Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of formalised therapy for adolescents with cannabis dependence: A randomised trial

Abstract Aims: During the past 20 years, cannabis consumption among adolescents has dramatically increased. In France, over 300 outpatient treatment centres caring for youngsters with cannabis abuse diagnoses were created. For this study, five European countries participated in a randomised controlled trial on adolescents with cannabis addiction. The goal was to compare a Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) to what was usually done in these five countries (“Treatment As Usual (TAU)”). In France, clinical practices are heterogeneous; therefore, the French TAU had to be formalised. French researchers compared MDFT to a formalised TAU and non-formalised one. The aim of this article is to present the interest of formalising therapeutic French practices. Methods: The efficacy of formalised versus unformalised therapy was assessed using two criteria: decrease of cannabis use over a one-year period measured by Adolescent Diagnostic Interview-light (ADI-light) and by Time Line Follow BACK (TLFB). Findings: Results show that the formalised therapy is more effective in preventing cannabis abuse than non-formalised therapy. At 12 months, this difference is statistically significant (TLFB: p < 0.05). Conclusion: The formalisation of explicit TAU has strengthened the therapist’s involvement in the therapeutic process. This study presents experimental results which demonstrate that formalisation and supervision increased therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of adolescents suffering from cannabis abuse or dependence.
Promoting equitable learning through collaborative work in large-enrollment classrooms

Post-secondary education goals include cultivating independent learners who become lifelong contributors to society and a scientifically literate citizenry. Most universities offer required Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses at the undergraduate level and often delivers in large-enrollment (e.g. over 100) formats. In a largeclassrooms, diverse learning needs and student preferences need to be accommodated, but solutions for large enrollment courses have proven elusive. Group work has been widely used to support students learning in large enrollment classrooms. However, collaborative work may inadvertently reify misconceptions among students with limited background knowledge and experience while encouraging rote learning. In particular, chronic underachievers have reported limited understanding of (or skill in) collaborative learning. This dissertation reported design-based research to promote equitable learning through collaborative work in large-enrollment classrooms. This research was conducted in largeenrollment introductory biology courses for non-science majors. Academically different learners registered the courses and collaborative learning was used to achieve course objectives; promoting general scientific literacy skills. Considering goals and challenges of learning in higher education, the studies examines optimal learning environments for underperforming students. The first manuscript (Chapter 2) analyzes and synthesizes research, theory and practice related to underperforming students in postsecondary settings, and identifying research needed to support both underperforming college students and their instructors. In Chapter 3, a mixed method study examines how individual and group inquiry-based activities influence achievement among academically diverse students. The results indicated that some group-based activities positively influenced the achievement of higher achievers but no group activities improved lower achievers’ individual achievement. The study detailed in Chapter 4 examines group methods designed to benefit the academic performance of all participants equitable across achievement levels. The study mainly examines circumstances and methods where group work benefits performance across achievement levels. The mixed method study indicated that lower performing groups were more likely to benefit when they included higher achievers and/or received additional instructor guidance and positive interdependence and promotive interaction were not consistently associated with improved learning. The dissertation concludes with implications of the program of inquiry and future research directions in Chapter 5. INDEX WORDS: group work, collaborative learning, lower achievers, large classrooms,
Classification of Pro-Eating Disorder Users on Twitter

