Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the relationship between academic stress and motivation toward physical education within a semester: A two-wave study with Chinese secondary school students

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between academic stress and motivation toward physical education (PE) through a longitudinal design with cross-lagged panel analyses. A sample of 556 Chinese secondary school students participated in the research and completed Perceived Locus of Causality Scale and Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents at the beginning of the semester and 3 months later. The results demonstrated that academic stress factors were positively related to less self-determined motivations except that worry about grades was positively related to more self-determined motivations within each time point. In addition, we found that academic stress negatively predicted more self-determined motivations but positively predicted less self-determined motivations, whereas worry about grades negatively predicted amotivation 3 months later. Meanwhile, the influence of amotivation on despondency was also found. These results suggest that academic stress can obstruct students’ participation in PE through an impact on self-determined motivation. Our findings also indicate that self-determined students in PE will seek academic achievement as well, which in turn improves students’ academic status.
Prevalence of obesity in asthma and its relations with asthma severity and control.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of obesity in asthmatic patients attending at an outpatient clinic, and to investigate its relationships with asthma severity and level of asthma control. METHODS In a cross-sectional study we recruited patients aged 11 years and older with confirmed asthma diagnosis from the outpatient asthma clinic of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. They underwent an evaluation by a general questionnaire, an asthma control questionnaire and by pulmonary function tests. Nutritional status was classified by body mass index (BMI). RESULTS 272 patients were included in the study. Mean age was 51.1 ± 16.5 years and there were 206 (74.9%) female patients. Mean BMI was 27.5 ± 5.3kg/m(2), and 96 (35.3%) patients were classified as normal weight, 97 (35.7%) as overweight and 79 (29%) as obesity. There was a significant higher proportion of female than male patients (34.3% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.002) in the obesity group. There were no significant differences with respect to asthma control (p = 0.741) and severity classification (p = 0.506). The FEV1% predicted was significantly higher in the obese than in the non-obese group (73.7% vs. 67.2%, p = 0.037). Logistic regression analysis identified sex (OR = 3.84, p = 0.002) as an independent factor associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS This study showed a high prevalence of obesity in asthmatic patients. Obese and non-obese subjects were similar in regard to asthma severity and level of asthma control. Female sex was associated with obesity in this asthma population.
Hemoglobin A(1c) levels and mortality in the diabetic hemodialysis population: findings from the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS).

OBJECTIVE Lowering hemoglobin A(1c) to <7% reduces the risk of microvascular complications of diabetes, but the importance of maintaining this target in diabetes patients with kidney failure is unclear. We evaluated the relationship between A(1c) levels and mortality in an international prospective cohort study of hemodialysis patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Included were 9,201 hemodialysis patients from 12 countries (Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study 3 and 4, 2006-2010) with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and at least one A(1c) measurement during the first 8 months after study entry. Associations between A(1c) and mortality were assessed with Cox regression, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS The association between A(1c) and mortality was U-shaped. Compared with an A(1c) of 7-7.9%, the hazard ratios (95% CI) for A(1c) levels were 1.35 (1.09-1.67) for <5%, 1.18 (1.01-1.37) for 5-5.9%, 1.21 (1.05-1.41) for 6-6.9%, 1.16 (0.94-1.43) for 8-8.9%, and 1.38 (1.11-1.71) for ≥9.0%, after adjustment for age, sex, race, BMI, serum albumin, years of dialysis, serum creatinine, 12 comorbid conditions, insulin use, hemoglobin, LDL cholesterol, country, and study phase. Diabetes medications were prescribed for 35% of patients with A(1c) <6% and not prescribed for 29% of those with A(1c) ≥9%. CONCLUSIONS A(1c) levels strongly predicted mortality in hemodialysis patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Mortality increased as A(1c) moved further from 7-7.9%; thus, target A(1c) in hemodialysis patients may encompass values higher than those recommended by current guidelines. Modifying glucose-lowering medicines for dialysis patients to target A(1c) levels within this range may be a modifiable practice to improve outcomes.
Feasibility and efficacy of an acceptance and mindfulness-based group intervention for young people with early psychosis (Feel-Good group)

