Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Conditions: Health Plans Strategies

Background:Mental health and substance use conditions are under-recognized and under-treated. Private health plans may be able to affect the extent of screening and, thus, identification of enrollees who need treatment. Objectives:The goals of this study were to determine strategies used by health plans to identify mental health and substance use conditions; and describe the characteristics of health plans associated with use of these strategies. Methods:In 2003, we conducted a nationally representative survey of private health plans regarding behavioral health services. A total of 368 health plans (83% response rate) provided information about their managed care products: health maintenance organization (HMO), point-of-service (POS), or preferred provider organization (PPO) products (812 in total). Measures:We asked whether plans verify primary care providers’ screening for mental health or substance use conditions, screen outside of primary care, and distribute practice guidelines. We characterized each product in terms of “carve-out” to a specialty behavioral health vendor, tax status, and region and market area population. Results:Thirty-four percent of products verify primary care providers’ screening for mental health, but only 8% verify alcohol or drug screening. Outside of primary care, 31% conduct screening through the mail, phone, or internet. Depression guidelines are distributed to primary care providers by 78% of managed care products: alcohol or drug guidelines are distributed by 33%. In multivariate analyses, specialty contracting was positively associated, and PPO product type was negatively associated with these strategies. Conclusions:Most health plans use multiple strategies to improve identification of behavioral health conditions, but use of such strategies was greater for mental health than for substance use conditions.
The Prevalence of Pain in Patients Attending Sarcoma Outpatient Clinics

The prevalence of pain in patients with sarcoma is not well documented. We investigated this in outpatients at a tertiary cancer referral centre, assessing the adequacy of pain control and for risk factors leading to higher prevalence and severity of pain. 149 patients were surveyed. Patients with pain within the previous 7 days completed pain assessment tools (BPI, S-LANSS, PMI). 53% of patients had pain within the previous 7 days, and 25% had significant pain. Of those with pain, 63% was inadequately controlled and neuropathic pain was identified in 36%. Age, gender, tumour type, and the type of cancer treatment were not significant predictors of the prevalence or severity of the pain. Based on our results, patients with sarcoma should be actively screened for pain and have regular reviews of their analgesic requirements.
Neural network construction via back-propagation

A method is presented that combines back-propagation with multi-layer neural network construction. Back-propagation is used not only to adjust the weights but also the signal functions. Going from one network to an equivalent one that has additional linear units, the non-linearity of these units and thus their effective presence is then introduced via back-propagation (weight-splitting). The back-propagated error causes the network to include new units in order to minimize the error function. We also show how this formalism allows to escape local minima.
Instrument-Free Point-of-Care Molecular Detection of Zika Virus

The recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the Americas and its devastating impact on fetal development have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the ZIKV pandemic as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Rapid and reliable diagnostics for ZIKV are vital because ZIKV-infected individuals display no symptoms or nonspecific symptoms similar to other viral infections. Because immunoassays lack adequate sensitivity and selectivity and are unable to identify active state of infection, molecular diagnostics are an effective means to detect ZIKV soon after infection and throughout pregnancy. We report on a highly sensitive reverse-transcription loop-mediated, isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for rapid detection of ZIKV and its implementation in a simple, easy-to-use, inexpensive, point-of-care (POC) disposable cassette that carries out all the unit operations from sample introduction to detection. For thermal control of the cassette, we use a chemically heated cup without a need for electrical power. Amplification products are detected with leuco crystal violet (LCV) dye by eye without a need for instrumentation. We demonstrated the utility of our POC diagnostic system by detecting ZIKV in oral samples with sensitivity of 5 plaque-forming units (PFU) in less than 40 min. Our system is particularly suitable for resource-poor settings, where centralized laboratory facilities, funds, and trained personnel are in short supply, and for use in doctors’ offices, clinics, and at home.
The effect of wasta on perceived competence and morality in Egypt

Purpose – Wasta is an Arabic word that means the intervention of a patron in favor of a client in attempt to obtain privileges or resources from a third party. In Arab countries, wasta is often used to obtain employment, thus causing unequal opportunity. The purpose of this paper is to study the attributions that people make regarding the competency and morality of wasta users. The main hypothesis is that those that use wasta in obtaining employment will be perceived as less competent and moral than those that do not.Design/methodology/approach – The study is designed as a factorial quasi‐experiment, with three independent variables; wasta, employee qualification and socioeconomic status. The dependent variables are perceived competency and morality. Data were gathered from 421 Egyptian undergraduate business students attending a public and a private university.Findings – In support of the hypotheses, subjects discounted the competency and morality of employees that used wasta to obtain the job. Additiona.
QoE-aware bandwidth allocation method with GEO satellites cooperation in distributed constellation network

