Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sensory Relevance Models

This dissertation concerns methods for improving the reliability and quality of explanations for decisions based on Neural Networks (NNs). NNs are increasingly part of state-of-the-art solutions for a broad range of fields, including biomedical, logistics, user-recommendation engines, defense, and self-driving vehicles. While NNs form the backbone of these solutions, they are often viewed as “black box” solutions, meaning the only output offered is a final decision, with no insight into how or why that particular decision was made. For high-stakes fields, such as biomedical, where lives are at risk, it is often more important to be able to explain a decision such that the underlying assumptions might be verified. Prior methods of explaining NN decisions from images have been proposed, and fall into one of two categories: post-hoc analyses and attention networks. Post-hoc analyses, such as Grad-CAM, look at gradient information within the network to identify which regions of an image had the greatest effect on the final decision. Attention networks consist of structural changes to the network, which produce a mask through which the image is filtered before subsequent processing. The result is a heatmap highlighting regions which have the greatest effect on the final decision. This dissertation identifies two flaws with these approaches. First, these methods of explanation change wildly when the network is exposed to adversarial examples. When an imperceptible change to the input results in a significant change in the explanation, how reliable is the explanation? Second, these methods all produce a heatmap, which arguably does not have the definition required to truly understand which features are important. An algorithm that can draw a circle around a cat does not necessarily know that it is looking at a cat; it only recognizes the existence of a salient object.
Resituating cognitive mechanisms within heterarchical networks controlling physiology and behavior

Cognitive science has traditionally focused on mechanisms involved in high-level reasoning and problem-solving processes. Such mechanisms are often treated as autonomous from but controlling underlying physiological processes. I offer a different perspective on cognition which starts with the basic production mechanisms through which organisms construct and repair themselves and navigate their environments and then I develop a framework for conceptualizing how cognitive control mechanisms form a heterarchical network that regulates production mechanisms. Many of these control mechanisms perform cognitive tasks such as evaluating circumstances and making decisions. Cognitive control mechanisms are present in individual cells, but in metazoans, intracellular control is supplemented by a nervous system in which a multitude of neural control mechanisms are organized heterarchically. On this perspective, high-level cognitive mechanisms are not autonomous, but are elements in larger heterarchical networks. This has implications for future directions in cognitive science research.
A Culturally Empowering Perspective of African-American Parents’ and Their Adolescent Daughters’ HPV Vaccine Acceptance

Kayoll Veronique Galbraith: A Culturally Empowering Perspective of African-American Parents’ and their Adolescent Daughters’ HPV Vaccine Acceptance (Under the direction of Coretta Jenerette) The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination literature supports the role of culture on African-Americans’ HPV vaccination acceptance. However, the evidence supporting the role of culture on this health behavior is limited. Few studies examine the influence of culture on HPV vaccination acceptance among African-Americans using theoretical frameworks grounded in culture, and few studies examine the influence of culture from the perspective of adolescent females. Therefore, using a dyadic approach, this dissertation explored the role of culture on African-American parents’ and their adolescent daughters’ (12 to 17 years old) HPV vaccination acceptance using both the PEN-3 cultural model and the Health Belief Model. Grounded theory techniques and quantitative descriptive statistics were used to explore the cultural factors that influence the HPV vaccine acceptance of 29 African-American parent-daughter dyads (n = 30 parents; n = 34 daughters) residing in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. This dissertation’s findings provide evidence of the role of culture on African-American parents’ and their adolescent daughters’ HPV vaccine acceptance, and suggest the need for future research to use a culturally empowering lens to better understand African-American parents’ and adolescent daughters’ cervical cancer prevention health behaviors. Additionally, the findings support the usefulness of using a culture-centered theory to explore culture-related factors that influence the HPV vaccine acceptance of African-American parents and daughters. Incorporating a dyadic approach was also useful for understanding how cultural factors that influence African-
Introduction of the method of intravaginal culture (IVC), through the device INVOCell routine laboratory RHA in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION The conventional in vitro fertilization and the intracytoplasmic sperm microinjection are currently the established techniques for the treatment of infertility. In the last decade, however, the process of in vitro fertilization has suffered several changes in ovulation induction and oocyte retrieval (Ranoux 1990, ; ). The INVO procedure has been used to treat patients with different causes of infertility in many countries. This is a procedure which was developed over 20 years ago and is simpler and less costly to the infertility treatment when compared to conventional techniques. Interesting finding of this intravaginal culture technique are the physiological benefits and the reduction of the number of handling steps, reducing the risk of contamination. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of including the method INVO through the use of the deviceINVOCell™ in routine laboratory treatments of couple infertility. That, in turn, tends to provide the simplification of laboratory work and thereby reduce the costs of infertility treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS 40 women were included in this study, who were treated at the Service of Human Reproduction School Hospital Álvaro Alvim, in the period from August 2011 to January 2012. On all of them it was used the protocol of modified mild ovarian stimulation. The number of pre-embryos transferred into the uterine cavity followed the CFM Resolution nº. 1.957/10. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION There was no significant difference in the results presented by the device INVOCell™. Therefore showing that it can be included in routine laboratory assisted human reproduction.
Counselors in training identifying and responding to suicidal clients: a matched-control study

