Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reclaiming joy: pilot evaluation of a mental health peer support program for older adults who receive Medicaid.

PURPOSE Stigma and lack of access to providers create barriers to mental health treatment for older adults living in the community. In order to address these barriers, we developed and evaluated a peer support intervention for older adults receiving Medicaid services. DESIGN AND METHODS Reclaiming Joy is a mental health intervention that pairs an older adult volunteer with a participant (older adult who receives peer support). Volunteers receive training on the strengths-based approach, mental health and aging, goal setting and attainment, community resources, and safety. Participant-volunteer pairs meet once a week for 10 weeks. Participants establish and work toward goals (e.g., better self-care, social engagement) that they feel would improve their mental health and well-being. Aging services agencies provide a part time person to manage the program, match volunteers and participants, and provide ongoing support. Outcomes evaluation for this pilot study included pre/postintervention assessments of participants. RESULTS Thirty-two participants completed the intervention. Pre/postassessment group means showed statistically significant improvement for depression but not for symptoms of anxiety. Quality-of-life indicators for health and functioning also improved for participants with symptoms of both depression and anxiety. IMPLICATIONS The Reclaiming Joy peer support intervention has potential for reducing depression and increasing quality of life in low-income older adults who have physical health conditions. It is feasible to administer and sustain the intervention through collaborative efforts with minimal program resources and a small amount of technical assistance.
Innervation of embryonic rat cerebral cortex by catecholamine‐containing fibers

Catecholamine‐containing neuronal processes penetrate to the outer superficial layers of the developing neocortex via the lateral neocortex anlage by embryonic day (ED) 16, only 48 hours after the final cell division of the catecholamine neurons in the mesencephalon and pons‐medulla. Sagittal sections were taken from a series of perfused embryos at precise time‐intervals after insemination. The corpus striatum receives a large catecholamine input and serves as a reference for tracing the very fine varicose processes that course through the caudate nucleus to innervate the more rostral structures of the developing neocortex cerebri. The input fibers to the neocortex arrive via three to four small fiber bundles, entering chiefly at the ventro‐rostral aspect. The bundles then bifurcate into the deep and superficial layers of the cortex. Between ED16 to ED21 the innervation progresses in ventral to dorsal and rostral to caudal directions. Embryonically, fluorescent fibers are observed in the outermost superficial layer and in the intermediate zone, below the cortical plate; only rarely are they seen crossing the cortical plate. The demonstration of monoaminergic neuronal fibers reaching neocortical structures by ED16 adds further weight to the speculation that they may play a role in induction and differentiation, and suggests that post‐natal experimental manipulations using ascending‐bundle lesions will have been performed at least five days after the arrival of catecholamine fibers at their cortical destinations.
Increase in airway hyperresponsiveness among workers exposed to methylene diphenyldiisocyanate compared to workers exposed to toluene diisocyanate at a petrochemical plant in Korea.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness induced by methylene diphenyldiisocyanate (MDI) and toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at a petrochemical industry complex in Korea. METHODS Questionnaires, allergic skin test, and nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were studied in 64 exposed workers and 27 control subjects. Questionnaires included questions about symptoms of cough, wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea, rhinorrhea, sneezing, itching, stuffiness, tearing, urticaria, sore throat, and exacerbating time. Methacholine challenge tests were done. Bronchial responsiveness (BRindex) defined as log (% fall in FEV(1))/log (last concentration of methacholine +10). RESULTS Prevalence of AHR (PC20 FEV(1) < 16.0 mg/mL of methacholine) was higher in MDI-exposed workers than in TDI-exposed workers [4/20 (20%) vs. 2/42 (4.7%), P<0.05]. Twenty-three workers (36%) of all subjects had respiratory symptoms. MDI-exposed workers, in comparison with control subjects, had higher BRindex (0.73+/-0.04 vs. 0.62+/-0.02, P<0.05). Workers exposed to TDI or MDI who had respiratory symptoms (n = 23), in comparison to workers exposed to TDI or MDI without respiratory symptoms (n = 41), had significantly higher BRindex (0.82+/-0.06 vs. 0.60+/-0.02, P<0.05). FEV(1) was significantly negatively correlated with BRindex (r = -0.253, P<0.05). BRindex was not correlated with atopy, smoking status, and exposure duration. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that workers exposed to MDI are at a higher risk of asthma in comparison with TDI-exposed workers and control subjects at a petrochemical plant in Korea.
La Recherche-Action

Cet ouvrage s'adresse aux etudiants de troisieme cycle et aux chercheurs debutants interesses par cette approche methodologique en proposant un large panorama des differentes approches et en illustrant les differentes etapes de la conduite d'un projet de recherche-action. Cet ouvrage interessera egalement les chercheurs confirmes qui souhaitent approfondir leur connaissance de cette approche en proposant une confrontation des differents courants de la recherche-action et en soulignant les questionnements methodologiques et epistemologiques qu'ils soulevent.
Influence of induction chemotherapy and class of cytotoxics on pathologic response and survival after preoperative chemoradiation in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus

