Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The relationship between post-traumatic symptom severity and object relations deficits in persons with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine if object relations deficits in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (i.e., schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder) are related to co-morbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). DESIGN Cross-sectional and correlational. METHOD Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, and Bell Object Relations Inventory were administered to 60 people with schizophrenia in an outpatient setting. With four hierarchical regressions, we hypothesized that, controlling for schizophrenia symptoms, diagnosis type, and potential demographic features, PTSD symptoms would correlate with each of the four types of object relations deficits. RESULTS All participants reported experiencing at least one traumatic experience. As predicted, PTSD symptoms were a significant predictor of alienation, insecure attachment, and egocentricity controlling for schizophrenia symptoms, diagnosis type, and demographic features. Against prediction, PTSD was not associated with Social Incompetence. CONCLUSION If PTSD symptoms contribute to object relations deficits in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, then interventions such as psychotherapy need to be developed to address PTSD symptoms in the treatment of these interpersonal deficits.
Visual Exploration of Complex , Industry-Scale ML Models

While artificial intelligence (AI) has led to major breakthroughs in many domains, understanding machine learning (ML) models remains a fundamental challenge. These models are often used as “black boxes,” which could be detrimental. How can we help people understand complex ML models, so that they can learn their inner-workings more easily, build them more effectively, and use them more confidently?
Hospital Readmission Prediction using Machine Learning Techniques

One of the most critical problems in healthcare is predicting the likelihood of hospital readmission in case of chronic diseases such as diabetes to be able to allocate necessary resources such as beds, rooms, specialists, and medical staff, for an acceptable quality of service. Unfortunately relatively few research studies in the literature attempted to tackle this problem; the majority of the research studies are concerned with predicting the likelihood of the diseases themselves. Numerous machine learning techniques are suitable for prediction. Nevertheless, there is also shortage in adequate comparative studies that specify the most suitable techniques for the prediction process. Towards this goal, this paper presents a comparative study among five common techniques in the literature for predicting the likelihood of hospital readmission in case of diabetic patients. Those techniques are logistic regression (LR) analysis, multi-layer perceptron (MLP), Naive Bayesian (NB) classifier, decision tree, and support vector machine (SVM). The comparative study is based on realistic data gathered from a number of hospitals in the United States. The comparative study revealed that SVM showed best performance, while the NB classifier and LR analysis were the worst.
Relationship between Aldosterone and Bradykinin

To assess relationships between plasma bradykinin and the individual elements of the renin-angiotensin-aldos-terone system 11 normal subjects and five subjects with adrenal insufficiency were studied on an intake of 200 mEq sodium/100 mEq potassium. In adrenal insufficiency subjects, plasma bradykinin did not change when angiotensin II levels were increased by an infusion rate of 3 ng/kg per min for 30 minutes; plasma aldosterone remained undetectable. In normal subjects, angiotensin II at 3 ng/kg per min or potassium at 20 mEq/hour infused intravenously for 2 hours both significantly increased plasma aldosterone levels, yet neither stimulus altered plasma bradykinin. Thus, acute elevations in angiotensin II and plasma aldosterone were not associated with changes in the levels of plasma bradykinin. In five additional normal subjects on an intake of 10 mEq sodium/ 100 mEq potassium, a threshold dose of converting enzyme inhibitor (SQ 20881) at 30 μg/kg was given intravenously. Five minutes after administration of the drug, blood pressure and plasma angiotensin II levels had significantly declined and plasma bradykinin levels had significantly increased (P <0.02). Within 10-20 minutes, however, all had returned to control, accompanied by a sustained increase in plasma renin activity and a decrement in plasma aldosterone. Plasma renin activity, which had increased by more than 2-fold after the administration of the converting enzyme inhibitor, remained elevated until the completion of the study at 320 minutes. Eighty minutes after beginning the infusion, plasma aldosterone levels returned to control. Thus, the results suggest that plasma bradykinin correlates more closely with acute changes in plasma renin activity (and angiotensin I) than plasma aldosterone or angiotensin II, suggesting a role for converting enzyme in the regulation of both plasma renin activity and plasma bradykinin. Furthermore, the declines in blood pressure observed with converting enzyme inhibition may be attributable to both changes in plasma angiotensin II and plasma bradykinin concentrations. However, it is emphasized that these short-term studies may not reflect the role of bradykinin in the long-term control of blood pressure.
Influence of cortisol on the larval bullfrog thyroid axis in vitro and in vivo and on plasma and ocular melatonin.

