Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Touch as an Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Process in Couples’ Daily Lives

Interpersonal touch seems to promote physical health through its effects on stress-sensitive parameters. However, less is known about the psychological effects of touch. The present study investigates associations between touch and romantic partners’ affective state in daily life. We hypothesized that this association is established by promoting the recipient’s experience of intimacy. Both partners of 102 dating couples completed an electronic diary 4 times a day during 1 week. Multilevel analyses revealed that touch was associated with enhanced affect in the partner. This association was mediated by the partner’s psychological intimacy. Touch was also associated with intimacy and positive affect in the actor. Finally, participants who were touched more often during the diary study week reported better psychological well-being 6 months later. This study provides evidence that intimate partners benefit from touch on a psychological level, conveying a sense of strengthened bonds between them that enhances affect and well-being.
Back to the Future

This research examined the proposition that nostalgia is not simply a past-oriented emotion, but its scope extends into the future, and, in particular, a positive future. We adopted a convergent validation approach, using multiple methods to assess the relation between nostalgia and optimism. Study 1 tested whether nostalgic narratives entail traces of optimism; indeed, nostalgic (compared with ordinary) narratives contained more expressions of optimism. Study 2 manipulated nostalgia through the recollection of nostalgic (vs. ordinary) events, and showed that nostalgia boosts optimism. Study 3 demonstrated that the effect of nostalgia (induced with nomothetically relevant songs) on optimism is mediated by self-esteem. Finally, Study 4 established that nostalgia (induced with idiographically relevant lyrics) fosters social connectedness, which subsequently increases self-esteem, which then boosts optimism. The nostalgic experience is inherently optimistic and paints a subjectively rosier future.
Use of the Hotelling observer to optimize image reconstruction in digital breast tomosynthesis

Abstract. We propose an implementation of the Hotelling observer that can be applied to the optimization of linear image reconstruction algorithms in digital breast tomosynthesis. The method is based on considering information within a specific region of interest, and it is applied to the optimization of algorithms for detectability of microcalcifications. Several linear algorithms are considered: simple back-projection, filtered back-projection, back-projection filtration, and Λ-tomography. The optimized algorithms are then evaluated through the reconstruction of phantom data. The method appears robust across algorithms and parameters and leads to the generation of algorithm implementations which subjectively appear optimized for the task of interest.
Accounting for anatomical noise in search-capable model observers for planar nuclear imaging

Abstract. Model observers intended to predict the diagnostic performance of human observers should account for the effects of both quantum and anatomical noise. We compared the abilities of several visual-search (VS) and scanning Hotelling-type models to account for anatomical noise in a localization receiver operating characteristic (LROC) study involving simulated nuclear medicine images. Our VS observer invoked a two-stage process of search and analysis. The images featured lesions in the prostate and pelvic lymph nodes. Lesion contrast and the geometric resolution and sensitivity of the imaging collimator were the study variables. A set of anthropomorphic mathematical phantoms was imaged with an analytic projector based on eight parallel-hole collimators with different sensitivity and resolution properties. The LROC study was conducted with human observers and the channelized nonprewhitening, channelized Hotelling (CH) and VS model observers. The CH observer was applied in a “background-known-statistically” protocol while the VS observer performed a quasi-background-known-exactly task. Both of these models were applied with and without internal noise in the decision variables. A perceptual search threshold was also tested with the VS observer. The model observers without inefficiencies failed to mimic the average performance trend for the humans. The CH and VS observers with internal noise matched the humans primarily at low collimator sensitivities. With both internal noise and the search threshold, the VS observer attained quantitative agreement with the human observers. Computational efficiency is an important advantage of the VS observer.
Evaluation of a projection-domain lung nodule insertion technique in thoracic computed tomography

Abstract. Task-based assessment of computed tomography (CT) image quality requires a large number of cases with ground truth. Prospective case acquisition can be time-consuming. Inserting lesions into existing cases to simulate positive cases is a promising alternative. The aim was to evaluate a recently developed projection-based lesion insertion technique in thoracic CT. In total, 32 lung nodules of various attenuations were segmented from 21 patient cases, forward projected, inserted into projections, and reconstructed. Two experienced radiologists and two residents independently evaluated these nodules in two substudies. First, the 32 inserted and the 32 original nodules were presented in a randomized order and each received a score from 1 to 10 (1 = absolutely artificial to 10 = absolutely realistic). Second, the inserted and the corresponding original lesions were presented side-by-side to each reader. For the randomized evaluation, discrimination of real versus inserted nodules was poor with areas under the receiver operative characteristic curves being 0.57 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46 to 0.68], 0.69 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.78), and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.54 to 0.69) for the two residents, two radiologists, and all four readers, respectively. Our projection-based lung nodule insertion technique provides a robust method to artificially generate positive cases that prove to be difficult to differentiate from real cases.
Healthcare use and costs in patients with chronic bronchitis initiating maintenance therapy with fluticasone/salmeterol vs other inhaled maintenance therapies