ABSTRACT Using a matched-control experimental design, this study explored the use of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) with fifty-four counselors in training (CIT). Over the course of 10 weeks CIT self-reported interactions with suicidal clients and their use of counseling skills. Trainees who completed ASIST were significantly more likely to report they had identified and used specific intervention strategies and counseling skills with suicidal clients during sessions. Implications for future training and research are provided.
The Perceived Impact of MBA Degree on Career and Skills Development: An Explanatory Research Comparing French and GCC Students

Relying on two diverse samplings of MBA students – one from an international French business school and the other from a university based in Bahrain that recruits students from the Arabian Gulf countries – our article analyzes the relationship between the MBA students’ career goals and their nationality. Our key findings highlight that nationality has little effect on graduate students' motives for pursuing education, their perception of the expected program outcomes and their career perspectives. Other findings, however, reveal some differences based on nationality, the most significant being program criteria choices in relation to career goals and the expected skills students wished to acquire.
The use of University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in Italy

Hyposmia is a common finding in Parkinson's disease (PD). The 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT-40) has been adapted and administered in several countries as a diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of PD. We have developed a culturally adapted version of the UPSIT-40 and applied it to 61 nondemented Italian controls and to 68 PD patients. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the factors that independently influence UPSIT-40 and logistic regression analysis was employed to study the usefulness of UPSIT- 40 to predict PD diagnosis. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that PD diagnosis (p \ 0.001), age (p = 0.006), gender (p = 0.003) and smoking status (p = 0.03) were significant independent predictors of the UPSIT-40 total score. Using diagnosis as dependent vari- able, logistic regression analysis showed that UPSIT-40 total score (p \ 0.001) was an independent predictor of PD. Using a score B21/40 as a cut-off point for assigning subjects to PD group, the UPSIT-40 total score differenti- ated PD and control subjects with 82 % sensitivity and 88.2 % specificity. The adapted version of UPSIT-40 may be useful in addition to clinical examination to improve accuracy of diagnosis of PD in Italian population.
Topic-comment structures in information dialogues

: This paper shows that the topic-comment distribution in natural language utterances and the use of the syntactic structures left-dislocation, topic topicalization and right-dislocation contribute to directing, maintaining, shifting and redirecting the attentional focus in dialogues. The arguments are based on an empirical study of a corpus of 111 spoken information seeking dialogues.
The role of film in enhancing intern clinical psychologists’ understanding of borderline personality disorder

Psychologists-in-training are often presented with textbook definitions and descriptions of individuals presenting with psychopathologies. A major challenge for such texts is to effectively convey the relational issues and interpersonal dynamics of the mental disorders. The current study explores the role of film in enhancing intern clinical psychologists’ understanding of borderline personality disorder by specifically utilising the films Sylvia and Black Butterflies. A qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted with 15 clinical psychology interns at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. The collected data consisted of responses to open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews and was analysed according to an interpretive phenomenological analysis. Although the analysis was conducted inductively, the researcher also made deductive inferences from the data based on contemplations about the link between archetypes and images and learning and archetypal experiences. The importance of and connection to 21st-century learning skills, the creative learning spiral and a pedagogy of play were also taken into consideration while analysing the data. The findings of the current study suggest the ability of the two films to draw one in and to cause one to emotionally connect with the characters. Furthermore, films form an opportunity for trainees to practice psychodynamic formulations and not only focus on biological reductionisms of the disorder.
Affective and cognitive responses to repeated performance feedback across adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of perfectionism

