Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal design in psychological research.

Psychologists often do not consider the optimality of their research designs. However, increasing costs of using inefficient designs requires psychologists to adopt more efficient designs and to use more powerful analysis strategies. Common designs with many factor levels and equal allocations of observations are often inefficient for the specific questions most psychologists want to answer. Happenstance allocations determined by random sampling are usually even more inefficient and some common analysis strategies can exacerbate the inefficiency. By selecting treatment levels and allocating observations optimally, psychologists can greatly increase the efficiency and statistical power of their research designs. A few heuristic design principles can produce much more efficient designs than are often used. Experimental researchers outside psychology often carefully consider the efficiency of their research designs. For example, the high costs of conducting large-scale experiments with industrial processes has motivated the search for designs that are optimally efficient. As a consequence, a substantial literature on optimal design has developed outside psychology. In contrast, psychologists have not been as constrained by costs, so their research designs have been based on tradition and computational ease. Most psychologists are unaware of the literature on optimal research design; this topic receives little or no attention in popular textbooks on methods and statistics in psychology. Experimental design textbooks offer little if any advice on how many levels of the independent variables to use or on how to allocate observations across those levels to obtain optimal efficiency. When advice is offered, it is usually based on heuristics derived from experience rather than statistical principles. The purpose of this article is to review the basic concepts of optimal design and to illustrate how a few
Systematic reviews of bicycle helmet research

The recently published systematic review of the effectiveness of bicycle helmet legislation brings to a total of three published reviews on this topic in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews : 1. Helmets for preventing head and facial injuries in bicyclists;1 2. Non-legislative interventions for the promotion of cycle helmet wearing by children;2 and 3. Bicycle helmet legislation for the uptake of helmet use and prevention of head injuries.3 Cycling is a cheap and efficient form of transport in many low and middle income countries, and is a common recreational activity in high income countries. With current concerns about global warming, the popularity of cycling, with both cardiovascular and environmental benefits, is likely to rise. However, bicycle-related head injury is a significant contributor to hospitalisations and death worldwide. It seems intuitive that bicycle helmets would be an effective means of reducing head injury, and indeed helmet manufacturers and standards associations worldwide conduct rigorous tests to determine the impact absorption and other qualities of helmets. It is however, important to go beyond laboratory tests and understand whether helmets reduce injuries in the event of a crash in real-life; hence the review by Thompson et al . 1 This review included five well conducted …
Composition and variation of the gel electrophoretic fractions of plasma, cerebrosinal fluid and urine.

The electrophoretic distribution of the 14 plasma components of decisive influence on the normal gel electrophoretic plasma patterns are presented. The genetic variants and aquired shifts in disease are outlined with comments on blurred and displaced bands as a result of intercation phenomenon of individual proteins. The common electrophoretic band patterns of cerebrospinal fluid and urine in health and disease are analysed.
A novel missense variant in PRKCB segregates low-frequency hearing loss in an autosomal dominant family with Meniere's disease.

Meniere's Disease (MD) is a complex disorder associated with an accumulation of endolymph in the membranous labyrinth in the inner ear. It is characterized by recurrent attacks of spontaneous vertigo associated with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and tinnitus. The SNHL usually starts at low and medium frequencies with a variable progression to high frequencies. We identified a novel missense variant in the PRKCB gene in a Spanish family with MD segregating low-to-middle frequency SNHL. Confocal imaging showed strong PKCB II protein labelling in non-sensory cells, the tectal cells and inner border cells of the rat organ of Corti with a tonotopic expression gradient. The PKCB II signal was more pronounced in the apical turn of the cochlea when compared with the middle and basal turns. It was also much higher in cochlear tissue than in vestibular tissue. Taken together, our findings identify PRKCB gene as a novel candidate gene for familial MD and its expression gradient in supporting cells of the organ of Corti deserves attention, given the role of supporting cells in K+ recycling within the endolymph, and its apical turn location may explain the onset of hearing loss at low frequencies in MD.
Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I–Restricted Infiltration and Destruction of Pancreatic Islets by NOD Mouse-Derived β-Cell Cytotoxic CD8+ T-Cell Clones In Vivo

