Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pretreatment Brain Connectome Fingerprint Predicts Treatment Response in Major Depressive Disorder

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) treatment is characterized by low remission rate and often involves weeks to months of treatment. Identification of pretreatment biomarkers of response may play a critical role in novel drug development, in enhanced prognostic predictions, and perhaps in providing more personalized medicine. Using a network restricted strength predictive modeling (NRS-PM) approach, the goal of the current study was to identify pretreatment functional connectome fingerprints (CFPs) that (1) predict symptom improvement regardless of treatment modality and (2) predict treatment specific improvement. Methods Functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral data from unmedicated patients with MDD (n = 200) were investigated. Participants were randomized to daily treatment of sertraline or placebo for 8 weeks. NRS-PM with 1000 iterations of 10 cross-validation were implemented to identify brain connectivity signatures that predict percent improvement in depression severity at week-8. Results The study identified a pretreatment CFP that significantly predicts symptom improvement independent of treatment modality but failed to identify a treatment specific CFP. Regardless of treatment modality, improved antidepressant response was predicted by high pretreatment connectivity between modules in the default mode network and the rest of the brain, but low external connectivity in the executive network. Moreover, high pretreatment internal nodal connectivity in the bilateral caudate predicted better response. Conclusions The identified CFP may contribute to drug development and ultimately to enhanced prognostic predictions. However, the results do not assist with providing personalized medicine, as pretreatment functional connectivity failed to predict treatment specific response.
Stressors and Subjective Well-Being among Chinese Older Adults: Uncovering the Buffering Roles of Tangible Support Patterns

Using data from two waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N ≈ 5,500), this study used latent class analysis to identify tangible support patterns among Chinese older adults based on types and sources of support. Furthermore, multivariate regression was used to examine the stress-buffering roles of tangible support patterns in the relationships between two stressors (i.e., poor health and functional dependence) and older adults’ subjective well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms and life satisfaction). We found four distinct tangible support patterns (i.e., semitraditional, traditional, formal financial-spousal instrumental, and restricted) among Chinese older adults. Poor health and functional dependence were significantly associated with lower subjective well-being. The moderating role of support differed significantly by patterns. Two patterns, formal financial-spousal instrumental and restricted, mitigated or reversed the negative relationships between both stressors and older adults’ subjective well-being. In addition, the traditional Chinese support pattern reduced the positive relationship between poor health and depressive symptoms. Implications for the well-being of the Chinese older adult population are discussed.
Bi-directional association between depression and HF: An electronic health records-based cohort study

Objective: To determine whether a bi-directional relationship exists between depression and HF within a single population of individuals receiving primary care services, using longitudinal electronic health records (EHRs). Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized EHRs for adults who received primary care services within a large healthcare system in 2006. Validated EHR-based algorithms identified 10,649 people with depression (depression cohort) and 5,911 people with HF (HF cohort) between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2018. Each person with depression or HF was matched 1:1 with an unaffected referent on age, sex, and outpatient service use. Each cohort (with their matched referents) was followed up electronically to identify newly diagnosed HF (in the depression cohort) and depression (in the HF cohort) that occurred after the index diagnosis of depression or HF, respectively. The risks of these outcomes were compared (vs. referents) using marginal Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for 16 comorbid chronic conditions. Results: 2,024 occurrences of newly diagnosed HF were observed in the depression cohort and 944 occurrences of newly diagnosed depression were observed in the HF cohort over approximately 4–6 years of follow-up. People with depression had significantly increased risk for developing newly diagnosed HF (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.89–2.28) and people with HF had a significantly increased risk of newly diagnosed depression (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.17–1.54) after adjusting for all 16 comorbid chronic conditions. Conclusion: These results provide evidence of a bi-directional relationship between depression and HF independently of age, sex, and multimorbidity from chronic illnesses.
Rural Household Cooking Fuel Choices: A Multidimensional Approach

The multidimensional nature of poverty seeps into all other aspects of human development of which one is access to clean energy. Literature highlights the high correlation between human development and unequal access to energy. 1 The term “fuel poverty” is of importance here especially in a developing country context like India where access to clean fuel is a far sight for many despite key governmental initiatives promoting and subsidising access to clean fuel. The present article examines the impact of poverty on the likelihood of a household to shift to clean fuel for cooking, heating, etc. The present article shows that the usual method of estimating poverty is not sufficient enough to explain behavioural change among rural households. In fact, the simple provision of subsidy cannot ensure the complete shift of households to clean cooking fuel option. For this, a multidimensional poverty index concept is more appropriate. The article shows that multidimensional poverty act as a binding constraint in the shift of household from polluting cooking fuel to clean fuel option.
Comparative Analysis of Pesticide Use Determinants Among Smallholder Farmers From Costa Rica and Uganda