The study investigated the affective and cognitive responses (including self-beliefs about personality attributes and the level of certainty associated with these beliefs) to the repeated delivery of performance feedback (failure vs. success) across adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of perfectionism. Participants completed questionnaires and a mental rotation computer task, to which they received feedback for. Performance feedback was delivered at Time point 1 (initial) and at Time point 2 (repeated). Results showed that maladaptive perfectionism predicted increased negative affect after initial failure and decreased confidence in self-descriptiveness ratings for negative-related personality attributes after initial success, with these confidence levels further decreasing following repeated success. Adaptive perfectionism predicted higher self-ratings on positive-related personality attributes but only after initial success. The findings suggest that changes in responses across adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism are influenced by experiences of success rather than failure. Adaptive perfectionism also seemed resilient to input from external sources while maladaptive perfectionism appeared more susceptible to such influence. However, given the preliminary nature of the present findings, further research in this area is needed to understand the impact of performance feedback on the self-concept across these two dimensions of perfectionism.
Chinical Study of Bushen Tiaochong Recipe on Treating Premature Ovarian Failure

Objective:To observe the therapeutic effect of Bushen Tiaochong Recipe,a Chinese medicine,on treating the patients with premature ovarian failure(POF). Methods:60 cases with POF were divided into two groups,i.e.the Chinese medicine group and the western medicine group(the control). The former was given orally BSTCR and the latter was given hormone replacement therapy(HRT). Results:The clinical research showed that BSTCR can regulate the menstrual cycle,duration,blood volume,colour and property as well as relieve climacteric-like symptoms,such as tidal fever,sweating,dysphoria,parethesis of skin,etc.Otherwise,BSTCR also can recover the level of gonadal hormone.Compared with HRT,BSTCR has equivalent therapeutic effect with less drug adverse reaction(P0.05). Conclusion:BSTCR has the effect of regulating ovarian function and curing POF without marked adverse reaction.
The Bologna Process in a global setting: twenty years later

This article considers the conceptualisation of the “external dimension” of the Bologna Process and debates around it in the light of the 20th anniversary of the Bologna Declaration. The term began to be used in the early 2000s and referred to the articulation of possible relationships between the then emerging European Higher Education Area and the rest of the world. We analyse issues related to the drafting of the Bologna Global Strategy (2007), also by taking into account less well-known policy documents, and the reactions to the Bologna Process from various global regions. Further, we critically elaborate on the thesis of the “Bologna model” and its alleged “export” to the world. We argue that this thesis is controversial and that its background should be sought in dichotomies related to the Europeanisation process, in particular in the dichotomy of “means” versus “ends” as well as the “market” versus “cultural” mission of European higher education institutions.
Intention to use mobile coupon among millennials consumer in UUM

Mobile marketing platform (such as mobile purchase and mobile coupon) relatively new in Malaysia, as compared to other Southeast Asia countries. Hence, little is known on how millennials perceived and behave towards mobile coupon. Guided with UTAUT model, the purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and intention to use mobile coupon among millennials consumer in UUM. Product awareness is introduced as a mediator variable in the UTAUT model. The survey of 314 millennials analyzed by using SmartPLS indicated that the model is well accepted with reliable and valid instruments. The findings showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions have significant relationship with intention to use. However, social influence was found to has a negative relationship towards intention to use. Besides, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions have significant relationship towards product awareness. Using sample of the study, product awareness mediates the relationship between performance expectancy and effort expectancy. Both theoretical and practical contributions of the study also discussed at the end of the thesis.
Depression and coping among Hmong refugees

The present study investigates the depression and coping skills of Hmong refugees. The main focus of this study is to measure recent levels of depression of Hmong refugees and the assessment of their coping skills when facing stressful life situations. Sixteen Hmong immigrants were given two surveys using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Coping Strategy Indicator to measure their levels of depression and coping skills. A major finding of the study is that among those surveyed, none had severe depression symptomatology. This researcher also found that this population uses problem solving skills and seeks social support in order to cope with everyday stressors.
Hospice Patient and Family Carer Perspectives on Nurse Spiritual Assessment

Nurses are often the clinicians who conduct at least an initial spiritual assessment; they do so typically by verbally asking questions. This study explores what is the client perspective about nurses asking spiritual assessment questions. A convenience sample of 70 Aotearoa/New Zealand hospice inpatients and family carers completed an investigator-designed questionnaire developed for the purpose of this study. Nonparametric statistics measured associations between variables. No significant differences were observed between patients’ and carers’ perspectives on being asked spiritual assessment questions. In general, respondents were “okay” with being asked spiritual assessment questions. However, some did not relate to or want to be asked spiritual assessment questions; likewise, some wanted to be asked. These perspectives about being asked spiritual questions were associated with self-reported religiosity, spirituality, and ethnicity. Findings can help nurses to understand that diverse client perspectives exist and can give nurses an informed sensitivity with which to approach spiritual assessment.
Diagnostic Approaches to Sleep-disordered Breathing in the Era of Portable Monitoring and Biomarkers

