Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mental Health and Self-Image Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Mental health and self-image among deaf and hard of hearing children (ages 11–18 years) in southern Sweden was investigated. The children (N = 111) attended special schools for the deaf (n = 28), special schools for the hard of hearing (n = 23), and regular schools where hard of hearing children were mainstreamed (n = 60). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) was used to screen mental health and the “I Think I Am” questionnaire Ouvinen-Birgerstam (1982, 1984) to measure self-esteem. The study shows that hard of hearing children seem to do as well, as a group, as other children in Swedish society. Mean SDQ and ITIA scores indicated that the mainstreamed students and the students in special schools for the hard of hearing had higher levels of rated mental health and self-image than the students in schools for the deaf.
On winning the penalty shoot-out in soccer

The penalty shoot-out is used to break tied games in the knock-out stages of soccer competition. The shoot-out, which consists of an alternating series of penalty kicks, is won by the team with the highest goal tally after n kicks per team (n = 5). In the event of a tie after five penalty kicks each, the shoot-out progresses to 'sudden death' by increasing n in iterative fashion (i.e. n = n + 1) until one team obtains a higher goal tally than the other after an equal number of kicks per team. The team to strike first is determined at the end of extra time by the toss of a coin. As each on-field player can be awarded only a single penalty kick, the line-up order in which the penalty kicks are taken allows for the possibility of tactical influence on the final outcome. Consequently, we report a probability analysis of the penalty shoot-out in soccer from which we identify the following pre- and post-game strategies. The best five ranked penalty takers from the on-field players should be assigned to the first five penalty kicks in their reverse order of ability. That is, the fifth best penalty taker should take the first penalty kick, the fourth best penalty taker should take the second penalty kick, and so on. In the event of sudden death, the next highest ranked on-field player should be assigned to the next penalty kick until the shoot-out ends. For this tactic to be successful, players should be ranked a priori on their penalty-taking ability. Similarly, goalkeepers should be ranked a priori on their penalty-stopping ability. These findings indicate that the tactical substitution of on-field players for higher ranked penalty takers, including higher ranked penalty stoppers (i.e. goalkeepers), with a view to an impending penalty shoot-out should be given due consideration. These results are of practical importance in that they are shown to maximize the likelihood of winning the penalty shoot-out under certain initial conditions.
A multivariate approach to the analysis of drug effects on the electroencephalogram.

The present approach was developed to achieve a continuous analysis of the EEG over periods of several hours. An analogue frequency analyzer is used spanning the range 2.5-40 Hz in eight half-octave bands. At one-minute intervals the rectified and integrated channel outputs are digitized. Four brain areas have been used in most experiments yielding values of 32 variables per minute. Discriminant analysis allows the classification of behavioral state (slow sleep, fast sleep, or alert) with >99% accurary in cats. Canonical analysis shows that spontaneous variations in EEG frequency distribution may be described adequately by only two orthogonal variables. Drug-induced changes may be described as projections on the plane thus defined and/or in terms of a third, drug-specific canonical variable. The value of this variable estimates the intensity of the drug-induced change; a profile of frequency change specific to the drug effect may be derived from its coefficients.
Monitoring performance as a function of work-rest schedule and thermal stress.

This study evaluates the effects of work/rest schedules as a means of retarding job fatigue and maintaining vigilance performance in hot climates. Six different work/rest schedules were investigated at three levels of heat stress (74°, 82°, and 90° effective temperature). Experimental sessions were 3 hours long for each of the 108 subjects used. Results show that the factors of temperature, work period, and work/rest ratio of the levels utilized in the study did not, by themselves, affect vigilance performance to a high degree. However. , when high temperatures, long work periods, and short rest periods occurred in combination, a disproportionate decrement in monitoring performance was observed.
Type 2 K+–Cl− cotransporter is preferentially recruited to climbing fiber synapses during development and the stellate cell‐targeting dendritic zone at adulthood in cerebellar Purkinje cells

