Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Patterns of Participation in Daily Physical and Play Activities

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) indicates several neurodevelopmental impairments which may end in impairments in motor or physical activities. Daily physical activity involvement was investigated in a total of 83 children (52 boys and 31 girls) with ASD aged 6–15 years. Results indicated that only 10 (12%) of children with ASD were physically active. Children were predominantly engaged in solitary play rather than social play activities. Gender, family income, and household structure were found to be associated with activity scores. Financial burden and lack of opportunities were noted as the leading barriers to physical activities. In conclusion, findings indicated a low rate of physical activity participation in children with ASD that is closely associated with sociodemographic variables.
Derandomization of probabilistic auxiliary pushdown automata classes

We extend Nisan's breakthrough derandomization result that BP<sub>H</sub>L sube SC<sup>2</sup> (1992) to bounded error probabilistic complexity classes based on auxiliary pushdown automata. In particular, we show that any logarithmic space, polynomial time two-sided bounded-error probabilistic auxiliary pushdown automaton (the corresponding complexity class is denoted by BP<sub>H</sub>LOGCFL) can be simulated by an SC<sup>2</sup> machine. This derandomization result improves a classical result by Cook (1979) that LOGDCFL sube SC<sup>2 </sup> since LOGDCFL is contained in BP<sub>H</sub>LOGCFL. We also present a simple circuit-based proof that BP<sub>H</sub>LOGCFL is in NC <sup>2</sup>
The L84F and the I143V polymorphisms in the O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene increase human sensitivity to the genotoxic effects of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine carcinogen NNK

O6-Methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) is a direct-reversal DNA repair protein that removes DNA adducts formed by alkylating mutagens found in tobacco smoke. Several coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs) in the MGMT gene have been reported. However, their effect on the levels and types of genetic damage induced by specific environmental carcinogens remains to be fully elucidated. We developed two novel genotyping techniques and used them, in conjunction with the mutagen-sensitivity assay, to test the hypothesis that the L84F and I143V cSNPs in the MGMT gene confer increased sensitivity to genetic damage induced by the alkylating tobacco-specific nitrosamine carcinogen NNK. Lymphocytes from 114 healthy volunteers were exposed in vitro to NNK, and the genotoxic response was assessed by measuring chromosome aberration (CA) frequencies. A significant (P<0.02) increase in NNK-induced CA was observed in cells from individuals with the 84F polymorphism compared to cells from individuals homozygous for the referent L84 allele. A significant positive interaction between this cSNP and smoking, gender and age was observed (P<0.03). In subjects with the variant 143V allele, significantly higher levels of NNK-induced CA were observed in males and in young subjects (<43 years old) compared to subjects homozygous for the referent I143 allele (P<0.02). Individuals who inherited two cSNPs had significantly higher levels of NNK-induced CA compared to individuals with none or with one cSNP (P<0.002). These new data suggest that the 84F and 143V cSNPs may alter the function characteristics of the MGMT protein, resulting in suboptimal repair of genetic damage induced by NNK
Coordinated Metabolic Changes and Modulation of Autophagy during Myogenesis

Autophagy undergoes a fine tuning during tissue differentiation and organ remodeling in order to meet the dynamic changes in the metabolic needs. While the involvement of autophagy in the homeostasis of mature muscle tissues has been intensively studied, no study has so far addressed the regulation of autophagy in relation to the metabolic state during the myogenic differentiation. In our recently published study (Fortini et al., 2016) we investigated the metabolic profile and regulation of autophagy that accompany the differentiation process of mouse skeletal muscle satellite cells (MSC)-derived myoblasts into myotubes. Here, we briefly present these findings also in the light of similar studies conducted by other authors. We show that during myogenic differentiation mitochondrial function and activity are greatly increased, and the activation of autophagy accompanies the transition from myoblasts to myotube. Autophagy is mTORC1 inactivation-independent and, remarkably, is required to allow the myocyte fusion process, as shown by impaired cell fusion when the autophagic flux is inhibited either by genetic or drug manipulation. Further, we found that myoblasts derived from p53 null mice show defective terminal differentiation into myotubes and reduced activation of basal autophagy. Of note, glycolysis prevails and mitochondrial biogenesis is strongly impaired in p53-null myoblasts. Thus, autophagy, mitochondrial homeostasis, and differentiation are finely tuned in a coordinate manner during muscle biogenesis.
The ecology of lakes and rivers in the southern boreal shield: water quality, community structure, and cumulative effects

