Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Evaluation of Sleepwise Program for Children With Sleep Disturbance and Developmental Delay

Sleep disturbances are very prevalent in children with developmental delay. Parental-assisted behavioral strategies have been used effectively in school-aged children; however, multimodal treatment for preschool-aged children is lacking. The current study is a preliminary investigation of the effectiveness of a parent group program called Sleepwise designed for young children with developmental delay and incorporating behavioral, communicative, and sensory strategies. Six parents attended three workshop sessions and implemented individualized treatment plans. Initial results revealed significant posttreatment reductions in child sleep disturbances and behavioral problems, with high treatment acceptability ratings by parents. Outcomes were generally maintained at 1-month follow-up.
An Economic Comparison of Prescribed Extreme Fire and Alternative Methods for Managing Invasive Brush Species in Texas: a Modeling Approach

This article presents the results of a study to determine the economic feasibility of using prescribed fire as a rangeland restoration practice on private land when ambient air temperature is greater than and humidity less than the standards endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic effectiveness of using prescribed summer burns compared to more commonly used practices for managing invasive woody plants. The research incorporates four contiguous counties in the Rolling Plains, Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains eco-regions in Texas. Focus group meetings were held with landowners and NRCS and Texas AgriLife Extension personnel to obtain information about the most common economic uses of rangeland resources by landowners, the dominant invasive brush species, and the most commonly used practices and associated costs for controlling these invasive plants. An investment feasibility model was used to compare the economic efficacy of applying extreme fire and other commonly applied treatments to manage invasive brush species in the three Texas eco-regions. The economic analysis indicated that extreme fire was economically superior in all three regions and was the only treatment alternative that resulted in positive returns on investments in the treatments. The analysis included cost-share, which indicated increased returns for extreme fire and less negative returns for alternative treatments. The results of our study have implications for the review of current NRCS technical standards with respect to prescribed fire.
Contribution of Veillonella parvula to Pseudomonas aeruginosa-Mediated Pathogenicity in a Murine Tumor Model System

ABSTRACT The recent finding that high numbers of strict anaerobes are present in the respiratory tract of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has drawn attention to the pathogenic contribution of the CF microbiome to airway disease. In this study, we investigated the specific interactions of the most dominant bacterial CF pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with the anaerobic bacterium Veillonella parvula, which has been recovered at comparable cell numbers from the respiratory tract of CF patients. In addition to growth competition experiments, transcriptional profiling, and analyses of biofilm formation by in vitro studies, we used our recently established in vivo murine tumor model to investigate mutual influences of the two pathogens during a biofilm-associated infection process. We found that P. aeruginosa and V. parvula colonized distinct niches within the tumor. Interestingly, significantly higher cell numbers of P. aeruginosa could be recovered from the tumor tissue when mice were coinfected with both bacterial species than when mice were monoinfected with P. aeruginosa. Concordantly, the results of in vivo transcriptional profiling implied that the presence of V. parvula supports P. aeruginosa growth at the site of infection in the host, and the higher P. aeruginosa load correlated with clinical deterioration of the host. Although many challenges must be overcome to dissect the specific interactions of coinfecting bacteria during an infection process, our findings exemplarily demonstrate that the complex interrelations between coinfecting microorganisms and the immune responses determine clinical outcome to a much greater extent than previously anticipated.
WT1 expression increases with malignancy and indicates unfavourable outcome in astrocytoma

Aims The zinc finger transcription factor WT1 is expressed in astrocytic neoplasms and therefore is a potential target of immunotherapy in brain tumours. Our aim was to further elucidate the role of WT1 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in neuropathology, particularly as to the differentiation of astrocytoma from oligodendroglioma as well as to the dependency of WT1 expression on clinically relevant parameters. Methods 829 evaluable brain tumour samples were investigated by WT1 immunohistochemistry on full tissue routine slides, consisting of 442 glioblastomas, 303 astrocytomas, 41 oligodendrogliomas and 43 oligoastrocytomas. In addition public WT1 gene expression data of 351 gliomas were analysed. Results Our data show that WT1 expression in diffuse astrocytic tumours increases with WHO tumour grade and is associated with older age, absence of IDH1 mutation but not related to O(6)- methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status. Univariable, but not multivariable survival analysis indicates that WT1 expression is associated with worse outcome in patients with diffuse astrocytoma but not glioblastoma. Conclusions The significant WT1 expression differences between diffuse astrocytomas, oligoastrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas, which are also present in the Repository for Molecular Brain Neoplasia Data, National Cancer Institute (REMBRANDT, 2005, http://rembrandt.nci.nih.gov) gene database set, provide a rationale for use of WT1 as part of a routine immunohistochemistry panel.
A Behaviour-Based Peer-Nomination Measure of Social Withdrawal in Children

