Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing the Availability of Psychological Treatments: A Multinational Study of a Scalable Method for Training Therapists

Background One of the major barriers to the dissemination and implementation of psychological treatments is the scarcity of suitably trained therapists. A highly scalable form of Web-centered therapist training, undertaken without external support, has recently been shown to have promise in promoting therapist competence. Objective The aim of this study was to conduct an evaluation of the acceptability and effectiveness of a scalable independent form of Web-centered training in a multinational sample of therapists and investigate the characteristics of those most likely to benefit. Methods A cohort of eligible therapists was recruited internationally and offered access to Web-centered training in enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy, a multicomponent, evidence-based, psychological treatment for any form of eating disorder. No external support was provided during training. Therapist competence was assessed using a validated competence measure before training and after 20 weeks. Results A total of 806 therapists from 33 different countries expressed interest in the study, and 765 (94.9%) completed a pretraining assessment. The median number of training modules completed was 15 out of a possible 18 (interquartile range, IQR: 4-18), and 87.9% (531/604) reported that they treated at least one patient during training as recommended. Median pretraining competence score was 7 (IQR: 5-10, range: 0-19; N=765), and following training, it was 12 (IQR: 9-15, range: 0-20; N=577). The expected change in competence scores from pretraining to posttraining was 3.5 (95% CI 3.1-3.8; P<.001). After training, 52% (300/574) of therapists with complete competence data met or exceeded the competence threshold, and 45% (95% CI 41-50) of those who had not met this threshold before training did so after training. Compliance with training predicted both an increase in competence scores and meeting or exceeding the competence threshold. Expected change in competence score increased for each extra training module completed (0.19, 95% CI 0.13-0.25), and those who treated a suitable patient during training had an expected change in competence score 1.2 (95% CI 0.4-2.1) points higher than those who did not. Similarly, there was an association between meeting the competence threshold after training and the number of modules completed (odds ratio, OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.15), and treating at least one patient during training was associated with competence after training (OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.2-4.1). Conclusions Independent Web-centered training can successfully train large numbers of therapists dispersed across a wide geographical area. This finding is of importance because the availability of a highly scalable method of training potentially increases the number of people who might receive effective psychological treatments.
Theoretical Design and Simulation Analysis of PV Based Pumping System for Domestic Applications in Bhopal , M . P , India

Electricity is an essential part of our way of daily life. In the present scenario, most of the electricity is provided from the conventional thermal or hydro power stations. Irregular power supply and frequent grid failure are regular phenomenon in most Indian cities especially during peak summer and winter seasons. The use of photovoltaic array for water pumping system is one of the most promising techniques in solar energy applications. Deployment of PV based solar pumping system for domestic applications is an viable alternative to replace conventional grid electricity . In this paper, theoretical design, performance and simulation analysis of PV based water pumping system with the use of the computer software PVsyst is carried out. According to the analysis, the solar water pumping system has a system efficiency of 21.9% which is in fair agreement with the previous literature . Therefore SWPS is strongly recommended for both urban as well as rural water supply system.
International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing , FAIM 2017 , 27-30 June 2017 , Modena , Italy Teaching Assembly by Demonstration using Advanced Human Robot Interaction and a Knowledge Integration Framework

Conventional industrial robots are heavily dependent on hard automation that requires pre-specified fixtures and time-consuming (re)programming performed by experienced operators. In this work, teaching by human-only demonstration is used for reducing required time and expertise to setup a robotized assembly station. This is achieved by the proposed framework enhancing the robotic system with advanced perception and cognitive abilities, accessed through a user-friendly Human Robot Interaction interface. The approach is evaluated on a small parts’ assembly use case deployed onto a collaborative industrial robot testbed. Experiments indicate that the proposed approach allows inexperienced users to efficiently teach robots new assembly tasks. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 27th International Conference on Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing.
Computational Techniques for Eye Movements Analysis towards Supporting Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease: A Review

