Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Treatment Outcome in a Clinical Sample of Problem Drinkers: Self-efficacy and Coping Style

Objectives:To expand the research on abstinence self-efficacy by establishing the relationship between self-efficacy, dispositional coping style, and treatment outcome in a clinical sample of male problem drinkers. Methods:During the first week of inpatient treatment, participants (N = 89) completed measures of alcohol use, coping style, and personality. Treatment outcome was evaluated 3 months following discharge. Abstinence self-efficacy was assessed both during the first week of treatment and at 3-months follow-up. Results:Previous alcohol use, dispositional coping style, and the interaction between self-efficacy and coping style accounted for 19.7% of variance in treatment outcome. Conclusions:Findings suggest that being less confident and avoiding confrontation with threatening information at the same time may increase the risk for relapse. Taking into account dispositional coping style may prevent clinicians from further inflating clients' self-efficacy.
Counsellors' perspectives on self-harm and the role of the therapeutic relationship for working with clients who self-harm

Abstract Aims: To gain insight into counsellors' experiences of and ideas about self-harm, and to develop understanding of relational depth when working with clients who self-harm. Method: A qualitative exploration of counsellors' perspectives on working with people who self-harm. The research proposal gained approval from the University Ethics Committee. Data were collected from a sample of counsellors who have experience of working with people who self-harm (n = 8) using tape-recorded interviews. Grounded Theory was used for analysis. Findings: Two major categories emerged from the findings: (i) the activity of self-harm; (ii) the therapeutic relationship with people who self-harm. These categories and sub-categories were integrated to form the core category. Implications: Counsellors have a valuable role to play in the lives of people who self-harm, by embodying confidentiality and so facilitating a sense of trust, by opening minds through acceptance, and by expanding knowledge through participation in.
Accuracy of Bedside Diagnosis in Stroke

The clinical diagnosis of the type of acute cerebrovascular diseases is often considered unreliable, although this has not been validated prospectively in representative patients. The accuracy of bedside diagnostics was, therefore, tested in 206 patients consecutively admitted to the Stroke Unit of the Serafimerlasarettet in Stockholm. Bedside diagnosis turned out to be correct in 69%. In 24% the diagnoses were altered after hospital investigation and in the remaining 7% no defined preliminary and/or final diagnosis could be made. When the diagnoses were considered “fairly certain” they were accurate in 87%, compared to 53% when regarded as only “probable". The diagnostic accuracy improved during the period studied. Sensitivity In identifying hemorrhages was much lower (39%) than for cerebral infarctions (83%). It is suggested that new investigations] methods should be compared with what can be accomplished with bedside methods alone.
Conserved pore‐forming regions in polypeptide‐ transporting proteins

Transport of solutes and polypeptides across membranes is an essential process for every cell. In the past, much focus has been placed on helical transporters. Recently, the β‐barrel‐shaped transporters have also attracted some attention. The members of this family are found in the outer bacterial membrane and the outer membrane of endosymbiotically derived organelles. Here we analyze the features and the evolutionary development of a specified translocator family, namely the β‐barrel‐shaped polypeptide‐transporters. We identified sequence motifs, which characterize all transporters of this family, as well as motifs specific for a certain subgroup of proteins of this class. The general motifs are related to the structural composition of the pores. Further analysis revealed a defined distance of two motifs to the C‐terminal portion of the proteins. Furthermore, the evolutionary relationship of the proteins and the motifs are discussed.
Global Asymptotic Controllability Implies Input-to-State Stabilization

The main problem addressed in this paper is the design of feedbacks for globally asymptotically controllable (GAC) control affine systems that render the closed-loop systems input-to-state stable (ISS) with respect to actuator errors. Extensions for fully nonlinear GAC systems with actuator errors are also discussed. Our controllers have the property that they tolerate small observation noise as well.
APAs Constraints to Voluntary Movements: The Case for Limb Movements Coupling

