Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Progress and Challenges in Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents

The present document is an update of the 2003 American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Risk in Children from the Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in the Young Committee (Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young) and the Diabetes Committee (Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism). 1 Since the writing of the above document, substantial new information has emerged in children on the clustering of obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, and other risk factors and their collective role in conveying heightened risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A constellation of these interrelated cardiovascular risk factors in adults has come to be known as the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a construct useful both in clinical and research areas. Most recently, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute produced a consensus statement intended to provide up-to-date guidance on the diagnosis and management of the MetS in adults.2 The aim of this statement is to provide not a definition of the MetS but a set of fundamental questions about what the MetS means in a clinical or research setting. It calls attention to the fact that the stability of the MetS, especially for adolescents, is low, which raises questions about the utility of the MetS in a clinical context. For these reasons, we have focused on cardiometabolic risk factors and have called for the types of research that would hopefully provide much needed answers in this area. This statement aims to represent a balanced and critical appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the MetS concept in pediatric patients. It focuses on the pediatric issues related to cardiometabolic risk factors, primarily on the progress that has been made in recognizing the components of the MetS in children, their interrelations, and their importance as predictors of longitudinal risk for ASCVD and T2DM, based on evidence accumulated over recent years and on the consensus of experts in the field. It also addresses the need for early detection and preventive measures regarding cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents, with a strong focus on obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, which emerge as core elements of morbidity. Because of the limited data that track individuals from childhood to adulthood, little is known about how well pediatric MetS predicts adult disease. This statement also defines the limits of our current knowledge and provides suggestions for needed future research. To provide more insightful and concrete recommendations for clinicians and families as we face the increasing burden of childhood obesity, lipid abnormalities, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and other associated morbidities, the urgent need for vigorous research at the national and international level is obvious, so that lifestyle modification and at times medication may be used to reduce ASCVD risk to follow.
Spatial Interaction of Archaeal Ammonia-Oxidizers and Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria in an Unfertilized Grassland Soil

Interrelated successive transformation steps of nitrification are performed by distinct microbial groups – the ammonia-oxidizers, comprising ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), and nitrite-oxidizers such as Nitrobacter and Nitrospira, which are the dominant genera in the investigated soils. Hence, not only their presence and activity in the investigated habitat is required for nitrification, but also their temporal and spatial interactions. To demonstrate the interdependence of both groups and to address factors promoting putative niche differentiation within each group, temporal and spatial changes in nitrifying organisms were monitored in an unfertilized grassland site over an entire vegetation period at the plot scale of 10 m2. Nitrifying organisms were assessed by measuring the abundance of marker genes (amoA for AOA and AOB, nxrA for Nitrobacter, 16S rRNA gene for Nitrospira) selected for the respective sub-processes. A positive correlation between numerically dominant AOA and Nitrospira, and their co-occurrence at the same spatial scale in August and October, suggests that the nitrification process is predominantly performed by these groups and is restricted to a limited timeframe. Amongst nitrite-oxidizers, niche differentiation was evident in observed seasonally varying patterns of co-occurrence and spatial separation. While their distributions were most likely driven by substrate concentrations, oxygen availability may also have played a role under substrate-limited conditions. Phylogenetic analysis revealed temporal shifts in Nitrospira community composition with an increasing relative abundance of OTU03 assigned to sublineage V from August onward, indicating its important role in nitrite oxidation.
Minimally-Supervised Attribute Fusion for Data Lakes

Aggregate analysis, such as comparing country-wise sales versus global market share across product categories, is often complicated by the unavailability of common join attributes, e.g., category, across diverse datasets from different geographies or retail chains, even after disparate data is technically ingested into a common data lake. Sometimes this is a missing data issue, while in other cases it may be inherent, e.g., the records in different geographical databases may actually describe different product 'SKUs', or follow different norms for categorization. Record linkage techniques can be used to automatically map products in different data sources to a common set of global attributes, thereby enabling federated aggregation joins to be performed. Traditional record-linkage techniques are typically unsupervised, relying textual similarity features across attributes to estimate matches. In this paper, we present an ensemble model combining minimal supervision using Bayesian network models together with unsupervised textual matching for automating such 'attribute fusion'. We present results of our approach on a large volume of real-life data from a market-research scenario and compare with a standard record matching algorithm. Finally we illustrate how attribute fusion using machine learning could be included as a data-lake management feature, especially as our approach also provides confidence values for matches, enabling human intervention, if required.
The Demand for Cocaine by Young Adults: A Rational Addiction Approach

