Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of Metabolic Adverse Effects Associated With Atypical Antipsychotics Use in an Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic

Background: Atypical antipsychotics are associated with metabolic complications that contribute to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Current evidence reveal suboptimal adherence to the complex and variable official recommendations on metabolic monitoring in the corresponding patient population. A study evaluating metabolic monitoring at guideline-recommended intervals may help identify areas for intervention. Objective: Describe the frequency of monitoring metabolic adverse effects in patients receiving atypical antipsychotics in an outpatient psychiatric clinic with respect to the specific guideline-recommended intervals. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted in the outpatient psychiatric clinic. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients monitored for metabolic parameters at the current guideline-recommended intervals. The secondary end points were the percentage of patients with documented primary care physician, untreated metabolic comorbidities, and treated metabolic comorbidities by disease state. Results: The most assessed parameters were family history (98%), blood pressure (81%), and body mass index/body weight (83%) at the baseline interval. The least assessed parameters were lipids (14%) at the 12-week interval and waist circumference (0%) at any interval. Conclusion: Interventions are needed to encourage higher compliance with current recommendations. The complexity of the recommendations is the most likely reason for the suboptimal compliance.
What Grid Cells Convey about Rat Location

We characterize the relationship between the simultaneously recorded quantities of rodent grid cell firing and the position of the rat. The formalization reveals various properties of grid cell activity when considered as a neural code for representing and updating estimates of the rat's location. We show that, although the spatially periodic response of grid cells appears wasteful, the code is fully combinatorial in capacity. The resulting range for unambiguous position representation is vastly greater than the ≈1–10 m periods of individual lattices, allowing for unique high-resolution position specification over the behavioral foraging ranges of rats, with excess capacity that could be used for error correction. Next, we show that the merits of the grid cell code for position representation extend well beyond capacity and include arithmetic properties that facilitate position updating. We conclude by considering the numerous implications, for downstream readouts and experimental tests, of the properties of the grid cell code.
A Central School Reform Program in Sweden and the Local Response: Taking the Long-Term View Works

This article reports the results of a longitudinal study of 35 Swedish comprehensive schools involving interviews with teachers, school leaders, students, and parents carried out in 1980, 1982, 1985, and 2001. During the 35-year period covered by the study, the schools experienced significant reforms. The most important of these reforms involved a shift from a system of highly centralized control of school activities to a system where a large degree of control over schools was devolved to local municipalities—kommuns—and to the schools themselves. These reforms are such that today, for example, local kommuns are responsible for school budgets where previously the state was in charge of them. This study makes a strong argument for the need for a process of progressive decentralization that puts the emphasis on local democracy as opposed to the alternative that tends to emphasize greater state control.
A Query-oriented Approach for Relevance in Citation Networks

Finding a relevant set of publications for a given topic of interest is a challenging problem. We propose a two-stage query-dependent approach for retrieving relevant papers given a keyword-based query. In the first stage, we utilize content similarity to select an initial seed set of publications; we then augment them by citation links weighted with information such as citation context relevance and age-based attenuation. In the second stage, we construct a multi-layer graph that expands the publications subgraph by including links to the authors, venues, and keywords. This allows us to return recommendations that are both highly authoritative, and also textually related to the query. We show that our staged approach gives superior results on three different benchmark query sets.
Update on Rapid Diagnostic Testing for Malaria

SUMMARY To help mitigate the expanding global impact of malaria, with its associated increasing drug resistance, implementation of prompt and accurate diagnosis is needed. Malaria is diagnosed predominantly by using clinical criteria, with microscopy as the current gold standard for detecting parasitemia, even though it is clearly inadequate in many health care settings. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been recognized as an ideal method for diagnosing infectious diseases, including malaria, in recent years. There have been a number of RDTs developed and evaluated widely for malaria diagnosis, but a number of issues related to these products have arisen. This review highlights RDTs, including challenges in assessing their performance, internationally available RDTs, their effectiveness in various health care settings, and the selection of RDTs for different health care systems.
Gene-Environment Interaction Signatures by Quantitative mRNA Profiling in Exfoliated Buccal Mucosal Cells