When rhythmically moving two limbs in either the same or in opposite directions, one coupling mode meets constraints that are absent in the other mode. Isodirectional (ISO) flexion-extensions of the ipsilateral hand and foot can be easily performed with either the hand prone or supine. Instead, antidirectional (ANTI) movements require attentive effort and irresistibly tend to reverse into ISO when frequency increases. Experimental evidence indicates that the direction dependent easy-difficult dichotomy is caused by interference of the anticipatory postural commands associated to movements of one limb with voluntary commands to the other limb. Excitability of the resting wrist muscles is subliminally modulated at the period of ipsilateral foot oscillations, being phase-opposite in the antagonists and distributed so as to facilitate ISO and obstacle ANTI coupling of the hand (either prone or supine) with the foot. Modulation is driven by cortical signals dispatched to the forearm simultaneously with the voluntary commands moving the foot. If right foot oscillations are performed when standing on the left foot with the right hand touching a fixed support, the subliminal excitability modulation is replaced by overt contractions of forearm muscles conforming the APAs features. This suggests that during hand-foot ANTI coupling the voluntary commands to forearm muscles are contrasted by APAs commands of opposite sign linked to foot oscillations. Correlation between the easy-difficult dichotomy and the APAs distribution is also found in coupled adduction-abduction of the arms or hands in the transverse plane and in coupled flexion-extension of the arms in the parasagittal plane. In all these movements, APAs commands linked to the movement of each limb reach the motor pathways to the contralateral muscles homologous to the prime movers and can interfere during coupling with their voluntary activation. APAs are also generated in postural muscles of trunk and lower limbs and size-increase when the movement frequency is incremented. The related increase in postural effort apparently contributes in destabilizing the difficult coupling mode. Motor learning may rely upon more effective APAs. APAs and focal contraction are entangled within the same voluntary action. Yet, neural diseases may selectively impair APAs, which represent a potential target for rehabilitation.
Modeling faking good on personality items: An item-level analysis.

Research has consistently demonstrated that personality inventories can be faked; however. there is disagreement about what effect faking has on the measurement properties of tests. This research examines the effects of experimentally induced faking on item-level measurement using polytomous item response theory. Military recruits were instructed to complete a personality inventory under 1 of 3 conditions: answer honestly, fake good, or fake good with coaching. A graded response model (F. Samejima, 1969) was fit to items from 3 personality scales. Although there was a large difference in latent personality trait scores because of faking, there were few differences in the functioning of items across conditions. Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggest that faking leads to an increase in common variance that was unrelated to substantive construct variance. Implications for modeling and detection of faking are discussed.
Reduced Etiological Role for Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Cases of Diarrhea in Brazilian Infants

ABSTRACT Previously common in Brazil, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains of serogroups O55, O111, and O119 are now rare, while enteroadherent strains other than EPEC, belonging to serogroups such as O125, were prevalent among 126 diarrheic infants less than 1 year old who were surveyed. None of these strains had the EPEC bundle-forming pilus (bfpA) gene.
Efficient private matching based on blind signature for proximity-based mobile social networks

Proximity-based mobile social networks (PMSNs) are becoming increasingly popular due to the explosive growth of mobile devices in recent years, where a user can find a best matching friend within a nearby proximity through profile matching. However, the matching process calls for the exchange of users' personal information, which conflicts with their growing privacy concerns on revealing their profiles to strangers. Although a few methods have been proposed to achieve privacy-preserving friend discovery, most of them introduce tremendous communication overhead to the system so that they are not practical for resource-limited mobile devices. In this paper, we propose a private matching scheme based on blind signature for PMSNs, which can achieve a fine-grained matching and preferably protect users' privacy without relying on any Trusted Third Party (TTP). Moreover, our scheme can significantly reduce the communication overhead even when working as a group matching mode. Security analysis and detailed simulations show that the proposed scheme can achieve efficient privacy-preserving friend discovery.
Frequency, patient characteristics, and outcomes of mild-to-moderate heart failure complicating ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction: lessons from 4 international fibrinolytic therapy trials.

