Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Planning Rehabilitation: A Comparison of Issues for Parents and Adolescents

Therapists often question who the client is when dealing with adolescents and their parents. A cross-sectional survey was done with 14 families to determine how rehabilitation goals differ between parents and adolescents. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure was administered to each adolescent and parents). Parents identified 261 issues and adolescents identified 138 with an 8.77% level of agreement. Priorities were determined and the percentage of agreement was 10.94%. The results of this survey support clinicians' reports about discrepancies between parents' and adolescents' rehabilitation goals and warrant further exploration. The development of strategies for including adolescents in the rehabilitation partnership is recommended.
Computing Methodologies: Pattern Recognition -cluster- Ing.. Description of the Problem

A coCluster of a m×n matrix X is a submatrix determined by a subset of the rows and a subset of the columns. The problem of finding coClusters with specific properties is of interest, in particular, in the analysis of microarray experiments. In that case the entries of the matrix X are the expression levels of m genes in each of n tissue samples. One goal of the analysis is to extract a subset of the samples and a subset of the genes, such that the expression levels of the chosen genes behave similarly across the subset of the samples, presumably reflecting an underlying regulatory mechanism governing the expression level of the genes. We propose to base the similarity of the genes in a coCluster on a simple biological model, in which the strength of the regulatory mechanism in sample j is Hj , and the response strength of gene i to the regulatory mechanism is Gi. In other words, every two genes participating in a good coCluster should have expression values in each of the participating samples, whose ratio is a constant depending only on the two genes. Noise in the expression levels of genes is taken into account by allowing a deviation from the model, measured by a relative error criterion. The sleeve-width of the coCluster reflects the extent to which entry i, j in the coCluster is allowed to deviate, relatively, from being expressed as the product GiHj . We present a polynomial-time Monte-Carlo algorithm which outputs a list of coClusters whose sleeve-widths do not exceed a prespecified value. Moreover, we prove that the list includes, with fixed probability, a coCluster which is nearoptimal in its dimensions. Extensive experimentation with synthetic data shows that the algorithm performs well.
An Objective Measure for Selecting Microphone Modes in OMNI/DIR Hearing Aid Circuits

Objectives: Studies have shown that listener preferences for omnidirectional (OMNI) or directional (DIR) processing in hearing aids depend largely on the characteristics of the listening environment, including the relative locations of the listener, signal sources, and noise sources; and whether reverberation is present. Many modern hearing aids incorporate algorithms to switch automatically between microphone modes based on an analysis of the acoustic environment. Little work has been done, however, to evaluate these devices with respect to user preferences, or to compare the outputs of different signal processing algorithms directly to make informed choices between the different microphone modes. This study describes a strategy for automatically switching between DIR and OMNI microphone modes based on a direct comparison between acoustic speech signals processed by DIR and OMNI algorithms in the same listening environment. In addition, data are shown regarding how a decision to choose one microphone mode over another might change as a function of speech to noise ratio (SNR) and spatial orientation of the listener. Design: Speech and noise signals were presented at a variety of SNR's and in different spatial orientations relative to a listener's head. Monaural recordings, made in both OMNI and DIR microphone processing modes, were analyzed using a model of auditory processing that highlights the spectral and temporal dynamics of speech. Differences between OMNI and DIR processing were expressed in terms of a modified spectrotemporal modulation index (mSTMI) developed specifically for this hearing aid application. Differences in mSTMI values were compared with intelligibility measures and user preference judgments made under the same listening conditions. Results: A comparison between the results of the mSTMI analyses and behavioral data (intelligibility and preference judgments) showed excellent agreement, especially in stationary noise backgrounds. In addition, the mSTMI was found to be sensitive to changes in SNR as well as spatial orientation of the listener relative to signal and noise sources. Subsequent mSTMI analyses on hearing aid recordings obtained from real-life environments with more than one talker and modulated noise backgrounds also showed promise for predicting the preferred microphone setting in varied and complex listening environments.
Frequency of Acquisition of First‐episode Genital Infection with Herpes Simplex Virus from Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Source Contacts

