Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Executive functioning in children: a comparison of hospitalised ODD and ODD/ADHD children and normal controls.

BACKGROUND Deficits in executive functioning are supposed to have a predisposing influence on impulsive or aggressive behaviour. We tested the hypothesis that oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) children with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have problems in executive functioning. METHOD Seventy-seven 7- to 12-year-old children (15 ODD, 26 ODD/ADHD, and 36 normal controls), all with normal IQ, completed 7 neuropsychological measures of executive functioning, assessing the abilities of set shifting, planning, working memory, inhibition/attention, and impulsivity. Some of these tasks involved the possibility of monetary rewards with a view to testing the prediction of a specific motivational inhibitory deficit. RESULTS We found no evidence of deficits in working memory, planning, inhibition, or impulsivity. However, the ODD/ADHD group was worse than the normal control (NC) group in set shifting, and both the ODD and ODD/ADHD groups performed worse on a response perseveration task. Moreover, on the basis of one variable derived from a motivational inhibition task, 77% of the children could be correctly classified as ODD or NC. CONCLUSIONS The findings do not support the hypothesis that ODD and ODD/ADHD children have a deficit in executive inhibitory control; rather, they emphasise that they have problems in regulating their behaviour under motivational inhibitory conditions.
Read-Write Memory and k-Set Consensus as an Affine Task

The wait-free read-write memory model has been characterized as an iterated \emph{Immediate Snapshot} (IS) task. The IS task is \emph{affine}---it can be defined as a (sub)set of simplices of the standard chromatic subdivision. It is known that the task of \emph{Weak Symmetry Breaking} (WSB) cannot be represented as an affine task. In this paper, we highlight the phenomenon of a "natural" model that can be captured by an iterated affine task and, thus, by a subset of runs of the iterated immediate snapshot model. We show that the read-write memory model in which, additionally, $k$-set-consensus objects can be used is, unlike WSB, "natural" by presenting the corresponding simple affine task captured by a subset of $2$-round IS runs. Our results imply the first combinatorial characterization of models equipped with abstractions other than read-write memory that applies to generic tasks.
Circadian Phase Shifts to Neuropeptide Y In Vitro: Cellular Communication and Signal Transduction

Mammalian circadian rhythms originate in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), from which rhythmic neural activity can be recorded in vitro. Application of neurochemicals can reset this rhythm. Here we determine cellular correlates of the phase-shifting properties of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on the hamster circadian clock in vitro. Drug or control treatments were applied to hypothalamic slices containing the SCN on the first dayin vitro. The firing rates of individual cells were sampled on the second day in vitro. Control slices exhibited a peak in firing rate in the middle of the day. Microdrop application of NPY to the SCN phase advanced the time of peak firing rate. This phase-shifting effect of NPY was not altered by block of sodium channels with tetrodotoxin or block of calcium channels with cadmium and nickel, consistent with a direct postsynaptic site of action. Pretreatment with the glutamate receptor antagonists (dl-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione disodium) also did not alter phase shifts to NPY. Blocking GABAA receptors with bicuculline (Bic) had effects only at very high (millimolar) doses of Bic, whereas blocking GABAB receptors did not alter effects of NPY. Phase shifts to NPY were blocked by pretreatment with inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC), suggesting that PKC activation may be necessary for these effects. Bathing the slice in low Ca2+/high Mg2+ can block phase shifts to NPY, possibly via a depolarizing action. A depolarizing high K+ bath can also block NPY phase shifts. The results are consistent with direct action of NPY on pacemaker neurons, mediated through a signal transduction pathway that depends on activation of PKC.
Dietary intake and cognitive function: evidence from the Bogalusa Heart Study.

BACKGROUND Dementia and late-life cognitive decline are leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Prevention of these diseases, by maintaining brain health throughout the life course, is essential. Diet and lifestyle changes are the chief strategies aimed at primary prevention for many of the risk factors of cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the potential impact of dietary factors on cognitive function. METHODS This prospective cohort study followed 516 young adults through midlife. The Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire was used to collect habitual nutrition data (mean age: 32.03 ± 5.96 y) at baseline. Scores from a neurocognitive battery were used to assess cognitive function (mean age: 49.03 ± 4.86 y) at follow-up and were transformed to z scores. Separate multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were fitted. The trend across quintiles for each dietary variable was assessed. RESULTS Vitamin B-6, whole grains, processed meats, and foods fried at home all displayed significant linear trends in their relation with cognitive function. Dietary intake of vitamin B-6 and whole grains was directly associated with better cognitive function after adjustment for age, race, sex, and total calorie intake (β coefficient from linear regression and SE: 1.755 ± 0.621, P = 0.005, and 0.001 ± 0.000, P = 0.018, respectively). Processed meat and foods fried at home consistently displayed inverse associations with cognitive function across crude and adjusted models (linear trend P values were 0.05 and <0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that dietary consumption in young adulthood may affect cognitive function in midlife. Strong associations between dietary intake and cognition were observed in our analysis, but as with all observational studies, the possibility of residual confounding cannot be excluded.
SAFETY AND MOBILITY OF OLDER DRIVERS: WHAT WE KNOW AND PROMISING RESEARCH ISSUES