Postnatal expression of the type 2 K+–Cl− cotransporter (KCC2) in neurons lowers the Cl− equilibrium potential to values that are more negative than the resting potential, thereby converting the action of Cl−‐permeable GABAA and glycine receptors from excitatory to inhibitory. In the present study, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression of KCC2 in mouse cerebella, particularly focusing on Purkinje cells (PCs). First, we confirmed the fundamental expression profiles of KCC2 in the cerebellum, i.e. neuron‐specific expression, somatodendritic distribution, and postnatal upregulation. We also found preferential recruitment to climbing fiber (CF) synapses during the second and third postnatal weeks, when perisomatic innervation in PCs switches from CFs to basket cell axons (BAs) and also when single winner CFs translocate from somata to dendrites. In parallel with this synaptic recruitment, the intracellular distribution shifted from a diffuse cytoplasmic to a predominantly cell surface pattern. In adult PCs, CF synapse‐associated accumulation was obscured. Instead, significantly high expression was noted on the surface of PC dendrites in the superficial two‐thirds of the molecular layer, in which stellate cells reside and project axons to innervate PC dendrites. Thus, the somatodendritic distribution in PCs is regulated in relation to particular inputs or input zones. During development, timed recruitment of KCC2 to CF synapses will augment inhibitory GABAergic actions by incoming BAs, promoting the CF‐to‐BA switchover in perisomatic PC innervation. In adulthood, enriched KCC2 expression at the stellate cell‐targeting territory of PC dendrites might help in maintaining intracellular Cl− homeostasis and the polarity of GABAA receptor‐mediated responses upon sustained activity of this interneuron.
Mitochondrial permeability transition in CNS trauma: Cause or effect of neuronal cell death?

Experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) result in a rapid and significant necrosis of neuronal tissue at the site of injury. In the ensuing hours and days, secondary injury exacerbates the primary damage, resulting in significant neurologic dysfunction. It is believed that alterations in excitatory amino acids (EAA), increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis are major factors contributing to the ensuing neuropathology. Mitochondria serve as the powerhouse of the cell by maintaining ratios of ATP:ADP that thermodynamically favor the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP + Pi, yet a byproduct of this process is the generation of ROS. Proton‐pumping by components of the electron transport system (ETS) generates a membrane potential (ΔΨ) that can then be used to phosphorylate ADP or sequester Ca2+ out of the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix. This allows mitochondria to act as cellular Ca2+ sinks and to be in phase with changes in cytosolic Ca2+ levels. Under extreme loads of Ca2+, however, opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) results in the extrusion of mitochondrial Ca2+ and other high‐ and low‐molecular weight components. This catastrophic event discharges ΔΨ and uncouples the ETS from ATP production. Cyclosporin A (CsA), a potent immunosuppressive drug, inhibits mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) by binding to matrix cyclophilin D and blocking its binding to the adenine nucleotide translocator. Peripherally administered CsA attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal damage in an experimental rodent model of TBI, in a dose‐dependent manner. The underlying mechanism of neuroprotection afforded by CsA is most likely via interaction with the mPTP because the immunosuppressant FK506, which has no effect on the mPT, was not neuroprotective. When CsA was administrated after experimental SCI at the same dosage and regimen used TBI paradigms, however, it had no beneficial neuroprotective effects. This review takes a comprehensive and critical look at the evidence supporting the role for mPT in central nervous system (CNS) trauma and highlights the differential responses of CNS mitochondria to mPT induction and the implications this has for therapeutically targeting the mPT in TBI and SCI. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Switching Frequency Stabilization Techniques for Adaptive On-Time Controlled Buck Converter With Adaptive Voltage Positioning Mechanism

Unpredictable continuous conduction mode switching frequency variation that occurs commonly in ripple-based control can lead to serious electronic-magnetic interface noise problems and thus increase the effort required for designing noise filters. Sensorless load current correction and dynamic tolerance window techniques are proposed in this paper to reduce the frequency variations caused by conduction losses without employing complicated circuits such as phase-locked loop or current sensors. The proposed dc-dc buck converter with input voltage ranging from 2.7 to 3.6 V and an output voltage between 1.0 and 1.2 V was fabricated using a standard 0.18-μm CMOS process, and the converter achieved excellent adaptive voltage positioning function. Experimental results show that the switching frequency variation improved approximately 60% over traditional techniques in constant on-time control when the load current was changed from 150 to 1000 mA. The measurement results also show that frequency variation across the entire input/output and loading ranges was lowered to only ±2.6%. The maximum power efficiency was 88.2% at 150 mA with an input voltage of 2.7 V.
Probing the roles of active site residues in phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus by site-directed mutagenesis.

