Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urban Debate and High School Educational Outcomes for African American Males: The Case of the Chicago Debate League

Abstract:This study examines whether participating in competitive policy debate influences high school completion, academic achievement, and college readiness for African American male students. The analysis examines data from the Chicago Debate League from 1997 to 2006. Debate participants were 70% more likely to graduate and three times less likely to drop out as those who did not participate, even after accounting for 8th grade test scores and grade point average. Debate participants were more likely to score at or above the ACT benchmarks for college readiness in English and reading, but not in science or mathematics, than those who did not participate. Recurrent participation in policy debate positively influences scholastic achievement among African American male students in this urban setting.
Missing the big picture: impaired development of global shape processing in autism

Individuals with autism exhibit hypersensitivity to local elements of the input, which may interfere with the ability to group visual elements perceptually. We investigated the development of perceptual grouping abilities in high‐functioning individuals with autism (HFA) across a wide age range (8–30 years) using a classic compound letter global/local (GL) task and a more fine‐grained microgenetic prime paradigm (MPP), including both few‐ and many‐element hierarchical displays. In the GL task, contrary to the typically developing (TD) controls, HFA participants did not develop an increasing sensitivity to the global information with age. In the MPP, like the TD controls, individuals with autism at all three age groups evinced a bias to individuate the few‐element displays. However, contrary to the TD controls, the HFA group failed to show age‐related improvements in the ability to encode the global shape of the many‐element displays. In fact, across the age range, the HFA group was consistently faster than the TD controls at perceiving the local elements in these displays. These results indicate that in autism the full process of garnering shape information from perceptual grouping, which is essential for the ability to do fast and efficient object recognition and identification, never matures, and this is especially evident in adolescence when this ability begins to improve in TD individuals. The atypical development of these perceptual organizational abilities may disrupt processing of visually presented objects, which may, in turn, fundamentally impede the development of major aspects of the social and emotional behaviors in individuals with autism.
Phenotypic plasticity is not affected by experimental evolution in constant, predictable or unpredictable fluctuating thermal environments

The selective past of populations is presumed to affect the levels of phenotypic plasticity. Experimental evolution at constant temperatures is generally expected to lead to a decreased level of plasticity due to presumed costs associated with phenotypic plasticity when not needed. In this study, we investigated the effect of experimental evolution in constant, predictable and unpredictable daily fluctuating temperature regimes on the levels of phenotype plasticity in several life history and stress resistance traits in Drosophila simulans. Contrary to the expectation, evolution in the different regimes did not affect the levels of plasticity in any of the traits investigated even though the populations from the different thermal regimes had evolved different stress resistance and fitness trait means. Although costs associated with phenotypic plasticity are known, our results suggest that the maintenance of phenotypic plasticity might come at low and negligible costs, and thus, the potential of phenotypic plasticity to evolve in populations exposed to different environmental conditions might be limited.
The utility of interference pattern analysis

The interference pattern of the electrical activity of muscle can be quantified by amplitude measurements, different spike counting methods, and power spectrum analyses. Interference pattern analysis (IPA) methods are used to describe the degree of activation of different muscles, muscle fatigue, occupational work, muscles in chronic pain syndromes, disused muscle, and dystonic muscle treated with botulinum toxin. In patients with neuromuscular disorders, the turns/amplitude analysis is useful for diagnosis. High diagnostic yields can be obtained without force measurements, for example, by using the amplitude as an indicator of force (the peak ratio method) or plotting the amplitude against the turns (cloud analysis). The diagnostic possibilities of the power spectrum analysis and the motor unit firing rate obtained by decomposition techniques are still unclear. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 23: 18–36, 2000
Treatment outcomes for human African Trypanosomiasis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: analysis of routine program data from the world’s largest sleeping sickness control program

Objective To enable the human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) control program of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to generate data on treatment outcomes, an electronic database was developed. The database was piloted in two provinces, Bandundu and Kasai Oriental. In this study, we analysed routine data from the two provinces for the period 2006–2008.
Sustained ventricular tachycardia as a first manifestation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with mid‐ventricular obstruction and apical aneurysm in an elderly female patient

Sustained ventricular tachycardia complicating left ventricular apical aneurysms has been reported previously solely in middle‐aged patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and mid‐cavity obstruction. We report a case of an elderly female patient who presented with incessant ventricular tachycardia as the first clinical manifestation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with mid‐ventricular obstruction and apical aneurysm.
Wave Front Set for Solutions to Perturbed Harmonic Oscillators

