Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying Motivational Interviewing to the initiation of long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotics

Objective: Non-concordance with pharmacotherapy is common in psychiatric patients. Long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotic (LAI AA) medication may improve adherence but patients and clinicians may be reluctant to consider this alternative. This paper describes the application of Motivational Interviewing (MI) to the commencement of LAI AA. Method: We developed a workshop applying the principles of MI to address medication adherence through the use of LAIs. This includes a training video to illustrate the following motivational techniques, as summarised by the acronym OARS: (a) Open questions; (b) Affirmation of patients’ self-efficacy and support; (c) Reflections of patients’ thoughts, desires, abilities, reasons, needs, and commitments; (d) Summaries of the patient’s history to promote consideration of change. Results: We delivered four workshops across Canada. Results of feedback (n=25) were encouraging. Conclusions: Motivational Interviewing has many applications in psychiatric care for engagement in treatment, reduction in alcohol or substance misuse, and improving medication acceptance and adherence. Further research is required to assess whether changes in physicians’ views are reflected in improved adherence.
Soybean Nodule Autoregulation Receptor Kinase Phosphorylates Two Kinase-associated Protein Phosphatases in Vitro*

The NARK (nodule autoregulation receptor kinase) gene, a negative regulator of cell proliferation in nodule primordia in several legumes, encodes a receptor kinase that consists of an extracellular leucine-rich repeat and an intracellular serine/threonine protein kinase domain. The putative catalytic domain of NARK was expressed and purified as a maltose-binding or a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The recombinant NARK proteins showed autophosphorylation activity in vitro. Several regions of the NARK kinase domain were shown by mass spectrometry to possess phosphoresidues. The kinase-inactive protein K724E failed to autophosphorylate, as did three other proteins corresponding to phenotypically detected mutants defective in whole plant autoregulation of nodulation. A wild-type NARK fusion protein transphosphorylated a kinase-inactive mutant NARK fusion protein, suggesting that it is capable of intermolecular autophosphorylation in vitro. In addition, Ser-861 and Thr-963 in the NARK kinase catalytic domain were identified as phosphorylation sites through site-directed mutagenesis. The genes coding for the kinase-associated protein phosphatases KAPP1 and KAPP2, two putative interacting components of NARK, were isolated. NARK kinase domain phosphorylated recombinant KAPP proteins in vitro. Autophosphorylated NARK kinase domain was, in turn, dephosphorylated by both KAPP1 and KAPP2. Our results suggest a model for signal transduction involving NARK in the control of nodule development.
Particle Swarm Optimization inspired by r- and K-Selection in ecology

An optimization technique named r/KPSO (particle swarm optimization with r- and K-selection) was developed in this paper. In Ecology, two evolutionary ldquostrategiesrdquo are termed, r-selection for those species that breed many ldquocheaprdquo offspring and live in unstable environments and K-selection for those species that produce few ldquoexpensiverdquo offspring and live in stable environments. r-selection can be characterized as: quantitative, little parent care, large growth rate and rapid development and K-selection as: qualitative, much parent care, small growth rate and slow development. r/KPSO selects r- and K-selection to produce the progenies in the iterative procedure according to the concerned particlepsilas fitness value. K-selection is performed for those particles (K-subswarm called in this paper) in high fitness, and K-subswarm only can produce few progenies but the progenies are nurtured delicately with much parent care. On the other hand, r-selection is performed for those particles (r-subswarm called) in relatively low fitness. And with little parent care, r-subswarm can produce a large number of progenies, the progenies have to compete with the r-subswarm for survival according to fitness and only the best ones can survive. In r/KPSO, the particles performed r-selection mainly explore the search space as possible as they can to find more potential solutions in large speed, and those particles performed K-selection keep the current optimum solutions and exploit the space as they can to find more ideal solutions. Combined the advantages of r-selection and K-selection, r/KPSO can converge in higher speed and higher precision.
Early Detection of Cerebral Glucose Uptake Changes in the 5XFAD Mouse

Brain glucose hypometabolism has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, and is detected with 18F radiolabelled glucose, using positron emission tomography. A pathological hallmark of AD is deposition of brain β-amyloid plaques that may influence cerebral glucose metabolism. The five times familial AD (5XFAD) mouse is a model of brain amyloidosis exhibiting AD-like phenotypes. This study examines brain β-amyloid plaque deposition and 18FDG uptake, to search for an early biomarker distinguishing 5XFAD from wild-type mice. Thus, brain 18FDG uptake and plaque deposition was studied in these mice at age 2, 5 and 13 months. The 5XFAD mice demonstrated significantly reduced brain 18FDG uptake at 13 months relative to wild-type controls but not in younger mice, despite substantial β-amyloid plaque deposition. However, by comparing the ratio of uptake values for glucose in different regions in the same brain, 5XFAD mice could be distinguished from controls at age 2 months. This method of measuring altered glucose metabolism may represent an early biomarker for the progression of amyloid deposition in the brain. We conclude that brain 18FDG uptake can be a sensitive biomarker for early detection of abnormal metabolism in the 5XFAD mouse when alternative relative uptake values are utilized.
Reasons prompting digitalis therapy in the acute care hospital.