Sixty-six source contacts of index patients with first-episode genital infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) were evaluated for evidence of current or past HSV infections. Forty-three source contacts (65%) reported a history consistent with previous recurrent HSV infection or were experiencing a first episode of genital herpes when initially examined. However, 60% of these 43 contacts were not aware that they had transmissible HSV infection. Twenty-nine (67%) of the 43 individuals had had recent sexual contact with an index patient when lesions were present. All of the remaining 23 source contacts, who were without a history of symptoms consistent with HSV infection, had detectable neutralizing antibody to HSV; HSV type 2 was isolated from the cervix of two of these asymptomatic source contacts. Efforts to identify individuals with undiagnosed genital herpes and to instruct these individuals concerning the risk of disease transmission in the presence of lesions are needed if the rate of transmission is to be decreased; however, methods designed to deerease the rate of transmission by asymptomatic individuals must also be evaluated.
Alcohol-metabolizing enzyme gene polymorphisms and alcohol chronic pancreatitis among Polish individuals.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Chronic pancreatitis develops in 5-10% of alcohol addicts. In developed societies, alcohol is the cause of chronic pancreatitis in at least 70-80% of cases. The genetic polymorphism of enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism is relevant in the etiopathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis. The aim of the study was to find the ADH, ALDH2 and CYP2E1 alleles and genotypes in the Polish population that are likely to be responsible for higher susceptibility to chronic alcohol pancreatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS We determined the allele and genotype of ADH2, ADH3, ALDH2 and CYP2E1 in 141 subjects: 44 with alcohol chronic pancreatitis (ACP), 43 healthy alcoholics and 54 healthy non-drinkers as the controls. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RELP methods on white cell DNA. RESULTS ADH2*1, ADH3*1 alleles and ADH2*1/*1, ADH3*1/*1 genotypes were statistically more frequent among the patients with ACP than among the controls. The ADH3*2/*2 genotype was more frequent among "healthy alcoholics" and in the controls than among those with ACP. In the studied group, only the ALDH2*1 allele was detected, all patients were ALDH2*1/*1 homozygotic. Differences in the CYP2E1 allele and genotype distribution in the examined groups were not significant. CONCLUSION In the Polish population examined, ADH3*1 and ADH2*1 alleles may be risk factors for the development of alcoholism. The ADH3*2/*2 genotype may confer protection against ACP. CYP2E1 gene polymorphism is not related to alcoholism and ACP. The Polish population examined is ALDH2*1/*1 homozygotic.
Learning through dissonance: Critical service-learning in a juvenile detention center as field experience in music teacher education

Though many pre-service music teachers have received exemplary instruction in their high school music programs, these programs may not be representative of the social, cultural, and economic diversity of their broader communities. This insularity may hinder their perceptions of their community as they step into an increasingly diverse school environment. The Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center (CCJDC) Arts Project was adopted as a critical service-learning course in order to introduce pre-service music teachers to students and ways of teaching that may be different from what they typically encounter through their university field experiences. Participants in the project designed and facilitated music and arts experiences with the incarcerated youth once per week over an entire semester. In this case study we examine the experiences of six pre-service music teachers who participated in the CCJDC Arts Project during 2012, looking for moments of “dissonance,” which Kiely defines as incongruities between participants’ past experiences and the challenging reality they encounter through the project. Entry into the facility, interactions with the youth at the facility, and the musical practices shaped by the needs of the facility all worked in tandem to challenge participants’ latent expectations and beliefs about their community, and to heighten their awareness of the sociocultural systems that shape their future students, their developing teaching practices, and their own privileged positions in school and society.
Astrocytes prevent neuronal death induced by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RO/NS) such as nitric oxide (NO), hydroxyl radical (OH·), and superoxide anion (O2−) are generated in a variety of neuropathological processes and damage neurons. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of rat astrocytes against RO/NS‐induced damage using neuron–glia cocultures, and the effects were compared to those of microglial cells. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), 3‐morpholinosydnonimine (SIN‐1), and FeSO4 were used to generate NO, O2− and NO, and OH·, respectively. Solely cultured neurons, which were transiently exposed to these agents, degenerated, possibly through apoptotic mechanisms as revealed by in situ detection of DNA fragmentation, whereas neurons cocultured with either astrocytes or microglial cells were viable even after exposure to RO/NS. In contrast, most neurons cocultured with meningeal fibroblasts degenerated. Astrocyte‐conditioned medium partially attenuated RO/NS‐induced neuronal damage. When neurons were cultured on astrocyte‐derived extracellular matrix (AsECM), neuronal death induced by SNP and FeSO4 was almost completely inhibited. AsECM contained significant amounts of laminin and fibronectin, and pure fibronectin and laminin also protected neurons against RO/NS‐induced damage in the same manner as AsECM. These results suggest that astrocytes can protect neurons against RO/NS‐induced damage by secreting soluble and insoluble factors. GLIA 28:85–96, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genetic Testing for Mental Health Conditions Policy