This paper applies the rational addiction model, which emphasizes the interdependency of past, current, and future consumption of an addictive good, to the demand for cocaine by young adults in the Monitoring the Future Panel. The price of cocaine is added to this survey from the System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE) maintained by the Drug Enforcement Administration of the U.S. Department of Justice. Results suggest that annual participation and frequency of use given participation are negatively related to the price of cocaine. In addition current participation is positively related to past and future participation, and current frequency of use given participation is positively related to past and future frequency of use. The long-run price elasticity of total consumption (participation multiplied by frequency given participation) of -1.18 is substantial. A permanent 10 percent reduction in price due, for example, to the legalization of cocaine would cause the number of cocaine users to grow by slightly more than 8 percent and would increase the frequency of use among users by a little more than 3 percent. Surely, both proponents and opponents of drug legalization should take account of this increase in consumption in debating their respective positions.
Glycolate Oxidase Isozymes Are Coordinately Controlled by GLO1 and GLO4 in Rice

Glycolate oxidase (GLO) is a key enzyme in photorespiratory metabolism. Four putative GLO genes were identified in the rice genome, but how each gene member contributes to GLO activities, particularly to its isozyme profile, is not well understood. In this study, we analyzed how each gene plays a role in isozyme formation and enzymatic activities in both yeast cells and rice tissues. Five GLO isozymes were detected in rice leaves. GLO1 and GLO4 are predominately expressed in rice leaves, while GLO3 and GLO5 are mainly expressed in the root. Enzymatic assays showed that all yeast-expressed GLO members except GLO5 have enzymatic activities. Further analyses suggested that GLO1, GLO3 and GLO4 interacted with each other, but no interactions were observed for GLO5. GLO1/GLO4 co-expressed in yeast exhibited the same isozyme pattern as that from rice leaves. When either GLO1 or GLO4 was silenced, expressions of both genes were simultaneously suppressed and most of the GLO activities were lost, and consistent with this observation, little GLO isozyme protein was detected in the silenced plants. In contrast, no observable effect was detected when GLO3 was suppressed. Comparative analyses between the GLO isoforms expressed in yeast and the isozymes from rice leaves indicated that two of the five isozymes are homo-oligomers composed of either GLO1 or GLO4, and the other three are hetero-oligomers composed of both GLO1 and GLO4. Our current data suggest that GLO isozymes are coordinately controlled by GLO1 and GLO4 in rice, and the existence of GLO isozymes and GLO molecular and compositional complexities implicate potential novel roles for GLO in plants.
AN UNUSUAL MITOTIC MECHANISM IN THE PARASITIC PROTOZOAN SYNDINIUM SP

Syndinium and related organisms which parasitize a number of invertebrates have been classified with dinoflagellates on the basis of the morphology of their zoospores. We demonstrate here that with respect to chromosome structure and chemistry as well as nuclear division, they differ fundamentally from free-living dinoflagellates. Alkaline fast green staining indicates the presence of basic proteins in Syndinium chromosomes. Chromatin fibers are about 30 Å thick and do not show the arrangement characteristic of dinoflagellate chromosomes. The four V-shaped chromosomes are permanently attached at their apexes to a specific area of the nuclear membrane through a kinetochore-like trilaminar disk inserted into an opening of the membrane. Microtubules connect the outer dense layer of each kinetochore to the bases of the two centrioles located in a pocket-shaped invagination of the nuclear envelope. During division kinetochores duplicate, and each sister kinetochore becomes attached to a different centriole. As the centrioles move apart, apparently pushed by a bundle of elongating microtubules (central spindle), the daughter chromosomes are passively pulled apart. During the process of elongation of the central spindle, the cytoplasmic groove on the nuclear surface which contains the central spindle sinks into the nuclear space and is transformed into a cylindrical cytoplasmic channel. A constriction in the persisting nuclear envelope leads to the formation of two daughter nuclei.
Pedestrian detection for mobile bus surveillance

In this paper, we present a system for pedestrian detection involving scenes captured by mobile bus surveillance cameras in busy city streets. Our approach integrates scene localization, foreground and background separation, and pedestrian detection modules into a unified detection framework. The scene localization module performs a two stage clustering of the video data. In the first stage, SIFT homography is applied to cluster frames in terms of their structural similarities and second stage further clusters these aligned frames in terms of lighting. This produces clusters of images which are differential in viewpoint and lighting. A kernel density estimation (KDE) method for colour and gradient foreground-background separation are then used to construct background model for each image cluster which is subsequently used to detect all foreground pixels. Finally, using a hierarchical template matching approach, pedestrians can be identified. We have tested our system on a set of real bus video datasets and the experimental results verify that our system works well in practice.
Toward Feasible Implementation Support: E-Mailed Prompts to Promote Teachers' Treatment Integrity

