Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tinnitus self‐assessment scales: Domains of coverage and psychometric properties

Practitioners in the disciplines of rehabilitative audiology and clinical psychology find themselves in each other’s neighborhood as regards the phenomenon of tinnitus. As a disorder, tinnitus is generally unresponsive to direct forms of intervention using pharmacological or physical agents. By contrast, some success is observed following hearing aid fitting1,2 or following a course of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). Andersson and Lyttkens provide a useful summation of research using CBT and other forms of psychological treatment.3 Critical to any form of treatment for tinnitus is the reliance placed on measures to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. The purpose of this paper is to review a range of available tinnitus self-rating scales, in particular to describe: (1) their domains of coverage and (2) their psychometric properties. It is of practical value to indicate these two features. Clinicians need to have confidence that a measurement device assesses in the domains that an intervention is designed to address and that the device is “wellbehaved” in terms of its factor structure and testretest reliability. The latter feature is especially important for calculating the likelihood that any change in a self-assessed quality is not simply due to measurement error. Not all the scales included here have been tested on factor structure and test-retest stability (one or two have included neither); more attention will be given to scales in which both features have been covered. Tinnitus is essentially a self-report phenomenon. Most typically it is not manifest to others except by complaints from the one who suffers it. In contrast, loss of hearing is often complained of by others before it is acknowledged by the affected person.4,5 And, while there is a fairly orderly relationship between self-assessed and performance-based measures of hearing ability, it is often difficult to see a link between rated severity of tinnitus and matched loudness level.6 The first systematic self-report study of tinnitus appears to be that of Tyler and Baker,7 who used the open-ended question technique of Barcham and Stephens8 to find out what sorts of difficulties people experienced with tinnitus. The outcome of that study has informed the design of much of the subsequent research aimed at developing more structured self-assessment scales. In Tyler and Baker’s study, tinnitus was reported as generating disabling effects on hearing, including distortion and audibility problems, and even as having effects on spatial hearing (sound localization, and the like). Just as critically, tinnitus was reported as interfering with sleep and causing both emotional distress and ill-effects on general health. This study, and the main features of the body of research following from it, are reviewed in Noble.9 The aim of the present paper is more confined than that review. It is to examine the small number of tinnitus self-assessment devices whose psychometric properties are known in greater or lesser part.
Hereditary aberrancy in growth of some Bacillus megaterium strains.

Two hundred strains of Bacillus megaterium recently isolated from soil were tested for an antagonistic effect on a phage-resistant strain of the same species. Fifty-one strains gave a zone of inhibition on a lawn of the indicator strain. This effect was increased by a small dose of ultraviolet radiation which also caused 41 other strains to show an antagonistic effect. Sixteen strains which were completely lysed after u.v. irradiation also produced confluent lysis of the indicator strain. When grown in liquid media, these strains gave irregular growth curves owing to partial lysis during the exponential phase. Lysis was almost complete when such cultures were incubated after exposure to small doses of u.v. radiation. Lysis was always associated with accumulation of the antibacterial principal previously named ‘megacin’. Irregular growth in liquid media and production of megacin were strictly correlated. However, only 2 megacinogenic strains were lysogenic and liberated phage. Populations of megacinogenic strains were examined by replicaplating for the presence of non-megacinogenic mutants. Spore suspensions of 4 megacinogenic strains contained non-megacinogenic mutants in various proportions depending on the strain and the particular sample. Non-megacinogenic mutants could not be made to lyse by exposure to u.v. radiation; did not produce any antibacterial effects; and all showed normal patterns of growth in various liquid media. It is supposed that megacinogeny and aberrant growth, as well as inducibility by u.v. radiation, of some B. megaterium strains are governed by a single hereditary unit (gene). It cannot be decided at present whether or not this unit is a highly defective prophage.
Pseudomonas-induced defence molecules in rice plants against leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) pest.

Fluorescent pseudomonad strains Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 individually and in combination were evaluated against leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guen. , in rice under in vitro, glasshouse and field conditions. Among the various treatments used, a combination of Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains effectively reduced the incidence of leaffolder pest in rice plants to an extent comparable with chlorpyrifos-methyl. In addition, morphogenesis of the insect pest in all stages, larval, pupal and adult, was greatly affected by a combination of Pseudomonas Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains. Further, the induction of defence-related molecules was demonstrated. An increased accumulation of defence molecules such as chitinase and proteinase inhibitors was observed with a combined Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 treatment compared with all other treatments. Western blot analysis of chitinase revealed the extra induction of 18, 28 and 35 kDa isoforms in rice plants treated with a mixture of Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains against leaffolder pest. The study revealed that a combination of fluorescent pseudomonad strains affects the development of leaffolder pest by inducing defence molecules in rice plants which in turn enhance resistance to leaffolder attack.
Hierarchical Key Management of Scalable Video Coding

Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is a new video coding standard with high efficiency and scalability. The digital right management (DRM) system for SVC should exploit the scalability and be easy to operate. Currently, there is no such a key management scheme for DRM system of SVC. Hence in this paper, a hierarchical key management scheme is proposed. Corresponding to the three scalabilities of SVC (temporal, spatial and quality), we introduce a key management scheme with symmetric cryptographic algorithm and three-dimensional key derivation. This approach is proved to prevent various types of attackers, and the communication efficiency is higher than direct key distribution scheme.
A Simplified Protocol for the Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal

Objectives:The aim of the study was to evaluate a novel simplified tool for symptom-triggered treatment of alcohol withdrawal. Methods:This retrospective cohort study involved inpatients in a county hospital with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification discharge diagnosis of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) or delirium tremens between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. The study used the Highland Alcohol Withdrawal Protocol (HAWP)—a simplified derivative of the Revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to compare severity of withdrawal to hospital length of stay, total dose of sedative given, and risk of complications. Results:The study identified 442 patients with a primary diagnosis of AWS or delirium tremens, and those with another primary medical diagnosis complicated by alcohol withdrawal. After adjusting for demographic variables, each one-point increase in the initial and maximum HAWP scores correlated with an increase in the hospital length of stay of 0.3 days [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.17 to 0.43 days] and 0.45 days (95% CI, 0.32–0.57 days), and a 15.8 mg (95% CI, 6.6–25.1 mg) and 19.8 mg (95% CI, 11.1–28.5 mg) increase in the total dose of lorazepam given, respectively. The complication rate of seizures, intubations, pneumonia, and death was 13.1%, 12.9%, 6.1% and 0.9%, respectively; a composite endpoint of these outcomes also correlated with initial and maximum HAWP scores (odds ratio 1.09, 95% CI, 1.03%–1.14%). Conclusions:The HAWP correlates with medication received and complications, and as such appears to give an indication of AWS severity. It is feasible and shorter than prior scales, and merits further study to confirm its effectiveness as part of symptom-triggered protocols to manage alcohol withdrawal in the hospital.
Short article Multifactorial context effects on visual recognition memory

While effects of contextual change or constancy on memory are widely found when tested by free and cued recall, there is greater inconsistency in context effects on recognition. This study employed a paradigm maximizing target – context interactivity and specificity to reveal three levels of context effects on successful retrieval, as well as context effects on the generation of false alarms, thereby revealing separable contributions of target – context binding, additive familiarity, and configural constancy. The separability of these factors enables the use of memory context effects as tools for investigating associative memory.
A Prospective Follow-Up of Adipocytokines in Cohort Patients With Gout: Association With Metabolic Syndrome But Not With Clinical Inflammatory Findings

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the levels of leptin (Lep) and adiponectin (AdipoQ) in patients with gout and its relationship with joint inflammatory data and/or with metabolic syndrome (MetS) variables, during 1 year follow-up.Forty-one patients (40 males) with gout diagnosis, attending for the first time to a rheumatology department, were included. Evaluations were performed baseline, at 6 and 12 months. Variables included the following: demographic, clinical and laboratory data related to gout and associated diseases. Lep and AdipoQ determinations by the ELISA method were performed in frozen serum from each visit. The pharmacological and no-pharmacological treatment for gout and associated diseases was individualized for each patient according to published guidelines. Statistical analysis included Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher test, x2, ANOVA, Cochran Q, Pearson and Spearman correlation tests, as well as linear regression.In the baseline evaluation, 29.2% had MetS (hypertriglyceridemia 66%, hypertension 44% and obesity 37%); patients with MetS had higher C reactive protein (CRP) levels [34.1 ± 28.6 vs. 12.2 ± 11.2 mg/dL, P = 0.033]. Although not significant, also had higher Lep and lower AdipoQ levels (3.2 ± 3.0 vs. 1.9 ± 1.2 ng/mL, P = 0.142 and 40.5 ± 26.8 vs. 38.0 ± 24.9 ng/mL, P = 0.877, respectively). During follow-up, our patients had significant improvement in serum uric acid (sUA) levels and variables evaluating pain and joint swelling (P ⩽ 0.05). Metabolic abnormalities tended to persist or even worsen during the monitoring period: significant increase in total cholesterol (P = 0.004), tendency to higher triglycerides (P = 0.883) and slight improvement in glycaemia (P = 0.052). Lep values increased significantly during follow-up (P = 0.001) while AdipoQ levels diminished slightly (P = 0.317). Neither Lep nor AdipoQ values showed important correlation (r > 0.5) with metabolic variables or joint swelling.This study suggests that in patients with gout, concentrations of Lep and AdipoQ are more in line with the metabolic state than with clinical disease activity.
Developing a Knowledge Base for Enterprise System Success: The Role of Management and Operational Staff