Research on social withdrawal has been impeded by problems in the definition of the construct and in its measurement. The purpose of this study was to develop a behaviourally-based peer-nomination measure useful in measuring two types of withdrawal: Inhibited/Wary and Self-Conscious/Anxious. In Study 1, we report the development of the measure. We examined whether this two-factor structure would be supported by data obtained from multiple informants. Data were collected from children in grades 3, 5, and 7, and their peers and teachers. Intercorrelations of peer-, teacher-, and self-reports of the Behaviour-Based Peer-Nomination Measures of social withdrawal supported the validity of the Inhibited/Wary dimension; teacher-peer agreement also provided support for the validity of the Self-Conscious/Anxious dimension. In Study2, the Behaviour-Based Peer-Nomination Measure of Social Withdrawal was cross-validated against observed play behaviour with 120 boys and girls. Results revealed some concordances between observational and peer-nomination data.
The Effects of Childhood Exposure to Marital Violence on Adolescent Gender-Role Beliefs and Dating Violence

Children exposed to marital violence in childhood are at risk for engaging in dating violence as adolescents or young adults. Using a longitudinal prospective design, mother−child pairs from violent and nonviolent homes (N = 208) were interviewed about exposure to marital violence twice over a 7–9 year time span. Responses to questions about adolescent gender-typed beliefs, the acceptance of dating violence, and experiences with dating violence were collected during follow-up interviews. Results indicated that adolescents exposed to marital violence during childhood were more likely to justify the use of violence in dating relationships. Possessing traditional attitudes of male−female relationships and justifying relationship violence were associated with higher levels of dating violence perpetration regardless of marital violence exposure. How adolescents thought about dating relationships was more important than whether they witnessed marital violence in childhood. Results have implications for social-cognitive and norm-based interventions.
Death wears a T-shirt – listening to young people talk about death

Abstract This article, drawing on data from a wider study, concentrates on young people’s use of contemporary media sources to reflect upon the presence of death within their everyday lives. It examines the conversations of 29 participants, aged between 10 and 17 years, who came together in small friendship groups to explore this topic. The young people chose household objects that evoked death for them, which they placed in shoeboxes and brought along for discussion. The artefacts were many and varied; a significant number were connected to cultural sources, for example, literature, cinema and television and contained an assortment of cultural representations of death as conversely romantic, heroic, violent and glamorous. Young people drew upon these ‘cultural scripts’ to uncover a multiplicity of deathways and examine their own unique interpretations of these. It has been argued that adults assume young people do not, cannot and should not think about death. This research challenges those assumptions by highlighting the enthusiasm of young people to engage with this topic against a contemporary backdrop of media sources, stories and scripts.
2016 Ieee International Conference on Big Data (big Data) Digree: a Middleware for a Graph Databases Polystore

— In this paper we present Digree, an experimental middleware system that can execute graph pattern matching queries over databases hosting voluminous graph datasets. First, we formally present the employed data model and the processes of rewriting a query into an equivalent set of subqueries and subsequently combining the partial results into the final result set. Our framework guarantees the correctness and completeness of the produced answers. Then, we present a prototype implementation of Digree, which is agnostic to the underlying data processing engines used at the endpoints. As the experimental results show, in many cases Digree outper-forms a single node graph database deployment in execution speed, up to 20 times depending on the query type.
Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Interactional Problem-Solving Inventory

Objective: This study aimed at examining the internal consistency, construct validity, and factor structure of the Chinese version of the Interactional Problem-Solving Inventory, which, in the original Dutch version, assesses people’s abilities to solve marital problems. Method: 335 Chinese respondents in Hong Kong with and without significant marital problems were recruited to fill in the inventory. Results: The scale scores had an alpha value of . 91. The inventory correlated with marital satisfaction and discriminated between groups with and without marital problems. Principal components analysis revealed two interpretable factors, namely, General Problem Orientation and Couple Communication. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the inventory demonstrates adequate internal consistency and construct validity for use in assessing marital problem solving in marital training and treatment.
Musical Abilities in Individuals with Williams Syndrome