Abstract Although high levels of intervention implementation are more likely to lead to improved student outcomes, educators struggle to maintain high implementation levels over time. School psychologists might provide research-supported, consequence-oriented supports (e.g., performance feedback) to promote educators' implementation, yet these are reactive and potentially time intensive. This study evaluated whether a proactive, antecedent-oriented support (i.e., daily, preprogrammed e-mailed prompts) could effectively promote educators' implementation. Findings indicate that for 3 of 4 teachers who participated in this multiple baseline single case design study, implementation of the class-wide behavior intervention improved upon receiving e-mailed prompts. In addition, increases in praise, decreases in corrective statements, and corresponding improvements in student outcomes were noted. This initial study suggests that prompts may be a feasible and effective Tier 1 implementation support that can be incorporated by school psychologists to support educators responsible for delivering interventions in the classroom. Additional implications for future research and school-based practice are discussed.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Corporate Sponsorships at a Minor League Baseball Park

Corporate sponsorships are vital to the success of minor league sport businesses. As competition for sponsorships intensifies in these venues, there is a need for minor league sports to demonstrate a return on the sponsorship investment based on fan purchase intentions and behaviors. Prior research has identified fan involvement, goodwill, and sponsor attitudes as key predictors of fan purchase intentions. However, the potential of image transfer suggests that attitudes toward sport properties might also shape purchase intentions. This study replicates and extends prior sport sponsorship research by assessing the contribution of these constructs to fan purchase intentions at a Minor League Baseball park. A path model was proposed whereby the impact of fan involvement and goodwill upon purchase intentions is mediated through both sponsor and sponsee attitudes. On-site surveys were completed by 246 fans at a Minor League Baseball park in summer 2012. Consistent with prior literature, goodwill, fan involvement, and sponsor attitudes were significantly related to sponsor purchase intentions. The effect of goodwill on purchase intentions was partially mediated through sponsor attitudes. However, attitude toward the sponsee was not a significant predictor of purchase intentions. Minor league sport organizations should consider enhancing fan perceptions and attitudes as a means to increase sponsor purchase intentions.
Differential Regulation of Type I Interferon and Epidermal Growth Factor Pathways by a Human Respirovirus Virulence Factor

A number of paramyxoviruses are responsible for acute respiratory infections in children, elderly and immuno-compromised individuals, resulting in airway inflammation and exacerbation of chronic diseases like asthma. To understand the molecular pathogenesis of these infections, we searched for cellular targets of the virulence protein C of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (hPIV3-C). We found that hPIV3-C interacts directly through its C-terminal domain with STAT1 and GRB2, whereas C proteins from measles or Nipah viruses failed to do so. Binding to STAT1 explains the previously reported capacity of hPIV3-C to block type I interferon signaling, but the interaction with GRB2 was unexpected. This adaptor protein bridges Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) receptor to MAPK/ERK pathway, a signaling cascade recently found to be involved in airway inflammatory response. We report that either hPIV3 infection or transient expression of hPIV3-C both increase cellular response to EGF, as assessed by Elk1 transactivation and phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, 40S ribosomal subunit protein S6 and translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Furthermore, inhibition of MAPK/ERK pathway with U0126 prevented viral protein expression in infected cells. Altogether, our data provide molecular basis to explain the role of hPIV3-C as a virulence factor and determinant of pathogenesis and demonstrate that Paramyxoviridae have evolved a single virulence factor to block type I interferon signaling and to boost simultaneous cellular response to growth factors.
Decay of Correlations for Non-Hölderian Dynamics. A Coupling Approach

We present an upper bound on the mixing rate of the equilibrium state of a dynamical system defined by the one-sided shift and a non Holder potential of summable variations. The bound follows from an estimation of the relaxation speed of chains with complete connections with summable decay, which is obtained via a explicit coupling between pairs of chains with different histories.
“The Miracles of Bookkeeping”: How Budget Politics Link Fiscal Policies and Financial Markets1