BACKGROUND There is a paucity of data on the incidence of mild-to-moderate heart failure (HF) complicating ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (MI) and its impact on short-term outcomes. Our objective was to determine the incidence, timing, and consequences of mild-to-moderate HF complicating acute MI. METHODS We examined the occurrence of death or death/recurrent MI (re-MI) in patients enrolled in the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue-Plasminogen Activator for Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO-I), the Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO IIb), the Global Use of Strategies to Open Occluded Coronary Arteries (GUSTO-III), and Assessment of the Safety and Efficacy of a New Thrombolytic (ASSENT-II) trials, which examined different fibrinolytic therapies for MI. We excluded patients who had cardiogenic shock (n = 2994) or unknown HF status at all time points (n = 13,716). Of the remaining 61,041 patients, 17,949 patients (29.4%) had HF, 1566 (8.7%) only at baseline, 10,339 (57.6%) only after admission, and 6044 (33.7%) at baseline and after. RESULTS The incidence of HF was 32.5% in the United States and 26.9% elsewhere. At 30 days, death and death/re-MI occurred in 2% and 4% of patients without HF and 8% and 12% of patients with HF, respectively (2% and 4% of patients with HF only at baseline, 7% and 13% of patients with HF only after baseline, and 10% and 13% of patients with HF at baseline and later). By use of multivariable analyses, the presence of HF was associated with 1.55 times greater risk of dying at 30 days (95% CI 1.38-1.74) and 2.15 times greater risk of death/re-MI (95% CI 1.96-2.36). CONCLUSION Mild-to-moderate HF is a frequent and ominous complication of MI, especially when it does not resolve or develops after admission.
A Novel Learning-Based Spectrum Sensing Technique for Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum sensing is one of the most challenging issues in Cognitive Radio (CR) networks. It should be performed efficiently to reduce number of false alarms and missed detections. This paper presents a novel approach, which employs collective intelligence developed via learning agents, for spectrum sensing in CR networks. The approach is used to share the sensed information, then digest it and make intelligent decisions about the presence or absence of primary users (PUs), by exploiting the accumulated history. The usage of history thus results in reduced sensing, subsequently requiring minimum activity in the common control channel (CCC), to help secondary users (SUs) exchange information and switch to the chosen empty space(s). Paper provides implementation of the proposed approach based on maxminfunctions integrated with a probabilistic decision making process. The performance analysis of the proposed approach shows that the usage of accumulated history by CR nodes results in reduced spectrum sensing by fine tuning the scan threshold.
An Update on Preoperative Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Even in patients undergoing an optimal surgical technique (e.g., total mesorectal excision), radiotherapy provides a significant benefit in the local control of rectal cancer. Compared with postoperative treatment, chemoradiotherapy given preoperatively has been shown to decrease local recurrence rates and toxicity. Additionally, preoperative chemoradiotherapy permits the early identification of tumor responses to this cytotoxic treatment by surgical pathology. Pathological parameters reflecting the tumor response to chemoradiotherapy have been shown to be surrogate markers for long-term clinical outcomes. Post-chemoradiotherapy downstaging from cStage II-III to ypStage 0-I indicates a favorable prognosis, with no difference between ypStage 0 and ypStage I. Research is ongoing to develop useful tools (clinical, molecular, and radiological) for clinical determination of the pathologic chemoradiotherapeutic response before surgery, and possibly even before preoperative treatment. In the future, risk-adapted strategies, including intensification of preoperative therapy, conservative surgery, or the selective administration of postoperative chemotherapy, will be realized for locally-advanced rectal cancer patients based on their response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy.
Individual differences in imagery and the psychophysiology of emotion

Abstract The experiment examined the relationship between individual differences in imagery ability and physiological activity during affective and non-affective imagery. Self-described good and poor imagers were assessed before and after a training procedure which encouraged somatovisceral involvement in imagery. The two groups of imagers were indistinguishable on a variety of personality measures, including general intelligence, social desirability bias, and report of somatic or visceral anxiety. Picture-memory recall performance also failed to differentiate the two groups. In contrast, imagery of standard affective and action-oriented scripts produced significantly greater physiological activity for good imagers than for poor imagers, particularly after training. For good imagers, pattern of physiological activity vaned with content of imagery script (action, fear, and anger), suggesting that training amplified intrinsic, emotion-specific response dispositions. Whereas poor imagers were generally unres.
Secure healthcare information exchange for local domains

The National Institutes of Health, along with other healthcare related agencies, continue to define the importance of exchanging medical data between hospitals and other healthcare providers. However, issues within the medical field such as interoperability, scalability and security continue to plague electronic exchange of information within the healthcare sector. In this paper we present an approach, called Secure Healthcare Information Exchange for Local Domains (SHIELD), which defines strategic components within an architecture that solves the problem of interoperability, scalability and security. Our solution integrates biometric and smart card technology that permits each hospital to exchange medical data with other hospitals within the trusted federation, without sacrificing the ability for individual hospitals to maintain their own policy enforcement. This research is currently being implemented within one Regional Center and fourteen hospitals within the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States.
5-HTTLPR Polymorphism of the Serotonin Transporter Gene Predicts Non-Remission in Major Depression Patients Treated With Citalopram in a 12-Weeks Follow Up Study

In the context of a long term follow-up study, we analysed the possible implication of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism at the serotonin transporter gene in clinical response and remission of major depressive patients treated with citalopram. The sample consisted of 131 patients, all of Spanish origin, diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. A 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was used to evaluate severity of the symptoms during the follow-up and to determine clinical response and remission condition of the patients at 4th and 12th week, respectively. Our results showed that S/S genotype of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was associated with the non-Remission condition at 12th week (χ2 = 8.7, P = 0.013). Moreover, homozygous for the allele S presented three times more risk for non reaching remission of depressive episode after citalopram treatment than patients with any other 5-HTTLPR genotype combination (χ2: 7.29, P = 0.006; OR = 3.23 [95%CI: 1.24–8.5]). In conclusion, our results show that genetic variation of serotonin transporter is involved in clinical remission of major depressive episodes after twelve weeks of citalopram treatment.
A consensus ethnobotany of the Q’eqchi’ Maya of Southern Belize