Knowledge base is one of the emerging concepts in the Knowledge Management area. As there exists no agreed- upon standard definition of a knowledge base, this paper defines a knowledge base in terms of our research of Enterprise Systems (ES). The knowledge base is defined with reference to Learning Network Theory. Using this theoretical framework, we investigate the roles of management and operational staff in organisations and how their interactions can create a better ES-knowledge base to contribute to ES success. We focus on the post- implementation phase of ES as part of the ES lifecycle. Our findings will facilitate future research directions and contribute to better understandings of how the knowledge base can be integrated and how this integration leads to Enterprise System success.
Expression of free fatty acid receptor GPR40 in the neurogenic niche of adult monkey hippocampus

Polyunsaturated free fatty acids (PUFAs) are known to play critical roles for the development, maintenance, and function of the brain. Recently, we reported that G‐protein coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), one type of PUFA receptors, is expressed throughout the adult primate central nervous system including the hippocampus. This opens a possibility that PUFA might act as extracellular signaling molecules at the GPR40 receptor to regulate neuronal function. Here we studied protein expression of GPR40 in the neurogenic niche of the adult monkey hippocampus under normal and postischemic conditions. Confocal laser microscope analysis of immunostained sections revealed GPR40 immunoreactivity in neural progenitors, immature neurons, astrocytes and endothelial cells of the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG); a well‐known neurogenic niche within the adult brain. Immunoblotting analysis showed that the GPR40 protein increased significantly in the second week after global cerebral ischemia as compared with the control. This was compatible with the postischemic increment of GPR40‐positive cells in the SGZ as detected by immunofluorescence imaging. Taken together with our previous findings of the SGZ progenitor cell upregulation after ischemia, the present data suggest that PUFA such as docosahexaenoic acid may act via GPR40 to regulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis in primates. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modeling of neuron-semiconductor interactions in neuronal networks interfaced with silicon chips

Recent developments in the interfacing of neurons with silicon chips may pave the way for progress in constructing scalable neurocomputers. The assembly of synthetic neuronal networks with predefined synaptic connections and controlled geometric structure has been realized experimentally within the last decade. Furthermore, when such neuronal networks are interfaced with semiconductors, action potentials in neurons of the network can be elicited by capacitative stimulators, and voltage measurements can be made by transistors incorporated into the associated silicon chip. Despite the impressive progress, such preliminary devices have not yet demonstrated the performance of useful computations, and constructing larger devices can be both expensive and time-consuming. Accordingly, an appropriate modeling framework with the capability to simulate current experimental results in such devices may be used to make useful predictions regarding their potential computational power. A proposed modeling framework for functional neuronal networks interfaced with silicon chips is presented below.
Privacy analysis using ontologies

As information systems extensively exchange information between participants, privacy concerns may arise from potential misuse. Existing design approaches consider non-technical privacy requirements of different stakeholders during the design and the implementation of a system. However, a technical approach for privacy analysis is largely missing. This paper introduces a formal approach for technically evaluating an information system with respect to its designed or implemented privacy protection. In particular, we introduce a system model that describes various system aspects such as its information flow. We define the semantics of this system model by using ontologies. Based on the system model together with a given privacy ontology, and given privacy requirements we analyze the modeled system to detect privacy leakages and to calculate privacy indicators. The proposed method provides a technical approach to check whether a system conforms to the privacy requirements of the stakeholders or not.
The relative effectiveness and costs of contract and regular teachers in India

While use of contract teachers provides a low-cost way to increase teacher numbers, it raises the quality concern that these less trained teachers may be less effective. We estimate the causal contract-teacher effect on student achievement using school fixed effects and value-added models of the education production function, using Indian data. We allow for both homogenous and heterogeneous treatment effects, to highlight the mechanisms through which the contract teacher effect works. We also present school fixed effects teacher pay equations and predict achievement marks per Rupee spent on regular and contract teachers. We find that despite being paid just a third of the salary of regular teachers with similar observed characteristics, contract teachers produce higher student learning.
Extended-care programs for weight management in rural communities: the treatment of obesity in underserved rural settings (TOURS) randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Rural counties in the United States have higher rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and associated chronic diseases than nonrural areas, yet the management of obesity in rural communities has received little attention from researchers. METHODS Obese women from rural communities who completed an initial 6-month weight-loss program at Cooperative Extension Service offices in 6 medically underserved rural counties (n = 234) were randomized to extended care or to an education control group. The extended-care programs entailed problem-solving counseling delivered in 26 biweekly sessions via telephone or face to face. Control group participants received 26 biweekly newsletters containing weight-control advice. RESULTS Mean weight at study entry was 96.4 kg. Mean weight loss during the initial 6-month intervention was 10.0 kg. One year after randomization, participants in the telephone and face-to-face extended-care programs regained less weight (mean [SE], 1.2 [0.7] and 1.2 [0.6] kg, respectively) than those in the education control group (3.7 [0.7] kg; P = .03 and .02, respectively). The beneficial effects of extended-care counseling were mediated by greater adherence to behavioral weight-management strategies, and cost analyses indicated that telephone counseling was less expensive than face-to-face intervention. CONCLUSIONS Extended care delivered either by telephone or in face-to-face sessions improved the 1-year maintenance of lost weight compared with education alone. Telephone counseling constitutes an effective and cost-efficient option for long-term weight management. Delivering lifestyle interventions via the existing infrastructure of the Cooperative Extension Service represents a viable means of adapting research for rural communities with limited access to preventive health services. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00201006.
Occupational Exposures and Female Breast Cancer Mortality in the United States