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . v TABLE OF CONTENTS . 1 PART 1: INTRODUCTION . 2 PART 2: CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT ― THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS AND BIG PROBLEMS . 24 PART 3: RANDOM FORESTS AS CUMULATIVE EFFECTS MODELS ― A CASE STUDY OF LAKES AND RIVERS IN MUSKOKA CANADA . 43 PART 4: ONSET-OF-EFFECT THRESHOLDS AND REFERENCE CONDITIONS ― A CASE STUDY OF THE MUSKOKA RIVER WATERSHED, CANADA. 62 PART 5: DECLINING AMPHIPOD ABUNDANCE IS LINKED TO LOW AND DECLINING CALCIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN LAKES OF THE SOUTH PRECAMBRIAN SHIELD . 104 PART 6: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION . 143
Sparse localized deformation components

We propose a method that extracts sparse and spatially localized deformation modes from an animated mesh sequence. To this end, we propose a new way to extend the theory of sparse matrix decompositions to 3D mesh sequence processing, and further contribute with an automatic way to ensure spatial locality of the decomposition in a new optimization framework. The extracted dimensions often have an intuitive and clear interpretable meaning. Our method optionally accepts user-constraints to guide the process of discovering the underlying latent deformation space. The capabilities of our efficient, versatile, and easy-to-implement method are extensively demonstrated on a variety of data sets and application contexts. We demonstrate its power for user friendly intuitive editing of captured mesh animations, such as faces, full body motion, cloth animations, and muscle deformations. We further show its benefit for statistical geometry processing and biomechanically meaningful animation editing. It is further shown qualitatively and quantitatively that our method outperforms other unsupervised decomposition methods and other animation parameterization approaches in the above use cases.
External Validation of the ASTER GDEM2, GMTED2010 and CGIAR-CSI- SRTM v4.1 Free Access Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in Tunisia and Algeria

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) including Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer-Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 (GMTED2010) are freely available for nearly the entire earth’s surface. DEMs that are usually subject to errors need to be evaluated using reference elevation data of higher accuracy. This work was performed to assess the vertical accuracy of the ASTER GDEM version 2, (ASTER GDEM2), the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research-Consortium for Spatial Information (CGIAR-CSI) SRTM version 4.1 (SRTM v4.1) and the systematic subsample GMTED2010, at their original spatial resolution, using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) validation points. Two test sites, the Anaguid Saharan platform in southern Tunisia and the Tebessa basin in north eastern Algeria, were chosen for accuracy assessment of the above mentioned DEMs, based on geostatistical and statistical measurements. Within the geostatistical approach, empirical variograms of each DEM were compared with those of the GPS validation points. Statistical measures were computed from the elevation differences between the DEM pixel value and the corresponding GPS point. For each DEM, a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) was determined for model validation. In addition, statistical tools such as frequency histograms and Q-Q plots were used to evaluate error distributions in each DEM. The results indicate that the vertical accuracy of SRTM model is much higher than ASTER GDEM2 and GMTED2010 for both sites. In Anaguid test site, the vertical accuracy of SRTM is estimated 3.6 m (in terms of RMSE) 5.3 m and 4.5 m for the ASTERGDEM2 and GMTED2010 DEMs, respectively. In Tebessa test site, the overall vertical accuracy shows a RMSE of 9.8 m, 8.3 m and 9.6 m for ASTER GDEM 2, SRTM and GMTED2010 DEM, respectively. This work is the first study to report the lower accuracy of ASTER GDEM2 compared to the GMTED2010 data.
Theory of prokaryotic genome evolution