An ethnobotany study in collaboration with Q’eqchi’ Maya healers of Southern Belize led to a collection of 169 medicinal plant species, belonging to 67 different families. The data show the use of a majority of species from primary or secondary semi-evergreen rainforests of Southern Belize, rather than weedy species. The medicinal uses of the plants were grouped into 17 usage categories. The frequency of use for each plant and the informant consensus factor for each usage category reveals a consensus among the healers on the use of plant species as well as on the diseases treated. These results suggest a well-defined medicinal tradition.ResumenUne étude ethnobotanique en collaboration avec les guérisseurs Mayas Q’eqchi’ du Sud du Belize a mené à la récolte de 169 espèces de plantes médicinales appartenant à 67 families différentes. Les données montrent l’utilisation d’une majorité d’espèces provenant des forêts tropicales humides primaires ou secondaires du Sud du Belize, plutôt que de mauvaises herbes. Les utilisations médicinales de ces plantes ont été classées dans 17 catégories d’usage. La fréquence d’utilisation de chaque plante et le facteur de consensus calculé pour chaque catégorie d’usage révèle un haut degré de consensus parmi les guérisseurs aussi bien pour l’utilisation des plantes que pour les maladies traitées par ces dernières. Ces résultats suggèrent une tradition médicinale bien définie.
Hybrid Combination of Constituency and Dependency Trees into an Ensemble Dependency Parser

Dependency parsing has made many advancements in recent years, in particular for English. There are a few dependency parsers that achieve comparable accuracy scores with each other but with very different types of errors. This paper examines creating a new dependency structure through ensemble learning using a hybrid of the outputs of various parsers. We combine all tree outputs into a weighted edge graph, using 4 weighting mechanisms. The weighted edge graph is the input into our ensemble system and is a hybrid of very different parsing techniques (constituent parsers, transition-based dependency parsers, and a graph-based parser). From this graph we take a maximum spanning tree. We examine the new dependency structure in terms of accuracy and errors on individual part-of-speech values. The results indicate that using a greater number of more varied parsers will improve accuracy results. The combined ensemble system, using 5 parsers based on 3 different parsing techniques, achieves an accuracy score of 92.58%, beating all single parsers on the Wall Street Journal section 23 test set. Additionally, the ensemble system reduces the average relative error on selected POS tags by 9.82%.
Evolution of the Social Contract, Brain Skyrms. Cambridge University Press, 1996, xii + 143 pages

on these controversial issues, Dorman's volume has already accomplished more than most books on political economy. In its superior argumentation, its spelling out of theoretical implications through hypothesis deduction, its indictment of the compensating wage model, its clear and balanced challenge to the existing market paradigm, and its eminently readable and analytical style, it deserves to become a classic. Dorman's criticism of wage compensation theory convincingly questions the strong version of Smithian compensation and thereby deflates the case for laissez-faire freedom of contract and deregulation. He has accomplished no small feat. No economist, policymaker, businessperson, or government official ought to ignore this book.
Consumer Feedback: Does Rating Reflect Reviewers' Feelings?

Consumer feedbacks have been widely used for product improvement. These consumer reviews reveal customer sentiments (e.g., like/dislike, fulfilled/unfulfilled etc.) about products and the degree of sentiments as well. These reviews are good sources to gauge customer feelings, which are important to make essential business decisions. In this research, we analyzed textual movie reviews semi-automatically using linguistic analysis instead of using manual mechanisms. Generally, adjectives in text reviews express reviewers’ feelings about a product while adverbs (gradable) explain the degree of these feelings. Using a well-known movie review database, we analyzed the pattern of adjectives and adverbs that appeared in reviewers’ comments. We compared the frequencies of these adjective and adverbial words with the symbolic ratings (A+ to F) of the respective reviews and found strong correlation between the positive/negative terms (adjectives and adverbs) embedded in the text and their corresponding symbolic ratings.
Intuitive Perceptions of Change

Luchins' classic study on impression formation has contributed to the widespread belief in the predominance of stable, trait like impressions in the person perception process. The present replication of Luchins' study demonstrates that subjects often infer change in others rather than maintain stable impressions. Subjects were provided with Luchins' original stimulus materials, but were led to believe that the behavioral inconsistencies occurred either close in time or further apart in time. As expected, participants who believed that they were observing behavioral inconsistencies separated in time tended to describe the person as having changed rather than employing stable trait ascriptions. Implications of the present findings for the widespread belief in the pervasiveness of stability judgments are discussed.