Background Over the last decade, researchers have sought for alternative interventions that have better treatment effects than Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when treating psychotic symptoms. Mindfulness-based interventions have been a proposed alternative to CBT, yet research regarding its feasibility, acceptance and effectiveness is lacking when treating individuals with early psychosis in inpatient settings. Objective Before conducting a large-scale randomized-controlled trial (RCT), this pilot study evaluated the feasibility and the potential efficacy of a mindfulness-based inpatient group intervention that targets emotion regulation in patients with early psychosis, and thus indirectly improving psychotic symptoms. Methods A pre–post study was performed. Thirty-six patients with early psychosis treated at the specialized inpatient treatment “Frühinterventions- und Therapiezentrum; FRITZ” (early intervention and therapy center) received eight group therapy sessions. Assessments were performed at baseline, after 8 weeks post treatment and at follow-up after 16 weeks. Results Rates of patients who participated in the study suggests that a mindfulness-based group therapy is highly accepted and feasible for patients with early psychosis being treated in an inpatient ward. Friedman analyses revealed significant changes in the primary outcomes of emotional goal attainment (Goal 1: W = 0.79; Goal 2: W = 0.71) and psychotic symptoms (PANSS-T: W = 0.74). Significant, albeit small, effect sizes were found in patients’ self-perception of emotion regulation skills (ERSQ: W = 0.23). Discussion We found favorable findings regarding the feasibility and acceptance of the Feel-Good mindfulness-based intervention. Results of the study provide a basis for an estimation of an adequate sample size for a fully powered RCT that needs to be conducted to test whether Feel-Good is effective in the inpatient treatment of psychotic symptoms for individuals with early psychosis. Clinical trial registration [https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04592042], identifier [NCT04592042].
Using Robots to Learn Functions in Math Class

In the present paper we present and discuss an activity realized with K-8 level students using robots to learn functions in the mathematics classroom. Research presented in this paper is framed by project DROIDE which is a three years project. We are now in the first one. The aims of DROIDE are: • to create problems in Mathematics Education/Informatics areas to be solved through robots; • to implement problem solving using robotics in three kinds of classrooms: mathematics classes at K-9 and K-12 levels; Informatics in K-12 levels; Artificial Intelligence, Didactics of Mathematics and Didactics of Computer Science/Informatics subjects at high level; • to analyze students activity during problem solving using robots in this different kinds of classes. In spite of we are just beginning the research, first data collected show them as promising and we can already point out some implications for mathematics teaching and learning when robots are used as mediators between students and Mathematics.
Continuously Collecting Software Development Event Data As Students Program

Teaching good software development practices is difficult, both in theory and in practice. Time management and project organization are skills often left by the wayside by students too focused on the coding itself. Educational research has been invested in developing strategies to combat these bad habits. In order to provide better support for interventions discouraging bad development habits, more data about student development is needed. The purpose of this research is to design and implement software to collect data continuously as students work on programming projects and provide it in useful forms to instructors and researchers so that they may make headway in designing new curricula, assignments, and interventions that better help students to succeed. The DevEventTracker is a software system that interfaces with existing Web-CAT services to track student development data continuously, without any student effort. Development and compilation events are tracked within the Eclipse IDE through a plugin and sent to a Web-CAT server. Code snapshots corresponding to each event are also committed to a server-side repository. The system provides a dashboard as a set of instructor-visible web pages that display useful data in generated charts and tables. Data are presented in both class overview and individual student summaries. The system presented will enable future research in education and specifically in intervention development. Particularly, the system can be used to allow instructors to identify students who have a tendency to procrastinate and design more effective interventions.
Etude de l'anémie chez les enfants séropositifs au VIH naïfs au traitement antirétroviral à Lubumbashi, République Démocratique du Congo