An opportune early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) would help to overcome symptoms and improve the quality of life for AD patients. Research studies have identified early manifestations of AD that occur years before the diagnosis. For instance, eye movements of people with AD in different tasks differ from eye movements of control subjects. In this review, we present a summary and evolution of research approaches that use eye tracking technology and computational analysis to measure and compare eye movements under different tasks and experiments. Furthermore, this review is targeted to the feasibility of pioneer work on developing computational tools and techniques to analyze eye movements under naturalistic scenarios. We describe the progress in technology that can enhance the analysis of eye movements everywhere while subjects perform their daily activities and give future research directions to develop tools to support early AD diagnosis through analysis of eye movements.
A cell length‐dependent transition in MinD‐dynamics promotes a switch in division‐site placement and preservation of proliferating elongated Vibrio parahaemolyticus swarmer cells

Vibrio parahaemolyticus exists as swimmer and swarmer cells, specialized for growth in liquid and on solid environments respectively. Swarmer cells are characteristically highly elongated due to an inhibition of cell division, but still need to divide in order to proliferate and expand the colony. It is unknown how long swarmer cells divide without diminishing the population of long cells required for swarming behavior. Here we show that swarmer cells divide but the placement of the division site is cell length‐dependent; short swarmers divide at mid‐cell, while long swarmers switch to a specific non‐mid‐cell placement of the division site. Transition to non‐mid‐cell positioning of the Z‐ring is promoted by a cell length‐dependent switch in the localization‐dynamics of the division regulator MinD from a pole‐to‐pole oscillation in short swarmers to a multi‐node standing‐wave oscillation in long swarmers. Regulation of FtsZ levels restricts the number of divisions to one and SlmA ensures sufficient free FtsZ to sustain Z‐ring formation by preventing sequestration of FtsZ into division deficient clusters. By limiting the number of division‐events to one per cell at a specific non‐mid‐cell position, V. parahaemolyticus promotes the preservation of long swarmer cells and permits swarmer cell division without the need for dedifferentiation.
CozEa and CozEb play overlapping and essential roles in controlling cell division in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus needs to control the position and timing of cell division and cell wall synthesis to maintain its spherical shape. We identified two membrane proteins, named CozEa and CozEb, which together are important for proper cell division in S. aureus. CozEa and CozEb are homologs of the cell elongation regulator CozESpn of Streptococcus pneumoniae. While cozEa and cozEb were not essential individually, the ΔcozEaΔcozEb double mutant was lethal. To study the functions of cozEa and cozEb, we constructed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for S. aureus, allowing transcriptional knockdown of essential genes. CRISPRi knockdown of cozEa in the ΔcozEb strain (and vice versa) causes cell morphological defects and aberrant nucleoid staining, showing that cozEa and cozEb have overlapping functions and are important for normal cell division. We found that CozEa and CozEb interact with the cell division protein EzrA, and that EzrA-GFP mislocalizes in the absence of CozEa and CozEb. Furthermore, the CozE-EzrA interaction is conserved in S. pneumoniae, and cell division is mislocalized in cozESpn-depleted S. pneumoniae cells. Together, our results show that CozE proteins mediate control of cell division in S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, likely via interactions with key cell division proteins such as EzrA.
Vitamin D-Binding Protein Clearance Ratio Is Significantly Associated with Glycemic Status and Diabetes Complications in a Predominantly Vitamin D-Deficient Population