NOD mouse-derived β-cell-specific cytotoxic T-cell (β-CTL) clones are diabetogenic in adult NOD mice, but only if co-injected with splenic CD4+ T-cells from diabetic animals. This investigation was initiated to determine whether infiltration of pancreatic islets by β-CTL is a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-restricted response, and whether β-CTL has a direct cytopathic effect on β-cells in vivo. Pancreatic islets from BALB/c (H-2d) or B6 (H-2b) mice were transplanted under the renal capsule of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic (NOD × BALB/c) Fl (H-2Kd, H-2Dd,b) or (NOD × B6) Fl (H-2Kd,b, H-2Db) mice, respectively. H-2Kd-restricted β-CTL clones from NOD mice were transfused into euglycemic mice within 3 days after transplantation. In all of the H-2d islet-grafted (NOD × BALB/c) Fl mice that received the β-CTL clones, the β-CTLs homed into the grafts, recruited host Mac-1+ cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, and caused diabetes within 7 days. In contrast, none of the H-2b islet-grafted (NOD × B6) Fl mice who received the β-CTL clones and none of the H-2d islet-grafted (NOD × BALB/c) Fl mice who received a non-β-cell cytotoxic CTL clone (Nβ-CTL) developed graft inflammation or diabetes. Depletion of CD4+ T-cells in H-2d islet-grafted (NOD × BALB/c) Fl mice did not prevent β-CTL clone-induced diabetes but reduced its severity. In contrast, when the β-CTL clones were injected >8 days after transplantation, none of the H-2d islet-grafted (NOD × BALB/c) Fl mice became diabetic or developed graft inflammation. We conclude that (1) isletderived β-CTLs can destroy β-cells in vivo; (2) infiltration of grafted islets by β-CTLs is an MHC class I-restricted response; (3) β-CTLs can recruit naive CD4+ T-cells to the site, leading to further β-cell damage; and (4) revascularized islet grafts are, like pancreatic islets of irradiated adult NOD mice, “sequestered” from circulating β-CTLs.
Examining the Shareholder Wealth Effects of Announcements of Newly Created CIO Positions

While information technology (IT) has been transforming the business landscape for a long time now, it is only recently that empirical evidence demonstrating the positive impact of IT on firm performance has begun to accumulate. The strategic importance of a firm's IT capabilities is prompting an increasing number of companies to appoint chief information officers (CIOs) to effectively manage these assets. Such moves are reflective of changes in top management thinking and policy regarding the role of IT and firms' approaches to IT governance. This paper uses the event study methodology to examine market reactions to announcements of new CIO positions. Findings strongly support the notion that, for firms competing in industries undergoing IT-driven transformation, announcements of newly created CIO positions do indeed provoke positive reactions from the marketplace.
Validation of the Dutch version of the transplant effects questionnaire in liver transplant recipients.

Little is known about the extent to which transplant recipients face emotional problems with the receipt of a transplanted organ. The Transplant Effects Questionnaire (TxEQ) enables the quantification of these problems. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Dutch translation of the TxEQ (TxEQ-NL) in a group of liver transplant recipients. Confirmatory factor analyses of the TxEQ-NL revealed an adequate fit with the original version. However, four items showed factor loadings <. 40. Internal consistency was acceptable (.66-.79). The small correlations between the TxEQ-NL and generic measures of psychological functioning indicated that the constructs measured are related but distinguishable. Therefore, the TxEQ-NL adds a new dimension to the measurement of psychological functioning of transplant recipients.
Understanding the Dynamics of Service-Oriented Architecture Implementation

Abstract Despite the potential benefits, many organizations have failed in service-oriented architecture (SOA) implementation projects. Prior research often used a variance perspective and neglected to explore the complex interactions and timing dependencies between the critical success factors. This study adopts a process perspective to capture the dynamics while providing a new explanation for the mixed outcomes of SOA implementation. We develop a system dynamics model and use simulation analysis to demonstrate the phenomenon of “tipping point. ” That is, under certain conditions, even a small reduction in the duration of normative commitment can dramatically reverse, from success to failure, the outcome of an SOA implementation. The simulation results also suggest that (1) the duration of normative commitment can play a more critical role than the strength, and (2) the minimal duration of normative commitment for a successful SOA implementation is associated positively with the information delay of organizational learning of SOA knowledge. Finally, we discuss the theoretical causes and organizational traps associated with SOA implementation to help IT managers make better decisions about their implementation projects.
Comparison of In Situ and In Vitro Rates of Methane Release in Freshwater Sediments

Anaerobic lake sediment incubated in vitro was investigated for its ability to mimic natural in situ sediment activities, using rate of methane production for the comparison. Two lakes with different rates and seasonal patterns of methanogenic activity were compared. There was good agreement (at the 97.5% confidence level) between rates of in situ methane release and initial (lasting an average of 120 h) rates of production measured in vitro in surface (0- to 3-cm) sediment. Evidence from this study, and others, indicated that it is the in situ surface sediment methane production which is primarily responsible for maintaining in situ methane release, and thus the above agreement was what was expected if surface in situ activity was maintained in vitro. When deeper sediment was investigated, however, the sum of in vitro rates from 0 to 20 cm (measured in 1.5- to 3-cm intervals) was much higher than in situ release rates and would have resulted in an impossibly high volume of gas. The extra gas could not have been stored within the sediments. We conclude that the in situ methanogenic activity of the 0- to 3-cm anaerobic surface sediments could be preserved during removal and laboratory incubation. However, similar treatment of deeper sediment appeared to stimulate methanogenic activity.
Different types of Hardware-In-the-Loop simulation for electric drives

Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations are more and more used to assess performances of electric drives. Software simulations lead to develop control of the studied system. In this case generally a lot of simplifications are assumed to reduce the computation time. Before a real-time implementation of the control, HIL simulations could be a very useful intermediary step. Thus a hardware device is introduced in the loop in order to take its real constraints into account. In this paper, three different kinds of HIL simulation are suggested: signal level, power level, and mechanical level. A example is given for the traction system of an electric scooter.
The concentration of health care expenditures, revisited.