The role of amino acid residues located in the active site pocket of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) from Bacillus cereus[Heinz, D. W. , Ryan, M. , Bullock, T. , & Griffith, O. H. (1995) EMBO J. 14, 3855-3863] was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis, kinetics, and crystal structure analysis. Twelve residues involved in catalysis and substrate binding (His32, Arg69, His82, Gly83, Lys115, Glu117, Arg163, Trp178, Asp180, Asp198, Tyr200, and Asp274) were individually replaced by 1-3 other amino acids, resulting in a total number of 21 mutants. Replacements in the mutants H32A, H32L, R69A, R69E, R69K, H82A, H82L, E117K, R163I, D198A, D198E, D198S, Y200S, and D274S caused essentially complete inactivation of the enzyme. The remaining mutants (G83S, K115E, R163K, W178Y, D180S, Y200F, and D274N) exhibited reduced activities up to 57% when compared with wild-type PI-PLC. Crystal structures determined at a resolution ranging from 2.0 to 2.7 A for six mutants (H32A, H32L, R163K, D198E, D274N, and D274S) showed that significant changes were confined to the site of the respective mutation without perturbation of the rest of the structure. Only in mutant D198E do the side chains of two neighboring arginine residues move across the inositol binding pocket toward the newly introduced glutamic acid. An analysis of these structure-function relationships provides new insight into the catalytic mechanism, and suggests a molecular explanation of some of the substrate stereospecificity and inhibitor binding data available for this enzyme.
Choice of entry mode into a foreign market: The case of Balearic hotel chains in the Caribbean region

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that play a decisive role in determining growth strategies implemented by the hotel chains of the Balearic Islands in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.Design/methodology/approach – In line with most research on the choice of entry mode, the dependent variable is a categorical one. Given the nature of the dependent variable, logistic regression (or logit) models were used to verify the hypotheses. Since there were more than two categories involved, a multinomial logit model was applied.Findings – The main findings show that the choice of foreign market entry mode cannot rely solely on host‐specific factors. Moreover, this study facilitates a comparison of the results of this paper and the results of other similar studies of the international hotel industry.Originality/value – This paper offers several contributions. First, it is a new contribution to the understanding of the factors that determine the behavior of hotel chains in their internatio.
Pharmacoeconomic analysis of thiopurine methyltransferase polymorphism screening by polymerase chain reaction for treatment with azathioprine in Korea.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the value of genotype-based dosing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based polymorphism screening in terms of cost-effectiveness for treatment with azathioprine in Korea. METHODS Decision analysis was employed to compare a genotype-based dosing strategy with the conventional weight-based dosing strategy using a hypothetical cohort composed of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus patients. The time horizon was set up as 1 yr. Direct medical costs were used. Data used were obtained from previous reports, except for PCR and admission costs, which were from real cases. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from a societal perspective. Outcomes were measured as a total expected cost and an incremental cost-effective ratio. RESULTS In the base case model, total expected cost and the probability of not dropping out owing to serious adverse events of the conventional weight-based dosing and the genotype-based dosing strategy were 1339 x 10(3) Korean won (1,117 US dollars) and 1109 x 10(3) Korean won (926 US dollars), and 97.06 and 99.90%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our model suggests that a genotype-based dosing strategy through PCR-based thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) polymorphism screening is less costly and more effective than the conventional weight-based dosing strategy in Korea, as it was associated with a marked reduction in the number of serious adverse events.
Phenolic compounds of seed coats of white and coloured varieties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) and their total antioxidant activity

The purpose of this study was to compare the composition and contents of phenolic acids and condensed tannin in the seed coats of white and coloured varieties of pea and to examine the antioxidant properties of methanol and acetone extracts containing these phenolic compounds. The contents of phenolic acids were quantified by the HPLC analysis. The sum of free phenolic acids, those liberated from soluble esters and those liberated from soluble glycosides, was higher for coloured seed coat (78.53 g per g dry matter) than for the white seed coat (17.17 g/g dry matter). Protocatechuic, gentisic and vanillic acids were found dominant in the coloured seed coat, while ferulic and coumaric acids in the white seed coat. The content of condensed tannins was 1560 mg of catechin equivalent/100 g of coloured seed coat as determined by a vanillin assay. No condensed tannins were detected in the white seed coat. The antioxidant activity of extracts was measured by the oxidation of phosphatidylcholine to hydroxyperoxidephosphatidyl choline in the liposome system. Strong antioxidant properties were observed in a crude tannin extract from the coloured seed coat. These properties were slightly changed after the seed coat was cooked in water for 30, 60 and 90 min.
Aspects of Occupational Mobility and Attainment among Immigrants in Australia 1

Analysis of data from the 1981 Australian Census indicates that there are considerable differences between the occupational distributions of the native and foreign born. Immigrants from non-English speaking countries are at a far greater disadvantage than their counterparts from English-speaking countries. Estimates of probability models of occupational attainment suggest that the inferior labor market position of immigrants from non-English speaking countries results from the relatively poor minor occupational gains they derive from additional years of education.
Development of joint attention related actions based on reproducing interaction contingency

