Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk stratification of coronary heart disease in Greece: final results from the CARDIO2000 Epidemiological Study.

BACKGROUND In past years several risk factors have been associated with the incidence of coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between the risk of developing acute coronary syndromes and several risk factors in Greece. METHODS During 2000-2002, 700 male (59 +/- 10 years old) and 148 female (65 +/- 9 years old) patients with the first event of an acute coronary syndrome were randomly selected from cardiological clinics of all Greek regions. Afterward, 1,078 population-based controls were randomly selected from the same hospitals and matched to the patients by sex and age. Detailed information regarding their medical and psychosocial status and various lifestyle habits related to coronary risk was recorded. RESULTS The frequency ratio between males and females in the case series of patients was 4:1. The statistical analysis showed that smoking (odds ratio = 1.61, P < 0.001), hypertension (odds ratio = 1.99, P < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio = 3.53, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (odds ratio = 2.44, P < 0.01), family history of CHD (odds ratio = 3.19, P < 0.001), exposure to passive cigarette smoking (odds ratio = 1.54, P < 0.01), and depressive episodes (odds ratio = 1.35, P < 0.01) were associated with an increased coronary risk, while physical activity (odds ratio = 0.81, P = 0.01), adoption of Mediterranean diet (odds ratio = 0.80, P < 0.05), and high education (odds ratio = 0.81, P < 0.001) were associated with a significant reduction of the coronary risk. Also, a J-shape association was found between alcohol intake and coronary risk. CONCLUSION Several emerging lifestyle risk factors (education, depression, diet, passive smoking), in addition to the conventional ones, may contribute to the risk of coronary events in this population.
Enriched Iron(III)-Reducing Bacterial Communities are Shaped by Carbon Substrate and Iron Oxide Mineralogy

Iron (Fe) oxides exist in a spectrum of structures in the environment, with ferrihydrite widely considered the most bioavailable phase. Yet, ferrihydrite is unstable and rapidly transforms to more crystalline Fe(III) oxides (e.g., goethite, hematite), which are poorly reduced by model dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms. This begs the question, what processes and microbial groups are responsible for reduction of crystalline Fe(III) oxides within sedimentary environments? Further, how do changes in Fe mineralogy shape oxide-hosted microbial populations? To address these questions, we conducted a large-scale cultivation effort using various Fe(III) oxides (ferrihydrite, goethite, hematite) and carbon substrates (glucose, lactate, acetate) along a dilution gradient to enrich for microbial populations capable of reducing Fe oxides spanning a wide range of crystallinities and reduction potentials. While carbon source was the most important variable shaping community composition within Fe(III)-reducing enrichments, both Fe oxide type and sediment dilution also had a substantial influence. For instance, with acetate as the carbon source, only ferrihydrite enrichments displayed a significant amount of Fe(III) reduction and the well-known dissimilatory metal reducer Geobacter sp. was the dominant organism enriched. In contrast, when glucose and lactate were provided, all three Fe oxides were reduced and reduction coincided with the presence of fermentative (e.g., Enterobacter spp.) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (e.g., Desulfovibrio spp.). Thus, changes in Fe oxide structure and resource availability may shift Fe(III)-reducing communities between dominantly metal-respiring to fermenting and/or sulfate-reducing organisms which are capable of reducing more recalcitrant Fe phases. These findings highlight the need for further targeted investigations into the composition and activity of speciation-directed metal-reducing populations within natural environments.
Risk-Sensitive Control and Dynamic Games for Partially Observed Discrete-Time Nonlinear Systems

In this paper we solve a finite-horizon partially observed risk-sensitive stochastic optimal control problem for discrete-time nonlinear systems and obtain small noise and small risk limits. The small noise limit is interpreted as a deterministic partially observed dynamic game, and new insights into the optimal solution of such game problems are obtained. Both the risk-sensitive stochastic control problem and the deterministic dynamic game problem are solved using information states, dynamic programming, and associated separated policies. A certainty equivalence principle is also discussed. Our results have implications for the nonlinear robust stabilization problem. The small risk limit is a standard partially observed risk-neutral stochastic optimal control problem.
Predicting early adolescents' academic achievement and in-school behavior with a dual-factor model of mental health

vi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Statement of Problem 1 Definition of Key Terms 5 Subjective Well-Being 5 Psychopathology 6 Academic Achievement and In-School Behavior 7 Dual-Factor Model 7 Purpose of Current Study 8 Contributions to the Literature 9 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 11 Traditional Approaches to Mental Health 11 Modern Alternatives to a Disease Model of Mental Health 12 Positive Indicators of Mental Health 12 Models that Examine Psychopathology and SWB 15 Keyes (2002) 15 Keyes (2006) 17
A Novel Approach for Estimating the Recurrence Intervals of Channel-Forming Discharges

