple copies of their documents. Through centuries typography has evolved and nowadays is one of the major manners to exchange ideas and information. Using computers, typography and the way we write has changed radically. We have a plethora of software tools, e.g. for writing a plain text (like NotePad in MS Windows), word processors (e.g. Open Office) for text editing as well as for more elegant visual appearance of the documents and professional tools for the creation of posters, advertisements e.t. c. (e.g. Adobe’s Tools and Editors). Utilising these tools, computer users have the ability not only to write a plain text, but also to format the text and arrange it in the page. In newspapers, for example, the page designer distinguishes the title from the body of text at the top of the page or the article, with larger font size. Also, when an editor wishes to emphasize a specific word or phrase he uses bold or italics typesetting. A writer can convey a message, a felling or an idea not only by the meaning of the content but also by the way the text is visually presented to the reader. Page layout affects the way a newspaper is read (Holmqvist & Wartenberg, 2005; Holmberg, 2004; Kupper, 1989; Wartenberg & Holmqvist, 2005). The use of the WWW and the web page creation and design, introduced a new perception for the meaning of documents and publishing. In web pages, the text and background color combinations have impact on the readability and aesthetics (Porat et al., 2007; Richard & Patrick, 2004; Hill & Scharff, 1997) and a well designed graphical web document can be reader friendly (Borchers et al., 1996). Humans express their emotions in every personal or social occasion. Everything they do or make is followed by or follows an emotional expression. For example, some people are afraid of being among many people. So they act accordingly by avoiding congestion. If they cannot, they are feeling anxious and nervous. Another example of the role of the emotions in
Acquisition of Information and Share Prices: An Empirical Investigation of Cognitive Dissonance

Abstract This paper deals with the determinants of agents’ acquisition of information. Our econometric evidence shows that the general index of Italian share-prices and the series of Italy’s financial newspaper sales are cointegrated, and the former series Granger-causes the latter, thereby giving support to the cognitive dissonance hypothesis: (non-professional) agents tend to buy the newspaper when share prices are high and not to buy it when share prices are low. Instead, we do not find support for the hypothesis that the agents acquire information in order to trade in the stock market: we find no relationship between quantities exchanged in the market and newspaper sales, nor between stock market volatility and newspaper sales.
Investigate and Comparison of Serum Level Markers Lactate, hsCRP and CDT for Differentiating Bacterial Meningitis from Non-meningitis Patients with Similar Clinical Symptoms

Meningitis, inflammation of the meninges membrane. Control of meningitis is one of the priorities of the World Health Organization, which based on the status of the disease in different countries, would be in need for different care systems. this study aimed to determine serum levels of biomarkers of hs-CRP, CDT and lactate in patients, and individuals with suspected meningitis and healthy subjects and to compare the value of these markers for differentiating patients with bacterial meningitis from patients with clinical symptoms similar to meningitis . In this fundamental- applied study, blood samples were collected from patients who had meningitis symptoms and referred to Razi medical educational center of Ahvaz. The amount of 5 CC of blood was taken from each patient. Then, in the standard laboratory terms the CDT, hs-CRP and lactate were measured by ELISA, Immunoturbidimetry, and colorimetric methods, respectively. Furthermore, the PCR molecular method was used for confirming the results. the serum levels of hs CRP, CDT and lactate in patients with bacterial meningitis did not show a significant relationship compared with a group of non-meningitis patients with similar clinical symptoms, whilst the rate of the serum levels of lactate and hs CRP in patients with bacterial meningitis compared with the control group without any clinical symptoms similar to meningitis has shown a significant increase . this study showed that the measurement of the serum levels of biochemical markers of lactate, CDT and hs-CRP cannot be useful tool to differentiate bacterial meningitis from non-meningitis patients group with similar clinical symptoms.
Tinnitus and its effect on working memory and attention.

PURPOSE In 2 experiments, the assumption that continual orienting to tinnitus uses cognitive resources was investigated. It was hypothesized that differences in performance of tinnitus and control groups would manifest during demanding or unfamiliar tasks that required strategic, controlled processing and that reduced performance was not related solely to levels of anxiety. METHOD Nineteen participants with chronic, moderate tinnitus-matched with a control group for age, education, and verbal IQ-completed auditory verbal working-memory and visual divided-attention tasks, with task order counterbalanced across participants. RESULTS As hypothesized, reading span of the tinnitus group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (Task 1). In Task 2, the tinnitus group recorded slower reaction times and poorer accuracy in the most demanding dual task context. Covariate analyses revealed that differences in task performance were not attributable to anxiety scale scores. CONCLUSIONS Complaints of the distracting effects of tinnitus have a basis in performance test outcomes. Future research should investigate effects of severe tinnitus and possible effects of hearing loss. At the level of theory development, results from this study suggest that tinnitus affects cognition to the extent that it reduces cognitive capacity needed to perform tasks that require voluntary, conscious, effortful, and strategic control.
Spatial distribution and cognitive correlates of gamma noise power in schizophrenia

