Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reducing obesity via a school-based interdisciplinary intervention among youth: Planet Health.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a school-based health behavior intervention known as Planet Health on obesity among boys and girls in grades 6 to 8. DESIGN Randomized, controlled field trial with 5 intervention and 5 control schools. Outcomes were assessed using preintervention (fall 1995) and follow-up measures (spring 1997), including prevalence, incidence, and remission of obesity. PARTICIPANTS A group of 1295 ethnically diverse grade 6 and 7 students from public schools in 4 Massachusetts communities. INTERVENTION Students participated in a school-based interdisciplinary intervention over 2 school years. Planet Health sessions were included within existing curricula using classroom teachers in 4 major subjects and physical education. Sessions focused on decreasing television viewing, decreasing consumption of high-fat foods, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and increasing moderate and vigorous physical activity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Obesity was defined as a composite indicator based on both a body mass index and a triceps skinfold value greater than or equal to age- and sex-specific 85th percentiles. Because schools were randomized, rather than students, the generalized estimating equation method was used to adjust for individual-level covariates under cluster randomization. RESULTS The prevalence of obesity among girls in intervention schools was reduced compared with controls, controlling for baseline obesity (odds ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.93; P = .03), with no differences found among boys. There was greater remission of obesity among intervention girls vs. control girls (odds ratio, 2.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-4.35; P = .04). The intervention reduced television hours among both girls and boys, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption and resulted in a smaller increment in total energy intake among girls. Reductions in television viewing predicted obesity change and mediated the intervention effect. Among girls, each hour of reduction in television viewing predicted reduced obesity prevalence (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.97; P = .02). CONCLUSION Planet Health decreased obesity among female students, indicating a promising school-based approach to reducing obesity among youth.
Separating early sensory neuron and blood vessel patterning

The anatomical association between sensory nerves and blood vessels is well recognised in the adult, and interactions between the two are important during development. Here we have examined the relationship between developing blood vessels and sensory neuronal cell bodies, which is less well understood. We show in the chick that the nascent dorsal root ganglia (DRG) lie dorsal to the longitudinal anastomosis, adjacent to the developing neural tube at the level of the sulcus limitans. Furthermore, the blood vessel is present prior to the neurons suggesting that it may play a role in positioning the DRG. We use the zebrafish cloche mutation to analyse DRG formation in the absence of blood vessels and show that the DRG are positioned normally. Thus, despite their close anatomical relationship, the patterning of the blood vessel and DRG alongside the neural tube is separable rather than interdependent. Developmental Dynamics 239:3297–3302, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Near-Optimal Machine Teaching via Explanatory Teaching Sets

Modern applications of machine teaching for humans often involve domain-specific, non- trivial target hypothesis classes. To facilitate understanding of the target hypothesis, it is crucial for the teaching algorithm to use examples which are interpretable to the human learner. In this paper, we propose NOTES, a principled framework for constructing interpretable teaching sets, utilizing explanations to accelerate the teaching process. Our algorithm is built upon a natural stochastic model of learners and a novel submodular surrogate objective function which greedily selects interpretable teaching examples. We prove that NOTES is competitive with the optimal explanation-based teaching strategy. We further instantiate NOTES with a specific hypothesis class, which can be viewed as an interpretable approximation of any hypothesis class, allowing us to handle complex hypothesis in practice. We demonstrate the effectiveness of NOTES on several image classification tasks, for both simulated and real human learners. Our experimental results suggest that by leveraging explanations, one can significantly speed up teaching.
Biophysical insight into the heparin‐peptide interaction and its modulation by a small molecule

The heparin‐protein interaction plays a vital role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Not only is the binding mechanism of these interactions poorly understood, studies concerning their therapeutic targeting are also limited. Here, we have studied the interaction of the heparin interacting peptide (HIP) from Tat (which plays important role in HIV infections) with heparin. Isothermal titration calorimetry binding exhibits distinct biphasic isotherm with two different affinities in the HIP‐heparin complex formation. Overall, the binding was mainly driven by the nonionic interactions with a small contribution from ionic interactions. The stoichiometric analysis suggested that the minimal site for a single HIP molecule is a chain of 4 to 5 saccharide molecules, also supported by docking studies. The investigation was also focused on exploiting the possibility of using a small molecule as an inhibitor of the HIP‐heparin complex. Quinacrine, because of its ability to mimic the HIP interactions with heparin, was shown to successfully modulate the HIP‐heparin interactions. This result demonstrates the feasibility of inhibiting the disease relevant heparin‐protein interactions by a small molecule, which could be an effective strategy for the development of future therapeutic agents.
Parallel computing patterns for Grid workflows