BACKGROUND The choice of administering digitalis to older patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) cannot be made on the account of univocally defined criteria because of uncertainty about efficacy and concern about safety of digitalis in this population. The purpose of this study was to verify whether the clinical characteristics on admission to the acute care hospital determine the use of digitalis therapy in elderly patients. METHODS A total of 1239 patients (mean age 77.8 +/- 7.1 years, range 65-100 years, males 49.8%) consecutively admitted to 69 General Medicine and Geriatrics wards over a 4-month period were grouped by combining two dichotomous factors (Carlson's score > 4: definite or possible diagnosis of CHF; Carlson's score < 5: unlikely diagnosis of CHF; in-hospital adoption of digitalis therapy: yes or no) as follows: Group A: Carlson's score > 4, digitalis (n = 413); Group B: Carlson's score > 4, no digitalis (n = 260); Group C: Carlson's score < 5, digitalis (n = 104); Group D: Carlson's score < 5, no digitalis (n = 462). Variables significantly distinguishing groups were entered into a discriminant analysis aimed at assessing the group specificity of individual clinical profiles. RESULTS Use of digoxin at home, atrial fibrillation, older age, and comorbidity (mainly COPD and chronic renal failure) characterized most of the patients given digoxin with or without a definite diagnosis of CHF. Clinical profiles of groups A, B, and C largely overlapped. CONCLUSION Age, historical use of digitalis, and comorbidity might lead to seemingly incongruous digitalis prescription. The choice of adopting digitalis therapy cannot be reliably predicted on the basis of clinical variables only. Presently unexplored physician-related factors, such as cultural background, likely outweigh clinical variables in prompting digitalis prescription.
STN7 Operates in Retrograde Signaling through Controlling Redox Balance in the Electron Transfer Chain

Phosphorylation of the major photosynthetic light harvesting antenna proteins by STN7 kinase balances excitation between PSII and PSI. Phosphorylation of such abundant proteins is unique, differing distinctively from conventional tasks of protein kinases in phosphorylation of low abundance proteins in signaling cascades. Excitation balance between PSII and PSI is critical for redox homeostasis between the plastoquinone and plastocyanin pools and PSI electron acceptors, determining the capacity of the thylakoid membrane to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that operate as signals relaying information between chloroplasts and other cellular compartments. STN7 has also been proposed to be a conventional signaling kinase, instigating the phosphorylation cascade required for coordinated expression of photosynthesis genes and assembly of the photosynthetic machinery. The absence of STN7 kinase, however, does not prevent plants from sensing redox imbalance and adjusting the stoichiometry of the photosynthetic machinery to restore redox homeostasis. This suggests that STN7 is not essential for signaling between the chloroplast and the nucleus. Here we discuss the evolution and functions of the STN7 and other thylakoid protein kinases and phosphatases, and the inherent difficulties in analyzing signaling cascades initiated from the photosynthetic machinery. Based on our analyses of literature and publicly available expression data, we conclude that STN7 exerts it signaling effect primarily by controlling chloroplast ROS homeostasis through maintaining steady-state phosphorylation of the light harvesting II proteins and the redox balance in the thylakoid membrane. ROS are important signaling molecules with a direct effect on the development of jasmonate, which in turn relays information out from the chloroplast. We propose that thylakoid membrane redox homeostasis, regulated by SNT7, sends cell-wide signals that reprogram the entire hormonal network in the cell.
Intimacy, empathy, and social distance as they relate to the construct of hypermasculinity in a college population

INTIMACY, EMPATHY, AND SOCIAL DISTANCE AS THEY RELATE TO THE CONSTRUCT OF HYPERMASCULINITY IN A COLLEGE POPULATION. It has been assumed that a deficiency in some men’s capacity for warmth, caring, and empathy underlies an internalized hypermasculine behavior pattern; however, direct evidence to support this assumption is lacking. The authors of the construct of hypermasculinity normed the concept on a deviant population, i.e., men that display inappropriate behavior. These men also possessed criminal backgrounds. However, to add to this, decades ago researchers found hypermasculine traits among college students. This study employed the characteristics that make up the construct of hypermasculinity (the experience of danger as exciting, the belief that violence is manly, and calloused sexual attitudes toward women) to examine how they related to several important variables that are associated with the socialization process, intimacy, empathy, and social distance. Whether or not hypermasculinity could be found in a current college population was investigated.
Students, science and scientism : a story about resistance