Objective: To compare risk of hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit and healthcare costs in patients with chronic bronchitis initiating inhaled maintenance therapy with fluticasone propionate/salmeterol 250/50 mcg combination (FSC) versus other inhaled maintenance therapies. Design and methods: This retrospective cohort study assessed 9 217 patients from the PharMetrics administrative claims database enrolled from July 1997 to January 2005. Study subjects were persons with medical claims with diagnoses of chronic bronchitis (ICD-9-CM 491.xx) who also had pharmacy claims for FSC, salmeterol (SAL), inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), ipratropium (IPR), or ipratropium/albuterol combination (IAC). Persons with <12 months of continuous eligibility after the first prescription for initial maintenance therapy (“index date”) were excluded as were those receiving fluticasone propionate/salmeterol 100/50 mcg or 500/50 mcg (not indicated for patients with chronic bronchitis). For remaining persons, time to first hospitalization or ED visit during follow-up was compared for those receiving FSC versus other therapies using Cox proportional hazards regression. Healthcare costs during the first 12 months of follow-up were analyzed using generalized linear model regression. Results: Receipt of FSC as initial inhaled maintenance therapy for chronic bronchitis (n = 1361) was associated with 41% lower risk of COPD-related hospitalization or ED visit compared with IPR (n < 1316) (p < 0.001). Adjusted costs of COPD-related hospitalization/ED visit were $507 (95% CI $218–$1083) less with FSC than IPR. However, patients receiving FSC had $261 (95% CI $205–$322) higher COPD-related pharmacy costs than those receiving IPR. Total COPD-related costs were $90 lower with FSC than IPR although this difference was not significant (95% CI $330–$443). Compliance, as measured by medication possession ratio, was 12% greater with FSC compared with IPR (p < 0.05). Comparisons of FSC with IAC yielded generally similar results. The limitations of the study are similar to those of other observational studies of secondary data regarding potential misclassification and omitted variable bias and residual confounding. Conclusions: In persons with chronic bronchitis, initial maintenance therapy with FSC 250/50 mcg was associated with improved outcomes versus ipratropium-based therapy and although FSC was associated with greater pharmacy costs, it did not significantly increase total costs of COPD-related care.
Benevolent Sexism and Support of Romantic Partner’s Goals

The current research demonstrates how benevolent sexism functions to undermine women’s competence while facilitating men’s access to heterosexual intimacy by prompting different support behaviors by men and women. Objective coders rated the support provision exhibited during heterosexual couples’ (N = 100) video-recorded discussions of each other’s personal goals. Men who endorsed benevolent sexism provided more dependency-oriented support, including directly providing plans and solutions and neglecting the recipient’s own abilities, which led to their female partners feeling less competent and less positively regarded. In contrast, women who endorsed benevolent sexism provided greater relationship-oriented support, characterized by affection and emphasizing the positive relationship outcomes associated with their partner’s goals, which led their male partners to perceive greater regard and intimacy in their relationship. This study is the first to investigate how benevolent sexism prompts naturalistic support behaviors that can impede women’s capacity for independent success while supporting the fulfillment of men’s intimacy needs.
Values, Inter-Attitudinal Structure, and Attitude Change

Accessibility is one of the most basic structural properties of an attitude and an important factor to consider in attitude strength. Despite its importance, relatively little work has examined the role of attitude accessibility in an inter-attitudinal context, particularly as it relates to the strength of related attitudes in the network. The present research examines accessibility as a property of one attitude (toward an abstract goal or end-state, that is, a value) that might influence the strength of a different but related attitude (toward a social policy conceptually related to the value). In Study 1, a highly accessible evaluative component of a value increased resistance to change of attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a social policy related to that value. Similarly, a manipulation of value accessibility (Studies 2 and 3) led to increased resistance of attitudes and behavioral intentions toward a social policy related to that value. Implications for the role of accessibility in inter-attitudinal strength are discussed.
Optimal Nonlinear Adaptive Prediction and Modeling of MPEG Video in ATM Networks Using Pipelined Recurrent Neural Networks