Pesticides are used globally in agriculture and pose a threat to the health of farmers, communities, and the environment. Smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries have generally a low socio-economic status and educational level. Consequently, they are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts of pesticides on their health, yields, or land. In a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices study, we compared the pest management practices between a market-oriented farming system in Zarcero County, Costa Rica, and a subsistence-based farming system in Wakiso District, Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among smallholder farmers from Costa Rica (n = 300) in 2016 and from Uganda (n = 302) in 2017. We enrolled conventional and organic farmers, but also farmers with mixed practices and non-applicators of any pest management strategy. We found that the majority of pesticides used in both case studies are classified as highly hazardous by the World Health Organization. While more than 90% of smallholder farmers from both countries were aware of the negative health effects of pesticide exposure, <11% in Costa Rica and <2% in Uganda reported using personal protective equipment every time they handled or applied pesticides. Hygiene and other safe use practices were not adopted by all farmers (<61%), especially among farmers applying more hazardous pesticides. Conventional farmers from Costa Rica (14%) and Uganda (19%) reported disposing pesticide residuals into rivers. Using a logistic regression we found that organic farmers were more likely to having been trained on safe pesticide use practices. Using a robust regression, we observed that smallholder household income was primarily driven by education and not directly by the use of synthetic pesticides. Our results suggest that negative effects of pesticides can be managed over the whole life cycle, from purchase, via storage and application to residual and waste management by fostering professionalization of farmers. We advise future safe use and handling interventions to consider the pesticide use-related socioeconomic and demographic findings highlighted in this paper.
Development and Validation of a Prediction Model for 6-Month Societal Costs in Older Community Care-Recipients in Multiple Countries; the IBenC Study

This study aims to develop and validate a prediction model of societal costs during a period of 6-months in older community care-recipients across multiple European countries. Participants were older community care-recipients from 5 European countries. The outcome measure was mean 6-months total societal costs of resource utilisation (healthcare and informal care). Potential predictors included sociodemographic characteristics, functional limitations, clinical conditions, and diseases/disorders. The model was developed by performing Linear Mixed Models with a random intercept for the effect of country and validated by an internal-external validation procedure. Living alone, caregiver distress, (I)ADL impairment, required level of care support, health instability, presence of pain, behavioural problems, urinary incontinence and multimorbidity significantly predicted societal costs during 6 months. The model explained 32% of the variation within societal costs and showed good calibration in Iceland, Finland and Germany. Minor model adaptations improved model performance in The Netherland and Italy. The results can provide a valuable orientation for policymakers to better understand cost development among older community care-recipients. Despite substantial differences of countries’ care systems, a validated cross-national set of key predictors could be identified.
A discretization method for predicting the equivalent elastic parameters of the graded lattice structure

In recent years, cellular materials have been widely studied and applied in aerospace and other fields due to the advantages of lightweight and multi-function. However, it is difficult to predict the equivalent elastic properties of the graded lattice structure and other non-uniform cellular materials because of the complex configuration and non-uniformity. A new discretization method for predicting the equivalent elastic parameters of the graded lattice structure is proposed based on the strain energy equivalent method and the discretization method in this paper. The graded lattice structure is discretized into lattice cells, the equivalent elastic properties are predicted by calculating the global equivalent elastic parameters with the parameters of lattice cells, and the calculation formulas are derived. After that, taking edge cube, face-centered cubic and body-centered cubic lattice as examples, the effectiveness and accuracy of the method are verified by theoretical calculation, numerical analysis, and experiment. The results show that the calculation errors of equivalent elastic parameters are between 4.5%–9.7%, and the errors can be significantly improved by reducing the graded factor. It proves that the proposed discretization method can predict the equivalent elastic parameters of the graded lattice structure effectively, and is suitable for different lattice structures.
Third-Party Effects in Stakeholder Interviews