Psychiatric disorders cover a wide range of clinical phenotypes and are generally classified by symptomatology in systems such as the classification outlined in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). In addition to counseling and other forms of behavioral treatment, treatment commonly involves 1 or more psychotropic medications that are aimed at alleviating symptoms of the disorder. Although there are a wide variety of effective medications, treatment of psychiatric disease is characterized by relatively high rates of inadequate response. This often necessitates numerous trials of individual agents and combinations of medications to achieve optimal response.
DC-Based Immunotherapy Combined with Low-Dose Methotrexate Effective in the Treatment of Advanced CIA in Mice

We have previously demonstrated that semimature dendritic cell- (smDC-) based immunotherapy is effective for the treatment of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) prior to disease onset. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of combination therapy with smDCs and methotrexate (MTX) in advanced CIA with a score of 2-3. Combination therapy with low-dose MTX and type II collagen- (CII-) pulsed smDCs (CII-smDCs) was more effective in inhibiting disease progression than high or low-dose MTX alone or a combination of high dose MTX and CII-smDCs. The effect of CII-smDCs alone was also comparable to the combination therapy. CD4+Foxp3+ Treg populations and IL-10 secretion markedly increased, and CII-specific autoreactive T cells decreased in mice treated with CII-smDCs alone or in combination with MTX. Combination therapy reduced the secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-17 with little influence on the IL-4 secretion in the mixed leukocyte reaction. These results imply that the combination therapy with low-dose MTX and smDCs is effective in controlling advanced CIA by enhancing Treg population and suppresses antigen-specific Th1/Th17 immunity, rather than initiating Th1 to Th2 immune deviation. Our findings provide a better understanding of the DC therapy in combination with MTX for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Toxic NMDA‐Receptor Activation Occurs During Recovery in a Tissue Culture Model of Ischemia

Abstract: In some animal models of reversible ischemia, there is a therapeutic window during early recovery when glutamate receptor antagonists can rescue neurons from injury. We have previously reported that organotypic cultures of the hippocampus can be protected by NMDA‐receptor antagonists during recovery from a brief period of simulated ischemia. To model ischemia, we have used potassium cyanide to inhibit oxidative metabolism and 2‐deoxyglucose to inhibit glycolysis. To study the time course and mechanisms of delayed NMDA‐receptor toxicity in more detail, we have extended these studies to dissociated cortical cultures. Injury was assessed by release of lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium. Metabolic inhibition for 15 min caused dose‐dependent injury. Morphologic signs of neuronal toxicity were delayed until the recovery period. MK‐801 reduced injury significantly when present throughout the experiment. Surprisingly, MK‐801 provided the same protection when administration was delayed until after the end of the metabolic inhibition, blocking NMDA receptors only during recovery. To examine NMDA toxicity during metabolic inhibition, the competitive NMDA‐receptor antagonist 3‐(2‐carboxypiperazin‐4‐yl)propyl‐1‐phosphonic acid was added during exposure. The protective effect of NMDA‐receptor blockade was completely lost if the antagonist was removed during 1 min of continuing selective inhibition of oxidative metabolism. The toxic potency and effectiveness of glutamate were enhanced during metabolic inhibition, showing that receptors were not inactivated by simulated ischemia. These results are consistent with the specific hypothesis that return of oxidative metabolism triggers a critical period of toxic NMDA‐receptor activation.
Electron paramagnetic resonance monitoring of ischemia‐induced myocardial oxygen depletion and acidosis in isolated rat hearts using soluble paramagnetic probes

A new low‐field electron paramagnetic resonance approach for noninvasive measurements of myocardial oxygen tension and tissue acidity was developed. The approach was applied to monitor myocardial pO2 and pH in a model of global no‐flow ischemia (30 min) and reperfusion in isolated perfused rat hearts. The myocardial oxygen measurements were performed using deuterated Finland trityl radical probe. A rapid decrease in myocardial pO2 from 160 mmHg to about 2 ± 1 mmHg was observed within the first minute of ischemia followed by incomplete restoration of pO2 to 50 mmHg during 30 min of reperfusion. The lower oxygen concentration after ischemia was attributed to the 50% reduction in coronary flow after ischemia as a consequence of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion damage. Myocardial pH measurements using a specially designed imidazoline pH‐sensitive nitroxide showed severe myocardial acidification to pH 6.25 during 30 min of ischemia. Preconditioning of the hearts with two 5‐min periods of ischemia significantly reduced the acidification of myocardial tissue during sustained ischemia. Noninvasive electron paramagnetic resonance monitoring of myocardial oxygenation and pH may provide important insights into the mechanisms of ischemia and reperfusion injury and a background for development of new therapeutic approaches. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Psychological Impact of Fear of Fatness Moderated by Personality in a Sample of University Students

