Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive value of hearing assessment by the auditory brainstem response following universal newborn hearing screening

Abstract Objective: This study set out to determine the accuracy with which tone pip ABR and click ABR, carried out in babies referred from universal newborn hearing screening, is able to predict the hearing outcome as determined by follow-up hearing tests. Study sample: The cohort of babies studied were all babies referred for hearing assessment from the universal newborn hearing screen in Sheffield, UK for the period January 2002 to September 2007, who were found to have a significant hearing impairment. Design: The results of hearing assessment following referral from the newborn hearing screen were collected together with those of follow-up tests carried out up to an age when behavioural testing had established ear- and frequency-specific thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz. Results: The standard deviation of the difference between the follow up and the tone pip ABR thresholds was 10.5 dB for the 4-kHz tone pip, 16.8 dB for the 1-kHz tone pip, and ranged between 21.7 and 24.7 dB for click ABR. Conclusions: The results of the study show that tone pip ABR following referral from newborn hearing screening has a similar accuracy to that reported in older subjects, and is a much better predictor compared to click ABR.
4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxy‐acetophenone‐mediated long‐lasting memory recovery, hippocampal neuroprotection, and reduction of glial cell activation after transient global cerebral ischemia in rats

4‐Hydroxy‐3‐methoxy‐acetophenone (apocynin) is a naturally occurring methoxy‐substitute catechol that is isolated from the roots of Apocynin cannabinum (Canadian hemp) and Picrorhiza kurroa (Scrophulariaceae). It has been previously shown to have antioxidant and neuroprotective properties in several models of neurodegenerative disease, including cerebral ischemia. The present study investigates the effects of apocynin on transient global cerebral ischemia (TGCI)‐induced retrograde memory deficits in rats. The protective effects of apocynin on neurodegeneration and the glial response to TGCI are also evaluated. Rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of apocynin (5 mg/kg) 30 min before TGCI and were tested 7, 14, and 21 days later in the eight‐arm aversive radial maze (AvRM). After behavioral testing, the hippocampi were removed for histological evaluation. The present results confirm that TGCI causes memory impairment in the AvRM and that apocynin prevents these memory deficits and attenuates hippocampal neuronal death in a sustained way. Apocynin also decreases OX‐42 and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity induced by TGCI. These findings support the potential role of apocynin in preventing neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments following TGCI in rats. The long‐term protective effects of apocynin may involve inhibition of the glial response. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Systemic thyroid hormone is necessary and sufficient to induce ultraviolet-sensitive cone loss in the juvenile rainbow trout retina

SUMMARY Rainbow trout possess ultraviolet-sensitive (UVS) cones in their retina that degenerate naturally during development. This phenomenon can be induced with exogenous thyroxine [T4, a thyroid hormone (TH)] treatment. However, the previous T4 exposure experiments employed static water immersion; a method that could introduce confounding stress effects on the fish. Because of this, it was uncertain if T4 alone was sufficient to induce retinal changes or if stress-related hormones were also necessary to initiate this process. Furthermore, it was unclear whether endogenous T4 was the factor responsible for initiating natural UVS cone loss during development. The current study examined the role of systemic T4 on the juvenile rainbow trout retina using a slow-release implant. Exogenous T4 treatment resulted in SWS1 opsin downregulation and UVS cone loss after four weeks of exposure, signifying that T4 is sufficient to induce this process. Blocking endogenous T4 production with propylthiouracil (PTU, an anti-thyroid agent) attenuated SWS1 downregulation and UVS cone loss in the retina of naturally developing rainbow trout, suggesting that endogenous T4 is necessary to initiate retinal remodelling during development. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that several TH-regulating components are expressed in the trout retina, and that expression levels of the TH receptor isoform TRβ and the type 2 deiodinase (D2) change with T4 treatment. This suggests that T4 may act directly on the retina to induce UVS cone loss. Taken together, these results demonstrate that systemic TH is necessary and sufficient to induce SWS1 opsin downregulation and UVS cone loss in the retina of juvenile rainbow trout.
Indices of Kidney Dysfunction and Discharge Outcomes in Hospitalized Stroke Patients without Known Renal Disease