Introduction Beaucoup d'enfants infectés par le VIH arrivent à la consultation dans un état d'anémie. Notre objectif était d’évaluer la prévalence et le typage de l'anémie chez ces enfants. Méthodes C'est une étude transversale réalisée dans 3 centres de prise en charge des Personnes Vivant avec le VIH à Lubumbashi de Mai 2010 à Mai 2011. La population d’étude était de 152 enfants, âgés de 6 à 180 mois, naïfs au traitement antirétroviral. Les statistiques descriptives usuelles ont été utilisées. Résultats La prévalence globale de l'anémie (définie comme l'hémoglobine < 11g/dl) était de 69,1% (n=105) et 11,4% avaient une anémie sévère (Hg < 7,0 g/dl). Parmi eux, 16% ont été transfusés au moins 1 fois. L'anémie sévère était positivement associée au stade clinique de la maladie (p=0,02). L'anémie microcytaire était majoritaire dans les deux tranches d’âge. Elle était plus hypochrome chez les enfants en âge préscolaire soit 9,5% et plus normochrome en âge scolaire soit 15,2%. L'anémie normocytaire était plus normochrome dans les deux tranches d’âge soit 12,4% en âge préscolaire et 6,7% en âge scolaire. L'anémie macrocytaire était rare. Conclusion Environ sept enfants sur dix, âgés de moins de 15 ans infectés par le VIH naïfs au traitement antirétroviral dans notre milieu sont anémiques. L'anémie est corrélée à la sévérité de la maladie. Il est important d'associer une prise en charge nutritionnelle et corriger l'anémie avant une trithérapie antirétrovirale.
Low-complexity antenna diversity receivers for WCDMA handsets

A low-complexity antenna diversity architecture using a single receiver chain together with a novel combining algorithm suitable for WCDMA systems is designed to improve handset performance in the mobile downlink. Simulation results are presented comparing different diversity receiver configurations under several channel conditions. System sensitivity to the Doppler frequency and correlation between diversity branches are investigated. Both selection diversity (SD) and a receiver using two front-ends (2FE) are compared with the combining algorithm. The results show that the combining architecture outperforms SD, which is a proposed candidate for WCDMA handset by a gain of about 1.25 dB, while being inferior to 2FE by only 0.75 dB.
M1-P15 as a cortical marker for transcallosal inhibition: A preregistered TMS-EEG study

In a recently published study combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG), an early component of TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs), i.e., M1-P15, was proposed as a measure of transcallosal inhibition between motor cortices. Given that early TEPs are known to be highly variable, further evidence is needed before M1-P15 can be considered a reliable index of effective connectivity. Here, we conceived a new preregistered TMS-EEG study with two aims. The first aim was validating the M1-P15 as a cortical index of transcallosal inhibition by replicating previous findings on its relationship with the ipsilateral silent period (iSP) and with performance in bimanual coordination. The second aim was inducing a task-dependent modulation of transcallosal inhibition. A new sample of 32 healthy right-handed participants underwent behavioral motor tasks and TMS-EEG recording, in which left and right M1 were stimulated both during bimanual tasks and during an iSP paradigm. Hypotheses and methods were preregistered before data collection. Results show a replication of our previous findings on the positive relationship between M1-P15 amplitude and the iSP normalized area. Differently, the relationship between M1-P15 latency and bimanual coordination was not confirmed. Finally, M1-P15 amplitude was modulated by the characteristics of the bimanual task the participants were performing, and not by the contralateral hand activity during the iSP paradigm. In sum, the present results corroborate our previous findings in validating the M1-P15 as a cortical marker of transcallosal inhibition and provide novel evidence of its task-dependent modulation. Importantly, we demonstrate the feasibility of preregistration in the TMS-EEG field to increase methodological rigor and transparency.
Endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with cystic fibrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of pulmonary function.