Channel-forming discharges typically are associated with recurrence intervals less than five years and usually less than two years. However, the actual frequency of occurrence of these discharges is often several times more frequent than the statistical expectation. This result was confirmed by using the Log-Pearson Type 3 statistical method to analyze measured annual series of instantaneous peaks and peak daily means for 150 catchments in six states in the North Central Region of the United States. Discharge records ranged from 39 to 102 years and catchment sizes ranged from 29 to 6475 km2. For each state, mean values of the ratio of the calculated to the expected occurrences exceeded 1.0, for recurrence intervals from two years to 100 years with R-squared values varying from 0.64 to 0.97, respectively. However, catchment-by-catchment variability was too large for the relationships for each state to be useful. We propose a method, called Full Daily Distribution (FDD), which used all of the daily values for the available period of records. The approach provided ratios of calculated to expected occurrences that were approximately 1.0. For recurrence intervals less than five years, the FDD calculated discharges were much greater than those obtained by using the Log-Pearson Type 3 approach with annual series of instantaneous peaks or peak daily means. The method can also calculate discharges for recurrence intervals less than one year. The study indicates a need to enhance the Log-Pearson Type 3 method to provide better estimates of channel-forming discharges and that the proposed FDD could be a useful tool to this purpose.
Enhanced Raman Scattering as a Probe for 4-Mercaptopyridine Surface-modified Copper Oxide Nanocrystals

We report on the application of Raman scattering as a probe to study 4-mercaptopyridine (4-Mpy) surface-modified CuO nanocrystals. Enhanced Raman scattering from 4-Mpy adsorbed on CuO nanocrystals was observed. The Raman signals displayed 10^2 enhancement compared with those of 4-Mpy in solution. We compared the Raman spectra of 4-Mpy molecules adsorbed on CuO nanocrystals and Ag, Cu substrate. A particular feature of the semiconductor substrate that was different from the metal substrate was revealed. The excitation wavelength-dependent behavior was clearly observed.
Effects of Bibliotherapy on the Self-Concept of Learning Disabled, Emotionally Handicapped Adolescents in a Classroom Setting

Learning disabled, emotionally handicapped adolescents maintain poor strategies for coping with exigencies of environment. Attempts to gain direct access to these problem areas for remediation often result in a defensive withdrawal and reinforcement of maladaptive techniques in dealing with stress. Bibliotherapy offers a method through which adolescents can observe parallel stresses at an affective distance and incorporate change without a direct threat to personal independence. The present study employed bibliotherapeutic techniques for two of four groups of learning disabled, emotionally handicapped adolescents. Administration of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale shows a change in mean postintervention self-concept for the two groups under the bibliotherapeutic condition. Implications are discussed.
Evidence for Nucleolus Organizer Regions as the Units of Regulation in Nucleolar Dominance in Arabidopsis thaliana Interecotype Hybrids

Nucleolar dominance describes the silencing of one parent's ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes in a genetic hybrid. In Arabidopsis thaliana, rRNA genes are clustered in two nucleolus organizer regions, NOR2 and NOR4. In F8 recombinant inbreds (RI) of the A. thaliana ecotypes Ler and Cvi, lines that display strong nucleolar dominance inherited a specific combination of NORs, Cvi NOR4 and Ler NOR2. These lines express almost all rRNA from Cvi NOR4. The reciprocal NOR genotype, Ler NOR4/Cvi NOR2, allowed for expression of rRNA genes from both NORs. Collectively, these data reveal that neither Cvi rRNA genes nor NOR4 are always dominant. Furthermore, strong nucleolar dominance does not occur in every RI line inheriting Cvi NOR4 and Ler NOR2, indicating stochastic effects or the involvement of other genes segregating in the RI mapping population. A partial explanation is provided by an unlinked locus, identified by QTL analysis, that displays an epistatic interaction with the NORs and affects the relative expression of NOR4 vs. NOR2. Collectively, the data indicate that nucleolar dominance is a complex trait in which NORs, rather than individual rRNA genes, are the likely units of regulation.
The effect of technology and testing environment on speech perception using telehealth with cochlear implant recipients.

PURPOSE In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of remote system and acoustic environment on speech perception via telehealth with cochlear implant recipients. METHOD Speech perception was measured in quiet and in noise. Systems evaluated were Polycom visual concert (PVC) and a hybrid presentation system (HPS). Each system was evaluated in a sound-treated booth and in a quiet office. RESULTS For speech in quiet, there was a significant effect of environment, with better performance in the sound-treated booth than in the office; there was no effect of system (PVC or HPS). Speech in noise revealed a significant interaction between environment and system. Subjects' performance was poorer for PVC in the office, whereas performance in the sound-treated booth was not significantly different for the two systems. Results from the current study were compared to results for the same group of subjects from an earlier study; these results suggested that poorer performance at remote sites in the previous study was primarily due to environment, not system. CONCLUSIONS Speech perception was best when evaluated in a sound-treated booth. HPS was superior for speech in noise in a reverberant environment. Future research should focus on modifications to non-sound-treated environments for telehealth service delivery in rural areas.
Heritability and Genome-Wide Association Analyses of Intracranial Carotid Artery Calcification: The Rotterdam Study