This paper investigates the application of a pipelined recurrent neural network (PRNN) to the adaptive traffic prediction of MPEG video signal via dynamic ATM networks. The traffic signal of each picture type (I, P, and B) of MPEG video is characterized by a general nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA) process. Moreover, a minimum mean-squared error predictor based on the NARMA model is developed to provide the best prediction for the video traffic signal. However, the explicit functional expression of the best mean-squared error predictor is actually unknown. To tackle this difficulty, a PRNN that consists of a number of simpler small-scale recurrent neural network (RNN) modules with less computational complexity is conducted to introduce the best nonlinear approximation capability into the minimum mean-squared error predictor model in order to accurately predict the future behavior of MPEG video traffic in a relatively short time period based on adaptive learning for each module from previous measurement data, in order to provide faster and more accurate control action to avoid the effects of excessive load situation. Since those modules of PRNN can be performed simultaneously in a pipelined parallelism fashion, this would lead to a significant improvement in the total computational efficiency of PRNN. In order to further improve the convergence performance of the adaptive algorithm for PRNN, a learning-rate annealing schedule is proposed to accelerate the adaptive learning process. Another advantage of the PRNN-based predictor is its generalization from learning that is useful for learning a dynamic environment for MPEG video traffic prediction in ATM networks where observations may be incomplete, delayed, or partially available. The PRNN-based predictor presented in this paper is shown to be promising and practically feasible in obtaining the best adaptive prediction of real-time MPEG video traffic.
Cuffless and continuous blood pressure estimation based on multiple regression analysis

This paper proposes a new method which utilizes the multiple parameters to estimate blood pressure continuously. Five parameters extracted from ECG and PPG are used to fit the values of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). 10 healthy subjects were recruited to take part in the measurement of ECG, PPG and continuous blood pressure. Three different equations are established to estimate the above three blood pressures by using stepwise regression method. The estimated algorithm has been verified on an independent dataset. The mean error of the estimation is less than 6 mmHg and the standard deviation of the error is less than 6.5 mmHg among all the blood pressure of the dataset. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method with certain ability to predict the blood pressure. In the near future, we will improve and validate this method on other databases with additional parameters or new statistical methods.
SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE TEST FOR ACUITY AND RELIABILITY OF BINOCULAR STEREOPSIS

Previously I have described three tests 1 for binocular stereopsis, each of which utilizes one or more new principles. These tests are essentially, only qualitative, although the kinetic test, the most useful of the three, does permit acuity to be estimated with considerable accuracy. About five years ago I devised a test based on an entirely different principle, that of presenting misleading monocular criteria so as to make binocular parallax the only correct evidence of relative depth and to cause perception of false depth when this correct evidence was not perceived. So far as I am aware this principle had never before been purposely employed. During the past year I have made the test accurately quantitative. One of its important advantages is that it reduces to a negligible factor the possibility of correct guessing. The test is simple and is made without the use of a stereoscope, amblyoscope or, in
When Silence Is Not Golden: Why Acknowledgment Matters Even When Being Excluded

Following ostracism, individuals are highly sensitive to social cues. Here we investigate whether and when minimal acknowledgment can improve need satisfaction following an ostracism experience. In four studies, participants were either ostracized during Cyberball (Studies 1 and 2) or through a novel apartment-application paradigm (Studies 3 and 4). To signal acknowledgment following ostracism, participants were either thrown a ball a few times at the end of the Cyberball game, or received a message that was either friendly, neutral, or hostile in the apartment-application paradigm. Both forms of acknowledgment increased need satisfaction, even when the acknowledgment was hostile (Study 4), emphasizing the beneficial effect of any kind of acknowledgment following ostracism. Reinclusion buffered threat immediately, whereas acknowledgment without reinclusion primarily aided recovery. Our results suggest that minimal acknowledgment such as a few ball throws or even an unfriendly message can reduce the sting of ostracism.
Predictors of mobility in community-dwelling women aged 85 and older

