Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the psychological nature and mechanisms of political trust

Political trust is a perennially important concern and the events of the last few years have, in many ways, heightened this importance. The relevant scholarship has done much to meet this challenge but continues to struggle with definitional unclarities and an inability to provide accounts that consistently operate as expected. The current research seeks to test the potential of a classic model of trust from the organizational sciences that makes specific arguments regarding the psychological nature and mechanisms of the construct in helping to address these concerns. Using data from a national convenience sample, we provide preliminary evidence which suggests that measures and models addressing this theoretical account of psychological trust form unidimensional and reliable measures that may more precisely explain the process of political trust and outperform current measures in predicting relevant correlates. We conclude by discussing the implications and limitations of our work and, in so doing, lay a foundation for a new research agenda for political trust.
Behavioral Pediatrics Meets Behavioral Economics: Autism, Mandates, and High Deductibles

* Abbreviation: ASD — : autism spectrum disorder We do not yet know what causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but we do know that early intensive behavioral intervention for children with ASD can improve outcomes.1,2 The cost is high, but, from a societal point of view, the benefit will likely outweigh the cost both financially and clinically.3,4 Yet financial barriers, particularly among patients with private insurance, can prevent children and families from receiving needed services.5 Recognizing this, policy makers in many states passed laws mandating that commercial insurers cover ASD-specific interventions. Mandates improved access to care by increasing use of ASD-specific services, particularly in younger children, suggesting that the new policy was effective and increased access to autism treatment of children covered by commercial insurance.6 In addition, more children were diagnosed with ASD in the states with ASD mandates, suggesting that providers were more likely to make the diagnosis when the payment system allowed for early treatment.7 Neither of these findings are surprising; the experience with Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic and Treatment suggested that expanding benefits expands access.8 … Address correspondence to David Keller, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado, 13123 E 16th Ave, B065, Denver, CO 80045. E-mail: david.keller{at}childrenscolorado.org
Exploiting Prosody for Syntactic Analysis in Automatic Speech Understanding

The relation between syntax and prosody is evident, even if the prosodic structure cannot be directly mapped to the syntactic one and vice versa. Syntax-to-prosody mapping is widely used in text-tospeech applications, but prosody-to-syntax mapping is mostly missing from automatic speech recognition/understanding systems. This paper presents an experiment towards filling this gap and evaluating whether a HMM-based automatic prosodic segmentation tool can be used to support the reconstruction of the syntactic structure directly from speech. Results show that up to 85% of syntactic clause boundaries and up to about 70% of embedded syntactic phrase boundaries could be identified based on the detection of phonological phrases. Recall rates do not depend further on syntactic layering, in other words, whether the phrase is multiply embedded or not. Clause boundaries can be well assigned to intonational phrase level in read speech and can be well separated from lower level syntactic phrases based on the type of the aligned phonological phrase(s). These findings can be exploited in speech understanding systems, allowing for the recovery of the skeleton of the syntactic structure, based purely on the speech signal.
Development of Positron Emission Tomography With Wobbling and Zooming for High Sensitivity and High-Resolution Molecular Imaging

Demands for in-vivo human molecular imaging with high resolution and high sensitivity in positron emission tomography (PET) require several new design formulae. A classical problem of the PET design, however, was the trade-off between sensitivity and resolution. To satisfy both requirements, the brain-body convertible PET with wobbling and zooming is proposed. The features of this new proposed system are wobble sampling for high-resolution imaging and zooming mode for high sensitivity, especially for the brain dedicated imaging. For the high resolution, wobbling with a linear interpolation and line spread function (LSF) deconvolution reconstruction algorithm was introduced. The result of the proposed system provided resolution up to 1.56 mm full width at half maximum (FWHM) in the brain mode and resulting in the detector-to-resolution ratio (DRR) was 2.47. For both brain phantom and in-vivo rat brain imaging, the proposed system demonstrated superior image quality compared with the commercial PET systems. The newly designed PET with wobbling and zooming also demonstrated the possibility of developing practically usable high-resolution human brain PET-MRI fusion system, especially for the neuroscience research.
Developmental Changes in the Ultrastructure and Sarcomere Shortening of the Isolated Rabbit Ventricular Myocyte