Exfoliated cytologic specimens from mouth (buccal) epithelium may contain viable cells, permitting assay of gene expression for direct and noninvasive measurement of gene-environment interactions, such as for inhalation (e.g., tobacco smoke) exposures. We determined specific mRNA levels in exfoliated buccal cells collected by cytologic brush, using a recently developed RNA-specific real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR strategy. In a pilot study, metabolic activity of exfoliated buccal cells was verified by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium assay in vitro. Transcriptional activity was observed, after timed in vivo exposure to mainstream tobacco smoke resulted in induction of CYP1B1 in serially collected buccal samples from the one subject examined. For a set of 11 subjects, mRNA expression of nine genes encoding carcinogen- and oxidant-metabolizing enzymes qualitatively detected in buccal cells was then shown to correlate with that in laser-microdissected lung from the same individuals (χ2 = 52.91, P < 0.001). Finally, quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR assays for seven target gene (AhR, CYP1A1, CYP1B1, GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTP1, and GSTT1) and three reference gene [glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-actin, and 36B4] transcripts were performed on buccal specimens from 42 subjects. In multivariate analyses, gender, tobacco smoke exposure, and other factors were associated with the level of expression of CYP1B1, GSTP1, and other transcripts on a gene-specific basis, but substantial interindividual variability in mRNA expression remained unexplained. Within the power limits of this pilot study, gene expression signature was not clearly predictive of lung cancer case or control status. This noninvasive and quantitative method may be incorporated into high-throughput human applications for probing gene-environment interactions associated with cancer.
A simulation-based intervention teaching seizure management to caregivers: A randomized controlled pilot study.

OBJECTIVES To examine the effect of simulation-based seizure management teaching on improving caregiver competence and reported confidence with managing seizures. The authors hypothesized that simulation-based education would lead to a higher level of demonstrated competence and reported confidence in family members and caregivers. Simulation has not been previously studied in this context. METHODS A two-group pre- and post-test experimental research design involving a total of 61 caregivers was used. The intervention was a simulation-based seizure curriculum delivered as a supplement to traditional seizure discharge teaching. Caregiver performance was analyzed using a seizure management checklist. Caregivers' perception of self-efficacy was captured using a self-efficacy questionnaire. RESULTS Caregivers in the experimental group achieved significantly higher postintervention performance scores than caregivers in the control group in both premedication and postmedication seizure management (P<0.01). Additionally, they achieved significantly higher scores on the self-efficacy questionnaire including items reflecting confidence managing the seizure at home (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Caregivers receiving the supplemental simulation-based curriculum achieved significantly higher levels of competence and reported confidence, supporting a positive relationship between simulation-based seizure discharge education, and caregiver competence and confidence in managing seizures. Simulation sessions provided insight into caregiver knowledge but, more importantly, insight into the caregiver's ability to apply knowledge under stressful conditions, allowing tailoring of curriculum to meet individual needs. These findings may have applications and relevance for management of other acute or chronic medical conditions.
The Global Politics of Medicine: Beyond global health, against securitisation theory

Abstract This article makes the case for a new field in International Relations (IR): the Global Politics of Medicine. It argues that significant avenues of research can be opened up by focusing on medicine and the life sciences, in order to both challenge current IR theories, and develop new theoretical and empirical insights in IR. In particular, the article challenges the validity of securitisation theory, and specifically the argument that health has been securitised. Showing instead that medicine and warfare have been imbricated from the nineteenth century as strategies of population, it challenges securitisation theory's ahistoricism and its assumption that social security and international security (and the norm/exception) are analytically divisible. Bringing this into the present through the examples of triage, psychological resilience, and genetic intelligence in counterinsurgency, it traces how warfare and medicine now ambitiously seek to treat populations as sets of individual bodies. Arguing that we cannot retreat to some mythical state of politics ‘prior’ to securitisation, it draws out how the fields of war, health, and medicine are nonetheless highly contested. The article concludes by challenging the fields of Global Health, war, and security studies, but also suggests novel routes for pursuing the study of the Global Politics of Medicine.
Study of Sea Clutter Influence in Ship Classification Algorithms based on Polarimetric SAR Inteferometry

This paper is focused to evaluate the influence of sea clutter in the performance of ship classification algorithms based on single-pass Polarimetric SAR Interferometry (PolInSAR). For such purpose, series of numerical simulations have been carried out with GRECOSAR, the SAR simulator of complex targets developed by UPC. There, different types of vessels have been considered for a TerraSAR-X like sensor and a sea surface following the two-scale wave approach. The quality of ship discrimination has been quantitatively evaluated with a novel identification method that exploits the particular scattering properties of ships. The results show that the presence of clutter does not notably drop identification performance, despite negative matches can be observed in some particular situations. But the requirement of single-pass interferometric capabilities is not achieved by any of the existing orbital system. This drawback can difficult the validation of what has been observed in simulation environments and can be one of the most limiting factors for the practical implementation of these techniques. Ideas and possible solutions to relax the system requirements are preliminary discussed.
Structure–function analysis of the cysteine string protein in Drosophila: cysteine string, linker and C terminus