Significance Bacteria and archaea have small genomes with tightly packed protein-coding genes. Typically, this genome architecture is explained by “genome streamlining” (minimization) under selection for high replication rate. We developed a mathematical model of microbial evolution and tested it against extensive data from multiple genome comparisons to identify the key evolutionary forces. The results indicate that genome evolution is not governed by streamlining but rather, reflects the balance between the benefit of additional genes that diminishes with the genome size and the intrinsic preference for DNA deletion over acquisition. These results explain the observation that, in an apparent contradiction with the population genetic theory, microbes with large genomes reach higher abundance and are subject to stronger selection than small “streamlined” genomes. Bacteria and archaea typically possess small genomes that are tightly packed with protein-coding genes. The compactness of prokaryotic genomes is commonly perceived as evidence of adaptive genome streamlining caused by strong purifying selection in large microbial populations. In such populations, even the small cost incurred by nonfunctional DNA because of extra energy and time expenditure is thought to be sufficient for this extra genetic material to be eliminated by selection. However, contrary to the predictions of this model, there exists a consistent, positive correlation between the strength of selection at the protein sequence level, measured as the ratio of nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution rates, and microbial genome size. Here, by fitting the genome size distributions in multiple groups of prokaryotes to predictions of mathematical models of population evolution, we show that only models in which acquisition of additional genes is, on average, slightly beneficial yield a good fit to genomic data. These results suggest that the number of genes in prokaryotic genomes reflects the equilibrium between the benefit of additional genes that diminishes as the genome grows and deletion bias (i.e., the rate of deletion of genetic material being slightly greater than the rate of acquisition). Thus, new genes acquired by microbial genomes, on average, appear to be adaptive. The tight spacing of protein-coding genes likely results from a combination of the deletion bias and purifying selection that efficiently eliminates nonfunctional, noncoding sequences.
Thermal Conductivity of Nanofluids

Nanofluids are suspensions of nanoparticles in base fluids, a new challenge for thermal sciences providedby nanotechnology. Nanofluids have unique features different from conventional solid-liquid mixtures inwhich mm or µm sized particles of metals and non-metals are dispersed. Due to their excellent characteristics,nanofluids find wide applications in enhancing heat transfer. Research work on the concept, heat transferenhancement mechanism, and application of the nanofluids is still in its primary stage. This study providesa review of research in this field with focus on thermal conductivity studies of nanofluids. Defence Science Journal, 2008, 58(5), pp.600 -607 , DOI:http://dx.doi. org/10.14429/dsj.58. 1682
State‐dependent retrieval and chlorpheniramine

State‐dependent retrieval is demonstrated when material learned under drug is best recalled in that same drug state. To test whether state‐dependency can be induced by an antihistamine, we administered chlorpheniramine (AH) in a ‘cross‐over’ design with four experimental conditions based on drug state at encoding and recall. These were AH–AH, AH–Placebo, Placebo–Placebo and Placebo–AH. There were three measures of retrieval: free recall of a list of 20 words, followed by cued recall of the same list of words and free recall of a short passage of information. For all of these measures, state‐dependency was demonstrated: subjects performed better in the congruent (AH–AH and Placebo–Placebo) than in the disparate (AH–Placebo and Placebo–AH) conditions. Given that their sedative effects are well known, many students take antihistamines for the management of hay fever only as necessary. However, the clear implication of the present study is that intermittent use of chlorpheniramine may result in retrieval difficulties. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Caution: Vaginal estradiol appears to be contraindicated in postmenopausal women on adjuvant aromatase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND Aromatase inhibitors (AI) are increasingly used in early breast cancer and there is a growing interest in associated long-term side-effects of profound estrogen suppression. Urogenital side-effects due to atrophic vaginitis are often managed with vaginal estrogen preparations. These are generally perceived to result in minimal systemic absorption of estrogen. We followed serum estradiol, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) levels in seven postmenopausal women using vaginal estrogen preparations whilst on AIs for breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Serum was analysed for estradiol, FSH and LH at baseline then 2, 4, 7-10 and 12 weeks since commencement of vaginal estradiol. Estradiol was measured on an assay specifically developed for measuring low levels in postmenopausal women. RESULTS Serum estradiol levels rose from baseline levels < or = 5 pmol/l consistent with AI therapy to a mean 72 pmol/l at 2 weeks. By 4 weeks this had decreased to < 35 pmol/l in the majority (median 16 pmol/l) although significant further rises were seen in two women. CONCLUSIONS The vaginal estradiol tablet Vagifem significantly raises systemic estradiol levels, at least in the short term. This reverses the estradiol suppression achieved by aromatase inhibitors in women with breast cancer and is contraindicated.
Baseline Susceptibility of the Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to the Cry1Ab Toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis

Abstract Susceptibility to Cry1Ab toxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was determined for 12 field populations of neonate corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), from the United States. Earworm larvae were exposed to artificial diet treated with increasing Bt concentrations, and mortality and growth inhibition were evaluated after 7 d. The range of variation in Bt susceptibility indicated by growth inhibition was very similar to that indicated by mortality. Although interpopulation variation in susceptibility to both proteins was observed, the magnitude of the differences was small (less than or equal to fivefold). These results suggest that the observed susceptibility differences reflect natural variation in Bt susceptibility among corn earworm populations rather than variation caused by prior exposure to selection pressures. Therefore, corn earworms apparently are susceptible to Bt toxins across most of their geographic range.
Factorial validation and reliability analysis of the Brain Fag Syndrome Scale.

BACKGROUND Brain fag is an indigenous psychopathology or culture-bound syndrome formally documented in Nigeria in the 1960's by Raymond Prince. OBJECTIVE The need for a factorial examination of the scale to ensure factorial validity and also to examine the reliability of this screening scale. METHODS Two hundred thirty four (234) participants with ages between 11 - 20 years with a mean age of 14.20 and a Standard Deviation of 2.14 of which 114 were from a private secondary school and 120 from a public secondary school were randomly selected and administered the Brain Fag Syndrome Scale [BFSS]. The data was subjected to factor analysis using Principal Component Analysis with Oblim Rotation. RESULTS Two valid factors emerged with items 1-3 and items 4, 5 & 7 loading on them respectively, making the BFSS a two-dimensional (multidimensional) scale which measures 2 aspects of brain fag [labeled burning sensation and crawling sensation respectively]. The reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.521, and a standardized item alpha of 0.528 estimated its internal consistency. Also, the BFSS was correlated with other tests to establish its concurrent validity [convergent and divergent]. CONCLUSION BFSS is a valid and reliable two-dimensional instrument to assess brain fag syndrome.
Traffic crash prediction based on incremental learning algorithm

Real-time crash prediction models are playing a key role in transportation information system. Support vector machine (SVM), a classification learning algorithm, was introduced to evaluate real-time crash risk. The size of traffic dataset is always large with a high accumulating speed. By applying a warm start strategy, an incremental learning algorithm is introduced to update the original model. In this way, incremental dataset will improve the original model with a little time consumption. This study developed crash risk prediction model utilizing loop detector traffic data and historical crash data. With three comparison experiments, the improvement of accuracy and efficiency of this incremental learning algorithm was proved.
Effects of L-Proline on Phase I and Phase II Xenobiotic Biotransformation Capacities of Rat and Human Hepatocytes in Long-term Collagen Gel Cultures