Background/Objective: Health and socio-cultural concerns have led to a situation in which the slim body mentality is now a global phenomenon, raising the potentials for fear of fatness which, in turn, can significantly compromise psychological well-being. Research also indicated that other factors, apart from actual body mass index play important roles in peoples’ fear of fatness. The observed dearth of empirical research on these important issues necessitated the present study. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between fear of fatness and psychological well-being and the extent to which personality variables (core self-evaluations) moderated the association. Method: The study was a cross-sectional survey. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 790 undergraduate students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria. Participants were personally interviewed, using standardized, psychometricallyrobust and widely-used measures of fear of fatness, core self-evaluations, and psychological well-being. Participants were personally interviewed by the researchers and trained assistants. Results: Fear of fatness was very high among the respondents in the present study. Fear
Enhancement of pulmonary vascular remodelling and inflammatory genes with VIP gene deletion

The pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains poorly understood. The present authors recently reported that mice with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) gene disruption show a spontaneous phenotype of PAH, with pulmonary vascular remodelling and lung inflammation. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms in this model, it was examined whether absence of the VIP gene might alter the expression of additional genes involved in the pathogenesis of PAH, as single-gene deletions, in the absence of hypoxia, rarely result in significant pulmonary vascular remodelling. Lung tissue from mice with targeted disruption of the vasoactive intestinal peptide gene (VIP-/- mice) and from control mice was subjected to whole-genome gene microarray analysis, and the results validated with quantitative, real-time PCR. Lungs from VIP-/- mice showed a wide range of significant gene expression alterations, including overexpression of genes that promote pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, underexpression of antiproliferative genes and upregulation of pro-inflammatory genes. In conclusion, vasoactive intestinal peptide is a pivotal modulator of genes controlling the pulmonary vasculature, its deficiency alone resulting in gene expression alterations that can readily explain both the vascular remodelling and associated inflammatory response in pulmonary arterial hypertension. The present findings shed more light on the molecular mechanisms of pulmonary arterial hypertension, and could lead to better understanding of the pathogenesis of human pulmonary arterial hypertension, and hence to improved therapy.
Improving machine translation by training against an automatic semantic frame based evaluation metric

We present the first ever results showing that tuning a machine translation system against a semantic frame based objective function, MEANT, produces more robustly adequate translations than tuning against BLEU or TER as measured across commonly used metrics and human subjective evaluation. Moreover, for informal web forum data, human evaluators preferred MEANT-tuned systems over BLEU- or TER-tuned systems by a significantly wider margin than that for formal newswire—even though automatic semantic parsing might be expected to fare worse on informal language. We argue that by preserving the meaning of the translations as captured by semantic frames right in the training process, an MT system is constrained to make more accurate choices of both lexical and reordering rules. As a result, MT systems tuned against semantic frame based MT evaluation metrics produce output that is more adequate. Tuning a machine translation system against a semantic frame based objective function is independent of the translation model paradigm, so, any translation model can benefit from the semantic knowledge incorporated to improve translation adequacy through our approach.
Metapopulation patterns of additive and nonadditive genetic variance in the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Abstract Describing and explaining the geographic within‐species variation in phenotypes (“phenogeography”) in the sea over a species distribution range is central to our understanding of a variety of eco‐evolutionary topics. However, phenogeographic studies that have a large potential to investigate adaptive variation are overcome by phylogeographic studies, still mainly focusing on neutral markers. How genotypic and phenotypic data could covary over large geographic scales remains poorly understood in marine species. We crossed 75 noninbred sires (five origins) and 26 dams (two origins; each side of a hybrid zone) in a factorial diallel cross in order to investigate geographic variation for early survival and sex ratio in the metapopulation of the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a highly prized marine fish species. Full‐sib families (N = 1,950) were produced and reared in a common environment. Parentage assignment of 7,200 individuals was performed with seven microsatellite markers. Generalized linear models showed significant additive effects for both traits and pleiotropy between traits. A significant nonadditive genetic effect was detected. Different expression of traits and distinct relative performances were found for reciprocal crosses involving populations located on each side of the main hybrid zone located at the Almeria‐Oran front, illustrating asymmetric reproductive isolation. The poor fitness performance observed for the Western Mediterranean population of sea bass is discussed as it represents the main source of seed hatchery production, but also because it potentially illustrates nonadaptive introgression and maladaptation.