Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Work Therapy: Welfare Reform and Mental Health in California

Los Angeles County has the largest county welfare population in the United States. The county spends $23 million annually on mental health services for welfare participants. This study examines employment and treatment outcomes for welfare participants whose mental health services ended during a 1 year period. Factors associated with success are explored using detailed survey data from a subsample of 433 of these participants. Staff report that 70 percent of sample members have positive change in mental health status; however, only 17 percent of the clients complete treatment successfully, and only 26 percent report employment at discharge or in the 6 months after discharge. Analyses suggest that predictors of completing services successfully differ from predictors of employment. Further, successful completion of treatment does not predict employment. Some of these results are disappointing and have motivated county staff to restructure the mental health service offerings.
Development of a benchmark to measure system robustness

An initial attempt at the development of a set of benchmarks to gauge a system's robustness as measured by its ability to tolerate errors is presented. Due to the large domain of system components whose intolerance to errors can lead to system failure, several primitive benchmarks that can be combined into a robustness benchmark suite are presented. Each primitive benchmark targets a system functionality and measure its behavior given erroneous inputs. Four primitive benchmarks have been implemented in this initial effort. They target the file management system, memory access, user application, and the C library functions. The motivation and experimental results of each of these primitive benchmarks are presented in detail followed by an analysis of the results. A methodology to combine the primitive benchmarks to form an overall robustness figure is presented. A list of additional primitive benchmarks is suggested.
Identification of MicroRNAs and Their Targets Associated with Fruit-Bagging and Subsequent Sunlight Re-exposure in the “Granny Smith” Apple Exocarp Using High-Throughput Sequencing

Bagged fruits of green apple cultivar “Granny Smith” have been found to turn cardinal red after debagging during fruit-ripening in the Loess Plateau region of China. To understand this phenomenon at post-transcriptional level, we have investigated the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in response to debagging. Three small RNA libraries were primarily constructed from peels of “Granny Smith” apples subjected to bagging followed by sunlight re-exposure treatments (0, 6 h, 1 day) (debagging), and from peels of apples without any bagging treatments (0, 6 h, 1 day). 201 known miRNAs belonging to 43 miRNA families and 220 novel miRNAs were identified via high-throughput sequencing. Some miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed after debagging, which indicated that miRNAs affected anthocyanin accumulation through their target genes in mature apple. To further explore the effect of debagging on miRNAs regulating the expression of anthocyanin regulatory genes, four miRNAs and their target genes regulating anthocyanin accumulation, miR156, miR828, miR858, and miR5072, were compared between green cultivar “Granny Smith” and red cultivar “Starkrimson. ” Results showed that mdm-miR828 and mdm-miR858 regulated anthocyanin contents in both apple cultivars, while mdm-miR156 only affected anthocyanin accumulation in “Granny Smith,” and miR5072 affected anthocyanin accumulation in “Starkrimson. ” Additional analysis of gene ontology for the differentially expressed miRNAs after debagging treatments and their predicted target genes showed that they were involved in photo-protective response after debagging from 0 h to 1 day; they might play important roles in fruit development and adaptation to high light stress.
Course and determinants of self‐esteem in people diagnosed with schizophrenia during psychiatric treatment

Background: Opposing predictions have been formulated with regard to the causal relationship between paranoia and self‐esteem, either assuming a protective role of paranoia for explicit self‐esteem or a linear decrease of self‐esteem upon symptom deterioration. The primary purpose of the present study was to provide estimates for the prevalence of low self‐esteem in people diagnosed with schizophrenia during psychiatric treatment. Method: Self‐esteem was assessed in a cohort of 58 schizophrenia patients at the beginning of psychiatric treatment and 44 healthy controls. A subgroup of 45 patients and 24 controls was reassessed 4 weeks later. Results: At baseline, 42% of the patients displayed low self‐esteem (i.e. one standard deviation below the norm; re‐assessment: 49%). Baseline depression and antipsychotic dosage were the strongest predictors for low self‐esteem after 4 weeks. While paranoid ideas were not related to self‐esteem, neither cross‐sectionally nor longitudinally, grandiose delusions were modestly associated to higher self‐esteem. Conclusions: Symptom improvement over time did not translate into altered explicit self‐esteem. The results are inconsistent with a strong formulation of the hypothesis that paranoid ideas act as a defence. However, before dismissing this hypothesis, future investigations should look at qualitative aspects of delusional beliefs along with potential functional benefits of paranoia other than self‐esteem that may moderate the relationship.
A Comparison of Ventricular Function During High Right Ventricular Septal and Apical Pacing after His‐Bundle Ablation for Refractory Atrial Fibrillation