Pro-eating disorder (pro-ED) refers to online communities endorsing engagement with disordered eating behaviour. On the microblogging site Twitter, members of pro-ED communities share messages (tweets) that glorify extreme thinness or portray unhealthy weight control methods as lifestyle choices rather than symptoms of a mental illness. The goal of this thesis was to achieve automatic detection of users taking part in pro-eating disorder communities on the Twitter platform. For the purpose of this study, 7096 users and 10.7M tweets were collected from Twitter and manually annotated. The data set included users taking part in pro-ED communities and users whose tweets were either recovery-oriented or unrelated to eating disorders. Analysis of the data set revealed differentiating characteristics in the users’ tweets and proLile information, with respect to emoji use, presence of URLs and user mentions, and references to eating disorders and related topics. Based on the established differences, groups of features, such as tweet n-grams and emojis, were extracted and used to train a series of supervised classiLiers. Four machine learning models were explored; a Support Vector Machine, a Naïve Bayes model, a Logistic Regression model and a Random Forest. The highest F1-score (0.98) was achieved both when using an SVM and when using an ensemble approach trained on weighted feature groups with emphasis on unigrams from tweets.
Étude des effets de l'entraînement du contrôle inhibiteur sur le développement cognitif et les apprentissages scolaires chez l'enfant : étude comportementale et en IRM.

Quotidiennement, pour choisir une action tout en s'adaptant de maniere flexible a notre environnement nous devons utiliser des processus cognitifs de haut niveau appeles : les fonctions executives. Il existe trois fonctions executives principales : le controle inhibiteur, la memoire de travail et la flexibilite cognitive. Ces fonctions executives sont impliquees dans toutes les activites cognitives et dans toutes les interactions sociales. Elles constituent egalement un predicteur dans la reussite scolaire et professionnelle. Ces fonctions executives se developpent de l'enfance jusqu'a l'âge adulte en lien avec la maturation cerebrale du cortex prefrontal. Etant donne leur role dans le developpement cognitif et les apprentissages scolaires de nombreuses etudes ont tente de determiner (a) dans quelle mesure des entrainements permettent d'ameliorer les capacites executives des enfants, des adolescents et des jeunes adultes et (b) dans quelle mesure ameliorer les capacites executives a des effets benefiques pour d'autres capacites cognitives (transfert lointain). Si certaines etudes ont demontre des effets d'entrainements cibles a la memoire de travail, au controle inhibiteur ou a la flexibilite cognitive et des transferts potentiels dans des tâches non entrainees, il existe encore peu d'etudes sur les effets comportementaux d'un entrainement au controle inhibiteur chez les enfants d'âge scolaire et sur les mecanismes de neuroplasticite qui sous-tendent les ameliorations potentielles des capacites d'inhibition. Dans cette these nous avons adopte une methodologie experimentale classique en psychologie des apprentissages pour evaluer les effets comportementaux et les effets sur la structure cerebrale (epaisseur corticale, surface, gyrification) d'un entrainement a l'inhibition de 5 semaines sur tablette. Soixante enfants de 9 a 10 ans ont donc participe a un pretest (Evaluation cognitive-1 et IRM-1), ont suivi un entrainement de 5 semaines, 15 minutes par jour, 5 jours par semaine a la maison (sur tablette tactile), et un posttest immediat (a la fin de l'entrainement, Evaluation cognitive-2 et IRM-2). Nous avons compare deux groupes d'enfants: un groupe entraine au controle inhibiteur (groupe experimental : Stroop et stop-signal) et un groupe entraine a repondre a des questions de vocabulaire et de culture generale (groupe controle actif). Nous avons analyse (1) les effets de transfert proche et lointain induit par l'entrainement cognitif dans les deux groupes d'enfants, (2) la receptivite a l'entrainement, c'est-a-dire : le taux de progression et l'influence de la motivation tout au long de l'entrainement sur les effets de transfert, et enfin (3) les changements macroscopiques observes au niveau anatomique chez les enfants suite a ces entrainements.
Validación de criterio de la Escala Abreviada del Desarrollo (EAD-1) en el dominio audición-lenguaje