We report evidence for relatively preserved musical rhythm processing in individuals with Williams syndrome, supporting the theory that musical ability constitutes an independent intelligence. Williams syndrome occurs in 1 out of 20,000 births and is associated with a defect in elastin production, impaired cognitive function, and poor spatial, quantitative, and reasoning abilities, coupled with excellent face processing and relatively strong language abilities in adolescents and adults. Previously, informal qualitative observations have revealed an unusual degree of musicality and engagement with musical stimuli in many individuals with Williams syndrome. In the present study, rhythm production was assessed for eight subjects with Williams syndrome and eight subjects in a comparison group by using an echo clapping task. Despite serious deficits in other cognitive domains and generally poor coordination, the subjects with Williams syndrome achieved accuracy scores equivalent to those of subjects in the comparison group and demonstrated equivalent abilities in meter change and beat maintenance. Most interestingly, when the subjects with Williams syndrome made errors in rhythm production, their errors were far more likely than comparison subjects9 errors to form rhythmically compatible musical elaborations to the test items; that is, responses of subjects with Williams syndrome, when incorrect, tended to be creative extensions of the reference rhythm.
Population Stereotypes and Belief in the Paranormal: Is There a Relationship?

The current study provides a further demonstration of population stereotypes in a study ostensibly investigating telepathy. Subjects show a strong tendency to choose certain predictable responses, and this phenomena can be used to create the impression that extrasensory communication has occurred. No correlation was found between the tendency to choose stereotypical responses and scores on the Belief in the Paranormal Scale. The high-belief group were more convinced than the low-belief group that ESP had been involved throughout the study, even following debriefing.
Evaluation of Influence of Various Polymers on Dissolution and Phase Behavior of Carbamazepine-Succinic Acid Cocrystal in Matrix Tablets

The aim of current study was to explore the influence of three commonly used polymers, that is, cellulosics and noncellulosics, for example, Methocel K4M, Kollidon VA/64, and Soluplus, on the phase disproportionation and drug release profile of carbamazepine-succinic acid (CBZ-SUC) cocrystal at varying drug to polymer ratios (1 : 1 to 1 : 0.25) in matrix tablets. The polymorphic phase disproportionation during in-depth dissolution studies of CBZ-SUC cocrystals and its crystalline properties were scrutinized by X-ray powder diffractrometry and Raman spectroscopy. The percent drug release from HPMC formulations (CSH) showed inverse relation with the concentration of polymer; that is, drug release increased with decrease in polymer concentration. On contrary, direct relation was observed between percent drug release and polymer concentrations of Kollidon VA 64/Soluplus (CSK, CSS). At similar polymer concentration, drug release from pure carbamazepine was slightly lower with HPMC formulations than that of cocrystal; however, opposite trend in release rate was observed with Kollidon VA/64 and Soluplus. The significant increase in dissolution rate of cocrystal occurred with Kollidon VA/64 and Soluplus at higher polymer concentration. Moreover, no phase change took place in Methocel and Kollidon formulations. No tablet residue was left for Soluplus formulation so the impact of polymer on cocrystal integrity cannot be predicted.
The Transformative Experience Questionnaire (TEQ): Spirituality in a Couples Context

Religion and spirituality have long played important roles in the lives of couples and families within North American society. Gallup surveys repeatedly verify the relevance of religion in the lives of American men and women, noting that more than two thirds identified religion as a significant part of their lives; 94% believe in God or a higher power (Gallup, 1993). In reviewing half a century of U.S. surveys, Gallup concluded that religious beliefs of the country could be considered quite stable inasmuch as these basic beliefs and practices today differ little from the levels recorded 50 years ago (Gallup, 1995). Sirch-Stasko (1996) notes that religion and spirituality are recognized as integral parts of human lives. He believes that this warrants greater exploration of the role this dynamic plays in facilitating and maintaining mental health.
Re-designing Orem's Self-care Theory for Patients with Chronic Hepatitis