Background and Purpose— Intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC) is one of the most important risk factors for stroke. Although several environmental risk factors for ICAC have been identified, its genetic background remains unclear. Methods— Between 2003 and 2006, 2034 participants from the prospective population-based Rotterdam study (mean age: 69.6±6.8 years; 51.7% female) underwent computed tomography to quantify vascular calcification in the intracranial internal carotid artery. Blood samples were drawn for genotyping. Genotypes of the participants were imputed to the 1000 Genomes reference panel to generate genetic relationship matrices for the estimation of the heritability of ICAC volume. Adjustments were made for age and sex. Subsequently, genome-wide association analyses were performed to identify specific variants. Results— The age- and sex-adjusted heritability (h2) of ICAC was 47% [standard error (SE): 19%; P=0.009]. Genome-wide association analyses identified a variant on chromosome 9p21.3 (rs1537372; N=2034; P=4.75×10−9) and 1 variant on chromosome 11p11.2 (rs11038042, N=2034; P=3.27×10−8) that were significantly associated with ICAC volume. Rs1537372 replicated in an independent sample of 716 stroke patients (Pcombined=1.38×10−10). Conclusions— ICAC volume is a heritable trait, which is partly explained by common genetic variation. We identified specific genetic variants associated with ICAC, which given the importance of ICAC in stroke risk, needs replication in larger-scale studies to further elucidate its genetic basis.
Learning to reformulate long queries for clinical decision support

The large volume of biomedical literature poses a serious problem for medical professionals, who are often struggling to keep current with it. At the same time, many health providers consider knowledge of the latest literature in their field a key component for successful clinical practice. In this work, we introduce two systems designed to help retrieving medical literature. Both receive a long, discursive clinical note as input query, and return highly relevant literature that could be used in support of clinical practice. The first system is an improved version of a method previously proposed by the authors; it combines pseudo relevance feedback and a domain‐specific term filter to reformulate the query. The second is an approach that uses a deep neural network to reformulate a clinical note. Both approaches were evaluated on the 2014 and 2015 TREC CDS datasets; in our tests, they outperform the previously proposed method by up to 28% in inferred NDCG; furthermore, they are competitive with the state of the art, achieving up to 8% improvement in inferred NDCG.
Exercise and Smoking: A Literature Overview

The purpose of this review is to summarize the more recent research findings regarding the relationship between exercise and smoking behavior. Reviewed studies have been presented according to themes and research design types. Initially cross-sectional and longitudinal epidemiological studies have been reviewed in order to map findings regarding the correlations between those two behaviors. Moreover, studies exploring variables that function as mediators or moderators between smoking and exercise relationship have been included. Then studies examining the possible preventive effects of exercise on smoking behavior for adolescents are reviewed and implications for developing effective preventive intervention programs are provided. Finally, experimental studies examining the acute and long term effects of exercise on smokers are reviewed in order to conclude if exercise can act as a treatment for smokers to manage withdrawal symptoms and help them quit smoking. Overall, exercise seems to have a protective effect against smoking as well as a supportive effect on smoking cessation treatments. The investigation of the underlying mechanisms behind this relationship and the systematic synthesis of new knowledge on this topic can improve our understanding and inform the development of more effective health promotion programs.
Rationale and Design of a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Stress Reduction Treatment to Usual Cardiac Care: The Reducing Vulnerability to Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Shock-Treated Ventricular Arrhythmias (RISTA) Trial