The article takes a worldview perspective and discusses students, science and scientism with the starting point in empirical data. The aim is to shed light on the kinds of worldviews students associate with science, and how these worldviews are related to the worldviews of the students. Data consist of answers to a questionnaire (N=47) and interviews (N=26) with upper secondary students. The results show that it is common that students associate science with scientism. A possible consequence if science teaching communicate an image of science which the students interpret as science being connected to scientism, is that the teaching of science functions as a way to socialize/indoctrinate students into scientism. However the results show that many students are resisting indoctrination into scientism. These students describe their own views in ways that differ from the ones they associate with science. E.g. students frequently associate science with scientism, but state that they themselves do not agree with these kinds of views. The results are also discussed in relation to students’ identity and inclusion/exclusion in relation to science teaching.
Lipid peroxidation and the levels of antioxidant enzymes in hypertension

Background and Aim: There is substantial evidence that oxidative stress plays a major role in hypertension and subsequently the atherosclerotic process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of oxidative stress in hypertension. Materials and Methods: The study included 46 hypertensive and 48 control subjects. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase activity and malondialdehyde level were measured in serum samples of the participants along with fasting lipid levels. Statistical Analysis Used: All data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using standard statistical software like Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Chi square test was used for categorical variables. Results: Serum malondialdehyde level was significantly raised in the study group as compared to control group (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase activity, whole blood glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase activity were significantly decreased in all the subgroups of study group as compared to control group (p < 0.05). Cholesterol, low density lipoproteins and triglycerides showed significant rise, whereas high density lipoprotein was decreased as compared to normal. Conclusions: The higher malondialdehyde level and lower activity levels of other antioxidant molecules measured in this study could have resulted from increased free radical generation, which may confirm the presence of oxidative stress in hypertension. However, further elaborate clinical studies are required to evaluate the role of such antioxidant enzymes. Keywords: antioxidant, oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, glutathione, superoxide dismutase.
Wannabes, Goths, and Christians: The Boundaries of Sex, Style, and Status

On college campuses and in high school halls, being white means being boring. Since whiteness is the mainstream, white kids lack a cultural identity that's exotic or worth flaunting. To remedy this, countless white youths across the country are now joining more outre subcultures like the Black- and Puerto Rican - dominated hip-hop scene, the glamorously morose goth community, or an evangelical Christian organization whose members reject campus partying. Amy C. Wilkins' intimate ethnography of these three subcultures reveals a complex tug-of-war between the demands of race, class, and gender in which transgressing in one realm often means conforming to expectations in another. Subcultures help young people, especially women, navigate these connecting territories by offering them different sexual strategies: wannabes cross racial lines, goths break taboos by becoming involved with multiple partners, and Christians forego romance to develop their bond with God. Avoiding sanctimonious hysteria over youth gone astray, Wilkins meets these kids on their own terms, and the result is a perceptive and provocative portrait of the structure of young lives.
Lower bounds for resolution and cutting plane proofs and monotone computations

Abstract We prove an exponential lower bound on the length of cutting plane proofs. The proof uses an extension of a lower bound for monotone circuits to circuits which compute with real numbers and use nondecreasing functions as gates. The latter result is of independent interest, since, in particular, it implies an exponential lower bound for some arithmetic circuits.
Viewpoints and Frames of Reference in Spatial Memory

Preface The purpose of the research reported in this dissertation was to explore and understand some of the underlying mechanisms involved in spatial cognition. Specifically, we focused on the contribution and interaction of non-visual and visual information toward the nature of egocentric and allocentric frames of references at various spatial scales (i.e. building size, room sized, and object layouts in peripersonal space). The following three chapters have either been previously published or are under preparation for submission. I am the major contribute to all aspects of the work. Active navigation and orientation-free spatial representations ". The author of the current thesis is the second author of this published work whose contribution include the development of the original idea and experimental design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. and Sun, H-J. titled " The importance of multiple viewpoints and different features in understanding our reference frame in spatial memory ". The author of the current thesis is the first author whose contribution include the development of the original idea and experimental design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. The second author is another graduate student whose contribution include the co-development iv of the original idea and experimental design and data collection. The third author is the supervisor of the second author who provided insightful comments on the interpretation of the data. The last author is the thesis supervisor. " Breaking down our reference frame: The role of different spatial properties and spatial updating in a scene recognition task ". The author of the current thesis is the first author whose contribution include the development of the original idea and experimental design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. The last author is the thesis supervisor. v Abstract Previous human behavioral research has provided support for the existence of different frames of reference utilized during spatial processing that can be dependent or independent of the observer. These are known respectively as egocentric and allocentric frames of reference. However, it has been difficult to dissociate these two different processes under realistic conditions. Importantly, how these frames of reference are influenced by the visual and non-visual information is not well understood. Therefore, the studies of this thesis evaluated spatial processing utilizing realistic and ecologically valid stimuli in environments of different scales, while systematically manipulating the visual and non-visual information available during learning. We demonstrated that non-visual information generated by actively walking through …
Explaining relationships between entities