We consider Schrödinger equations with variable coefficients and the harmonic potential. We suppose the perturbation is short-range type in the sense of [7]. We characterize the wave front set of the solutions to the equation in terms of the classical scattering data and the propagator of the unperturbed harmonic oscillator. In particular, we give a “recurrence of singularities” type theorem for the propagation of the period t = π.
The effect of imperfect models of point spread function anisotropy on cosmic shear measurements

Current measurements of the weak lensing signal induced by large-scale structure provide useful constraints on a range of cosmological parameters. However, the ultimate success of this technique depends on the accuracy with which one corrects for the effect of the point spread function (PSF), in particular the correction for the PSF anisotropy. With upcoming large weak lensing surveys, a proper understanding of residual systematics is necessary. In this paper, we examine the importance of the adopted model for the spacial variation of the PSF anisotropy using images of fields with a large number of stars. A wrong parametrization of the PSF anisotropy leads to a residual signal in the data, affecting the cosmic shear measurements. We use data taken with the Canada‐France‐Hawaii 12k (CFH12k) camera, and note that some of the results might not be valid for other instruments. We select a random subset of stars which are used to characterize the PSF and to correct the shapes of the remaining stars. The ellipticity correlation function of the residuals is studied to quantify the effect of residual PSF anisotropy on cosmic shear studies. In order to single out the effect of the parametrization, we assume a perfect method for the actual correction of galaxy shapes. The PSF anisotropy is typically modelled for each individual chip of a mosaic; consequently, the residuals are coherent on small scales. As a result, the systematic signal decreases rapidly with increasing angular scale. Separation of the signal into ‘E’ (curl-free) and ‘B’ (curl) components can help to identify the presence of residual systematics, but in general, the amplitude of the ‘B’ mode is different from that of the ‘E’ mode. The study of fields with many stars can be beneficial in finding a proper description of the variation of PSF anisotropy, and consequently can help to improve the accuracy with which the cosmic shear signal can be measured significantly. We show that such an approach can lead to an appreciable reduction in systematics. The results suggest that the prospects for accurate measurements of the cosmic shear signal on scales larger than ∼10 arcmin are excellent.
Glucocorticoid effects on changes in bone mineral density and cortical structure in childhood nephrotic syndrome

The impact of glucocorticoids (GC) on skeletal development has not been established. The objective of this study was to examine changes in volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and cortical structure over 1 year in childhood nephrotic syndrome (NS) and to identify associations with concurrent GC exposure and growth. Fifty‐six NS participants, aged 5 to 21 years, were enrolled a median of 4.3 (0.5 to 8.1) years after diagnosis. Tibia peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scans were obtained at enrollment and 6 and 12 months later. Sex, race, and age‐specific Z‐scores were generated for trabecular vBMD (TrabBMD‐Z), cortical vBMD (CortBMD‐Z), and cortical area (CortArea‐Z) based on >650 reference participants. CortArea‐Z was further adjusted for tibia length‐for‐age Z‐score. Quasi‐least squares regression was used to identify determinants of changes in pQCT Z‐scores. At enrollment, mean TrabBMD‐Z (−0.54 ± 1.32) was significantly lower (p = 0.0001) and CortBMD‐Z (0.73 ± 1.16, p < 0.0001) and CortArea‐Z (0.27 ± 0.91, p = 0.03) significantly greater in NS versus reference participants, as previously described. Forty‐eight (86%) participants were treated with GC over the study interval (median dose 0.29 mg/kg/day). On average, TrabBMD‐Z and CortBMD‐Z did not change significantly over the study interval; however, CortArea‐Z decreased (p = 0.003). Greater GC dose (p < 0.001), lesser increases in tibia length (p < 0.001), and lesser increases in CortArea‐Z (p = 0.003) were independently associated with greater increases in CortBMD‐Z. Greater increases in tibia length were associated with greater declines in CortArea‐Z (p < 0.01); this association was absent in reference participants (interaction p < 0.02). In conclusion, GC therapy was associated with increases in CortBMD‐Z, potentially related to suppressed bone formation and greater secondary mineralization. Conversely, greater growth and expansion of CortArea‐Z (ie, new bone formation) were associated with declines in CortBMD‐Z. Greater linear growth was associated with impaired expansion of cortical area in NS. Studies are needed to determine the fracture implications of these findings. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Student teacher stress and coping mechanisms

