Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adult Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder in Finland—Project DyAdd

The project Adult Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder in Finland (Project DyAdd) compares adults (n = 119, 18—55 years) with dyslexia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia together with ADHD (comorbid), and healthy controls with neuropsychological, psychophysical, and biological methods. The focus of this article is on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition (WAIS-III). The clinical groups performed well compared to the norms, and they did not differ from each other. However, compared to the controls, all of them were slightly poorer in their Full IQ, and of the factors, processing speed was relatively difficult for all of them. In addition to the group comparisons, a cluster analysis based on subtest scores was conducted over the clinical groups. It did not suggest a solution that would differentiate between the clinical groups. Instead, four clusters emerged: above average, average, poor perceptual organization, and poor working memory. Thus, differentiating between these clinical groups with the WAIS-III was not possible. However, all of them shared a relative difficulty in processing speed, and group-independent clusters with perceptual or memory difficulties emerged.
A practical guide to Bayesian group sequential designs

Bayesian approaches to the monitoring of group sequential designs have two main advantages compared with classical group sequential designs: first, they facilitate implementation of interim success and futility criteria that are tailored to the subsequent decision making, and second, they allow inclusion of prior information on the treatment difference and on the control group. A general class of Bayesian group sequential designs is presented, where multiple criteria based on the posterior distribution can be defined to reflect clinically meaningful decision criteria on whether to stop or continue the trial at the interim analyses. To evaluate the frequentist operating characteristics of these designs, both simulation methods and numerical integration methods are proposed, as implemented in the corresponding R package gsbDesign. Normal approximations are used to allow fast calculation of these characteristics for various endpoints. The practical implementation of the approach is illustrated with several clinical trial examples from different phases of drug development, with various endpoints, and informative priors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antithrombotic effect of PMC, a potent α‐tocopherol analogue on platelet plug formation in vivo

Summary. Platelet thrombi formation was induced by irradiation of mesenteric venules with filtered light in mice pretreated intravenously with fluorescein sodium. PMC (2,␣2, 5, 7, 8‐pentamethyl‐6‐hydroxychromane; 20 µg/g, i.v.) significantly prolonged the latent period of inducing platelet plug formation in mesenteric venules. When fluorescein sodium was given at 10 µg/kg, PMC (20 µg/g) delayed occlusion time by about 1·7‐fold. Furthermore, aspirin (250 µg/g) also showed similar activity in delaying the occlusion time. On a molar basis, PMC was about 14‐fold more potent than aspirin at delaying the occlusion time. PMC was also effective in reducing the mortality of ADP‐induced acute pulmonary thromboembolism in mice when administered intravenously at doses of 5 and 10 µg/g. In addition, intravenous injection of PMC (5 µg/g) significantly prolonged bleeding time by about 1·6‐fold compared with normal saline in severed mesenteric arteries of rats. Continuous infusion of PMC (1 µg/g/min) significantly increased the bleeding time by about 1·6‐fold and the bleeding time was also significantly prolonged for up to 90 min after cessation of PMC infusion. These results suggest that PMC has an effective antiplatelet effect in vivo and may be a potential therapeutic agent for arterial thrombosis, but must be assessed further for toxicity.
A Cognitive Strategy Instruction to Improve Math Calculation for Children With ADHD and LD: A Randomized Controlled Study

The authors examined the effectiveness of cognitive strategy instruction based on PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive) given by special education teachers to students with ADHD randomly assigned by classroom. Students in the experimental group were exposed to a brief cognitive strategy instruction for 10 days, which was designed to encourage development and application of effective planning for mathematical computation, whereas the comparison group received-standard math instruction. Standardized tests of cognitive processes and math achievement were given at pretest. All students completed math worksheets throughout the experimental phase. Standardized achievement tests (Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition, Math Fluency and Wechsler Individualized Achievement Test, Second Edition, Numerical Operations) were administered pre- and postintervention, and Math Fluency was also administered at 1 year follow-up. Large pre—post effect sizes were found for students in the experimental group but not the comparison group on math worksheets (0.85 and 0.26), Math Fluency (1.17 and 0.09), and Numerical Operations (0.40 and —0.14, respectively). At 1 year follow-up, the experimental group continued to outperform the comparison group. These findings suggest that students with ADHD evidenced greater improvement in math worksheets, far transfer to standardized tests of math (which measured the skill of generalizing learned strategies to other similar tasks), and continued advantage 1 year later when provided the PASS-based cognitive strategy instruction.
Clock Reading