This study compares LV performance during high right ventricular septal (RVS) and apical (RVA) pacing in patients with LV dysfunction who underwent His‐bundle ablation for chronic AF. We inserted a passive fixation pacing electrode into the RVA and an active fixation electrode in the RVS. A dual chamber, rate responsive pulse generator stimulated the RVA through the ventricular port and the RVS via the atrial port. Patients were randomized to initial RVA (VVIR) or RVS (AAIR) pacing for 2 months. The pacing site was reversed during the next 2 months. At the 2 and 4 month follow‐up visit, each patient underwent a transthoracic echocardiographical study and a rest/exercise first pass radionuclide ventriculogram. We studied nine men and three women (mean age of 68 ± 7 years) with congestive heart failure functional Class (NYHA Classification): I (3 patients), II (7 patients), and III (2 patients). The QRS duration was shorter during RVS stimulation (158 ± 10vs 170 ± 11 ms, P < 0.001). Chronic capture threshold and lead impedance did not significantly differ. LV fractional shortening improved during RVS pacing (0.31 ± 0.05 vs 0.26 ± 0.07, P < 0.01). RVS activation increased the resting first pass LV ejection fraction (0.51 ± 0.14 vs 0.43 ± 0.10, P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed during RVS and RVA pacing in the exercise time (5.6 ± 3.2 vs 5.4 ± 3.1, P = 0.6) or the exercise first pass LV ejection fraction (0.58 ± 0.15 vs 0.55 ± 0.16, P = 0.2). The relative changes in QRS duration and LV ejection fraction at both pacing sites showed a significant correlation (P < 0.01). We conclude that RVS pacing produces shorter QRS duration and better chronic LV function than RVA pacing in patients with mild to moderate LV dysfunction and chronic AF after His‐bundle ablation.
Changes of attachment status among women with personality disorders undergoing inpatient treatment

Background: Attachment has increasingly received attention in psychotherapy and has been used as a predictor of process and outcome. Studies investigating changes of attachment styles during psychotherapy are very rare. Method: Forty women with either borderline (BPD) or avoidant personality disorders (AVPD), treated as inpatients, were investigated using an attachment interview (interpersonal relations assessment (IRA)), and questionnaires to determine therapy outcome at the beginning and after seven weeks of therapy. The IRA uses similar questions as the adult attachment interview (AAI) and is used as the basis for the adult attachment prototype rating (AAPR), a procedure to assign individuals to prototypical categories of attachment. Results: The study showed that the therapy in general was effective. In contrast to other studies, we did not find many women classified as secure at the end of their therapy. Comparisons of pre-post-ratings revealed instead that clients within both subgroups received higher ratings for the avoidant prototypes at the end of therapy, indicating deactivation of attachment. Changes from ambivalent to avoidant attachment were linked with better outcome among women with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Conclusions: This study adds further evidence to the result that attachment styles do not change dramatically during a time-limited psychological treatment of personality disorder. Instead, the study showed that features of preoccupied/ambivalent attachment were less significant after seven weeks of therapy. For women with BPD, these changes were linked with a more favourable outcome which might reflect a more structured and deactivated attachment status as a result of inpatient therapy.
Interval Entropy and Informative Distance

The Shannon interval entropy function as a useful dynamic measure of uncertainty for two sided truncated random variables has been proposed in the literature of reliability. In this paper, we show that interval entropy can uniquely determine the distribution function. Furthermore, we propose a measure of discrepancy between two lifetime distributions at the interval of time in base of Kullback-Leibler discrimination information. We study various properties of this measure, including its connection with residual and past measures of discrepancy and interval entropy, and we obtain its upper and lower bounds.
The Influence of Concomitant Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, Cocaine, and Anabolic Steroids on Lipid Profiles of Brazilian Recreational Bodybuilders

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are used to enhance physical performance and/or appearance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the concomitant use of alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and AAS on blood lipid profiles of 145 asymptomatic male bodybuilders from the Northeast region of Brazil. Interviews, clinical exams, and serological evaluations were performed on all participants between 2007 and 2009. All subjects’ self-reported use of testosterone or its derivatives, 118 individuals reported alcohol intake, 27-reported cigarette smoking, and 33 confirmed cocaine use. Four subjects were users of all drugs at the same time. Higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were observed among concomitant users of alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, and AAS. The study's limitations are noted.
Robust Microwave Characterization of Inkjet-Printed Coplanar Waveguides on Flexible Substrates