This report was designed to provide a multidisciplinary overview of issues related to the safety and mobility of older drivers. The areas considered included the following: Mobility, travel patterns, and well-being; Vision, perception, and attention; Human biomechanics; and, Alcohol effects. For each of these areas, major past findings are highlighted, along with promising research results.
Extending the understanding of bridge employment: a critical analysis

Purpose Few studies aim to uniquely conceptualize the experiences of bridge employees after they enter the workforce. Supported by the psychological contract theory and the self-determination theory, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the bridge employment experience by examining how the expectations of bridge employees shape their experiences. Design/methodology/approach This paper first reviews the extant literature on bridge employment. It then discusses the psychological contract theory and the self-determination theory, and examines the expectations of bridge employees through the theoretical perspectives of these two theories, to examine experiences in bridge employment. Findings Discord in the bridge employment relationship may be attributed to a lack of understanding of the implicit expectations of bridge employees. More specifically, unmet expectations may be detrimental to the bridge employment experience, and ultimately jeopardize both employer and employee outcomes. Research limitations/implications This paper examines expectations and experiences of bridge employees from a theoretical perspective. Theoretical tenets are utilized to analyze how and why implicit expectations may influence bridge employees in ways that result in detrimental outcomes for both employers and employees. Practical implications This paper sheds light on why bridge employment arrangements may result in adverse outcomes. Specifically, when there is a lack of understanding between bridge employees’ expectations and experiences, both individual and organizational outcomes may be impaired. An improved understanding of the bridge employment experience will likely result in an enhanced working relationship between bridge employees and employers, and minimize misunderstandings about this cohort of the workforce. Originality/value Using the guidelines of the psychological contract theory and the self-determination theory, we develop a model to examine how expectation of bridge employees may affect the experiences and ultimately, the outcomes of bridge employment. The authors also identify factors uniquely applicable to bridge employees. This is the first paper that examines the experiences of bridge employees through such theoretical perspectives.
Error recovery of image-based depth maps using Bézier curve fitting

This paper proposes a method to recover lost regions in image-based depth maps used in video plus depth 3D format. This method performs depth maps reconstruction taking into account depth contours within the lost regions. This is achieved by extracting the contours and recovering their lost segments based on Bézier curve fitting, followed by spatial interpolation. The proposed method maintains contour smoothness and uses them as the boundary limits of homogeneous depth regions, which are then filled through weighted pixel interpolation. The experimental results show that the proposed method yields better synthesized images than classic spatial concealment methods, uniquely based on pixel interpolation techniques. The method presented in this paper is able to outperform the reference method, in terms of PSNR by up to 1.91dB. The subjective quality is also shown as being significantly better.
Protective effects of rosmarinic acid against radiation-induced damage to the hematopoietic system in mice

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an ester of caffeic acid and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid. It is a potent antioxidant that functions by scavenging free radicals. Here, we used a 30-day survival assay to investigate the radioprotective effects of RA. Mice were treated with RA once per day for 10 consecutive days starting at 3 days before gamma irradiation at 7.5 Gy until 7 days post irradiation. Mice treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (bw) of RA had 30-day survival rates of 89% and 72%, respectively, compared with 32% in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P = 0.0008 and 0.0421, respectively). Spleen colony–forming units (CFU-S), the number of nucleated cells in the bone marrow (BMNC), bone marrow DNA content, and hematological parameters of the peripheral blood were measured to investigate the radioprotective effect of RA on the hematopoietic system. The treatment groups that received RA at 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg bw and whole-body exposure to 5.5 Gy of 137Cs γ- radiation had significantly higher CFU-S, BMNC and DNA content than the irradiation-only group. Assessment of hematological parameters in the peripheral blood showed that the treatment groups receiving RA at doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg bw had higher white blood cell counts, hemoglobin and platelets than the radiation-only group. These results suggested that the administration of RA promoted the recovery of peripheral blood cells in irradiated mice.
The perceived severity of a disease and the impact of the vocabulary used to convey information: using Rasch scaling in a simulated oncological scenario

