Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance characteristics of the PTSD Checklist in retired firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center disaster.

BACKGROUND Since the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks on September 11, 2001, the Fire Department, City of New York Monitoring Program has provided physical and mental health screening services to rescue/recovery workers. This study evaluated performance of the self-report PTSD Checklist (PCL) as a screening tool for risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters who worked at Ground Zero, compared with the interviewer-administered Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). METHODS From December 2005 to July 2007, all retired firefighter enrollees completed the PCL and DIS on the same day. Sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Youden index (J) were used to assess properties of the PCL and to identify an optimum cutoff score. RESULTS Six percent of 1,915 retired male firefighters were diagnosed with PTSD using the DIS to assess DSM-IV criteria. Depending on the PCL cutoff, the prevalence of elevated risk relative to DSM-IV criteria varied from 16% to 22%. Youden index identified an optimal cutoff score of 39, in contrast with the frequently recommended cutoff of 44. At 39, PCL sensitivity was 0.85, specificity was 0.82, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.91 relative to DIS PTSD diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to validate the PCL in retired firefighters and determine the optimal cutoff score to maximize opportunities for PTSD diagnosis and treatment.
#ifdef Considered Harmful, or Portability Experience with C News

We believe that a C programmer’s impulse to use #ifdef in an attempt at portability is usually a mistake. Portability is generally the result of advance planning rather than trench warfare involving #ifdef. In the course of developing C News on different systems, we evolved various tactics for dealing with differences among systems without producing a welter of #ifdefs at points of difference. We discuss the alternatives to, and occasional proper use of, #ifdef.
Smart Plant Managing System using IoT

The Internet of Things is an organization of many computing devices and machines used to transmit data through a system without human interference. IoT is used in our project to transmit various sensor values to the cloud through NodeMCU. The sensor value is sent to the cloud. Sensor values are monitored and manipulated using Thingspeak. The system can be viewed and controlled using the blynk app. DC motor tap is used to pump water to the plant when moisture in the soil decreases than its threshold value. The system is implemented on field and acquired desired results. The motor pump was successfully automated using IoT.
Morphological asymmetry and habitat quality: using fleas and their rodent hosts as a novel experimental system

ABSTRACT Morphological asymmetry is widely used to measure developmental instability and higher levels of asymmetry often correlate with decreased mating success, increased inbreeding, increased stress and decreased habitat quality. We studied asymmetry and relationships between asymmetry and host identity in two flea species, host generalist Xenopsylla ramesis and host specialist Parapulex chephrenis, and asked: (1) what the level of asymmetry was in their femurs and tibiae; (2) which type of asymmetry predominates; and (3) whether fleas that fed on host species distantly related to their principal host species produced offspring that exhibited greater asymmetry compared with offspring of fleas that fed on their principal host species. We found fluctuating asymmetry in femurs and tibiae of X. ramesis and in the tibiae of P. chephrenis as well as significantly left-handed directional asymmetry in the femurs of P. chephrenis. Host species identity significantly impacted asymmetry in leg segments of P. chephrenis but not in those of X. ramesis. Offspring asymmetry increased when mother fleas fed on a host that was distantly related to the principal host. Fleas parasitizing multiple host species might compensate for developmental instability when utilizing a novel host species; therefore, host-switching events in host-specific parasites could be constrained by the relatedness between a novel and a principal host species. Summary: Host species identity significantly impacts leg segment asymmetry in a host-specialist flea, but not a host-opportunistic flea; thus, generalist fleas may better compensate for developmental instability when exploiting novel hosts.
Evaluation of the Efficiency of Synthesized Efflux Pump Inhibitors on Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium Cells

Multidrug efflux pump inhibitors have a great potential as pharmacological agents that increase the drug susceptibility of bacterial pathogens. Our study was focused on the synthesis and evaluation of the efficiency of resistance–nodulation–division (RND) family efflux pump inhibitors. The efficiency of these inhibitors was investigated on Salmonella enterica ser. typhimurium cells using tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) and ethidium cations as the efflux pump substrates. Results of our study indicated that efficiency of the inhibitors depends on the cell outer membrane permeability and method of the assay used. Temperature of the incubation medium and a solvent of the inhibitor used have only minor effect on results of the assay.
The duration of the suicidal process: how much time is left for intervention between consideration and accomplishment of a suicide attempt?