Mortality records from 24 states, gathered from 1984 to 1989 and coded for occupation and industry, were used to develop leads to workplace exposures as possible breast cancer risk factors. A case-control approach was used, with separate analyses for blacks and whites. After excluding homemakers, 33,509 cases and 117,794 controls remained. A job exposure matrix was used to estimate the probability and level of 31 workplace exposures. After adjusting for socioeconomic status, suggestive associations for probability and level of exposure were found for styrene, several organic solvents (methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride, formaldehyde), and several metals/metal oxides and acid mists. Because of the methodologic limitations of this study, its primary value is in suggesting hypotheses for further evaluation. The findings for styrene, selected solvents, and metals and metal-related exposures deserve additional study.
Actual incidences of road casualties, and their injury severity, modelled from police and hospital data, France.

BACKGROUND Nation-wide road casualty figures usually come from police data. In France, as in many developed countries, the reporting of fatalities is almost complete but the reporting of non-fatal casualties is rather low. It is moreover strongly biased. Valid estimates are needed. METHODS Using the capture-recapture method on police data and on a road trauma registry covering a large county of 1.6 million inhabitants, we estimate police under-reporting correction factors that account for unregistered casualties. These correction factors are then applied to the nation-wide police data, with standardization on under-reporting bias factors. RESULTS In 2004, whereas the police report 108,727 non-fatally injured, the estimation yields 400,200. Over the 1996-2004 study period, the average annual estimated incidence is 871/100,000 for all injured (3.4 times the police incidence), 232/100,000 for hospitalized, 103/100,000 for seriously injured (2.2 times the police incidence) and 12.6/100,000 for casualties with long-term major impairment. The incidence of seriously injured (NISS 9+) is 11.3/100,000 for pedestrians, 9.5/100,000 for cyclists, 36.3/100,000 for motorized two-wheel users and 42.5/100,000 for car users. CONCLUSIONS The estimated incidences are much higher than the police-based ones. This changes the scale of the road injuries issue. The risk of suffering a major impairment from a road crash is equal to the risk of being killed. Motorized two-wheel users experience a large burden of traffic casualties, much larger than that indicated by police data. The approach used can be reproduced in other countries, if an additional medical registration exists.
Estimating the Cost of Preeclampsia in the Healthcare System: Cross-Sectional Study Using Data From SCOPE Study (Screening for Pregnancy End Points)

To estimate the cost of preeclampsia from the national health payer’s perspective using secondary data from the SCOPE study (Screening for Pregnancy End Points). SCOPE is an international observational prospective study of healthy nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies. Using data from the Irish cohort recruited between November 2008 and February 2011, all women with preeclampsia and a 10% random sample of women without preeclampsia were selected. Additional health service use data were extracted from the consenting participants’ medical records for maternity services which were not included in SCOPE. Unit costs were based on estimates from 3 existing Irish studies. Costs were extrapolated to a national level using a prevalence rate of 5% to 7% among nulliparous pregnancies. Within the cohort of 1774 women, 68 developed preeclampsia (3.8%) and 171 women were randomly selected as controls. Women with preeclampsia used higher levels of maternity services. The average cost of a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia was &OV0556;5243 per case compared with &OV0556;2452 per case for an uncomplicated pregnancy. The national cost of preeclampsia is between &OV0556;6.5 and &OV0556;9.1 million per annum based on the 5% to 7% prevalence rate. Postpartum care was the largest contributor to these costs (&OV0556;4.9–&OV0556;6.9 million), followed by antepartum care (&OV0556;0.9–&OV0556;1.3 million) and peripartum care (&OV0556;0.6–&OV0556;0.7 million). Women with preeclampsia generate significantly higher maternity costs than women without preeclampsia. These cost estimates will allow policy-makers to efficiently allocate resources for this pregnancy-specific condition. Moreover, these estimates are useful for future research assessing the cost-effectiveness of preeclampsia screening and treatment.