Recent studies have shown that children with mathematics difficulties (MD) have weaknesses in multiple areas of mathematics. Andersson, for example, recently found that children with MD perform significantly worse than other children on clock reading tasks. The present study builds on this recent finding and aims at a more profound understanding of the difficulties that children with MD experience with telling time. Therefore, clock reading abilities of 154 children with MD were compared to the abilities of 571 average achieving children, and a qualitative error analysis was performed. The results of this study confirm the earlier findings of Andersson that children with MD perform worse on clock reading than average achieving children and also show that children with MD especially struggle with the combination of procedural and retrieval strategies that are needed to read complex 5-min and 1-min clock times. Children with MD make more errors, which reflects immature counting strategies and deficits in memory retrieval. This finding is in line with Geary’s theory of subtypes in MD, which argues that children with MD have problems with mathematical procedures and semantic memory retrieval.
Robust exchangeability designs for early phase clinical trials with multiple strata

Clinical trials with multiple strata are increasingly used in drug development. They may sometimes be the only option to study a new treatment, for example in small populations and rare diseases. In early phase trials, where data are often sparse, good statistical inference and subsequent decision‐making can be challenging. Inferences from simple pooling or stratification are known to be inferior to hierarchical modeling methods, which build on exchangeable strata parameters and allow borrowing information across strata. However, the standard exchangeability (EX) assumption bears the risk of too much shrinkage and excessive borrowing for extreme strata. We propose the exchangeability–nonexchangeability (EXNEX) approach as a robust mixture extension of the standard EX approach. It allows each stratum‐specific parameter to be exchangeable with other similar strata parameters or nonexchangeable with any of them. While EXNEX computations can be performed easily with standard Bayesian software, model specifications and prior distributions are more demanding and require a good understanding of the context. Two case studies from phases I and II (with three and four strata) show promising results for EXNEX. Data scenarios reveal tempered degrees of borrowing for extreme strata, and frequentist operating characteristics perform well for estimation (bias, mean‐squared error) and testing (less type‐I error inflation). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid Automatized Naming and Immediate Memory Functions in Chinese Children Who Read English as a Second Language

This study examined reading performance of 102 Chinese Mandarin-speaking 4th graders in their second language (L2, English) as a function of performance in their first language (L1, Chinese). The results revealed that for Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) and Rapid Alternating Stimulus (RAS) measures, the mean naming time decreased monotonically in high-achieving, average, and low-achieving readers. RAN and RAS differentiated poor readers from good and average readers but failed to differentiate between good and average readers. RAN deficits occurred in poor readers in both languages. Comparison of memory profiles revealed that patterns varied depending on the mode of stimulus presentation or response. Low-achieving readers performed poorly on a subtest involving visual components only and did relatively better on a subtest involving verbal components only. Poor readers in Chinese also encountered difficulties in learning English as a L2. RAN-character accounted for unique variance in two Chinese reading measures. RAN-letter explained unique variance in English mid-term reading grade. The unique variance captured by the Color Span Subtest 1 (visual-visual) was found in Chinese reading comprehension but not in English reading comprehension. Reading performance in L1 was predictive of reading performance in L2 and vice versa.
Pinpointing the Deficit in Executive Functions in Adolescents With Dyslexia Performing the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

Adolescents with dyslexia exhibit well-established impairments in executive abilities. The Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) is an executive test that yields surprisingly inconsistent results with this population. The current study aimed to shed light on the contradictory findings in the literature regarding the performance levels by individuals with dyslexia in WCST. We used a computerized-WCST (named the ‘Madrid-Card Sorting Test’) assessing executive functions using the Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) methodology. Adolescents with dyslexia exhibited a higher error rate and slower reaction times. This was most evident in the later trials of the series. However, differences in ERPs between the two groups were found only in the “target-locked” conditions, where individuals with dyslexia displayed decreased ERP components (N100, P300) compared to skilled readers. The changes between the groups in the “shift” compared to the “stay” conditions suggest the central role of working memory both in basic (e.g., shifting) and higher order (e.g., reading) processes in individuals with dyslexia. These findings suggest the central role of working memory both in basic (e.g., shifting) and higher order (e.g., reading) processes in individuals with dyslexia. The intact shifting mechanism and the working memory deficit may guide the building of more efficient intervention programs for individuals with dyslexia in the future.
The Relationship Among Maternal–Infant Bonding, Spirituality, and Maternal Perception of the Childbirth Experience