Modern search engines are increasingly aiming to understand users’ intent in order to answer information needs more effectively by providing richer information than the traditional “ten blue links”. This information might include context about the entities present in the query, direct answers to questions that concern entities and more. A recent trend when answering queries that refer to a single entity is providing an additional panel that contains some basic information about the entity, along with links to other entities that are related to the initial entity. A problem that remains largely unexplored is how to provide an explanation of why two entities are related. In this work, we study the problem of explaining pre-defined relations of entity pairs with natural language sentences in the context of search engines. We propose a method that first extracts sentences that refer to each entity pair and then ranks the sentences by how well they describe the relation between the two entities. Our ranking module combines a rich set of features using state-of-the-art learning to rank algorithms. We evaluate our method on a dataset of entities and relations used by a commercial search engine. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, which can be efficiently applied in a search engine scenario.
Two Arabidopsis Threonine Aldolases Are Nonredundant and Compete with Threonine Deaminase for a Common Substrate Pool[W]

Amino acids are not only fundamental protein constituents but also serve as precursors for many essential plant metabolites. Although amino acid biosynthetic pathways in plants have been identified, pathway regulation, catabolism, and downstream metabolite partitioning remain relatively uninvestigated. Conversion of Thr to Gly and acetaldehyde by Thr aldolase (EC 4.1.2.5) was only recently shown to play a role in plant amino acid metabolism. Whereas one Arabidopsis thaliana Thr aldolase (THA1) is expressed primarily in seeds and seedlings, the other (THA2) is expressed in vascular tissue throughout the plant. Metabolite profiling of tha1 mutants identified a >50-fold increase in the seed Thr content, a 50% decrease in seedling Gly content, and few other significant metabolic changes. By contrast, homozygous tha2 mutations cause a lethal albino phenotype. Rescue of tha2 mutants and tha1 tha2 double mutants by overproduction of feedback-insensitive Thr deaminase (OMR1) shows that Gly formation by THA1 and THA2 is not essential in Arabidopsis. Seed-specific expression of feedback-insensitive Thr deaminase in both tha1 and tha2 Thr aldolase mutants greatly increases seed Ile content, suggesting that these two Thr catabolic enzymes compete for a common substrate pool.
Present Contact Sensation

--- In this paper, we propose a novel wearable haptic device to present contact sensations. Our goal is realization of a small ultra lightweight haptic device that enables mixed reality applications where people can move freely and two or more persons can simultaneously use. At first we clarify specification of a device weight and best way to present force to cutaneous sensation on the finger tip with an actuator. Then we propose a novel device which employs cutaneous sensation stimulation method utilizing wires that enables presentation of strong contact sensations by weak force. Therefore, we can make a small lightweight device (1.4g) by a small actuator. Moreover, since a response of an actuator also improves, quality force sense presentation is achieved. And the device can overlay the sense of force without barring ordinary manipulation of real objects or other users. Finally we present effectiveness of the device through experimental results.
Merging AI and OR to solve high-dimensional stochastic optimization problems using approximate dynamic programming

W consider the problem of optimizing over time hundreds or thousands of discrete entities that may be characterized by relatively complex attributes, in the presence of different forms of uncertainty. Such problems arise in a range of operational settings such as transportation and logistics, where the entities may be aircraft, locomotives, containers, or people. These problems can be formulated using dynamic programming but encounter the widely cited “curse of dimensionality. ” Even deterministic formulations of these problems can produce math programs with millions of rows, far beyond anything being solved today. This paper shows how we can combine concepts from artificial intelligence and operations research to produce practical solution methods that scale to industrial-strength problems. Throughout, we emphasize concepts, techniques, and notation from artificial intelligence and operations research to show how these fields can be brought together for complex stochastic, dynamic problems.
Affine propagation for surface reconstruction in wide baseline stereo

The problem of dense matching in wide baseline stereo is considered. It is assumed that the scene is formed by piecewise-smooth, Lambertian, textured surfaces and that rectified images of the scene are available. We present a novel dense matching algorithm that accounts for local affine distortion and propagates the best matching affine parameters on each surface until a surface discontinuity is reached. Disparity maps and projective reconstructions for real-world wide baseline stereo images are shown.