Adrenal (interrenal) steroids have an important role in amphibian development, antagonizing the metamorphic changes induced by the thyroid at first and then synergizing with the thyroid hormones as their level rises during metamorphosis. Because most of the studies of corticoids at metamorphosis have focused on peripheral tissues, we investigated the effect of cortisol (hydrocortisone; HC) in vitro and in vivo on the thyroid of Rana catesbeiana (bullfrog) tadpoles on 12:12 light/dark (LD) cycles. Plasma and ocular melatonin, which is altered by changes in thyroxine (T(4)) levels, were also assayed in some experiments. Thyroids from premetamorphic tadpoles secreted less T(4) into culture media when incubated with 10 micrograms/ml HC and 0.2 micrograms/ml ovine thyrotropin (TSH) than with TSH alone and when cultured in the absence of TSH following 5 days of 10-micrograms HC injections, indicating that HC inhibited the thyroid at young stages. The effect of 10 micrograms/ml HC at older stages was investigated by culturing thyroids and pituitaries separately on the first day in control or HC media and then incubating the thyroids on the second day in homologous pituitary-conditioned media as a bioassay for pituitary TSH. HC had no effect on baseline T(4) secretion by the thyroids of prometamorphic or climax tadpoles on the first day but increased T(4) secretion over the control on the second day. Thyroids cultured with TSH and HC showed no increase in T(4) secretion over the control TSH group on the second day, indicating that, in the previous experiments, HC had enhanced pituitary secretion of TSH, rather than the response of the thyroid to TSH. In vivo, 5 days of injections of 10 micrograms HC increased plasma T(4) at prometamorphosis and decreased it at climax. There was no marked effect of HC on plasma or ocular melatonin levels. The findings showed that the nature of the effect of HC on the thyroid axis changes during metamorphosis from inhibition at early stages to a positive influence at prometamorphosis and finally to a negative effect on the T(4) level in the plasma at climax.
Osteoporosis after spinal cord injury

Dual‐photon absorptiometry characterized bone loss in males aged <40 years after complete traumatic paraplegic and quadriplegic spinal cord injury. Total bone mass of various regions and bone mineral density (BMD) of the knee were measured in 55 subjects. Three different populations were partitioned into four groups: 10 controls (healthy, age matched); 25 acutely injured (114 days after injury), with 12 reexamined 16 months after injury; and 20 chronic (>5 years after injury). Significant differences (p < 0.0001) in bone mass mineral between groups at the arms, pelvis, legs, distal femur, and proximal tibia were found, with no differences for the head or trunk. Post hoc analyses indicated no differences between the acutely injured at 16 months and the chronically injured. Paraplegic and quadriplegic subjects were significantly different only at the arms and trunk, but were highly similar at the pelvis and below. In the acutely injured, a slight but statistically insignificant rebound was noted above the pelvis. Regression techniques demonstrated early, rapid, linear (p < 0.0001) decline of bone below the pelvis. Bone mineral loss occurs throughout the entire skeleton, except the skull. Most bone loss occurs rapidly and below the pelvis. Homeostasis is reached by 16 months at two thirds of original bone mass, near fracture threshold.
Behavioral Insights and Business Taxation: Evidence from Two Randomized Controlled Trials

This paper presents the findings of two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that were conducted in collaboration with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The first trial tests the effect of changes to letters (timing, social norms, color, and provision of information about charitable donations) on response rates of businesses, the timing of payments and the amount of tax debt payments. The second trial consists of two parts. The first part aims to raise awareness of the relevance of tax debt payment by changing internal guidelines used by field auditors.The second part focuses on studying the effect of changing the phone script used by desk auditors to offer assistance with payment arrangements and simplifying a follow-up letter. The findings of the first trial indicate that none of the treatments had a significant effect on any of the outcome measures considered. In contrast, the results of the second trial indicate that changing the phone script of desk auditors and simplifying the follow-up letter reduced the proportion of default assessments raised by the ATO significantly, suggesting that businesses are responsive to certain types of nudges.
An adaptive system architecture for devising adaptive user interfaces for mobile ERP apps

The mobile ERP model can enrich the research on smart city concept with an ICT application that can enhance the sustainability and the quality of business life for enterprises' employees, and economic prosperity for people. Presently, this model has become a core requirement for enterprises that have ERP systems, due to the benefits that can be reaped from it. However, this model suffers from poor usability, due to the usability challenges that are inherited from ERP systems, and the mobile context of use. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) were exploited in numerous research works as a means to improve the usability of software applications by addressing their usability challenges through these types of UIs. However, a knowledge gap was identified in finding an appropriate adaptive system architecture that can support the adaptation processes in AUIs for mobile ERP apps. Therefore, this paper aims to bridge this gap by presenting an adaptive system architecture that can enable the automatic adaptation for the UIs' components of mobile ERP apps according to the context of use.
Perceived control and distress following sexual assault: a longitudinal test of a new model.