Objetivo Establecer la validez de criterio de la escala EAD-1 en el dominio audicion-lenguaje en ninos de 4 a 5 anos del municipio de Popayan, durante el mes de diciembre de 2011 y enero de 2012. Metodos Se realizo un estudio de validacion de pruebas diagnosticas en 96 ninos a quienes se les valoro el lenguaje y la audicion mediante la escala EAD-1, aplicada dentro del programa de crecimiento y desarrollo y con la valoracion fonoaudiologica como prueba oro (Test de Reynell para valorar el leguaje, y la audiometria tonal y otoemisiones acusticas para valorar la audicion). Se determino la validez de criterio de la escala y la concordancia entre las dos valoraciones mediante el valor Kappa. Los resultados fueron analizados con el paquete estadistico SPSS - 19. Resultados La escala EAD-1 presento una sensibilidad del 54 %, una especificidad del 42 %, un valor predictivo positivo del 87 %, un valor predictivo negativo del 11 % y un Indice de Kappa=-0,0. Conclusiones La escala EAD-1, presenta poca capacidad para clasificar correctamente al enfermo como verdadero enfermo y al sano como verdadero sano, no coincidiendo este valor con la prevalencia encontrada (87,5 %); ademas, la pobre concordancia entre los dos metodos, no permiten en el momento clasificarla como un instrumento valido para ser utilizado como prueba tamiz de deteccion temprana de las alteraciones del lenguaje y la audicion en ninos de 4 a 5 anos.
Late-onset schizophrenia with epileptiform discharge

We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with no history of psychosis or epilepsy, presenting with abrupt late-onset psychosis with prominent epileptiform discharges with a diffuse sharp and slow wave complex. She had auditory and somatic hallucinations, delusions and loosening of associations, but epileptic seizures such as disturbance of consciousness and convulsion were not observed. Other laboratory studies, including CT, magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, and cerebrospinal fluid were normal. The epileptiform discharge disappeared within 10 days after starting treatment with sodium valproate. Clinical improvement commenced after the EEG improvement, and was complete. The cause remains obscure, but it was suggested that there were some organic factors in the etiology of this late-onset psychosis. ( Int J Psych Clin Pract 2001; 5:67-70)
Language brokering: A parent's perspective

Language brokering is known as the translating transaction between two individuals. This study seeks to investigate the language brokering which occurs between Latino parents' and their children. In particular, it seeks to examine Latino parents' comfort level in different brokering settings/places and with different individuals. Additionally, parents' perceptions of their language brokering experiences will be measured. This study employed an exploratory-quantitative approach, and included 131 participants. Data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicated that Latino parents were very uncomfortable to uncomfortable when their children brokered for them in the different places and with different individuals. Results also indicated that Latino parents viewed their language brokering experiences negatively.
A Quality of Life Study of Patients with Leprosy Attending the Dermatology OPD of a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern India

Background: Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae affecting the skin, peripheral nervous system, and other tissues. The disease is associated with social stigma, and the patients sometimes suffer social discrimination because it often leads to visible physical deformities. Hence, leprosy may have severe impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of leprosy on the QoL of the affected patients and to find out whether there is some association with certain demographic and clinical factors. Materials and Methods: The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire was used to assess the QoL of 114 patients with leprosy who attended dermatology outpatient department of a tertiary care center of eastern India. This was a cross-sectional study. Results: Among a total of 114 patients, leprosy had no impact on the QoL of 15 (13.16%) patients. There was a mild impact in 23 (20.18%) of the patients. There was moderate impact in 37 (32.46%) of the patients. The disease had severe impact in the QoL of 39 (34.21%) patients. None of the patients had a very severe impact. Several of the clinical aspects such as nerve involvement, systemic features, deformity, disability grade, and type of leprosy have significant impact on QoL. Among the demographic factors, gender had some effects on QoL. Conclusion: Leprosy adversely affects the QoL of those affected. Although it is considered a social disease, at least in our part of the country, demographics have minimal effect on the QoL. Rather, important clinical aspects such as systemic features, nerve involvement, reaction, deformity, and disability have profound impact on the QoL of the patients.
Molecular Docking Improvement: Coefficient Adaptive Genetic Algorithms for Multiple Scoring Functions