Sarcomere shortening and ultrastructure of intact isolated myocytes from ventricles of three-week-old and adult rabbits were examined. Cells were fixed and embedded, and after measuring their sarcomere shortening in response to electrical stimulation, they were examined in serial thin sections by electron microscopy. This structure-function analysis showed that adult cells were significantly larger, had longer rest sarcomere lengths, greater amount and velocity of sarcomere shortening, greater velocity of reextension, and shorter contraction duration than immature cells. In immature myocytes, a thin outer shell of myofibrils enveloped a central mass of mitochondria and nuclei, but in adult cells, the cytoskeleton divided the cell into compartments with the mitochondria arranged around and interspersed among the myofibrils. The different arrangement of the organdies and the cytoskeleton at the two ages may account for the shorter rest sarcomere length in the young myocytes and may confer differing internal loads that contribute to their smaller amount and velocity of sarcomere shortening. The corbular and longitudinal sarcoplasmic reticulum were less demarcated in immature than in adult cells. Myocytes from both ages showed postextrasystolic potentiation, suggesting that the sarcoplasmic reticulum modulates calcium at both ages. Restitution of contractility between contractions, obtained by measuring sarcomere shortening of interpolated extrasystoles, was faster in immature than in adult cells and may reflect the structural differences in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The developmental differentiation in the sarcoplasmic reticulum suggests that changes in compartmentalization of calcium and in the distribution of putative calcium-release sites contribute to the increased contractility of adult myocytes.
Physical Activity during the School Holidays: Parent Perceptions and Practical Considerations

Children’s physical activity decreases during school holidays. Less structured days and reduced participation in organised activities may account for some of the decrease. Little is known about the factors that influence parents’ decision to enrol their child in organised activity such as holiday clubs. This paper sought to explore parents’ perceptions of their child’s physical activity during school holidays and the factors that influence holiday activity-based decision making. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 42 parents of children aged 10–11 years in July 2017 or March 2018. Data were analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive content analysis to explore parents’ perceptions of holiday-based physical activity and the factors associated with how they provide physical activity opportunities for their children. The data revealed that most parents consider their child’s physical activity levels when planning for the school holidays. However, work commitments in the holidays meant many parents had to rely on both informal and formal childcare. Grandparents were the primary source of informal childcare, despite a perception that children were not as physically active when with them. Holiday clubs were also a viable option, but the cost, location and age-appropriateness of provision inhibit parents signing older children up to these regularly.
A hybrid operating room for combined surgical and endovascular procedures for cerebrovascular diseases: a clinical experience at a single centre

Abstract Purpose: To describe our experiences with a fully equipped high-end digital subtraction angiography (DSA) system within a hybrid operating room (OR). Material and methods: A single-plane DSA system with 3-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA), cone-beam computed tomography, and real-time navigation software was used in our hybrid OR. Between April 2014 and January 2018, 191 sessions of neurovascular procedures were performed in our hybrid OR. After the retrospective review of all cases, the procedures were categorised into five subcategorical procedures according to the dominance of surgical and/or endovascular procedures: intraoperative angiographic evaluation, combined endovascular and surgical procedure, complementary rescue procedure during intervention and surgery, surgical approach for interventional procedure, and frameless stereotaxic operation. Results: Intraoperative angiography revealed unsatisfactory clipping of intracranial aneurysms in 6 (13.6%) patients and remnant AVMs in 1 (16.7%) patient, which were determined as complete surgical outcome via indocyanine green videoangiography. Four cases of blood blister aneurysms and a ruptured posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm were treated using bypass surgery and endovascular trapping. Eight cases of ruptured aneurysm with intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) were treated by partial embolisation and surgical clipping. Two (5.4%) of the 37 cases of pre-mature rupture during clipping were secured by endovascular coil embolisation. In 1 (0.8%) complicated case of 103 intra-arterial (IA) thrombectomy procedures, emergency surgical embolectomy with bypass surgery was performed. Direct puncture of the common carotid artery or vertebral artery was performed to achieve interventional access to treat aneurysm or recanalise vessel occlusions in 7 cases. In 27 cases of ICH, frameless stereotaxic haematoma aspiration was performed using XperGuide® system. All procedures were performed in single sessions without any procedural complications. Conclusion: Hybrid OR with a fully equipped DSA system could provide safe and precise treatment for neurovascular diseases. Hybrid procedures for neurovascular diseases in hybrid OR are a promising new trend.
An Innovative Concept for a Walker with a Self-Locking Mechanism Using a Single Mechanical Approach