In this paper, we propose a robust algorithm to automate a microwave characterization process, which simultaneously extracts the electrical parameters (conductivity and dielectric constant) of inkjet-printed components on flexible substrates. Initially, the algorithm extracts the propagation constant of printed coplanar waveguide (CPW) standards by the use of a multiline thru-reflect-line calibration. Then, the proposed algorithm utilizes finite-element modeling to dynamically create an interpolated search space by automatic simulation. The algorithm utilizes a least-square optimization routine to minimize the deviation between the model and the measurements. Our technique significantly reduces the computing resources and is able to extract the material parameters using even a nominal ink profile. Characteristic impedances for CPWs are extracted using series resistor measurements from 10 MHz to 20 GHz. It is shown that the proposed characterization methodology is able to detect small changes in material properties induced by changes in fabrication parameters, such as sintering temperature. Ink conductivities of approximately<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${2.973 \times 10^{7}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> S/m and a supporting spacer dielectric constant of 1.78 were obtained for the inkjet-printed CPWs on polyethylene terephthalate. In addition, the inkjet-printed CPWs sintered at 170 °C and 220 °C on Kapton had conductivities of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${0.187 \times 10^{7}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${0.201 \times 10^{7}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> S/m, respectively. We demonstrate the advantages of our technique by measuring the material parameters with the conventional approach.
Mobility Modification Alleviates Environmental Influence on Incident Mobility Difficulty among Community-Dwelling Older People: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study

Background Environmental barriers increase risk for mobility difficulties in old age. Mobility difficulty is preceded by a phase where people try to postpone a difficulty through mobility modification. We studied whether perceived environmental mobility barriers outdoors correlate with mobility modification and mobility difficulty, predict development of mobility difficulty over a two-year follow-up, and whether mobility modification alleviates the risk for difficulty. Methods At baseline, 848 people aged 75–90 were interviewed face-to-face. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted one (n = 816) and two years (n = 761) later. Environmental barriers to mobility were self-reported using a15-item structured questionnaire at baseline, summed and divided into tertiles (0, 1 and 2 or more barriers). Mobility difficulty was assessed as self-reported ability to walk 2 km at all assessment points and categorized into ‘no difficulty’, ‘no difficulty but mobility modifications’ (reducing frequency, stopping walking, using an aid, slowing down or resting during the performance) and ‘difficulty’. Results At baseline, 212 participants reported mobility modifications and 356 mobility difficulties. Those reporting one or multiple environmental barriers had twice the odds for mobility modifications and up to five times the odds for mobility difficulty compared to those reporting no environmental barriers. After multiple adjustments for health and functioning, reporting multiple environmental barriers outdoors continued to predict the development of incident mobility difficulty over the two-year follow-up. Mobility modifications attenuated the association. Conclusion For older people who successfully modify their performance, environmental influence on incident mobility difficulty can be diminished. Older people use mobility modification to alleviate environmental press on mobility.
Seizure outcome in patients with surgically treated cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

A series of 280 cases of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) treated surgically between June, 1970, and June, 1989, is reviewed with particular focus on the preoperative seizure history and follow-up seizure status. Follow-up evaluation (mean duration 7.5 years) was achieved in 98% of cases and was accomplished through re-examinations, telephone interviews, and written questionnaires. Overall, 89% of the surviving patients with a follow-up period of greater than 2 years were free of seizures at last examination. Of the 280 patients in this series, 163 had experienced no seizures preoperatively. A recent follow-up study (with a minimum duration of 2 years or to death) was available in 157 of these 163 cases; 21 patients had died. Of the 136 surviving patients, only eight (6%) were having new ongoing seizures. In the 128 (94%) who had remained seizure-free, 73% were receiving no anticonvulsant agents while 27% were taking anticonvulsant prophylaxis. The 2-year minimum follow-up study in 110 of the 117 patients with preoperative seizures revealed that eight (7%) had died. Of the 102 surviving patients, 85 (83%) were seizure-free (with 48% no longer receiving anticonvulsant therapy), while 17 (17%) still suffered intermittent seizures. However, of these 17 patients, 13 reported their seizures to be improved compared to preoperatively; the seizures were the same in two patients and were worse in two patients. An actuarial analysis was conducted comparing the life expectancy of patients following surgery for AVM's with the expected survival of a general white population of the same age and sex in the West Northcentral region of the United States. No statistically significant difference was found. There were seven perioperative deaths (three from cerebral hemorrhage, two from pulmonary emboli, and two from obstruction of venous drainage) and 22 deaths during the follow-up period. Of these 22 deaths, the cause was unknown in four patients, apparently unrelated to the AVM in 13, and directly or indirectly related to the patient's neurological condition prior to surgery or due to surgery performed for resection of the AVM in five. There was a statistically significant relationship between the size and location of the AVM and the clinical presentation. Patients with small AVM's (< 3 cm) were more likely to present with hemorrhage whereas those with large AVM's were more likely to present with seizures. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Differential response of the retinal neural code with respect to the sparseness of natural images