OBJECTIVE A history of suicide attempts is a major predictive factor for completed suicide with repeated self-harm constituting a particularly high risk. This study was undertaken to investigate suicide attempters' reports on the length of the period between consideration and accomplishment of a suicide attempt. METHOD Eighty-two patients referred to a psychiatric university hospital after a suicide attempt were approached within 3 days after the act. A semistructured interview focusing on the duration and related aspects of the suicidal process, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Beck Suicide Intent Scale, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale were administered. Data were collected from July 2004 to December 2005. RESULTS Nearly half of the patients (47.6%; N = 39) reported that the period between the first current thought of suicide and the actual attempt had lasted 10 minutes or less. Those patients in which this process had taken longer showed a higher suicidal intent (p < .001). Impulsivity was not associated with the duration of the suicidal process. Although the majority of the patients were alone during the suicidal process, 76.8% (N = 63) reported having had any kind of interpersonal contact. CONCLUSION The process from the emergence of suicidal thoughts to the accomplishment of a suicide attempt, and thus the time for intervention, generally is short. However, in a considerable number of suicide attempters, there is at least some readiness for interpersonal contact with partner, family, or friends. Professional helpers appear to have limited potential for intervention during this phase. Thus, spreading information on signs of suicidality and interventional measures among the general population should be incorporated into suicide prevention strategies.
CHARACTERIZATION AND COOLED STORAGE OF SEMEN FROM CORN SNAKES (ELAPHE GUTTATA)

Abstract The phylogenetic order Squamata has many representatives that could benefit from the use of semen preservation as a tool for assisting conservation. To date, few studies have been made evaluating the potential for collecting and preserving semen from snakes. The objectives of this study were to characterize semen parameters of the corn snake (Elaphe guttata), including appearance, volume, concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology, and to determine the longevity of corn snake sperm motility stored at 4°C. Single semen samples were collected from 22 adult corn snakes. The appearance of the corn snake semen was generally cloudy, and the color was white to tan. Corn snake spermatozoa initially exhibited a median motility of 92.5%. Corn snakes were found to produce small-volume ejaculates (median 0.01 ml). However, the overall concentration of the snake ejaculate was high (x̄ = 852 × 106 ± 585 × 106 spermatozoa/ml). Morphologically, a mean of 75.7 ± 9.3% of the sperm cells in an ejaculate were normal. Snake ejaculate with a white appearance had significantly higher sperm concentrations (x̄ = 1,859 × 106 ± 1,008 × 106 sperm cells/ml; F = 15.74, P = 0.001) than tan ejaculates (x̄ = 601 × 106 ± 439 × 106 sperm cells/ml). Sperm motility decreased significantly in samples that were stored at 4°C for greater than 48 hr in a refrigerator or Equitainer I. This is the first study to characterize semen volume, appearance, and concentration; sperm motility; and sperm morphology in captive corn snakes. The information derived from this study can be used to develop a model for a collection, cooled storage, and shipping program for semen from endangered or threatened captive and wild snakes.
Considerations for patient selection for focal therapy

Focal therapy for prostate cancer is a nascent and emerging field. As such, the patient selection criteria for this new treatment paradigm are evolving in parallel to both the technology on which this approach depends and to our unfolding understanding of the natural history of prostate cancer. Until, and while, prospective trials of focal therapy are being reported, patient selection criteria will be flexible and very dependent on the therapeutic goals. We must carefully define the therapeutic intentions of focal therapy before engaging in the actual process of determining optimal patient selection. The therapeutic intent will define the most appropriate candidate for such therapy. Patient selection encompasses multiple complex issues including the type of prostate biopsy (12 core transrectal versus mapping transperineal) to the type of imaging (multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging or enhanced ultrasound) to the specific anatomical location of the disease within the prostate (apex, mid-prostate, base) and a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s overall health and life expectancy. It is not as simple as saying a patient with a certain grade or a certain number of cores is or is not appropriate for focal therapy. There are many more considerations for a reasonable and thoughtful approach to this new treatment.
Depersonalization and derealization in self-report and clinical interview: The spectrum of borderline personality disorder, dissociative disorders, and healthy controls

ABSTRACT Depersonalization (DEP) and derealization (DER) were examined among college students with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or dissociative disorders (DDs) by self-report and clinician assessment. The Steinberg Depersonalization Questionnaire (SDEPQ), the Steinberg Derealization Questionnaire (SDERQ), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the screening tool of the BPD section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV (SCID-BPD) were administered to 1,301 students. Those with BPD (n = 80) according to the SCID-BPD and 111 non-BPD controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV Dissociative Disorders by a psychiatrist blind to the diagnosis. Of the participants, 19.7% reported SDEPQ (17.8%) and/or SDERQ (11.0%) scores above cutoff levels and impairment from these experiences. Principal component analysis of 26 items of both scales yielded 4 factors: cognitive-emotional self-detachment, perceptual detachment, bodily self-detachment, and detachment from reality. Participants with concurrent DD and BPD had the highest scores for DEP and DER in the clinical interview and self-report. The total number of BPD criteria was associated with the severity of childhood trauma and dissociation. Both BPD and DD were associated with clinician-assessed and self-reported DER, self-reported DEP, and the cognitive-emotional self-detachment factor. Unlike BPD, DD was associated with clinician-assessed DEP, and BPD was related to the self-reported detachment from reality factor. Although the latter was correlated with the total childhood trauma score, possibly because of dissociative amnesia, clinician-assessed DER was not. Being the closest factor to BPD, the factor of detachment from reality warrants further study.
Bilateral Haptic Feedback for Different Working Ranges by Transmission of Force Information

