Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research Review: Outcomes of 24- to 36-month-old children with autism spectrum disorder vary by ascertainment strategy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Despite widespread recommendations for early surveillance of risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no research to date has shown that early surveillance leads to better clinical outcomes. Preliminary research has suggested that children with ASD ascertained via prospective follow-up have better outcomes than those ascertained via community referral. Because prospective studies include early surveillance, by comparing outcomes of children with ASD across ascertainment strategies, we may gain insight into the effects of early surveillance relative to its absence. METHODS A systematic review was conducted to identify studies reporting outcomes of 24- to 36-month-olds with ASD ascertained via prospective follow-up, community referral, or universal screening. A meta-analysis using a random effects model was used to calculate overall effect size estimates for developmental level and symptom severity across ascertainment cohorts. RESULTS Eleven prospective, ten community referral, and eight universal screening studies were identified, reporting on 1,658 toddlers with ASD. We found no differences in outcomes between community referral and universal screening studies. Relative to both, prospective studies reported significantly higher developmental levels and lower symptom severities. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes of young children with ASD ascertained via prospective follow-up are better than those of children with ASD recruited via community referral or universal screening. Although we discuss why sampling bias is not likely the driving force behind these findings, we cannot rule out the possibility that sampling bias contributes to the observed differences; future studies should probe the effects of sociodemographic variables on clinical outcomes as a function of ascertainment strategy. This limitation notwithstanding, our results raise the possibility that prospective follow-up may confer a 'surveillance effect' that contributes to improved developmental and diagnostic outcomes in children with ASD. Future research should test this hypothesis and determine the specific mechanism by which surveillance may improve outcomes.
A Benchmarking Framework for Control Methods of Maritime Cranes Based on the Functional Mockup Interface

A benchmark framework for advanced control methods of maritime cranes is presented based on the use of the functional mockup interface. The system integrates different manipulator models, all the corresponding hydraulic systems, various vessels, and the surrounding environment for visualization. Different control methods can be transparently implemented and tested. A set of routine tests, different cost functions, and metrics are provided—taking into account several factors, including position accuracy, energy consumption, quality, and safety for both the cranes and the surrounding environment. The concept of operational profiles is introduced, allowing for definition of different standard transporting and lifting operations. By considering task-oriented routines, this benchmark suite allows the comparison of different control methods independently from the specific crane model to be controlled. Two alternative control methods for maritime cranes based on the use of artificial intelligence are extensively compared. The first method is based on the use of genetic algorithms, while the second method involves the use of particle swarm optimization. Simulation results are presented for both methods.
A survey of deep learning for polyphonic sound event detection

Deep learning has achieved state of the art in various machine learning problems, such as computer vision, speech recognition, and natural language processing. Sound event detection (SED), which is about recognizing audio events in real-life environments, has attracted a lot of attention recently. Many works have been successful when applying deep learning techniques for the SED problem as can be seen in Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) challenge 2016–2017. In this paper, we present a review of the SED problem and discuss different deep learning approaches for the problem.
The cannabinoid CB1 receptor regulates bone formation by modulating adrenergic signaling