SUMMARY Cysteine string proteins (CSPs) are conserved secretory vesicle proteins involved in regulating neurotransmitter and peptide release. While the function of the J-domain has been studied in detail, little is known about other conserved regions. We have constructed mutant genes coding for proteins with modified cysteine string, linker region or C terminus and transformed them into Csp null-mutant Drosophila. In the living animal, mutated CSP lacking all cysteines fails to associate with membranes, does not concentrate in synaptic terminals, and cannot rescue adult temperature-sensitive paralysis and short life span, both prominent null mutant phenotypes. A mutant protein with 5 instead of 11 string cysteines appears to be normally targeted but cannot rescue paralysis at 37°C. We propose that the cysteine string, in addition to its role in targeting, may be essential for a function of CSP that is dependent on the number of cysteines in the string. A deletion in the linker region or the C terminus does not affect CSP targeting, and function in adults is only marginally impaired.
Persuasive Argumentation in Human Computer Dialogue

In the field of natural language dialogue, a new trend is exploring persuasive argumentation theories. Applying these theories to human-computer dialogue management could lead to a more comfortable experience for the user and give way to new applications. In this paper, we study the different aspects of persuasive communication needed for health-care advising and how to implement them to produce efficient, computer directed persuasion. Our opinion is that a persuasive dialogue will have to combine the current logical approach to persuasion with novel emotional cues to render the dialogue more comfortable to the user.
Leader Legitimacy, Leader-Follower Interaction, and Followers' Ratings of the Leader

Summary A leader's legitimacy from appointment or election has been found to have distinctive effects on leader-follower relations in an American context. To examine this process further, an experiment was conducted with 21 groups of male college students organized into groups of four. Ss were assigned a group decision-making task regarding urban problems. After an initial interaction period, in seven groups for each condition, leaders were either appointed by the E, elected by the group, or not formally designated. Groups were observed throughout by two observers independently, from behind a one-way mirror. Significant effects were found in the observed interactions, and on followers' ratings of leaders on a postinteraction questionnaire. As hypothesized, elected leaders were seen by followers as more responsive to followers' needs, more interested in the group task, and more competent than leaders who were appointed. Elected leaders were considered more favorably as future leaders, when contributing to .
Evidence for foot structure in Japanese

Proposals for foot structure in Japanese have hitherto been limited to versification and to mechanisms for assigning tone that bear little resemblance to stress feet. This is not surprising, since the metrical foot has thus far been associated with stress, which Japanese appears to lack. I argue here that a bimoraic foot whose properties are similar to those of stress feet in other languages plays a significant role in Japanese morphophonology. The existence of such feet in Japanese has a number of implications, the most important of which is that it suggests that in Japanese a rhythmic system like that underlying many stress systems may coexist with the independent pitch accent system.
Individual Differences in Music Listening Responses of Kindergarten Children

In this project, we examined a phenomenon observed in two previous studies: When children were given the opportunity to listen to four pieces of music for as long as they chose in individual listening sessions, large differences were apparent among different children s total listening times. However, individual children tended to be remarkably consistent within their own approach to listening to the pieces, listening to each of the four for very similar lengths of time. The present study was designed to replicate and extend aspects of those studies with older children, and to examine how listening times would relate to teachers' ratings of the children's attention during large- and small-group activities. Results indicated that the kindergarten participants' listening times were consistent with the previous responses of preschool-age children. Additionally, time spent listening bore no relationship to either teacher ratings of attention or to age.
Personality Features in Female Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objectives: Using the Temperament and Character Inventory [TCI], this study investigates whether differences in temperament and character exist in fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS] patients compared with healthy normal controls [HNC] of the community and whether there might be subgroups among FMS patients. Methods: This study asked 191 female patients with FMS and 652 age-matched female HNC of the community to answer the TCI questionnaire. Results: The FMS was associated with high harm avoidance, persistence, self-transcendence, and low self-directedness. Three subgroups of FMS were identified [cluster 1: N = 72; cluster 2: N = 83; and cluster 3: N = 30] based on all scales and subscales of TCI. Conclusions: Both aspects of TCI, temperament and character, are different and changed in FMS compared with HNC, mainly high harm avoidance, high persistence, low self-directedness, and high self-transcendence. The established personality patterns may affect the FMS patients' ability to cope with stress and pain in daily-life situations. In future studies it is important to also incorporate pain intensity, depression and anxiety variables, and other personality instruments when interpreting the results.
HEAT TREATMENTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE DRIED NORWAY SPRUCE BOARDS: SACCHARIDES AND FURFURALS IN SAPWOOD SURFACES