Background: The utility of clinical measurements of impairments in glomerular barrier or filtration rate among hospitalized stroke patients without known chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been well studied. We determined whether various indices of CKD would predict discharge outcomes in persons hospitalized with a recent ischemic stroke. Methods: Presence of proteinuria and estimated low glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 on admission were assessed in consecutive ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack patients admitted to a university hospital over 18 months, who had no history of CKD. The primary discharge outcomes assessed (among stroke patients only) were death or disability (modified Rankin Scale score ≥2) and being discharged home directly from hospital. Independent effects of CKD indices on the outcomes were evaluated using multivariable regression modeling. Results: Of 251 patients with recent ischemic cerebrovascular events, 198 ischemic stroke patients (79%), met the study criteria. In crude analyses, persons with proteinuria or low GFR were significantly more likely to die in the hospital (p < 0.05). After adjusting for confounders, proteinuria was independently linked with lower odds of going home directly from the hospital (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.16–0.92) and poorer discharge functional status (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.37–7.46), but low GFR was not independently related to either of these outcomes. Conclusions: Among hospitalized ischemic stroke patients without known CKD, presence of proteinuria on admission is independently associated with poorer discharge functional activity and lower likelihood of being discharged home directly. Low GFR was not related to either outcome in these patients without known CKD.
Study of personality disorders and the use of services in the clinical population attended in the mental health network of a community area.

INTRODUCTION Personality disorders (PD) are a growing clinical and health care problem. In Spain, the studies of PD and utilization of the Mental Health Services (MHS) in the clinical population are scant. However, these data are necessary in the planning of MHS for PD. METHOD We studied all the patients attended throughout one year in all the psychiatric departments (n=2701), and separately in the inpatient (n=193) and outpatient (n=2649) psychiatric services. All the patients diagnosed with PD by clinical interview (DSM-IV-TR criteria) were included. Demographic and clinical variables as well as use of MHS were studied. RESULTS The proportion of PD in the population attended was 11% (95% CI: 9.8%-12.2%) and in the inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services 17.6% (95% CI: 12.9%- 23.6%) and 10.3% (95% CI: 9.2%-11.5%), respectively. The most representative PD were borderline (25.7%), histrionic (24%) and obsessive-compulsive (6.4%) and 19.6% were not otherwise specified PD. PD accounted for an extensive use of mental health resources (inpatient, outpatient and emergency units). The most comorbid conditions in axis I were affective, anxiety and substance-related disorders. CONCLUSIONS The study of PD attended in the MHS in a community area by means of clinical evaluation is an economical instrument, which is easily applied and replicated in planning of MHS for PD.
Interferon-stimulated Gene, 15 kDa (ISG15) in Ovarian High-grade Serous Carcinoma: Prognostic Impact and Link to NF-&kgr;B Pathway

The ubiquitin-like protein interferon-stimulated gene, 15 kDa (ISG15) plays an ambiguous role in the progression and response to chemotherapy of solid cancers. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of ISG15 and its link to the nuclear factor &kgr;B pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed in a cohort of 128 primary ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas treated with standard surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy using tissue microarrays. In addition, 28 matched relapsed carcinomas were investigated. ISG15 protein expression was significantly increased in relapsed carcinomas as compared to primary tumors (P=0.027). In primary carcinoma, ISG15 was positively associated with total inhibitor of &kgr;B &agr; (I&kgr;B&agr;) (P=0.001) as well as nuclear and cytoplasmic phospho-I&kgr;B&agr; (p-I&kgr;B&agr;) expression (P=0.039 and P=0.002, respectively). Patients with ISG15-positive carcinomas had a significantly longer overall survival in univariate analysis (P=0.002), and in multivariate analysis [hazard ratio=0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.14–0.84, P=0.019)]. ISG15 is a potential prognostic marker in high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary. Its impact on survival might be explained by its tight link to the nuclear factor &kgr;B pathway, and the further evaluation of the interplay between ISGylation machinery and nuclear factor &kgr;B, particularly with regard to response to chemotherapy, would be desirable.
Hard x-ray spectroscopy and imaging by a reflection zone plate in the presence of astigmatism.

The feasibility of an off-axis x-ray reflection zone plate to perform wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy, on-axis point focusing, and two-dimensional imaging is demonstrated by means of one and the same diffractive optical element (DOE) at a synchrotron radiation facility. The resolving power varies between 3×101 and 4×102 in the range of 7.6 keV to 9.0 keV, with its maximum at the design energy of 8.3 keV. This result is verified using an adjustable entrance slit, by which horizontal (H) and vertical (V) focusing to 0.85 μm(H) and 1.29 μm(V) is obtained near the sagittal focal plane of the astigmatic configuration. An angular and axial scan proves an accessible field of view of at least 0.6 arcmin × 0.8 arcmin and a focal depth of ±0.86 mm. Supported by the grating efficiency of around 17.5% and a very short pulse elongation, future precision x-ray fluorescence and absorption studies of transition metals at their K-edge on an ultrashort timescale could benefit from our findings.
Active vibroacoustic control with multiple local feedback loops