We have recently reported that in bone the cannabinoid CB1 receptor is present in sympathetic terminals. Here we show that traumatic brain injury (TBI), which in humans enhances peripheral osteogenesis and fracture healing, acutely stimulates bone formation in a distant skeletal site. At this site we demonstrate i) a high level of the main endocannabinoid, 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG), and expression of diacylglycerol lipases, enzymes essential for 2‐AG synthesis;ii) that the TBI‐induced increase in bone formation is preceded by elevation of the 2‐AG and a decrease in norepinephrine (NE) levels. The TBI stimulation of bone formation was absent in CB1‐null mice. In wild‐type animals it could be mimicked, including the suppression of NE levels, by 2‐AG administration. The TBI‐ and 2‐AG‐induced stimulation of osteogenesis was restrained by the β‐adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol. NE from sympathetic terminals is known to tonically inhibit bone formation by activating osteoblastic β2‐adrenergic receptors. The present findings further demonstrate that the sympathetic control of bone formation is regulated through 2‐AG activation of prejunctional CB1. Elevation of bone 2‐AG apparently suppresses NE release from bone sympathetic terminals, thus alleviating the inhibition of bone formation. The involvement of osteoblastic CB2 signaling in this process is minimal, if any. — Tam, J., Trembovler, V. , Di Marzo, V. , Petrosino, S. , Leo, G. , Alexandrovich, A. , Regev, E. , Casap, N. , Shteyer, A. , Ledent, C. , Karsak, M. , Zimmer, A. , Mechoulam, R. , Yirmiya, R. , Shohami, E. , Bab, I. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor regulates bone formation by modulating adrenergic signaling. FASEB J. 22, 285–294 (2008)
SYSTEMATIZATION OF VESTIBULAR AQUEDUCT ANATOMICAL STUDY BY HIGH-RESOLUTION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH UNILATERAL MENIERE ’ S DISEASE *

OBJECTIVE: To systematize the assessment of vestibular aqueduct by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in patients with unilateral Ménière’s disease as compared with a control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have selected 20 patients with unilateral Ménière’s disease, according to the guidelines proposed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. The control group consisted of ten individuals with normal audiometric tests. Overall, we have studied 60 ears, equally divided into three groups: group I – Ménière’s disease, affected ear; group II – Ménière’s disease, non-affected ear; group III – control. All the individuals have undergone temporal bones HRCT. Images were blindly reviewed, trying to evaluate the visibility of the descendent portion of the ventricular aqueduct. Afterwards data were correlated with their respective groups. RESULTS: We have identified the vestibular aqueduct in 95% of ears in group I, 90% in group II, and 100% in group III. CONCLUSION: It is possible to perform a systematic evaluation of the vestibular aqueduct by axial HRCT, using the same radiological technique, anatomical knowledge and sequential images of inner ear structures. With this systematic approach we have obtained a high rate of vestibular aqueduct visualization, with no statistically significant difference between the groups.
Dose-dependent Effects of Exercise and Diet on Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion.

PURPOSE A single bout of aerobic exercise increases insulin sensitivity the next day. The effects of exercise on insulin secretion, the role of exercise-induced energy deficit, and possible dose-response relationships are not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion after progressively greater negative energy balance induced by exercise or diet. METHODS Acute energy deficits (20% or 40% of weight maintenance needs) were induced by a single day of aerobic exercise (cycling at moderate intensity, n=13) or dietary restriction (n=19) in healthy men and women (age: 26±2 yrs; body mass index: 21.8±0.5 kg/m). Intravenous glucose tolerance tests in conjunction with minimal modelling were performed the next morning and blood samples were collected for 3 hours to measure glucose and insulin concentrations. RESULTS Insulin sensitivity increased linearly after exercise-induced energy deficits (P=0.007) but did not change after equivalent diet-induced energy deficits (P=0.673). Acute insulin response decreased after both exercise (P<0.001) and dietary restriction (P=0.005). The disposition index and glucose effectiveness were not affected by exercise (P=0.138 and 0.808, respectively), but both decreased after 40% dietary restriction (P=0.048 and 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion are related to exercise energy expenditure, albeit in a different fashion (insulin sensitivity increases linearly, whereas insulin secretion drops to a nadir with a low exercise dose and does not decrease further). These changes cannot be replicated by equivalent energy deficits induced by dietary restriction, suggesting that exercise and diet have different effects on the mechanisms regulating glucose homeostasis. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03264001.
DNA metabarcoding—Need for robust experimental designs to draw sound ecological conclusions

Zinger, Lucie; Bonin, Aurélie; Alsos, Inger G; Bálint, Miklós; Bik, Holly; Boyer, Frédéric; Chariton, Anthony A; Creer, Simon; Coissac, Eric; Deagle, Bruce E; De Barba, Marta; Dickie, Ian A; Dumbrell, Alex J; Ficetola, Gentile Francesco; Fierer, Noah; Fumagalli, Luca; Gilbert, M Thomas P; Jarman, Simon; Jumpponen, Ari; Kauserud, Håvard; Orlando, Ludovic; Pansu, Johan; Pawlowski, Jan; Tedersoo, Leho; Thomsen, Philip Francis; Willerslev, Eske; Taberlet, Pierre
Heat as a tracer for understanding transport processes in fractured media: Theory and field assessment from multiscale thermal push‐pull tracer tests