In this paper, a coefficient adaptive scoring method of molecular docking is presented to improve the docking accuracy with multiple available scoring functions. Based on force-field scoring function, we considered hydrophobic and deformation as well in the proposed method, Instead of simple combination with fixed weights, coefficients of each factor are adaptive in searching procedure. In order to improve the docking accuracy and stability, knowledge-based scoring function is used as another scoring factor. Genetic algorithm with the multi-population evolution and entropy-based searching technique with narrowing down space is used to solve the optimization model for molecular docking. To evaluate the method, we carried out a numerical experiment with 134 protein- ligand complexes of the publicly available GOLD test set. The results validated that it improved the docking accuracy over the individual force-field scoring. In addition, analyses were given to show the disadvantage of individual scoring model. Through the comparison with other popular docking software, the proposed method showed higher accuracy. Among more than 77% of the complexes, the docked results were within 1.0 A according to Root- Mean-Square Deviation (RMSD) of the X-ray structure. The average computing time obtained here is 563.9 s.
Impact of the Sensory and Sympathetic Nervous System on Fracture Healing in Ovariectomized Mice

The peripheral nervous system modulates bone repair under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Previously, we reported an essential role for sensory neuropeptide substance P (SP) and sympathetic nerve fibers (SNF) for proper fracture healing and bone structure in a murine tibial fracture model. A similar distortion of bone microarchitecture has been described for mice lacking the sensory neuropeptide α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (α-CGRP). Here, we hypothesize that loss of SP, α-CGRP, and SNF modulates inflammatory and pain-related processes and also affects bone regeneration during fracture healing under postmenopausal conditions. Intramedullary fixed femoral fractures were set to 28 days after bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) in female wild type (WT), SP-, α-CGRP-deficient, and sympathectomized (SYX) mice. Locomotion, paw withdrawal threshold, fracture callus maturation and numbers of TRAP-, CD4-, CD8-, F4/80-, iNos-, and Arg1-positive cells within the callus were analyzed. Nightly locomotion was reduced in unfractured SP-deficient and SYX mice after fracture. Resistance to pressure was increased for the fractured leg in SP-deficient mice during the later stages of fracture healing, but was decreased in α-CGRP-deficient mice. Hypertrophic cartilage area was increased nine days after fracture in SP-deficient mice. Bony callus maturation was delayed in SYX mice during the later healing stages. In addition, the number of CD 4-positive cells was reduced after five days and the number of CD 8-positive cells was additionally reduced after 21 days in SYX mice. The number of Arg1-positive M2 macrophages was higher in α-CGRP-deficient mice five days after fracture. The alkaline phosphatase level was increased in SYX mice 16 days after fracture. Absence of α-CGRP appears to promote M2 macrophage polarization and reduces the pain threshold, but has no effect on callus tissue maturation. Absence of SP reduces locomotion, increases the pain-threshold, and accelerates hypertrophic callus tissue remodeling. Destruction of SNF reduces locomotion after fracture and influences bony callus tissue remodeling during the later stages of fracture repair, whereas pain-related processes are not affected.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Fetal and Maternal Placenta Possess Key Similarities and Differences: Potential Implications for Their Applications in Regenerative Medicine

Placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have attracted more attention for their immune modulatory properties and poor immunogenicity, which makes them suitable for allogeneic transplantation. Although MSC isolated from different areas of the placenta share several features, they also present significant biological differences, which might point to distinct clinical applications. Hence, we compared cells from full term placenta distinguishing them on the basis of their origin, either maternal or fetal. We used cells developed by Pluristem LTD: PLacenta expanded mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells (PLX), maternal-derived cells (PLX-PAD), fetal-derived cells (PLX-R18), and amniotic membrane-derived MSC (hAMSC). We compared immune modulatory properties evaluating effects on T-lymphocyte proliferation, expression of cytotoxicity markers, T-helper and T-regulatory cell polarization, and monocyte differentiation toward antigen presenting cells (APC). Furthermore, we investigated cell immunogenicity. We show that MSCs and MSC-like cells from both fetal and maternal sources present immune modulatory properties versus lymphoid (T cells) and myeloid (APC) cells, whereby fetal-derived cells (PLX-R18 and hAMSC) have a stronger capacity to modulate immune cell proliferation and differentiation. Our results emphasize the importance of understanding the cell origin and characteristics in order to obtain a desired result, such as modulation of the inflammatory response that is critical in fostering regenerative processes.
Incidence, Temporal Trends, and Associated Outcomes of Vascular and Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Vascular and bleeding complications were commonly reported in transcatheter aortic valve replacement clinical trials. Little is known about complication rates in contemporary US clinical practice or clinical outcomes associated with these complications. Methods: In the Society of Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy Registry, we evaluated patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement from November 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016. The primary outcomes were in-hospital vascular complications and bleeding events. Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, stroke, and rehospitalization at 1 year. P values for trends were calculated for rates over time, and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association between vascular/bleeding complications and in-hospital clinical outcomes. Results: Overall, 34 893 patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement at 445 hospitals were analyzed. Of these, 9.3% (n=3257) experienced a vascular complication while 7.6% (n=2651) had an in-hospital bleeding event. Rates of both vascular complications and bleeding events decreased over time (P value for trend test <0.0001); however, there was significant variation in rates across hospital sites (adjusted median rate, 11.4%; IQR, 8.9–14.5). Vascular complications were independently associated with 30-day death (adjusted HR, 2.23 [95% CI, 1.80–2.77]) and death (adjusted HR, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.05–1.30]) and rehospitalization (adjusted HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.07–1.22]) at 1 year. Bleeding events were also associated with 30-day death (adjusted HR, 3.71 [95% CI, 2.94–4.69]), and with death (adjusted HR, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.23–1.56]) and hospital readmission (adjusted HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.11–1.27]) at 1 year. Conclusions: In patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the US, vascular complications and in-hospital bleeding events were common, but rates have declined over time with significant variation in complication rates across hospital sites. Vascular and bleeding complications are both associated with worse short- and long-term clinical outcomes including all-cause mortality. Further innovation to reduce sheath sizes and optimize antithrombotic therapy is necessary to reduce the incidence of these detrimental complications.
The Rho GTPase RAC1 in Osteoblasts Controls Their Function

The regulation of the differentiation of the bone-forming cells, the osteoblasts, is complex. Many signaling pathways converge on the master regulator of osteoblast differentiation Runx2. The role of molecules that integrate several signaling pathways such as the Rho GTPases need to be better understood. We, therefore, asked at which stage Rac1, one of the Rho GTPase, is needed for osteoblast differentiation and whether it is involved in two pathways, the anabolic response to parathyroid hormone and the stimulatory effect of fibronectin isoforms on integrins. Genetic deletion of Rac1 in preosteoblasts using the osterix promoter diminished osteoblast differentiation in vitro. This effect was however similar to the presence of the promoter by itself. We, therefore, applied a Rac1 inhibitor and confirmed a decrease in differentiation. In vivo, Rac1 deletion using the osterix promoter decreased bone mineral density as well as histomorphometric measures of osteoblast function. In contrast, deleting Rac1 in differentiating osteoblasts using the collagen α1(I) promoter had no effects. We then evaluated whether intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) was able to affect bone mineral density in the absence of Rac1 in preosteoblasts. The increase in bone mineral density was similar in control animals and in mice in which Rac1 was deleted using the osterix promoter. Furthermore, stimulation of integrin by integrin isoforms was able to enhance osteoblast differentiation, despite the deletion of Rac1. In summary, Rac1 in preosteoblasts is required for normal osteoblast function and bone density, but it is neither needed for PTH-mediated anabolic effects nor for integrin-mediated enhancement of differentiation.