The active control of a structure in order to reduce its vibration or sound radiation, which may be termed active vibro-acoustic control, has previously been achieved with multiple actuators and sensors and fully-coupled feedforward or feedback controllers. In this paper local velocity feedback using multiple miniature accelerometers will be investigated, together with either collocated force actuators or piezoceramic actuators placed under each sensor. With ideal force actuators, the plant response is passive for such an arrangement of collocated actuator/sensor pairs and so decentralized (local) feedback is guaranteed stable. This property is shown to extend to collocated velocity sensors and piezoceramic actuators over the bandwidth of interest and so multiple local feedback loops are also predicted to be stable. The performance of such a system is simulated in controlling the vibration and sound transmission through a thin plate, excited by an acoustic plane wave, with a 4 x 4 array of such actuator/sensor pairs, which are connected together with 16 local feedback control loops. Using force actuators, significant frequency-averaged reductions up to 1kHz in both the kinetic energy (28dB) and transmitted sound power (18dB) can be obtained with an appropriate feedback gain in each loop. These reductions are not so great with piezoelectric actuators (12dB and 9dB respectively) but their use allows the controller to be fully integrated in the structure.
Language That Puts You in Touch With Your Bodily Feelings

Observing and producing a smile activate the very same facial muscles. In Experiment 1, we predicted and found that verbal stimuli (action verbs) that refer to emotional expressions elicit the same facial muscle activity (facial electromyography) as visual stimuli do. These results are evidence that language referring to facial muscular activity is not amodal, as traditionally assumed, but is instead bodily grounded. These findings were extended in Experiment 2, in which subliminally presented verbal stimuli were shown to drive muscle activation and to shape judgments, but not when muscle activation was blocked. These experiments provide an important bridge between research on the neurobiological basis of language and related behavioral research. The implications of these findings for theories of language and other domains of cognitive psychology (e.g., priming) are discussed.
The acquisition of sentence voice and reversibility.

Primary grade children were tested for their ability to imitate, comprehend, and produce active and passive sentences and reversible and nonreversible sentences. The results showed that children are able to respond correctly on the imitation task before the comprehension task and to respond correctly on the comprehension task before the production task. Active-voice sentences were correctly responded to more frequently than passive-voice sentences; nonreversible sentences were correctly responded to more frequently than reversible sentences. The effect of sentence voice was found to be stronger than the effect of sentence reversibility. The actual order of dificulty of sentence types was: Nonreversible active < reversible active < nonreversible passive < reversible passive. Errors frequently involved the inversion of actor and acted-upon elements in both reversible and nonreversible sentences.
Sensitivity to protein kinase C inhibitors of nicardipine‐insensitive component of high K+ contracture in rat and guinea‐pig aorta

1 In the rat and guinea‐pig aorta, we observed that the contraction to hypertonically‐added K+, unlike the isotonic K+‐induced contraction, was only partially sensitive to nicardipine (0.1, 1 and 10 μm), an L‐type Ca2+ channel blocker and occurred in Ca2+‐free medium containing 50 μm EGTA. We have characterized this nicarpidine‐insensitive hypertonically‐added K+ contraction. 2 The contraction induced by an equi‐osmolar concentration of mannitol was similar in size to that evoked by hypertonically‐added K+. 3 When the tissue was depleted of its internal Ca2+ stores with various agents such as phenylephrine (10 μm), cyclopiazonic acid (30 μm), thapsigargin (1 μm) or ryanodine (30 μm), or by incubation in Ca2+‐free medium over 30 min, little effect was observed on the high K+ contracture in the presence of L‐type Ca2+ channel blockade. 4 Phentolamine (10 μm) or indomethacin (10 μm) did not reduce the contraction induced by high K+. 5 Application of a protein kinase C inhibitor, H7 (10, 30 and 100 μm) or calphostin C (1 μm), reduced the high K+ contraction but not that caused by an equi‐osmolar concentration of mannitol. 6 The data suggest that hypertonic K+‐induced contraction differs from that caused by hypertonicity or depolarization per se and invokes membrane enzyme activation.
A dynamic programming model to solve optimisation problems using GPUs

This thesis presents a parallel, dynamic programming based model which is deployed on the GPU of a system to accelerate the solving of optimisation problems. This is achieved by simultaneously running GPU based computations, and memory transactions, allowing computation to never pause, and overcoming the memory constraints of solving large problem instances. Due to this some optimisation problems, which are currently not solved in an exact manner for real world sized instances due to their complexity, are moved into the solvable realm. The model is implemented to solve, a range of different test problems, where artificially constructed test data is used to ensure good performance even in the worst cases. Through this extensive testing, we can be confident the model will perform well when used to solve real world test cases. Testing of the model was carried out using a range of different implementation parameters in relation to deployment on the GPU, in order to identify both optimal implementation parameters, and how the model will operate when running on different systems. All problems, when implemented in parallel using the model, show run-time improvements compared to the sequential implementations, in some instances up to hundreds of times faster, but more importantly also show high efficiency metrics for the utilisation of GPU resources. Throughout testing emphasis has been placed on GPU based metrics to ensure the wider generic applicability of the model. Finally, the parallel model allows for new problems to be defined through the use of a simple file format, enabling wider usage of the model.
Effects of Gender and Age on Retrospective Time Judgements