This paper proposes a bandwidth allocation method in distributed constellation network, first introducing an economic link utility function, which quantifies Quality of Experience (QoE) satisfaction level of users as a combination of link reward and link cost. Then, a QoE-based resource allocation method is proposed for the efficient sharing of radio resources in circumstances of Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites cooperation, so that uplink system utility is maximized and the fairness between different satellites is also achieved. In multi-layered satellites scenario, we investigate the benefit of multiple uplink transmissions by multiple GEO satellites over a single transmission by a single GEO satellite at a time, which can be interpreted as network diversity. Meanwhile, we model the fact that the suitability of different networks to different users varies, which is seldom considered in previous literatures. Numerical results validate the performance enhancement of our scheme compared with the existing ones.
First Detection of Bat White-Nose Syndrome in Western North America

White-nose syndrome (WNS) represents one of the most consequential wildlife diseases of modern times. Since it was first documented in New York in 2006, the disease has killed millions of bats and threatens several formerly abundant species with extirpation or extinction. The spread of WNS in eastern North America has been relatively gradual, inducing optimism that disease mitigation strategies could be established in time to conserve bats susceptible to WNS in western North America. The recent detection of the fungus that causes WNS in the Pacific Northwest, far from its previous known distribution, increases the urgency for understanding the long-term impacts of this disease and for developing strategies to conserve imperiled bat species. ABSTRACT White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging fungal disease of bats caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since it was first detected near Albany, NY, in 2006, the fungus has spread across eastern North America, killing unprecedented numbers of hibernating bats. The devastating impacts of WNS on Nearctic bat species are attributed to the likely introduction of P. destructans from Eurasia to naive host populations in eastern North America. Since 2006, the disease has spread in a gradual wavelike pattern consistent with introduction of the pathogen at a single location. Here, we describe the first detection of P. destructans in western North America in a little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) from near Seattle, WA, far from the previously recognized geographic distribution of the fungus. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the isolate of P. destructans from Washington grouped with other isolates of a presumed clonal lineage from the eastern United States. Thus, the occurrence of P. destructans in Washington does not likely represent a novel introduction of the fungus from Eurasia, and the lack of intensive surveillance in the western United States makes it difficult to interpret whether the occurrence of P. destructans in the Pacific Northwest is disjunct from that in eastern North America. Although there is uncertainty surrounding the impacts of WNS in the Pacific Northwest, the presence of the pathogen in western North America could have major consequences for bat conservation. IMPORTANCE White-nose syndrome (WNS) represents one of the most consequential wildlife diseases of modern times. Since it was first documented in New York in 2006, the disease has killed millions of bats and threatens several formerly abundant species with extirpation or extinction. The spread of WNS in eastern North America has been relatively gradual, inducing optimism that disease mitigation strategies could be established in time to conserve bats susceptible to WNS in western North America. The recent detection of the fungus that causes WNS in the Pacific Northwest, far from its previous known distribution, increases the urgency for understanding the long-term impacts of this disease and for developing strategies to conserve imperiled bat species.
Fusion of Detection and Matching Based Approaches for Laser Based Multiple People Tracking

Most of visual tracking algorithms have been achieved by matching-based searching strategies or detection-based data association algorithms. In this paper, our objective is to analysis laser scan image sequences to track multiple people in a crowded environment. Due to the poor features provided by laser scan images, neither of the above two approaches can achieves good tracking. To address the problem, we propose a novel multiple-target tracking algorithm fusing both detection and matching based strategies. First, target to detected measurement data association is incorporated to the joint state proposal, to form a mixture proposal that combines information from the dynamic model and the detected measurements. And then, we utilize a MCMC sampling step to obtain a more efficient multi-target filter. Our approach has been applied to the real laser scan image data. Evaluations show that the proposed method is a robust and effective multi-target tracking algorithm.
Differential Longitudinal Decline on the Mini-Mental State Examination in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Alzheimer Disease