Longitudinal data were collected from female sexual assault survivors (N = 171) at 4 points postassault. Consistent with the predictions of the temporal model (P. Frazier, M. Berman, & J. Steward, 2002), past, present, and future control were differentially related to posttrauma distress. Both personal past (behavioral self-blame) and vicarious past (rapist blame) control were associated with higher distress levels. In addition, the belief that future assaults are less likely was more strongly associated with lower distress levels than was future control. Present control (i.e., control over the recovery process) was most adaptive. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses revealed that changes in perceived control were associated with changes in distress after linear change in distress over time was accounted for.
Cardiovascular Phenotypes of Kinin B2 Receptor– and Tissue Kallikrein–Deficient Mice

To clarify the role of the kallikrein-kinin system in cardiovascular homeostasis, the systemic and regional hemodynamics of kinin B2 receptor–deficient (B2−/−) and tissue kallikrein–deficient (TK−/−) mice were compared with their wild-type (WT) littermates on a pure C57BL/6 genetic background. B2−/−, TK−/−, and WT adult mice were normotensive and displayed normal hemodynamic (left ventricular [LV] pressure, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, dP/dtmax) and echocardiographic (septum and LV posterior wall thickness, LV diameter, LV mass, and LV fractional shortening) parameters. However, heart rate was lower in B2−/− mice compared with TK−/− and WT mice. In addition, B2−/− mice, but not TK−/− mice, exhibited lower coronary and renal blood flows and greater corresponding vascular resistances than did WT mice, indicating a tonic physiological vasodilating effect of bradykinin in these vascular beds. However, maximal coronary vasodilatation capacity, estimated after dipyridamole infusion, was similar in the 3 groups of mice. B2−/− mice were significantly more sensitive than were TK−/− mice to the vasoconstrictor effects of angiotensin II and norepinephrine. Finally, renin mRNA levels were significantly greater in B2−/− mice and smaller in TK−/− mice compared with WT mice. Taken together, these results indicate that under basal conditions, the kinin B2 receptor is not an important determinant of blood pressure in mice but is involved in the control of regional vascular tone in the coronaries and the kidneys. The phenotypic differences observed between TK−/− and B2−/− mice could be underlain by tissue kallikrein kinin–independent effect and/or kinin B1 receptor activation.
Tagatose: from a sweetener to a new diabetic medication?

Importance of the field: Tagatose is a naturally occurring simple sugar that is a more palatable bulk low-calorie (1.5 kcal/g) sweetener. It was approved as a food additive by the FDA in 2003. Tagatose has been studied as a potential antidiabetic and antiobesity medication. In preliminary studies in humans, tagatose has shown a low postprandial blood glucose and insulin response. Its proposed mechanism of action may involve interference in the absorption of carbohydrates by inhibiting intestinal disaccharidases and glucose transport. It may also act through hepatic inhibition of glycogenolysis. Areas covered in this review: This article summarizes tagatose Phase I and II diabetes trials. It describes the pharmacodynamics and possible mechanism of action of this agent. Literature from 1974 to 2009 is reviewed. What the reader will gain: Better understanding of the implications of postprandial hyperglycemia. An appreciation of the liver as a target of glucose control. Increased awareness of tagatose, a sweetener, as a potential new medication that operates through improvement of postprandial hyperglycemia. Take home message: Tagatose is currently being studied as a postprandial antihyperglycemic agent that may be safer with regard to hypoglycemia. Ongoing Phase III clinical trials will provide more definitive answers.
STRUCTURE DISCOVERY BASED ON NORMALIZED CROSS CORRELATION

Music Structure Discovery (MSD) for popular music is a well known task in Music Information Retrieval (MIR). The proposed approach tries to find the basic musical structure of a piece of music, by applying a template matching algorithm on a modified, bar level Self Distance Matrix (SDM). Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) are used to represent timbral qualities of the audio material while chroma vectors are selected to incorporate pitch and harmonic content. The new idea of template matching instead of trying to find explicit blocks or off-diagonal lines is independent of any specific characteristics of the underlying SDM and can therefore be used on a wide range of different songs.
Collaborative practices and transaction costs in the coffee sector in Mexico

The commercialization of differentiated coffees has taken on great relevance because it is an option for small producers to access international markets and improve their economic well-being. This requires new strategies to respond to changes in demand along the supply chain. Through the development of a case study that includes a total of seventeen interviews, ten to producers, five interviews applied to the representatives of each cooperative, one to the representative of the company Integrator INCAFESAM, and one to the representative of the company Malongo , the present study shows how the collaborative practices adopted allow to be a solution to achieve a reduction in transaction costs and greater coordination in the coffee supply chain of the region of Cordoba, Veracruz. The research was carried out between the months of September 2015 and May 2016. The results obtained show that the standardization, certification and associated procurement practices have contributed to the reduction of transaction costs such as information on the quantity of supply, quality of the product, and costs for monitoring and negotiation. On the other hand, the practical exchange of information has made it possible to improve coordination among members of the supply chain, which results in better product planning and availability based on the quality required in the market.
Effects of suplatast tosilate on allergic eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with mild asthma.