The characterization and modeling of heat transfer in fractured media is particularly challenging as the existence of fractures at multiple scales induces highly localized flow patterns. From a theoretical and numerical analysis of heat transfer in simple conceptual models of fractured media, we show that flow channeling has a significant effect on the scaling of heat recovery in both space and time. The late time tailing of heat recovery under channeled flow is shown to diverge from the T(t)∝t−1.5 behavior expected for the classical parallel plate model and follow the scaling T(t)∝1/t(log⁡t)2 for a simple channel modeled as a tube. This scaling, which differs significantly from known scalings in mobile‐immobile systems, is of purely geometrical origin: late time heat transfer from the matrix to a channel corresponds dimensionally to a radial diffusion process, while heat transfer from the matrix to a plate may be considered as a one‐dimensional process. This phenomenon is also manifested on the spatial scaling of heat recovery as flow channeling affects the decay of the thermal breakthrough peak amplitude and the increase of the peak time with scale. These findings are supported by the results of a field experimental campaign performed on the fractured rock site of Ploemeur. The scaling of heat recovery in time and space, measured from thermal breakthrough curves measured through a series of push‐pull tests at different scales, shows a clear signature of flow channeling. The whole data set can thus be successfully represented by a multichannel model parametrized by the mean channel density and aperture. These findings, which bring new insights on the effect of flow channeling on heat transfer in fractured rocks, show how heat recovery in geothermal tests may be controlled by fracture geometry. In addition, this highlights the interest of thermal push‐pull tests as a complement to solute tracers tests to infer fracture aperture and geometry.
Efficacy of Multimedia Learning Modules as Preparation for Lecture-Based Tutorials in Electromagnetism

We have investigated the efficacy of on-line, multimedia learning modules (MLMs) as preparation for in-class, lecture-based tutorials in electromagnetism in a physics course for natural science majors (biology and marine science). Specifically, we report the results of a multiple-group pre/post-test research design comparing two groups receiving different treatments with respect to activities preceding participation in Tutorials in Introductory Physics. The different pre-tutorial activities were as follows: (1) students were assigned reading from a traditional textbook, followed by a traditional lecture; and (2) students completed on-line MLMs developed by the Physics Education Research Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), and commercially known as FlipItPhysics. The MLM treatment group earned significantly higher mid-term examination scores and larger gains in content knowledge as measured by the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM). Student attitudes towards “reformed” instruction in the form of active-engagement tutorials were also improved. Specifically, post-course surveys showed that MLM-group students believed class time was more effective and the instructor was more clear than reported by non-MLM students, even though there was no significant difference between groups with respect to in-class activities and the same instructor taught both groups. MLM activities can be a highly effective tool for some student populations, especially when student preparation and buy-in are important for realizing significant gains.
Detecting Phishing Attacks Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning

Phishing attacks are one of the most common and least defended security threats today. We present an approach which uses natural language processing techniques to analyze text and detect inappropriate statements which are indicative of phishing attacks. Our approach is novel compared to previous work because it focuses on the natural language text contained in the attack, performing semantic analysis of the text to detect malicious intent. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we have evaluated it using a large benchmark set of phishing emails.
Effect of a Ketogenic Diet on Submaximal Exercise Capacity and Efficiency in Runners.