Whereas a consensus has been reached on defining the set of workflow patterns for business process modeling languages, no such patterns exists for workflows applied to scientific computing on the Grid. By looking at different kinds of parallelism, in this paper we identify a set of workflow patterns related to parallel and pipelined execution. The paper presents how these patterns can be represented in different Grid workflow languages and discusses their implications for the design of the underlying workflow management and execution infrastructure. A preliminary classification of these patterns is introduced by surveying how they are supported by several existing advanced scientific and Grid workflow languages.
Differential Contributions of Executive and Episodic Memory Functions to Problem Solving in Younger and Older Adults

Abstract The relationship of higher order problem solving to basic neuropsychological processes likely depends on the type of problems to be solved. Well-defined problems (e.g., completing a series of errands) may rely primarily on executive functions. Conversely, ill-defined problems (e.g., navigating socially awkward situations) may, in addition, rely on medial temporal lobe (MTL) mediated episodic memory processes. Healthy young (N = 18; M = 19; SD = 1.3) and old (N = 18; M = 73; SD = 5.0) adults completed a battery of neuropsychological tests of executive and episodic memory function, and experimental tests of problem solving. Correlation analyses and age group comparisons demonstrated differential contributions of executive and autobiographical episodic memory function to well-defined and ill-defined problem solving and evidence for an episodic simulation mechanism underlying ill-defined problem solving efficacy. Findings are consistent with the emerging idea that MTL-mediated episodic simulation processes support the effective solution of ill-defined problems, over and above the contribution of frontally mediated executive functions. Implications for the development of intervention strategies that target preservation of functional independence in older adults are discussed. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)
Anisotropic Kernels for Meshless Elastic Solids

We propose a mesh less method to simulate elastic solids. Explicit integration methods are widely used in fluid/solid simulators for their efficiency, but these methods are not unconditionally stable: without sufficient small time steps, simulated particles may move beyond range of each other, resulting in simulation breakdown or other unexpected errors. This problem which usually appears under large deformations is called numerical fracture. We use anisotropic kernels to reduce numerical fracture without resampling procedure. During each time step, we update the anisotropic kernels from the analysis of the strain tensor to capture the directions of the deformation. Results illustrate that our method improves the stability of the simulation with minimum computation cost.
Exploring Ulex europaeus to Produce Nontoxic Binderless Fibreboard

Ulex europaeus is one of the most abundant and aggressively invasive plants on the world. Its fibres, which can be isolated using an alkaline pulping process, have been successfully thermo-pressed into high-density fibreboards without any type of binder. The influence of the bioorganic and crystalline components on the product was investigated using crystallographic, thermo-analytical, and mechanical techniques. Cellulose was predominantly an Iβ polymorph, more common in hardwood, but the composition of the material was typical of softwood. Both the crystallinity in the fibres and the average domain size of cellulose increased during thermo-pressing. Notwithstanding that the residual lignin was present in a small amount, this promoted the cohesion of fibres by improving hydrolysis and adhesion properties. The best overall properties were observed in the pressed products of 1030 ± 38 kg/m3, showing an elastic modulus of 4.31 ± 0.26 GPa, with a modulus of rupture of 26.5 ± 1.3 MPa. These results serve as the basis to transform the invasive species into a fully non-toxic added-value resource.
Synthesis of silver nanoparticle using Portulaca oleracea L. extracts

Objective(s): To evaluate the influences of aqueous extracts of plant parts (stem, leaves, and root) of Portulaca oleracea L. on bioformation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Materials and Methods: Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by different plant part extracts of Portulaca oleracea L. was carried out and formation of nanoparticles were confirmed and evaluated using UV-Visible spectroscopy and AFM.Results:The plant extracts exposed with silver nitrate showed gradual change in color of the extract from yellow to dark brown. Different silver nanoperticles were formed using extracts of different plant parts. Conclusion: It seems that the plant parts differ in their ability to act as a reducing and capping agent.
The impact of a wage increase on mental health: Evidence from the UK minimum wage

Previous studies on the relationship between income and mental health focus on lottery winners and find that positive income shocks may improve mental health. We focus on low-wage earners, who have a higher propensity of experiencing mental health problems, and exploit the policy experiment provided by the introduction of the 1999 UK minimum wage to identify the impact of a wage increase on mental health. Combining matching techniques with a series of difference-in-differences models we find that the minimum wage had only limited short-run effects on the mental health of those affected by the minimum wage. Our estimates do not appear to support earlier findings that indicate that monetary shocks improve an individualâ€™s mental health. Several robustness checks controlling for measurement error and treatment and control group composition appear to confirm our main results. Our findings suggest that policies aimed at improving the mental health of low-wage earners should consider either the non-wage characteristics of employment or larger wage increases.
LEO - DB2's LEarning Optimizer