INTRODUCTION The role of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is not clearly defined. OBJECTIVE TO perform a systematic review of subjective and objective outcomes of ESS in CF. METHODS A systematic review was performed using the keywords 'sinusitis,' 'sinus surgery,' 'nasal polyps' and 'cystic fibrosis. ' The quality of papers was assessed using the NICE scoring scale. Outcomes included safety, subjective symptoms, objective endoscopy scores, days spent in hospital, courses of antibiotics, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). RESULTS Nineteen studies involving 586 patients were included in the review. There were four prospective cohort trials, and three were rated as good quality. There were no major complications attributable to ESS. There was consistent evidence in four cohort studies of improved sinonasal symptoms, including nasal obstruction, facial pain, headaches, rhinorrhea and olfaction. Three studies reported conflicting results in post-operative endoscopy scores. Three studies showed a decrease in days spent in hospital, and two showed a significant decrease in courses of intravenous antibiotics. A recent study, however, did not show a difference in either days spent in hospital or courses of antibiotics. Pulmonary function tests were not improved by ESS in six cohort trials, and one small study found significant improvement. A meta-analysis of FEV1 scores confirmed no significant difference. CONCLUSION THE most consistent findings of this review were that ESS in patients with CF is safe, produces symptomatic benefit, and does not consistently improve PFTs. There were more conflicting results with regards to endoscopy scores, days spent in hospital, and courses of intravenous antibiotics. Future prospective studies, utilizing validated quality of life, symptom and endoscopy scales, are needed to further elucidate the role of ESS in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis in CF patients.
Co-expressivity of Speech and Gesture: Manner of Motion in Spanish, English, and Chinese

Languages such as Spanish and English differ in how each lexically packages and syntactically distributes semantic content related to motion event expression (Talmy 1985, 1991). Comparisons of spoken Spanish and English (Slobin 1996, 1998) reveal less expression of manner of motion in Spanish. This leads to the conclusion that ‘thinking for speaking’ in Spanish involves less conceptualization of manner. Here we assess speech-associated thinking about manner on a broader basis by examining not only speech but also the speech-synchronous gestures of Spanish, English, and Chinese speakers for content related to manner of motion. Speakers of all three languages produce manner-expressive gestures similar in type and frequency. Thus, motion event description may in fact involve conceptualization of manner to roughly the same extent in all three languages. Examination of gesture-speech temporal synchrony shows that Spanish manner gestures associate with expression of the ground component of motion in speech. We consider these findings in relation to two assertions: (1) gesture compensates for content speech lacks, (2) gesture and speech ‘jointly highlight’ shared or congruent semantic content. A compensation interpretation of the Spanish manner gestures raises questions about the role of gesture data in studies of thinking-for-speaking, generally. Further evidence from a follow-up study, in which narrators had no visual exposure to the cartoon, lead us to interpret Spanish speakers’ manner-expressive gestures as an instance of joint highlighting. This interpretation accords with McNeill’s (1992) “rule of semantic synchrony” between speech and gesture, one of the foundations of his ‘growth point’ theory of language production (McNeill 1992; McNeill and Duncan 2000). We discuss some implications of a joint highlighting interpretation for analyses of thinking for speaking and for lexical semantic theory.
On the network awareness of P2P applications.

This work originates in the context of the ''NapaWine'' European project and its main goal is to make P2P applications aware of the underlying network topology. This information (e.g., path capacity, latencies, etc.) helps to optimize P2P traffic and its benefits are twofolds: on one hand operators can limit traffic on peering links by confining traffic in their AS. On the other hand, users can experience higher quality of service due the proximity of neighbors. To tackle the problem we first analyze existent applications and we especially gauge their level of network awareness: since many systems are closed source, we study them as black boxes by means of purely passive analysis, then we setup a controlled testbed and finally we make use of parallel active probing to gather dynamic neighbors properties. As a second step we test state of the art chunk diffusion algorithms in a realistic simulator where we model latencies and access link capacities according to academic results. Within such a scenario we study how chunk diffusion performance suffers in presence of measurement errors and out-of-date system state knowledge. Finally we develop an emulation scenario in which we are able to test real applications. Our testbed can scale up to 200 application instances and emulates the topology of the existing research network Abilene; it also allows to perform traffic engineering which we exploit to analyze coupling phenomenon between IP and overlay routing.
Fifty-One Competencies for Online Instruction