Introduction Studies have shown increased urine excretion of vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) resulting from postulated mechanisms linked to renal tubular damage. In this study, we evaluate the utility of VDBP clearance ratio as a novel determinant of glycemic status, DN, and other diabetes-associated complications. Methods Levels of vitamin D, HbA1c, serum, urine concentrations of VDBP, and creatinine were measured in 309 subjects. The ratio of urine microalbumin to creatinine was determined to categorize subjects as normoalbuminuric (NAO), microalbuminuric (MIA), and macroalbuminuric (MAA). The VDBP clearance ratio was calculated. Results Mean VDBP clearance ratios in NAO, MIA, and MAA were 0.7, 4, and 15, respectively. Significant positive correlations of VDBP clearance ratio were found with age, WC, SBP, DBP, TG, glucose, HbA1c, urine VDBP, urine microalbumin, and urine microalbumin/creatinine, and a significant negative correlation was found with the steady-state estimate of beta cell function (B%). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses of the use of VDBP clearance ratio for detection of albumin status shows a value of 0.81 for the area under the curve. Conclusions The strong associations of VDBP clearance ratio with glycemic control and diabetes-associated complications suggest that this index could play a wider role in detection and/or pathogenesis and complications of diabetes.
Aminophylline and Ephedrine, but Not Flumazenil, Inhibit the Activity of the Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 3 Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes and Reverse the Increased Activity by Propofol

We investigated the effects of flumazenil, aminophylline, and ephedrine on the excitatory amino acid transporter type 3 (EAAT3) activity and the interaction with propofol. EAAT3 was expressed in the Xenopus oocytes. L-Glutamate-induced membrane currents were measured using the two-electrode voltage clamp at various drug concentrations. Oocytes were preincubated with protein kinase C- (PKC-) activator, or inhibitor, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. To study the interaction with propofol, oocytes were exposed to propofol, propofol + aminophylline, or ephedrine. Aminophylline and ephedrine significantly decreased EAAT3 activity. Aminophylline (95 μM) and ephedrine (1.19 μM) significantly decreased Vmax, but not Km of EAAT3, for glutamate. The phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate-induced increase in EAAT3 activity was abolished by aminophylline or ephedrine. The decreased EAAT3 activities by PKC inhibitors (staurosporine, chelerythrine) and PI3K inhibitor (wortmannin) were not significantly different from those by aminophylline or ephedrine, as well as those by PKC inhibitors or PI3K inhibitor + aminophylline or ephedrine. The enhanced EAAT3 activities induced by propofol were significantly abolished by aminophylline or ephedrine. Aminophylline and ephedrine inhibit EAAT3 activity via PKC and PI3K pathways and abolish the increased EAAT3 activity by propofol. Our results indicate a novel site of action for aminophylline and ephedrine.
Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Increases Obesity-Induced Damage to the Male Reproductive System in Mice

Objective This study evaluated the effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and obesity on male reproductive organ function in male mice and the potential mechanism of male secondary hypogonadism (SH) in such mice. Methods 140 mice were assigned to six groups for 12 weeks: normal, DEHP, DIO, DIO + DEHP low, DIO + DEHP middle, and DIO + DEHP high. The effects of DEHP and obesity upon the reproductive organs were determined by measuring sperm count and motility, relative testis and epididymis weight, hormone level, and pathological changes. Oxidative stress was evaluated by determining malondialdehyde, T-AOC, SOD, GSH, H2O2, CAT, and GSH-PX in testicular tissues. Nrf2 and Keap1 protein were measured by Western blotting. Results DEHP and obesity reduced sperm count and motility, relative testis and epididymis weight, and testosterone level but increased the levels of MDA, H2O2, leptin, and estradiol. Pathological injury was observed in the testicular Leydig cells. Moreover, the activity of CAT, SOD, and GSH-Px enzymes was inhibited. Nrf2 protein expression was reduced but that of Keap1 was increased. Conclusions DEHP and obesity jointly caused damage to male productive function. Oxidative stress in testicular tissue, and a high level of leptin, may provide some evidence to clarify the mechanisms of male SH with DEHP and obesity.
Promoting Inclusivity in Computing (PINC) via Computing Application Minor