Background: The ageing process involves a natural degeneration of physiological function and can imply life constraints, namely during activities of daily life (ADL). Walking can be strongly affected by strength, gait, and balance changes, which affect quality of life. The quality of life of the older adult is associated with available solutions that contribute to an active and safe ageing process. Most of these solutions involve technical aids that should be adapted to older adults’ conditions. Aim: To identify the advantages and disadvantages of two-wheeled walkers and of two different self-locking systems designed and developed by the authors. Methods: Two studies were performed based on the possible walker combinations used, using a walker with no wheels (classic fixed walker), a two-wheeled walker with self-locking mechanism made of gears and a spring (Approach 1), and a two-wheeled walker with a self-locking mechanism which uses a single spring (Approach 2). These combinations were tested in two quasi-experimental studies with pre–post test design. Results: No significant differences in duration, gait speed, and Expanded Timed Get Up and Go (ETGUG) were found between the walkers, but there was a marginally significant difference in Physiological Cost Index (PCIs), which means that the energetic cost with Approach 1 was greater than that with Approach 2. Users reported a feeling of insecurity and more weight, although no significant differences were observed and they were found to be equivalent in terms of safety. Study 2 found an improvement in duration and gait speed in the ETGUG between the different types of self-locking systems. Conclusions: The PCI is higher in the two-wheeled walker models and with the self-locking mechanism. Approach 2 did not show better conditions of use than the other two walkers, and participants did not highlight its braking system. Although safety is similar among the three walkers, further studies are needed, and the braking system of the two-wheeled walker needs to be improved (Approach 2).
Similarities and Distinctions in the Effects of Metformin and Carbon Monoxide in Immunometabolism

Immunometabolism, defined as the interaction of metabolic pathways with the immune system, influences the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. Metformin and carbon monoxide (CO) are two pharmacological agents known to ameliorate metabolic disorders. There are notable similarities and differences in the reported effects of metformin and CO on immunometabolism. Metformin, an anti-diabetes drug, has positive effects on metabolism and can exert anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent and AMPK-independent mechanisms. CO, an endogenous product of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), can exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects at low concentration. CO can confer cytoprotection in metabolic disorders and cancer via selective activation of the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum (ER) kinase (PERK) pathway. Both metformin and CO can induce mitochondrial stress to produce a mild elevation of mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) by distinct mechanisms. Metformin inhibits complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), while CO inhibits ETC complex IV. Both metformin and CO can differentially induce several protein factors, including fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and sestrin2 (SESN2), which maintain metabolic homeostasis; nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response; and REDD1, which exhibits an anticancer effect. However, metformin and CO regulate these effects via different pathways. Metformin stimulates p53- and AMPK-dependent pathways whereas CO can selectively trigger the PERK-dependent signaling pathway. Although further studies are needed to identify the mechanistic differences between metformin and CO, pharmacological application of these agents may represent useful strategies to ameliorate metabolic diseases associated with altered immunometabolism.
The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among adults 40 years and older in the United States. METHODS Pooled analysis of data from 8 population-based eye surveys was used to estimate the prevalence, among persons with diabetes mellitus (DM), of retinopathy and of vision-threatening retinopathy-defined as proliferative or severe nonproliferative retinopathy and/or macular edema. Within strata of age, race/ethnicity, and gender, US prevalence rates were estimated by multiplying these values by the prevalence of DM reported in the 1999 National Health Interview Survey and the 2000 US Census population. RESULTS Among an estimated 10.2 million US adults 40 years and older known to have DM, the estimated crude prevalence rates for retinopathy and vision-threatening retinopathy were 40.3% and 8.2%, respectively. The estimated US general population prevalence rates for retinopathy and vision-threatening retinopathy were 3.4% (4.1 million persons) and 0.75% (899 000 persons). Future projections suggest that diabetic retinopathy will increase as a public health problem, both with aging of the US population and increasing age-specific prevalence of DM over time. CONCLUSION Approximately 4.1 million US adults 40 years and older have diabetic retinopathy; 1 of every 12 persons with DM in this age group has advanced, vision-threatening retinopathy.
CHAPTER 9 Noninvasive assessment of airway inflammation in asthma

As bronchial asthma is currently considered to be and is defined as being an inflammatory disorder of the airways [1], it seems logical to include an assessment of this inflammation in the diagnosis and follow-up of the disease. In this assessment, a few factors need to be taken into account. Firstly, the inflammation underlying asthma is a complex phenomenon that displays characteristics, not only of the acute phase of an inflammatory process, with increased vascular permeability and plasma exudation, but also of a more subacute inflammatory phase with influx of inflammatory cells and in addition, characteristics of the chronic phase of an inflammatory response which is characterised by structural alterations, coined as airway remodelling [2]. The precise functional role of the various cells and mediators possibly involved in these different phases of the inflammatory process, still remain to be established. In addition, the exact relationship between the various components of the inflammatory process and the clinical characteristics of asthma are also uncertain. It has been argued that asthma symptoms mainly reflect the acute inflammation, caused by the release of proinflammatory mediators and resulting in widespread airway narrowing, whereas the functional abnormalities such as bronchial hyperresponsiveness are mainly due to airway remodelling [3, 4]. However, these assumptions are largely based on mathematical models that need to be further proven. Most of the biopsy studies performed so far, have focused on the eosinophil as the prime marker of the (sub)acute phase of the inflammation. In general, these studies show a weak and inconsistent correlation between eosinophil counts and clinical or functional criteria of disease activity such as symptoms, baseline forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or peak flow variability [5, 6]. This also applies to the degree of nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness, especially towards a direct acting stimulus such as methacholine or histamine [7, 8]. The correlation with markers of indirect airway responsiveness such as exercise or adenosine is better, but still relatively weak [8]. Similarly, the degree of subepithelial fibrosis as a marker of airway remodelling is not consistently related to the degree of airway responsiveness [9, 10]. These observations imply that clinical and lung function criteria cannot be used as noninvasive indirect markers of the underlying inflammation, but that a more direct assessment is required reflecting the acute and the chronic phase of the inflammatory process. Endobronchial biopsies would enable a direct assessment of the inflammatory process, but the invasiveness of the technique precludes its use in daily clinical practice. Furthermore, it is difficult to evaluate the degree of cellular activation using histochemical techniques and the quantification of inflammatory cells is difficult. What also needs to be borne in mind is that the composition of the airway inflammation in asthma is a dynamic phenomenon,
Anthropomorphism of Robots: Study of Appearance and Agency