This article reports on a study that focused on the lived experiences and concerns offinal year Bachelor of Education (Primary) students undertaking a nine-week internship in a rural location. Thestudy had two aims: one, to identify the main sources of stress faced by student teachers as they progressed through the internship; and two, to explore how the student teachers coped with this stress. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were adopted to meet the aims of the study. Qualitative research methods, based on the principles of grounded theory, guided the data collection and analysis. These methods included interviews with and diary accounts kept by four student teachers. An analysis of these data generated five categories of stress, and these categories were also indicative of thecoping strategies adopted to deal with stress related to the internship. A quantitative research method was employed to complement the qualitative approach and was applied to survey data from the cohort of student teachers (N=54) undertaking the internship. The responses were analysed using a content analysis. Four main categories ofstress were derived and five coping strategies employed by the cohort of student teachers were identified. Taken together, the findings provided an insight into the experiences of the student teachers involved in the rural-based internship. The implications of the study are wide ranging, and a number of recommendations arising from the study are outlined.
Internet pornography: associations with sexual risk behaviour, sexual scripts & use within relationships

The production and consumption of internet pornography is widespread, particularly as a result of its highly available, accessible and anonymous nature. Pornography may be an important influence upon sexual scripts, yet research into the cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal outcomes of its use is inconsistent and limited, particularly in adults, and until recently has been focused primarily upon potential harms. Accordingly, the current research attempted to address this gap in the literature through examining pornography use in adults, from a holistic point of view attempting to encompass both the potential benefits and possible negative associations of pornography consumption. Three online surveys were conducted with Australian adult pornography consumers, with comparison groups of nonusers. A systematic review highlighting the lack of research examining the link between pornography use and sexual risk behaviour in adults was the impetus for study one (N=620). The results indicated that current internet pornography use was associated with higher sexual sensation seeking, and higher sexual compulsivity in females only, but it was not linked with any other indicators of sexual risk behaviour, including number of sexual partners, STI history, condom attitudes, intention to use a condom or unsafe casual sex. In study two (N=1016), a model of how internet pornography may act as a form of sexual inspiration was tested. Partial support was demonstrated, as internet pornography use was associated with more positive attitudes, greater engagement in a range of sexual activities, and higher sexual boredom. No evidence for a link with body or genital image was demonstrated. Finally, use of internet pornography in individuals within relationships was investigated in study three (N= 812). Daily or greater use of internet pornography was associated with poorer relationship intimacy in males only. Sexual communication
Discovery of Human Inversion Polymorphisms by Comparative Analysis of Human and Chimpanzee DNA Sequence Assemblies

With a draft genome-sequence assembly for the chimpanzee available, it is now possible to perform genome-wide analyses to identify, at a submicroscopic level, structural rearrangements that have occurred between chimpanzees and humans. The goal of this study was to investigate chromosomal regions that are inverted between the chimpanzee and human genomes. Using the net alignments for the builds of the human and chimpanzee genome assemblies, we identified a total of 1,576 putative regions of inverted orientation, covering more than 154 mega-bases of DNA. The DNA segments are distributed throughout the genome and range from 23 base pairs to 62 mega-bases in length. For the 66 inversions more than 25 kilobases (kb) in length, 75% were flanked on one or both sides by (often unrelated) segmental duplications. Using PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization we experimentally validated 23 of 27 (85%) semi-randomly chosen regions; the largest novel inversion confirmed was 4.3 mega-bases at human Chromosome 7p14. Gorilla was used as an out-group to assign ancestral status to the variants. All experimentally validated inversion regions were then assayed against a panel of human samples and three of the 23 (13%) regions were found to be polymorphic in the human genome. These polymorphic inversions include 730 kb (at 7p22), 13 kb (at 7q11), and 1 kb (at 16q24) fragments with a 5%, 30%, and 48% minor allele frequency, respectively. Our results suggest that inversions are an important source of variation in primate genome evolution. The finding of at least three novel inversion polymorphisms in humans indicates this type of structural variation may be a more common feature of our genome than previously realized.
Effect of age on F0 difference limen and concurrent vowel identification.

PURPOSE To investigate the effect of age on voice fundamental frequency (F0) difference limen (DL) and identification of concurrently presented vowels. METHOD Fifteen younger and 15 older adults with normal audiometric thresholds in the speech range participated in 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, F0 DLs were measured for a synthesized vowel. In Experiment 2, accuracy in identifying concurrently presented vowel pairs was measured. Vowel pairs were formed from 5 synthesized vowels with F0 separations ranging from 0 to 4 semitones. RESULTS Younger adults had smaller (better) F0 DLs than older adults. For the older group, age was significantly correlated with F0 DLs. Younger adults identified concurrent vowels more accurately than older adults. When the vowels in the pairs had different formants, both age groups benefited similarly from F0 separation. Interestingly, when both constituent vowels had identical formants, F0 separation was deleterious, especially for older adults. Pure-tone average threshold did not correlate significantly with either F0 DL or accuracy in concurrent vowel identification. CONCLUSION Age-related declines were confirmed for F0 DLs, identification of concurrently spoken vowels, and benefit from F0 separation between vowels with identical formants. This pattern of findings is consistent with age-related deficits in periodicity coding.
Suppression of antibody response to Leptospira biflexa and Brucella abortus and recovery from immunosuppression after Berenil treatment