Background Healthcare staff should be aware of the importance that patients may attach to the words that are used to convey information. This is relevant in terms of the patients’ understanding. Modeling how people understand the information conveyed in a medical context may help health practitioners to better appreciate the patients’ approach. Purpose 1) Analyze the participants’ self-reported perception of the type of information provided in an oncological scenario in terms of three dimensions: impairment to their health, risks associated with the disease itself and commitment required to undergo the treatment; and 2) show the benefits of using Rasch scaling for the analysis of the data. Starting from a survey, Rasch scaling produces a unidimensional logit-interval scale relating to the extent to which each item conveys a latent dimension. These were related to structure, in particular concerning communication by means of opposite vs. unipolar language. Subjects and methods The participants rated 82 items of information in a questionnaire regarding their perception of impairment to their health (H) and the risks (R) and commitment relating to the treatment prescribed (T). Results The scaling produced an item bank for healthcare staff to consult in order to estimate the importance the recipient would be likely to attach to the vocabulary used and the likely impact of the information in terms of the patient’s condition. Furthermore, the use of opposites was generally associated with a clearer impression of whether the information given was generally only very negative or slightly negative, whereas ‘neutral’ information was often perceived as being very negative. Actual findings Is possible to estimate people’s understanding more precisely (in terms of H, R and T) which can help healthcare practitioners to modulate the way they convey information. Limitations The participants in the study were healthy volunteers and the context was simulated.
Comorbidities and Disease Severity as Risk Factors for Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Colonization: Report of an Experience in an Internal Medicine Unit

Background Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is an emerging multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen, spreading to hospitalized elderly patients. Risk factors in this setting are unclear. Our aims were to explore the contribution of multi-morbidity and disease severity in the onset of CRKP colonization/infection, and to describe changes in epidemiology after the institution of quarantine-ward managed by staff-cohorting. Methods and Findings With a case-control design, we evaluated 133 CRKP-positive patients (75 M, 58 F; mean age 79±10 years) and a control group of 400 CRKP-negative subjects (179 M, 221 F; mean age 79±12 years) admitted to Internal Medicine and Critical Subacute Care Unit of Parma University Hospital, Italy, during a 10-month period. Information about comorbidity type and severity, expressed through Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-CIRS, was collected in each patient. During an overall 5-month period, CRKP-positive patients were managed in an isolation ward with staff cohorting. A contact-bed isolation approach was established in the other 5 months. The effects of these strategies were evaluated with a cross-sectional study design. CRKP-positive subjects had higher CIRS comorbidity index (12.0±3.6 vs 9.1±3.5, p<0.0001) and CIRS severity index (3.2±0.4 vs 2.9±0.5, p<0.0001), along with higher cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and neurological disease burden than control group. CIRS severity index was associated with a higher risk for CRKP-colonization (OR 13.3, 95%CI6.88–25.93), independent of comorbidities. Isolation ward activation was associated with decreased monthly incidence of CRKP-positivity (from 16.9% to 1.2% of all admissions) and infection (from 36.6% to 22.5% of all positive cases; p = 0.04 derived by Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Mortality rate did not differ between cases and controls (21.8% vs 15.2%, p = 0.08). The main limitations of this study are observational design and lack of data about prior antibiotic exposure. Conclusions Comorbidities and disease severity are relevant risk factors for CRKP-colonization/infection in elderly frail patients. Sanitary measures may have contributed to limit epidemic spread and rate of infection also in internal medicine setting.
A Nonparametric Multivariate Multi-Index Drought Monitoring Framework

AbstractAccurate and reliable drought monitoring is essential to drought mitigation efforts and reduction of social vulnerability. A variety of indices, such as the standardized precipitation index (SPI), are used for drought monitoring based on different indicator variables. Because of the complexity of drought phenomena in their causation and impact, drought monitoring based on a single variable may be insufficient for detecting drought conditions in a prompt and reliable manner. This study outlines a multivariate, multi-index drought monitoring framework, namely, the multivariate standardized drought index (MSDI), for describing droughts based on the states of precipitation and soil moisture. In this study, the MSDI is evaluated against U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) data as well as the commonly used standardized indices for drought monitoring, including detecting drought onset, persistence, and spatial extent across the continental United States. The results indicate that MSDI includes attractive propert.
Exemplar-Based Random-Walk Model 1 An Exemplar-Based Random-Walk Model of Categorization and Recognition