THE RELATIONSHIP AMONG MATERNAL INFANT BONDING, SPIRITUALITY, AND MATERNAL PERCEPTION OF CHILDBIRTH EXPERIENCE by Linda K. Bennington A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Inez Tuck, RN, MBA, Ph.D., M.Div. , Professor, Nursing The beginning of life is an intense experience for both mother and baby and sets the foundation for future interactions. Researchers have theorized that maternal infant bonding begins prenatally and continues on through the postnatal period. Mṻller (1996) examined that process to determine if prenatal bonding was related to postnatal bonding and discovered that there was only a modest correlation between the two. This led to speculation as to what variables, besides prenatal bonding, could influence postnatal bonding. Klaus & Kennell (1976) noted the detrimental effects of a lack of bonding in terms of abuse and attachment disorders and emphasized the urgency of understanding the process. Thus, an examination of factors that influence the initial attachment after birth is important in order to facilitate the experience for optimal outcomes. The purpose of this study was threefold: 1. Examine the relationship between a woman‘s perceived birth experience and maternal infant bonding; 2. Examine the
A Tale of Two Writing Systems

This study investigated the rate of school-aged Chinese–English language learners at risk for reading difficulties in either Chinese or English only, or both, among second and fifth graders in Hong Kong. In addition, we examined the metalinguistic skills that distinguished those who were poor in reading Chinese from those who were poor in reading English. The prevalence of poor English readers among children identified to be poor in Chinese word recognition across the five participating schools was approximately 42% at Grade 2 and 57% at Grade 5. Across grades, children who were poor readers of both languages tended to have difficulties in phonological and morphological awareness. Poor readers of English only were found to manifest significantly poorer phonological awareness, compared to those who were poor readers of Chinese only; their average tone awareness score was also lower relative to normally developing controls. Apart from indicating possible dissociations between Chinese first language (L1) word reading and English second language (L2) word reading, these findings suggested that the degree to which different metalinguistic skills are important for reading in different writing systems may depend on the linguistic features of the particular writing system.
Cyberbullying Experience and Gender Differences Among Adolescents in Different Educational Settings

Cyberbullying refers to a negative activity aimed at deliberate and repeated harm through the use of a variety of electronic media. This study examined the Internet behavior patterns and gender differences among students with learning disabilities who attended general education and special education classes, their involvement in cyberbullying, and the relationships among being cyberbullied, their responses, and their coping strategies. The sample consisted of 149 students with learning disabilities (LD) attending general education classes, 116 students with comorbid LD attending special education classes, and 242 typically achieving students. All the students, studying in middle and high schools, completed a self-report cyberbullying questionnaire. Findings indicate that although no significant differences emerged in the amount of surfing hours and students’ expertise in the use of the Internet, students attending special education classes are more likely to be cybervictims and cyberperpetrators; girls are more likely to be cybervictims, whereas boys are more likely to be cyberperpetrators. These results contribute to our understanding of students’ involvement in cyberbullying and can serve as a basis for developing preventive programs as well as intervention programs for students and for educational school teams.
Autoavaliação de saúde e fatores associados em adolescentes do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with negative self-rated health among adolescents in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted with a representative sample of 5,028 adolescents who were attending public highschools. The negative self-rated health was analyzed in relation to the following variables: gender, income, physical activity practice, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use and self-rated stress. The binary logistic regression was carried out to test associations. RESULTS: The prevalence of negative self-rated health was higher among girls (17.6%) in comparison to boys (9.6%; p<0.0001). Higher values of Odds Ratio (OR) were associated with female gender (OR 1.99; 95%CI 1.66-2.38), lower socioeconomic status (OR 1.54; 95%CI 1.08-2.20), smoking (OR 2.00; 95%CI 1.35-2.94), and negative self-rated stress (OR 3.36; 95%CI 2.74-4.12). CONCLUSIONS: Female adolescents, those with lower socioeconomic status, smokers and those who negatively perceived stress presented higher levels of negative self-rated health.
Consequences of dichotomization