Background: Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease which has many adverse effects on patients′ life because of its chronic nature. Since Orem′s theory of self-care is a grounded theory, the concepts and applications of this theory in patients with chronic hepatitis who have special needs may lead to some challenges. The purpose of this study was to explore self-care in patients with chronic hepatitis. Methods/Design: A directed content analysis was used in this qualitative study. Participants were recruited from a metropolitan area. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The verbatim transcripts of the participants′ interviews were analyzed according to directed content analysis. Results: In this study, four themes, suggested by Orem, were drawn from the data according to directed content analysis. The codes generated from the data were classified into concepts and then the concepts were assigned into these four themes. These themes were "needs in the matrix of time and place," "self-care agency," "need for change in self-care" and "consequences of hepatitis. " Conclusion: The use of Orem′s self-care theory cannot meet the need for self-care in hepatitis patients because these patients have vital sexual, respect and belonging, physical, economical, and psychological-behavioral needs, and lack adequate knowledge about self-care. Consequently, the specific self-care model developed in this study helps health professionals identify self-care activities in patients with chronic hepatitis.
The effects of nonfinancial performance measures on role clarity, procedural fairness and managerial performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ascertain if it is procedural fairness, or role clarity, or both procedural fairness and role clarity that mediate the relationship between non-financial measures and managerial performance. Role clarity and procedural fairness may mediate the relationship between performance measures and managerial performance. Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The sample was drawn from 149 managers from 103 large manufacturing organisations located in the UK. The data were analysed by structural equation modelling. Findings – The results indicate that it is role clarity that significantly mediates the relationship between non-financial measures and managerial performance. Surprisingly, procedural fairness has no significant mediating effect on the relationship. Originality/value – To date, no prior studies have investigated systematically the effects of non-financial measures as well as the mechanism by which non-financia.
The Spatial Distribution of Poverty in Vietnam and the Potential for Targeting

The authors combine household survey and census data to construct a provincial poverty map of Vietnam and evaluate the accuracy of geographically targeted antipoverty programs. First, they estimate per capita expenditure as a function of selected household and geographic characteristics using the 1998 Vietnam Living Standards Survey. Next, they combine the results with data on the same household characteristics from the 1999 census to estimate the incidence of poverty in each province. The results show that rural poverty is concentrated in 10 provinces in the Northern Uplands, 2 provinces in the Central Highlands, and 2 provinces in the Central Coast. The authors use Receiver Operating Characteristics curves to evaluate the effectiveness of geographic targeting. The results show that the existing poor communes system excludes large numbers of poor people, but there is potential for sharpening poverty targeting using a small number of easy-to-follow measure household characteristics.
Dualism Redux in Recent Neuroscience: “Theory of Mind” and “Embodied Simulation” Hypotheses in Light of Historical Debates about Perception, Cognition, and Mind

How do we, as humans, take in the feelings and thoughts of other people? Theory-of-Mind (ToM) and Embodied Simulation (ES) approaches hypothesize divergent neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying intersubjectivity. ToM investigators assert that humans take in the belief states and intentions of another person by holding “a theory of mind” that cognitively posits the other person's mental contents, with some experiments identifying the right temporo-parietal junction as a specific ToM brain region. ES theorists hypothesize that humans perceive the other's state of mind by simulating his/her actions, emotions, and goals in the “mirror neuron system” in the brain. A historical review suggests these understandings rely on opposing, dualist models of cognition and perception. William James's intervention on this earlier debate is informative in anticipating recent findings in low-level sensory neuroscience. Of specific interest are studies showing that intersubjectivity and low-level sensory attentional filtering are both processed in the same cortical area (the temporo-parietal junction) suggesting that the ability to entertain other minds may be related to the ability to perceive salient stimuli during attention-demanding tasks.
Consensus in Guidelines for Evaluation of DSD by the Texas Children's Hospital Multidisciplinary Gender Medicine Team

The Gender Medicine Team (GMT), comprised of members with expertise in endocrinology, ethics, genetics, gynecology, pediatric surgery, psychology, and urology, at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine formed a task force to formulate a consensus statement on practice guidelines for managing disorders of sexual differentiation (DSD) and for making sex assignments. The GMT task force reviewed published evidence and incorporated findings from clinical experience. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) was used to assess the quality of evidence presented in the literature for establishing evidence-based guidelines. The task force presents a consensus statement regarding specific diagnostic and therapeutic issues in the management of individuals who present with DSD. The consensus statement includes recommendations for (1) laboratory workup, (2) acute management, (3) sex assignment in an ethical framework that includes education and involvement of the parents, and (4) surgical management.
The effect of peer group performance on the self-concept of reading in a foreign language

According to the big-fish-little-pond (BFLP) model, the self-concept is not only influenced in a positive way by one’s own achievement, but also in a negative way by one’s relative achievement in comparison with one’s immediate peers. This study investigates whether the BFLP effect also holds for second language acquisition. A random sample of 9167 Dutch-speaking students from Grade 8 took a reading comprehension test in French followed by a short background questionnaire in which they were asked for their self-concept of reading French. Multilevel regressions of the latter on individual and group achievement confirmed the BFLP effect but did not confirm an interaction of the effect with gender, individual achievement or class size. Moreover, in line with the local dominance hypothesis, it was shown that the negative effect of the average performance of peers is stronger for classmates than for schoolmates.