Patients with localized esophageal cancer (LEC) have diverse outcomes (post‒therapy pathologic response, disease‒free survival [DFS], and overall survival [OS]) after preoperative chemoradiation (P‒CTRT), dictated also by inherent molecular heterogeneity. Whether the type of therapy influences the outcomes remains largely unanswered. It is hypothesized that induction chemotherapy (IC) or the type of cytotoxics used would not influence patient outcomes.
Introduction to the special issue on advanced learning technologies

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 105(4) of Journal of Educational Psychology (see record 2013-35422-001). In the article “Introduction to the Special Issue on Advanced Learning Technologies” by Vincent Aleven, Carole R. Beal, and Arthur C. Graesser ( Journal of Educational Psychology, Advance online publication. September 9, 2013. doi: 10.1037/a0034155), the name of author Arthur C. Graesser was published with an incorrect middle initial. All versions of this article have been corrected. ] The 20 articles in this special issue represent a cross-section of interesting, cutting-edge research in advanced learning technologies (ALTs). These advanced technologies are increasingly being used in educational practice and as convenient platforms for rigorous educational research. Although defining ALTs is difficult, ALTs have 3 key elements to varying degrees. First, these technologies are created by designers who have a substantial theoretical and empirical understanding of learners, learning, and the targeted subject matter. Second, these systems provide a high degree of interactivity, reflecting a view of learning as a complex, constructive activity on the part of learners that can be enhanced with detailed, adaptive guidance. Third, the system is capable of assessing learners while they use the system along a range of psychological dimensions. The emphasis in the special issue is not exclusively on the technologies themselves but more fundamentally on the underlying principles of learning, the interactions with the learners, and the impact of the technologies on learning gains. Key challenges are how to develop and use the technologies in ways that are grounded in theory, science, and sensible practice.
Probing Allostery Through DNA

Allostery Across DNA Proteins, such as transcription factors and RNA polymerase, bind close to each other on DNA and their function is coordinated. Kim et al. (p. 816; see the Perspective by Crothers) report single-molecule experiments that show that the DNA binding affinity of a protein is significantly altered by a second protein bound nearby. The effect oscillates between stabilizing and destabilizing the binding with a periodicity equal to the helical pitch of DNA. Allosteric coupling between a transcriptional repressor and RNA polymerase modulated gene expression in living bacteria. Proteins bound to the same, but not overlapping, stretch of DNA modulate each other's DNA binding affinity. [Also see Perspective by Crothers] Allostery is well documented for proteins but less recognized for DNA-protein interactions. Here, we report that specific binding of a protein on DNA is substantially stabilized or destabilized by another protein bound nearby. The ternary complex's free energy oscillates as a function of the separation between the two proteins with a periodicity of ~10 base pairs, the helical pitch of B-form DNA, and a decay length of ~15 base pairs. The binding affinity of a protein near a DNA hairpin is similarly dependent on their separation, which—together with molecular dynamics simulations—suggests that deformation of the double-helical structure is the origin of DNA allostery. The physiological relevance of this phenomenon is illustrated by its effect on gene expression in live bacteria and on a transcription factor's affinity near nucleosomes.
Circularly polarized metasurface antennas

We present theory, design process and numerical results relevant to a X-band isoflux circularly polarized antenna for LEO satellite platform. The device is based on a metasurface made of a texture of small patches on a grounded dielectric slab. An in-plane feeder excites a surface wave on the metasurface that transforms it into a leaky wave The final result is a satisfactory proof of concept device representing an innovative solution for satellite applications.
Detecting Multineuronal Temporal Patterns in Parallel Spike Trains

We present a non-parametric and computationally efficient method that detects spatiotemporal firing patterns and pattern sequences in parallel spike trains and tests whether the observed numbers of repeating patterns and sequences on a given timescale are significantly different from those expected by chance. The method is generally applicable and uncovers coordinated activity with arbitrary precision by comparing it to appropriate surrogate data. The analysis of coherent patterns of spatially and temporally distributed spiking activity on various timescales enables the immediate tracking of diverse qualities of coordinated firing related to neuronal state changes and information processing. We apply the method to simulated data and multineuronal recordings from rat visual cortex and show that it reliably discriminates between data sets with random pattern occurrences and with additional exactly repeating spatiotemporal patterns and pattern sequences. Multineuronal cortical spiking activity appears to be precisely coordinated and exhibits a sequential organization beyond the cell assembly concept.
Converter and inductor design for fast-response microprocessor power delivery