In recent years, robots to replace human labor in industrial fields and extreme environments are required. Especially, teleoperation technologies are expected to play an important role. Therefore, this study proposes bilateral haptic feedback control for different working ranges based on force-information transmission. Conventional bilateral control systems for the different working ranges are based on a dimensional scaling method which utilizes position/velocity-forces hybrid control. In dimensional scaling, the position of the master system tracks the speed of the slave, and the velocity of the slave system tracks the position of the master system. The proposed method can achieve a dimensional scaling control with force feedback by transmitting only force information with the performance equivalent to the conventional method. The proposed method can reduce the amount of haptic data traffic because of the utilization of only one type of information. Simulations evaluate the proposed method with a comparison to the conventional methods.
The development of a mobile u-Health program and evaluation for self-diet management for diabetic patients

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study aims to develop a mobile nutritional management program for integration into the already developed web-based program, Diabetes Mellitus Dietary Management Guide (DMDMG) for diabetic patients. Further, we aim to evaluate the amended DMDMG program. SUBJECTS/METHODS The mobile application based on an Android operating system includes three parts: 1) record of diet intake, which allows users to take pictures of the meal and save to later add diet records into DMDMG; 2) an alarm system that rings at each meal time, which reminds users to input the data; 3) displays the diet record and the results of nutrient intake, which can be also viewed through the web program. All three parts are linked to the web-based program. A survey was conducted to evaluate the program in terms of nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude, eating behavior and diet intake by non-equivalent control group design among diabetic patients with 14 DMDMG users and 12 non-user controls after a one-month trial of DMDMG. RESULTS Non-users did not use the program, but participated in the weekly off-line nutrition classes for one month. The program users showed increased healthful dietary behavior (P < 0.01) and dietary attitude scores (P < 0.05). More DMDMG users had higher nutrition knowledge scores after one-month trial than non-users. However, dietary intake significantly increased in non-user group for calcium and sodium (P < 0.05) while the user group did not show significant changes. CONCLUSIONS The program has created positive changes in patients' dietary life. All the users were satisfied with the program, although some expressed minor difficulties with an unfamiliar mobile app.
Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review

Objective To estimate the actual frequency of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods A systematic review of the literature published during 1978–2007 has been carried out to identify randomized clinical trials of hepatocellular carcinoma that included a control arm receiving either placebo or best supportive care, and in which patients were followed prospectively for tumor response using predefined criteria. Data extraction was conducted independently by two investigators. A meta-analysis to provide a global estimation of regressions in the control arms was performed using an empiric Bayesian random-effects model. Results We identified 16 cases of regression (including minor and partial responses) in 10 phase III clinical trials. The rate of spontaneous objective partial regression among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was 0.406% [95% confidence interval: 0.067–1.043%]. Conclusion Although very infrequent, spontaneous regression is not an extraordinary event among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, individual responses to any given therapy should be assessed with caution and this fact may be considered at the time of calculating sample size of pilot clinical trials of new agents.
Randomized Computation for the Current Stress Policy Design in the DAB Converter

This letter addresses the current stress policy design in the Dual-Active-Bridge (DAB) converters with the randomized computation approach. First, a hybrid automaton approach is applied to model the dynamics of the DAB converter. Then the optimal feedback policy of a quadruple-phase-shift is obtained via solving a peak current minimization problem with DAB converter dynamics and transferred power constraints. A randomized optimization approach is applied to solve the problem. The proposed control scheme is validated by numerical simulation and compared with the traditional double-phase-shift and triple-phase-shift policies. The simulation results verify that the proposed quadruple-phase-shift method has better performance regarding the current stress.
Simulación computacional de fluidos en micro turbina eólica de eje vertical tipo helicoidal