Background Brain activity is less organized in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls (HC). Noise power (scalp-recorded electroencephalographic activity unlocked to stimuli) may be of use for studying this disorganization. Method Fifty-four patients with schizophrenia (29 minimally treated and 25 stable treated), 23 first-degree relatives and 27 HC underwent clinical and cognitive assessments and an electroencephalographic recording during an oddball P300 paradigm to calculate noise power magnitude in the gamma band. We used a principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the factor structure of gamma noise power values across electrodes and the clinical and cognitive correlates of the resulting factors. Results The PCA revealed three noise power factors, roughly corresponding to the default mode network (DMN), frontal and occipital regions respectively. Patients showed higher gamma noise power loadings in the first factor when compared to HC and first-degree relatives. In the patients, frontal gamma noise factor scores related significantly and inversely to working memory and problem-solving performance. There were no associations with symptoms. Conclusions There is an elevated gamma activity unrelated to task processing over regions coherent with the DMN topography in patients with schizophrenia. The same type of gamma activity over frontal regions is inversely related to performance in tasks with high involvement in these frontal areas. The idea of gamma noise as a possible biological marker for schizophrenia seems promising. Gamma noise might be of use in the study of underlying neurophysiological mechanisms involved in this disease.
A Map of eLearning Acceptance (MeLA) and a Corporate eLearning Readiness Index (CeLeRI)

This research aims at describing the conditions of eLearning acceptance, understanding the role of context and communication factors and providing a set of parameters to be considered when an eLearning activity is planned and proposed to eLearners. A blend of qualitative and quantitative methods has been chosen to achieve the research goals and build an eLearning Readiness Index. A first list of key factors has been identified through a comprehensive analysis of the literature on the acceptance issue; theories and models are presented focusing on phases, components and variables of the acceptance process and highlighting the importance of contextual factors. A general framework of analysis for the implementation of eLearning activities in organisations is built and presented in the Map of eLearning Acceptance (MeLA). The second part of the research zooms on MeLA considering only organizational context variables that affect the preparation phase of the eLearning acceptance process. The list of variables obtained in the literature review has been refined, assessed and organized through nine case studies and two surveys in order to define a Corporate eLearning Readiness Index. The main research output is a step forward in the comprehension and solution of the problem of eLearning acceptance and dropout. In particular, the Map of eLearning Acceptance and the Corporate eLearning Readiness Index (CeLeRI) offer two original tools to be further researched by eLearning researchers and to enter the eLearning practitionersâ? toolbox.
Pain and the global burden of disease

From time to time a major global research publication appears, which has profound implications for the pain research and clinical management community. The purpose of this article is to draw the attention of PAIN’s readership to one such article, The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2013, which was recently published in the Lancet. It comprises a comprehensive and extensive assessment of the global burden of disease down to country level. The GBD Study also documents changes in this burden over a 23-year period ending in 2013. Looking forward, there are plans for these data to be updated on an annual basis. In this article, we summarise, interpret, and contextualise the key aspects of theGBDStudy 2013 pertaining to pain.What is striking, and indeed highlighted in an accompanying commentary, about the morbidity and disability burden data is the high prominence of pain, and diseases associated with pain, as a global cause of disability in both the developed and developing countries. Furthermore, an important implication is that although some diseases have decreased in prevalence since 1990 (most notably some associated with acute infectious diseases), those burdens associated with chronic pain are in many cases increasing. This is at least partly because of powerful demographic forces such as the aging of populations in the developed countries and similarly increased survival into middle and old age in the developing countries, resulting both in growing population size and rising prevalence of chronic diseases. In GBD 2010, 40% of the overall disease burden in the developing countries was due to communicable diseases, 49% due to noncommunicable diseases, and 11% due to injuries, and the poorest people in the world were affectedat younger ages (40 andbelow). In developingcountries, populations are ageing at a much faster rate than occurred in developed countries: in theUnitedKingdom, it took45 years for the proportion of the population aged over 65 to double from 7% to 14%, whereas it is predicted to take only 14 years in Columbia. To quote Alex Kalache, “The developed world became rich before it became old. In developing countries, people are becoming old before they become rich. ”
Is the Glasgow Blatchford Score useful in the risk assessment of patients presenting with variceal haemorrhage?