Most modern DBMS optimizers rely upon a cost model to choose the best query execution plan (QEP) for any given query. Cost estimates are heavily dependent upon the optimizer’s estimates for the number of rows that will result at each step of the QEP for complex queries involving many predicates and/or operations. These estimates rely upon statistics on the database and modeling assumptions that may or may not be true for a given database. In this paper we introduce LEO, DB2's LEarning Optimizer, as a comprehensive way to repair incorrect statistics and cardinality estimates of a query execution plan. By monitoring previously executed queries, LEO compares the optimizer’s estimates with actuals at each step in a QEP, and computes adjustments to cost estimates and statistics that may be used during future query optimizations. This analysis can be done either on-line or off-line on a separate system, and either incrementally or in batches. In this way, LEO introduces a feedback loop to query optimization that enhances the available information on the database where the most queries have occurred, allowing the optimizer to actually learn from its past mistakes. Our technique is general and can be applied to any operation in a QEP, including joins, derived results after several predicates have been applied, and even to DISTINCT and GROUP-BY operators. As shown by performance measurements on a 10 GB TPCH data set, the runtime overhead of LEO’s monitoring is insignificant, whereas the potential benefit to response time from more accurate cardinality and cost estimates can be orders of magnitude.
Correspondence-based Fluid Control with a Hybrid Particle-Grid Simulation Method

This paper proposes an effective fluid control framework based on a hybrid particle-grid simulation method. The proposed framework represents both fluid and target with particle primitives and implements the control method using the correspondences between the fluid and target particles. The proposed method is smoothly integrated into the underlying simulation method. The framework enables the user to produce a desired animation using the target object shapes and their transformations.
Eating Behaviors The role of body image psychological fl exibility on the treatment of eating disorders in a residential facility

Article history: Received 11 May 2016 Received in revised form 5 October 2016 Accepted 18 October 2016 Available online 19 October 2016 Objective: The purpose of this study was to test whether pre-treatment levels of psychological flexibility would longitudinally predict quality of life and eating disorder risk in patients at a residential treatment facility for eating disorders. Method:Data on body image psychological flexibility, quality of life, and eating disorder risk were collected from 63 adolescent and50 adult, female, residential patients (N=113) diagnosedwith an eating disorder. These same measureswere again collected at post-treatment. Sequentialmultiple regression analyseswere performed to test whether pre-treatment levels of psychological flexibility longitudinally predicted quality of life and eating disorder risk after controlling for age and baseline effects. Results: Pre-treatment psychological flexibility significantly predicted post-treatment quality of lifewith approximately 19% of the variation being attributable to age and pre-treatment psychological flexibility. Pre-treatment psychological flexibility also significantly predicted post-treatment eating disorder risk with nearly 30% of the variation attributed to age and pre-treatment psychological flexibility. Discussion: This study suggests that levels of psychological flexibility upon entering treatment for an eating disorder longitudinally predict eating disorder outcome and quality of life. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Momentum-Resolved Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering as a Novel Tool to Study the Bulk Electronic Structure of Complex Insulators

NSLS Activity Report 2000 Momentum-Resolved Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering as a Novel Tool to Study the Bulk Electronic Structure of Complex Insulators M.Z. Hasan1, E.D. Isaacs2, Z-X. Shen1, L.L. Miller3 1Dept. of Applied Physics, Physics & Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL), Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ 3Dept. of Physics, Iowa State University & Ames Laboratory, Ames, IA
Behavioral/systems/cognitive Selective Subcortical Enhancement of Musical Intervals in Musicians

By measuring the auditory brainstem response to two musical intervals, the major sixth (E3 and G2) and the minor seventh (E3 and F#2), we found that musicians have a more specialized sensory system for processing behaviorally relevant aspects of sound. Musicians had heightened responses to the harmonics of the upper tone (E), as well as certain combination tones (sum tones) generated by nonlinear processing in the auditory system. In music, the upper note is typically carried by the upper voice, and the enhancement of the upper tone likely reflects musicians' extensive experience attending to the upper voice. Neural phase locking to the temporal periodicity of the amplitude-modulated envelope, which underlies the perception of musical harmony, was also more precise in musicians than nonmu-sicians. Neural enhancements were strongly correlated with years of musical training, and our findings, therefore, underscore the role that long-term experience with music plays in shaping auditory sensory encoding.
Quantifying the impact of scholarly papers based on higher-order weighted citations

Quantifying the impact of a scholarly paper is of great significance, yet the effect of geographical distance of cited papers has not been explored. In this paper, we examine 30,596 papers published in Physical Review C, and identify the relationship between citations and geographical distances between author affiliations. Subsequently, a relative citation weight is applied to assess the impact of a scholarly paper. A higher-order weighted quantum PageRank algorithm is also developed to address the behavior of multiple step citation flow. Capturing the citation dynamics with higher-order dependencies reveals the actual impact of papers, including necessary self-citations that are sometimes excluded in prior studies. Quantum PageRank is utilized in this paper to help differentiating nodes whose PageRank values are identical.
Effects of Drought on Xylem Anatomy and Water-Use Efficiency of Two Co-Occurring Pine Species