Objective:To examine how phenotype affects longitudinal decline on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and Alzheimer disease (AD). Background:The MMSE is the most commonly administered assessment for dementia severity; however, the effects of phenotype on longitudinal MMSE performance in FTLD and AD have not been extensively studied. Methods:Data from 185 patients diagnosed with AD (n=106) and 3 FTLD (n=79) phenotypes [behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), nonfluent agrammatic variant of primary progressive aphasia (nfaPPA), and semantic variant PPA (svPPA)] were collected for up to 52 months since initial evaluation. Results:Differential rates of decline were noted in that MMSE scores declined more precipitously for AD and svPPA compared with bvFTD and nfaPPA patients (P=0.001). The absolute 4-year MMSE decline given median baseline MMSE for bvFTD [14.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 14.63-14.71] and nfaPPA (11.02; 95% CI, 10.98-11.06) were lower than svPPA (22.32; 95% CI, 22.29-22.34) or AD (22.24; 95% CI, 22.22-22.26). Conclusions:These data suggest that within-group AD and FTLD phenotypes present distinct patterns of longitudinal decline on the MMSE. MMSE may not be adequately sensitive to track disease progression in some phenotypes of FTLD.
'Bettering Yourself'? Discourses of risk, cost and benefit in ethnically diverse, young working-class non-participants' constructions of higher education

'Widening participation' and increasing student diversity are currently key concerns across the higher education sector, and particular attention has been drawn to the persistent under-representation of working-class students within British universities. It is thought that widening participation in higher education (HE) can result in a number of social and economic benefits, at a national level, for under-represented social groups and for individual participants. Less is known about the viewpoints and understandings of working-class non-participants, such as whether 'official' perceptions regarding the value of HE are shared or contested. Focus group discussions were conducted with 109 non-participant Londoners, aged between 16 and 30 years, from a range of working-class backgrounds. Findings focus upon non-participants' constructions of risks, costs and benefits during application, participation and graduation. These perceptions of 'value' are discussed with relation to widening participation strategies amongst ethnically diverse 'working class' groups.
Acting locally: The character, contexts and significance of local environmental mobilisations

Abstract Local environmental campaigns are ubiquitous and recurrent, even in times when environmental issues are not salient on national agenda. Yet their relationship to translocal environmental movements and issues has been relatively neglected. Local environmental campaigners are variously related to national and local organisations, and the peculiarities of place are one factor in that variation. But place itself acquires meaning through campaigns, and communities forge identity even as they mobilise against threats to their survival. The relationship between local campaigns and global environmental issues is problematic, but the ways in which local mobilisations often combine issues of environment, economic justice and democracy mirror the emerging agenda of transnational environmentalism.
Introduced and Native Congeners Use Different Resource Allocation Strategies to Maintain Performance during Infection

Hosts can manage parasitic infections using an array of tactics, which are likely to vary contingent on coevolutionary history between the host and the parasite. Here we asked whether coping ability of congeners that differ in host-parasite coevolutionary history differed in response to experimental infections with a coccidian parasite. House sparrows (Passer domesticus) and gray-headed sparrows (Passer griseus) are sympatric and ecologically similar, but house sparrows are recent colonizers of Kenya, the site of our comparison, whereas gray-headed sparrows are native. We evaluated three variables as barometers of infection coping ability: vertical flight, pectoral muscle size, and fat score. We also measured routing of a dose of 13C-labeled leucine, an essential amino acid, among tissues to compare resource allocation strategies in response to infection. We found that burden effects on performance were minimal in both species, but house sparrows maintained considerably higher burdens than gray-headed sparrows regardless of exposure. House sparrows also had more exogeneous leucine tracer in all tissues after 24 h, demonstrating a difference in the way the two species allocate or distribute resources. We argue that house sparrows may be maintaining larger resource reserves to mitigate costs associated with exposure and infection. Additionally, in response to increased parasite exposure, gray-headed sparrows had less leucine tracer in their spleens and more in their gonads, whereas house sparrows did not change allocation, perhaps indicating a trade-off that is not experienced by the introduced species.
Oppositional defiance, moral reasoning and moral value evaluation as predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency

This study investigated the relationships among oppositional defiant attitudes, moral reasoning, moral value evaluation and self-reported delinquent behaviour in adolescents (N = 351, MAGE = 13.8 years, SDAGE = 1.1). Of particular interest were the moderating effects of age, educational environment and gender on the relationship between moral reasoning and delinquency. The results indicate that oppositional defiance was a strong positive correlate of delinquent behaviour, particularly in late adolescence. Furthermore, moral reasoning was modestly and negatively related to delinquency, but only for males. No moderating effects for educational environment were observed. Moreover, moral value evaluation was uncorrelated with delinquent behaviour when controlling for other sociomoral processes. These findings invite further research on the relationship between attitudes and behaviour, with respect to causal links and practical applications within behavioural interventions.
An examination of the behavioral and neuropsychological correlates of three ADHD candidate gene polymorphisms (DRD4 7+, DBH TaqI A2, and DAT1 40 bp VNTR) in hyperactive and normal children followed to adulthood