This study provides additional empirical evidence for research concerning the effects of gender and age on retrospective time judgements using data obtained from a Spanish database with more than 40,000 individual observations on time estimations. Statistical analyses were performed using the Levene F-test and the t-test of variances and means, respectively. The most important results of the study are as follows: (a) differences in time estimation in relation to gender largely depend on the age groups analysed, with greater differences observed in the younger age group; and (b) although there are some differences regarding age, they are related to certain age groups, particularly the youngest age group.
Ghost-Free High Dynamic Range Imaging Using Weighted Histogram Separation and Fuzzy Fusion Method

: This paper works on high dynamic range (HDR) image generating process to an single input image. To remove the ghost image in an moving object we use weighted histogram separation method. The Red Green Blue model is appeared as an primary spectral component they must be converted to hue, saturation and vibrance color format. The linear stretching process of algorithm is transformed to 8 bit gray scale, where it is applied to image which has low or high brightness and the pixel value is recorded to histogram. The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) is processed which is the greater version of adaptive histogram equalization. In this method the histogram noise is reduced by clipping level and the fuzzy fusion method is used to exposed images. By fusing the different exposed images, the high dynamic range image is obtained as output.
Older Women's Development: A Comparison of Women in Their 60s and 80s on a Measure of Erikson's Developmental Tasks

This study compared older women from two age groups in order to refine and extend our understanding of women's development across the life span. Forty-one women from two cohorts aged 60 to 70 and 80 to 90 completed the Measures of Psychosocial Development (MPD), a quantitative measure of Erikson's developmental stages. Age group differences in the resolution of Erikson's identity and trust developmental tasks were found. In addition, these two groups differed on the three summary scales: totals across the positive subscales, negative subscales, and resolution subscales respectively. Implications for women's late life development and possible interventions are discussed.
The Relationship of Reliability and Validity of Personality Tests to Frame-of-Reference Instructions and Within-Person Inconsistency

The efficacy of both frame-of-reference (FOR) instructions and a measure of within-person inconsistency in predicting grade point average was investigated. The IPIP Big Five personality questionnaire was given to 329 students with generic instructions and at school FOR instructions. The Wonderlic Personnel Test was also administered. A measure of within-person inconsistency was created based on the standard deviations of responses to items within the same Big Five dimension. The validity of conscientiousness was greater when FOR instructions were given. The measure of within-person inconsistency provided incremental validity over that of conscientiousness and cognitive ability. Additionally, within-person inconsistency moderated the relationship between conscientiousness and performance for the participants without the FOR instructions. Practical implications are discussed.
Language and Power: The Use of Persuasive Techniques in Iran and U.S. President Speeches

The present article is about language and power, focuses on the speechmaking skills, and using persuasive techniques such as Simile and metaphor, Mixed metaphor or simile, Extended metaphor, Allusion, Lists of three, Repetition, Parallelism, Puzzled or redundant questions, Alliteration and Wordplay. For the sake of better analysis certain elements of this ability, a comparison between Iran President Mr. Rouhani and U. S. President Mr. Obama is made. Two speeches of two presidents are selected. The first two are in the same topic and the second two are in different topics. Each president is a strong personality in his own right, both leaders have manifested this ability and managed to persuade the masses about the correctness of their political steps; however their using of persuasive techniques differ dramatically, as it is attempted to support by analysis in this article. The results show that, usually they use the same techniques but Dr. Rouhani use more persuasive techniques than President Obama does. Dr. Rouhani uses Alliteration and President Obama uses Metaphor more than other techniques in their speeches. It can be said that using persuasive techniques is culture based.
Alcohol Use Among Two Generations of Southeast Asians in the United States

ABSTRACT This article assesses the drinking norms and practices of two generations of Southeast Asians in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Researchers included quantity and frequency measures of current alcohol use and binge drinking and open-ended questions on drinking norms and behaviors in a mixed-method study of tobacco use. The study generated data through in-person interviews with 164 respondents from two urban East Bay neighborhoods. The findings include normative drinking among women and underage youth, with binge drinking among underage youths particularly troubling. Preventive interventions for this population should consider community-level alcohol problems as well as individual alcohol use disorders.