Dichotomization is the transformation of a continuous outcome (response) to a binary outcome. This approach, while somewhat common, is harmful from the viewpoint of statistical estimation and hypothesis testing. We show that this leads to loss of information, which can be large. For normally distributed data, this loss in terms of Fisher's information is at least 1 − 2/π (or 36%). In other words, 100 continuous observations are statistically equivalent to 158 dichotomized observations. The amount of information lost depends greatly on the prior choice of cut points, with the optimal cut point depending upon the unknown parameters. The loss of information leads to loss of power or conversely a sample size increase to maintain power. Only in certain cases, for instance, in estimating a value of the cumulative distribution function and when the assumed model is very different from the true model, can the use of dichotomized outcomes be considered a reasonable approach. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Validacao do questionario do Hospital Saint George na doenca respiratoria (SGRQ) em pacientes portadores de doenca pulmonar obstrutiva cronica no Brasil

Introduction: The term quality of life has gained increasing importance in the scientific context. This study describes the adaptation of a disease-specific questionnaire developed by Paul Jones et al. in 1991, the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), to the Brazilian language and culture. This questionnaire evaluates the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and contains three domains (symptoms, activity, and impacts) divided in 76 items. The questionnaire is self-administrated, but it may be read to illiterate persons. Goal: To verify if the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire is a valid tool to measure quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Brazil. Methods: In order to validate the questionnaire in Brazil, it was initially translated into Portuguese and afterwards a back-translation into English, that was compared to the original version. A final Portuguese version was then written. This final version was, then, answered by 30 clinically stable COPD patients, according to the spirometry and oximetry values. Patients answered the questionnaire twice, within a 15 day interval. The length of time the patients took to answer the questionnaire and their doubts were noted. Wilcoxon test was used for the calculation of r probability between every single question between the two days; interclass correlation ratio was calculated to test the trustworthiness and reliability of the questionnaire. Results: Among the 30 participant patients, 10 were female and 20 were male. Mean age was 65.9 years. Most of the patients were found to be in stage 2 (56.7 %) of COPD, according to the American Thoracic Society classification. The interclass correlation ratio for the total score of the questionnaire was a = 0.79 and Wilcoxon p = 0.2110 (not statistically significant). The mean answering time for the two days of interview was, respectively, 11 minutes and 50 seconds and 10 minutes and 31 seconds. As concerns the doubts about the questions, the patients reported difficulties in answering Sections 4 and 5, each one of these questions written in a negative form. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Brazilian version of the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool to measure quality of life in patients with COPD in Brazil.
The Effects of a Multilinguistic Morphological Awareness Approach for Improving Language and Literacy

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a multilinguistic intervention to improve reading and spelling in primary grade students who struggle with literacy. Twenty second-grade students with spelling deficits were randomly assigned to receive a multilinguistic intervention with a phonological and orthographic awareness emphasis, or one with an additional morphological awareness focus. The morphological intervention group performed better on standardized measures of reading comprehension, and spelling, and on a nonstandardized spelling test of morphological patterns. Both groups improved and no between-group differences were found on a standardized measure of word identification and word attack, as well as on a nonstandardized spelling test of orthographic patterns.
Automated diagnostic aids: The effects of aid reliability on users' trust and reliance

We examined the effects that different levels of, and changes in, automation reliability have on users' trust of automated diagnostics aids. Participants were presented with a series of testing trials in which they diagnosed the validity of a system failure using only information provided to them by an automated diagnostic aid. The initial reliability of the aid was either 60, 80 or 100% reliable. However, for participants initially provided with the 60%-reliable aid, the accuracy of the aid increased to 80% half way through testing, whereas for those initially provided the 100%-reliable aid, the aid's reliability was reduced to 80%. Aid accuracy remained at 80% throughout testing for participants in the 80%-reliability group. Both subjective measures (i.e. perceived reliability of the aids and subjective confidence ratings) and objective measures of performance (concurrence with the aid's diagnosis and decision times) were examined. Results indicated that users of automated diagnostic aids were sensitive to different levels of aid reliabilities, as well as to subsequent changes in initial aid reliabilities. However, objective performance measures were related to, but not perfectly calibrated with, subjective measures of confidence and reliability estimates. These findings highlight the need to distinguish between automation trust as a psychological construct that can be assessed only through subjective measures and automation reliance that can only be defined in terms of performance data. A conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between trust and reliance is presented.