This paper examines the effect of having a third-party scientific expert present in stakeholder interviews. The study was conducted as part of a larger project on stakeholder engagement for natural resource management in the Verde Valley region of Arizona. We employed an experimental design, conducting stakeholder interviews both with and without an identified scientific expert present. Our sample consisted of 12 pairs of interviewees (24 total participants) who we matched based on their occupation, sex, and spatial proximity. For each pair, the scientific expert was present as a third party in one interview and absent in the other. We used a word-based coding strategy to code all interview responses for three known areas of sensitivity among the study population (risk, gatekeeping, and competence). We then performed both quantitative and qualitative analyses to compare responses across the two interview groups. We found that the presence of a scientific expert did not have a statistically significant effect on the mention of sensitive topics among stakeholders. However, our qualitative results show that the presence of a scientific expert had subtle influences on the ways that stakeholders discussed sensitive topics, particularly in placing emphasis on their own credibility and knowledge. Our findings indicate that researchers may be able to pursue collaborative, interdisciplinary research designs with multiple researchers present during interviews without concerns of strongly influencing data elicitation on sensitive topics. However, researchers should be cognizant of the subtle ways in which the presence of a third-party expert may influence the credibility claims and knowledge assertions made by respondents when a third-party expert is present during stakeholder interviews.
Perceptions of the Key Stakeholders on Professional Development of Teachers in Rural Pakistan

Professional development (PD) has generally been associated with the learning opportunities teachers avail externally. However, the latest trends propagate grounding PD activities in the work place with the assumption that such shift will not only enable teachers to be engaged in ongoing learning but also help them to find contextual solutions for their specific issues. For other academics, however, PD refers to all the planned and unplanned activities which teachers avail to improve their practices. In this background, this research explored how relevant stakeholders in rural Pakistan perceive PD. Using a survey method and questionnaire tool, data were collected from teachers, school leaders, education department officials, and representatives of PD providers. The outcomes showed that majority of stakeholders associate PD to external learning opportunities provided to the teachers. In addition, there is a lack of shared understanding among different stakeholders with regard to the meaning of PD. These conclusions have implications for PD providers and educational reformers. Teachers should be oriented on latest trends in PD as well as supported to use the latest school-based PD models for their ongoing development.
Study on vertical motion reduction of a trimaran based on collaborative controlled appendages

In recent years, the trimaran as a novel ship has been greatly developed. The subsequent large vertical motion needs to be studied and resolved. In this article, an experimental study for a trimaran vertical stabilization control is carried out. Three modes including the bare trimaran (the trimaran without appendages, the trimaran with fixed appendages, and the trimaran with controlled appendages) are performed through model tests in a towing tank. The model tests are performed in regular waves. The range of wave period is 2.0–4.0 s, and the speed of the carriage is 2.93 and 6.51 m/s. The results of the three modes show the fixed appendages and the actively controlled appendages are all effective for the vertical motion reduction of the trimaran. Moreover, the controlled appendages are more effective for the vertical stability performance of the trimaran.
The association between clusters of chronic conditions and psychological well-being in younger and older people—A cross-sectional, population-based study from the Lolland-Falster Health Study, Denmark

Aim: To investigate the association between clusters of conditions and psychological well-being across age groups. Method: This cross-sectional study used data collected in the Danish population-based Lolland-Falster Health Study. We included adults over the age of 18 years. Self-reported chronic conditions were divided into 10 groups of conditions. The primary outcome was psychological well-being (the WHO-5 Well-Being Index). Factor analysis constructed the clusters of conditions, and regression analysis investigated the association between clusters and psychological well-being. Results: Of 10,781 participants, 31.4% were between 18 and 49 years, 35.7% were between 50 and 64 years and 32.9% were above ≥65 years. 35.2% had conditions represented in 1 and 32.9% in at least 2 of 10 condition groups. Across age groups, living with one or more chronic conditions was associated with poorer psychological well-being. Two chronic condition patterns were identified; one comprised cardiovascular, endocrine, kidney, musculoskeletal and cancer conditions, the second mental, lung, neurological, gastrointestinal and sensory conditions. Both patterns were associated with poorer psychological well-being (Pattern 1: −4.5 (95% CI: −5.3 to −3.7), Pattern 2: −9.1 (95% CI −13.8 to −8.2). For pattern 2, participants ≥65 years had poorer psychological well-being compared to younger (−12.6 (95% CI −14.2 to −11.0) vs −6.6 (95% CI: −7.8 to −5.4) for 18–49 years and −8.7 (95% CI: −10.1 to −7.3) for 50–64 years, interaction: p ≤ 0.001) Conclusion: Living with one or more chronic conditions is associated with poorer psychological well-being. Findings point toward a greater focus on supporting psychological well-being in older adults with both mental and somatic conditions.
Bargaining Power or Specialization? Determinants of Household Decision Making in Chinese Rural Migrant Families