PURPOSE We investigated the effect of a 31-d ketogenic diet (KD) on submaximal exercise capacity and efficiency. METHODS A repeated-measures, crossover study with preintervention and postintervention outcomes was conducted in eight trained male endurance athletes (maximal oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max), 59.4 ± 5.2 mL⋅kg⋅min). Participants ingested their habitual diet (HD) (43% ± 8% carbohydrate and 38% ± 7% fat) or an isoenergetic KD (4% ± 1% carbohydrate and 78% ± 4% fat) from days 0 to 31 (P < 0.001). On days -2 and 29, participants undertook a fasted graded metabolic test (~25 min), and on days 0 and 31, participants completed a run-to-exhaustion trial at 70% of their V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (~12.9 km⋅h) after the ingestion of a high-carbohydrate meal (2 g⋅kg) or an isoenergetic low-carbohydrate, high-fat meal, with carbohydrate (~55 g⋅h) or isoenergetic fat (coconut oil) supplementation during exercise. RESULTS Training load did not differ between trials, and there was no effect of diet on V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (all, P > 0.05). The KD impaired exercise efficiency, particularly at >70% V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, as evident by oxygen uptake that could not be explained by shifts in RER and increased energy expenditure (all, P < 0.05). However, exercise efficiency was maintained on a KD when exercising at <60% V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (all, P > 0.05). There was no effect of diet on time-to-exhaustion (237 ± 44 min (pre-HD) vs 231 ± 35 min (post-HD), P = 0.44; 239 ± 27 min (pre-KD) vs 219 ± 53 min (post-KD), P = 0.36). CONCLUSION A 31-d KD can preserve submaximal exercise capacity in trained endurance athletes; however, endurance variability increases.
Diagnostic performance of an automatic blood pressure measurement device, Microlife WatchBP Home A, for atrial fibrillation screening in a real-world primary care setting

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended automatic oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement device incorporated with an atrial fibrillation (AF) detection algorithm (Microlife WatchBP Home A) for real-world AF screening in a primary healthcare setting. Setting Primary healthcare setting in Hong Kong. Interventions This was a prospective AF screening study carried out between 1 September 2014 and 14 January 2015. The Microlife device was evaluated for AF detection and compared with a reference standard of lead-I ECG. Primary outcome measures Diagnostic performance of Microlife for AF detection. Results 5969 patients (mean age: 67.2±11.0 years; 53.9% female) were recruited. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc ( C : congestive heart failure [1 point]; H : hypertension [1 point]; A2 : age 65-74 years [1 point] and age ≥75 years [2 points]; D : diabetes mellitus [1 point]; S : prior stroke or transient ischemic attack [2 points]; VA : vascular disease [1 point]; and Sc : sex category [female] [1 point])score was 2.8±1.3. AF was diagnosed in 72 patients (1.21%) and confirmed by a 12-lead ECG. The Microlife device correctly identified AF in 58 patients and produced 79 false-positives. The corresponding sensitivity and specificity for AF detection were 80.6% (95% CI 69.5 to 88.9) and 98.7% (95% CI 98.3 to 98.9), respectively. Among patients with a false-positive by the Microlife device, 30.4% had sinus rhythm, 35.4% had sinus arrhythmia and 29.1% exhibited premature atrial complexes. With the low prevalence of AF in this population, the positive and negative predictive values of Microlife device for AF detection were 42.4% (95% CI 34.0 to 51.2) and 99.8% (95% CI 99.6 to 99.9), respectively. The overall diagnostic performance of Microlife device to detect AF as determined by area under the curves was 0.90 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.90). Conclusions In the primary care setting, Microlife WatchBP Home was an effective means to screen for AF, with a reasonable sensitivity of 80.6% and a high negative predictive value of 99.8%, in addition to its routine function of BP measurement. In a younger patient population aged <65 years with a lower prevalence of AF, Microlife WatchBP Home A demonstrated a similar diagnostic accuracy.
Silencing of Apis mellifera dorsal genes reveals their role in expression of the antimicrobial peptide defensin‐1