The fundamental constraints for fast-response buck converters for applications such as microprocessor power delivery are analyzed, with an emphasis on the role of the inductor. Optimum values of ripple ratio, and thus inductor value, are calculated. Based on this analysis, microfabricated inductor designs are analyzed, and an inductor design is proposed with predicted performance including power density of 158 W/cm/sup 2/ and 95% efficiency for an 8 MHz, 3.6 V to 1.1 V converter.
Vegetation height estimation near power transmission poles via satellite stereo images using 3D depth estimation algorithms

Monitoring vegetation encroachment under overhead high voltage power line is a challenging problem for electricity distribution companies. Absence of proper monitoring could result in damage to the power lines and consequently cause blackout. This will affect electric power supply to industries, businesses, and daily life. Therefore, to avoid the blackouts, it is mandatory to monitor the vegetation/trees near power transmission lines. Unfortunately, the existing approaches are more time consuming and expensive. In this paper, we have proposed a novel approach to monitor the vegetation/trees near or under the power transmission poles using satellite stereo images, which were acquired using Pleiades satellites. The 3D depth of vegetation has been measured near power transmission lines using stereo algorithms. The area of interest scanned by Pleiades satellite sensors is 100 square kilometer. Our dataset covers power transmission poles in a state called Sabah in East Malaysia, encompassing a total of 52 poles in the area of 100 km. We have compared the results of Pleiades satellite stereo images using dynamic programming and Graph-Cut algorithms, consequently comparing satellites’ imaging sensors and Depth-estimation Algorithms. Our results show that Graph-Cut Algorithm performs better than dynamic programming (DP) in terms of accuracy and speed.
Flat maximal parallelism in tissue P systems with promoters

Tissue P systems with promoters are distributed parallel computing models inspired by the structure of tissues and the way of communicating substances regulated by promoters. In this work, we consider tissue P systems with promoters working in a flat maximally parallel way, where in each step, in each membrane, a maximal set of applicable rules is chosen and each rule in the set is applied exactly once. It is proved that tissue P systems with at most two promoters associated with any rule and using only symport rules of length 1 are Turing universal. Moreover, a uniform solution to the SAT problem is provided by tissue P systems with at most two promoters associated with any rule and using cell division rules and symport rules of length 1. Key-words: Tissue P system, Promoter, Flat maximal parallelism, SAT problem, Universality
Generating A 3D Simulation Of A Car Accident From A Written Description In Natural Language: The CarSim System

This paper describes a prototype system to visualize and animate 3D scenes from car accident reports, written in French. The problem of generating such a 3D simulation can be divided into two subtasks: the linguistic analysis and the virtual scene generation. As a means of communication between these two modules, we first designed a template formalism to represent a written accident report. The CARSIM system first processes written reports, gathers relevant information, and converts it into a formal description. Then, it creates the corresponding 3D scene and animates the vehicles.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Prevalence and Current Susceptibility Pattern in Sikkim

Background: Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) strains is reported to be increasing globally. Objectives: The study was conducted to find the magnitude and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of MRSA infection in a referral tertiary care teaching hospital of Sikkim, India. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study, 827 clinical specimens were collected from different departments of Central Referral Hospital. One hundred and ninety-six carrier screening nasal swabs were obtained from health care workers of the hospital. Subsequently, the antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for the confirmed MRSA isolates as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: Methicillin resistance was seen in 152 isolates of S. aureus – 111 from clinical specimens and 41 from carrier screening samples. MRSA positivity among males was significantly higher than females. Extremely significant MRSA-positive cases were observed from ages less than 30 years, in-patient cases, particularly with a stay of more than 15 days and with a previous history of intake of broad spectrum antibiotics. Incidentally, there was no significant difference of MRSA positivity with a previous history of hospitalization. The extent of MRSA and drug resistance pattern was significantly different among various samples of S. aureus-positive isolates. The strains tested exhibited decreased susceptibility to vancomycin and imipenem. Most vulnerable of the carrier were the cleaners, that was a significant observation. Incidentally, there was no resistance in the carriers to both vancomycin and imipenem. Conclusion: MRSA is prevalent in our hospital and strains resistant to methicillin and vancomycin were quite high.
Quantum Schubert Calculus

String theorists (notably Witten [W]) recently introduced the notion of a “quantum” deformation of the cohomology ring of a smooth projective variety X. This quantum deformation, or quantum cohomology ring, as it is often called, is an algebra over a formal-power-series ring which specializes to the ordinary cohomology ring, and which is defined in terms of intersection data (the Gromov-Witten invariants) on all the spaces of holomorphic maps from pointed curves of genus zero to X.
Modular Control of Treadmill vs Overground Running