The effectiveness of distance learning must be measured in results—quality learning. Learnercenter programs and competent instructors are two oft-cited keys to success in higher education. Teaching online requires specific skill sets (competencies). This paper identifies and describes 51 competencies needed by online instructors and outlines an instructor-training program that satisfies 3 of the 24 benchmarks for excellence recommended by the Institute for Higher Education Policy.
Prognostic relevance of integrated genetic profiling in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematologic tumor associated with poor outcome. In this study, we analyzed the prognostic relevance of genetic alterations, immunophenotypic markers, and microarray gene expression signatures in a panel of 53 adult T-ALL patients treated in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group E2993 clinical trial. An early immature gene expression signature, the absence of bi-allelic TCRG deletion, CD13 surface expression, heterozygous deletions of the short arm of chromosome 17, and mutations in IDH1/IDH2 and DNMT3A genes are associated with poor prognosis in this series. In contrast, expression of CD8 or CD62L, homozygous deletion of CDKN2A/CDKN2B, NOTCH1 and/or FBXW7 mutations, and mutations or deletions in the BCL11B tumor suppressor gene were associated with improved overall survival. Importantly, the prognostic relevance of CD13 expression and homozygous CDKN2A/CDKN2B deletions was restricted to cortical and mature T-ALLs. Conversely, mutations in IDH1/IDH2 and DNMT3A were specifically associated with poor outcome in early immature adult T-ALLs. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00002514.
A New Diagnostic Algorithm for Antibody‐Mediated Microcirculation Inflammation in Kidney Transplants

We studied the significance of microcirculation inflammation in kidney transplants, including 329 indication biopsies from 251 renal allograft recipients, who were mostly nonpresensitized (crossmatch negative). Glomerulitis (g) and peritubular capillaritis (ptc) were often associated with antibody‐mediated rejection (65% and 75%, respectively), but were also found in other diseases in the absence of donor‐specific antibody (DSA): T‐cell‐mediated rejection (ptc, g), glomerulonephritis (g) and acute tubular necrosis (ptc). To develop rules for reducing the nonspecificity of microcirculation inflammation and defining the best grading thresholds associated with DSA, we built and validated a decision tree to predict DSA. The decision tree revealed that g + ptc sum (addition of g‐score plus ptc‐score) was the best predictor of DSA, followed by time posttransplant, then C4d, which had a small role. Late biopsies with g + ptc > 0 showed higher frequency of DSA compared to early biopsies with g + ptc > 0 (79% vs. 27%). Microcirculation inflammation in early biopsies was often false positive (antibody‐independent). The decision tree predicted DSA with higher sensitivity and accuracy than C4d staining. Microcirculation inflammation sum score predicted graft failure independently of time, C4d and transplant glomerulopathy. Thus any degree of microcirculation inflammation in late kidney transplant biopsies strongly indicates presence of DSA and predicts progression to graft failure.
Compresión automática de frases: un estudio hacia la generación de resúmenes en español

This paper presents an study about sentence compression and proposes a linear model that predicts the removal of intra-sentence segments with application in summarization. The model uses a set of features measured directly from the text and was trained over 60 thousand decisions of remove or preserve a segment considering the whole context and the produced summary.
Drawing, Handwriting Processing Analysis: New Advances and Challenges

Drawing and handwriting are communicational skills that are fundamental in geopolitical, ideological and technological evolutions of all time. drawing and handwriting are still useful in defining innovative applications in numerous fields. In this regard, researchers have to solve new problems like those related to the manner in which drawing and handwriting become an efficient way to command various connected objects; or to validate graphomotor skills as evident and objective sources of data useful in the study of human beings, their capabilities and their limits from birth to decline.