BACKGROUND Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized mainly by infiltration of the airway mucosa by various inflammatory cells, notably eosinophils. T(H)2-type cytokines are suggested to be deeply involved in the pathogenesis of asthma. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine the suppressive effects of suplatast tosilate, an inhibitor of T(H)2-type cytokines, on eosinophilic inflammation of the bronchial mucosa in patients with mild asthma. METHODS Airway hyperresponsiveness tests, pulmonary function tests, eosinophil measurements in induced sputum, and bronchial mucosa biopsies were performed before and after treatment with suplatast tosilate for 6 weeks in 15 patients with mild asthma and in 13 control patients with mild asthma not receiving suplatast tosilate. This study was performed as a case-controlled open study. RESULTS In the treatment group a significant improvement in the provocation concentration of histamine was observed (P <.05). Improvements in peak expiratory flow (P <.01) and in symptom score (P <.05) were also noted in the suplatast tosilate-treated group. Moreover, the average number of infiltrating eosinophils and EG2(+) cells significantly decreased (both P <.05), as did the ratios of eosinophils and EG2(+) cells in sputum (both P <.01). The average number of CD4(+) and CD25(+) T lymphocytes also decreased (both P <.05). CONCLUSION Suplatast tosilate appears to inhibit allergic airway inflammation mediated by T(H)2-type cytokine and to improve clinical symptoms in patients with mild asthma.
Design and Implementation of a Wireless Optimal Control Scheme for Active Structural Vibration Control

Active structural vibration control can effectively suppress the vibration caused by external excitation of a structure. Therefore, this element has been an essential part of new building designs and has become increasingly important in modern society. Many different methods of structural vibration control have been proposed and utilized, yet almost all these methods are based on wired control. However, this scheme is impractical for large-scale structures. In this paper, a new wireless control scheme is proposed to overcome the disadvantage of wired control. Two pairs of wireless units are used to transmit and receive the sensor signal and the control signal, respectively. A dSPACE platform serves as the central control part to meet the basic requirements of real-time control. An optimal algorithm based on the Kalman observer is designed and applied to compute real-time control force. The simulation and experiment results demonstrate that this scheme has a good control effect and is a promising method for controlling structural vibration.
Directed-Logical Testing for Functional Verification of Microprocessors

The length of the microprocessor development cycle is largely determined by functional verification, where contemporary practice relies primarily on constraint-based random stimulus generation to drive a simulation-based methodology. However, formal methods are, in particular, gaining wider adoption and are seen as having potential to bridge large gaps left by current techniques. And many gaps still remain. In this paper we propose directed- logical testing: a new method of stimulus generation based on purely logical techniques (i.e. formal methods). As far as we know, our methodology represents the first end-to-end mathematical formalization of the stimulus generation problem. Therefore, a major contribution of this paper is the definition of a class of logical propositions that relate the actual microprocessor implementation, the assembly program stimulus, and a coverage goal. These propositions are given in rewriting logic, and use the idea of rewriting semantics to automatically formalize within a common logical framework the microprocessor implementation and assembly programs. To solve these propositions, we demonstrate how narrowing and user-defined narrowing strategies can be used as a scalable logical framework. In addition, we describe two classes of effective strategies that can be used for many microprocessors and common coverage goals. Finally, we describe a prototype tool implementation and present empirical data to demonstrate the feasibility of our methodology. Since narrowing and user-defined narrowing strategies within rewriting logic do not yet have tool support, our prototype tool uses standard rewriting and user-defined rewriting strategies to simulate narrowing.
Inference in Differences-in-Differences: How Much Should We Trust in Independent Clusters?

We analyze the conditions in which ignoring spatial correlation is problematic for inference in differences-in-differences models. We show that the relevance of spatial correlation for inference (when it is ignored) depends on the amount of spatial correlation that remains after we control for the time- and group-invariant unobservables. As a consequence, details such as the time frame used in the estimation, and the choice of the estimator, will be key determinants on the degree of distortions we should expect when spatial correlation is ignored. Simulations with real datasets corroborate these conclusions. These findings provide a better understanding on when spatial correlation should be more problematic, and provide important guidelines on how to minimize inference problems due to spatial correlation.