Exploring how drought influences growth, performance, and survival in different species is crucial to understanding the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems. Here, we investigate the responses of two co-occurring pines (Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris) to interannual drought in east-central Spain by dendrochronological and wood anatomical features integrated with isotopic ratios of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) in tree rings. Our results showed that drought induces both species to allocate less carbon to build tracheid cell-walls but increases tracheid lumen diameters, particularly in the transition wood between early and latewood, potentially maximizing hydraulic conductivity but reducing resistance to embolism at a critical phase during the growing season. The thicker cell-wall-to-lumen ratio in P. nigra could imply that its xylem may be more resistant to bending stress and drought-induced cavitation than P. sylvestris. In contrast, the higher intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) in P. sylvestris suggests that it relies more on a water-saving strategy. Our results suggest that narrower cell-walls and reduced growth under drought are not necessarily linked to increased iWUE. At our site P. nigra showed a higher growth plasticity, grew faster and was more competitive than P. sylvestris. In the long term, these sustained differences in iWUE and anatomical characters could affect forest species performance and composition, particularly under increased drought stress.
A Scenario-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Mobile App to Reduce Dysfunctional Beliefs in Individuals with Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION While self-administered mobile app-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has shown efficiency and effectiveness over the past decade, attempts to address automatic and negative beliefs have been lacking. The purpose of this study was to introduce and verify a mobile app that directly intervenes in dysfunctional thoughts. This app-based treatment includes recognizing automatic and negative thoughts of the protagonist of scenarios, writing advice directly to the main character, and sharing advice provided by other participants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-four participants diagnosed with Other Specified Depressive Disorder were recruited and randomly allocated to a CBT-based mobile-app program, the Todac Todac (TT group), or a daily mood chart app program (control group). Participants were asked to use the software for 3 weeks. Assessments for autonomic thoughts and clinical symptoms were administered at baseline and at a follow-up evaluation. RESULTS After completing the 3-week program, Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) scores in TT group were lower than they were in the control group. In clinical measures, both TT group and control group showed reduced Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) scores and situation-dependent trait version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-X2) at follow-up. However, TT group showed significantly reduced STAI-X2 scores compared to control group. For all participants, changes in DAS scores were correlated with BDI-II and STAI-X2 scores. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary findings provide promising evidence that scenario-based CBT mobile apps can be used to deliver feasible and efficacious cognitive therapy. Long-term research is needed to determine the impact and effectiveness of this new treatment format.
Increased carriage of non-vaccine serotypes with low invasive disease potential four years after switching to the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in The Netherlands

The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced in The Netherlands in 2006 and was replaced by PHiD-CV10 in 2011. Data on carriage prevalence of S. pneumoniae serotypes in children and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children and older adults were collected to examine the impact of PCVs on carriage and IPD in The Netherlands. Pneumococcal carriage prevalence was determined by conventional culture of nasopharyngeal swabs in 24-month-old children in 2015/2016. Data were compared to similar carriage studies in 2005 (pre-PCV7 introduction), 2009, 2010/2011 and 2012/2013. Invasive pneumococcal disease isolates from hospitalized children <5 years and adults >65 years (2004–2016) were obtained by sentinel surveillance. All isolates were serotyped by Quellung. Serotype invasive disease potential was calculated using carriage and nationwide IPD data in children. The overall pneumococcal carriage rate was 48% in 2015/2016, lower than in 2010/2011 (64%) and pre-vaccination in 2005 (66%). Carriage of the previously dominant non-vaccine serotypes 19A and 11A has declined since 2010/2011, from 14.2% to 4.6% and 4.2% to 2.7%, respectively, whereas carriage of serotypes 6C and 23B has increased (4.2% to 6.7% and 3.9% to 7.3%), making serotypes 6C and 23B the most prevalent carriage serotypes. IPD incidence declined in children (20/100,000 cases in 2004/2006 to 6/100,000 cases in 2015/2016) as well as in older adults (63/100,000 cases to 51/100,000 cases). Serotypes 6C, 23B and 11A have high carriage prevalence in children, but show low invasive disease potential. Serotype 8 is the main causative agent for IPD in older adults (11.3%). In conclusion, 10 years after the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination in children in The Netherlands shifts in carriage and disease serotypes are still ongoing. Surveillance of both carriage and IPD is important to assess PCV impact and to predict necessary future vaccination strategies in both children and older adults.