Introduction The Glasgow Blatchford Score (GBS) is a pre-endoscopic risk assessment tool for patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (UGIH). It can predict need for intervention or death and identifies low risk patients suitable for out-patient management.1 There are no published data assessing its use in variceal haemorrhage. Our aim was to compare the GBS with both admission and full Rockall scores in assessment of patients with variceal bleeding. Methods Data on consecutive patients presenting to four UK hospitals (Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro, University Hospital of North Tees and Ninewells Hospital Dundee) were collected. Admission history, clinical and laboratory data, endoscopic findings, intervention and follow-up were recorded. We compared the ability of GBS and both Rockall scores to predict intervention and death in those patients with a final diagnosis of variceal bleeding. Results 1556 patients presented with UGIH to the four hospitals during the study period. 78 had a final diagnosis of variceal bleeding. The mortality of these patients was higher than the non-variceal patients (18% vs 4%; p < 0.0005). On presentation, no variceal bleeding patient had a GBS <3; however, six had an admission Rockall score of zero. The median(range) GBS, admission Rockall and full Rockall scores for the variceal bleeding group were 10(2–18), 3(0–7) and 5(1–10), respectively. The comparable figures for all other patients were 3(0–19), 1(0–7) and 3(0–9), respectively (all p < 0.00005 vs varices). When comparing variceal bleeding patients with those who required intervention or died from another bleeding source, there was no difference using any of the three scores. In predicting need for intervention in the variceal bleeding group, AUC (95% CI) for GBS, admission Rockall and full Rockall scores were: 0.72 (0.56–0.89), 0.46 (0.30–0.62) and 0.66 (0.51–0.83), respectively. For predicting death, the figures were: 0.58 (0.41–0.75), 0.68 (0.54–0.82) and 0.72 (0.58–0.86), respectively. Conclusion At presentation, the GBS correctly identifies patients with variceal bleeding as being at high risk for requiring intervention and appears superior to the admission Rockall score for this. However, it is a poor predictor of mortality in this patient group.
Synergistic and Dose-Controlled Regulation of Cellulase Gene Expression in Penicillium oxalicum

Filamentous fungus Penicillium oxalicum produces diverse lignocellulolytic enzymes, which are regulated by the combinations of many transcription factors. Here, a single-gene disruptant library for 470 transcription factors was constructed and systematically screened for cellulase production. Twenty transcription factors (including ClrB, CreA, XlnR, Ace1, AmyR, and 15 unknown proteins) were identified to play putative roles in the activation or repression of cellulase synthesis. Most of these regulators have not been characterized in any fungi before. We identified the ClrB, CreA, XlnR, and AmyR transcription factors as critical dose-dependent regulators of cellulase expression, the core regulons of which were identified by analyzing several transcriptomes and/or secretomes. Synergistic and additive modes of combinatorial control of each cellulase gene by these regulatory factors were achieved, and cellulase expression was fine-tuned in a proper and controlled manner. With one of these targets, the expression of the major intracellular β-glucosidase Bgl2 was found to be dependent on ClrB. The Bgl2-deficient background resulted in a substantial gene activation by ClrB and proved to be closely correlated with the relief of repression mediated by CreA and AmyR during cellulase induction. Our results also signify that probing the synergistic and dose-controlled regulation mechanisms of cellulolytic regulators and using it for reconstruction of expression regulation network (RERN) may be a promising strategy for cellulolytic fungi to develop enzyme hyper-producers. Based on our data, ClrB was identified as focal point for the synergistic activation regulation of cellulase expression by integrating cellulolytic regulators and their target genes, which refined our understanding of transcriptional-regulatory network as a “seesaw model” in which the coordinated regulation of cellulolytic genes is established by counteracting activators and repressors.
Decision Making About Method of Delivery on the U.S.–Mexico Border

We explored how low-risk, nulliparous pregnant women and their doctors in two contiguous U.S.–Mexico border communities communicate about methods of delivery and how they perceive that the delivery method decision is made. We recruited 18 women through obstetricians in El Paso, Texas (n = 10), and prenatal care providers in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (n = 8). We observed prenatal care visits, interviewed women prenatally and postpartum, and interviewed the El Paso obstetricians. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that birthing decisions are complex and involve multiple influences, including women's level of knowledge about birth, doctor–patient communication, and women's participation in decision making.
Cultivating communication : participatory approaches in land restoration in Iceland

Stakeholder participation in environmental management is increasing. Staff of environmental agencies, however, often lack training in communication and in conducting participatory processes. Their interpretation of "participation" is of interest because interpretation affects how participation is practiced. We explored how participation was interpreted within the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland and how the interpretation affected how participation was carried out in two land restoration projects. Our methods included semi-structured interviews with agency staff and involved stakeholders, participant observations, and document review. The findings showed that participation was seen as a method to accomplish the agency's tasks, and the focus was primarily on the outputs, or products, of the participatory processes. This interpretation worked well and created positive outcomes as long as process factors, such as interaction with other stakeholders and shared influence, were adequately attended to and joint gains were assured, but other stakeholders expressed dissatisfaction when they were not. We conclude that, although tangible outcomes are necessary for environmental agencies, maintaining a balance between product and process focus in participatory projects is important for optimal results. To increase their ability to deal with process factors, environmental agencies, and ultimately environmental management, would benefit from enhancing their personnel's understanding of participation, and capacity to conduct participatory processes. To facilitate participation, this understanding should also be integrated in the institutional framework the agencies work within.