In two previous publications, we described the distribution of health care expenditures among the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population, specifically in terms of the share of aggregate expenditures accounted for by the top spenders in the distribution. Our focus revealed considerably skewed distribution, with a relatively small proportion of the population accounting for a large share of expenditures. In this paper we update our previous tabulations (last computed using data more than a decade old) with new data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Our findings show that the skewed concentration of health care expenditures has remained very stable; 5 percent of the population accounts for the majority of health expenditures.
Self-care educational intervention to reduce hospitalisations in heart failure: A randomised controlled trial

Background: A variety of educational interventions have been implemented to assist patients with heart failure to maintain their own health, develop self-care behaviours and decrease readmissions. Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a multimedia educational intervention for patients with heart failure in reducing unplanned hospital readmissions. Methods: The study, a randomised controlled trial in a large tertiary referral hospital in Australia, recruited 200 patients. Patients diagnosed with heart failure were randomly allocated 1:1 to usual education or a multimedia educational intervention. The multimedia approach began with an individual needs assessment to develop an educational plan. The educational intervention included viewing a DVD, and verbal discussion supported by a written manual with a teach-back evaluation strategy. The primary outcome was all-cause unplanned hospital readmission at 28 days, three months and 12 months post-recruitment. The secondary outcomes were changes in knowledge and self-care behaviours at three months and 12 months post-recruitment. Results: At 12 months, data on 171 participants were analysed. There were 24 participants who had an unplanned hospital readmission in the intervention group compared to 44 participants in the control group (p=0.005). The self-care educational intervention reduced the risk of readmission at 12 months by 30% (relative risk: 0.703; 95% confidence interval: 0.548–0.903). Conclusion: A targeted multimedia educational intervention can be effective in reducing all-cause unplanned readmissions for people with heart failure.
The Role of Lipid Metabolism in the Pathogenesis of Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Hepatic Steatosis

Hepatic steatosis is now understood to play an important role in the development of advanced liver disease. Alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver each begin with the accumulation of lipids in the liver. Lipid accumulation in the liver can occur through maladaptations of fatty acid uptake (either through dietary sources or from fat tissue), fatty acid synthesis, fatty acid oxidation, or export of lipids from the liver. Alterations in mechanisms of fatty acid uptake through both dietary uptake and lipolysis in adipose tissue can contribute to the pathogenesis of both disorders, as can effects on fatty acid transporters. Effects on lipid synthesis in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver involve the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, homocysteine metabolism pathway, and different transcription factors regulating genes in the lipid synthesis pathway. Fatty acid oxidation, through effects on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), adiponectin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), and mitochondrial function is predominantly altered in alcoholic liver disease, although studies suggest that activation of this pathway may improve nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Finally, changes in fatty acid export, through effects on apolipoprotein B and microsomal transport protein are seen in both diseases. Thus, the similarities and differences in the mechanism of fat accumulation in the liver in nonalcoholic and alcoholic liver disease are explored in detail.
Differential modulation of AMPA receptors by cyclothiazide in two types of striatal neurons

The modulation of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazol‐propionate (AMPA) receptor‐mediated currents by cyclothiazide was investigated in acutely isolated cells from rat striatum with whole‐cell patch‐clamp recording. Single‐cell reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) was used to identify medium spiny and giant aspiny neurons and to determine their AMPA receptor subunit composition mostly in separate experiments. After pretreatment with cyclothiazide, kainate‐induced AMPA responses were more strongly potentiated in medium spiny than in giant aspiny neurons; cyclothiazide induced a ninefold leftward shift in the kainate concentration–response curve for medium spiny neurons (not giant aspiny neurons). The EC50s for the cyclothiazide potentiation did not differ substantially between medium spiny neurons and giant aspiny neurons. The recovery of kainate‐activated currents from modulation by cyclothiazide was slower for medium spiny neurons than for giant aspiny neurons. Medium spiny neurons expressed GluR‐A, GluR‐B and GluR‐C, but not GluR‐D subunits in both flip and flop splice variants. All giant aspiny neurons expressed GluR‐A and GluR‐D, exclusively in the flop form, half of them also expressed GluR‐B and GluR‐C. This is in keeping with slow and fast desensitization kinetics in medium spiny neurons and giant aspiny neurons, respectively, and differences in cyclothiazide modulation. The rate of cyclothiazide dissociation from the AMPA receptor, activated by glutamate, was ∼ 90 times slower in medium spiny neurons than in giant aspiny neurons. In giant aspiny neurons (not medium spiny neurons) this rate was strongly dependent on the presence of an agonist; 1 mm glutamate increased it 30‐fold. Thus, two major cell groups in the striatum display distinct AMPA receptor compositions carrying specific properties of glutamate responses. Excitatory transmission will thus be differentially affected by cyclothiazide‐type compounds.
A Bayesian posterior predictive framework for weighting ensemble regional climate models