— We aimed to build a new educational pathway that would provide basic training in computer science for women and students from underrepresented (UR) groups who otherwise may not take computer science classes in college. Specifically, this on-going project focused on creating a 2-year Computer Science (CS) program consisting of exciting new courses aimed at biology majors. Biology traditionally attracts large numbers of women, a significant number of students from UR groups, and has compelling needs for CS technology. The interdisciplinary program is training the next generation of innovators in the biological sciences who will be prepared to cross disciplinary boundaries. The program consists of the following: (1) computer science courses with content related to biology, (2) cohorts of students that progress through the program together, and (3) a small group peer mentoring environment, and (4) facilitated interdisciplinary research projects. Graduates from this program, referred to as "PINC" - Promoting INclusivity in Computing - will receive a “Minor in Computing Applications” in addition to their primary science degree in Biology. The program is now in its second year and thus far 60 students have participated. Among them, 73% are women and 51% are underrepresented minorities (URM). The majority of students in the PINC program stated that they would not have taken CS courses without the structured support of the PINC program. Here we present the data collected during this two year period as well as details about the Computing Application minor and programmatic components that are having a positive impact on student outcomes. concepts of computer science and basic skills of database and web-related technology.
Immune Privilege and Eye-Derived T-Regulatory Cells

Certain cellular components of the eye, such as neural retina, are unable to regenerate and replicate after destructive inflammation. Ocular immune privilege provides the eye with immune protection against intraocular inflammation in order to minimize the risk to vision integrity. The eye and immune system use strategies to maintain the ocular immune privilege by regulating the innate and adaptive immune response, which includes immunological ignorance, peripheral tolerance to eye-derived antigens, and intraocular immunosuppressive microenvironment. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism responsible for the development and maintenance of ocular immune privilege via regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are generated by the anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID), and ocular resident cells including corneal endothelial (CE) cells, ocular pigment epithelial (PE) cells, and aqueous humor. Furthermore, we examined the therapeutic potential of Tregs generated by RPE cells that express transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-2 alpha (CTLA-2α), and retinoic acid for autoimmune uveoretinitis and evaluated a new strategy using human RPE-induced Tregs for clinical application in inflammatory ocular disease. We believe that a better understanding of the ocular immune privilege associated with Tregs might offer a new approach with regard to therapeutic interventions for ocular autoimmunity.
Health Effects of 12 Weeks of Team-Sport Training and Fitness Training in a Community Health Centre for Sedentary Men with Lifestyle Diseases

This study compares the effects of team-sport training, for sedentary men with lifestyle diseases, with fitness training in a pragmatic set-up in a community health centre (CHC). Thirty-two men in the fitness group (FiG) and 36 men in the team-sport group (TsG) completed the training and trained for 60–90 min, two times/week for 12–16 weeks. In FiG and TsG, mean heart rate (HR) during training was 73.2% and 74.5% of HRmax, respectively. Percentage of training time above 90%HRmax was 6 ± 9% and 10 ± 15% and the percentage of participants who spent > 10% of total training time with HR > 90%HRmax was 20% and 41%, in FiG and TsG, respectively. In FiG, total fat mass was reduced by 3.5% (P < 0.01), while performance in the 6 min walking test (6MWT) increased by 11% (P < 0.001). In TsG, total fat mass was reduced by 2.2% (P < 0.01), while 6MWT performance improved by 5% (P < 0.05). Between-group differences were observed for systolic BP (P = 0.041) and mean arterial pressure (P = 0.050) in favour of TsG and for sit-to-stand test (P = 0.031) in favour of FiG. In conclusion, small-sided team sport is a worthy alternative to fitness training since the overall health effects are comparable, for example, improved balance and reduced fat mass. Team sport elicits high heart rates and improves cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure, while fitness training improves sit-to-stand test performance related to activity of daily living.
Dimensionality Reduced ` 0-Sparse Subspace Clustering

Subspace clustering partitions the data that lie on a union of subspaces. `-Sparse Subspace Clustering (`-SSC), which belongs to the subspace clustering methods with sparsity prior, guarantees the correctness of subspace clustering under less restrictive assumptions compared to its ` counterpart such as Sparse Subspace Clustering (SSC) [1] with demonstrated effectiveness in practice. In this paper, we present Dimensionality Reduced `-Sparse Subspace Clustering (DR-`-SSC). DR-`-SSC first projects the data onto a lower dimensional space by linear transformation, then performs `-SSC on the dimensionality reduced data. The correctness of DR-`-SSC in terms of the subspace detection property is proved, therefore DR-`-SSC recovers the underlying subspace structure in the original data from the dimensionality reduced data. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of DR-`-SSC.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Predictive Abilities of Fetal Electrocardiogram-Derived Parameters during Labor in Newborn Acidemia: Our Institutional Experience