Like all other insects, two key signalling pathways [Toll and immune deficiency (Imd)] regulate the induction of honey bee immune effectors that target microbial pathogens. Amongst these effectors are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are presumed to be produced by the nuclear factors kappa B (NF‐κB) Dorsal and Relish from the Toll and Imd pathways, respectively. Using in silico analysis, we previously proposed that the honey bee AMP defensin‐1 was regulated by the Toll pathway, whereas hymenoptaecin was regulated by Imd and abaecin by both the Toll and Imd pathways. Here we use an RNA interference (RNAi) assay to determine the role of Dorsal in regulating abaecin and defensin‐1. Honey bees have two dorsal genes (dorsal‐1 and dorsal‐2) and two splicing isoforms of dorsal‐1 (dorsal‐1A and dorsal‐1B). Accordingly, we used both single and multiple (double or triple) isoform knockdown strategies to clarify the roles of dorsal proteins and their isoforms. Down‐regulation of defensin‐1 was observed for dorsal‐1A and dorsal‐2 knockdowns, but abaecin expression was not affected by dorsal RNAi. We conclude that defensin‐1 is regulated by Dorsal (Toll pathway).
Clostridium butyricum Strains Suppress Experimental Acute Pancreatitis by Maintaining Intestinal Homeostasis.

SCOPE Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common abdominal inflammatory disease. Disturbed gut homeostasis secondary to pancreatic inflammation aggravates the condition retroactively. The current study investigates potential beneficial effects of Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) strains on AP and underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS C. butyricum strains MIYAIRI 588 (CBM588) and CGMCC0313.1 (CB0313.1) were supplemented to mice for three weeks before experimental AP or SAP induction. Both CBM588 and CB0313.1 protected against AP, as evidenced by reduced serum amylase and lipase levels, pancreatic edema, and myeloperoxidase activity. Amelioration of both experimental AP and SAP by CB0313.1 indicated a non-model-specific effect. Moreover, C. butyricum inhibited pancreatic neutrophil and dendritic cell infiltration, nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing family, pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome activation, and pro-inflammatory pathways. Additionally in the gut, C. butyricum strains attenuated AP-associated intestinal inflammation and barrier dysfunction, accompanied with reduced pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli and Enterococcus penetration into pancreas. Gut microbiome analyses further revealed that beneficial effects of C. butyricum on pancreatic-gut homeostasis were correlated with improved dysbiosis. In particular, relative abundance of Desulfovibrionaceae decreased, and Verrucomicrobiaceae Clostridiaceae and Lactobacillaceae increased. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, a protective effect of C. butyricum in AP by modulating intestinal homeostasis is demonstrated.
Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Outcomes at a Minimum of 5-Year Follow-Up: A Systematic Review

Abstract Revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction typically has worse outcomes than primary reconstructions. Minimal long-term data exist regarding 5-year results. We chose to perform a systematic review to evaluate midterm (5-year) revision ACL reconstruction outcomes (patient-reported outcomes, reoperation, stability, arthritis) in comparison to primary ACL reconstructions at similar time points. Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed databases were queried, and four studies met the inclusion criteria. Two authors reviewed and performed data extraction. All were level 4 studies. Review of the studies demonstrated that results at 5 years are consistently worse than those noted in primary reconstructions for objective and patient-reported outcomes. Revision ACL reconstruction outcomes remain worse than primary reconstructions at midterm 5-year follow-up. The level of evidence is 4.
A case study on the misclassification of software performance issues in an issue tracking system

In this study we focus on the misclassification of issue reports regarding software performance in OSS development. IEEE Std 610 [1] defines performance as “The degree to which a system or component accomplishes its designated functions within given constraints, such as speed, accuracy, or memory usage. ” The definition implies that there is no rigorous criteria nor quantitative measure to detect a software performance problem, but rather it relies on a subjective judgement. OSS users sometimes mistakenly report a performance bug as a request for improving software performance and sometimes mistakenly report an improvement request for fixing a performance bug. The misclassification of report types can impedes the efficient bug-fix process in OSS development, since OSS developers preferentially spend time fixing bugs which might be improvement requests (i.e., not bugs) in reality. In this paper we strengthen our previous study for the Apache Wicket project by manually inspecting 1,000 bugs and 1,000 improvement requests respectively to more precisely understand the impacts of the misclassification on the bug-fix process in OSS development.