Several candidate gene polymorphisms have been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including DAT1 40bp VNTR, DRD4 7+, and DBH TaqI A2 alleles. We used the Milwaukee longitudinal study of hyperactive (n = 122) and normal (n = 67) children to compare participants with and without these respective polymorphisms on ADHD‐related behavioral ratings at childhood, 8 years later in adolescence, and 13+ years later into young adulthood. Neuropsychological tests were given at the adolescent and young adulthood follow‐up. No differences were found between the DRD4‐7+ and 7− repeat polymorphism. The DBH TaqI A2 allele, when homozygous, was associated with being more hyperactive in childhood, having more pervasive behavior problems at adolescence, and earning less money on a card playing task in adulthood. At adolescence, poorer test scores were also found only in the hyperactive group with homozygous for this allele. The DAT1 40bp VNTR heterozygous 9/10 repeat, however, differed from the 10/10 repeat pair in many respects, having greater ADHD and externalizing symptoms at all three follow‐ups, more cross‐situational behavioral problems at both childhood and adolescence, poorer mother‐teen relations at adolescence, and lower class rankings in high school. Participants with the 9/10 pair in the control group also had lower work performance, a lower grade point average in high school, greater teacher rated externalizing symptoms at adolescence, and greater omission errors on a continuous performance test in adulthood. The DAT1 40bp VNTR 9/10 polymorphism pairing appears to be reliably associated with greater symptoms of ADHD and externalizing behavior from childhood to adulthood, and with family, educational, and occupational impairments. We also present a contrary view on the appropriate endophenotypes for use in behavioral genetic research on ADHD. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Performing Gateway Load Balancing in MANETs

In future tactical networks, gateway nodes will have an important role in connecting different military communications platforms together to form a consolidated network. To increase capacity for upstream/downstream traffic as well as resiliency, more than one gateway should be deployed. In this context, performing gateway load balancing is vital in order to take full advantage of the resources available and thereby improve the performance. Previous work has shown that a number of factors such as the level of asymmetry, offered load, and gateway location may influence the performance of load balancing. However these parameters alone cannot explain why the performance of load balancing is high for certain topologies while it is very poor for others. Obviously, the specific layout of a topology also plays a crucial role on the efficiency of load balancing. We question what are the differences between topologies where load balancing is efficient from the topologies where it is inefficient? The work in this paper thus aims to find the answer to this question, and to explore the nature of performing load balancing in wireless multi-hop networks. Through the knowledge acquired we propose a Radio load based Load Balancing scheme (RLLB). Simulations of many randomly generated topologies show that the performance of RLLB is promising.
Offending Identities: Sex Offenders' Perspectives on Their Treatment and Management

Introduction Part 1: Setting the Scene 1. Managing the 'sex offender' 2. Treating the 'sex offender' Part 2: The social construction of the sex offender - impact on identity 3. Responding to stigma 4. The negotiation of identities Part 3: The social construction of the sex offender - impact on treatment 5. Motivation to change and treatment attendance 6. Honesty and conformity in a group setting 7. Denial, identity and 'what works' Part 4: The social construction of the sex offender - impact on risk 8. Managing future risk 9. Conclusions
Editorial Introduction: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Health Psychology: Historical Development and Future Possibilities

Gender has been an important and profitable lens through which the bioand social sciences have sought to understand health, its differentials and inequalities. While health is clearly multi-factorial, gender has been recognized as an important determinant of health profiles and feminist principles of equity and inclusiveness have long been incorporated into health psychology (Brown Travis et al., 1991). Women’s health is an accepted sub-discipline in many fields and whilst men’s health remains a somewhat marginal concern (although see Courtney, 2000; Thomson, 2008), it is (generally) accepted that ‘the doing of health is a form of doing gender’ (Saltonstall, 1993: 12). This special issue aims to build upon this work by seeking to explore the value of sexuality as an axis of study in health psychology. When sexualities and health have traditionally intersected there has been an almost exclusive focus on sexual health research. Given the constitutive nature of health discourses – including the discourses and practices of health research – it is important that we recognize the limits and effects of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) health psychology that may have been corralled too much in the sexual health ‘ghetto’. We return to this concern later. In light of the focus on sexual health, and, indeed, the narrowing of this to gay and bisexual men’s sexual health, some have argued that LGBTQ health research should be disaggregated (Wilkinson, 2002). Although the majority of the contributions to this special issue do, in fact, consider one facet of non-normative sexuality or gender, overall they seek to expand the terrain of LGBTQ health psychology to address physical health more broadly, as well as mental health. Resisting the – at times understandable – calls for disaggregation also allows us to better recognize the role that gay men and lesbians in particular have played in advocating for social change, developing HIV/AIDS prevention programmes and setting agendas for meeting their health needs (e.g. Rofes, 2007). Exploring