This study aimed to identify cardiotocography patterns that discriminate fetal acidemia newborns by comprehensively evaluating the parameters obtained from Holter monitoring during delivery. Between June 1, 2015, and August 1, 2016, a prospective observational study of 85 patients was conducted using fetal Holter monitoring at the Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, China. Umbilical cord blood was sampled immediately after delivery and fetal acidemia was defined as umbilical cord arterial blood pH < 7.20. Fetal electrocardiogram- (FECG-) derived parameters, including basal fetal heart rate (BFHR), short-term variation (STV), large acceleration (LA), deceleration capacity (DC), acceleration capacity (AC), proportion of episodes of high variation (PEHV), and proportion of episodes of low variation (PELV), were compared between 16 fetuses with acidemia and 47 without. The areas under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were calculated. Although all the computerized parameters showed predictive values for acidemia (all AUC > 0.50), STV (AUC = 0.84, P < 0.001), DC (AUC = 0.84, P < 0.001), AC (AUC = 0.80, P < 0.001), and PELV (AUC = 0.71, P = 0.012) were more strongly associated with fetal acidemia. Our institutional experience suggests that FECG-derived parameters from Holter monitoring are beneficial in reducing the incidence of neonatal acidemia.
Morphometric Estimation of Cephalic Index in North Indian Population: Craniometrics Study

Craniometrics studies demonstrated that head shape varies in different races and population is related to the cephalic index. The purpose of this study was to establish specific standards data for sex determination from the cranium in north Indian population. The present study was carried out with 80 (45 male & 35 female) dry human skull procured from University College of Medical science, Delhi. Cranial measurements were taken, data tabulated and statistically analyzed. The mean cephalic index was 74.40±4.36. The mean cephalic index for male was 73.75±3.56 and for female was 75.22±5.15. The difference between male and female cephalic index was statistically significant (p< 0.001). The result of present study shows that majority of north Indian population are Dolicocephalic or Mesocephalic. This study will serve as basis of comparison for future studies on other geographical region population.
Remote Lifestyle Coaching Plus a Connected Glucose Meter with Certified Diabetes Educator Support Improves Glucose and Weight Loss for People with Type 2 Diabetes

Background Connected health devices with lifestyle coaching can provide real-time support for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the intensity of lifestyle coaching needed to achieve outcomes is unknown. Methods Livongo provides connected, two-way messaging glucose meters, unlimited blood glucose (BG) test strips, and access to certified diabetes educators. We evaluated the incremental effects of adding lifestyle coaching on BG, estimated HbA1c, and weight. We randomized 330 eligible adults (T2D, HbA1c > 7.5%, BMI ≥ 25) to receive no further intervention (n = 75), a connected scale (n = 115), scale plus lightweight coaching (n = 73), or scale plus intense coaching (n = 67) for 12 weeks. We evaluated the change in outcomes using ANOVA. Results Livongo participation alone resulted in improved BG control (mean HbA1c declined: 8.5% to 7.5%, p = 0.01). Mean weight loss and additional BG decreases were higher in the intensive compared with the lightweight coaching and scale-only groups (weight change (lb): −6.4, −4.1, and −1.1, resp. , p = 0.01; BG change (mg/dL): −19.4, −11.3, and −2.9, resp. , p = 0.02). The estimated 12-week program costs were 5.5 times more for intensive than lightweight coaching. Conclusion Livongo participation significantly improves BG control in people with T2D. Additional lifestyle coaching may be a cost-effective intervention to achieve further glucose control and weight loss.