Objective: To present the design of a multicenter, randomized trial testing the effects of stress reduction treatment (SRT) on the prevalence of shock-treated ventricular arrhythmias among patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Significant adjustment problems secondary to ICD shock can increase the likelihood of arrhythmias requiring shock for termination. Whether SRT can reduce arrhythmias requiring shock for termination in patients with ICDs has not been tested in clinical trials. Methods: New ICD recipients and previous recipients who have received an appropriate therapeutic shock in the last 6 months (n = 304) will be enrolled and randomized to either SRT or usual cardiac care. Participants complete a psychosocial questionnaire and undergo laboratory mental stress testing and 24-hour Holter monitoring with diary at study entry and approximately 4 months later. Follow-ups are completed at 6, 12, and 24 months post randomization to assess occurrence of ICD shock for ventricular arrhythmias (primary outcome), antitachycardia pacing events, medication changes, hospitalizations, deaths, and quality of life. Results: Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model will be used to test the effects of SRT on time to first shock-treated ventricular arrhythmia, with exploratory analyses testing the effects on overall frequency of ventricular arrhythmia. Secondary analyses will test the effects of SRT on laboratory stress-induced and 24-hour arrhythmogenic electrophysiological indices from pre to post treatment, and both quality of life and measures of anger across the 2 years of the study. Conclusions: The Reducing Vulnerability to ICD Shock-Treated Ventricular Arrhythmias (RISTA) Trial is the first large-scale, randomized, clinical trial designed to evaluate the effect of SRT on the prevalence of shock-treated arrhythmias among patients with an ICD. Results may demonstrate a treatment that can reduce vulnerability to arrhythmia-provoked shock and improve quality of life. RISTA = Reducing Vulnerability to ICD Shock-Treated Ventricular Arrhythmias; ICD = implantable cardioverter defibrillator; SRT = stress reduction treatment; UC = usual care; ATP = antitachycardia pacing; ECG = electrocardiogram; CAD = coronary artery disease; AVID = antiarrhythmics versus implantable defibrillators; MADIT = Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial; SCD-HeFT = Sudden Cardiac Death-Heart Failure Trial; ANOVA = analysis of variance.
Action observation and imitation in the healthy brain andin high-functioning adults with autism spectrumconditions

Accurate action perception plays an important role in social interaction enabling us to identify and appropriately respond to the behaviour of others. One such response is automatic imitation, the reflexive copying of observed body movements. Action perception is associated with activity in posterior brain areas, which feed into the Mirror Neuron System (MNS), a network of regions that has been associated with imitation and which is under the regulatory control of frontal brain areas. The fMRI study described in Chapter 2 demonstrated that in healthy adults, action perception can be subdivided into objective and subjective components which are primarily associated with activity in different brain areas. Chapter 3 demonstrated that activity in MNS areas, as measured by MEG, comprises an automatic motoric simulation of the kinematics of observed actions. Chapters 2 and 3 therefore enhance knowledge of the neural mechanisms of action perception in the typical brain. Previous studies have linked Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) with action perception and imitation impairments. Chapters 4 and 5 demonstrated that adults with ASC exhibit atypical action perception which is likely due to difficulties with subjective processing (i.e. knowing what a ‘natural’ human movement should look like) rather than with objective visual processing of human motion. Chapter 6 reported a lack of imitation in ASC: whereas typical adults imitated human movements more than robot movements, individuals with ASC failed to imitate. Chapter 7 suggested that problems with imitation in ASC may relate to difficulties with the control of imitation: whereas control participants show increased levels of imitation when in a positive social frame-of-mind individuals with ASC did not. Chapters 4 to 7 have implications for ASC. They suggest that atypical imitation may be due to atypical sensory input to the MNS (i.e. impaired action perception) and/or atypical control of imitation.
Antarctic Intermediate Water Mass Formation in Ocean General Circulation Models

Abstract Antarctic Intermediate Water is formed at the high midlatitudes of the Southern Ocean. In many ocean general circulation model simulations with coarse resolution and a z coordinate, a middepth salinity minimum characteristic of this intermediate water is reproduced. However, for the real ocean it remains unclear which are the dominant processes in the formation of this water mass and which are the source regions for contributing surface waters. To elucidate such processes and quantify intermediate water formation rates, two experiments with an ocean general circulation model were conducted. In one experiment, the traditional parameterization of horizontal and vertical mixing was applied, while the second model included the Gent–McWilliams parameterization for an eddy-induced transport velocity. In the latter application, the production and meridional export of intermediate water was found to be larger than in the first experiment. Furthermore, midlatitude convective mixing, which had been argued .
A Syntactic Proof of Arrow's Theorem in a Modal Logic of Social Choice Functions

We show how to formalise Arrow's Theorem on the impossibility of devising a method for preference aggregation that is both independent of irrelevant alternatives and Pareto efficient by using a modal logic of social choice functions. We also provide a syntactic proof of the theorem in that logic. While prior work has been successful in applying tools from logic and automated reasoning to social choice theory, this is the first human-readable formalisation of the Arrovian framework allowing for a direct derivation of the theorem.
Caregivers' Sensitivity to Conflict:

Thirty female caregivers of elderly people living in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) volunteered to participate in the study. They were interviewed in-depth concerning their experience of caring. Their picture of caring suggests the existence of a conflict in the relationship between carer and care receiver and the caregivers' sensitivity to that conflict. This paper provides the background for and the results of using the vignette methodology to identify coping strategies among the 30 female caregivers. The caregivers' answers to the imaginary situations were found to be related to their real lief cases. In response to vignettes the caregivers exhibited a greater sensitivity to conflictual situations, felt less guilty about not fulfilling their caregiving responsibility, and reported reaching a breaking point after which they were not eager to continue. The vignette technique is introduced as a methodology for increasing insight into the issue of conflict in the caring relationship.