In this chapter, we provide a review of a process-oriented mathematical model of categorization known as the exemplar-based random-walk (EBRW) model (Nosofsky & Palmeri, 1997a). The EBRW model is a member of the class of exemplar models. According to such models, people represent categories by storing individual exemplars of the categories in memory, and classify objects on the basis of their similarity to the stored exemplars. The EBRW model combines ideas ranging from the fields of choice and similarity, to the development of automaticity, to response-time models of evidence accumulation and decision-making. This integrated model explains relations between categorization and other fundamental cognitive processes, including individual-object identification, the development of expertise in tasks of skilled performance, and old-new recognition memory. Furthermore, it provides an account of how categorization and recognition decision-making unfold through time. We also provide comparisons with some other process models of categorization.
Natural enemy specialization and the period of population cycles

The dynamical consequences of multiple-species interactions remain an elusive and fiercely debated topic. Recently, Murdoch and colleagues proposed a general rule for the dynamics of generalist natural enemies: when periodic, they exhibit single generation cycles (SGCs), similar to single species systems. This contrasts markedly with specialists, which tend to show classic (longer period) consumer–resource cycles. Using a well-studied laboratory system, we show that this general rule is contradicted when we consider resource age-structure.
The relationship between adolescent refugees’ attachment patterns and their experiences of trauma

ABSTRACT Nearly half of all young refugees experience trauma-related mental health problems. However, protective factors, such as attachment style, may mitigate the impact of traumatic events. This study explores the relationship between adolescent refugees’ traumatic experiences and their Adult Attachment Inventory classifications. Attachment and trauma data were gathered from 37 refugee youths resettled in the United States. Results suggest refugees who are securely attached may have greater resilience in the face of traumatic events than refugees with insecure or disorganized attachment styles. Future research should further explore links between adolescent refugee attachment and resiliency in the face of traumatic experiences.
Fast analog circuit synthesis using multiparameter sensitivity analysis based on element-coefficient diagrams

This paper presents a new method to perform efficient analog circuit synthesis by using accurate multiparameter sensitivity analysis based on element-coefficient diagrams (ECDs). An ECD is the cancellation-free and per-coefficient term generation version of determinant decision diagrams (DDDs). The techniques based on DDD are the fastest symbolic analysis algorithms reported so far in literature. The symbolic multiparameter sensitivity equations obtained from ECDs can be evaluated so as to tune the parameters in analog synthesis process efficiently. The proposed methodology has been applied for the synthesis of a two stage opamp circuit. The experimental results demonstrate that the speed and convergence of analog synthesis are improved significantly.
Effect of the Level of Coordinated Motor Abilities on Performance in Junior Judokas

Effect of the Level of Coordinated Motor Abilities on Performance in Junior Judokas The main focus of this study was to identify coordinated motor abilities that affect fighting methods and performance in junior judokas. Subjects were selected for the study in consideration of their age, competition experience, body mass and prior sports level. Subjects' competition history was taken into consideration when analysing the effectiveness of current fight actions, and individual sports level was determined with consideration to rank in the analysed competitions. The study sought to determine the level of coordinated motor abilities of competitors. The scope of this analysis covered the following aspects: kinaesthetic differentiation, movement frequency, simple and selective reaction time (evoked by a visual or auditory stimulus), spatial orientation, visual-motor coordination, rhythmization, speed, accuracy and precision of movements and the ability to adapt movements and balance. A set of computer tests was employed for the analysis of all of the coordination abilities, while balance examinations were based on the Flamingo Balance Test. Finally, all relationships were determined based on the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. It was observed that the activity of the contestants during the fight correlated with the ability to differentiate movements and speed, accuracy and precision of movement, whereas the achievement level during competition was connected with reaction time.
Impact of Brand Image, Service Quality and price on customer satisfaction in Pakistan Telecommunication sector

Over the last decade, the telecommunication sector of Pakistan has witnessed immense growth and is now catering to almost 100 million subscribers. To make sure that these customers remain loyal, the telecom companies are working to achieve high customer satisfaction through improved service quality, better price and superior brand image. This study particularly looks at all of these aspects and their association with customer satisfaction. Data was collected from educational and business sector of Gujranwala region of Pakistan using stratified random sampling technique. Sample size was 200 and 165 complete questionnaires were received back with response rate of 82.5%. Results of this research are favorable and will help the telecom service providers to shape their products and pricing policies in such a way that they could maximize customer satisfaction and maintain their customers in order to achieve higher market share.