Purpose: To describe changes in mobility measured with the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) from baseline to follow-up 9 years later, and to examine which of the demographic, physical performance and health variables measured at baseline were predictors of the TUG at follow-up in a sample of women aged 85 or older. Method: This prospective cohort study included 113 community-dwelling women with a baseline mean age of 79.5 years. TUG was measured at baseline and at follow-up. The following baseline measurements were used as predictors: demographics, step-climbing ability, functional reach, and health. Results: At follow-up 110 women had decline in the TUG. Mean TUG scores at baseline and at follow-up were 6.7 s (SD = 1.3) and 13.2 s (SD = 6.8) respectively. Higher age, higher BMI, poorer results on; functional reach, step-climbing and self-rated health were independent predictors of poorer TUG at the 9-year follow-up. Exhibiting sufficient strength to climb a step of 40 cm or more protected significantly against mobility decline. Improving balance measured by the functional reach test by 1 cm lowered the probability of major mobility decline by 7%. Conclusions: Our results suggest that to decrease the risk of mobility decline focus should be on strength, balance and nutrition. Implications for Rehabilitation A great reduction in mobility, measured with the Timed Up and Go was observed at the 9-year follow-up. Thirty-nine percent of the community dwelling women aged 85 and above scored below average for their age group and are at risk for adverse outcomes. The amendable baseline predictors of poorer Timed Up and Go at 9-year follow-up were: higher BMI, poor step climbing capacity and poor balance. Exhibiting sufficient muscle strength and muscle power to climb a step of 40 cm or higher protected significantly against mobility decline. Improving balance measured by the functional reach test by 1 cm lowered the probability of mobility decline by 7%. To decrease the risk for mobility decline, exercise programmes should focus on muscle strength and balance.
Verbal Learning in Boys With P-Type Dyslexia, L-Type Dyslexia, and Boys Without Learning Disabilities: Differences in Learning Curves and in Serial Position Curves

Twenty-five boys with P-dyslexia, 23 with L-dyslexia, and 26 boys without reading disabilities were ad- ministered the Digit Span (Forward and Backward) and the Dutch version of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Compared to normal boys, dyslexic boys exhibited reduced scores on Digits Backward and recalled fewer words during the five learning trials. Nonlinear modeling of the data for the five learning trials revealed that dyslexic boys showed smaller learning parameters than did normal boys and that L- dyslexic boys exhibited more loss of information during learning than did P-dyslexic boys. In dyslexic boys, the word-list primacy effect was strongly reduced. In normal boys, but not in dyslexic boys, Digits Backward correlated moderately with the primacy measure. The results suggest that reduced word-list learning in dyslexics is a consequence of a temporal ordering deficit rather than a rehearsal deficit.
Thrombolytic Therapy for Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis and the North American Venous Registry

The ideal goals of therapy for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the elimination of the embolic potential of existing thrombus, restoration of unobstructed flow, prevention of further thrombosis, and preservation of venous valve function. Meeting these goals will not only prevent pulmonary embolism (PE) but will also minimize the long-term sequelae of venous hypertension and the development of the post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). Treatment strategies aimed at eliminating or reducing the risk of PTS should focus on preserving valvular function and eliminating the risk of continued venous obstruction following acute DVT. Thrombolytic drugs are an attractive form of early therapy because they have the ability to eliminate obstructive thrombus in the deep veins and should therefore help provide protection against PTS. The perceived benefits of early and rapid recanalization in preserving valve function have been the basis for the use of thrombolytic therapy to treat acute DVT.
Vaginal Delivery After Caesarean Section: Is It Safe in a Developing Country?

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Evaluation of trial of vaginal delivery after previous Caesarean section (trial of scar) is at the cutting edge of modern obstetric practice and so we offer no apology for the number of papers we accept for publication on this subject. Trial of scar has been practised successfully, and reported consistently from centres in the United Kingdom and Eire for decades, but recent interest stems mainly from the United States of America where Caesarean section rates of 20–30%, and the realization that the leading indication for Caesarean was ‘Previous Caesarean’, has resulted in the abandonment of the philosophy of ‘Once a Caesarean always a Caesarean’, a dictum attributed to Dr E. Cragin, in 1916, at a time when the Caesarean section rate was only about 1% and most were by the classical technique! This paper reports impressive results from a centre where electronic fetal heart monitoring and X‐ray pelvimetry were not available. The elective Caesarean rate (28.2%) was low and 82% of those having a trial of labour delivered vaginally — the incidence of uterine rupture was 0.7% (2 of 288), but readers please note that in this series trial of scar was not performed if induction of labour was required, and there was no oxytocin augmentation in cases of dysfunctional labour — 59% of the 401 patients with a previous Caesarean were delivered vaginally. Readers may be interested to compare these results with those at the Mercy Maternity Hospital, 1971–1984 — of 3,524 patients with a previous Caesarean section 2,337 (66.3%) had an elective Caesarean and trial of vaginal delivery was attempted in 1,187 (33.7%). Vaginal delivery occurred in 895 patients i.e. in 75.4% of those having a trial of scar which was only 25.4% of the 3,524 patients with a previous Caesarean. Uterine rupture occurred in 10 of the 1,187 patients having a trial of scar; the price paid (by fetus, mother and obstetrician) for vaginal delivery after previous Caesarean section can be excessive.