Family migration is a common integration process for rural migrants in contemporary China. However, discussions on intra-household decision making in dual-earner migrant families are limited. This study aims to address this gap. The data set from the Rural Urban Migration in China (RUMiC2008–2010) is employed to explore the determinants of household decision making. In addition, logit regression is performed to estimate the probability of wives acting as head of the household under different specifications, and the Blinder–Oaxaca–Fairlie decomposition is utilized to discuss gender differentials in decision-making responsibilities. Income and migration duration differentials between a wife and husband have important influences on the probability of being responsible for household decision making. The squared terms of wives’ and husbands’ income have inverted effects. The gender gap between household decision makers can be largely attributed to structural factors rather than observable characteristics, though bargaining power acts as the main contributor in explained parts. Bargaining theory can account for the probability of wives becoming the household decision maker, and the claim of the specialization approach is also confirmed. Gender inequality among household decision makers is largely attributed to structural factors, such as cultural/social norms, obstacles, or gender discrimination. The establishment of long-term effective mechanisms to improve employment quality for female migrants, the supply of basic public services, and protection of women’s legal rights in the household should be strengthened in the future to elevate the status of female migrants.
The digital life of the #migrantcaravan: Contextualizing Twitter as a spatial technology

The Central American migrant caravans of 2018 are best understood as having been precipitated by entangled multi-scalar geopolitical histories among the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Unsurprisingly, the migrants traveling north to the United States garnered widespread attention on social media. So much so that the reaction to the caravan accelerated plans to deploy troops to the US southern border and deny Central Americans the opportunity to seek asylum. This example showcases how the digital world can have exponential material effects. While coverage on border security and migration has been extensive, within political geography, such concerns have rarely been paired with social media. In this article, we take as our object of analysis the digitality or “digital life” of the migrant caravan. Mapping the patterns of migrant caravan-related tweeting paired with the exploration of Twitter’s networked dimensions reveals the platform to be a fundamentally spatial technology. Rather than reflect, refract or distort, Twitter produces and (its power) is in turn produced through spatial mechanisms. We present multiple cartographic visualizations in support of this claim and highlight the ways in which a contextual knowledge of the subject under study—the migrant caravan—can further inform analyses of Big Data.
Bias and discrimination against men with overweight in the military

Research on weight-bias against men and/or in the military is scarce. Such a bias might cause some military members, who are otherwise fit to perform their duties, to suffer from discrimination and undue stress. We showed military personnel a picture of a soldier who had either normal weight or overweight. In both conditions, the description of the soldier stated that his physical fitness and job-related skills were good. Nonetheless, the soldier’s suitability for promotion was rated lower in the overweight condition. These findings improve our understanding of the impact of bias on the mental and physical health of men with overweight.
Smoker profiles and their influence on smokers’ intention to use a digital decision aid aimed at the uptake of evidence-based smoking cessation tools: An explorative study

Objectives Evidence-based smoking cessation support tools (EBSTs) can double the quitting chances, but uptake among smokers is low. A digital decision aid (DA) could help smokers choose an EBST in concordance with their values and preferences, but it is unclear which type of smokers are interested in a digital DA. We hypothesized that smokers’ general decision-making style (GDMS) could be used to identify early adopters. This study therefore aimed to identify smoker profiles based on smokers’ GDMS and investigate these profiles’ association with intention to use a digital DA. Design A cross-sectional dataset (N = 200 smokers intending to quit) was used to perform a hierarchical cluster analysis based on smokers’ GDMS scores. Methods Clusters were compared on demographic and socio-cognitive variables. Mediation analyses were conducted to see if the relationship between cluster membership and intention was mediated through socio-cognitive variables (e.g., attitude). Results Two clusters were identified; “Avoidant Regretters” (n = 134) were more avoidant, more regretful and tended to depend more on others in their decision making, while “Intuitive Non-regretters” (n = 66) were more spontaneous and intuitive in their decision making. Cluster membership was significantly related to intention to use a DA, with “Avoidant Regretters” being more interested. Yet, this association ceased to be significant when corrected for socio-cognitive variables (e.g., attitude). This indicates that cluster membership affected intention via socio-cognitive variables. Conclusions The GDMS can be used to identify smokers who are interested in a digital DA early on. As such, the GDMS can be used to tailor recruitment and DA content.