Zebu cattle infected with either Trypanosoma congolense EATRO 1800 or Trypanosoma vivax EATRO 1721 had suppressed humoral immune responses to Leptospira biflexa injected intravenously and to attenuated Brucella abortus injected subcutaneously. T. congolense infections were more suppressive than T. vivax infections. In cattle infected with T. vivax, the suppression of immune responses to both bacterial immunogens was abrogated when the animals were treated with Berenil at the time of antigen administration. In cattle infected with T. congolense, simultaneous Berenil treatment at the time of vaccination abolished the suppression of immune response to L. biflexa, and lessened but did not abrogate the suppression of immune response to B. abortus.
Investigation of apparent diffusion coefficient and diffusion tensor anisotrophy in acute and chronic multiple sclerosis lesions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The various stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) are characterized by de- and remyelination as well as by inflammation. Diffusion MR imaging is sensitive to tissue water motion, which might correspond to these pathologic processes. Our purpose was to demonstrate differences in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and diffusion tensor anisotropy in acute and chronic MS plaques and in normal-appearing brain. METHODS Twelve MS patients underwent conventional and full-tensor diffusion MR imaging with B = 1221 s/mm2. Derivation of trace ADC and calculation of anisotropic scalars, including eccentricity, relative anisotropy (RA), and fractional anisotropy (FA) was performed on a per-pixel basis. Regions of interest of plaques and normal structures were determined on coregistered maps. MS lesions were classified as acute, subacute, or chronic on the basis of their appearance on conventional images and in relation to clinical findings. RESULTS Seven patients had acute plaques with a concentric arrangement of alternating high and low signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images. In nine acute lesions, plaque centers had high ADC with reduced anisotropy compared with rim, normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), and chronic lesions. The thin rim of diffusion-weighted hyperintensity surrounding the center showed variable ADC and anisotropic values, which were not statistically different from NAWM. Subacute and chronic MS lesions had intermediate ADC elevations/anisotropic reductions. Calculated FA pixel maps were superior to eccentricity or RA maps; however, quality was limited by signal-to-noise constraints. CONCLUSION ADC and diffusion anisotropic scalars reflect biophysical changes in the underlying pathology of the demyelinating process.
Elevated inflammatory parameters and inflammation scores are associated with poor prognosis in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) has evolved to become a standard treatment for colorectal cancer lung metastases. However, biomarkers to estimate the prognosis after PM are currently missing. We therefore investigated the prognostic impact of inflammatory-related biomarkers and scores in patients undergoing curative PM for colorectal cancer. METHODS We analysed prospectively collected datasets of 52 patients treated in our institution between April 2009 and June 2014. Fibrinogen (cut-off 325 mg/dl), C-reactive protein (CRP, cut-off 0.5 mg/dl), the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at the time of PM were tested for their prognostic power, and correlated to time to recurrence (TTR), time to lung-specific recurrence (TTLR) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Median OS after PM of all patients (n = 52, 21 females, 31 males, mean age ± standard deviation: 62.65 ± 11.41 years) was 36 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 24.7-47.3 months, number of events: n = 20/38.5%]. In univariable survival analyses, high fibrinogen [hazard ratio (HR) 5.51, 95% CI 1.21-25.17], elevated CRP (HR 2.81, 95% CI 1.08-7.28), mGPS >0 (HR 2.81, 95% CI 1.08-7.28) and an NLR of 4 or higher (HR 3.05, 95% CI 1.02-9.13) was associated with poor OS. Median TTR was 15 months for all patients (number of events: n = 35/67.3%). Fibrinogen (HR 3.79, 95% CI 1.32-10.94) and NLR (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.20-7.46) but not CRP (P = 0.102) and mGPS (P = 0.102) were found to indicate TTR. With regard to TTLR (number of events: n = 26/50%), only NLR predicted early lung recurrence (HR 3.02, 95% CI 1.06-8.564). After multivariable analyses, fibrinogen was the only significant OS predictor. However, all investigated inflammatory biomarkers and scores were prognostic for TTR in multivariable analyses. Finally, we divided the study population into an inflammatory phenotype (one or more inflammatory marker/score-elevated) and a non-inflammatory phenotype group. The inflammatory phenotype was prognostic in uni- and multivariable analyses for all three outcome parameters (OS, TTR and TTLR). CONCLUSIONS Inflammatory markers provided promising prognostic information in this cohort of curative PM patients after colorectal cancer. Further validation is needed to verify the prognostic role of these markers and establish them in clinical routine.