Understanding the developmental process of joint attention related actions, such as gaze following and alternation, is one of essential issues for the emergence of communication. Previous synthetic studies have proposed learning methods for gaze following without any explicit instructions as the first step to understand the development of these actions. However, a robot was given a priori knowledge about which pair of sensory information and action should be associated. This paper addresses the development of social actions without such knowledge with a learning mechanism that iteratively acquires social actions by finding and reproducing the contingency inherent in the interaction with a caregiver. The measurement of contingency based on transfer entropy is used to find appropriate pairs of variables for acquiring social actions from possible candidates. The reproduction of found contingency promotes a change of contingent structure in the subsequent actions of a caregiver and a robot. In computer simulations of human-robot interaction, we examine what kinds of actions related to joint attention can be acquired in which order by controlling the behavior of caregiver agents. The result shows that a robot acquires joint attention related actions in an order that resembles an infantpsilas development of joint attention.
An intergroup randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) of chemotherapy plus radiation (RT) versus RT alone for pure and mixed anaplastic oligodendrogliomas: Initial report of RTOG 94-02.

1500 Background: Anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AOs) and anaplastic oligoastrocytomas (AOAs) are treated with surgery and RT at diagnosis. They also respond to procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV), raising the possibility that PCV plus RT at diagnosis may improve outcome. Furthermore for AOs, response to PCV and long survival have been associated with 1p and 19q allelic loss. METHODS A RCT was conducted to test whether dose-intense, pre-RT PCV prolongs overall survival (primary endpoint) or progression-free survival (secondary endpoint) versus RT alone. Serious toxicity rates and quality of life were other endpoints. Patients with AOs or AOAs confirmed by central review, who were age ≥18 years, had a Karnofsky score (KPS) ≥60 and consented, were study-eligible. Tumor sections and peripheral blood were also collected. RESULTS 291 eligible patients were randomized; 60% were male, 68% were < age 50, 88% had a resection, 90% had a KPS ≥ 80 and 70% had an AO. 148 patients had PCV plus RT and 143 had RT alone; the arms were balanced for prognostic factors. Median survivals were similar for both groups; 4.8 years for PCV plus RT and 4.5 years for RT (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.74-1.45; p=0.830). Progression-free survival tended to be longer after combined treatment; 2.6 years for PCV plus RT versus 1.9 years for RT (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.00-1.80; p=0.053). During PCV, 95 patients had grade 3 or 4 toxicity and one died. Grade 3 and 4 RT toxicities were infrequent in both groups. Tissues were available on 206 tumors; 92 (46%) had 1p and 19q loss. Irrespective of treatment, patients whose tumors lacked 1p and 19q lived longer than other patients; median survival not reached versus 2.8 years (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.20-0.48; p<0.001). Longer follow-up is needed to ascertain treatment-specific outcomes for cases with 1p and 19q loss. CONCLUSIONS Pre-RT PCV does not impart a survival advantage for histologically-defined AOs and AOAs, but may prolong progression-free survival at the expense of greater acute toxicity. As reported, 1p and 19q loss is a powerful prognostic marker in oligodendroglial tumors. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Single‐step nonlinear diffusion tensor estimation in the presence of microscopic and macroscopic motion

Patient motion can cause serious artifacts in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), diminishing the reliability of the estimated diffusion tensor information. Studies in this field have so far been limited mainly to the correction of miniscule physiological motion. In order to correct for gross patient motion it is not sufficient to correct for misregistration between successive shots; the change in the diffusion‐encoding direction must also be accounted for. This becomes particularly important for multishot sequences, whereby—in the presence of motion—each shot is encoded with a different diffusion weighting. In this study a general mathematical framework to correct for gross patient motion present in a multishot and multicoil DTI scan is presented. A signal model is presented that includes the effect of rotational and translational motion in the patient frame of reference. This model was used to create a nonlinear least‐squares formulation, from which the diffusion tensors were obtained using a nonlinear conjugate gradient algorithm. Applications to both phantom simulations and in vivo studies showed that in the case of gross motion the proposed algorithm performs superiorly compared to conventional methods used for tensor estimation. Magn Reson Med 59:1138–1150, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Posttransplant Epstein–Barr virus–associated myogenic tumors involving bone

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)–associated myogenic tumors in immunocompromised patients were recently recognized, but their biologic behavior remains only partially understood. Although observations so far have permitted the recognition of similarities between posttransplant myogenic tumors and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), the number of reports are still few, and new experiences continue to be informative.