L-Proline supplementation of the medium for collagen gel cultures of hepatocytes has been shown to improve albumin secretion. A study was made as to whether L-proline is also essential for the maintenance of xenobiotic biotransformation capacities in collagen gel sandwich and immobilisation cultures of rat and human hepatocytes. Key phase I (cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase [CYP] and microsomal epoxide hydrase [mEH]) and phase II (glutathione S-transferase [GST]) biotransformation enzyme activities and the secretion of albumin in the culture medium were assessed in the absence and presence of L-proline. CYP and mEH activities were not affected by the addition of L-proline, whereas phase II α-Class GST activity of rat hepatocytes in collagen cultures was decreased. Species differences were demonstrated, as human hepatocytes showed a better maintenance of GST activities than their rat counterparts in the presence of L-proline. Albumin secretion, often considered to be a marker for differentiated cell function, does not parallel the biotransformation capacities of the hepatocytes in culture. Additional results demonstrated an L-proline-mediated enhancement of the proliferation rate of contaminating stellate cells in conventional monolayer culture. Transdifferentiation of stellate cells to proliferating myofibroblasts, along with an increased albumin secretion and collagen synthesis, are characteristic of fibrotic liver. Since the last two phenomena have been observed in L-proline-supplemented collagen gel cultures, it can be concluded that when stable collagen gel cultures of rat hepatocytes are needed for long-term pharmacotoxicological studies, it is preferable to use an L-proline-free culture medium. Further studies on medium optimisation are required for hepatocytes from species other than rat.
Ca2+ currents in cerebral artery smooth muscle cells of rat at physiological Ca2+ concentrations

Single Ca2+ channel and whole cell currents were measured in smooth muscle cells dissociated from resistance-sized (100-microns diameter) rat cerebral arteries. We sought to quantify the magnitude of Ca2+ channel currents and activity under the putative physiological conditions of these cells: 2 mM [Ca2+]o, steady depolarizations to potentials between -50 and -20 mV, and (where possible) without extrinsic channel agonists. Single Ca2+ channel conductance was measured over a broad range of Ca2+ concentrations (0.5-80 mM). The saturating conductance ranged from 1.5 pS at 0.5 mM to 7.8 pS at 80 mM, with a value of 3.5 pS at 2 mM Ca (unitary currents of 0.18 pA at -40 mV). Both single channel and whole cell Ca2+ currents were measured during pulses and at steady holding potentials. Ca2+ channel open probability and the lower limit for the total number of channels per cell were estimated by dividing the whole-cell Ca2+ currents by the single channel current. We estimate that an average cell has at least 5,000 functional channels with open probabilities of 3.4 x 10(-4) and 2 x 10(-3) at -40 and -20 mV, respectively. An average of 1-10 (-40 mV and -20 mV, respectively) Ca2+ channels are thus open at physiological potentials, carrying approximately 0.5 pA steady Ca2+ current at -30 mV. We also observed a very slow reduction in open probability during steady test potentials when compared with peak pulse responses. This 4- 10-fold reduction in activity could not be accounted for by the channel's normal inactivation at our recording potentials between -50 and -20 mV, implying that an additional slow inactivation process may be important in regulating Ca2+ channel activity during steady depolarization.
Does External Environment Influence Organizational Performance? The Case of Kenyan State Corporations

External environment’s direct influence on organizational performance has not attracted as much scholarly attentionas the strategic management practice. The main objective of the study was to establish the influence of externalenvironment on performance of Kenyan State corporations. The three dimensions of external environment namelymunificence, complexity and dynamism were used to measure the variable while performance was measured alongall the indicators of the sustainable balanced score card. The study’s population consisted of 108 Kenyan statecorporations and data was collected from 98 organizations. The results revealed that all the hypotheses weresupported. It was established that external environment had a positive significant influence on all the indicators ofperformance. It was evident from the findings that the effect of external environment on organizational performance,while conventionally thought to be negative, the research showed otherwise. It is most likely that Kenya statecorporations have ensured a proper environmental scanning that has led to an accurate stakeholders mapping. Thestakeholders mapping has most likely led to favorability of relationships hence the positive effect of externalenvironment. External environment ought not to impact organizational performance negatively. Results also revealthat indeed the external environment has a direct relationship and influence on organizational performance. Industrialorganization economics theory suggested the structure-conduct-performance paradigm which was later matched withstrategic management’s the environment-strategy-performance. The results of this study seem to allude to anenvironment-performance paradigm. More scholarly poking is therefore necessary to determine the extent to whichthe direct relationship exists.