Abstract. We present a novel Bayesian statistical approach to computing model weights in climate change projection ensembles in order to create probabilistic projections. The weight of each climate model is obtained by weighting the current day observed data under the posterior distribution admitted under competing climate models. We use a linear model to describe the model output and observations. The approach accounts for uncertainty in model bias, trend and internal variability, including error in the observations used. Our framework is general, requires very little problem-specific input, and works well with default priors. We carry out cross-validation checks that confirm that the method produces the correct coverage.
Diagnoses for 29 Epileptic Subjects

Previous studies of plasma taurine concentrations in epileptics have yielded equivocal results. We measured plasma and urinary taurine in 41 epileptic and 68 control subjectsand found plasma concentrationsamong epileptics to be comparable in general to those of controls, but that two or three classes of plasma taurine concentrations, possibly genetically regulated, occur in both epileptic and control subjects. Our previous studies and data from the present study on taurine excretion revealed three excretion classes under genetic control. The principal finding is that epileptics include disproportionate numbers of low excretors (high reabsorbers), who are presumptive homozygotes for the allele effecting higher reabsorption. If confirmed, these findings suggest that the transport of taurine, rather than absolute taurine concentration, may explain the efficacy of taurine administration in some epileptics but not in others. The locus involved may be one component in the polygenic diathesis to the idiopathic epilepsies.
Discriminability, response bias, and phoneme categories in discrimination of voice onset time.

The ’’phoneme‐boundary effect’’ refers to the observation that discrimination of stop consonants across a boundary between phoneme categories is superior to discrimination of comparable stimulus differences within a phoneme category. The present experiment employed signal detection methodology (a) to distinguish between changes in discriminability and response bias; and (b) to reevaluate the role of phonetic categorization in the phoneme‐boundary effect. A SAME–DIFFERENT discrimination task compared discrimination of 10− and 20−msec differences in voice onset time (VOT) in a synthetic stimulus continuum ranging from [ba] to [pa] (VOT’s from −50 to +70 msec). Both a clear increase in discriminability and a marked shift in response bias from SAME to DIFFERENT occurred near the voiced–voiceless boundary. When variations in VOT were isolated from syllable context so that they were not categorized as phonemes, discriminability increased near the voiced–voiceless boundary in a manner comparable to the full‐syll.
Billroth I versus Billroth II versus Roux-en-Y after subtotal gastrectomy. Prospective [correction of prespective] randomized study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate functional results after Billroth I, Billroth II and Roux-en-Y reconstruction in subtotal gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY Forty-five patients were randomized between 1990 and 1995 and stratified in 3 different groups: 15 BI, 15 BII and 15 Roux. They were investigated by esophagogastroduodenoscopy with multiple biopsies and upper gastrointestinal scintiscanning, to evaluate gastroesophageal reflux and dynamics of gastric emptying. They also answered a questionnaire: Gastrointestinal Quality of Life. Index. RESULTS A reflux esophagitis was found in 5 BI, in 7 BII and in 2 Roux (p < 0.001). No gastric lesions were found in 6 BI, in 5 BII and in 12 Roux, (BI vs. Y, p < 0.05; BII vs. Y, p < 0.001). Chronic superficial gastritis was present in 9 BI, in 4 BII and in 3 Roux (BI vs. Y, p < 0.05). Dynamic scintiscan demonstrated the presence of gastroesophageal reflux in 5 BI and gastric emptying was fast (37' < T 1/2 < 86'), but incomplete (60' residual activity: 49-62%). Gastroesophageal reflux was evident in 7 BII with slow (28' < T 1/2 < 143') and incomplete (60' residual activity: 48-72%) gastric emptying. Gastroesophageal reflux was detected in 2 Roux and radioactive bolus progression in the Roux limb was fast (24' < T 1/2 < 53') and complete (60' residual activity: 42-52%) (BI vs. Y; BII vs. Y, p < 0.001). There was no statistical significance between Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index score in the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS The Authors affirm that Roux-en-Y is the technique of choice in subtotal gastrectomy, if compared with BI and BII.