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a clinical syndrome characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep, resulting in chronic intermittent hypoxia, arousals, and sleep fragmentation. Timely diagnosis is critical, as OSA may lead to adverse clinical sequelae and positive airway pressure (PAP) offers effective treatment. Diagnosis has depended on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) determined by the standard in-laboratory polysomnography, a costly and, at times, inaccessible approach. Although the AHI reflects the pathophysiologic mechanisms of OSA, it does not correlate strongly with symptoms or treatment outcomes, and the threshold values of AHI used to diagnose OSA, determine severity, and guide treatment are largely based on expert consensus. More accurate predictors of disease outcomes are needed. These findings, along with the increasing worldwide prevalence of OSA have generated a need to develop a new diagnostic approach to OSA and to manage response to PAP therapy. This need has prompted the development of clinical prediction models, split-night studies, home portable monitor testing, autotitrating PAP, and evaluation of intermediate biomarkers that may identify persons at risk for clinical consequences. In this review, we describe the evolution of in-laboratory PSG for the diagnosis of OSA and titration of PAP, and the state of research regarding alternative approaches to the diagnosis of OSA.
Screaming yellow: An exploratory study of how speakers gesture and speak about colour and colour theory

The abstract subject of colour is a widely studied subject in spoken languages. However, very little is known about colour in relation to gesture. A substantial part of the literature on gesture and abstract content is concerned with referential gestures and especially metaphorical mapping. Less is known about gestures performed in relation to abstract content that is not metaphoric and even less about abstract content and pragmatic gestures. This paper investigates how people with expert and novice knowledge of colour theory speak and gesture about colour using Danish as the example language. The functions and the distributional patterns of the gestures that occur with talk about colour as well as the semantic relationship between speech and gesture is also examined. A structured interview was used as the elicitation procedure and the gestures were coded as either referential or pragmatic in function. The results showed 1) that during colour talk, almost half of the speech consisted of colour naming terms, and most of these were instances of the basic colour terms; 2) The colour novices predominantly produced gestures with a pragmatic function, whereas the experts did not differ much in their amount of referential and pragmatic gestures; 3) There was a semantic overlap between the referential gestures and co-occurring speech for the concrete content, but for the more abstract content, metaphorical mappings were often used to structure the subject, which were then expressed in the co-occurring referential gestures; 4) For the colour novices, the remaining pragmatic gestures often occurred in relation to disfluency of speech commenting on the break-down of speech, whereas the experts were more prone to keep the hand in a hold during disfluencies. The findings suggest that gesture should also be investigated in relation to abstract subjects and that familiarity with a subject might have an influence on gesture production. (Less)
Comparison of Efficacy and Safety Outcomes in Randomized Trials ofLong-Acting and Short-Acting ?2-Agonists for Chronic ObstructivePulmonary Disease: A Review

Limited information is available comparing the efficacy and safety of Short-Acting β2-agonists (SABAs) versus long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) for maintenance therapy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic literature review and evaluate COPD-related outcomes in a meta-analysis. The literature review identified randomized clinical trials of LABAs and SABAs as maintenance therapy in adults with stable COPD. PubMed/Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for reports published between January 1, 1990 and July 16, 2010. Only studies of at least 2 weeks in duration were included. Few studies directly comparing LABAs and SABAs were expected; therefore, studies with placebo or ipratropium were included for a potential indirect-comparison. A total of 938 studies were identified with 62 meeting all inclusion criteria. Only one study directly compared outcomes for LABA versus SABA. This study reported significantly better airflow and greater reduction in symptoms for the LABA treatment. Twelve studies evaluated a SABA with a shared common comparator, but indirect metaanalysis was not tenable due to different outcome variables. The efficacy and safety of LABAs and SABAs in patients with COPD has been demonstrated, but only LABAs have supporting data for maintenance treatment. In usual clinical care, SABAs appear to be used in place of LABAs for long-term therapy, despite the lack of any empirical support. This review supports the current evidence-based guidelines that recommend LABAs for maintenance therapy in adults with stable COPD and reserves SABAs for use as rescue medications.