Motorized treadmills have been widely used in locomotion studies, although a debate remains concerning the extrapolation of results obtained from treadmill experiments to overground locomotion. Slight differences between treadmill (TRD) and overground running (OVG) kinematics and muscle activity have previously been reported. However, little is known about differences in the modular control of muscle activation in these two conditions. Therefore, we aimed at investigating differences between motor modules extracted from TRD and OVG by factorization of multi-muscle electromyographic (EMG) signals. Twelve healthy men ran on a treadmill and overground at their preferred speed while we recorded tibial acceleration and surface EMG from 11 ipsilateral lower limb muscles. We extracted motor modules representing relative weightings of synergistic muscle activations by non-negative matrix factorization from 20 consecutive gait cycles. Four motor modules were sufficient to accurately reconstruct the EMG signals in both TRD and OVG (average reconstruction quality = 92±3%). Furthermore, a good reconstruction quality (80±7%) was obtained also when muscle weightings of one condition (either OVG or TRD) were used to reconstruct the EMG data from the other condition. The peak amplitudes of activation signals showed a similar timing (pattern) across conditions. The magnitude of peak activation for the module related to initial contact was significantly greater for OVG, whereas peak activation for modules related to leg swing and preparation to landing were greater for TRD. We conclude that TRD and OVG share similar muscle weightings throughout motion. In addition, modular control for TRD and OVG is achieved with minimal temporal adjustments, which were dependent on the phase of the running cycle.
c‐KIT mutation analysis for diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in fine needle aspiration specimens

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are a specific clinicopathologic entity characterized by activating mutations in the c‐KIT gene. These mutations are associated with increased immunohistochemical staining for the c‐KIT protein. Because many GISTs display a definitive response to the KIT inhibitor imatinib, accurate diagnosis of these neoplasms is of great clinical importance. GISTs are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the digestive tract and show lineage differentiation along the lines of the interstitial cells of Cajal. The cytomorphology of GISTs has been well described, but the cytologic features are not entirely specific and immunohistochemical staining is frequently used to confirm the diagnosis. However, KIT protein positivity established by immunohistochemistry (IHC) may be unreliable in some instances because of a small number of KIT‐negative GISTs and immunohistochemical KIT positivity in some non‐GIST spindle cell neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. Antigen retrieval may be the cause of this spurious positivity. Recently, the demonstration of KIT and PDGFRA mutations has been shown to be more reliable in establishing the diagnosis of GIST than IHC.
THE FATE OF THE NILE CROCODILE IN AFRICAN WATERWAYS

'IT IS STRANGE that the loathly crocodile can provide sufficient interest to provide the wherewithal for one of our periodic talks', said C. R. S. Pitman, then Chief Game Warden of Uganda, in an address to the Uganda Society in 1941.1 His views were shared by many in the audience and many more within and outside Uganda. The Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) was and still is the most hated and feared creature in the African waterways (rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes). R. C. Maugham, a well travelled South African hunter and trader in East and South-Central Africa, observed in 1906 that the Crocodile was a 'veritable curse of. the African rivers', and in his opinion there was 'probably no more dangerous, more stealthly or more universally hated and feared branch of creation than the [the crocodile]'. 2 The fear and hate for the crocodile stemmed from its man-eating activities which European travellers, traders, missionaries and colonial administrators described in glowing, horrid and lurid terms.3 Some of them were true, others were obviously exaggerated to add to the element of adventure and to stir hate and dislike for the crocodile among the Europeans and, to some extent, Africans as well. The crocodile, like the wolf in North America, came to be seen as better dead than alive.4 The following quotations confirm this attitude. The first comes from a 1973 book by Alistair Graham and Peter Beard:
Size and Composition of Corporate Boards of Directors: The Organization and its Environment

The board of directors is considered as an instrument for dealing with the organization's environment. In a random sample of eighty nonfinancial corporations, elements of board size and composition are shown to be systematically related to factors measuring the organization's requirements for coopting sectors of the environment. ' Organizations that deviate more from an empirically estimated optimal board structure equation are likely to perform more poorly, compared to industry standards.
Proceedings of CIBB 2011 1 Integration of genomic , proteomic and biomolecular interaction data to support biomedical knowledge discovery

The growing available genomic and proteomic information gives new opportunities for novel research approaches and biomedical discoveries through effective data management and analysis support. Integration and comprehensive evaluation of available controlled data can highlight information patterns leading to unveil new biomedical knowledge. For this purpose, the University Politecnico di Milano, is developing a software framework to create and maintain a Genomic and Proteomic Data Warehouse (GPDW) that integrates information from many data sources on the basis of a conceptual data model that relates molecular entities and biomedical features. Here we illustrate and discuss the extension of framework for integrating biomolecular interaction data in the GPDW. The comprehensive and mining of the reliable interaction data together with the other biomolecular information in the GPDW constitutes a powerful computational support for novel biomedical knowledge discoveries.