La capacidad instalada de energia eolica en el mundo, utilizando grandes turbinas de eje horizontal, ha crecido sustancialmente en las ultimas dos decadas. Asimismo, se ha incrementado la investigacion y desarrollo de nuevos tipos de turbinas eolicas de eje vertical para aplicaciones de micro y baja potencia. En este documento se presenta el analisis de una turbina eolica de eje vertical tipo helicoidal, de tres aspas, de micro capacidad, basado en la simulacion computacional de fluidos (CFD), utilizando el paquete computacional Fluent, Ansys Inc. Los resultados de las simulaciones fueron comparados con los valores obtenidos en un modelo matematico desarrollado en Matlab, utilizando el metodo analitico de doble-multiple columnas de aire (Double-Multiple streamtube) tipo CARDAA, el cual considera la variacion de la velocidad relativa del viento a traves de la turbina. Se considero una turbina eolica con un area de barrido de 5.8 m2, variando diferentes parametros que afectan el rendimiento aerodinamico, pero manteniendo constante el area de barrido. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos en la simulacion y en el modelo matematico, la turbina eolica fue de 584 W de capacidad nominal, con un coeficiente de potencia de 0.39, a una velocidad especifica de = 2:5 para un perfil aerodinamico S-1046.
Subphonemic Detail in Lexical Perception and Production: The Case of Canadian Raising

Two experiments investigated sensitivity to dialect-specific subphonemic information in spoken word recognition, and the relationship with individuals’ production of the same dialect-specific cues. The phenomenon evaluated was raising of /aj/ before voiceless consonants in Canadian English. In the first experiment, eye movement patterns during on-line speech comprehension indicated that listeners were sensitive to contextually conditioned variation in the mapping of speech sounds to lexical candidates. In a second experiment examining production, we measured the extent to which the same individuals distinguished the two allophonic variants in elicited speech. Cross-experiment comparisons revealed specific ways in which perceptual sensitivity is related to patterns in speech production. The outcomes highlight how real-time word recognition methodologies can provide a tool that complements production data in sociolinguistic studies of dialect differences.
Performance Optimization of MOS-Like Carbon Nanotube FETs With Realistic Contacts

To make an exact research into the performance of conventional MOS-like carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (C-CNFETs) with realistic contacts, we studied the effect of Schottky contacts on the performance of C-CNFETs following a detailed analysis of contacting circumstances of C-CNFETs in circuit applications. As the research results show, conventional C-CNFETs suffer from weak subthreshold and off -state performances due to the band-to-band tunneling of holes even with Schottky contacts taken into account. Consequently, device structures based on three novel strategies, viz., an electrostatic doping strategy, a dual-gate-material strategy, and a staircase doping strategy, have been proposed. In addition, the simulation results reveal that these three device structures can improve the device performance of C-CNFETs in the form of steeper subthreshold characteristic, low enough potential off-state current, or (and) monotonic transfer characteristic. At the same time, it should be noted that the performances of these three strategies sensitively depend on the choice of tuning voltage, work function of gate material, or doping concentration of lightly doped source/drain leads, which should be paid with much attention in application.
Varicella-Zoster Virus gB and gE Coexpression, but Not gB or gE Alone, Leads to Abundant Fusion and Syncytium Formation Equivalent to Those from gH and gL Coexpression

ABSTRACT Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is distinguished from herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by the fact that cell-to-cell fusion and syncytium formation require only gH and gL within a transient-expression system. In the HSV system, four glycoproteins, namely, gH, gL, gB, and gD, are required to induce a similar fusogenic event. VZV lacks a gD homologous protein. In this report, the role of VZV gB as a fusogen was investigated and compared to the gH-gL complex. First of all, the VZV gH-gL experiment was repeated under a different set of conditions; namely, gH and gL were cloned into the same vaccinia virus (VV) genome. Surprisingly, the new expression system demonstrated that a recombinant VV-gH+gL construct was even more fusogenic than seen in the prior experiment with two individual expression plasmids containing gH and gL (K. M. Duus and C. Grose, J. Virol. 70:8961–8971, 1996). Recombinant VV expressing VZV gB by itself, however, effected the formation of only small syncytia. When VZV gE and gB genes were cloned into one recombinant VV genome and another fusion assay was performed, extensive syncytium formation was observed. The degree of fusion with VZV gE-gB coexpression was comparable to that observed with VZV gH-gL: in both cases, >80% of the cells in a monolayer were fused. Thus, these studies established that VZV gE-gB coexpression greatly enhanced the fusogenic properties of gB. Control experiments documented that the fusion assay required a balance between the fusogenic potential of the VZV glycoproteins and the fusion-inhibitory effect of the VV infection itself.
Estimating Server Load Based on its Correlation with TCP SYN Response Time

In this paper, we show that server load correlates with TCP SYN response time (SRT), that is, the time from SYN to SYN+ACK segments at the server side. For this, it applies the innovative approach of modeling the SRT with an appropriate αstable heavy tail distribution. We also show that αstable distribution parameters are related to the server load the connection is attempted to. This approach provides a nonintrusive way to estimate the server load, and it can be useful to identify if a problem in a distributed application is caused by the end system, or to distribute the load among servers. Finally, based on obtained results, we propose a method that estimates server load based on SRT.