Sociologists have frequently noted the relationship between fiscal institutions and the development of national financial markets, but the centrality of national budgets for structuring that relationship has received scant attention. This article uses a historical case study from the United States to address that gap. A 1960s political battle between the federal government and the Johnson administration over asset sales and the budget culminated in a reorganization of U.S. housing finance policy: Fannie Mae was “spun off” and authorized to issue mortgage-backed securities. This case study situates the early days of the modern U.S. securitization market within a broader political effort to use financial engineering and liberalization to avoid the redistribution of wealth, revealing how the effort to mobilize capital and influence outside of budgetary constraints can organize government engagements with finance. Implications are drawn for fiscal sociology, the sociology of finance, and the interaction between fiscal and financial systems over time.
Scoring and general match profile of Super Rugby between 2008 and 2013

Rugby research has focused on a range of performance indicators related to game structures and tactical aspects. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of law changes on the match profile of Super Rugby between the 2008 and 2013 seasons. For the purpose of this study the researchers made use of mixed-method methodology. A total of 646 Super Rugby matches were recorded and analyzed by means of the Fairplay video analysis software package. Further semi-structured interviews were conducted with expert coaches, specialist coaches, players and referees and referee coaches. Results revealed a significant increase in the number of points scored (p<0.01) and a decrease in the number of tries scored (p<0.01). Results of the study show that the profile of Super Rugby has changed to a more continuous game dynamic with the increase in the number of ball carries (d=1.34), passes (d=0.43), tackle breaks (d=1.59) and line breaks (d=2.40), and has led to an increase in the number of tackles (d=0.63). A decrease in the number of rucks (d=1.73), mauls (d=0.63), scrums (d=0.27) and scrum resets (d=1.36) was found. An increase in penalty kicks (d=2.04) and a decrease in free kicks (d=0.4.53) between 2008 and 2013 were observed. The general match profile of Super Rugby has moved to a game with fewer scrums and kicks and more ball carries and tackles. According to the interviewed experts, good playing surfaces in the Southern Hemisphere allow for an open-game approach by the teams.
The origins of intelligence

Although substantial progress has been made on the question of the origin of life less progress can be seen concerning the origins of intelligence There is not even general agreement of what intelligence is The paper proposes a de nition of intelligence grounded in biology which makes the question of the origins of intelligence seem more approachable It then identi es two major transitions that must have been crucial in the development of intelligence the origins of general purpose neural networks and the origins of language Some experimental work is reported that tries to recapitulate these major transitions using an arti cial life perspective
Multi-View Feature Combination for Ancient Paintings Chronological Classification

Ancient paintings can provide valuable information for historians and archeologists to study the history and humanity of the corresponding eras. How to determine the era in which a painting was created is a critical problem, since the topic of a painting cannot be used as an effective basis without an era label. To address this problem, this article proposes a novel computational method by using multi-view local color features extracted from the paintings. First, we extract the multi-view local color features for all training images using a novel descriptor named Affine Lab-SIFT. Then we can learn the codebook from all these features by k-means clustering. Afterwards, we create a feature histogram for each image in the form of bag-of-visual-words and use a supervised fashion to train a classifier, which is used for further painting classification. Experimental results from two different datasets show the effectiveness of the proposed classification system and the advantage of the proposed features, especially in the case of small-size training samples.
The Longitudinal Relationship Between Obesity and Depression in Children

Much of the existing literature evaluating the bidirectional associations between obesity and depression has been conducted in an adult population. We highlight the existing evidence and potential mechanisms contributing to the reciprocal relationship in various developmental stages across childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, and propose new conceptual models of obesity and depression in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between depression symptoms of children ages 2-11 (and their mothers) and weight status cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Ninety families (children ages 2-11, and their mothers) who completed measures of depression (PHQ-9, BASC-2) and had their height and weight measured at two time points (baseline and 3-month follow-up) were included in this study. Bivariate correlation and linear regression were used to evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between child depression symptoms and child weight status. Bivariate correlations and odds ratio analyses were used to assess the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between child depression symptoms and child weight status. We also used bivariate correlation to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between baseline maternal depression symptoms and child weight change. Results indicate that both cross-sectional and longitudinal, bidirectional relationships exist between depression symptoms and weight in children ages 2-11. Additionally, baseline maternal depression symptoms and baseline maternal weight status related to child depression symptoms and child weight status at 3 months, but only in boys. Baseline maternal and child depression increases odds of child overweight/obese weight status at 3 months, and baseline child overweight/obese weight status increases odds of “at risk” or “clinically significant” depression symptoms at 3 months. Findings suggest that a relationship between weight and mood exists both cross-sectionally, and longitudinally in children ages 2-11.