Carbohydrates that migrate to wood surfaces in sapwood during drying might influence properties such as mould susceptibility and colour. Sugars on the surface of Norway spruce boards during various heat treatments were studied. Samples (350mmx125mmx25mm) were double-stacked, facing sapwood-side outwards, and dried at 110oC to a target moisture content (MC) of 40%. Dried sub-samples (80 mm x 125 mm x 25 mm) were stacked in a similar way and further heated at 110oC and at 130oC for 12, 24, and 36 hours, respectively. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose as well as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural in the sapwood surface layer of treated wood were analysed using HPLC (RI- and UV-detectors). Carbohydrates degraded to a lower extent at 110oC than at 130oC. Furfural and to a larger extent HMF increased with treatment period and temperature. Heat treatment led to a decrease in lightness and hue of the sapwood surface of sub-samples, while chroma increased somewhat. Furthermore, considerably faster degradation (within a few minutes) of the carbohydrates on the surface of the dried spruce boards was observed when single sub-samples were conductively hot pressed at 200oC. Treatment period and initial MC influenced the presence of the carbohydrates in wood surface as well as colour change (Eab) of the hot pressed sub-samples.
Sexual and violent recidivism by offender type and actuarial risk: reoffending rates for rapists, child molesters and mixed-victim offenders

Abstract The current study examines sexual and violent reoffence rates for a sample of 2474 sexual offenders over an average of 15 years following release from prison. Reoffence rates are reported as a function of the offenders' victim type and level of risk as assessed by the Automated Sexual Recidivism Scale, a computer scored measure of relevant historical risk factors. Observed sexual recidivism rates for offenders with child victims, adult victims, and mixed victims were quite similar. Results indicate that offenders with exclusively female child victims not only showed a lower rate of sexual reoffending, but that the reoffence rates were relatively low across all levels of actuarial risk. In contrast, those with male child victims and adult victims showed a pronounced escalation of reoffence rates as actuarial risk increased. Results also indicated that adult victim offenders are less consistent in the victim type of their reoffences, with 37% sexually reoffending against child victims. Finally, combined rates of sexual and violent reoffending were particularly high for those with adult victim sexual offence histories. Risk assessment and public policy implications are discussed.
Antibacterial compounds from Siraitia grosvenorii leaves

Luo Han Guo (LHG) fruits (Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle) have been used as traditional medicine in China for centuries to treat sore throats and coughs. However, LHG leaves are seldom used and minimal scientific information is available on them. In our recent study on the leaves of S. grosvenorii, the bioactive compounds β-amyrin (2), aloe emodin (5), aloe-emodin acetate (6), 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(R)-methylcholesta-6,22-dien-3β-ol (7) and p-hydroxyl benzyl acid (8), accompanied by n-hexadecaoic acid (1), 12-methyltetradecanoic acid (3), β-sitosterol (4) and daucosterol (9) were first obtained. Their structures have been identified on the basis of spectroscopic studies. The activities of these compounds were evaluated in vitro against the growth of oral bacterial species Streptococcus mutans, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum and the yeast Candida albicans, and their minimum inhibition concentrations were determined. Furthermore, the activity against S. mutans is likely to be due to the inhibition of glucosyltransferase. The experimental data provide important information on bioactive phytochemicals in the leaf of S. grosvenorii, which shows that the leaf can be a new resource as an antibacterial agent.
The measurement properties of a French language adaptation of the National Adult Reading Test

An item response theory model was used to investigate the measurement properties of a French‐language adaptation of the National Adult Reading Test (fNART) in a sample of 388 community‐dwelling and institutionalized elderly persons. The test was found to be essentially unidimensional and to discriminate over a range of ability. A number of items were found to have poor discriminatory power or other undesirable measurement characteristics and were eliminated from the item pool to form a 33‐item test. Although a large sample calibration of the test against the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales is desirable, the fNART shows considerable promise as a means of estimating ability premorbid to cognitive decline in French‐speaking individuals. Copyright © 1999 Whurr Publishers, Ltd.