Natural images follow statistics inherited by the structure of our physical (visual) environment. In particular, a prominent facet of this structure is that images can be described by a relatively sparse number of features. To investigate the role of this sparseness in the efficiency of the neural code, we designed a new class of random textured stimuli with a controlled sparseness value inspired by measurements of natural images. Then, we tested the impact of this sparseness parameter on the firing pattern observed in a population of retinal ganglion cells recorded ex vivo in the retina of a rodent, the Octodon degus. These recordings showed in particular that the reliability of spike timings varies with respect to the sparseness with globally a similar trend than the distribution of sparseness statistics observed in natural images. These results suggest that the code represented in the spike pattern of ganglion cells may adapt to this aspect of the statistics of natural images.
Reproducibility across Experiments of Behavioral Results Obtained under Strictly Standardized Conditions: Another View of the Results of the Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study

The data of the Collaborative Behavioral Teratology Study were reanalyzed. The degree of reproducibility of the treatment effect across experiments was assessed as the magnitude of fluctuation in strength of association (η2) for the replication experiment. There was no evidence that fluctuation of treatment effects across experiments was greater for behavioral measures than for nonbehavioral ones, suggesting the conventional belief that low reproducibility of results in behavioral teratology reflects the low reliability of the behavior test per se is unwarranted. Although the distributions of obtained treatment effects were almost symmetric and unimodal for most measures, the ranges were considerable. Considering that experiments were conducted under strictly standardized conditions across experiments, finding of the considerable ranges indicates that inconsistency in results across experiments cannot be remedied adequately by employing solely a standardized method. Basing in the main their results in terms of conventional significance tests, research workers in the collaborative study concluded that excellent reproducibility of behavioral data was demonstrated. The logic underlying the statistically nonsignificant interaction used in the original work was examined critically. A serious limitation upon the significance test for assessing the reproducibility of results was pointed out, and a warning issued about customary reliance only on a significance test.
Characterization of Regulatory Elements in the 5'-Flanking Region of the GM2 Activator Gene

Abstract Lysosomal degradation of the ganglioside GM2 by human βhexosaminidase A requires the presence of the GM2 activator protein as an essential cofactor. Here we demonstrate that GM2 activator mRNA is differentially expressed and mainly localized to the apical part of the epithelial cells of distal renal tubules and the collecting duct. In order to understand the mechanism underlying the regulation of the GM2 activator gene, we analyzed the genomic organization upstream exon 2 as well as the 5'flanking region. The GM2 activator gene spans about 16.8 kb with a first intron of 6.5 kb, and the transcription start is located at position -96 upstream from the ATG. DNA elements responsible for GM2 activator expression were identified in a PCRbased method of longdistance DNA walking. Sequence analysis revealed a 2.9 kb region upstream of the ATG that contained regulatory elements like CAAT boxes, Sp1 binding sites as well as AP1, and AP2 sites. Transfection experiments in COS-1 cells with a series of chimeras of 5'stepwise deletion mutants of the GM2 activator gene 5'flanking region and the secretory alkaline phosphatase (SEAP)reporter gene indicated that a genomic fragment encompassing 323 to +1bp had significant promoter activity. EMSA experiments showed that Sp1 and other transcription factors like AP1, AP2 and CCAATBox binding proteins are involved in GM2 activator gene regulation.
Surface-Associated Plasminogen Binding of Cryptococcus neoformans Promotes Extracellular Matrix Invasion

Background The fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is a leading cause of illness and death in persons with predisposing factors, including: malignancies, solid organ transplants, and corticosteroid use. C. neoformans is ubiquitous in the environment and enters into the lungs via inhalation, where it can disseminate through the bloodstream and penetrate the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in a difficult to treat and often-fatal infection of the brain, called meningoencephalitis. Plasminogen is a highly abundant protein found in the plasma component of blood and is necessary for the degradation of fibrin, collagen, and other structural components of tissues. This fibrinolytic system is utilized by cancer cells during metastasis and several pathogenic species of bacteria have been found to manipulate the host plasminogen system to facilitate invasion of tissues during infection by modifying the activation of this process through the binding of plasminogen at their surface. Methodology The invasion of the brain and the central nervous system by penetration of the protective blood-brain barrier is a prerequisite to the establishment of meningoencephalitis by the opportunistic fungal pathogen C. neoformans. In this study, we examined the ability of C. neoformans to subvert the host plasminogen system to facilitate tissue barrier invasion. Through a combination of biochemical, cell biology, and proteomic approaches, we have shown that C. neoformans utilizes the host plasminogen system to cross tissue barriers, providing support for the hypothesis that plasminogen-binding may contribute to the invasion of the blood-brain barrier by penetration of the brain endothelial cells and underlying matrix. In addition, we have identified the cell wall-associated proteins that serve as plasminogen receptors and characterized both the plasminogen-binding and plasmin-activation potential for this significant human pathogen. Conclusions The results of this study provide evidence for the cooperative role of multiple virulence determinants in C. neoformans pathogenesis and suggest new avenues for the development of anti-infective agents in the prevention of fungal tissue invasion.