Background As the prevalence of robots increases each year, understanding how we anthropomorphize and interact with them is extremely important. The three-factor theory of anthropomorphism, called the Sociality, Effectance, Elicited agent Knowledge model, guided this study. As anthropomorphism involves a person making attributions of human likeness toward a nonhuman object, this model implies that anthropomorphism can be influenced either by factors related to the person or the object. Objective The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing the anthropomorphism of robots, specifically the robot’s appearance (humanoid vs nonhumanoid) and agency (autonomous vs nonautonomous). We expected a humanoid robot would be anthropomorphized to a greater extent than one that was nonhumanoid. In addition, we expected that inducing an agency belief to the effect that a robot was making its own decisions would increase anthropomorphism compared with a nonagency belief that the robot was being remotely controlled by a human. We also sought to identify any role gender might play in anthropomorphizing the robot. Methods Participants (N=99) were primed for agency or nonagency belief conditions and then saw a brief video depicting either a humanoid or nonhumanoid robot interacting with a confederate. After viewing the video, they completed 4 measures: perception to humanoid robots scale (PERNOD), the Epley anthropomorphic adjectives measure, the Fussel anthropomorphic adjective checklist, and the Anthropomorphic Tendencies Scale (ATS). Results Findings with the PERNOD scale indicated subjects did perceive the 2 robots differently, F6,86=6.59, P<. 001, which means the appearance manipulation was effective. Results with the Epley adjectives indicated that participants were more willing to attribute humanlike behavioral traits to the nonhumanoid rather than the humanoid robot, F1,91=5.76, P=. 02. The Fussel adjective checklist results showed that subjects were more willing to attribute humanlike social qualities to the remote controlled than the autonomous robot, F1,91=5.30, P=. 02. Finally, the ATS revealed the only gender effects in this study, with females reporting more endorsement of anthropomorphism for pets (P=.02) and less for showing negative emotions toward anthropomorphized objects (P<.001) if they had witnessed the humanoid rather than the nonhumanoid robot. Conclusions Contrary to our expectations, participants were less willing to make humanlike attributions toward a robot when its morphology was more humanlike and were more willing to make those attributions when they were told that the robot was being remotely controlled by a person rather than acting on its own. In retrospect, these outcomes may have occurred because the humanoid robot used here had a smaller overall stature than the nonhumanoid robot, perhaps making it seem more toylike and because subjects made attributions toward the person behind the remote-controlled robot rather than toward the robot itself.
Activity of CK2α protein kinase is required for efficient replication of some HPV types

Inhibition of human papillomavirus (HPV) replication is a promising therapeutic approach for intervening with HPV-related pathologies. Primary targets for interference are two viral proteins, E1 and E2, which are required for HPV replication. Both E1 and E2 are phosphoproteins; thus, the protein kinases that phosphorylate them might represent secondary targets to achieve inhibition of HPV replication. In the present study, we show that CX4945, an ATP-competitive small molecule inhibitor of casein kinase 2 (CK2) catalytic activity, suppresses replication of different HPV types, including novel HPV5NLuc, HPV11NLuc and HPV18NLuc marker genomes, but enhances the replication of HPV16 and HPV31. We further corroborate our findings using short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of CK2 α and α’ subunits in U2OS and CIN612 cells; we show that while both subunits are expressed in these cell lines, CK2α is required for HPV replication, but CK2α’ is not. Furthermore, we demonstrate that CK2α acts in a kinase activity-dependent manner and regulates the stability and nuclear retention of endogenous E1 proteins of HPV11 and HPV18. This unique feature of CK2α makes it an attractive target for developing antiviral agents.